Summer 2008 BULLETIN

Books, Profits & Digits: Publishing's W"ry Leap Watched Any Good Books Lately? Roy Blount on an Author's Primary Mission Copyright on a Cocktail Napkin LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Et". wonder where the (generally top) author roy- gtrineas. A more usual method, however, was publica- lalty of 15 percent came from? I confess that I had tion upon shares. 'The mode of doing so . . . ,'wrote not, but now I think I may know. Irving, 'is to agree about the number of copies in an Yesterday I acquired Stanley T. Williams's 1935 two- edition, and the retail price to be placed upon them; to volume Life of Washingtort lraing (Oxford) and was multiply the number of copies by the price of each, moved this morning to check his and divide the gross amount by six. Bibliography of the Writings of Wash- The Guild encourages members to For this sixth part, the publisher to irrgton lraing: A Check Llsf, issued write to the Bulletin. Letters should be give his notes to the author.' ["Irving sent to "Letters to the Editor," The in the following year. Looking for to John Murrav" Madrid, July 29, Authors Cuild, ll East 32nd Street. something else, I came upon this: 7827, P. M. Irving, Life and Letters of 7th Floor, New York. NY 10016. They "Let aggrieved authors of the can also be taxed to (212) 564-5363. Washingtotr Irrring (New York, 1862- twentieth century read Walter Scott's or sent via e-mail to staff@authors 7864),il,263.1 frank letter to Irving on conditions in guild.org (type "Letters to the Editor" A sixth part is, of course, 76 2/3 the trade, in which he declares that, in the subject line). Letters may be ed- percent, so today's authors take a bit arrange it as you will, the bookseller ited for length, grammar and clarity. of a haircut from the standard in 'contrives to take the lion's share of Irving's day. the booty.' [Walter Scott to Irving, Edinburgh, Thorn December 41819, P. M. I., 1,443.) Sometimes the copy- -John right was sold outright; in7827Irving offered that of Saugerties, NY the Columbus to John Murray for three thousand Continued on page 39 ALONG PUBLISHERS ROW

Bv CaMpaELL GEESLTN

Eitst, the good news. Last year, 3.13 billion books OUR POET: Adam Gopnik, a staff writer at The New I'were sold, compared to 3.1 billion in 2006. Higher Yorker, wrote an essay about why W. H. Auden "is an retail prices, according to Book Industry Trends, indispensable poet of our time." helped increase revenues by 4.4 percent to $37.3 billion Gopnik observed: "Being everywhere at once from $35.7 billion. while going nowhere in particular is what poets do, fuvenile hardcover sales were increased by 10.5 and Auden did it. \Alhere journalists write about what percent to S301.6 billion last year (bumped up by people are arguing about in public, and novelists Harry Potter). Religious books were up by 4.2 percent about what they are talking about in private, only po- last year, selling 274.5 mlllion copies. Adult trade ets seem able to show that what people argue about in hardbacks and paperbacks increased 1.8 percent to 839 public is identical to what they talk about in private, million copies sold. Net revenue increased 4.3 percent that what we are arguing about is the sum of our own to $9.39 billion from $9.18 billion. Mass market paper- guilts, fears, anxieties, hopes." backs sales were down 5.8 percent. Gopnik concluded: "If IAuden] sometimes sounds This spring, however, several publishers reported in the forties as if he were speaking to us from a very weak sales. Random House had a 4.9 percent decline high soapbox in a very big square, well, listen: we can in operating profit. Simon & Schuster reported 32 per- hear him, still." cent decline in operating income in the first quarter of this year. MOTHER TONGUE: The quotable W. H. Auden had Al Greco, a senior researcher at the Institute for this to say about English: "I think we are frightfully Publishing Research, told The New York Times, lucky because being a mongrel language, we have this "There is an economic malaise that's hitting this busi- enormous vocabulary. And then because it is an unin- ness. Basically what we're seeing when we look at the flected language, yoll can turn nouns into verbs and entire retail sector is that consumers are obviouslv very cautious." Cotrtitured otr page 16

Attthors Guild tsulletin|fI sruurr, 2oo| THE AUTHORS GUILD BUTLETIN

Fresident Roy Blount Jr. SUMMER 2OO8 Editor Martha Fay Articles Assistant Editor a Isabel Howe Copyright on Cocktail Napkin By Erik Heels Senior Contributing Page 5 Editor Southem Lights: Authors Cuild Distinguished Service Awards Campbell Geeslin to Louis Rubin, |r. and Richard Howorth Contributing Editor Page 6 David Curle Annual Meeting PageT All non-staff contributors to the Bulletin retain copyright to the For the Record: articles that appear in these Simon & Schuster's E-Book Amendment pages. Guild members seeking Page 8 information on contributors' other publications are invited Contracts Q&A to contact the Guild office. Bu Mark L. Leuine Page L0 Published quarterly by: Slow Growth, Unease and The Authors Guild, lnc. a Glimmer of Digital Hope 31 East 32nd Sheet By lsabel Hozue 7th Floor Page 11 New York, NY 10016 Watching Books The Bulletin was published in first By Richard Curtis L912 as The Authors League Newsletter. Page L4

Departments

Along Publishers Rozu .. .. ,...... 2 Overheard Letter from the President...... ,..4 Legal Watch ...... 9 "The possibilities of print have just Books bv Members ...... 31 begun. In two years, I Bulletii Board ....33 hope this looks like cellphones Members Make Nezus ....35 did in 1982, or car phones." Copyright O 2008 The Authors Guild, lnc. Granger, Editor in-David Chief of Esquire magazine, on the battery{it About the Cover Artist 75th anniversary issue of Keain Sanclrcz Walsh is a freelance artist the magazine, which will be in New York Citlt. shipped by refrigerated truck. The New York Times, July 21,2008

Attthors Guitit Bultetin E srur,rr, 2ool Good point. No, of course not. There are other inter- From the President viewers who . . . . Well, for my last book I did a taped phone interview with a radio person who began by Bv Rov Blourur Tn. asking, "When people meet you, do you feel like you always have to come up with something funny to say?" And I said, "No." Which is what I have said sev- /'^t oon I will be out and eral thousand times in answer to Q's along those lines, \about around the coun- because, if you think about it, that is one of the few A's lJ try answering ques- you are ever going to hear that is so disappointing as tions about a book I have to almost prove its sincerity. There was a pause, from written, which is an author's which I inferred that the questioner was waiting for primary mission. Not to me to say, "But I kid. The truth is, of course, that one write the book. To answer of the burdens of pursuing the hilarity trade is that one questions about it. must keep on hand a stock of hilarious replies to that

And tulnt is thst like? Answer- ing qttestions ahout your book?

Good question. You know when you have guests in your home? And as you are getting more and more "You want to make a good impression, from trying to dig up the extra tennis cobwebs on you so that thousands of viewers or listeners or racket because they forgot to bring theirs, they keep coming up to you to ask, "Where do you keep vour periodical readers will say to themselves, snake repellent?" And "Do you have any Sal Hepa- tica?" And "What is your longitude and latitude here, 'Oh, he sounds like a nice person. If his exacily?" And "You're still using this kind of yogurt?" book doesn't cost more than $29.95, And "Where's the best place to parasail around here?" And "Why didn't you redo your kitchen like you said I might consider buying a cop!."' you were going to do last year?" And "What is it about your wireless reception here that keeps me from get- ting trans-streaming hypervideo?" And "What is that chewing noise I hear in vour walls at night?" very question, and to many other questions as well, jr-rst Yes. in case no spontaneous drollery br-rbbles up in the moment. At night I lie awake in a cold sweat, dread- So you know. Yorr'r'e been there. Yes, it is like that. Or ing the dav when I rn'ill come out with a wisecrack and rather it is like that some of the time-with question- the response will be . . . not even a chuckle. Can you ers who act like they own the book and you are the res- imagine living with something like that hanging over ident handyman. The sort of questioner who reminds your head?" you of that moment when you turn on your DVD "But player, in your own living room, and it gives you this But yort didtr't satl tlrc I kid . . ." thing. crawling message: "WELCOME." Except that you can You'r.e got it. respond to the DVD player by saying, "Heyl Let's get one thing straightl You can't welcome me here because You just snid, "No." I am the one who lives here. And I am not going to welcome yor-r here either, because you are not a person, Precisely. or even any sort of mammal. You are an electronic de- vice." You can't say anything like that to an inter- So then uhat happened? viewer, because you want to make a good impression, Thank you. That is the kind of question I like to hear. so that thousands of viewers or listeners or periodical It comes from a questioner who is also a listener. readers will say to themselves, "Oh, he sounds like a Here's what happened then: the radio guy said, "Was nice person. If his book doesn't cost more than $29.95, that not a good question?" And I said, "Frankly, no, it I might consider buying a copy."

But not nll interoieuters nct like that? Corttinued on page 30

Atrtlnrs Guilcl Bulletin[ 5,11111,1ar ],.ttt8 Copyright on a Cocktail Napkin, by Erik J. Heels

Coplrqhr Rghts Coplctgftrl Norlrs

crpY Dnrrrrntory renrl q boof drstribrte parody tfB a fintic dtrirafrue linrite* Usttlr .ft at wuhs atrtcaftonrl vtC brrort baf {ron lit*} Lbdt+ mouic)

Erik Heels began posting drawings on his website seaernl r watch the Red Sox at Fenway Park years ago, after the daughter of a friend Jolloutcd ltinr . borrow a book from a library around n day a school project. "One of the good for for In the middle of the drawing are uses that are things about spending time utith children," Heels says orr covered by copyright but that have been declared to his site, roww.erikjheels.com, "is that it rlou to ex- forces be "fair use" by the law. So you can use copyrighted plain things in simple terms," Last ruinter, he got tround works without permission (to some extent) for: to one of the woild's most corttplicated athjects, "tlre ztton- derful world of copyright lazu." Not a rnoment too soon. . commentary Thank you, Mr. Heels. [Note: Tlrc Guild's legal stnff hns . parody one quibble zuith Mr. Heels' sketch: it belieaes watching n . limited educational use Red Sox game nt Fentuny Park has no coptyright implica- On the left side of the drawing are the uses that tions. It also prefers the Yankees.l are exclusive to the copyright owners. These include the rights to: 1|" the right side of the drawing are the uses that lr--r/are unregulated, ones that are not covered by 'copy the work copyright rights. So you don't need permission from .distribute the work the copyright owner to: .make derivative works from the work (such as making a movie from a book) . read a book . see a movie My drawing could be better. And my explanation could be better. But agail, I drew this for a child, so it's a good place to start. The main point is that there Erik J. Heels is an MIT graduate, patent and are three classes oi uses: unregulated, fair use, and trademark lawyer, Red Sox fan, and music lover. protected. And you have to think carefully about Copyright @ 2007 Erik J. Heels. Reprinted with per- which tvpe of use is which. Many copyright owners mission. fail to do this, unfortunately. *

Atttlnrs Grtitd Btlletitt|El Surunu, 2t)08 mings, the evening's speakers were host Roger Rosen- Southern Lights blatt, Authors Guild Foundation President Sidney Offit, Paul Aiken, Executive Director of the Authors Presents Guild, and Authors Guild President Roy Blount |r., Authors Guild who presented the award to Mr. Howorth. Distinguished Seraice Awards During his remarks, Mr. Blount referred to a New York Times article covering the reaction of the town to Louis Rubin, lr. and of Oxford-the hometown of William Faulkner-to Richard Howorth

A uthor and publisher Louis lI D. Rubin, Jr. and bookstore I \ow.rer Richard Howorth were presented with the Authors Guild Awards for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community at the Authors Guild's 14th An- nual Benefit, held May 5 in New York. The evening's proceeds ben- efited the Authors Guild Foun- dation and the Authors League Fund. Mr. Rubin is a prolific writer, editor, teacher and publisher who helped nurture a generation of Southem writers. During his years at Hollins College, fohns Hopkins University the University of Penn- Richnrd Hozuorth, Roy Blourtt lr. and Louis Rubin, Jr. sylvania and the University of North Carolina, he taught several writers who have gone on to literary or scholarly dis- Oprah Winfrey's selection of three Faulkner novels for tinction. He has received numerous awards, including her book club in 2005. Mr. Howorth told a reporter at the R. Hunt Parker Memorial Award for lifetime con- the time, "The good news is more people are going to tributions to the literary heritage of North Carolina, be reading Faulkner. The bad news is more people are the Academy Award in Literature frorn the American going to be buying condos in Oxford." Mr. Howorth Acaderny of Arts and Letters, and the National Book was then reminded that "mayors are often in favor of Critics Circle Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement economic development in their towns," and he revised Award. As Authors League Fund President Pat Cum- his story: "Oh yeah. The good news is more people are mings said when she presented the award to Mr. going to be buying condos in Oxford." Rubin, "That's a lot of engraving." During his acceptance speech, Mr. Howorth re- Rubin is also the founder of Algonquin Books, a called Mr. Blount's last visit to Square Books and the publisher based in Chapel Hill. inscription he wrote to Mr. Howoith in his new book: Like Mr. Rubin, Mr. Howorth has played an impor- "I like your store. I like your town. Maybe some day a tant role in the development of Southern writers and great writer will come along and put it on the map." literature. He founded Square Books in Oxford, Miss., Mr. Rubin, in his acceptance speech, commented in 1979, a store that has since become one of the na- on some of the ways technology and the Internet have tion's most admired independen bookstores and a lit- affected the practice of writing and publishing, but his erary hub. He has served the Arnerican Eooksellers closing remarks had a timeless resonance: ". . . ours is Association as both President and board member. He an honorable vocation, the profession of letters, and was elected mayor of Oxford in 2001 and is a promi- whatever its limitations and its discouragements may nent figure in that community. be at any given time, I don't think we need make any In addition to the honored guests and Ms. Cum- apologies for having followed it as best we can." i

Authors Grritd Bttltctitr|f| sunrrr, 2rJ0g . Our class-action lawsuit against Google over Annual Meeting the company's plan to scan and digitize mil- lions of books without permission from authors or publishers continues. l-|-lhe Authors Guild held its Annual Meeting on I April 30 at The Library of the General Society of Mr. Aiken concluded his report by remembering I Mechanics and Tradesmen in New York City. prominent members who died in the preceding year, Guild President Roy Blount Jr. called the meeting to including Arthur Schlesinger, Kurt Vonnegut, David order and asked for and received the approval of the Halberstam, Norman Mailer, and Madeleine L'Engle, minutes of the 2007 Annual Meeting. former Guild President and longiime board member The first order of business was to collect the final of the Authors League Fund. Mr. Aiken gave particu- ballots, report the proxy votes, and declare the voting lar mention to two colleagues, William F. Buckley and closed. Mr. Blount then asked Paul Aiken, Executive Gloria Bley Miller. Director of the Authors Guild, to give the Executive With former Authors Guild Bulletin editor Stuart Director's Report. Mr. Aiken's report detailed recent Little, Mr. Buckley founded The Buckley Little Cata- Guild developments and activities: logue, the precursor to the current Backinprint.com program. 2008, page 11]Mr. Aiken also praised . During the last fiscal year, which closed on [Spring Gloria Bley Miller's career and support of the Guild, September 30,2007, the Guild gained 842 new and her integral role in the creation and strength of the members. As of April 30, the Guild had 9,275 Authors Guild Foundation's endowment. members, an all-time high for the organization. F. Constantine, the Cuild's general counsel, Mr. Aiken introduced the Guild's new market- Jan gave her report on legal developments of the past year, ing executive, Sandy Long, and discussed her beginning with an update on the Artist-Museum recent work to improve member recruitment. Partnership Act. For eight years, the Guild has sup- . The Guild's Backinprint.com program now ported proposed changes to the tax code that would has more than 1,000 titles available and has had allow writers and artists to deduct for tax purposes the about $3 million in book sales since 2002, yield- appraised market value of their own work, such as ing about $600,000 in royalties for members- manuscripts, first editions, and research notes that roughly $100,000 in royalties each year. they donate to museums, universities and libraries. Current tax law only allows for the deduction of the . We are upgrading our website-building serv- value of materials used to create the work, although ice, Sitebuilder. The Guild currently hosts 2,000 collectors and others may deduct the fair market value member websites, more than 1,800 of which of donated manuscripts. This year, the Artist-Museum were built with the Sitebuilder software; the re- Partnership Act was reintroduced in the House and mainder use the hosting-only service. The new Senate and, as of April 30, had 95 cosponsors in the Sitebuilder2 service is in beta mode, with more House-a record high-and 31 in the Senate. We are than 150 sites live with the service. The up- cautiously optimistic that it will pass as part of a larger graded service will have greater flexibility and bill when introduced later this year. more design options, but ii still has some bugs Ms. Constantine then discussed another pending to work out before all of the sites are migrated. Senate bill, the Free Flow of In{ormation Act, or Shield Mr. Aiken also discussed the relaunch of the Law. In October, the House overwhelmingly approved Guild's website, www.authorsguild. org. a federal Shield Law, and in March the Senate fudici- o The Authors Registry, the Guild's L3-year-old ary Committee approved its own version, but the leg- rights payment agency, has registered more than islation is strongly opposed by the administration, the 40,000 writers and distributed more than $6 mil- Department of Justice, and the intelligence commu- lion in photocopy royalties to authors, largely nity. Ms. Constantine reported that the Guild has collected from the United Kingdom. Last year, signed on to two amicus curiae briefs for cases relat- the Registry came to an agreement to collect li- ing to the Shield Law, one involving revealing sources brary lending rights proceeds from an organiza- and one involving a libel accusation. tion in the Netherlands, LIRA. LIRA provided Ms. Constantine discussed another bill that the the Registry with more than $500,000 last year Guild opposes, the "Dead Celebrities Bill," which and $1 million this year. In 2007, for the first would criminalize the unauthorized use in advertis- time, the Authors Registry ran a surplus, and ing and trade of the "name, portrait, voice, signature record-high payments are expected for 2008. or picture of anyone who died after January 7,7938."

Authors Guild BulletinZ srrrn,r, 2oo8 The Marilyn Monroe estate pushed the bill forward in endowment and $57,000 to normal operations. Dues New York after losing a case in California. The Guild revenues were up and Web services income was down successfully campaigned against the bill through a slightly, but we expect to reverse that decline with the member alert, and, as of June, the bill was dead, al- upcoming SiteBuilder2 upgrade. Office expenses were though the Marilyn Monroe estate and other parties down, and at year's end, the Guild had just over might try to revive it. $600,000 in cash on hand. Ms. Constantine concluded with an update on the Sidney Offit provided a brief report on the Authors library exemption of the copyright law and a March Guild Foundation and two southern writers, Richard 2008 report from the Section 108 study group, which Howorth and Louis Rubin, Jr., to be honored at the an- reexamined the exemptions and limitations applicable nual Benefit dinner. to libraries and archives under Section 108 of the Mr. Aiken then discussed the New York State Libel Copyright Act. The Guild is reviewing the report's rec- Terrorism Act, which was inspired by the case of ommendations. Rachel Ehrenfeld, who was sued for libel in London On behalf of Peter Petre, Mr. Aiken presented the even though her book was published in the U.S. This Treasurer's Report. The Guild ran a surplus last year o{ $173,000. Of that, $1L6,000 was attributable to the Continued onpage 27

Guild Website Gets a Makeover

We're pleased to announce our newly designed web- it easy to download copyright forrns, report a newly site at www.authorsguild.org. We think you'll find it published book or a recent award, check to see if much better organized and easier on the eye. The your website is listed in our online directory of mem- new site also aims to make it more convenient for ber websites, or fonrrard an article from a recent is- you to communicate with us and find out what we're sue of the Bulletin. Getting your site listed can boost up to. Check in to see what's happening with the your ranking in online search engine results in as lit- Guild's advocacy efforts, upcoming programs, Web tle as a week or two. And don't forget to let us know services, and Back-in-Print. The new site also makes what you think about our new look.

