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☆ Memoir by Trump’s Nephew Will Shed Light Into ‘Darker Corner’ of Family
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Elizabeth A. Harris | Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fred C. Trump III, the nephew of former President Donald J. Trump and the older brother of Mary Trump, will publish a memoir about the Trump family, according to his publisher, Simon & Schuster. The memoir, titled “All in the Family: The Trumps and How We Got This Way,” is set to come out on July 30 from Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster — just a few months before the 2024 presidential election, in which former President Trump is running as the presumptive Republican nominee against President Joe Biden. Gallery described the memoir as a “candid and revealing” account of what it was like to grow up in the Trump family, and noted that the book will include “never-before-told stories” that shed “a light into the darker corner of the Trump empire.” The publisher also stated that Mr. Trump was motivated to tell his family’s story because of the upcoming election, and suggested that his book could “shape the decision of a nation.” It was not clear to what extent “All in the Family” would focus on former President Trump, or in what light. Gallery declined to share more information about the book beyond a brief description.

Persons: Fred C, Donald J, Trump, Mary Trump, Simon, Schuster, Simon & Schuster —, Joe Biden, “ Organizations: Trump III, Books, Simon &, Republican

☆ Costco Plans to Stop Selling Books Year-Round
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Elizabeth A. Harris | Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a blow to publishers and authors, Costco plans to stop selling books regularly at stores around the United States, four publishing executives who had been informed of the warehouse retailer’s plans said on Wednesday. Beginning in January 2025, the company will stop stocking books regularly, and will instead sell them only during the holiday shopping period, from September through December. Costco’s shift away from books came largely because of the labor required to stock books, the executives said. Copies have to be laid out by hand, rather than just rolled out on a pallet as other products often are at Costco. The constant turnaround of books — new ones come out every Tuesday and the ones that have not sold need to be returned — also created more work.

Persons: — Organizations: Costco Locations: United States

☆ Penguin Random House Dismisses Two of Its Top Publishers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Alexandra Alter | Elizabeth A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In a significant shake up, Penguin Random House, the largest publishing house in the United States, announced on Monday that the publishers of two of its most prestigious literary imprints had been let go. The departure of Reagan Arthur, the publisher of Alfred A. Knopf, and Lisa Lucas, the publisher of Pantheon and Schocken, likely came as a surprise to many in the company — including, it seemed, to Lucas. Lucas posted on X, formerly called Twitter, that she had learned of her dismissal at 9:30 a.m. on Monday morning. “I have some regrets about spending the weekend working,” she wrote. In a memo to employees, Maya Mavjee, the president and publisher of Knopf Doubleday, acknowledged the news would likely be unsettling to many, but noted that restructuring the imprints was “necessary for our future growth.”

Persons: Reagan Arthur, Alfred A ., Lisa Lucas, Lucas, “, ”, Maya Mavjee Organizations: Penguin Random, Alfred A . Knopf, Pantheon, Schocken, Knopf Doubleday Locations: United States

☆ Colson Whitehead Cancels His Commencement Speech at UMass Amherst
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Elizabeth A. Harris | More About Elizabeth A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead said Thursday that he would not give the commencement address at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on May 18 as planned, citing the administration’s decision to call the police on campus protesters. “I was looking forward to speaking next week at UMass Amherst,” Mr. Whitehead wrote on the social network Bluesky. I have to withdraw as your commencement speaker. The school said that the ceremony would proceed without a commencement speaker. “We respect Mr. Whitehead’s position and regret that he will not be addressing the Class of 2024,” Ed Blaguszewski, a spokesman for the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said in a statement.

Persons: Colson Whitehead, “, ” Mr, Whitehead, ” Michael Goldsmith, Ed Blaguszewski Organizations: University of Massachusetts Amherst, UMass Amherst

☆ His Novel Sold a Million Copies. James McBride Isn’t Sure How He Feels About That.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Elizabeth A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When people ask the author James McBride what he does for work, he tells them he’s a saxophone player. But McBride, 66, makes his living as an author — and right now, that living is very good. His latest novel, “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store,” which follows the Black and Jewish residents of a Pennsylvania town in the early 20th century, hit a milestone: Since its release last summer, it has sold more than a million copies. His novel “The Good Lord Bird” won the National Book Award. Eventually, it sold more than 2 million copies.

