The PW Morning Report, October 2, 2008

By Dermot McEvoy -- Publishers Weekly, 10/2/2008 5:52:00 AM

Thursday, October 2, 2008

A daily round-up of the latest publishing news: Gwen Ifill Book Controversy; Publishing Terror Attacks Condemned; Doubleday’s New Internet Channel; Norman Mailer, Sweet Talker; and Banned Books Week Continues

Book Controversy Follows Gwen Ifill Into Veep Debate, reports New York Times
Gwen Ifill of PBS will moderate this evening’s vice-presidential debate. Suddenly Republicans are asking questions about her upcoming book, The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama (it will, ironically, be published by Doubleday on January 20, 2009, Presidential Inauguration Day). The right-wing talking heads are outraged and will be watching Ms. Ifill very carefully tonight as she questions Sarah Palin. One also has the feeling that so will Tina Fey and the writers over at Saturday Night Live

IPA and IBF Condemn Terrorist Attacks on Publishers, reports The Bookseller
The International Publishers Association and the International Booksellers Federation have "strongly" condemned the recent attacks on Gibson Square (publisher of The Jewel of Medina) and a series of attacks in Greece, which resulted in the burning of thousands of books

Doubleday’s New Internet Channel
The Bookseller is reporting that Doubleday is launching a new branded channel that will feature book trailers and author interviews. It will be on the Internet broadcasting network KoldCast TV

Norman Mailer, Sweet Talker
The New Yorker has some of old Norman’s love letters in the latest issue. The old chauvinist literary pig could be a sweet talker—as his six marriages must attest to. I have some great Mailer misogynistic tales to tell, but PW is, after all, a family publication

Banned Books Week Continues
The Los Angeles Times has a provocative essay by David L. Ulin asking if there are books that should be banned