Aiithors Guild

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ADVOCACY NEWS & NOTES RESOURCES

Slmon & Schuster Propma E-BookAmendmenr Wakome, Agaln ELtI(|r grlld8popubr July I 7, 2008. Simon & Schus€r bas ruxndy seat 6 oncfsgr b[er rr many, Juns 4,2008. Wsle rs'lauf,dred our The wsbsib, givinO lt mucfi LeAGfOIq urBbsib-fitfi 6hg Eoturat€ bf perhaps of auhors with unspecilid e-book rqtsi in sn thousmds. Fyalty gulhofs, ltEmpt b scl fto3e raEs ar 15% of thc "caldog rcail prl:e" of thc e-book. Lsnor tfm lho Presltont f,a'nD.rtlhblbOffiy Mor€... Roy Blountduilfully unpadG a KIndle,

Amazon5 eiool L earn mof s. Gopytltht Authors Regktry ll*s $25 Million Mark lor 2(XB Junc 30, ZX)8. The Auhors Registy. the nor-for-Fofn orgaoizaiion founded PhoBln SemrnaE. Summer ?008 Wtftofr b!flc|5c

Authors Guitd BultetinSl Sr**r, 2008 LEGAL WATCH

Games Ghildren Play with violent games directly caused violent behavior. Entertainment Softzuare AssociationfE ntertainment The state also introduced evidence of a joint statement Merchants Associntion tt. Lori Suanson, made by six medical and public health organizations, Minnesota Attorney General which claimed that myriad studies showed a causal "media U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit connection between violence and aggressive behavior in some children." The state further alleged 1|" May 31, 2006, Minnesota governor Timothy that the impact on children is greater when violent \-/Pawlenty signed into law the Minnesota Restric- video games are involved than for other media such ted Video Games Act, which prohibited a person as TV, books, movies or music. under the age of 17 from "knowingly rent(ing) or pur- The U.S. District Court for the District of Minne- chase(ing) a video game rated AO (adults only) or M sota held that case law established that video games (mature) by the Entertainment SoftwareRatings Board constituted protected speech under the First Amend- ("ESRB"). The act imposed a $25 fine on minors who ment of the Constitution, even in light of the young violated it, and required video game retailers to post a audience that plays the games. Therefore, the court sign notifying minors of the purchase restrictions and was required to apply strict scrutiny when analyzing possible penalties for violating the act. The Entertain- the fairness of restricting a person's fundamental right ment Software Association ("ESA") and Entertainment to free speech. Under such an analysis, the court noted Merchants Association ("EMA") both challenged the that the state of Minnesota was required to show that constitutionality of the act in the U.S. District Court for the act was narrowly tailored to address the state's the District of Minnesota and sought to obtain a per- compelling interest in protecting children from psy- manent injunction to prevent the act from being en- chological and moral harm resulting from interaction forced. with violent video games. Here, the district court con- In response to the complaint, the state of Minnesota cluded that even if protection of minors from harm submitted a meta-analysis study undertaken in 2004 represented a compelling state interest, the state's evi- in support of its contention that substantial evidence supported the conclusion that children's interaction Continued on page 28

For the Record: the publisher rights that you've otherwise re- tained.

Simon & Schuster Proposes 3. Be aware that the amendment may affect your E-Book Amendment ability to obtain a reversion of rights. ln any negotiation regarding e-book royalty rates, we Adapted fronr the text of an e-mail sent to members of the keep dry: try to retain Authors Guild on luly 77,2008 suggest that you your powder the right to renegotiate e-book royalty rates. The Simon & Schuster has recently sent a one-page letter Authors Guild expects that 15% of the retail list price to many, perhaps thousands, of authors with unspec- will be the low-water mark for e-book royalties. As ified e-book royalty rates in an attempt to set those the e-book market develops, authors with clout will rates at 75"/o of the "catalog retail price" of the e-book. doubtlessly insist on a mofe reasonable share of e- (This is the typical e-book royalty rate for S&S.) As book revenues, and the industry will have to adapt. with any amendment to a book contract, the Authors One glance at Amazon.com's home page, which has Guild advises caution: for months been ceaselessly promoting its Kindle e- book reader, indicates that day may be near. l..Discuss the amendment with your agent or at- As always, we're here to help. Send an e-mail to torney, if you have one. [email protected] if you'd like help from our le- 2. Depending on your existing contract with gal team with Simon & Schuster's proposed e-book Simon & Schuster, the amendment may grant royalty amendment.

Atft hors Guild Bulletin E suo,^r, 2oo8 companies lack the credibility or contacts to sell addi- CONTRACTS Q&A tional copies to recognized distributors or booksellers, they typically will not publish any copies other than Bv Manr L. LsvrNs those ordered at the author's discount. Apparently, the total number of books purchased for friends and rela- Q. The contract I just receiaed is for seaen years with an op- tives at the "special" author's price by the presumably tion to renew. ls this typical? Do you haue any suggestions large number of people taken in by this scheme makes about this? it a profitable venture for the ethically-challenged. In addition to checking your contract's language A. So-called "term of license" contracts (typically for about the publisher's obligations to publish and pro- seven or 10 years) are generally employed in the Uni- mote your book and the existence of an out-of-print ted States only by publishers licensing paperback or clause, you should do an online search to see if there other reprint rights from the original publisher. They are any articles, blogs or complaints about your pub- are absolutely wonderful for authors to get, but are al- most never offered directly to authors by United States publishers. Unless you're an author whose books reg- ularly jump to the top of bestseller lists the first week of publication, I'd be concerned that the publisher is "Some print-on-demand publishers are not a bona fide trade (or academic) publisher or even (lerm now offering of license" contrqcts. a bona fide print-on-demand one but a vanity pub- lisher masquerading as a bona fide POD publisher. Proceed carefully. Most people working with POD publishers under- stand that they are not dealing with traditional pub- lishers, which provide editorial services and publish market books at the publisher's sole expense and them lisher's operations. You can also check with your local through established wholesale and retail distribution bookstore to see whether the publisher has accounts channels. This is because the writer pays the POD pub- with bookstores and the major distributors. lisher for most of its services in advance. If you are still interested in proceeding in the hope Recently, a handful of POD publishers have been that your publisher is bona fide, be sure to insert, in soliciting and "accepting" manuscripts at an astonish- addition to the requirement that the book be published ing rate and not requiring money up front to publish a within a specified time period at the publisher's sole face be a book. They even offer what on its appears to expense, language stating that the number of print-on- relatively standard publishing agreement and some- paper copies of the book initially published at the pub- times agree to pay a nominal advance (e.g., one dollar). lisher's expense "will be not less than _ copies" led This has writers-particularly novices-to think (e.9., 500 or 1,000). Language like this, as well as a good they are being published by bona fide trade publishers. out-of-print clause, should flush out the intentions of these have terms and set Some of contracts limited the publisher and save you from a bad surprise. (also a minimum retail price per book atypical for a There are specific provisions to keep in mind when bona fide contract); they all contain a clause permit- dealing with "term of license" contracts-primarily re- ting the author to purchase copies at a discount, but lating to the timing of notification and the number of discount often 20-30 percent rather than the the is copies that a publisher can reprint in the year before the more typical40 percent. More significantly, they gen- contract's scheduled termination date-but I haven't erally contain language disclaiming any obligation on dealt with them here since my strong suspicion is that the part of the publisher to promote the book (e.g., your proper concern is more with the nature of your "Advertising, publicity and promotion of the Work publisher than with the contract it has offered. shall be at the publisher's election and discretion"), do not contain an "out-of-print" clause and may also omit E+rail questions ta [email protected]. any obligation by the publisher to publish the book The answers in this column are general in nature only within a specified time period (e.g.,72-18 months) af- and may not include exceptions to a general rule or take into ter the manuscript's acceptance. Indeed, since these nccount related facts which may result in a dffirent ansu)er. You shottld constrlt a lawyer for information about a partic- The revised edition of Mark L. Levine's Negotiating n ular sittntion. No question submitted, or answer prouided, Book Contract: A Guide for Authors, Agents and Lazayers creates an attorney-client relationship with the column's is available online only, from www.bookcontracts.com. author.

Authors Curlrl BulletrttGl Su*nrr, 2008 to tighten their budgets. Standardized test and profes- Slow Growth, sional books continue to sell even during difficult times, however, and the former are projected to do well Unease and a in 2008 as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act's re- quirements and its focus on standardized testing. Glimmer of Digital The BISG report is essentially a prediction that lit- tle will change for the industry in the next few years. Revenues will increase annually from 3 to 4 percent, Hope but tl-re number of books sold is expected to stay about the same over the next few years. The numbers in the Bv IsaeEr- Hows Association of American Publishers report concur. The AAP tracks sales throughout the year, releasing an Fflh" publishing industry braced itself for bad end-of-year report each spring.* On March 31,, the 2007 I news this spring when the Book Industry Study figures were released: AAP estimates that net sales I Group and the Association of American Publish- were $2.5 billion in 2007, up about 3.2"/" from the pre- ers released their year-end financial statistics for 2007. vious year. The reports were bleak, as expected, confirming what According to the AAP, total trade sales-including many observed before the numbers were announced. both Adult and Juvenile-increased about 3%. Within But while the current economic downtown is unlikely that, adult sales rose 7.8'/' for hardcover sales and just to make 2008 a good year, a breakdown of the 2007 0.2o/n for paperback. The opposite was true for Juve- numbers and projections for this year show the state nile, in which hardcover sales were down 0.5% and pa- of the publishing industry is more complex than it first perbacks were up 4.1%. aPPears. According to both reports, the Children's and Book Indust ry TRENDS 2008, the annual report com- Young Adult, or Juvenile, market may prove to be the piled by the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), takes Ieast stable over time. The growth of the YA market in into account dollar and unit sales of both large and recent years and the healthy forward movement with- small United States publishers. The report was released in children's book publishing were boosted into an- the weekend of the Book Expo America conference, other realm during the 10 glory years of the Harry held in Los Angeles in late May. The Association of Potter series. Harry Potter ard the Deatlily Hallotus, the American Publishers' (AAP) report is an annual ac- seventh and last book in the series, sold more than counting of total book sales in the U.S., compiled from eight million copies in the United States alone within census data and sales figures from 81 of the larger pub- 24 hours of its release in fuly last year. Nielsen Book- lishing houses. All figures in both studies are estimates. Scan reported that 72.1 million copies of the book had TRENDS reports that net revenues in 2007 were been sold worldwide by the end of that month. The $37.26 billion, up 4.4% from 2006's $35.69 billion. Unit impact of these numbers on the broader category of sales for 2007 werc around fi3.727 billion, a slight in- children's books cannot be underestimated. crease from 2006's $3.1 billion. Areas of marked rev- Another oft-cited example of a book whose strato- enue growth from 2006 to 2007 include Elementary spheric success threw a sizable wrench into sales pro- jections and High School (or "Elhi," with a 6.47o increase), reli- is Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, which is gious books (up 6.3%), and hardcover juvenile (up estimated to have sold more than 40 million copies 13%), the latter linked to the 2007 release of the final since its first printing in 2003. Brown's new novel, a book in the Harry Potter series (more on Harry later). follow-up to The Dn Vinci Code, doesn't have a publi- TRENDS forecasts that net revenues will increase cation date yet, but may affect this or next year's fig- ures Adurlt Trade by just 3.2"/" in 2008, bringing in as much as 947.22b11- in the categories. the BISG the lion in all. This number could increase to $43.5 billion Unlike report, AAP report separates by 2072, with an estimated 3.15 billion units sold by digital and spoken-word audio sales as distinct cate- the end of that year. These projections are based on re- * cent statistics and the predicted impact of the sluggish Monthly reports from the AAP suggest that the mar- economy. Al Greco and Bob Wharton of the Institute ket is in constant flux, which is why end-of-year re- for Publishing Research, the consultant group behind ports produce more accurate figures. Sales were down TRENDS, explained to Publishers Weekly that while 1.8% in December of last year, up 7 .2'/" at the end of books in general have always sold relatively well dur- this January, up 4.8% in February, and down 11."h in ing recessions-compared to more luxurious items- March. Summaries of these reports are available on the trade books are often the first to go when people begin AAP's website, www.publishers.org.

Authors Cuilrt Brrlletin|El Sunu,r, 2008 Writing for a Living

More women do it than men. Per capita, more of writers are doing a lot better than the nation's them do it in the states of Vermont, New York and dancers (median income ilr the largely part-time field Massachusetts-and in the cities of Santa Fe, San is $15,000). In fact, "writers and authors" ranked Francisco and Boulder-Longmont-than anywhere third among the 11 categories of artists listed, after else in the country. Eighty-three percent have bache- architects and producers. (The other professions in- lor's or postgraduate degrees. Slightly more than half cluded were actors; announcers; fine artists, directors do it full-time, earning a median income of just over or animators; designers and choreographers; enter- $50,000-$3,0001ess than a freshly minted graduate tainers and performers; musicians and photogra- starting at Goldman Sachs, $111,000 less than a pedi- phers.) The median income of artists as a group is atrician with one year's experience. also considerably higher than the national median, Sorry as that sounds, according to "Artists in the $42,500 vs. $30,100. The study focused on artists who Workforce," a report released in june by the National claimed their profession as their primary job on their Endowment for the Arts based on the 2000 census census form. (For more detail, see: www.nea.gov/ and more recent economic data, America's 185,000 news / newsO8 / ArtistsinWorkforce.html) gories. Audio book sales increased 19.8 percent in change we see growing in the political world actually 2007,bringing in about $218 million in revenue. E- trickling down to l'il ol'publishing?" Nelson's senti- book sales shot up by 23.6 percent with $67 million in ment is echoed in BISG's interviews with ir,dustry in- sales. (The compound growth rate for e-books is 55.7% siders included in TRENDS, which suggest that since 2002.) The AAP study also separates mass mar- "publishers today are less strained and more deter- ket paperbacks and sales through book clubs, both of mined to grapple with issues and implement solutions which fell between 2 and 3 percentage points, a find- than they were a year ago." ing in accordance with that of the TRENDS report. Nelson offers a few suggestions for how publish- ing can stay on its f:eet: creatit'e thinking about the dig- ital world and new media, lower advauces-we trust she's joking-and utilizing backlists. She is not alone in emphasizing innovation, which was the buzzword "Is it just me, or is the hunger at this spring's big book conventions, including the Book Expo America conference in Los Angeles and the change we see growing in for London Book Fair, as well as at a BlSG-sponsored the political world actually panel, "Making Information Pay," held in New York on May 9. trickling down to I'il ol' publishing?" The Book Expo America (BEA) conference, held May 29 to June 1, featured dozens of panels and semi- Nelson nars, countless meetings between industry profession- -Sara als, and a healthy dose of socializing. Many of these Publishers Weekly events and meetings revolved around the digital mar- ketplace. Los Angeles Times coverage of the con- vention highlighted the two sides of this running conversation: the use of the Web and digital technol- How is the publishing industry reacting to the im- ogy to market books, and the growth of e-books. plications of the BISG and AAP reports? In her regular Openness to change, experimentation, and new think- column in Publishers Weekly, Editor-in-Chief Sara ing about marketing, consllmer behar.'ior, and the Nelson referred to the hand-wringing and depression products themselves are key concepts in this new that's become so common in the publishing world world, and publishers should be cautious not to lean over the last few years. "Something," she says, "is go- too heavily on any one method of selling books. ing on in the book business, and while the overall The keynote panel at the London Book Fair (LBF), mood of its practitioners must be described as nerv- held on April 16 and cosponsored by Publishing ous, there also may be some-dare I say it?-hopeful- News, the UK's weekly industry news magazine, was ness underneath. Is it just me, or is the hunger for titled "Crossing the New Frontier: America and the

Arrthors cuild Butletin @ s, ouur, 2008 Digital Revolution." The five speakers-executives said they prefer printed books, while just 11% said at the Book Industry Study Group, Ingram Books, they would read an e-book ot "book content" online. Sourcebooks, Hachette Group's digital arm, and The Three percent of the participants own an electronic Idea Logical Company, a consultancy group that book reader, 4 percent reported that they plan to buy works with publishers to develop digital marketing- one, and a whopping 80% said that they not only don't agreed that all players in the publishing industry, in- have one, but don't plan to get one in the future. cluding publishers, booksellers and marketers, should These findings are in accord with the recent e-book broaden their approach to selling books. Borders's sales figures: $10.1 million in wholesale trade e-book new concept store lsee AGB Spring 2008] was cited as revenue in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2008, accord- an example of a multifarious approach that combines ing to the International Digital Publishing Forum. digital technologies, new products, and even a new Large as this number is, it's a very small percentage of aesthetic in a traditional real-world bookstore. the overall book market. As Healy pointed out to A voice to which booksellers would do well to lis- ten is that of Mike Shatzkin, publishing veteran and founder of The Idea Logical Company. During the LBF panel, Shatzkin described a shift that has already be- " Publishers, like cutting- edge advertising gun, from booksellers taking a "horizontal" approach, as a bookbusinessmap;.com report described it, that agencies, should listen to voices from targets "all consumers with books on all topics," to a "vertical" approach that focuses on specific, smaller every level of their companies, including sections of the marketplace. Amazon.com has aggres- younger employees and workers in the sively moved in this direction, as has Borders, al- though the concept stores are too new to determine IT department . . . . Independent their success. Shatzkin and panelist Michael Healy, Executive bookstores should think about how to BISG's "Making Director of BISG, were also on hand at incorporate e-books, audiobooks, and Information Pay" seminar in New York, where they announced the results of a survey BISG and The ldea online bookselling into their regulsr Logical Company conducted on "the state of experi- mentation and innovation in the industry." Their con- business practices." clusion, unsurprisingly, was that most areas of the industry have embraced experimentation with digital technologies, or are in the process of doing so. Two ex- amples cited were the use of the "Browse Inside" fea- Markets-Hub.com, "Is the e-book something that you ture on the HarperCollins website and the University use on a dedicated e-reading device . . . or is an e-book of Alberta Bookstore in Canada, which has installed an something that you can read on your iPhone or cell Espresso Book Machine so that the store can print and phone or BlackBerry?" Is it a published book or any sell single copies of books ("Our model is sell one, lengthy piece of writing read electronically? And what print one"). kind of future can we expect? Underlying these discussions is a mandate not just In a recent column, PW's Sara Nelson-admittedly for change, but for openness to change as the core of a "bullish about e-reading"-said that while the jaw- new business model. Publishers, like cutting-edge ad- dropping prediction of business analyst Steve Wein- vertising agencies, should listen to voices from every stein that "Global e-book sales at Amazon could reach level of their companies, including younger em- $2.5 billion by the year 201.2" made her laugh, he had ployees and workers in the IT department, as well as touched on something that "some book folks, secretly more experienced managers. Independent bookstores or not, are beginning to fear: that e-books will indeed should think about how to incorporate e-books, audio- take off-and end up cannibalizing the "regular" book books, and online bookselling into their regular busi- market." The alarmist argument holds that as a young- ness practices. er generation of electronic readers overtakes aging The latter group, bookstore owners, may be com- readers of "real books," the market will be split, and e- forted by the results of a new survey on reading habits books will claim an ever-larger share. Some fear that by Zogby International and Random House released with a unit price roughly half that of printed books, in late May. When asked about their preferred reading format, e-book or printed book, 82o/o of participants Continued on page 36

