Blair's Book Goes West
by John F. Baker -- Publishers Weekly, 9/15/2003
To the surprise of no one in New York publishing, it was a Los Angeles house, Michael Viner's New Millennium, that agreed to publish former New York Times rogue reporter Jayson Blair's account of his spectacular downfall that led to the departure of two top editors at the paper. Viner bought the book, Burning Down My Master's House: My Life at the New York Times from agent David Vigliano for a six-figure sum for U.S., Canada and audio rights and said he was planning to publish on March 9; the book is already more than half completed. Apart from being a frank account from Blair's point of view of his experiences at the paper, the book will also cover his unsuccessful efforts to interest a New York publisher in his story.
