Cultural Cross Sections Elena Poniatowska In this column that originally appeared in La Jornada, Elena Poniatowska considers the role of editors and talks with Diego Rabasa, founder of publisher Sexto Piso. Already precarious, the pandemic lockdown has made the plight of independent publishers and bookstores in Mexico in light of Covid-19 even more acute. To be an editor is to answer the call of the gods. It’s a vocation, a ministry, an immense privilege, to enter the Olympus of literature. To be an editor is to pick those who have talent and launch them. To be a publisher is to foretell: this one will make it. It’s also to disappoint and reject. I recall the Dutch printer Alexander Stolz in Mexico holding out to me his exquisite edition of Benjamin Constant’s Adolphe, as if it were a diamond, at the Fondo de Cultura Económica, and the paternal care that Arnaldo Orfila Reynal took with the anguished palavering of Fernando del Paso. To be an editor is to be a psychologist and to be bewildered as to how to treat each creature-author. Vicente Rojo was my editor, and we have loved each other deeply since, but I never gave him trouble. What must that genius from Pachuca named Yuri Herrera be like? What’s his soft spot? I have to handle Carlos Montemayor with kid gloves because he’s unpredictable. Federico Alvarez, director of the FCE in Spain, told me that seeing Elena Garro and Helena Paz enter the FCE in Madrid was like falling into... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2020-06-03 21:05:48 UTC ]
Science takes on one of the most important questions of the ages.A Kindle and iPad are great for conveniently porting your entire bookshelf in your purse. But for the majority of Americans who view the independent bookstore as a haven and who get grumpy at the idea of not feeling the physical... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Amazon-Hachette dispute is a lot more nuanced than has been portrayed in much of the coverage. The retailing giant has its (sometimes anonymous) defenders in the publishing industry, and Hachette has its critics. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Roger Tagholm bids a poetic adieu to Random House's iconic colophon, which has been replaced by a new text-based 'global identity.' Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After finishing his first novel, The Expats, Chris Pavone decided he wanted to place his next thriller, The Accident (Crown, Mar.), in the publishing industry. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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You couldn’t find a more optimistic person than David Caron, owner and co-publisher of ECW Press, when it comes to the future of the publishing industry, and he is very proud of the company he’s been with for 10 years. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The author and activist Maya Angelou, who died at her home in North Carolina, is best known for her 1969 autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" (Random House). Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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You could have heard about the “poor man’s copyright” anywhere: from an older relative, from a friend, from a high school English teacher. They find out that you’ve been working on a novel and they want to help, so they tell you to mail it to yourself once it’s done. That way, even if you don’t... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2014-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House is publishing another backlist title, Trilobites & Other Stories by Breece D... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House's food blog and online cooking community, TasteBook, has added a new bookstore called The BookShop. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A late addition to the hot books at the London Book Fair is a debut novel called "Hausfrau" that Random House's David Ebershoff preempted world rights to on Friday. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Commenting on the merger of Random House and Penguin, Thomas Rabe, CEO of RH parent company Bertelsmann, wrote in the company’s annual report that the “formation of Penguin Random House is the best possible path to new growth in the book industry—and to new growth for Bertelsmann.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ukraine's new government is considering withdrawing support for the publishing industry and eliminating tax and other benefits for publishers to save cash. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House is going after film buffs. The publisher's Vintage Books imprint has created Vintage Movie Classics to release backlist books that served as the basis for iconic films. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A snapshot of STM publishing in India, which represents 84% of the publishing industry's profits in the country, from this February's GLOBALOCAL conference. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House Business Books is to publish a book by former US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Of all the ways to enjoy a book, minds wander most when we're listening to someone else read it.With so much focus in the publishing world on ebooks, you might have missed the recent explosion in the popularity of audio books. They've become a billion-dollar industry with huge annual sales... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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2 years ago it was "nice to have" a mobile strategy for large and medium-sized companies. But today the reality is that a mobile strategy is a must-have for all businesses of all sizes. And the publishing industry is no exception. Toda ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'39 Clues' author Patrick Carman says he knows Amazon is a convenient option, but suggests buying a book from an independent bookstore each time you buy from Amazon. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Much like last year, in 2014 the publishing world will continue to navigate change as the digital world absorbs print editions and dilutes subscription fees. In this ever-changing cyber landscape, one thing is for certain: publishers must identify ne ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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CEO Marissa Mayer wants her company to copy the publishing industry for its "elegant" designs, "distinctive voice," and of course, our CPMs.In an overtly flashy keynote address to the packed CES crowd yesterday, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer presented the company's vertical move into online magazines.... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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