Authors Guiltt Bulleti^@ surr^r, 2008 editorial staff. She simply r-rploads manuscript files Watched Any Good and reads the book at home or on her commute to and from work. Recently I have heard many an editor rave Books Lately? about the virtues of the Sony (and to a lesser extent Amazon's Kindle) as an editorial tool. They also speak Bv RrcHanp Cunrrs of tlre "green" benefits of paperless transmission of texts. Authors and agents benefit tclo, thanks to sav- ings on photocopy, printing and mailing costs. J) ook editors are not famous for being early J\adopters of technological innovation. But at long U last, a decade after the introduction of the Rocket What's Missing from this Book? Book and Print On Demand, mainstream publishing has joined the Digital Revolution. A generation of The blessings of submitting books by e-mail are so ob- vious that it's hard to imagine a downside. But indeed mouse-clicking youngsters has swept into editorial cu- there are drawbacks and unintended side effects of bicles, and even old-timers who only a few years ago this technological shift, and we need to acknowledge couldn't distinguish between ROM and RAM are now them. For instance, Word for Windows (the fully wired. format of choice for most authors) displays typographical and grammatical errors in the form of glaring red and Manuscript Submissions via E-mail

One of the most significant reflections of editors' com- fort level with digital technology is their growing ac- ceptance of e-mail submissions of manuscripts. Until a "Of far greater significance is the vast couple of years ago the practice was discouraged and dffirence between reading text printed on it still is, except for material solicited by literary agents and professional authors. But as editors recognize the paper and text dkplayed on e screen. . . . competitive advantage of instant transmission of po- tentially hot projects, submission of e-mailed docu- Reading text on a screen without sourrd, ments is becoming commonplace. color or movemen\ one develops the What do editors do with these documents? ln many instances they print them. But the high cost and uneasy feeling that something is missing. environmental wastefulness of printing manuscripts motivated editors to try reading books on desktop or We wonden Is that all there is?" laptop computer screens. Unfortunately, that didn't prove very satisfactory. Though they became used to editing manuscripts on computer screens, they found that reading at length on desktop monitors or laptop green nnderlines on text pages. This can be a serious screens was hard on the eves. distraction for editors hoping for a "page-tlipping" ex- perience (as your pitch promised). Conditioned as Enter E-book Readers they are to spot and correct errors in manuscripts, they may find their eyes lurching from one red or green flag Happily, e-book technology matured just in time to to another, requiring them to stop reading and ponder solve these problems. Not long ago an editor told me some solecism beckoning for attention on their screen. she'd discovered that the Sony Reader was so perfectly Too many lurches could make a critical difference in suited to reviewing manuscript submissions that her the decision to buy or reject a book, so writers beware: boss purchased them for everyone on the division's Give your manuscript a final read with the spell-and- grammar check turned on, but clisable it before you Richard Curtis is president of the literary agency that forward it to your agent. (Althor,rgh current models of bears his name, as well as of E-Reads, an lnternet pub- the Sony Reader arrd Kindle don't yet employ spell- lisher of out-of-print books. Poem is excerpted from and grammar-check features, it's a good bet they even- "2007: The Year of the Platform" by Richard Curtis. tuallv will.) Reprinted from Publishers Weekly, December 37,2007, Of fu. greater significance is the vast difference be- Reed Elsevier Map;azines. tween readinE; text printed on paper and text dis-

Arttltors Grriltl Brtllctitr E Srurrrr, 2t)08 played on a screen. The visionary Marshall Mcluhan made us aware of the different temperatures of vari- E- verse ous media, and though he originally described televi- sion as a cool medium, if he were alive today I think E-books wakened from their funk. he would agree that our society has become condi- E-mailed books? No longer junkl tioned to think of screens as hot compared to print me- When editors and agents shmooss, dia. Thanks to television, the Internet, video games As like as not they'll introduce and computers/ we have come to expect colot interac- A jargon-laden nomenclature tivity, instant gratification and a complete immersion Like none Linnaeus found in of the senses from our screens. nature. "DADs" and "DOIs" and "PODs" and "Digits," Is That AllThere Is? "RAM" and "ROM" and "Cigs" and "Widgets." Reading text on a screen without sound, color or We raise a glass of cold Frascati movement, one develops the uneasy feeling that To editors tumed technorati. something is missing. We wonder, ls that aII there is? But are our values tuming I'm not a psychologist but it seems more than likely asswards that we are bringing to text viewed on screens When opening books requires the same expectations we bring to television, movie, passwords? and computer screens. Indeed, something ls missing! How can we not be disappointed-even, God help us, Curtis bored-when these blocks of words fail to stimulate -Richard the same intense response as a YouTube video? The fundamental appeal of books is their ability to trans- rankings, and BookScan sales figures. Doesn't it stand port us to the author's world. The best books immerse to reason that if the editor's first exposure to a book is us so deeply in that world that we become almost im- on a screen/ he or she may unconsciously rely on ex- mune to distraction. But screens are breeders of dis- trinsic factors when making acquisition decisions? [f traction from the sort of commitment to thinking, so, it places on authors and their agents the burden of reflecting and imagining that books demand. making submissions more entertaining, and that is ex- It is not unreasonable to speculate that a lifetime of actly what many are doing. To make sure that the edi- exposure (if not addiction) to media-indeed, to multi- tor's first impression is a favorable one, a growing media-may have compromised editors' ability to number of authors are enhancing submissions with judge books on their own merits. Rather it is tempting such colorful embellishments as author photos and au- for editors to judge them in a context of entertaining dio and video clips, websites festooned with hotlinks audiovisual displays. As successive generations ac- to amazon.com pages, sales spreadsheets, screen cap- customed to being diverted by watching, rather than fures, review quotes, celebrity endorsements and other by reading, enter the editorial workforce, irnpatience flourishes designed to stimulate editors' audiovisual with printed text is demonstrably increasing, as we responses. can see in the sharp decline of newspapers and maga- It never hurts for authors to be attractive and pro- zines. Books require a commitment of tirne and atten- motable, and no one in publishing is so naive as to tion that we either don't have or aren't witling to give. deny that publishing decisions are influenced by an The temptation to skip or skimp is strong. One editor author's sex appeal, charm, showmanship and other confessed to me, "I tend to scan manuscripts on screen extrinsic factors. To utilize the mighty resources of the rather than read them the way I do a printed text." Internet in order to play up those factors is by no We must therefore ask ourselves whether instead means deplorable, as long we keep things in propor- of reading books on screen, we are uatching them. tion. Which means that, ultimately, it's all about the book. But as the publishing industry's drift into the The Click of Fingernails on Keyboard rapids of show business accelerates, we should not be surprised to see computerized pyrotechnics become Agents pitching projects over the phone routinely hear significant if not decisive factors in the acquisition of in the background the click of fingernails on a key- books. board. That's the sound of the editor googling the au- Nor will we be surprised to discover authors writ- thor and surfing his or her website, amazon.corn ing not to be read but to be watched. *

Autltors Gurld Bullctm|El Sumn,r, 2(t't8 ized tale set inside an evil amuse- they broke into the Robert Frost Along Publishers Row ment park called Horrorland. The home in Vermont, had a party, and children in the first book are invited damaged the place. Their punish- Continued from page 2 to the park, where they discover a ment included classes in Frost's po- werewolf petting zoo, bottomless etry. fohn Quinn, the prosecutor, verbs into nouns in a very nice way: canoes, a quicksand beach and other asked Jay Parini, a Frost biographer, the line of Shakespeare's 'The hearts wicked attractions. Their misfor- to teach the class. that spaniel'd me at heels,' which tunes will be chronicled in serial Quinn told the Associated Press, you couldn't do with an inflected form in 30-page installments at the "I guess I was thinking that if these language. end of the subsequent books, which teens had a better understanding of "And then we have this lovely, will focus on different characters." who Robert Frost was and his con- rich vocabulary. I couldn't live with- Stine said, "l'm just waiting to tribution to our society, that they out . . . the thirteen volumes of the see if kids will pick them up again." would be more respectful of other OED. . . . By far the best one-volume people's property in the future and dictionary is Chambers. Obviously, LISTENER: Lisa Unger is the author would also learn something from if you are going to be a poet, one of two suspense novels, Beautiful the experience." of the first requirements must be a Lies and Sliaer of kttth, that feature a passionate love for your mother New York City freelance reporter PRIZE METAPHORS: James Wood, tongue." named Ridley Jones. a staff writer at The New Yorker, has Unger's new novel is a thriller ti- a new book, Hozo Fiction Works, com- MORE AUDEN: Readers of this col- lled Black Out. ing out in fuly. umn might enjoy these four lines Unger told Publishers Weekly: "I In a recent book review, Wood from W. H. Auden's 1940 memorial never thought of the Ridley fones wrote, "Many novelists have had to the poet William Butler Yeats: books as a series.I finished Beautful the experience of falling upon the Lies and knew there were a lot of un- perfect scene or situation or charac- Time that is intolerant answered questions, but I figured, ter, the one that will breed meaning Of the braue and innocent, that's life. Ridley lives to fight an- and metaphor throughout the book. And indffirent in a ueek other day, and that's the important Gogol surely knew that he had To a beautiful physique. thing. I continued on with her in invented a devastating symbolic Worships language and forgiaes Sliaer of Truth simply because I structure when he came up with the Eueryone by ruhom it liaes. . . . couldn't stop hearing her voice. My story of a devil figure who travels process is less about conscious around Russia buying up the names BUT HE DID: Harold Robbins, who choice than it is about listening to of dead serfs; he carefully garaged sat down and wrote a lot of best- voices, following the image in my his secret-in a letter, he warned his selling novels, once said, "There's head." correspondent not to tell anybody no way anybody can sit down and what Deal Souls was about. When write a best seller." HOW TO: fulie Andrews's book, we read Herzog, we think: how bril- Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, liant and simple, like the best of in- NEW SERIES: For a time, back in the moved quickly onto the bestseller ventions, to have turned something early '90s, horror novels for children lists. The singer and actress told we all do (writing letters in our by R. L. Stine were selling at a rate USAToday that her daughter, Emma heads to people we have never met) of four million copies a month. Then Walton, pushed her to write the into a new way of representing con- they dropped out of favor, sort of, book. sciousness. . . ." and Harry Potter took over. Even Andrews said, "Emma set me a without new titles, however, the task. She said you're just going to PIANIST TOO: Editor Aaron Asher Goosebumps series sells about two talk, and she took out her tape died last March at his home in million copies a year. recorder. Then she sort of assembled Manhattan. He was 78. Before his re- Now Stine is producing a new the talk and handed it to me. And tirement in 7993, Asher had his own series: "Goosebumps Horrorland." from that I began to write. She really irnprint at HarperCollins. He had The first title is Reaenge of the Liaing pushed, prodded, questioned and also held top jobs at Holt, Rinehart Dummy. made me go a little further." & Winston, Macmillan, Farrar, The New York Times said that Straus & Giroux and Grove Press. Stine "intends to link the scary sto- FITS THE CRIME: Twenty-eight Among the writers he edited ries of Goosebumps with a serial- young people were charged after were Saul Bellow, Philip Roth,

Atihors Guild Bulleti tr 3l S urrrr, 2008 Arthur Miller, Frank Conroy, drews, author of a mystery, Deep sounds, or by the waterside and bed President Lyndon B. fohnson and Dish, explained to The New York of tall dark bull-rushes murmuring Amy Bloom.ln7969, The New York Times that "revisiting" her own in the wind." Times said that he was "noted for publicity sometimes scares her. She My computer insists that Hud- his distinguished list of authors, said, "Watched the clip of myself on son's above sentence is too long, but tweedy attire and accomplished ren- CNN.com from last week. Yikes! it does provide the flavor of a lost ditions of Bach preludes and fugues Remind me not to watch myself on time in literature. on the piano." television. Ever. Again. I look like a ginormous yellow school bus in my SOLD: J.R.R.Tolkien's 1937 novel, WARMNG: Just in case you thought yellow jacket, which I thought was The Hobbit, has sold more than 100 that winning the Nobel Prize in so cute and springlike." million copies worldwide. Recently, Literature would solve all your a first edition went for $120,000 at an problems, Doris Lessing,88, said in TO CALM DOWN: Colm Toibin. auction in London. The Hobbit was a London radio broadcast that it was author of a novel, The South, was a written for Tolkien's children before "a bloody disaster." She explained, journalist and editor before he took he wrote The Lord of the Rings trilogy. "All I do is give interviews and up writing fiction. He told The New spend time being photographed." York Times that he had made the SUBJECT: Meg Wolitzer's latest Her writing has "stopped; I don't shift "as a way of surviving the novel is The Ten-Year Nap. She told have any energy anymore. This is excitement, the false buzz, of iour- The New York Times, "I think there why I keep telling anyone younger nalism." is still a real interest either in novels than me, don't imagine you'll have that read like nonfiction-like Tha it forever. Use it while you've got it, LOOKING BACK: If W. H. Hudson Kite Runner-or straight nonfiction. because it'll go; it's sliding away like is remembered at all today, it is And fiction that doesn't necessarily water down a plug hole." because of his Green Mansions, afan- have a historical hook or teach you tasy novel. He turned his growing- something so that you feel like FAREWELL ASTERISKS: A collec- up years in Argentina's wilderness you've gotten an education-people tion of letters and humorous essays into several fictions, including A are a lot more suspicious of it." was published in 1970 under the ti- Little Lost Boy, published in 1920. \A/hat Wolitzer wants is "a book that tle Frank SulliuanThrough the Looking For an extravagantly illustrated doesn't teach you anything but G/ass. In it, Sullivan wrote, "Today fust edition, Alfred A. Knopf asked shows you possibilities of things." the young novelists of the Latest the author to write a special fore- Wolitzer asked, "What if you Lost Generation not only retain the word for American readers. The au- wrote what you'd seen, the way novelist's traditional monopoly on thor's letter is dated 1917, and he people write about war? What if love but they have taken to dis- says that the books he liked best as you wrote about what you were see- cussing new kinds of love hitherto a child gave him "the little thrills ing about women and children, confined to Havelock Ellis and that nature itself gave me, which even though maybe it was hope- medical textbooks. As for the aster- half frightened and fascinated at the lessly uncool and wasn't the big isk, it has been put out of business, same time, the wonder and mystery male world?" like the whalebone corset. It is a of it all. Once in a while I got a book Wolitzer explained further: drug on the punctuation market, for with something of this rare element "Like everyone, I'm following the when use of a four-letter word is in- in it, contained perhaps in some per- election, and I go to a Web site for dicated in a novel redemonstrating fectly absurd narrative of animals the polls. But I go to a novel for just that war is hell and that warriors use taking human shape or using hu- the opposite. If you're going to give purple language, the novelist uses man speech, with such like transfor- me a poll number, don't do it for a that word, and to h**l with asterisks. mations and vagaries; they could very long, long time. Make it a very If a humorist were to put such bald never be too extravagant, fantastic curvy, long road to get there, and words in his attempts to increase the and incredible, so long as they ex- the road along the way showing life world's store of mirth, or if he were pressed anything of the feeling I is why you read it." to rewrite Krafft-Ebing for a laugh, myself experienced when out of he would be run off Boston Com- sight and sound of my fellow be- AND THE WINNER: The Book- mon on a rail as a vulgar and de- ings, whether out on the great level seller magazine in London reported praved fellow. Is this justice?" plain, with a glitter of illusory water that the public has voted that the all round me, or among the shad- oddest book title of 2007 was If You FRICHTENED: Mary K"y An- owy trees with their bird and insect Want Closttre in Your Relationship,

Authors Cuild Btrllctin El Su,ru,r, 2008 Start with Your Legs by Big Boom. at Colgate in upstate New York, and Besides living on the shores of a Runners-up were I Was Tortured by now teaches there herself. beautiful tropical lake, she can walk the Pygmy Loae Queen and Cheese In an interview published in The down a main street where everyone Problems Solaed. Colgate Scene, Edwards said, "The knows her name and she knows The Diagram Prize has been first story that I ever wrote seriously, theirs. "The kind of adventure that awarded since 1978, when the win- I wrote for the first workshop I took feels richest to me now is sinking ning title was Proceedings of the with [Busch]. It's a story now called my roots-and the roots of my Second International Workshop on 'The Way It Felt to Be Falling' . . . plants-and getting to know the Nude Mice. that I consider to be the story that I people here and the culture here. learned to write on. That's been my adventure, knowing ON THE LAMB: ln 1966 novelist "\A/hen I put it up in Fred's work- this one little place. Ken Kesey, convicted of crimes in- shop, it was 32 pages long, which I volving drugs, fled from the FBL He was immensely proud of, although INSPIRATION: James Patterson's wound up in Manzanillo, Mexico, I'm sure my classmates were rolling The Quickie (coauthored with with a busload of Merry Pranksters. their eyes and not quite so thrilled Michael Ledwidge) is a bestseller. Lawrence Downes went to the little about it. But Fred was excited about PW quoted Patterson as saying that coastal town to see if he could con- the story and gave me wonderful Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "One jure up any ghosts. The result was feedback on it. as did the class. I Hundred Years of Solitude is probably an article in The New York Times workshopped that story twice more the novel that influenced me most Sunday travel section. at [the University of] Iowa, and as a young writer-simply because Downes supplied some history then, periodically over the years, I as I read it, I realized that I could and local atmosphere, but just about took it out and put it away and never do anything half as good. So the only thing that remains of Ke- sometimes rewrote it entirely. Even- why not try mysteries?" sey's visit is a self-published book tually it was published and ended by Bart Varelmann, once owner of up winning a Pushcart Prize. IT MEANS BUSINESS: The poet the town's Hotel La Posada. "When I teach, I use the first Carl Sandburg said, "Slang is a lan- Varelmann said that he didn't re- paragraph of that story in some of guage that rolls up its sleeves, spits member Kesey very well, but he cer- its many incarnations over the years on its hands, and goes to work." tainly recalled the Pranksters, their to show students how revision re- kids, and the bus. "The interior of shapes and is a real process of re- WESTWARD HO: Last March. about Ken's bus was a grab-bag cornu- seeing. Not just fixing sentences, but 250 people gathered at Point Reyes copia of strange pills, exotic herbs, reconceptualizing what the story is Station, Calif., to celebrate Wallace magic mushrooms, peyote buttons, about-or discovering what the Stegner, the author of Angle of Re- LSD, uppers, downers, poppers and story is about, in that case." pose, Crossing to Safety and Beyond of course marijuana." The quote is the Hundredth Meridian, a biography from Varelmann's book lnnkeeper. EXPATRIATE: Joyce Maynard is the of the explorer fohn Wesley Powell. He wrote, "On a windless day one author of 11 books. including To Die Stegner died 15 years ago. He had a could get stoned just strolling past For and At Home in the World: A long relationship with the writing the bus." Memoir. That last book was de- program at Stanford, which pro- scribed by The New York Times as duced Wendell Berry, Edward Ab- OBSERVATION: According to "setting the record straight about, bey and Robert Stone. Eudora Welty, "I think that as you among other things, her compli- Author Barry Lopez said, "One learn more about writing you learn cated romantic relationship in the of the great things he made us un- to be direct." early 70's with J. D. Salinger." derstand was that history and geog- Maynard lives in San Marcos La raphy were part of the story." STORY'S LIFE: Kim Edwards is au- Laguna, Guatemala. On her prop- The New York Times said that thor of The Memory Keeper's Daugh- erty is a tree house where she works. the conference's main theme was ter, a first novel that became a "I've written three books here." she the environment. A letter that bestseller and has been published in said. "And not one of them has been Stegner wrote about the Wilderness 34 languages. She has also pub- about Guatemala." She's about, Act was read out loud. It ends: "We lished a book of short stories, T/ze however, to start a book about an simply need that wild country avail- Secrets of Fire King. Edwards was a expatriate woman in a certain Cen- able to us/ even if we never do more student of the late Frederick Busch tral American country than drive to its edge and look in.