Persons: James McBride, he’s, McBride, —, Bird ”, “ Deacon King Kong ”, Ruth Organizations: New York Times Locations: Brooklyn, New Jersey, Pennsylvania

☆ Publishing Pledged to Diversify. Change Has Been Slow.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Alexandra Alter | Elizabeth A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

More than three years after nationwide protests over racial inequality led publishers to promise they would reshape their overwhelmingly white industry, a survey showed they made little progress toward creating a more diverse publishing work force. White workers made up 72.5 percent of the book business in 2023, according to a new report from the publishing house Lee & Low. That marks a slight decrease from 2019, when the survey found that white people accounted for 76 percent of publishing industry employees. These changes are hardly the transformation many hoped for, and are likely to ignite debate about whether publishing companies have faltered in their pledge to prioritize racial diversity. The slow pace of progress reflects what many in the book world say are entrenched structural and cultural problems.

Persons: Lee

☆ The Barefoot Memoirist: Ina Garten Takes Her Story to a New Publisher
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Alexandra Alter | Elizabeth A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2019, the celebrity chef Ina Garten set off a flurry of excitement among her millions of fans: Garten, a Food Network star, best-selling cookbook author and social media sensation, was writing a memoir. The publisher behind the book, Celadon, celebrated the acquisition of what was sure to be a best seller in a news release. “Ina Garten is beloved by all, a national treasure who has become iconic beyond the food world,” Deb Futter, now the president and publisher of Celadon Books, an imprint of Macmillan, said in the release. One crucial detail was missing: The book was no longer coming from Macmillan. Instead, it will be published by Crown, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Persons: Ina Garten, “ Ina Garten, ” Deb Futter, “, Garten Organizations: Food Network, Celadon, Macmillan, Crown, Penguin Random

☆ What Drives Kaveh Akbar? The Responsibility of Survival
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Elizabeth A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When Kaveh Akbar was drinking, he would regularly wake up to find new bruises or gashes on his body, or to find that he’d lost his glasses, his wallet or his car. When he opened his eyes, he might find himself in an alley instead of in his apartment. Once, he got out of bed and realized he couldn’t walk. There was nothing in his life at the time, he said, to indicate it would turn out terribly well. “Eleven years ago, I was pissing the bed,” he said.

Persons: Kaveh Akbar, he’d, Knopf, ” Organizations: University of Iowa

The National Book Award ceremony took a political turn on Wednesday night, as the event concluded with a joint statement from a group of writers who called for a cease-fire in Gaza. For the final award of the night, Justin Torres received the fiction prize for “Blackouts,” his widely acclaimed, genre-defying novel about erasure and queer history. As Torres gave his speech, more than a dozen other nominees from different categories joined him on the stage. They stood behind Aaliyah Bilal, a finalist in the fiction category for her short story collection “Temple Folk,” as she read the statement. “On behalf of the finalists, we oppose the ongoing bombardment of Gaza and call for a humanitarian cease-fire to address the urgent humanitarian needs of Palestinian civilians, particularly children,” Bilal said.

Persons: Justin Torres, Torres, Aaliyah Bilal, ” Bilal, “, LeVar Burton, ” Burton Locations: Gaza

☆ Read With Jenna, Who Writes With Barbara
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Elizabeth A. Harris | More About Elizabeth A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Where did the idea for this book come from? BUSH: We have written three books before, and they’ve all centered around sisterhood, because we’re twins and don’t know life any other way. HAGER: On our book tours, we hear what people have to say, and it informs what is missing from what we’ve previously written. BUSH: We go on long walks so we can talk, flesh out the idea, come up with the narrative arc. HAGER: By the time we put it on paper, it’s not as long of a process.

