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February, 2005 Archives | Homepage
Crystal to Write Book Inspired By Broadway Hit
Billy Crystal is writing a book called 700 Sundays, which will be
published by Warner Books in November, 2005. 700 Sundays is inspired by Crystal's popular one man Broadway play of the same name. Billy Crystal said, "I couldn't be more pleased. My Broadway experience has been a once in a lifetime opportunity. Now
I am thrilled to share the story in another way."
Posted on February 25, 2005
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Daughter of Mormon Scholar Stirs Controversy
The New York Times has an in-depth article about the controversial new book, Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith by Dr. Martha Beck (Crown). Dr. Beck, the Harvard-educated sociologist and therapist is the daughter of one of Mormonism's most prominent religious scholars, Dr. Hugh Nibley. In the book, the author accuses her father (a professor emeritus of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University and noted scholar of Mormon teaching) of extreme sexual abuse when she was a child. The book also details many of the Mormon church's sacred and secret practices. The Mormon church is very unhappy with the book, to say the least. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issued a statement condemning the book. Leaving the Saints has already been featured on Oprah.com and will be released on March 1, 2005.
Posted on February 25, 2005
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Jerry Oppenheimer Dishes on Celebrity Secrets
Black Table continues its fascinating tell-all interview with author Jerry Oppenheimer, who is famous for his vicious biographies of various entertainment and media icons, such as Martha Stewart: Just Desserts: An Unauthorized Biography. Oppenheimer's latest bestseller is Front Row: Anna Wintour: The Cool Life and Hot Times of Vogue's Editor in Chief (St. Martin's Press). In the two part Black Table interview, Oppenheimer shares more salacious celebrity gossip about Jerry Seinfeld (he allegedly used to be a passionate believer in Scientology), Martha Stewart (the author swears she hosted wife-swapping parties in Connecticut, which we find to be totally ridiculous), and Barbara Walters (the author claims she had an affair with a felon and a secret marriage, which seems unlikely given her busy schedule).
Posted on February 24, 2005
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Turkish Novel Describes War Against America
A Turkish thriller novel called Metal Storm describes a war against the United States and its Nato allies. The novel captures Turks'
fears that the Iraq War could lead to instability in Turkey's Kurdish
region. The fictional war begins in 2007 after U.S. troops fire on
Turkish troops in Northern Iraq. This leads to U.S. tanks invading
Turkey and a suicide bomber detonating a nuclear bomb in Wasington
D.C. out of revenge. The Associated Press reports that the novel has already sold over 100,000 copies in just two months.
Posted on February 23, 2005
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Doug Wead Backs Down
After boldly defending his choice to secretly tape record conversations with then-Governor George Bush, Douglas Wead has changed course. Wead writes in a personal note on his website: "My thanks to those who have let me share my heart and regrets about recent events. Contrary to a statement that I made to The New York Times, I know very well that personal relationships are more important than history. I am asking my attorney to direct any future proceeds from the book to charity and to find the best way to vet these tapes and get them back to the president to whom they belong. History can wait." Which leads to the obvious question: why the change of heart? Was it the mild rebuke from the White House calling him "someone who the president thought was his friend"? Was it all the grief he's been getting from conservative quarters? And what does he mean by "vet" the tapes before turning them over to the president? It's all very mysterious.
Posted on February 23, 2005
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Ari Fleischer Headed for Bestseller Lists
Think that the public's insatiable appetite for political books would wane now that the presidential election is over? Well, think again. The polarized nation may make some people sad, but it's great for book sales. Taking Heat: The President, the Press, and My Years in the White House (William Morrow) by Ari Fleischer is getting a lot of buzz before its March 1st laydown date. But will Ari --probably the coolest under fire press secretary the White House has seen in recent memory -- really dish the dirt about what went on in the West Wing? Readers think he will and they're pre-ordering the book from Amazon like mad.
Posted on February 22, 2005
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New Line to Film Hiassen's Hoot
New Line Cinema has partnered with production companies Walden Media
and the Kennedy/Marshall Company to produce a feature adaptation of
the popular Carl Hiaasen children's novel Hoot.