Aultrcrs Guild BultetinEl Surrrr, 20r)8 For it can be a means of reassuring was promoting a new book, I/lc PICTURES TOO: Jonathan Sant- ourselves of our sanity as creatures, Pigeon Wnnts n Puppy, and puppies lofer's The Murder Notebook includes a part of the geography of hope." were on hand and offered for adop- more than L00 drawings by the au- tion. Four of them found homes. thor. The fictional Nate Rodriguez is MEMOIRS SELL: "Memoirs can With human families, not pigeons. a New York Police Department have a long shelf life," The Nen' Willems does both words and sketch artist. York Times reported. Kabul Beauty pictures for his best-selling books PW said that the artwork illus- School by Deborah Rodriguez and for children. trates "the artist's ability to translate Eat, Pray, Loaeby Elizabeth Gilbert a witness's elusive recollections into were published in April 2007 and WITH MUSIC: First Annie Proulx's a recognizable portrait." In the February 2006 and were among the 1997 short story, "Broketrack Moun- book, the author has provided an top five best-selling memoirs at tain," became a prizewinning movie. appendix of his real-life sources. Barnes & Noble in 2008. Now it will become an opera, com- The Life nnd Times of the Thunder- missioned by the New York City OUCH: Brian Frazer, writing in Los bolt Kid by Bill Bryson, published in Opera. Charles Wuorinen will be Angeles Magazine, described the October 2006, was also among the composer. film version of Gabriel Garcia 2008's top five, along with Losing It: Marquez's Loae in tlrc Tinrc of Cholera And Gnining My Ltft Bsck One Day nt PAPER TOWER: A house memorial as a "movie that would have been a Tinteby Valerie Bertinelli, and Her service was held for the late William more entertaining if they'd just Last Denth by Susanna Sonnenberg, F. Buckley Jr. at St. Patrick's Cathe- filmed some guy reading the book both published earlier this year. dral, with every pew filled by the into the camera." PW had an article about mem- 2,200 who attended. One of the eulo- oirs and said, "Publishers continue gists was Christopher Buckley, also NEWS: Nicholson Baker's new to snap up memoirs, undermining a writer, who said that if his father's book is Hutnnn Smoke.It's about the the perception that the genre is em- books, columns and other papers coverage of events leading up to battled in this post-Frey, post-Seltzer were stacked one on top of another, World War II. The book was re- era." They went on to list a number they would reach 500 feet, some 220 searched in old newspapers and of memoirs due out in the immedi- feet above the spires of St. Patrick's. hundreds of books. That experience ate future. Buckley also revealed that placed caused Baker to tell The New York in his father's coffin were his fa- Times, "Over and over again I ONE MORE: On the subject of vorite rosary, his television remote would take out the five most impor- memoirs, TV personality Barbara control and a jar of peanut butter. tant books on X subject, and then I'd Walters' Attditiorr sold more than "No pharaoh off to the afterlife goes go back to The New York Times, and 250,000 copies in the first week of better equipped than he does," by God, the story that was written publication. Knopf chairman Sonny Buckley said. the day after was by far the best Mehta told PW, "This is a remark- source. Those reporters were writing able number for a work of nonfic- ON BIOGRAPHY: David Michaelis, with everything in the right per- tion in what has been a flat retail author of Schttlz nntl Pennuts: A spective. Sometimes I think histori- environment." There was an im- Biography, told The New York Times ans are a little like saute chefs; thev pressive flood of publicity, perhaps Book Review that "in a process that cook everything up and soften the because Walters revealed that she starts with a baby and ends with edges." had once had an affair with a fa- a corpse, to know all is to be hum- mous senator. bled-gentled-by the act of being IN THE BEGINNING: PW noted responsible for making a figure of that Ladies of Liberty was a best- DUELISTS: Harold Ross, founding myth and legend mortal again. selling work of nonfiction and said: editor of The New Yorker, once said, Raymond Chandler's private eye "One of the women who helped "Editing is the same thing as quar- Philip Marlowe said, 'The more I shape America's history, writes [au- reling with writers-same thing ex- know, the fewer cups I have to thor] Cokie Roberts, was Susanna actly." break.' And what's more to the Rowson, author of the 7797 novel, point: the biographer who permits Ch arlo t t c Te mpl e-the first bestseller PROMOTION PARTY: Mo Wil- himself to know as much as can be in American literature until Harriet lems's fictional pigeon celebrated known is more apt to write with Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cnbin his fifth birthday with a party in precision, empathy, affection and was published in 7852." Did PW New York's Bryant Park. The bird true understanding." mean that Rowson's novel was the

Atrtltors Guild ButletinlE sunrn,r, 2008 onlr7 bestseller urttil Stowe's novel ahead through all the distractions came out? In Memoriam and discouragements with my own much-less-brilliant writing?" SOMETHING NEW: "I have a mil- Edward Hanna lion or so readers waiting for my Stuart Little HOW HE DOESIT:Andrew Dubus next book," fohn Lescroart told the Nuala O'Faolain III's new novel is Garden of Last Davis Enterprise, his hometown Barbara Schneiderman Days. His House of Sand and Fog newspaper, in Sacramento, Calif. (7999) has sold more than a million "lt's the coolest thing in the world." copies. Dubus told PW: "I never feel His latest book, his 19th novel, is T/re One of Vonnegut's rules for writ- like I have a story to tell. I write to Betrayal. Lescroart's The Suspect, also ing: "Use the time of a total stranger find the story." a bestseller, was called the best novel in such a way that he or she will not of 2007 by the American Author feel the time was wasted." TOP EDITOR: Simon Michael Association. Lescroart said, "There Bessie died at the age of 92 in Lyme, are something like 60,000 novels ON THE NEWS: Ralph Roberts is Conn., in April. He was the author published every year. So for some- the author of Flippirtg Hottses for of lazz Journalism: The Story of Tabloid one to pick it as their favorite . . . is Dummies (2006) and Foreclosure Nezuspapers (1938), but he was noted pretty amazing." Inaesting for Dumnties (2007). In as an editor of several major literary Most of Lescroart's mysteries in- August he jumped right on the figures: Daniel f. Boorstin, Alek- volve a fictional attorney, Dismas news with Foreclosure M11ths: 77 sandr Solzhenitsyn, Kenneth Ty' Hardy, and detective Abe Glitsky, Secrets to Sazting You Thottsands on nan, Theodore H. White, Wright but The Suspect featured a female D ist ressed Prope rties. Morris and William Goldman. character, attorney Gina Roake. She The obituary in The New York takes the case of a man accused of VISITING: Pamela Redmond Sat- Times gave an account of how Bessie killing his wife. Lescroart believes ran wrote an article for The New operated. Susan Cheever recalled in now that his audience will follow York Times about how much she has her memoir Home Before Dark that when he takes new paths. "It's re- enjoyed visiting the homes of fa- Bessie had published her father ally liberating," he said. mous writers. She has dropped by John Cheever's first novel, The Wap- His 20th novel will be a legal Edith Wharton's mansion in Lenox, shttt Chronicle. Wapshot Chronicle had thriller starring the old hand Abe Mass., Dickens's study in London, been turned down by Random Glitsky. Mark Twain's Victorian mansion in House, and one day Cheever, work- Hartford, Ernest Hemingway's Key ing ai a rented surruner house on UNDERSTOOD: According to West house, Eugene O'Neill's ranch Nantucket Island, saw a sailing Russell Lynes, "No author dislikes house in California, and Rudyard yacht drop an anchor in the harbor. to be edited as much as he dislikes Kipling's "gorgeous" mansion out- A man in white flannels and a dou- not to be published." side Brattleboro, Vt. ble-breasted blazer was rowed "But," Satran wrote, "the very ashore in a dinghy and announced, ANTI: Books that denounce religion best writer's house is the one that "I'm looking for fohn Cheever." have become big sellers, but it will has been inhabited by an author "It was Simon Michael Bessie," be tough to deliver stronger blows whose work I adore. Jane Austen's Susan Cheever wrote, "a senior edi- than Richard Dawkins did in Tfte brick house in Hampshire, hard up tor at Harper & Row, and he had God Delusion. PW quoted the author against a busy crossroads in a still- come to buy The Wapshot Chronicle." as saying that "the biblical Yahweh tiny village, and her rickety little The novel was chosen by the Book- is'psychotic,' Aquinas's proofs of table that looks as if it would barely of-the-Month Club and won the God's existence are 'fatuous' and re- support the writing of a thank-you National Book Award. ligion generally is'nonsense."' note, are every bit as vivid and in- spirational to me as Emma Wood- FAREWELL: Amemorial service for NEW TITLE: The late Kurt Von- house or the Dashwood sisters. Norman Mailer was held in Car- negut's 10 titles continue to sell, and "If Jane could sit there surrepti- negie Hall. The New York Times re- a collection of unpublished stories tiously scribbling her masterpieces, ported that it lasted an hour and a and nonfiction, entitled Armageddon I think, as her family swirled around half beyond the announced length in Retrospecf came out in April. her and carriages rattle by not 10 of two hours. Among the speakers Slaughterhouse-Fiae, published in feet outside her window, then what were novelists Don Delillo and 1.969, is his biggest bestseller. excuse do I have for not forging William Kennedv.

Authors Gtrild Bttlletin@ srrrrr, 2oo| Mailer's family was very much tion of The New York Times. Christ Okay, Gone With the Wind is an in evidence. fohn Buffalo Mailer, the Lord: The Road to Cnna is her sec- exception. I remember that title one of the writer's nine children, ond novel about Jesus. Rice ex- well, but when I hear it I see Scarlett said that his father had written his plained it by saying, "l have become O'Hara, and she looks exactly like own obituary in7979.In it Mailer's so consumed by all this. I am like a the movie star Vivien Leigh. death had occurred some time after person on fire." At the same time his 16th wedding and 15th divorce. she was changing subject matter, THE REAL THING: Alan Furst is He owed millions of dollars in al- Rice moved from a mansion in New the author of 10 espionage novels. imony, child support and back Orleans to a gated subdivision in His latest isThe Spies of Warsaw. taxes. There were also fake quotes Rancho Mirage, Calif. PW asked him if his plots come from Andy Warhol and Truman Rice told the Times that in her from his historical research, and Capote. ("He was so butch!") Iatest books she has tried to recon- Furst said, "Yes, I have had to em- cile the often contentious relation- broider some, but basically I've dis- CONFESSION: French author and ship between Christians and Jews. covered that history is a better pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupery dis- "The great triumph" of the Catholic novelist than any novelist. You can't appeared off Marseille while on a creed and its long artistic tradition, make this stuff up-it's too unusual mission in World War IL His books she said, "is that you go to God for and surprising." include Night Flight, The Little Prince creative solutions. and Wind, Sand and Stars. "The real problem is people who BOOK MAKER: Philip M. Parker According to The New York don't believe in anything greater has produced more than 200,000 Times, in 1998 fishermen found a sil- than themselves." books, and he told The New York ver bracelet with his name on it in Times that he was "the most pub- their nets. The discovery prompted HOW-TO: William Faulkner of- lished author in the history of the a marine archaeologist who had no- fered this advice to writers: "Read, planet." ticed wreckage not far from where read, read. Read everything-trash, By using more than 60 comput- the bracelet was found to investi- classics, good and bad, and see how ers, he collects publicly available in- gate further, eventually leading to they do it. Just like a carpenter who formation on a subject and turns the its identification as the remains of a works as an apprentice and studies results into a book of about 150 plane piloted by a young Cerman the master. Read! You'll absorb it. pages that is printed only when a Prince, Alexis von Bentheim und Then write. If it is good, you'll buyer orders one. Prices range from Steinfurt, shot down by American find out. If it's not, throw it out the 924.95 to $495. One book is titled The forces on his first and final flight in window" Official Patient's Sourcebook on Acne 1943. Researchers sought out all sur- Rosacea. Another is The 2007-2012 viving members of the prince's unit. TITLES: A friend who is a great Outlook for Tufted Washable Scatter When one telephoned a former Cer- reader insists that the most effective Rttgs, Bathntats and Sets Tlmt Measure man pilot in Wiesbaden, Horst book titles-titles that are easy to re- 6-feet by 9-feet or Smaller in India. Rippert, and said he wanted infor- member-are those that also name "Using a little bit of artificial mation about Saint-Exupery, Rippert the main character. Her list includes intelligence, a computer program replied, "You can stop searching. I Beozuulf, The Great Gatsby, Moby- has been created that mimics the shot down Saint-Exupery." Dick, Madqme Boaary, Kim, Lord Jirr, thought process of someone who In Paris, reported the Times, Don Quixote, Olir-,er Twist, Rebecca, would be responsible for doing such "Saint-Exupery's grandnephew, Oli- Babbit, Candide, Uncle Torn's Cabin, a stud14," Parker explained. "But ver d'Agay, who is a spokesman for Daisy Miller, Sula, Hcidi, Bambi,lane rather than taking many months to the family, said that Mr. Rippert's Eyre, Curious George , and more than do the study, the computer accom- version of the events was credible." a hundred others. plishes this in about thirteen min- D'Agay said, "Rippert said he But I have enjoyed many novels utes." often felt desperate. If he had with "poetic" names, despite their The article says that Parker's known what he was doing, he never easily forgotten titles. Examples: books are profitable. But he hasn't would have done it." Running in the Fnmily, Shadous on the come up with any bestsellers so far. Rocks, The Hours, A yellocu Raft irr SLEIECT SHIFT: Best-selling novel- BIue Water, The Tree of Ltfe, On the HOME RUN: Stephanie Meyer's ist Anne Rice's shift in subject mat- Black HiII, Staring at the Sun, Beyond first novel, Tzuilight, was rejected by ter from erotic vampires to Jesus the Bedroont WaII, Light Years, First nine houses before it was published. was described in a Sundav Stvle sec- Light and many more. PW said that in just three years she

Ar,rthors Gttilcl Bulletin E srn,,rr, 2008 "has become one of the most popu- A BLURB IS BORN: Former cop can."'Then Roth added, "l some- lar authors in the world." Her Ttui- joseph Wambaugh's 13th novel, times wish I had hid behind that Iight saga has sold more than 7.7 Hollyzuood Crous, became a best- name." million copies in the U.S. To promote seller, and he sent an e-mail to The the final novel in the vampire series, New York Times Book Review with NEW CLUB: Conservatives have Breaking Dnu,n, Meyer planned an an account of an earlier bestseller, had a book club for 44 years. Now, August book tour as "an evening of The Oniotr Field, published in 1973. in a time when book clubs are strug- story and song" with only four Wambaugh wrote, "Before I had gling to survive, a Progressive Book stops: Manhattan's Times Square ever written a word, I told Truman Club for liberals has been initiated. Nokia Theater, Chicago, Los Angeles lCapotel the story in a one-hour ses- Elizabeth Wagley, a former fund- and Seattle. Tickets to one of these sion in his Palm Springs home raiser for nonprofit groups, is in evenings cost $20. (where he was spending the week- charge. She told The New York Meyer's first adult novel, T/rc end with the bartender from Studio Times, "The right has always under- Hosf, hit No. 1 on all the bestseller 54) while my wife was unconscious stood the power of ideas, the power lists. in his bed after having drunk two of books as legitimizers of ideas. I screwdrivers that Truman prepared. see the opportunity with the book- MEMOIR: A change in administra- To this day she claims that Truman club structure to create a powerful tions in Washington brings with it a Capote slipped her a mickey in or- tool to showcase the ideas of the deluge of books. Donald H. Rums- der to be alone with her then-cute- 7eft." feld, former secretary of defense, is and-young cop husband. She also The panel that selects the books writing one. It is expected to cover claims that she is probably the only includes novelists Michael Chabon. his job during the George W. Bush woman to have ever slept in Tru- Erica Jong and Barbara Kingsolver; years and his early life and experi- man Capote's bed. When I finished John Podesta, president of the ences with Richard M. Nixon, Ger- telling Truman and the bartender Center for American Progress; ald R. Ford and Ronald Reagan. the story, Truman said to me, 'I Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The New York Times said Rums- would love to write that book.' The Nation, and Todd Gitlin, jour- feld was not taking an advance and When he said that, I knew I was go- nalist and sociology professor at his profits wiil go to a foundation he ing to do it." Columbia University. The first selec- has established to make educational Capote gave Wambaugh a blurb tion was The Big Squeeze: Touglt Times grants to young people interested in for the book's lacket: "A distin- .for the American Worker by Steven public service. guished contribution toward the Greenhouse, a reporter at The New gradually enlarging field of the 'fac- York Times. The club will also offer SO TFIERE: Elizabeth George is an tual novel.' A fascinating account of older titles such as Thomas Paine's American best-selling author. She a double tragedy: one physical, the Common Se nse and Rachel Carson's said on her website that the question other psychological." Silent Spring. she is most often asked is why all her novels have a British locale. She ex- HAPPY DAY: Philip Roth's 75th WRITING PAIR: Thirteen years ago/ plained, "I set my novels in England birthday was celebrated at Colum- Isabel Fonseca published a history because I like to write about bia University's Miller Theater. A of gypsies, Bury Me Stnnding: The England." panel of scholars and writers and a Gypsies and Their lourney. Her sec- Her latest mystery taLe is Carcless second panel of young novelists ond book, a novel, is Attnchment. in Red. (Nathan Englander, Jonathan Fonseca, 46, lives in London with Lethem and Charles D'Ambrosio) her husband Martin Amis. AGENT AID: Tom Rob Smith talked about Roth's 23 novels and In an article in The New York started writing his best-selling Child five nonfiction books. The event was Times, Fonseca said that being mar- 44 as a screenplay. He told PW, "My shown on C-SPAN's BookTV. The ried to a famous novelist who is also agent reasoned a Stalin-set thriller author was sitting in the front row. a formidable critic is a mixed bless- from an unknown would be a near- Roth is the only living author ing. "One of the lucky things about impossible sell. He suggested writ- whose work is being published in its living with another writer is that ing it as a novel. Working from the entirety by the Library of America. they really understand what it's like presumption I was writing a'diffi- Roth said that when he was 10, he to be preoccupied-you know, a cult sell' was tough. Every day I wrote a story "Storm Off Hatteras" pretend mother and a pretend hus- worried I was wasting my time. but "Philip Roth wasn't a writer's band." That concentrated me." name. Instead, I typed 'Eric Dun- On the other hand, "having