Persons: ’, ? HAGER, BUSH, HAGER, I’m, ’ HAGER, ‘

The Authors Guild lawsuit is the latest in a series brought by writers against OpenAI. “It knew everything, and that’s when I got a bad feeling.”A representative for OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Since OpenAI introduced ChatGPT in November, authors, publishers and retailers have been trying to rein in the rampant and increasingly disruptive incursion of A.I. Amazon has taken steps to monitor and curb the influx of A.I.-generated books. to its customers, but it may do so in the future, according to an Amazon representative.

Persons: David Baldacci, Jodi Picoult, George R.R, Martin, George Saunders, Michael Connelly, Douglas Preston, ChatGPT, “, ‘, ”, OpenAI Organizations: OpenAI, York Mycological Society Locations: A.I

☆ How Lauren Groff, One of ‘Our Finest Living Writers,’ Does Her Work
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Elizabeth A. Harris | More About Elizabeth A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“She’s got a lot of restless energy, she’s got a lot of motivation,” he said. “For her, writing has been a great outlet, and so have athletic pursuits.”Groff and her family remain close. She’d relocate, she said, only if she could travel as needed — for writers’ retreats, for book tours — and if Kallman agreed to reassess periodically. Groff and Kallman wake up together, they said, but the morning is not a time to chat. “I get so mad at him if he tries to talk to me,” Groff joked about her husband.

Persons: “ She’s, she’s, ”, “, ” Groff, Kallman, ’, Groff, She’d Organizations: University of Florida Locations: Gainesville, New Hampshire, Florida

☆ What Alex Jones, Woody Allen and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Share
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Elizabeth A. Harris | More About Elizabeth A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Skyhorse Publishing is not a large company, but it has an outsize reputation for taking on authors that others avoid. Mr. Lyons is a chairman of a super PAC supporting Mr. Kennedy. Mr. Lyons casts his support for Mr. Kennedy as an extension of his mission as publisher: to defend against what he considers censorship. “Bobby Kennedy says this line now and then,” Mr. Lyons said. Skyhorse’s titles range from anodyne cooking and gardening books to works that court controversy or promote theories that have been debunked.

Persons: Alex Jones, Tony Lyons, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Lyons, Kennedy, Skyhorse, “ Bobby Kennedy, ” Mr Organizations: Skyhorse

Paramount said on Monday it had reached a deal to sell Simon & Schuster, one of the biggest and most prestigious publishing houses in the United States, to the private-equity firm KKR, in a major changing of the guard in the books business. The deal, for $1.62 billion, will put control of the cultural touchstone behind authors like Stephen King and Bob Woodward in the hands of a financial buyer with an expanding presence in the publishing industry. While private equity investors have had a significant footprint in the book business — different firms have owned literary agencies, publishing houses and the retailer Barnes & Noble — the acquisition of one of the largest publishers in the country vastly increases the hold of financial interests in the business. Richard Sarnoff, who leads KKR’s media, entertainment and technology group, is a familiar name to many in the publishing industry and his involvement is encouraging, said several publishing executives on Monday. Mr. Sarnoff has held multiple positions at Bertelsmann, the company that owns Penguin Random House, and served as chairman of the Association of American Publishers, a trade group.

Persons: Simon, Schuster, Stephen King, Bob Woodward, Noble, Richard Sarnoff, Sarnoff Organizations: Paramount, KKR, Barnes, Bertelsmann, Random, Association of American Publishers Locations: United States

Paramount is preparing to announce an agreement to sell Simon & Schuster, one of the country’s top publishers, to KKR, a private-equity firm, marking the end of a yearslong attempt to sell the publishing house. The deal, which values Simon & Schuster at roughly $1.62 billion, could be announced as soon as Monday, according to three people familiar with the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity on Sunday to discuss a confidential process. The deal has the potential to reshape book publishing, an industry in which Simon & Schuster is one of the most significant players in the country. Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS) put Simon & Schuster up for sale in 2020. About nine months later, it announced a deal to sell the company to Penguin Random House for $2.18 billion.

