The morning sky is gorgeous and the scattered clouds are tinged with silver and pale lavender. The morning news is remarking that there is so much snow in the mountains that people might be able to ski through October. I’m still rounding up news about books and the publishing industry, and plan to do so more in the future. Here are a few more notes:
In case you’re not familiar with the story, author J.K. Rowling has been in federal court in
The would-be author is Steven Vander
There are so few venerable newspapers left in this country, just as there aren’t nearly enough investigative reporters. One such paper that has been under attack is The Los Angeles Times which has been in turmoil since they were bought out by the Tribune Company. The latest issue of Forbes on-line features an Q & A with David Hiller who has been in the hot seat ever since he was appointed publisher, president, and chief executive in October 2006. Hiller came on board after the Tribune fired his popular successor Jeffrey Johnson, who had opposed further staff cuts at the newspaper and soon more heads rolled. He talks about the challenges facing the Times and the newspaper industry, saying the company's priority is to continue aggressively building its online business. It also sounds like owner Sam Zell won't sell the paper. By the way, Forbes has endorsed McCain. The story is at: http://www.forbes.com/business/2008/04/16/newspapers-latimes-hiller-biz-media-cx_lh_0416hiller.html
Ever since I read Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, I’ve been a huge fan. Now her 2006 commencement address at
In the brief interview Patchett explains her message is “That there are so many things you don't have control over, and that you can't get it all ironed out, that you'll never get it all ironed out, and that's OK.” She claims she has those moments after finishing a book and that she supports Obama. She is also at work on a new novel about two women scientists in the Amazon.
And in case you have the stomach for politics today, it sounds the clear loser in last night’s debate was ABC—in fact, they were booed by the audience who were exasperated with their sleazy line of questioning. For more on this story you can read Tom Shales at the http:www.washingtonpost.com. In his opening graphs Shales writes: “When Barack Obama met Hillary Clinton for another televised Democratic candidates' debate last night, it was more than a step forward in the 2008 presidential election. It was another step downward for network news -- in particular ABC News, which hosted the debate from Philadelphia and whose usually dependable anchors, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, turned in shoddy, despicable performances.
For the first 52 minutes of the two-hour, commercial-crammed show, Gibson and Stephanopoulos dwelled entirely on specious and gossipy trivia that already has been hashed and rehashed, in the hope of getting the candidates to claw at one another over disputes that are no longer news. Some were barely news to begin with.”
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