Autltors Gnild BrrlletinE srru,,rr, 2008 Martin judge your work-I wasn't thirty-two pages. You can lay it out lives by their parents, but maybe not looking forward to that. I didn't let there and see what the story arc will willing to be written about."' him read the book until it was done. be." The result, he says, is that or until I thought it was done, and it Jenna Bush did a book tour last the everyday lives of young urban took him a hell of a long time to get year to promote her book, Ana's adults are no longer considered ap- through it. That was one very long Story: A Journey of Hope. For the past propriate subjects for ambitious week." two years she has taught at a charter novels. school in inner-city Washington. She PARTINC COMPANY: Romance told the audience, "I do think [it's] a \MISH DEFIED: Despite the instruc- writer Cassie Edwards and Signet problem in our culture that maybe tions of the late Vladimir Nabokov, Books have parted. More than 100 of teachers are slightly underpaid." fragments of his last novel, The Edwards's books, with titles like Original of Laura, will not be burned. Saaage Longings, Saaage Moon and HELPERS: Sherman Alexie's The The writer's son, Dmitri Nabokov, Saaage Beloaed, have been published Absolutely True Dianl of a Pnrt-Tinrc plans to publish it. He told the Ger- by Signet, and more than 10 million lndian is a bestseller. His two sons, 6 man magazine Der Spiegel, "I'm a copies of her novels are in print. and 10, are helping him on his next loyal son and thought long and seri- ln a statement, the publisher told book. Alexie told PW that the boys ously about it. Then my father ap- the Associated Press that "Signet suggested the collaboration after the peared before me and said with an has conducted an extensive review final Harry Potter book came out. ironic grin, 'You're stuck in a right of all its Cassie Edwards novels and "They were sad knowing there old mess. Just go ahead and pub- due to irreconcilable editorial differ- wouldn't be more books in that se- lish."' ences, Ms. Edwards and Signet have ries and wanted to fill that void in The son said on BBC, "I would mutually agreed to part ways." lt their lives." never presume to finish my father's was alleged that the author had Alexie explained how the three works for him because there are so used large chunks of unattributed of them worked: "The boys tend to many strands and threads and material. get outlandish, and try to use ele- thoughts there that perhaps might Edwards told the AP that she did ments from their favorite books and have been developed further. And not know that she was supposed to movies. I take the themes of the mo- simply I don't have the right." credit sources. "When you write his- ments they love and turn them into torical romances, you're not asked our own." "REALISH" TALES: As part of pro- to do that," she said. motion for his latest, When You Are LIT CRIT: Keith Gessen, 33, was Engulfed in Flames, David Sedaris ON THE ROAD AGAIN: First Lady identified in The New York Times as sat sLill for a lengthy article by Sarah Laura Bush and her daughter a literary critic and author of a new Lyall in The New York Times. There Jenna, the twin who is a graduate of novel, All the Snd Youttg Literary are seven million copies of his best- the University of Texas, once again Men.He is a founding editor of n+1, sellers in print, and they have been started the day on the Today Show, a literary magazine published twice translated into 25 languages. That where TV interviewer Ann Curry a year. kind of success allows him to live heaped praise on them for produc- The book is described as an "un- wherever he wants and, following ing a children's book, Read AII About packing of Mr. Gessen's personal an old American-writer tradition, he Ifl It is a picture book about a little philosophy on the proper function has an apartment in Paris. boy who is bored by reading but of the novel: to hold up an honest Sedaris's book is a collection of learns to love it. mirror to society, no matter how humorous essays, and there has Later that duy mother and frivolous and unserious that society been some criticism that he exagger- daughter appeared at the 92nd may be. Young people in big cities ates too much for a writer using a Street Y in Manhattan, and New like New York, Mr. Gessen said:'are nonfiction label. He said that his ex- York Times reporter Eric Konigs- willing to acknowledge that they're aggerations are for effect, and he de- berg covered the event with a pho- a class only ironically. So they'll scribes his stories as "realish." He tographer. Laura Bush talked about have their ironic kickball games. maintains that in his sort of essay, re- her experiences as a librarian and a Their ironic magazines.' ality is a subjective, slippery concept, public school teacher in Austin, "'They're willing to have the particularly as no two people have Houston and Dallas. She said, "For privileges of their class,' Mr. Gessen the same recollection of the same most of you out there who don't added,'to go to a good college, and event. He said, "Memoir is the last know, most children's books are be subsidized in their New York place you'd expect to find the truth."

Autlnrs Guild Bultetin @ srn,n,r, 2ool TOUGH CRITIC: In 1968, fohn Up- Return to a Ruinous Sport. For a fea- ing an unusual ability to identify dike was the subject of a Time mag- ture article in The New York Times, with his characters; he "never seems azine profile. Dwight Garner, in Charles McGrath went down to to be looking at them from the out- The New York Times Book Review, Vero Beach, Fla., and played a round side," she said. recalled that "the best moment was of golf with Hiaasen. He told the Times. "l do believe probably when Updike paraphrased The best-selling mystery author, that you can never know yourself, his wife's reactions to his books. 'I who has a frustrating putting weak- let alone the person next to you, let can't think of one . . . she's really ness, said, "tNhy do I do this? I don't alone the person halfway across the liked,'he said. 'When she read Tfte know, but I sometimes think it's im- world. Yet at the same time, I believe Poorhouse Fair, she said, 'Why do portant for writers to have an un- there is nothing like fiction to fully you want to write about all those healthy obsession. Besides writing, thrust you into someone else's con- old people?'After The Centaur, she that is. You need to get out of your sciousness." said, 'You can't understand all the own head. And I was never cut out mythology.'. . . And withCouples, to be a drunk or a drug addict." UNHAPPY ENDING: Nicholas she said she felt that she was being Pekearo's first published novel, The smothered in pubic hair. Actually I QUESTIONS: Lucy Ellmann is au- Wolfman, is about a Vietnam War did take some of it out."' thor of a novel, Doctors €t Nurses. veteran who kills criminals when he In a volume of his works, Picked She kicked off a review in The New tums into a werewolf. Four days af- Up Pieces, Updike wrote: "In my York Times Book Review with sev- ter the manuscript was accepted for adolescence, I discovered one could eral questions: "What the hell is go- publication, Pekearo was fatally write with a pencil as well as draw ing on? The country that produced shot while working as an auxiliary without the annoying need to con- Melville, Twain and fames now police officer, one of three killed on sult reality so frequently." venerates King, Crichton, Grisham, March 14,2007 by a former Marine. Sebold and Palahniuk. Their sub- Pekearo also worked at a book- CORRECTIONS: Tony Horwitz is jects? Porn, crime, pop culture and store and took classes as well as the author of Confederates in the an endless parade of out-of-body serving as an auxiliary police officer Attic. His research for that book in- experiences. Their methods? Clich6, in New York. At night and on week- cluded camping out at Antietam caricature and proto-Christian mo- ends he wrote. His mother, Iola with a man who used makeup to rality. Props? Corn chips, corpses, Latman, who received his advance make himself look like a bloated crucifixes. The Agenda? Deceit: a payment for the novel, told The corpse. dishonest throwing of the reader to New York Times, "Watching him in For his new book, A Voyage Long the wolves. And the result? Ready- front of his computer, writing, he and Strange, Horwitz joined con- made Hollywood scripts." was in a different world. You could quistador re-enactors in Florida and see the talent and the joy he had in tried on their homemade armor. The FIRST TIMER: Nam Le's first book sitting down." breastplate, he told The New York is a collection of short stories, The Times, made him feel as if he were Boat. He was born in Vietnam, HIS INSPIRATION: Ian Flening, wearing a car hood on a sweltering worked as a lawyer in Australia and the British bon vivant who created summer day. He also used rented spent two years at the Iowa Writers' James Bond, was born 100 years cars to follow the routes of explorers Workshop. According to The New ago. His birth was celebrated by an like Coronado and de Soto. "As of- York Times, his book has received exhibition at the Imperial War ten as not, he found that some "the kind of praise usually reserved Museum in London. important but neglected site was be- for far more accomplished writers." Apparently, there was a lot of hind a Wendy's or a Wal-Mart." He has a fellowship at Exeter fact in Fleming's fantastic fiction. One of his conclusions is that Academy in New Hampshire. The According to a piece in The New much of what we think of as heroic Times said, "He works most nights York Times, many of Fleming's most exploration was, in fact, bumbling until 6 or 7 a.m., and begins again bizarre characters were inspired by and misguided. Another is that when he wakes in the early after- real people, and Bond himself was much of our past is being preserved noon." "a compound of all the secret agents less by scholars than by passionate Novelist Marilynne Robinson, and commandos I met during the amateurs. one of the teachers at lowa. told the war." The article goes on to say that Times that she believed that Le's Bond's tastes in blondes, martinis OBSESSED: Carl Hiaasen's new background "sensitized him" to "shaken, not stirred," expensively book is The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's very different cultural settings, giv- tailored suits, scrambled eggs,

Authors Guild Bulletin @ s wnrrr, 2ool short-sleeved shirts and Rolex "There's a writing self which is and real crime and how it relates to watches-were Fleming's own. not quite your ordinary social self crime fiction, I think it's a tenuous and which you don't really have ac- relationship." Kahla added, "Most BAD POEMS PAY: William Mc- cess to except at the moment when of the books that are set in New York Gonagall was mocked during his you're writing, and certainly in my aren't selling here-they're selling lifetime (1.825-1902) as "the world's view, I think of that as my best self," in Idaho. What the heck do they worst poet." He specialized in catas- he said. "To be able to be that person know?" trophe and death and at his read- feels good; it feels better than any- Otto Penzer, owner of New ings in Dundee, audiences often thing else." York's Mysterious Bookshop, said, pelted him with eggs and vegeta- "They want to think of New York as bles. Nevertheless, 35 of his poems HIS GAME: foseph O'Neill's new the crime capital of the world even were sold at auction in his native novel is Netherland.It is concerned if it's the nation's third safest city, Edinburgh for more than $13,000. with the imported game of cricket behind San Antonio and Honolulu." His best-known poem, accord- and was greeted with glowing re- Still, the "low" rate last year was ing to The New York Times, is about views. more than one murder a day-494 the Tay Bridge disaster of 1879. It in- The author told The New York total. And as Kahla pointed out, "All cludes the lines: Times that the idea of publishing a a writer needs for a book is a single novel in the United States about murder." So the train moa'd slowly along cricket gave him commercial the Bridge ofTay qualms but not artistic ones. He ON REVIEWING: Novelist Richard Until it was nbout midway, said, "You want a novel to tap as di- Russo commented on book review- Then the central girders with a rectly as possible into your most un- ing for The New York Times. He e- crash gaae way speakable preoccupations. And in mailed the editors of the Book And down went the train and America, in particular, cricket is Review: "It takes me four or five passengers into the Tay. pretty unspeakable." O'Neill is, of years to write a novel, and no matter course, an avid cricket player. how much I may hate a book, I can't POTTER'S DECADE: The first get out of my head the fact that some Harry Potter book hit the bestseller CRIME STAT: The New York Times poor schlemiel worked lovingly on lists in 1998 and fell off in 2008. Its promoted an article with: "Crime is it for a very long time. A movie pro- phenomenal sales during those low in New York City, and everyone ducer friend of mine once remarked years caused The New York Times exults. Everyone, that is, but the that most people have no idea how to redo the way it listed bestsellers crime writers, who must weave new hard it is to make even a bad movie, because new titles were being kept plots to keep their thrillers and mys- and I feel the same way about nov- from the fiction list. The seven teries real." els. I don't dispute that it's some- Potter books have sold 375 million Chris Grabenstein, author of body's job to blow the whistle on copies. HeII for the Holidays, was quoted: "If bad books, bad movies, bad art. It's The first volume was reviewed the economy were to tum would we just not mine if I can help it." in the Times by reporter Michael go back to 1978,1979, when I first Winerip who wrote that: Like Pot- moved to New York, when there THRILLER MAN: Lee Child, 54, ter, J. K. Rowling "had wizardry in- were certain blocks you weren't grew up in England but has lived in side, and has soared beyond her supposed to go on, and you weren't the U.S. since 1998. Nothing to Lose is modest Muggle surroundings to supposed to ride the subway after the 12th in his thriller series that achieve something quite special." 10 o'clock?" is manned by a hero named fack Wendy Corsi Staub, author Reacher. IT'S SCARY Salman Rushdie's new of LuIIaby and Goodnighf, told the Child told The New York Times, novel is The Enchantress of Florence. Times, "We have a fake sense of se- "I want the books to be entertaining, At the end of a long article about curity now, and I try to exploit that and I want them to be easy reads. his eventful life in The New York in my books. The low rate makes It's up to me, not the reader, to do Times Sunday Arts&Leisure section, every murder more dramatic." the work. I also want the parts that he was quoted as saying that he Keith Kahla is an editor at St. people don't see to be just as beauti- finds writing scary ("Are you going Martin's Minotaut which publishes fully machined as the parts they do to be able to sustain it all the way to about 130 crime fiction books a year. see. if someone says that my books the end?" he asked) and exhilarat- Many are set in New York. He said, are well written, I worry a little. I ing. "When you talk about the crime rate mean, I hope they are, but I don't

Atihors Guild Bulletin El s,urrrr, 2008 want that to be noticed. It should be Whitney Frick is an associate ed- George Garrett,78, diedMay 25 the invisible undercarriage." itor at Scribner. in Charlottesville. Va. He was the Courtney Bongiolatti is associ- author of dozens of books, includ- SUBJECT MATTER: Lara Vapnyar is ate editor at S&S Books for Young ingThe Finished Man (7959), Which the author of a new collection of Readers. Ones Are the Enemy? (7961), Death of short stories, Broccoli and Other Tales Daniela Rapp is editor at St. the Fox (7977),The Strccession (7983), of Food and Loae. The Russian-born Martin's Press. She acquires literary Entered from the Sun (1990) and a bi- writer lives in Brooklyn with her fiction, memoirs, translations and ography, lames lones (1984). husband and two children. She has biography. Oakley Hall, 87, died May 12 also written a novel, Memoirs of a in Nevada City, Calif. He was the *Compiled Muse, and taught writing at City from Publishers Weekly author of many novels, including College. Her fiction is so concerned Murder City (7949), Too Dead to Run with food that an article about her (1953), Warlock (1959), The Downhill DEATHS appeared in The New York Times Rncers (1963) andLullaby (1982). dining section. Eliot Asinof, 88, died fune 10 in Jon Hassler,74, died March 20 in She told the Times, "Beginning Hudson, N.Y. He was the author of St. Louis Park, Minn. He was the au- writers often don't give their charac- more than a dozen books, including thor of 19 novels, including Stagger- ters enough particulars. Food is Man on Spikes (1955), Eight Men Out ford (1977), The Loae Hunter (1981), something that readers can under- (1963) andFinal ludgment, to be pub- North of Hope (1990), Dear lohn stand." lished in September. (7993), The Dean's List (1997) and Matthew f. Bruccoli, 76, died The Nezu Wonnn (2005). THE RIGHT ANSWER: Matthew J. fune 4 in Columbia, S.C. The Uni- Hamilton fordan, 63, died May Bruccoli, author of more than 50 versity of South Carolina professor 20 in Atlanta. The aide to President books on F. Scott Fitzgerald or was the author of Some Sort of Epic Jimmy Carter was the author of Ernest Hemingway, died in June Grandeur: The Life of F. Scott Fitz- Crisis: The Last Year of the Carter (See Deaths below.) The professor at gerald (1981) and more than 50 other Presidency (1982) and No Such Thing the University of South Carolina for books on Fitzgerald or Ernest Hem- as a Bad Day: A Memoir (2001). nearly 40 years once took a litera- ingway. He also wrote biographies Martin Levin,89, died May 21 in ture course at Cornell taught by of John O'Hara, James Gould Coz- Manhattan. The prolific book re- Vladimir Nabokov. Bruccoli's wife zens and Ross MacDonald. viewer (more than 3,000 reviews for told The New York Times that her Henry Chadwick,87, died |une The New York Times) was the au- husband "endeared himself to Na- 17 in Oxford, England. A scholar of thor of Whateaer Happened to Lady bokov by saying that his reason for Christianity, he was the author of a Chatterley's Loaer? (1985) and edited taking the course was, 'I like sto- best-selling Tlrc Early Clrurch (1967). several anthologies. ries.'Nabokov thought that was the Other works included The Church in Nuala O'Faolain,68, died May 9 perfect answer." Ancient Society: From Galilee to in Dublin, Ireland. She was the au- Bruccoli, with Dmitri Nabokov, Gregory the Great (2002) and East and thor of a memoir Are Yott Somebody? the writer's son, edited Vladimir West: The Making of a Rift in the (1996) and a sequel, Almost There N abokou: Selected Letters, 1940-1977, Church (2003). (2003). published in 1989. Harlan Cleveland, 90, former Irving Rosenthal,95, died May U.S. ambassador to NATO and a 18 in Creat Neck, N.Y. The journal- president of the University of Ha- ism teacher at City College was the JOB CHANGES- waii, died May 30 at his home in coauthor of Business English Made Kathy Huck has been named ex- Sterling, Md. He was the author of a Simple (1955) andThe Art of Writing ecutive editor at St. Martin's Press. dozen books, including The Obliga- Made Simple (1958). She will work on lifestyle, health, tions of Power: American Diplomacy in Tim Russert, 58, died fune 13 how-to books, memoirs, politics and tlrc Search for Peace (7966) andBirth of in Washington, D.C. The television narrative nonfiction. a New World (7993). newsman was the author of two Ben Greenberg has been named Robert Fagles, 74, died March 25 best-selling books: Big Russ and Me editor at Grand Central. in Princeton, N.f. His translations of (2004) and a collection of letters in- Malaika Adero is vice president The lliad (1990), The Odyssey (7996) spired by the memoir about Big and senior editor at Atria, an S&S andThe Aeneid (2006) were all best- Russ, ffisdom of Our Fathers (2006). imprint. sellers. jason Shindet,52, died April25

Authors Guild Bulletin @ suur^r, 2oor in Manhattan. The founder of the expert on the immigrant experience Helen Yglesias, 92, died March YMCA National Writer's Voice pro- in America at the University of Min- 28 in Manhattan. Her novels in- gram was the author of two volumes nesota, Vecoli was the author of nu- cluded Hozu She Died (7972), Family of poetry: Ettery Room We Eaer Slept meroLrs books, including The People Feeling (1976), Sztteetsir (1981), The bt (7993) and Among Women (2001). of Neu Jersev (7965) and A Centttry Sauiors (1987) and The Girls (7999). He also edited several anthologies. of Europmn Migrations: 7830-1930 fohn S. Zinsser Jr.,84, died May Tasha Tudor, 92, died fune 18 in (19e1,). 27 in West Cornwall, Conn. He was Marlboro, Vt. She was author and William W. Warner, 88, died editor in chief of Reader's Digest illustrator of Pumpkin Moottshine April 18 in Washington. His Beauti- Condensed Books, where he cut (1938) and two Caldecott winners: ful Sztrirttnrcrs (7976) won the Pulitzer works by William Faulkner, Her' Mother Goose (1944) and I Is One Prize for nonfiction in 1.977 . He was man Wouk, John Steinbeck, Daph- (1958). She also illustrated nearly also author of Distant Water: The Fate ne Du Mauder, Thor Heyerdahl, 100 other books. of the North Atlantic Fishernnn (1983), John P. Marquand, Frederic For- Rudolph J. Vecoli,81, died july At Peace uith AII Tlteir Neighbors syth, Ken Follett, Peter Benchley 17 in St. Louis Park, Minn. The son (1994) and htto the Porcupirrc Cst,e and John le Carre. I of immigrants from Tuscany and an and Other Odysseys (1999).