Hoot revolves around a young boy who moves to Florida where he tries to solve an ecological mystery involving endangered owls, an assortment of other unusual creatures, and group of eccentric adults. Director/comedian Wil Shriner will direct the film. Shriner also has written the initial draft of the film's script. "Hoot is a classic book in the same vein as Holes and Because of Winn-Dixie that will only grow in popularity and importance in the years to come," said Walden Media CEO Cary Granat. "Hoot" is being produced by Frank Marshall and Jimmy Buffett, who will also provide music for the film.
Posted on February 21, 2005
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The Secret Bush Tapes--Author Says It's All His Publisher's Fault
The New York Times dropped a bombshell yesterday with its story about former presidential friend, wiretapper extraordinaire and author Douglas Wead. Wead attempts to explain why he secretly taped his conversations with his friend, then Governor Bush. In the tapes, President Bush appears to admit to having smoked marijuana, discusses LSD, cocaine and other drugs, analyzes his political opponents (unflatteringly) and muses about how he told the Christian right that he wouldn't "kick gays." Needless to say, the White House isn't pleased with the revelations. But the most shocking part of the story is Wead's assertions that the few tapes he played for The New York Times are the tamest of the bunch. Apparently, the entire brouhaha is all Wead's publisher's fault. According to Wead, he wasn't going to release the tapes until after his death, but his publisher insisted on hearing the tapes which were the source for factual statements in his book, The Raising of a President: The Mothers and Fathers of Our Nation's Leaders (Atria) (probably those annoying guys from Legal insisted on vetting the book). Well, the cat's out of the bag now. So, what is on the rest of these tapes? Only time will tell...if we're lucky, that is. Wead is now waffling, saying that he really should give the rest of the secret tapes back to President Bush. But where's the fun in that?
Posted on February 21, 2005
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Paris Hilton Gets Hacked
Will it never end? La Hilton, the bestselling author of that classic work, Confessions of an Heiress, has once again landed right on her derriere in the spotlight. Only this time, lots of her celebrity friends are hopping mad, as we say in Texas. Someone hacked Paris' T-mobile cellphone addressbook and hit the motherlode. Celebrity emails and private phone numbers are out there for all to see now. Want Vin Diesel's number? It's in there. How about Christina Aguilera's? It's in there, too. But it gets better. All her party pix are online too (Warning--some nudity on linked page). Paris with a camera phone -- it's just too bizarre. Paris with Burt Reynolds, Paris with a skunk, Paris with Nicole, Paris topless -- yes, the pictures are all stored on her T-mobile sidekick. We were going to prank call Eminem, but we got sidetracked by a return email from Fred Durst. Really.
Posted on February 20, 2005
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Man Booker International Prize Finalists Announced
Eighteen authors have been selected for the Man Booker Prize, which carries a large §60,000 prize. The authors on the list are:
Margaret Atwood, Saul Bellow, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Gunter Grass, Ismail Kadare, Milan Kundera, Stanislaw Lem,
Doris Lessing, Ian McEwan, Naguib Mahfouz, Tomas Eloy Martinez,
Kenzaburo Oe, Cynthia Ozick, Philip Roth, Muriel Spark, Antonio Tabucchi, John Updike and A.B. Yehoshua.
The Man Booker International Prize was announced in June 2004 and will recognize one writer for his or her achievement in fiction. The prize will be awarded once every two years to a living author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is generally available in translation in the English language. The first winner of The Man Booker International Prize 2005 will be announced in June in London
and the prize will be awarded at a dinner later that month.
The prize is sponsored by the Man Group, which also sponsors
the Man Booker Prize for Fiction.
Posted on February 18, 2005
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P. Diddy and the Writer's Block From Hell
We've heard of writer's block, but this is ridiculous. P. Diddy (no, it's not Puff Daddy or Sean Combs any more, try to keep up) is in big trouble with his publisher, Random House. Offered a book deal in 1998 (actually his name was still Puff Daddy back then, now that we think of it), P. got inquiring letters from his miserable editor year after year wondering how the writing was going. Apparently, it wasn't going well. Now, Random House has decided to sue P. for the $300,000 advance they gave him in 1998. And who can blame them? Of course, we are reminded of the similar incident involving Mick Jagger. Years later, he returned the huge advance he got for his memoirs saying that he just couldn't remember anything worth writing down. Which leads to the obvious solution for the celebrity who is plagued by writer's block: hire a ghost writer. There are lots of great ones out there who never get writer's block at all.
