The PW Morning Report, August 13, 2008
By Dermot McEvoy -- Publishers Weekly, 8/13/2008 5:47:00 AM
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
A daily r
ound-up of the latest publishing news: Swift-Booking Obama; Caitlin Thomas’ Expensive Diary; Political Books and Hard News; More on the Procreating Monkeys Covers; A Kindle Christmas; "The Wheel of Time" Series to Universal; and Random House: No Regrets
New York Times Looks at the Publishing Swift-Booking—Ah, Boating—of Barack Obama
The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality by James R. Corsi, Ph.D.—who, by the way, bears a remarkable resemblance to the dyspeptic Lt. Tragg in the old Perry Mason TV series—is published by Threshold Editions. Publisher Mary Matalin said it "was not designed to be, and does not set out to be, a political book," it is, rather, "a piece of scholarship, and a good one at that." Corsi also wrote that other book of immense scholarship, Unfit for Command in 2004
Diary of Dylan Thomas’ Wife for Sale—Asking Price $500,000, reports UPI
Caitlin Thomas died in 1994 and the previously unpublished, 43-page document is part of the "world’s finest collection of Dylan Thomas inscribed books, letters and manuscripts"
Political Books and Hard News
Leon Neyfakh of the New York Observer has an interesting piece on how hard news affects books such as The Challenge by Jonathan Mahler and Ron Suskind’s The Way of the World. Back in June PW got to the crux of the matter with "Want Political Truth? Buy A Book," which asserted that the book publishing industry had preempted the role of the Fourth Estate in presenting citizens with important information about their government. Next big one? Bob Woodward’s fourth book on Bush, September 8
Remember Yesterday’s Story About the Books With the Procreating Monkeys on the Cover?
Well, if you do, get a life. Otherwise, check out the New York Observer’s follow-up to this important publishing story. We report, you decide. Or something like that
Have Yourself a Merry Little Kindle Christmas, reports The Register
In Britain they’re betting that the Kindle, onsale in September, will be this year’s must-have for Christmas
Universal Acquires Film Rights to "The Wheel of Time" Series, reports Variety
The first book in the series was The Eye of the World. Author Robert Jordan died last year at the age of 58
Random House: No Regrets Over Pulling Muslim Book, reports The Bookseller
Stuart Applebaum says the publisher has "no second thoughts" about pulling The Jewel of Medina by Sherry Jones from its list. The reaction from some in Britain has been scathing. "It’s absolutely shocking," said Andrew Franklin, publisher at the U.K.-based Profile Books. "They are such cowards. I just think publishers should uphold the principle of free speech—editorial judgement is very important, but free speech is sacred, without it we should give up and go home"