Perish." Simon & Schuster eventually apologized for " any early miscommunication" and reinstated the re- Annual Meeting moved clause, but authors do have to ask for sales thresholds in the out of print clauses of their contracts. Continued froru page I Mr. Aiken also reported on an announcement made by Amazon in April that anyone selling print-on-de- increasingly popular practice, designed to take advan- mand books through Amazon.com must use the com- tage of the U.K.'s libel laws, is referred to as "libel pany's own in-house printer, BookSurge, a decision tourism." [See Legal Watch, Winter 2008.] A bill, sup- that will affect university presses, print-on-demand ported by the Authors Guild, was then passed by the companies, and programs like Backinprint.com. The New York State Legislature to give the courts such Guild opposes this move as an attempt to monopolize power; it was erroneously named the Libel Terrorism book sales, and believes it may be a matter for the Act, which reportedly helped it pass faster than any ]ustice Department to look into. bill in the history of the New York State Legislature. Anita Fore, Director of Legal Services, briefly re- Mr. Aiker, provided an update of the freelance viewed the department's activities for the year, report- class-action suit, which the Guild brought several ing that she and Staff Attorney Michael Cross handled years ago against Lexis-Nexis and others over their 853 matters, including 210 contract reviews, 174 gen- unauthorized use of freelance articles, including both eral contract matters, and close to 100 copyright mat- registered and unregistered articles. The Second Cir- ters. cuit ruled against it on the grounds that the court had Mr. Blount and Mr. Aiken called for the voting re- no jurisdiction over the unregistered articles. The sults. The proxy votes had already been recorded by Guild disagreed with this decision and sought a re- the tellers and inspectors. The total number of votes view, requesting that the entire Second Circuit panel was I,499, and the proposed slate passed. review the decision, but it was turned down. The Two new Council members were elected. Peter Guild's only recourse is to apply to appeal the decision Gethers is the author of two novels. The Dandrl and to the Supreme Court, where it is unlikely to yield pos- Getting Blue, and three bestselling nonfiction books, itive results; we are currently considering this option. TIrc Cat Who Went to Psris, A Cst Abroad and The Cat Mr. Aiken then discussed a recent update by Simon Who'll Liue Foreaer. Under the pseudonym Russell & Schuster to their contracts: the removal of the stan- Andrews, he is also the author of five internationally dard reversion of rights clause that defines when a bestselling thrillers: Gideon, Icarus, Aphrodite, Midos book is out of print based on sales figures. The change and Hades. Mr. Gethers is also the President of would effectively keep books in print permanently, Random House Films and has written numerous film thereby preventing the rights from ever reverting to scripts and television shows. the author. The Guild launched a public relations cam- James Shapiro has published widely on William paign at the 2007 Book Expo America convention Shakespeare and Elizabethan culture, co-directed two in New York City using the slogan "Re-Publish or National Endowment for the Humanities Institutes on

Authors Guild Bultetin@ s,,urr,r, 2oo| Shakespeare, co-edited the Columbia Anthologv of fered what it believed to be compelling interests, in the British Poetry (7995), and served as the associate edi- form of the state's duty to safeguard both the psycho- tor of the Columbia History of British Poetry (1994). In logical well-being and the moral and ethical develop- 2006, he was the winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize ment of its resident minors. However, while the court (for the best work of nonfiction published in the UK, of appeals found the safeguarding of the psychologi- as well as the 2006) Theatre Book Prize for L599: n Year cal well-being of minors to be a compelling interest in in the Life of William Shakespeare.ln the same year, he the abstract, the alleged resulting harms must be was named both a |ohn Simon Guggenheim Memorial shown to be "real, not merely conjectural, and that the Foundation Fellow and a Fellow at the Cullman Cen- regulation will in fact alleviate these harms in a direct ter for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public and material way." In other words, the court found Library. He is currently at work on two books: Con- that the state must come forward with empirical sup- tested Will: The Shakespenre Autlrcrship Controaersy and port for its belief that violent video games cause psy- The Year o.f Lear: Shakespeare in 1606. chological harm to minors. Moreover, the court noted After asking whether there as any new business to that other courts have noted that the stories contained be discussed and receiving no answer in the affirma- in video games are no more violent than some of the tive, Mr. Blount adjourned the meeting. stories in what is considered "classic literature," in- cluding many biblical stories and Shakespeare's Mac- Houte -Isabel beflr. Ultimately, the court was forced to conclude that under strict scrutiny analysis, the evidence fell short of establishing the required statistical certainty of cau- sation between violent video games and children's be- Legal Watch havior. As such, the court of appeals was forced to confirm the district court's ruling that the act was un- Continued from page 9 constitutional and therefore unenforceable.

dence was largely based on flawed or inappropriate Michael Gross Attonrey studies and thus failed to establish its claim that play- -Staff ing violent video games directly caused lasting harm to the psychological well-being of minors. The district court further held that er.en if the state had presented With Strings Attached? a sufficient causal connection between violence and video games, the act itself was under-inclusive and UMG Recordings tt. Troy Augusto therefore constitutionally flawed because it did not ad- U.S. District Court, Central District of Califurnia dress other forms of violence in media and how they affect minors. Finally, the district court held that the T TMG Recordings Inc. owns the copyrights to thou- act's dependence on the ESRB to make ratings deter- L,/ sands of songs and produces compact discs (CDs) minations that result in prohibitions on speech with to sell to the public. Prior to a CD release, UMG often associated civil penalties was unconstitutional because creates a "promotional CD" for distribution to music the scheme established by the act did not permit im- insiders in the hope that they will provide publicity mediate judicial supervision of the ratings. As such, and exposure when the fullJength CD is released. The the district court ultimately granted a permanent in- promotional CD usually contains a couple of songs junction from enJorcing the act and held that the act's from the new CD but not the artwork that will be fea- sign-posting requirement was a state-compelled false tured. All UMG's promotional CDs contain the follow- statement that unconstitutionally required the expres- ing statement: sion of an unenforceable law. The State of Minnesota This CD is the property of the record contpany and appealed the district court's ruling. is licensed to the intended recipient personal ln evaluating the district court's decision, the U.S. Jbr use only. Acceptance of this CD shall constitute an Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit emphasized the agreement to comphl tuith the terms of the license. point that video games, even violent ones, are consid- Resale or trnnsfer of possession is not alloued and ered protected free speech under the FirstAmendment. ntarl be punishable wtder and state larus. As such, the court confirmed the district court's ruling fcderal that any restriction on rental by minors of violent video Troy Augusto, while not a "music insider," ob- games is subject to strict scrutinv analysis. In this re- tained numerous promotional CDs from music shops gard, the court of appeals pointed out that the state of- and online auctions, which he then resold online, ad-

Autltors Guitd Btrllctitr|El srr,r,r, 20(t8 Section 109 of the Copyright Act, the First Sale Doc- Legal Services Scorecard trine, protected his right to sell his copy of the copy- righ t-pro tected record ings. From May 1.0, 2008 through August 1, 2008, the The court noted that the First Sale Doctrine permits Authors Guild Legal Service Department handled the owner of a particular copy of a sound recording to 252 legal inquiries. Included were: resell his copy without obtaining permission from the copyright owner of the underlying recording. More- 28 book contract reviews over, the court pointed out that the First Sale Doctrine 13 agency contract reviews does not technically require a "sale"; rather, it applies 6 reversion of rights inquiries after the "first authorized disposition by which title passes," which may occur via a gift to another. Accor- 31 inquiries on copyright law, including dingly, the court found that for Augusto's actions to be infringement, registration, duration and protected by the First Sale Doctrine, he must show that fair use the promotional CDs were lawfully manufactured 13 inquiries regarding securing permissions with UMG authorization, that UMG transferred title and privacy releases to the promotional CDs, that Augusto was the lawful 19 electronic rights inquiries owner of the promotional CDs he sold and that Augusto disposed of, but did not reproduce, the pro- 142 other inquiries (including literary estates, motional CDs. contract disputes, periodical and multi- The court found that the CDs were unquestionably media contracts, movie and television manufactured lawfully by UMG and that there was no options, Internet piracy, liability insur- question that Augusto did not reproduce the promo- ance, finding an agent, and attomey tional CDs. The only real issue was whether UMG referrals) transferred title to the recipients of the promotional CDs, the so-called "music industry insiders," when it mailed them copies of the promotional CDs. If title vertising the CDs as "rare collectibles not available in was transferred, Augusto would have lawfully owned stores." UMG got wind of Augusto's sales of their pro- the CDs at the time he sold them, and his sale would motional CDs and sent him a cease and desist letter, be protected by the First Sale Doctrine. In deciding stating that Augusto's online auctions of the promo- whether UMG transferred title to Augusto, the court tional CDs infringed UMG's copyrights. UMC also no- looked to the "economic realities" to determine tified eBay of its belief that Augusto's sale of their CDs whether the act of UMG sending an unsolicited pro- infringed their copyrights. As a result, eBay temporar- motional CD to a music industry insider constituted a ily suspended Augusto's account. sale or license. The court focused on whether UMC in- When Augusto continued to sell UMG's promo tended to regain possession, a critical element of own- CDs, UMG sued him for copyright infringement in the ership. The court found that UMG gives promotional U.S. District Court for the Central District of Cali- CDs to music industry insiders with the assumption fornia. UMG alleged that it retained the exclusive right that they are never to be returned. Nothing on the to distribute and sell the promotional CDs that package indicates otherwise, and there are no stated Augusto was selling on eBay. Augursto brought a coun- consequences if the recipient loses or destroys the pro- terclaim under Sec. 512 (f) of the Digital Millennium motional CD. Moreover, the court noted that UMG Copyright Act (DMCA), in which he alleged that UMG makes no effort to recover the promotional CDs and knowingly misrepresented to eBay that his auctions could not take actions to do so even if it wanted to infringed UMG's copyright so that eBay would stop since it does not keep permanent records as to who re- the auctions. Both parties moved for summary judg- ceives the promotional CDs. As such, the court found ment on their respective claims. that the music insider's right to maintain possession At the outset, the court pointed out that for UMG of the promotional CD for an indefinite period of time to prove that Augusto infringed its copyrights, they suggested "a strong incident of ownership through a must show that they own the copyrights in the under- gift or sale" as opposed to a license. lying recordings and that Augusto violated one of the The court also focused on the fact that licenses pro- exclusive rights granted to UMG under Section 106 of vide a recurring benefit to the licensor. In this case, the Copyright Act. Acknowledging that UMG did, in UMG received no benefit from recipient's continued fact, own the copyright in the recordings and that he possession of the promotional CD and it had no guar- sold such recordings on eBay, Augusto alleged that antee it would ever receive any benefit from its distri-

Arttlntrs Guiltl BtrtirtitrEl Surr,,,r, 2t)0I bution, as UMC does not require any of the recipients Digital Millennium Copyright Act permits copyright to promote or otherwise expose the material. In fact, owners to provide Internet hosts with a notice of po- the label specifically states that the promotional CD is tential copyright infringement. If an Internet host re- "for personal use only," indicating any license would ceives such a notice, it can remove the irfringing prohibit the recipient from making professional use of material or otherwise prevent access to it. However, the promotional CD. Section 512. (f) provides a limited cause of action for Finally, the court noted that the main benefit to be- improper infringement notifications, imposing liabil- ing a licensor is retaining the ability to restrain trade ity if a copyright owner's misrepresentation is a of the licensed material, in this case, UMG's promo- "knowing misrepresentation." A copyright owner tional CD. The court found that a century-old Supreme who violates Section 512 (f) may be liable for damages Court ruling rejected a book publisher's attempt to re- caused by the erroneous invocation of this notice and strict resale of a book by attaching a label to it that pro- takedown provision only if the owner did not possess hibited the book's sale for Iess than a dollar. As such, a subjective good faith belief that its copyright was be- the court found that any restrictions UMC tried to ing infringed. Here, the court found that UMG clearly unilaterally impose on the sale of the CD would be demonstrated that it had a subjective good faith belief nullified. Ultimately, the court concluded that UMG's that Augusto was infringing its copyright. The court distribution of the promotional CDs to music industrv pointed to the facts that UMG documented concern- insiders was properly characterized as a gift or sale, as ingAugusto in preparation for this suit; that UMG was opposed to a license, and that title to the CDs transfers aware that Augusto had previously entered into a con- to recipients, rendering Augusto's subsequent sale sent decree in another case in which he admitted that of the promotional CD protected by the First Sale his selling promotional CDs violated the owner's Doctrine. As an aside, the court also noted that the copyright; and that the language on the promotional Postal Reorganization Act prohibited "the mailing of CDs led UMC to believe it could enforce its copyrights unordered merchandise" without "prior expressed re- against an unauthorized seller of such. Accordingly, quest or consent of recipient." The act permits the re- the court granted UMG's motion for summary judg- cipient of any unsolicited merchandise to treat it as a ment and dismissed the DMCAclaim. gift, which can be disposed of in any manner the recip- ient deems fit. Gross -Michercl As to Augusto's counterclaim, Section 512 (c) of the Staff Attornerl

From the President because they are trying to call me? Fifteen minutes later, to make a long story short, \4/e were connected Corrtinued from page 4 again. Apologies all around. Then I held for 10 more minutes. Then we were up and running again. "Tell me," my questioner said, "When people meet you, do wasn't." And he said, "Has your writing style always you feel like you always have to come up with some- been this flowery and descriptive, or did it gradually thing funny to say?" "Uh . . . no," I said. "Was that not grow into being that way?" Thatwas a new one on me. a good question?" he said. "IJh, no . . . said. "Well, I answered as follows: "My writing style is not flow- :'I has your writing style always been this flowery and There was radio ery." another pause. Then the guy descriptive,or..." said, "Was that not a good question?" I was about to say, "Frankly, no . . ." when he said, "Wait, hold up a Those nre the tuto Ltssic kinds of questioners? minute." There was silence. Then he said, "We didn't get any of that, I'm afraid. Would you mind starting Glad you asked me that. No, indeed, there are as many over?" kinds of questioners as there are stars in the sky. Some of them have, of course, become my closest {riends And did you mind? over the years, and we do Q's and A's frequentlv for sheer companionship's sake. Yes I did, but I understand that technical glitches hap- pen, so I murmured assent. Then the phone line went Antl r.tthat is tlrc nnnrc of your book? dead. Now. Do they know that I'm disconnected? Should I call thern back? If I do, will the line be busy Good question. i

Atr tlrttrs G tril d Br t tl t:t i n 3E Su u, r,o, 200I BOOKS BY MEMBERS

David A. Adler: Don't Talk to Me Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator; Ethan Fraser: Mermaid Sister; lan Frazier: About the War; lim Aitchison: Cutting Canin: America America; A.E. Cannon: Lamentations of the Father: Essays; Edge Commercials II ; Tasha Alexander: The Loser's Guide to Life and Loae; Laura Furman (Ed.): The O. Henry A Fatal Waltz; Gigi Amanteau: Chnn- Philip Carlo: Gaspipe: Confessions of Prize Stories 2008: AlanFrarst.The Spies cey of tlrc Maury Riuer; Linda Amendt: a Mafia Boss; Michael Carroll: Tfte of Warsazo; 175 Best lants, lellies, Marmalctdes I Gathering: Quantum Prophecy, Book 2; Joseph L. Galloway (and Harold G. Other Soft Spreads; Jonathan Ames: Kathryn Casey: Singularity; Carol Moore): We Are Soldiers Still: Alourney The Alcoholic; Laurie Halse Anderson: Cassella: Oxygen ; Yuan-tsung Chen: Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam; Brent lndependent Dames: What You Neaer Return to tlrc Middle Kingdont One Ghelfi: Volk's Shadozu; Stan Gibilisco: Knew Abottt the Women and Girls of the Family, Tlvee Reaolutionaries, and the Algebra Know-It-All; fames Cross American Reaolution; Kathi Appelt: Birth of Modern China; Andrew Clem- Giblin: Did Fleming Rescue Churchill?: The Underneafft; Stephen V. Ash: Fire- ents: Losf nnd Found; Tanner Colby A Research Puzzle; David Gifaldi: (and brand of Liberty: The Story of Two Black Tom Farley Jr.) (Eds.): The Chris Listening for Crickets; Debra Ginsberg: Regiments that Changed the Course of the Farley Shozu: A Biography in Three Acts; The Grift; Herbert Gold: Sfi// Aliae!: A Cit,il War; Linda Ashman: M is for Sneed B. Collard III: Reigrz of the Sea Temporary Condition: A Memoir; Mere- Mischief: An Ato Z of Naughty Children; Dragons; Claire Cook: Summer BIow- dith Gold: The Word Made Fresh: Com- Jim Averbeck: In a BIue Room; Avi: A ouf; John K. Cooley: Currency Wars; municating Church and Faith Today; Lee Beginning, a Muddle, and an End: The Cynthia Cotten: Rain PIay; Lynn Goldberg: Mr Monk Goes to Germany; Right Way to Write Writing; The Seer of Coulter: Mustard Seeds: Thoughts on Marshall I. Goldman: Petrostate: Shadozus; the Nature of God and Faith; Marjorie Putin, Power and the Nezu Russla; Chris Keith Baken Potato ]oe;M. P. Barker: Cowley: The Colden Bull; Judy Cox: Grabenstein: The Crossroads; HelI Hole; A Difficult Boy; Tracy Barrett: The 100- Puppy Power; Galaxy Craze: Tiger, Deborah Grabien: Rock €t RoII Neaer Yeor-OId Secret: The Sherlock Files, Book Tiger;John Michael Cummings: Tfte Forgets; Michael Greenberg: Hurry 1; foan Bauer: Peeled; Marion Dane Night I Freed lohn Brown; Doun Sunshine: A Memoir; Robert Bauer: The Red Gftosf; Paul Beatty: Michael Dahlie: A Gentleman's Guide Greer: Blackbird, F arewell ; Slumberlnnd; Lisze Bechtoldz and Sally to Graceful Liaing;Michael J. Daley: Timothy Hallinan: The Fourth Watch- the Purple Socks; Cordelia Frances Rat Trap; Bart Davis (and Jill Price): er: A Noael of Bangkok; Brooks Hansen: Biddle: Deception's Daughter; Law- The Woman Who Can't Forget: The Ex- The Brotherhood of loseph: A Father's rence Blockz Hit and RarU Stefan traordinary Story of Liaing with the Most Memoir of Infertility and Adoption in the Merrill Block: The Story of Forgetting; Remarkable Memory Knor.un to Science; 27st Century; Bill Harley: Dirty loe the fudy Blume; Cool Zone with the Pain €t Gerard Donovan: Young lrelanders: Pirate: Akue Story; Suzanne Harper: the Great One; Philana Marie Boles: Stories; Arthur Dorros: Papd and Me; The luliet Clab; Robie H.Harrisz MaiI Little Diaas: Louise Borden: The Lost- Geoffrey Douglas: The Classmstes: Harry to the Moon!; Dennis Haseley: and-Found Tooth; Off to First Crade; Ted. Priailege, Chaos, and the End of an Era; Twenty Heartbeats; juanita Havill: Botha: The Girl with the Crooken Nose: Grow: ANoael in Verse: Loaise Hawes: ATale of Murder, Obsession and Forensic Marc Eliot (Ed.): Song of Brooklyn: An Black Pearls: A Faerie Strand; Dorothy Artistry; foseph Boyett: Won't Get Oral History of America's Faaorite Hearst: Promise of the Wolztes; Linda Fooled Again: A Voter's Guide to Seeing BororLgh; Susan Middleton Elyt Bebi Hogan: People of the Whale; Michael Through the Lies, Cetting Past the Propa- Goes to the Beach; Tooth on the Loose; Hogan: Burial of the Dead; Victoria ganda, and Choosing the Best Leaders; Dotti Enderle:. Man in the Moon; Houston: Dead Hot Shof; Peter Howe: Shirin Yim Bridges: The Umbrella Lin Enger: Undiscoaered Country; T.I. Waggit's Tale; Arianna Huffington: Queen; Philip Delves Broughton: English: Haaatta Nocturne: Hozu the Right Is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Ahead of the Curtre: Ttuo Ycars at Hantard Mob Outned Cuba . . . And TIrcn Lost lt Hijacked America, Shredded the Consti- Business School; Leslie Bulion: T/re to the Reuolution; tution, and Made Us AII Less Safe (and Trouble with Rules; Shana Burg: A Carol Felsenthal: Clinton in Exile: A What You Need to Know to End the Thousand Neaer Evers; Glenda Bur- President Ofi of the Wlite Hor.tse; lean Madnesil; gess: The of Looe: A Geography Memoir; Ferris: Twice Upon a Marigold; David Ellen Jackson: The Mysterious Uni- Michael A. Burstein: I Remember the Fisher (and Robert Wexler): Fire- aerse: Supernouae, Dark Energy, and Future: The Award-Nominated Stories of Breathing Liberal: Hont I Learned to Black Holes; Susan Jeffers: My Chinco- Michael A. Burstein: Suruiue bnd Thriae) in the Contact Sport teague Pony; Marthe ]ocelyn: Would Meg Cabot: Airhead; Queen of Babble of Congress; Sid Fleischman: Tlle You,' Maureen Johnson: Suite Scarlett; Cets Hitched; Iamie Cat Callan: The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Ttuain Wes Johnson: Balkan Inferno: Betrayal, Writer's Toolbox; Sarah C. Campbell: in the Wild, WiId West; Mary Ann War, and lnteraention, 1990-2005;

