In The Atlantic, Peter Osnos, the founder of PublicAffairs books, examines what happens when Amazon sells books for $1.49.
The Millions examines what keeps bookstores alive in Germany. Price controls, it turns out.
The shortlist for the German Book Prize has been announced (for those of you who speak German.) Read More
In the sudden current rush of coming-of-age movies, there is nothing especially inventive or original about The Art of Getting By, but thanks to talented first-time writer-director Gavin Wiesen, it has more charm and wit than most of its J.D. Salinger-inspired cousins in the same genre, and is undeniably engaging. Read More
Shortly after being inducted into Gawker TV’s Fameball Hall of Fame at last night’s Webutante Ball, Internet personality Arthur Kade relished his achievement. On the Internet.
“Omg!!!!!!! I just won prince of the ball!!!!!!!” he posted on his Twitter account.
The 32-year-old blogger/actor/writer hybrid took to the dance floor at Read More
O.K., pop quiz: “It’s a big shitty world, and it gets shittier by the minute.” Holden Caulfield, or J.D. Salinger? Yeah, it’s Mr. Salinger (the statement would require a “goddamn” or five to belong to the foul-mouthed protagonist of Catcher in the Rye), but it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference between the two at Read More
Gay Talese weighs in on Salinger in this week’s paper, but The Observer‘s Molly Fischer and Michael H. Miller also spoke to other writers and editors about their memories of the author.
GERALD HOWARD (Random House):
Gerald Howard, an editor, recalls a “piece of publishing lore” passed down by J. Randall Williams III—Howard’s Read More
Gay Talese came to New York in 1956, when he was 24 years old. He spent the next nine years as a reporter at The New York Times, having worked his way up from copy boy. All the while, as he made a home for himself among the literary circles of mid-century Manhattan, Talese and Read More
When personal reflection becomes a tabloid Read More
Author J.D. Salinger has died at age 91 of natural causes, according to the A.P. He was at his home in Cornish, New Hampshire.
In a 2001 essay, Janet Malcolm recounted a Salinger episode that played out in the pages of The Observer:
Salinger’s own perilous journey away from the world Read More
“If you really want to hear about it,” begins Holden Caulfield in the pitch- perfect first sentence of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye –to which I have always inwardly shot back, “We do” (assuming in that pronoun not just myself, but legions of readers born after the First World War). That “it” embraces Read More
Doug Elliott could be the quintessential successful Manhattan male. He’s in business for himself, as a lawyer, negotiator and entrepreneur. He’s a big restaurant guy. He banters with waiters and waitresses. He goofs with the people at the next table. He’s charming. He dates women like crazy. Men hit on him.
He’s divorced, with a Read More
