Notes From the Bookroom

November 8, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

Well, it had to happen some time, now, didn't it? Judith Regan doing karaoke. If, as gawker.com says, the audio is authentic, she's not nearly as shrill as I'd imagined she would be. And dig those kitties. Meow!

July 24, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (29)

Received the galley yesterday for Bowl of Cherries, a new McSweeney's book. Actually, received two galleys, because that's what we ask for and McSweeney's, bless its heart, does what we ask. Tucked into one was a hand-written note, which was a mite bit anxiety-inducing because it (generally) means I've had a substantive discussion with (generally) a publicist about a book and have (generally) agreed that, yes, the book sounds pretty great and send me a couple copies and I'll see what I can do.

But I can't recall having spoken with the McSweeney's folks recently, and certainly not with Angela, whose last name I do not know but who I'm sure is very nice. But she took the time to write me (in informally orange ink!) this chatty little note talking up the book's author and pitching an i...Read More

June 28, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (8)

So, there I am, watching Larry King, working on a Maker's and waiting for the Paris interview to stop sucking. As you'll recall, it took a while. But then she read a "note" she'd written in jail. And it was great. Great, as in: That proud look on her face--where have I seen something like that? (Oh, right: in the park the other day, this three-year-old was chasing a cockroach. He finally caught it.) Is she listening to the trite dreck dribbling out of her mouth? Is she going to cry now? No. She's not going to cry. This is boring. Oh, wait, Larry, that dirty dog, is asking her about being strip-searched. Hmm. Awful, yes. No worse than starring in a tepid sex tape, I'd think. But what do I know?

Anyway, we'll have to tide ourselves over with other prison books till her Opus hits the shelves. Here's a couple new/forthcoming ones to start with:

...Read More

June 4, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (4)

How many of these can you take?

As the Ethics in Book Reviewing panelists took the stage, the woman standing next to me tapped my shoulder and said, "Is that Hitchens?" She indicated the guy on the far left, the one looking haggard and drinking from a large bottle of water. This was Friday at 11:30 a.m.
"That'd be him," I said.
"He looks bad. Worse than usual."
She, I soon learned, was from the Washington area and had seen him out and about many times, and so had a basis for comparison. All I had to go on was author promo shots, and in those the Hitch looks... like he did this morning. To Hitch's right sat Francine Prose, who appeared to be leaning away from the man from Washington. Then there was much talking. A few excerpts:

Francine Prose said The Historian was one of the worst books she's ever read....Read More

May 29, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (2)

I do. Really. 

You know what I don't like? Everything that isn't a puppy. Except Angry Martin. I'm on an Angry Martin bender. Goal is the complete ouevre before July 4, and, for the first time ever, it's looking like I'm going to succeed. (Other goals include drinking less, being nicer, drinking less and being nicer.) 

Problem at this point is Yellow Dog. I haven't read Yellow Dog. Every time I pick it up, Tibor Fischer's Telegraph take-down comes to mind, and then I put the book down. (For those of you who don't feel like reading the...Read More