Autlrors Guitd Bultctin 3L Su^urr, 2008 N. M. Kelbyz Murder at the Bad Girl's stress of Hollyzuood Bauleaard; Ralph Scientists of the Tutentieth Century; Bar I Grill; Elizabeth Kendall: Ar.rfo- Mclnerny: Ash Wcdnesday; Jennifer Robin Pulver: Silent Letters Lotd and biography of a Wardrobe: A Memoir; McMahon: My Tiki Girl; Kate Mc- Clear; Mona Kerby: Owney, the Mail-Pouch Mullan: I' m Bad! ; Brian Meehl: Suck It Susan Quinn: Fttriotts Improoisation: Pooch; Ronald Kidd: On Beale Street; Up; Andrew Meier: The Lost Spy: An How the WPA and a Cast of Thousands Elizabeth Cody Kimmel: Spin the American in Stalin's Secret Seruice; lb Made High Art Out of Desperate Times; Bottle; Suddenly Supernatural: School Melchior: Melchior a Ia Cnrte; Six Cult Reed: AII thc World's n Graae; Spirit; Eric A. Kimmel: Stormy's Hat: Films of the Sixties; Christina Mel- John Lynn Reiser: My Baby & Me; Luanne lust Right a Railroad Man; Chuck drum: Madapple; Carolyn Meyer: Ir for Rice (and Monninger): Tlze Klosterman: Dozontotan OzuI; Peni Mozart's Shadozu: Her Sister's Story; Joseph Letters; Luanne Rice: Lasf Klss; Doro- Knize: Grand Obsession: APiano Odys- Richard Michelson: Animals Anony- thy Rich: MegaSkills; Ann Rinaldi: sey; Rita Kramer: Flames in tlrc Field: nrous; As Good As Anybody: Martin Moon; Christopher Robbins: The Story of Four SOE Agents in Occu- Luther King lr. and Abraham loshua luliet's Apples Are Kazakhstan: The Land pied France; Stephen Krensky: A Man Heschel's Amazing March Toward Free- front That Disappeared; Elizabeth Keeler All Seasons: The Life of George Wash- dom; Rebecca Miller: The Priaate Littes for Robinson: Making Cents; Roxana ington Caraer; Sisters of Scituate Light; of Pippa Lee; Jacquelyn Mitchard: All Robinson: Cosf; Mary Ann Rodman: Susan Kuklin: No Choirboy: Mtrder, We Knozu of Heaoen; The Midnight Stars; Philip Rothz Indignation; Violence, and Teenagers on Death Rotu; kuins; N,{.ary Morgan: Dragon Pizzeria; limmy's Michelle D. Kwasney: Ifclz; Bob Morris: Assisted Loving: True Tales Michael A. Schuman'. Barack Obama: of Double Dating with My Dad; V,laltet "We Are One People"; Ted Schwarz: Jane Langton.. The Dragon Tree; Billie Mosley: The Tempest Tales; Edward Candy Barr: The Small-Tozon Texas Letts: Made in the U.S.A.; Gail Carson Myers: Storyteller; Walter Dean Runaway Who Became a Darling of the Eaer; Levine: Killing Levine: Llura Myers: Sunrise oaer Fallujah; Mob snd the Queen of Las Vegns Bur- Bridezilla; Michael Z. Lewin: Oh loe; Iesque; David Sedaris: When You Are Donna Napoli: Mogo the Third Richard Lewis: The Demon Queen; Jo Engulfed in Flames; Adam Selzer: Warthog; Amy Nathan: Meet the Wendy Lichtman: The Writing on the Pirates of the Retail Wasteland; Dancers: From Ballet, Broadway, and loni WaII: Do the Math #2; Richard Sensel: Tlrc Htmrming of Numbers; Beyond; Nies: Tlre GirI I Left Liebmann-Smith: The lames Boys: A Judith Nancy Shaw: Sheep Blnst Off!; Debo- Behind: A Narratiae History of the Six- Nor.tel Accottnt of Four Desperate Broth- rah Shlian (and Shlian): Rabbit in fies; Walter Nugent: Habits of Empire: Joel ers; Sally Lloyd-Jones: The Ultimate the Moon; Sierra: Beastly Rhymes A History of American Expansion; Judy Guide to Grandmas & Grandpas!; Elaine to Read After Dark; Joan Silber: The Long Lone Wolf Suite: A Musical, Sidney Offit Friends, Writers, and Size of the World; il,4'arilyn Singer: Shoe Biographical Noael; Jess Lourey: Other Countrymen: A Memoir; Vincent Bop!; Karen Siplin: Whiskey Road: A August Moon; H. O'Neil: ExileTrust: Doreen Orion: Loae Story; Dana Smith-Mansell: Tfte of the Road: The True Tale of 47 Smith Family's Necu Puppy: Helping foAnn Early Mackenz FIip, Float, FIy: Queen States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Children Cope with a New Family Mem- Seeds on the Moae; Brian Malloy: Poodle, a Htrsband and a Bus with a Will ber,' Stephen Solomita: Monkey in the Twelac Long Months; Camille Mar- of Its Own; chetta: The Riuer, By Moonlight; Middle; Eileen Spinelli: The Best Story; Susan Squire: I Don't: A Contrarian Leonard S. Marcus: Minders of Make- Katherine Hall Page: The Body in History of Marriage; Stacy-Deanne: Belieae: ldealists, Entrepreneurs, and the the Gallery; Donald Palmisano: Olr Melody: A Noztel; Stadler: The Shaping of American Children's Litera' Leadership: Essential Principles for Suc- fohn Ballad of Wilbttr and the Moose; Su- ture; J. David Markham (and Mike cess,' Dorothy Hinshaw Patent: When zanne Fisher Staples: The House of Resnick) (Eds.): History Reaisited: The the Wohtes Returned: Restoring Nature's Djinn; Wendy Corsi Staub: Belieaing: Great Battles; J. David Markham: Tfte Balance in Yellowstone; Ann Whitford Road to St. Helena: Napoleon after Paul: f Animals Kissed Cood Night; Lily DaIe, Book 2; Jeanne Steig: F/easl; Deanne Stillman: Mustang: The Saga Waterloo; Wendy Markham: Slightly Susan Beth Pfeffert The Dead and the of the Wild Horse in the American West; Suburban; Elsa Marstonz Santa Claus in Gone; Carol Plum-Ucci: Streams of Tanya Lee Stone: Eliznbeth Leads the Baghdad: and Other Stories About Teens Babel; Marray Polner (and Thomas Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the in the Arab World; Claudia Guadalupe Woods, Jr.): We Wlro Dared to Say No to Right to Vote; Ginger Strand: Inoentirtg Martinez: The Sruell of OId Lady War; Douglas Preston (and Mario Niagara: Benuty, Power, and Lies; Nancy Perfume; Tiish Marx: Elephants and Spezi): The Monster of Florence; Rich- Rubin Stuart: The Muse of the Reao- Golden Thrones: Inside China's Forbidden ard Preston: Panic in Leuel 4: Cannibals, lution: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis City; Emily Arnold McCully: My Killer Viruses, and Other lottrneys to the Warren and tlrc Fowding of a Natiott; Heart GIow: Alice Cogswell, Thomas Edge of Science; Peter Pringlez The Gallaudet and tlrc Birth of Anrcrican Sign Murder of Nikolai Vaailoa: The Stonl of foyce Carol Thomas: The Blacker the Language; Erin McGraw: The Seant- Stalin's Persecution of One of the Great Berrrl; Hannah Tinti: The Good Thief;

A r t thors G u ittt B ult ct i n Gl su m o,r, 20tt8 Noah Andre Trudeau: Southern Storm: of Her Ozutt; Rosemary Wells: Max's Park in the Dark: More Mysteries of Sherman's March to the Sea; Lily Tuck: Bunny Business; Otto Runs for Presi- Urban Wildlife; Gerald Arthur Winter: Woman of Rome: A Lift of EIsa Morante; dent; Yoko Writes Her Name; Gloria Hemingway's Trunk; Kay Winters: Rachel Yail: Lucky; Tom Vanderbilt: Whelan: The Disappeared; Yuki and Colonial Voices: Hear Them Speak; Ellen Traffic: Why We Driae the Way We Do the One Thousand Carriers; Stephanie Wittlinger: Loue & Lies: Marisol's Story; hnd WImt It Says Abaut Us); Denise Grace Whitson: Unbridled Dreams; Frances Wood: China's First Emperor Yega: Fact of Life #31; Erica Verrillo: Carol Ann Williams: Booming Bella; and His Terracotta Warriors: Elvira Elissa's Odyssey: Phoenix Rising Book Sarah Wilson: Friends and Pals and Woodruff: Fearless; Two; Gore Vidal: The Collected Essays Brothers, Too; The Day We Danced in Jane Yolen: Naming Liberty; Sea of Gore Vidal; Zu Vincent: The Lucky Underpants; Simon Winchester: Tfte Queen* Women Pirates Around the Place; Man Who Loaed China: Joseph Needhant World; Ed,gardo Vega Yunqu6: Rebecca and the Making of a Masterpiece; Brenda Sally Warnen lt's Only Temporary; Horowitz, Puerto Rican Sex Freak; Carole Boston Weatherfordz Before Wineapple: White Heat: The Friendship Emily Dickinson Went- lohn Was a lazz Giant: A Song of lohn of & Thomas Lizabeth Zindel: The Secret Rites of Coltrane; Annie Wedekind: A Horse worth Higginsott; Marie Winn: Central Social Butterflies I BULLETIN BOARD

Multiple Genres of up to 5,000 words, including excerpts from larger DIAGRAM is holding its first Hybrid Essay Contest works if they are able to stand on their own. lnclude a for texts that are not easily categorized within a single cover letter with author's name, address, phone num- genre, which might incorporate, for example, fiction, ber and e-mail address, omitting all personal informa- memoir, poetry or art. The prize is $1,000 and publica- tion from the manuscript. The $10 entry fee includes tion. To enter, visit thediagram.com/contest.html for a one-year subscription to Water-Stone Review. Sub- full guidelines and explanation of the hybrid essay, missions will be accepted between November 1 and and instructions for submitting online. Submissions January 5, 2008. Prose Prize, Water-Stone Review, are also accepted by mail. Essays should be previously Graduate School of Liberal Studies, Hamline Univer- unpublished and up to 10,000 words. There is a $15 sity, MS-A1730,7536 Hewitt Avenue, St. Paul, MN reading fee. Deadline: October 30, 2008. Hybrid Essay 551 04-1 284. waterstonereview.com / contests.html. Contest, c/o Ander Monson, Department of English, Prairie Fire Press, publisher of the Canadian literary PO Box 210067, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ magazine Prairie Fire, and McNally Robinson 857 27 -0067 . nmp@thed ia gram. com. Booksellers sponsor annual writing contests in short The Briar Cliff Review is holding its 13th annual fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. The Bliss Fiction, Poetry and Creative Nonfiction Contest, offer- Carman Poetry award is cosponsored by The Banff ing $1,000 and publication to the winner in each cate- Centre, a Canadian cultural institution. Each category gory. Send submissions with a cover sheet listing carries cash prizes of $1,250, $500 and $250. Send pre- title(s), author's name, address and e-mail, and a $20 viously unpublished manuscript with a cover sheet entry fee per story/creative nonfiction piece or three listing author's name, address, phone number and the poems. Include the work's title but not the author's work's title(s), as well as word count (prose) or line name on the manuscript. Visit briarcliff.edu/bcreview count (poetry). Visit prairiefi re.ca / contests.html or call and click on the link at the bottom of the page for full (204) 943-9066 for length and format restrictions. The guidelines, including manuscript length and format. $27 fee per entry includes a one-year subscription to Deadline: November L, 2008. Tricia Currans-Sheehan, Prairie Fire magazine. Deadline: November 30, 2008. Editor, The Briar Cliff Review, Fiction, Poetry and Prairie Fire Contests,423-700 Arthur Street, Winnipeg, Creative Nonfiction Contest, 3303 Rebecca Street, MB, R3B 1H3, Canada. [email protected]. Sioux City, IA 51104-2100. The Fiddlehead, Canada's longest running literary Water-Stone Review will award $1,000 and publica- journal, published by the University of New Bruns- tion in the journal to the winner of the 2008 Brenda wick, holds annual contests for poetry (the Ralph Ueland Prose Prize for fiction and creative nonfiction. Gustafson Poetry Prize) and short fiction, awarding To entet submit three copies of an unpublished work the winners and two runners-up in each category

Authors Guittl Bulletitr EEl Srrnnr, 2008 $1,000 and $500 respectively. To enter, mail one entry English Department, University of South Carolina, (up to 25 double-spaced pages for fiction; or uP to Columbia, SC 29207. (803) 77 7 -2085; editor@yemassee- three poems with no more than 100 lines per poem), joumal.org. all personal information from the manu- omitting The Baltimore Review is accepting submissions for its script, and one cover page with the title(s), genre annual Short Fiction Competition until December L, (short fiction or poetry), and author's name and ad- 2008. First place is $500 and publication in the journal. dress, phone number and e-mail address. Include $30 Second place is $250 and third place is $100. Send a $20 (CAD) for Canadian entries and $36 (USD) for U.S. entry fee with one original, unpublished short story of and overseas entries, which covers a one-year sub- up to 6,000 words, double-spaced, with name, address, to the magazine. Visit lib.unb.ca/Tests/ scription phone number and e-mail address on the first page Fiddlehead,/contest.html for full submission guide- (number and staple pages). All entries will be consid- lines. Deadline: December 1, 2008. The Fiddlehead ered for publication. The Baltimore Review/Short Campus House, 11 Garland Court, UNB PO Contest, Fiction Cbmpetition, PO Box 36418, Towson, MD Box 4400, Fredericton NB, E3B 5A3, Canada. fid- 27286. Baltimorereview.org. [email protected]. Phoebe, a joumal of literature and art, sponsors an an- Fiction Contests nual Fiction Contest, awarding $1,000 and publication in the journal. Send one story of up to 7,500 words, a Hunger Mountain, the Vermont College Journal of entry fee, and a cover letter with name, address, Arts & Letters, is holding its second annual creative $15 story title and brief biography. Do not include name nonfiction prize, which carries and publication $1,000 and address elsewhere on submission. Deadline: in the Spring2009 issue. Two honorable mentions will December 1, 2008. Phoebe Winter Fiction Contest, receive $100 each. Mail one work of unpublished cre- Phoebe MSN 2D6, George Mason University, 4400 ative nonfiction, up to 10,000 words, including a stan- University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030. gmu.edu/pubs/ dard index card with the work's title, author's name, phoebe / fiction-contest.htm. address, phone number and e-mail address and a $15 includes a copy of the Spring 2009 is- entry fee, which Awards and Fellowships sue of the journal. Visit hungermtn.org for full guide- lines and restrictions. Deadline: September 1.0, 2008. The trustees of the Amy Lowell estate administer the CNF Prize, Hunger Mountain, Vermont College/ annual Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship, lI&U,36 College Street, Montpelier, VT 05602. which awards a stipend of about $50,000 to an American-born poet who will spend a year abroad. Tampa Review is accepting submissions for its Danahy Visit amylowell.org for an application form, which Fiction Prize, which carries a $1,000 cash prize and should be completed and returned with a CV and a publication in the journal. To enter, submit a previ- representative sample of the applicant's poetry. The ously unpublished work of short fiction between 500 sample should not exceed either one printed volume and 5,000 words, double-spaced and with a cover page plus no more than 20 typed pages of recent work, or listing author's name, full contact information, and 40 typed pages in total. Two copies of the application word count. Include a $15 entry fee (entrants receive a and all attachments should be received-not post- one-year subscription to the journal). Deadline: marked-by October 15, 2008. Applications and ques- November 1, 2008. Tampa Review, Danahy Fiction tions sent by e-mail should be directed to F. David Prize, The University of Tampa, 401 West Kennedy Dassori; questions asked by phone to Cathleen S. Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33606-1'490. tampareviewut. Croft, Trust Administrator. F. David Dassori, Choate, e du / tr _p r ize. html#d anahy. Hall & Stewart, Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110. (617) 248-4855; [email protected]. Yemassee, the literary journal of the University of South Carolina, presents its William Richey Short Omi, the International Arts Center in Columbia Story Contest, awarding $1,000 to the winner. Send County, New York, offers the Geraldine R. Dodge one previously unpublished story up to 10,000 words, Foundation Fellowship for a New fersey Writer. Each double-spaced, with a cover letter listing author's year one writer is awarded a two-month residency to name, contact information, and the work's title. The Ledig House, a writers'residency in the Hudson River title should appear on every page of the manuscript, Valley. For application materials and instructions, visit but omit all personal information. Include a $10 entry artomi.org, click on "Ledig House International fee. For full guidelines visit yemasseejournal.orglcon- Writers Residency," then scroll down to "Fellowships tests.html. Deadline: November 15, 2008. Yemassee, & Prizes." Deadline: November 30,2008. Ledig House

