Short Takes
by John F. Baker -- Publishers Weekly, 7/9/2001
A new book by Ha Jin, winner of the National Book Award for Waiting, has been signed by editor Luann Walther at Pantheon. It's called Crazed, and is about the agonies of a young student after the Tiananmen Square incident. The world-rights sale, for a "significant" six figures, was made by agent Lane Zachary at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth, for publication probably in fall 2002; meanwhile, the movie of Waiting is shooting in China.... A first novel by a young Hong Kong–born Canadian, Kevin Chong, just published by Penguin in Canada, has been bought by Putnam's Aimee Taub for release here next January. It's called Baroque-a-Nova, and is described as a fast and funny story set among minor celebrities in pop music; the sale was made by Toronto agent Beverly Slopen.... A comic-book series by Greg Rucka, Queen and Country, has been sold to Fox for a movie to be produced, and maybe directed, by Betty Thomas; the deal, an option for low six to nearly a million if the movie is made, was done by Angela Cheng at LA's Writers & Artists, on behalf of agent David Hale Smith at DHS Literary in Dallas.... Pocket Books executive editor Caroline Tolley has signed romance writer turned suspense novelist Andrea Kane to a new three-book deal that will include a pair of hardcovers (her first) after another mass market title; the sale was made by Andrea Cirillo at the Jane Rotrosen agency.
