Deals

Who says a liberal arts education doesn't prepare you for the real world? Jed Rubenfeld, a professor of constitutional and criminal law at Yale, wrote his undergraduate thesis on Sigmund Freud. Twenty-six years later, Rubenfeld's paper on the father of all mother issues has paid off handsomely. Holt executive editor George Hodgman beat at least six other houses with a preempt for Rubenfeld's The Name of Action, a sweeping historical thriller inspired by a visit Freud made to New York. Deal is reported to be in the seven figures (with bonuses), presumably a nice raise from the professor's previous university press efforts. William Morris's Suzanne Gluck reports lots of foreign action for Action—she's closed deals in five major territories.

Putnam executive editor Dan Conaway got in touch with his criminal instincts last week with two acquisitions. After strong-arming Donadio & Olson's Neil Olson for North American rights for The Godfather's Revenge(with Mark Winegardner , The Godfather Returns writer, once again stepping in for Mario Puzo), Conaway picked up bestselling author Ridley Pearson from Writers House's Amy Berkower for a new series of thrillers set in Sun Valley, Idaho. Pearson has done previous bestsellers with Hyperion.

Operating a beauty school in post-Taliban Afghanistan requires a very different skill set than running a salon on Madison Avenue. On the best days, says Rosemary Stasek , author and manager of Kabul Beauty School , the school reminded Afghan women of their "desire to be seen as a whole woman." Other times Stasek contended with more horrific events. Marly Rusoff flew Stasek to the States, and Random House's Jane von Mehren snapped up the title. CAA's Shari Smiley will handle film rights.... Agent Mary Hall Mayer is readying The Last Generation for submission next week, an apocalyptic thriller by Steffan Postaer of advertising powerhouse Euro RSCG. NBC is developing as a series. Mayer said the novel asks "What would the world be like if people could not have babies anymore?" (Enjoy airplanes and restaurants more?) Janet Carol Norton of BWCS coagented.... Trident's Jenny Bent has sold four of the hyper-efficient Johanna Edwards's upcoming titles. In a two-book deal, Berkley acquired the adult How to Be Cool, and Simon Pulse bought the YA Confessions of a Teenage Spyand a second title in another deal. Suddenly, Joyce Carol Oates looks downright pokey.