The PW Morning Report, July 8, 2008
By Dermot McEvoy -- Publishers Weekly, 7/8/2008 5:21:00 AM
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
A da
ily round-up of the latest publishing news: Barack Books; Imus Shuns Anti-Bush Ad; Sexy, Fictional Laura Bush; Thomas M. Disch Dead; Bertelsmann to Sell DirectGroup France?; Kidsbooks LLC Sold; and Madonna Kissed Gwyneth
Barack Books
Salon.com studies the Barack books and comes to some conclusions about an Obama presidency
Imus Turns Down Radio Ad for The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder, reports New York Times
Vincent Bugliosi’s provocative new book published by the Vanguard Press/Perseus is also getting the cold shoulder from MSNBC and The Daily Show. The book was #14 on the New York Times Book Review and has sold 130,000 copies. See what Sara Nelson, PW’s editor-in-chief, had to say about it
Are You Ready for the Fictional Laura Bush?
HuffingtonPost has the low-down on American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld, which will be published just in time for the Republican Convention by Random House. The Laura character is named Alice Blackwell. She’s a librarian—just like the real Laura—but there’s also a lesbian grandmother, sex, abortions, and more sex. Boy, it’s enough to drive someone into an abstinence program
Science Fiction Writer Thomas M. Disch Dead at 68, reports New York Times
His last novel, The Word of God: Or, Holy Writ Rewritten, was published this year. Cause of death was suicide. Read the Q&A Disch did with PW this past May
Bertelsmann to Sell DirectGroup France?
Reuters reports that the sale could bring in $470 million. A spokesman for Bertelsmann said: "The news over the timing and the price are pure speculation"
Kidsbooks LLC Sold, reports Playthings.com
The Boston-based children’s book publisher was purchased by Softplay Inc., marketer of interactive books and related soft toys
Madonna Kissed Gwyneth sez Brother in New Book
The Sun is reporting that Christopher Ciccone in his new memoir, Life With My Sister Madonna (Simon Spotlight), says that the U.S. pop star kissed actress Gwyneth Paltrow on the lips. First Gwyneth, then A-Rod. Who’s next? Bad things come in threes, right?