Persons: Simon, Schuster Organizations: Paramount, KKR, Penguin Random, & $

They eat lunch together around a communal table in the center of the room, and have become friends. “It’s that very simple model,” Salati said, whispering to avoid disturbing his studio mates. In an earlier version, Salati said, Hot Dog ran away, but Watkins questioned the plot twist. “What kind of dog does that?” Salati remembered him saying. That conversation helped Salati make the book more about the relationship between Hot Dog and his person, a lady with a floppy hat and big glasses, rather than just about the dachshund himself.

Persons: “, ” Salati, Watkins, Salati Locations: New York City

The sale of Simon & Schuster appears to be nearing a suspenseful conclusion, like the final chapter of a page-turner from one of the country’s largest and most prestigious publishing houses. Second-round bids for Simon & Schuster — which publishes boldface names like Stephen King — were due earlier this week, according to three people familiar with the negotiations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the confidential sale process. The sale process is expected to conclude in the coming weeks, the people said. A sale would put an end to years of uncertainty for Simon & Schuster, which is owned by Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS) and was initially put up for sale in early 2020. How much suitors for Simon & Schuster were willing to pay couldn’t be determined.

Persons: Simon, Simon & Schuster, Stephen King —, couldn’t Organizations: Simon &, KKR, News Corp, HarperCollins, Paramount, Penguin Random, Department of Justice

Only three months into Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s first Supreme Court term, she announced a book deal negotiated by the same powerhouse lawyer who represented the Obamas and James Patterson. The deal was worth about $3 million, according to people familiar with the agreement, and made Justice Jackson the latest Supreme Court justice to parlay her fame into a big book contract. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch had made $650,000 for a book of essays and personal reflections on the role of judges, while Justice Amy Coney Barrett received a $2 million advance for her forthcoming book about keeping personal feelings out of judicial rulings. Those newer justices joined two of their more senior colleagues, Justices Clarence Thomas and Sonia Sotomayor, in securing payments that eclipse their government salaries. In recent months reports by ProPublica, The New York Times and others have highlighted a lack of transparency at the Supreme Court, as well as the absence of a binding ethics code for the justices.

Persons: Ketanji Brown Jackson’s, James Patterson, Jackson, Neil M, Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, ProPublica, Thomas’s, Justice Samuel A, Alito Jr, John G, Roberts Organizations: The New York Times, Supreme, Republican Locations: The

In the past two years, book bans have surged in the United States, driven by conservative activists who have targeted books about race and racism or L.G.B.T.Q. While the fight has largely centered on books that are available in school classrooms and libraries, the legislation in Texas has drawn booksellers directly into the conflict. “Some school libraries have books with sexually explicit and vulgar materials,” he said during the bill signing session. But the plaintiffs said that the Texas law would take decisions out of the hands of schools and parents and put the burden on vendors instead. The law’s opponents also argue the legislation will increase the number of book bans in Texas, which already leads the country in removing books from schools, according to an analysis by the free speech organization PEN America.

Persons: Greg Abbott, ”, “ Organizations: PEN America Locations: United States, Texas

☆ TikTok Sells A Lot of Books. Now, Its Owner Wants to Publish Them, Too.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Elizabeth A. Harris | Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Many of TikTok’s users — more than 150 million in the United States alone — are interested in books. In the past year, videos with the #BookTok hashtag have been viewed more than 91 billion times, up from nearly 60 billion views the year before, according to the company. Posts tagged #ColleenHoover have been viewed more than 4.2 billion times, and her books have sold more than 24 million copies. “To say it’s hugely important is an understatement at this point,” said Bess Braswell, a senior publishing director at Harlequin. According to the description, it would create an ecosystem where people could find, buy, read, review and discuss books.

