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 ]
The antitrust trial to block the merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster has riveted the industry—and raised larger questions about the business of books. Continue reading at New Yorker
[ New Yorker | 2022-08-16 16:22:22 UTC ]
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As the Department of Justice’s case against the proposed acquisition of Simon & Schuster by Penguin Random House entered its third week, the defense called PRH US CEO Madeline McIntosh, plus merger and acquisition executives from ViacomCBS and PRH, to the stand to discuss why approval of the... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Madeline McIntosh argued that the publishing industry extends far beyond its biggest players, and that the government has focused on a tiny sliver of deals. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-08-15 22:30:20 UTC ]
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As Salman Rushdie struggles with his injuries, the world publishing industry demands protection for the freedom to publish. The post Rushdie Attack: IPA Calls for ‘Redoubling Our Commitment’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-08-15 14:59:48 UTC ]
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Half Price Books, a Texas-based company, has firmly established itself as the nation’s third-largest bookstore chain with 121 stores. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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As attorneys for Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster took their turn to defend PRH's purchase of S&S, William Morris Endeavor's Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, Gallery publisher Jennifer Bergstrom, and Norton's John Glusman found themselves in the witness chair. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The just-concluded New Voices New Rooms joint virtual gathering of the New Atlantic and Southern Independent Booksellers Associations delved into such issues as book banning, de-escalating confrontations, and ways to generate additional revenue. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Justice Department’s legal effort to block the merger of book publishing giants Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster is more than just a showcase for the Biden administration’s tougher approach to corporate consolidation Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2022-08-06 14:26:56 UTC ]
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In roughly five hours of testimony on Thursday, Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle jousted with government lawyers over PRH's market share, his commitment to allow PRH and S&S editors to bid on the same books if the merger is completed, and other issues tied to what the impact of a... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Stephen King testified for the government today, arguing that writers will be harmed if Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster merge. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-08-02 22:41:59 UTC ]
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The justice department is seeking to block the $2.2bn merger between Penguin Random House and Simon & SchusterThe government and publishing titan Penguin Random House exchanged opening salvos in a federal antitrust trial Monday as the US seeks to block the biggest US book publisher from... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-08-01 16:24:36 UTC ]
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The U.S. government and publishing titan Penguin Random House are set to exchange opening salvos in a federal antitrust trial Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2022-08-01 13:37:10 UTC ]
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Yep, you guessed it: “Barefoot Bookseller,” the greatest job in the literary world, is once again accepting applications. Would you like to run a bookstore on a desert island in the Maldives for a year? What if I told you that you weren’t allowed to wear shoes . . . or read the news? I […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-08-01 13:04:38 UTC ]
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Robert Scudellari, who served as corporate art director at Random House in the 1970s and '80s, died on June 3. He was 88. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Biden administration is suing to block Penguin Random House from buying Simon & Schuster. A United States District Court will decide if the sale can proceed. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-07-31 11:19:44 UTC ]
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Noir has long been obsessed with books—books as objects, as evidence, as repositories of the past, and occasionally as glimpses into other worlds of possibility. It’s no wonder, then, that booksellers often turn up in fiction, and especially in mystery. There’s something intoxicating about the... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2022-07-29 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Have you wondered what concrete measures publishing houses are taking to combat censorship? Read n to find out. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-07-27 10:34:00 UTC ]
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In one of the biggest antitrust showdowns of President Biden’s tenure, the Justice Department is pulling out the big guns to stop a mega-publishing merger. The Justice Department’s ambitious bid to stop Penguin Random House from buying rival publisher Simon & Schuster has started taking on... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2022-07-25 16:10:21 UTC ]
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Many people may have forgotten that before it became a tech and ecommerce behemoth, Amazon started as an online bookseller in 1994. Nearly three decades later, Amazon is celebrating the roots of its business with a major campaign for its books division. The goal of the campaign, titled "That... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2022-07-25 13:00:00 UTC ]
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With oral arguments set to begin on August 1, the closely watched case holds major implications for a publishing industry grappling with consolidation and for government regulators facing growing calls for more vigilant antitrust enforcement. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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