Rachel Pine's forthcoming "The Twins of Tribeca" is supposedly a dishy roman a clef about Miramax boys Bob and Harvey Weinstein. But it will be published... by Jonathan Burnham at Miramax Books.
My tux was all musty and I had some good episodes of Will and Grace on FauxVo waiting for me at home, so I didn't attend the National Book Awards last night. But all my spies were there, and here's our official report:
You know, I've just been on the edge of my seat for nearly a week now about the naming of the new Times Book Review editor. No, really. I'm all aflutter.
You know I'd rather eat bread in public than give props to the Boston Globe. But this Alex Beam column about the NYT Sunday Book Review is pretty hot. "The last time I reveled in an outstanding piece of work in the Sunday Book Review was October 1994," writes Beam.
Yesterday's New York Times Magazine featured a long profile by James Atlas on author Dale Peck, "The Takedown Artist." Mr. Peck agreed to discuss some important issues with Gawker: Soho House, the criticism of webloggers, Friendster, Stanley Crouch, the importance of not becoming Fleetwood Mac, on giving up writing reviews, and even offers an apology for one of his "hatchet job" reviews. He also invents a few new insults along the way.
It's been said over and over that New York is fake, but architect James Sanders is willing to prove it. (He also thinks that the fake might be more meaningful or informative than the real.) His theory is that there are two cities in New York: "The first is a real city, an urban agglomeration of millions. The second is a mythic city, so rich in memory and association and sense of place that to people everywhere it has come to seem real: the New York of such films such as 42nd Street, Rear Window, King Kong, Dead End, The Naked City, Ghostbusters, Annie Hall, Taxi Driver, and Do the Right Thing. A dream city of the imagination, born of that most pervasive of dream media, the movies."
Celluloid Skyline [via MUG]
Celluloid Skyline
Madonna finally launches her new careeer as children's author, undoubtedly to foment revolution among America's children by use of mystic Kabbalah hoo-doo. She also launches her career as a wife: "About the Author: Madonna Ritchie was born in Bay City, Michigan. She has recorded 16 albums and has appeared in 18 movies. She lives with her husband, movie director Guy Ritchie, and her two children, Lola and Rocco, in London and Los Angeles. This is her first children's book."
The English Roses
The Post reports that Jayson Blair may have finally whored his hopefully un-fabricated life story to a willing publisher. "Mainstream New York publishers showed little interest in the former Timesman after his May resignation, but Los Angeles-based New Millennium Press has agreed to publish the book, to be called 'Burning Down My Master's House: My Life and the New York Times.'"
Here's a fawning profile of The Believer's Vendela Vida (a.k.a. Mrs. Dave Eggers), courtesy of the SF Gate. Given The Believer's anti-snark stance, it's not entirely surprising that the reporter would avoid that tone, but THIS is borderline ass-kissing: "Vida is a part of a coterie of writers — Heidi Julavits, Dave Eggers and Michael Chabon, to name a few — who are young, gifted and both blessed and cursed. While they are admired for their work and for leading a renaissance of literature, publishing and philanthropy in San Francisco, they are also major snark targets, annoying others for seeming to have so much brilliance, youth and charm."
Vendela Vida floats amid S.F. literati but keeps feet, attitude firmly planted [SF Gate via LasagnaFarm]
I generally don't do political posts on Gawker because we're not supposed to be partisan. (Ideological dogmatism and shameless demagoguery, on the other hand, are fine.) But there are exceptions to every rule. Neal Pollack has excerpted posts from the blogs of various presidential candidates, which I, in turn, feel compelled to excerpt from Neal's blog.
· "HOWARD DEAN, August 21—Heidi Julavits has this manifesto up at The Believer, which, as you know, is the latest project from the talentless ironists at McSweeneys, which is trying to be all sincere now, and it's not working. ulavits wants to have it both ways: To get her book reviewed and also to have people read and enjoy it." [Ed.Pollack is clearly whoring for a snarkwatch mention.]
· "RICHARD GEPHARDT, August 25—Did you see that episode of Queer Eye where they took off the guy's back hair? Gross! I totally want to be on Queer Eye, though."
The blog-making of the President [NealPollack.com]
Speaking of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, the Post's Keith Kelly reports that Bravo just got a $1 million advance for a spinoff makeover book titled, "The Fab Fives' Guide to Looking Better, Cooking Better, Dressing Better, Behaving Better and Living Better" that includes commentary from the cast members. Blame metrosexmania.
Readers get a queer eye [Keith Kelly-Post]
Journalist and writer Vivian Gornick (author of The Situation and The Story.) recently admitted, while conducting seminar at Goucher College, that she had invented some of the incidents she "recalled" in her memoirconversations with her mother and a street person who didn't exist, among them. Perhaps more shockingly, seminar attendees also reported that she admitted to using "composite characters" while reporting for the Village Voice. (The current editor, Don Forst, says that if she did it while in his employ, "that would be the end of it.") Fictionalized memoirs are one thing, but fictionalized reporting is quite another. Gornick seems to have confused telling the story with telling a story.
Confessions of a memoirist [Salon]
Thierry Meyssan, the author of 9-11, The Big Lie, a French bestseller suggesting that the U.S. military planned the September 11th attacks, is kicking off his U.S. book tour. The curiously-named French publisher, USA Books, says it may begin "as early as this month." Meyssan has never been to New York. Perhaps he should have visited before he wrote the book.
Author who claimed 9-11 attack was fake coming to NYC [Daily News]