Persons: — Colleen Hoover, Circana, “, ”, Bess Braswell, ByteDance Organizations: Harlequin, Press Locations: United States

☆ Group Challenges Arkansas Law That Would Criminalize Access to Some Books
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Elizabeth A. Harris | Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A new state law in Arkansas that could send librarians and booksellers to prison was challenged on Friday in a federal lawsuit filed by libraries, independent bookstores and publishers who said the legislation was unconstitutional. The suit comes as states and counties around the country are increasingly restricting the availability of certain kinds of books, and as those who oppose such regulations are finding more ways to push back. The complaint, which was filed in the United States District Court for the western District of Arkansas, said the law “forces bookstores and libraries to self-censor in a way that is antithetical to their core purposes.”The Arkansas law, which is scheduled to go into effect in August, requires any material that might be “harmful” to minors, including books, magazines and movies, to be shelved in a separate, “adults only” area.

Organizations: United States, Court, of Locations: Arkansas, of Arkansas

☆ Asked to Delete References to Racism From Her Book, an Author Refused
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Alexandra Alter | Elizabeth A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The book, called “Love in the Library,” is aimed at six- to nine-year-olds. Published last year by a small children’s publisher, Candlewick Press, it drew glowing reviews, but sales were modest. So Tokuda-Hall was thrilled when Scholastic, a publishing giant that distributes books and resources in 90 percent of schools, said last month it wanted to license her book for use in classrooms. Scholastic wanted her to delete references to racism in America from her author’s note, in which she addresses readers directly. Tokuda-Hall’s revelations sparked an outcry among children’s book authors and brought intense scrutiny to the editorial process of the world’s largest children’s publisher.

☆ Colorful Stories for Children, With the Darkest History as Backdrop
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Claire Moses | Elizabeth A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM — During World War II, a clutch of whimsical children’s books were published in the Netherlands under a pen name, El Pintor. One book shows children flying on the backs of sparrows. The books did more than entertain children during the grim days of war. Behind the pseudonym El Pintor was a Jewish couple, Galinka Ehrenfest and Jacob Kloot. They did so at great risk, said Linda Horn, who wrote a book published in the Netherlands about Ehrenfest’s life.

☆ Dawn Davis Resigns as Bon Appétit Editor to Rejoin Simon & Schuster
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Julia Moskin | Elizabeth A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dawn Davis, a veteran book editor who was hired in 2020 to put Bon Appétit magazine back on track after mass resignations and allegations of racism at its parent company, Condé Nast, resigned on Tuesday. She will return to Simon & Schuster as the publisher of 37 Ink, an imprint she founded in 2013, and as executive editor of the Simon & Schuster trade imprint. “I’ve made the difficult decision to return to book publishing,” Ms. Davis wrote in a note to her staff at Bon Appétit and Epicurious, the company’s recipe website. She said that she would remain in the job until September, and cited successes like “helping build Bon Appétit and Epicurious’ authority in the culinary industry, developing delicious and thought-provoking content, growing our audiences across channels, and diversifying our team and the audiences that we reach.”But, she said in a public statement, “being away from books has only made me realize how much I love working on manuscripts.” She did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In her first editor’s letter at Bon Appétit, in February 2021, Ms. Davis wrote that “when the call came to leave book publishing to take the helm at this storied magazine as it reckoned with racial and cultural equity, it was impossible to resist.”

Proponents of the restrictions say their aims are to protect students from inappropriate materials and to give parents more control over their children’s education. In focusing on “parents’ rights,” Mr. DeSantis is trying to build on the popularity he amassed when he resisted Covid-19 restrictions, particularly in schools. His Parental Rights in Education law, for example, constrains instruction on gender and sexuality, which has led some districts to remove books with L.G.B.T.Q. Some teachers and librarians say the policies are vague, with imprecise language and broad requirements, leading to some confusion. “It is a whole new level of fear,” said Kathleen Daniels, the president of the Florida Association for Media in Education, a professional organization for school librarians and media educators.

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