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 ]
Zoey Dixon, named a Bookseller Rising Star in 2020, has been a leading light in making libraries more accessible, both before and during Covid, in her development role at Lambeth Libraries. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-03 01:24:28 UTC ]
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Former publisher and bookseller John Hitchin died in August, aged 88. He is remembered by Tim Godfray and Dotti Irving. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-02 19:38:30 UTC ]
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Aaliya's Books, a much-loved Beirut bookstore named for a character in a Rabih Alameddine novel, has lost the battle to stay open—for now. The post Aaliya’s Books Closes Amid Beirut’s Economic and Political Crisis appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-09-02 09:25:02 UTC ]
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Founded in October 2009 by Rebecca Fitting and Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, Greenlight Bookstore is an independent bookstore in Brooklyn, New York. Combining the best traditions of the neighborhood bookstore with carefully curated, community-minded events, Greenlight has earned a reputation as a... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-09-02 08:53:12 UTC ]
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Booming audiobook sales and strong performances in some of its largest markets boosted profits up 55.1% at Penguin Random House in the first six months of 2021. Revenue rose 10.9%, to €1.80 billion. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House US has paid tribute to 36-year-old vice-president Erika Seyfried, who died over the weekend. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-30 18:31:43 UTC ]
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This morning, in a press release, Sarah McNally of McNally Jackson announced the launch of McNally Editions, a new paperback reprint series “devoted to hidden gems.” “As any bookseller knows, recommending books is the most rewarding part of our job—especially when you get to take the reader off... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-08-26 14:41:45 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House surprised booksellers yesterday with the announcement that Amanda Gorman's forthcoming volume 'Call Us What We Carry' would be double the anticipated length, and that the price will be raised by $5. PRH said it will “honor the original price for all customers who pre-ordered... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-08-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House will require staff to wear masks “at all times and in all areas, including inside offices” in the US, but the firm's UK employees will follow a different policy. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-25 05:32:23 UTC ]
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Between CEO Elon Musk's often erratic antics, strident competition from existing industry titans, and a public that is still not fully sold on the idea of traveling via electrical charge, Tesla's road to prominence has not been a smooth one. But facing a federal investigation into its driver... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-08-21 15:00:52 UTC ]
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Big news for booksellers, or even aspiring booksellers: The Times Union has reported that Owl Pen Books, a bookstore nestled in the hills of Washington County, is for sale, along with its 40,000 titles. As perhaps hinted by its location, it’s not just any bookstore: it’s a remodeled hog pen and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-08-20 17:01:40 UTC ]
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Jack Covert, founder of the business book bookseller and distributor Porchlight Book Company (originally known as 800-CEO READ), died on August 13. He was 77. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-08-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookstore sales skyrocketed 811% in June over a year ago, and finished the first half of 2021 with a 30% increase over the first six months of 2020. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-08-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A total of 39 employees at two locations of Greenlight Bookstore and one location of Yours Truly, Brooklyn, a stationery store, all located in Brooklyn, N.Y., have voted to join the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-08-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Industry Notes: In Mexico, seven independent publishers form an alliance, and Spain's Liber program honors the 100-year-old Balmes bookstore. The post Industry Notes: Guadalajara Publishers and Bookstore Honors in Barcelona appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-08-13 20:06:29 UTC ]
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The country music superstar has teamed up with the novelist James Patterson to write Run, Rose, Run, which will be published in MarchFirst globally successful entertainer, then heroic sponsor of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine, and now novelist … Dolly Parton seems determined to prove that there... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-08-11 16:27:28 UTC ]
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How do you make a book about bookstores even better? With a little romance, of course! Prepare to swoon over these bookstore romances, including Meet Cute Club by Jack Harbon. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-08-11 10:36:00 UTC ]
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A “kitchen anthropologist,” he created a mecca in Manhattan for chefs, writers, scholars, everyday cooks and anyone else who is, well, hungry for culinary knowledge. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-08-08 00:23:01 UTC ]
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After working a used bookstore for many years, I picked up some strange habits that I just can't seem to shake. Here are 5 of them. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-08-06 10:33:00 UTC ]
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Before Covid, A Good Used Book was a pop-up bookshop thriving across L.A. It's back to physical business this month — at the end of a long, hard road. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-08-05 13:00:28 UTC ]
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