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 ]
A hedge fund wants to buy the bookstore chain for $683 million, including debt. Will the deal work? Experts from Wharton and elsewhere share their insights. Continue reading at Knowledge@Wharton
[ Knowledge@Wharton | 2019-06-18 18:09:27 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House is set to acquire the book publishing assets of F+W Media following the media company’s bankruptcy, with the effects on F+W's UK division unclear. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-06-17 19:21:17 UTC ]
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Special interest magazine publisher F+W Media is due back in Delaware bankruptcy court Monday afternoon, where the company is expected to present the winning bidders emerging from an auction of its remaining media assets, the latest step in a process that began when the company filed for... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2019-06-17 16:16:56 UTC ]
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Julia Neuberger to analyse Pedro Baños’s How They Rule the World, which includes passages about the Rothschild familyPenguin Random House has asked Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger to independently review one of its books, Pedro Baños’s How They Rule the World, after allegations of antisemitism... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-06-17 12:44:17 UTC ]
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Independent Bookshop Week is in full swing with events up and down the country as Booksellers Association research reveals 82% of indie booksellers had a different career prior to owning or working in their bookshop. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-06-17 02:50:48 UTC ]
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Miriam Robinson, programmer for The Bookseller's Marketing & Publicity Conference 2019, shares what to expect from the day. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-06-16 23:44:09 UTC ]
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Speakers at The Bookseller's Marketing and Publicity Conference 2019 share how they maintain work-life balance and keep themselves sane when the pressure gets high. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-06-16 18:11:22 UTC ]
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Pittsburgh, a city known for its three rivers, has been gaining recognition for its growing number of independent bookstores. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Among the stories making news this week: veteran bookseller and library advocate Tim Coates releases a reader-focused survey; more drama over Drag Queen Storytimes; and what to expect from all the talk of antitrust action in the tech sector. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Booksellers weigh in on the controversial issue of publishers postponing and pulling books in response to criticism. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Close to 70 children’s book creators will be in Pittsburgh to meet with booksellers at educational sessions, signings, and receptions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The building that's home to the famous Strand Bookstore in the East Village was designated a city landmark Tuesday despite warnings from the property's and store's owner that the status could... To view the full story, click the title link. Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2019-06-12 12:57:30 UTC ]
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The pilot killed when his helicopter of a Midtown skyscraper in rain and fog radioed that he was lost and trying to get back to the heliport but couldn't find it, an official briefed on the... To view the full story, click the title link. Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2019-06-12 11:09:48 UTC ]
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TaleFlick, a company that fosters relationships between Hollywood and the publishing world, has just launched “The Marketplace,” an online platform where producers, publishers, agents, and writers can connect. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to landmark 826 Broadway, the building that houses the Strand Bookstore—a decision the owner says will be costly to the store. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The publisher of the two top-selling magazines on American newsstands has initiated a process aimed at exploring alternatives outside of the traditional magazine-retail supply chain, which has become dominated by two major wholesalers following years of decline and consolidation. Bauer Media... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2019-06-11 20:01:50 UTC ]
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Publisher’s review of How They Rule the World, accused of prejudice in its coverage of the Rothschilds, finds book ‘robust’ but not antisemiticPenguin has undertaken a “thorough” review of one of its books, Spanish colonel Pedro Baños’s How They Rule the World, after allegations of antisemitism... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-06-11 13:01:12 UTC ]
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MVB US is offering a special promotion to independent booksellers who want to take advantage of the company's Pubeasy and Pubnet services for direct ordering and communication with publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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After several years of conservative views toward licensing in the publishing world, the pendulum seems to be swinging back toward a more expansive outlook. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-07 04:00:00 UTC ]
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“I’ve written 58 books and J.J. always reads them first,” says Chris Grabenstein, who refers to his wife, J.J., as his “secret weapon.” That will change this fall when J.J.’s name appears alongside his on their debut middle grade novel, 'Shine!' (Random House, Nov.). Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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