Authors Guild Butlet in E s r,rurr, 2oo8 Applications, New Jersey Writers'Fellowship, 55 Fifth her career, when monetary support is needed to com- Avenue, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10003. (21,2) 206- plete a book-length r.r'ork-in-progress. Eligible writers 6114; [email protected]. are those in financial need, who have published at least two novels for children or young adults that have The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, established in 1935, been warmly received by literary critics, but have not recognize books that have made important contribu- generated sufficient income to support the author. tions to our understanding of racism and our appreci- Nominations are made by an editor or fellow writer; ation of the diversity of human culture. Authors may to nominate an author, send a letter of support detail- submit books for consideration by sending five copies ing how the candidate meets the criteria, a list of the with a completed entry form, available online at candidate's published work along with copies of re- anisfield-wolf.orglSubmissions. Visit website for full views, three copies of an outline of the current novel guidelines, including eligible genres. Books must be in progress and 50-75 pages of text (picture books are written in English and published in preceding calen- not eligible), and a brief description of the candidate's dar year. Deadline: December 31, 2008. Laura S. recent earnings and. a statement about why monetary Scharf, c/o Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, 700 West St. support will make a difference in the applicant's writ- Clair Avenu e, #414, Cleveland, OH 44113. (276) 867- ing life right now. If the candidate is married or living 381 0; [email protected]. with a domestic partner, include a description of total Each year the PEN American Center provides the family income and expenses. Nominations are ac- PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship of cepted between September i, 2008 and January 15, $5,000 to an author of children's or young adult fiction 2009. PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship, whose work is of high literary caliber but has not yet PEN American Center,588 Broadway, Suite 303, New attracted a broad readership. The fellowship is de- York, NY 10012. (272) 334-1660, x108; awards@pen signed to assist a writer at a crucial moment in his or .org. * MEMBERS MAKE NEWS

The Society of Midland Authors held its 93rd annual Author's Guide to Planning Book Ettents. The awards banquet and awards presentation on May 13 in were announced in May at the Book Expo America Chicago. Midwest authors honored included Patricia conference in Los Angeles. Hampl, Adult Nonfiction winner, for The Florist's Daughter; Barbara Oakley, Adult Fiction finalist, for J. David Markham's book Inrperinl Clory: The Bulletins Eail Genes: Wry Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Failed and of Napoleon's Grnnde Armfu 1805-7814 was recently My Sister Stole My Mother's Boyfriend; and Marlene awarded the 2007 Count Las Cases Memorial Prize for Targ Brill, Children's Nonfiction finalist, for Marslurll Napoleonic Literature in English from the Instituto Napole6nico M6xico-Francia, the first time the award " Ma j or " Tarll or : W orl d Chnmp ion Bicrl clist, 1 I 99 -1901. has been given to an English-language book. The literary journal Crazyhorse awarded Miranda Beverly-Whittemore its annual fiction prize for her Tom Miller was designated "un Hu6sped Ilustre"-an story "Pertussis." She received $3,000 and publication illustrious guest-by the citv of Quito, Ecuador, dur- in Crazyhorse No. 74, due out in November. ing a conference May 28-29 on the late author Moritz Tlromsen, whom Miller wrote about inThe Panama Hst The Publishing Triangle, the association of lesbians Trnil. and gay men in publishing, awarded Peter Cameron with a Ferro-Grumley Award for LGBT Ficiion for The Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy presented Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You. The award is Lillian Morrison with the ]. Owen Grundy History funded and administered by the Ferro-Grumley Foun- Award for her 1967 volume of poetry, The'Ghosts of dation in memory of the novelists Robert Ferro and lersey City €t Other Poems. The award recognizes work Michael Grumley, and honors culture-driving fiction that chronicles ]ersey City history through a written or from LGBT points of view. The winners of the Publish- visual medium and was presented at the eighth an- ing Triangle's annual awards were announced at a cer- nual Preservation Awards ceremony on May 28 at the emony on April28 in New York. Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre in Jersey City. ForeWord Magazine awarded Carol Hoenig the 2007 Diana Kwiatkowski Rubin's poems "Swamp Vision" Gold award in the [books on] Writing category for The and "Waves at Wildwood Crest" *"." u*ong the win-

Atrtlrors Crtrld Brtllt'tttr Gl 5ur,r,r, 20rtd ners of the 14th annual Joyce lndik New ]ersey Word- The ambiguity over the definition of an e-book is smith Competition, sponsored by the Unlimited yet another reflection of how dynamic the publishing Potential Theater Company (UPTCo), part of VSA arts situation has become, although few seem to have a of New fersey. The winning poems were performed at handle on it. There's a lot yet to be decided or discov- the New fersey Readers'Theater. ered, with new possibilities shooting across the bow all the time. A lot of the distress over the state of the Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready Kindergarten, by for publishing industry has been about how it's not like it Joseph Slate, has been selected for the 2008 edition of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a program that used to be, with constant turnover in editorial depart- provides a free book each month to every child in ments and massive conglomerates running the show. Tennessee under the age of five. The Omaha Theater But maybe the case can be made that the industry Company, the third largest professional children's the- needs to be different from the old days in order to ef- ater company in the nation, is producing a musical fectively grasp innovation; perhaps/ as a member sug- based on the book, which will tour in 2009. gested to us in the Spring Bulletin, we should lay off the "geezer-talk" and embrace the new-without re- named Romantic Times magazine Janelle Williams jecting the old. i Taylor a Romance Pioneer in honor of her career as one of the genre's pioneers. She is the author of 50 books, including nine New York Times bestsellers, with more than 50 million copies of her books in print fames Michener gets a 59-cent worldwide. stamP The Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library Committee presented the 2007 June Franklin Naylor Award for the Best Book for Children on Texas History to Paul Robert Walker for Remember the Alamo: Texinns, Tejanos, and Mexicans TeIl Their Stories. The award was announced at the 117th Annual Convention of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas on May 16 in San Antonio. i

Slow Growth, Unease and a Glimmer of Digital Hope Author Michener is the latest American Continued page 13 James front writer to be honored with a postage stamp. Michener, the best-selling author of Tales from the such a shift could cause a catastrophic shrinking of Sotrth Pacific, which was based on his experience profits for the book industry. However, such fears may as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War be unfounded, as the negligible manuJacturing and II, and became the basis for the play and the distribution costs for e-books may more than compen- movie South Pacific, appears wearing a smile and sate for the reduced sale prices. \Mhile Nelson also ac- a lei on the face of a 59-cent stamp, the new First knowledges the threat of diminished profits if the ratio Class 2-oz. letter rate. Michener was one of the of e-book to real book prices holds, she draws ba& country's most prolific and successful authors. In from this "asteroid hits earth" scenario, suggesting a career that spanned half a century, he wrote sev- that the "e-worries . . . are way wrong just as there are eral dozen carefullv researched works of fiction certain books you would rather listen to than read and nonfiction, includin g Hawaii, Centennial, Ches- (and vice versa) and some movies you'll rush to the apeake and Alaska. He was also one of the most theater to see, there is room in the world for another generous. way to enjoy written narrative. Put it another way: The Authors League Fund was among his fa- there will always be books you can read in pixels, and vored causes. others you'll still want to read in the bathtub."

Authors Guild Bultatitt 3il Sr,*nrr, 2008 Srpporters of the Authors Guild Endowments We are grateful for the generous support of the Authors Legacy Society members and all those who con- tributed to the endowments of the Authors Guild and Authors Guild Foundation. These gifts help to en- sure that the Authors Guild and the Authors Guild Foundation will continue their work in behalf of writers for years to come.

Authors Legacy Society Stephanie Cohen Marilyn Sachs Diane Schultz Bryan Christopher Collier Kirkpatrick Sale Cail Lumet Buckley Professor Alan P. Akmakjiarr Zena Hampson Collier Mary Helen Samsot Kathleen Buford Robert B. Asprey Christine Conrad Meghan N. Sayres Andrevv Canale Eric and Barbara Carle J. Regina Cooley Josef Skvorecky Louis S. Cannon Anne Conover Carson Susan Cooper Richard Smith Patricia Carlson Bernadette Szost Neil Davidson Peter Davis Gladys Justin Carr Inga Dean N. Charles Deluca Christian Von Hassell Joan D. Carris Cerard Del Re Charles Dickinson Claudia Caruana Kate Walbert Iames Duffy Alston and Diana Chase Ella Ellis Elaine Williams Aaron Frankel Victor Chase Bari E. Wood T. R. Fehrenbach Andrew Clements Mrs. Shirley Clubok-Ta ma ri n Aaron Frankel Sandra Young Annemarie Colbin Bemice Grohskopf Nan Gefen Catherine Cornberg Sid Custafson Bernette Marita Colden Authors Guild Ralph and Mary Cotton Sussy Komala Noah Gordon Foundation Endowment Sandra Cuza Patricia Lauber Helen V. Griffith Irving Adler Richard Dannav Tom Lee Crace Grote Lisa Alther Peter Dans Elmore Leonard Kristin Hardy Jill Amadio Christopher Davis Gillian McCain Mildred Herschler Roger Angell Edith K. Davis Cloria Bley Miller Cheryl Holt John Ashberv Linda H. Davis Morton A. Mintz Robert Holt Robert Asprey Jennifer Dav P.M.H. Atwater Frank De Felitta Woodson Oglesby Susan lsaacs Joseph Jean and Ray Auel Alice Denham Caroline Janover Sheila Payne Jessica Auerbach Henry Denker Shirley Johnston Ivan Doig Sophie Rawls Natalie Babbitt Rochelle Kainer Linda Donn Mary Lyn Ray Anthony Bailey Melissa Kantor Arthur M. Dorros Frances Rickett Benjamin Barber Richard J. Kennedy Maxine I. Drury Karen Barr Virginia Smith Leonard Kessler Jim Durggins Jack Bass Barbara Lang Stern Joe Klaas Patrick Durantou Charlene Arur Baumbich Mary Walton Paul Kuttner Melody Beattie David Ehrenfeld Patricia Weenolsen, Ph.D. Gail Carson Levine Roger A. Beaumont Jane Eliot Robert L. Wells Sally Mandel Randi Beer Monroe Engel Stuart Woods Pierre Epstein Peter Matthiessen Jeanne Bendick Karen Spears Zachadas Richard Meryman Ann K. Beneduce John Farrell Frances A. Miller Constance Bemett Ellie Slott Fisher Authors Guild B. j. Mitchell Vivian Bernstein Sid Fleischman Endowrnent Craig Moodie Bill Birchard Thomas and Alice Fleming Robert Moskin Arur Birstein Charles B. Flood Joseph Allison John Alexandra Allred Katherine Neville Anderson and Sheila Black Lynne Foster Thomas Boettcher Geoffrey Fox Rosalind Avrett Doris Ober John Bohannon Paula Fox Susan Bean Victoria Oliver Paulina Borsook Patricia Fox-Sheinwold Thomas Bender Sondra Spatt Olsen Barbara Brenner Aaron Frankel Eustace R. Braithwaite Natalie Ray Ann Brophy Jeanne Fredericks Steve Cannon Johanna Reiss Richard Broughton Ruth Frost James C. Clark Barbara Robinson David Brown Dean Fuller Patrick CIay Joanna Stratton Roze Anthony Bruno Laura Furman

Atithors Gnild Br.illetinGL Su,n,rr, 2008 Lionel Carcia Bernard V. Leason Barbara Beasley Murphy Sue Shapiro Johanna Garfield Harding Lemay Thomas Murphy Cail Sheehy George P. Garrett Burgess Leonard Cary Robert Muschla Dan Sherman Peter Glassgold Elmore Leonard Gloria Nagy Eileen Bluestone Sherman Richard Gold Cene LePere Michael A. Neigoff Bud Shrake F. Gonzalez-Crussi John Lescroart M. Alexandra Nelson Alix Kates Shulman Noah Gordon Warren Leslie Rosemarie Nervelle Charles Silberman Henry Graff Herbert Levine Linda Nevins Edwin Silberstang Barbara Craymont James Levine Bruce Newling Rawley A. Silver Gael Greene Myron Levoy Robert Noah Seymour Simon Arnold Crobman David Levering Lewis Albert and Mary Nofi Hedrick L. Smith John Gruen Jethro K. Lieberman Flora M. Speer Sidney and Avodah K. Offit, Judy Cruen Laurie Lisle Stephanie Spinner M.D. Mary Rodgers Guettel Stuart Little John Spooner Robert S. Peter M. Curalnick Aimee Liu Ogilvie Nancy Gross Star Ruth Ohman A. R. Curney Laurence S. Lockridge Ina Starobin Alexis O'Neill Elizabeth Still ir"rger Guthman John Logue Joanna T. Steichen Judith Mara Cutman Lee S. Lorenz John Pagano Cail Stockwell Laurie Loughlin Ellen Pall Sidra Stone William Halstead Martin Low Curtis Pepper Patricia Stubis Signe Hamrner Peters Lowell Marge Perry Carol Svec Carolyn G. Hart Jax Peter Phinny Katherine Hatch Leon Tec Rob Mac Cregor George W. Potter, Brian Heinz Jr. Maury Terry J. Muriel Maddox Potter Ron Heiskell Jeffrey Amy Mclntosh and Mary Madigan Herbert Pryor Jeffrey Jane Heller Toobin Frank Maggio Samuel and Sally Pryor Joanna Hershon Eliot F. Tozer fanet Majerus Richard L. Purtill Daniel Hoffman Leonard Maltin Noah A. Trudeau Eva Hoffman Dawn Raffel Ann Martin Elizabeth M. Ungar Thomas Hughes Pamela Maver Andrew Reck Morris Renek Dan Wakefield Beverly Gillian McCain Iablons Doris Rich Anne Walther Kimberly Jones James P. McCollom Ann McCormick Judith Merkle Riley Joseph Wambaugh Dave Kahle Anne McCracken MaryRiskind Alan H. Weisman Arthur Kahn Philip McFarland Catherine Robbins Rebecca Wells Eleanor M. Kahn Ann McGovern Malcolm Ross-MacDonald Robert L. Wells Ellsworth Kalas J. Ellen K. McKenzie Abraham A. Rothberg Eugenia L. West Keeley Edmund Richard Mears John Rousmaniere Tekla White ]ohn Keller Betty Miles Sue T. Russell Peter Booth Wiley Thomas Kennedy Hans Wilhelm Andrea Wells Miller Anthonv Schneider Cynthia King and Delise Williams Frances A. Miller Mary Schoen Juan Louise W. King Vera B. Williams Gloria Bley Miller Gwen Schultz Francine Klagsbrun Sean Wilsey Patricia G. Miller Janet Schultz Suzy Kline Sarah Warren Moore Miller Hank Searls Wilson Mirka Knaster Marie MortonA. Mintz Harriet Segal Winn Jacqueline Kramer Stuart Woods t."O tltnrella Jerry Segal Frances KuJfel Ed Wright Kathleen Morris Joshua Segal Clenn Kurtz Andrew Wylie Suzanne Morris Ann G. Seidler Elinor Langer Cynthia Moss Marian Seldes Nancy Zaroulis Vincent Lardo Ira S. Mothner Lawrence Shainberg Albert Zuckerman

Atrtlnrs Guitti Bttlletin|El 5,,,r,r,0, 2008 THE AUTHORS GUILD,INC. Officers President: ROY BLOUNTJR. Vice President: IUDY BLUME Treasurer: PETER PETRE Secretary: PAT CUMMINGS Council

BARBARA TAYLOR BRADFORD JAMESGLEICK DOUGLAS PRESTON SUSAN CHEEVER oscAR HIIUELOS ROXANAROBINSON SUSANCHOI DANIELHOFFMAN JAMESSHAPIRO MARY HIGGINS CLARK MCHOLASLEMANN JEANSTROUSE MICHAELCRICFffON DAVTDLEVERING LEWIS PEG TYRE JAMES DUFFY JOHN R. MncARTHUR RACHELVAIL JENNIFER EGAN STEPHEN MANES SARAHVOWELL CLARISSA PINKOLA ESTES MICHELE MITCHELL NICHOLAS WEINSTOCK PETERGETHERS VICTORS. NAVASKY SHAYYOUNGBLOOD

Ex Officio Members of the Council ROGERANGELL . ROBERT A. CARO . ANNE EDWARDS . ERICAIONG ROBERT K. MASSIE . HERBERT MITGANG . SIDNEY OFFIT . MARY POPE OSBORNE LETTY COTTIN POGREBIN . NICK TAYLOR . SCOTT TUROW

Advisers to the Council SHIRLEY ANN GRAU: South FREDERIC MARTINI: West e FREDERIK POHL: Midwest

PAUL AIKEN, Executive Director JAN CONSTANTINE, Assistant Director and General Counsel MARTHA FAY. Bulletin Editor

The Authors Guild, the oldest and largest associatiott of published authors in the United States, zoork to protect and promote tlre professional interests of its members. The Guild's forerunner, The Authors Imgue of America, was founded in 1.912. The Authors League now seraes the joint interests of The Authors Guild and The Dranatists Guild.

The Authors Guild o 31 East 32nd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10016 (212) 563-5904 . fax:- (212)56+5363 o e-mail: staf{@authorsguild.org . wwwauthorsguild.org

glory I turned around and queried them with an arti- Letters cle idea. Lo and behold, they assigned me the article- on spec/ but with a $500 kill fee! Contintred from page 2 They turned down the piece for good reason: at the time I didn't know the first thing about writing a pro- fessional general-interest article. So I went back to the Jjust read the "Dear Sirs" quote by P.G. Wodehouse bottom, honing rny nonfiction craft with pieces for Iin the Spring 2008 Along Publishers Row section, to low-paying magazines that had generous teachers for wit: "Every author really wants to have letters printed editors. I worked my way slowly to the top, where I in the papers. Unable to make the grade, he drops sat for many years. down a rung of the ladder and writes novels." Perhaps if, as in Wodehouse's example, my letter I actually made the grade with a letter to Good had not been printed in Good Housekeeping, I'd have (the Housekeeping magazine first letter I'd ever sent become a novelist. Them's the breaks! to any publication) back in 1956 or so, when I was a novice editor in my first real job, with Screen Stories (aka -Judi K-Turkel Judi Kesselman-Turkel movie magazines at Dell Publishing Co. When GH and Judi Rosenthal) printed the letter without changing a word, flush with Madison. WI

Auttnrs Guild Bullctitt|El Surrr,r, 2008 Membership Application Mr./ Ms. Pseudonym(s) Address City State _ Zip

Phone ( ) Fax( ) E-mail

Agent Name Agency Agentphone( )

How did you become interested in joining the Guild? (check one) D Invitation tr Writing journal - tr Referred by tr Other What is your primary reason for joining? O Support and advocacy efforts D Legal services D Health insurance D Site-builder and other \A/eb services B Other Writers may qualify on the basis of being book authors or freelance joumalists. Book authors must have been published by an es- tablished American publisher. A writer who has a contract with an established publisher for a work not yet published may joil as an associate member. A contract utith a aanity press does not qualifu a writer for nrcmbersltip in the Guild. Freelance journalists must have published three works, fiction or nonfiction, in a periodical of general circulation within the last eighteen months. Book(s) Title Publisher Year Field/Cenre

Freelance articles Title Publisher Mo./Year Subject

Please enclose a check for your first year's dues in the amount of $90 payable to "The Authors Cuild" Mail to: or charge your Visa or Mastercard' Account # The Authors Guild 31 East 32nd street, zth Fl. Signature Expiration Date _ / _ Arnount: $90 New York, N.Y. 10016

Bullctin, Summer 2008 -

L .E aN: 3 d8 u6- 2tZ ;fi#Erq I .?;XJfi: trEZ-0J