Posted on February 16, 2005
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Jose Canseco Tells All; Teammates Not Happy
The Associated Press reports that Jose Conseco's new tell-all book is a runaway hit: Amazon.com listed Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big (ReganBooks) as the third book in its bestseller lists Monday. In case you've been under a rock for the past week, Jose has infuriated baseball stars such as Mark McGwire with his revelations of rampant steroid use in the game (steroids were not illegal nor banned in baseball at the time Canseco used them). And while his former teammates may be unhappy, his publisher is quite pleased. The book had an initial printing of 150,000 copies and it looks like another printing might be on the way. "I don't think it's a good thing, obviously, because it's bringing a bad light to the game," New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter said Monday. "This is a time, obviously, baseball is in a negative light and Jose is not helping out. In terms of his accusations, the only people that know are him and whoever he is accusing. The unfortunate thing is, if it's not true, you're looking at guys having to defend themselves over something they haven't done."
Mark McGwire has issued a written denial that he used steroids. Canseco calls himself the "godfather of steroids in baseball," saying "I single-handedly changed the game of baseball by introducing them into the game."
Posted on February 15, 2005
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General Musharraf Longs For the Bestseller Lists
Yes, you heard correctly. Publishers Weekly reports that Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf has signed with Free Press' senior editor Bruce Nichols to write a political memoir (is there any other kind these days?). The exact amount of the advance was not released, but rumor says that deal is in the high six figures. The tome will arrive in fall of next year. It's certainly commonplace for American political leaders to dish the dirt after they leave office (and sometimes before), but we have to wonder how candid General Musharraf can possibly be. Osama bin Laden is still hiding in a part of his country where we can't get to and he has to tread lightly so as to not infuriate Pakistanis, who are less than supportive of his ties to the United States. Before 9/11, no major Western power would even take Musharraf's phone calls; now, he's inking book deals with a major New York publisher. Perhaps a reality show is in his future?
Posted on February 13, 2005
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Don Quixote 400 Years Later
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, first published in 1605, is still very popular today and is often being remade as a film or play. The BBC says the book is "reputed to be the most widely read and translated book on the planet after the Bible." The novel's heroic and romantic themes are popular across cultures. Professor Ilan Stavans told the BBC that, "you could approach Don Quixote from the American perspective, or the French, or the Soviet -- and each individual in those contexts would be able to understand him and identify him."
Posted on February 11, 2005
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Donald Trump: The Biopic
According to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC has given the green light to a 2-hour biopic of billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump. The biopic will not be authorized by The Donald, but will be based on the unauthorized biography entitled The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire by Gwenda Blair (Simon and Schuster). No casting news has been released, but Trump told Access Hollywood last night "I don't care [who plays me] as long as he's extra good-looking. I don't care if he can act or not. I would like to bring back Cary Grant from the dead." Oh, and he also said that if they portray him in a bad light or if there are any inaccuracies in the portrayal, he's going to sue ABC. "But as long as it's accurate, I won't be suing them," Trump added magnanimously.
Posted on February 10, 2005
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Nora Roberts' Irish Adventure
You would think that with now having 280 million books in print, that uber-romance author Nora Roberts wouldn't have time to blog about her vacations. But she does. She has a full trip diary with photos, recounting her and her husband's August, 2004 trip to the Emerald Isles. And yes, she blogs just as well as she does everything else. Her latest book (writing as J.D. Robb) is Survivor in Death (Putnam), the newest entry in the futuristic/noir police procedural series which follows the exploits of tough as nails homicide detective Eve Dallas. We just love Eve, her husband Roarke, her partner Peabody, her best friend Mavis -- and Nora's futuristic Manhattan. Apparently, Mel Gibson loves them too. The Eve Dallas "In Death" series has been optioned by Fox 2000 for Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey's studio-based Icon Productions as a full-length feature film.
Posted on February 9, 2005
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Tom Brokaw To Write Two More Books
The Associated Press reports that
Retired NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw will be writing two more books after signing a deal with Random House. It has not yet been determined what Brokaw will be writing about in these two books. Brokaw's two books about generation that fought World War II, The Greatest Generation and The Greatest Generation Speaks, were both
bestsellers. In a statement Brokaw conveyed his appreciation of his readers. "The response to The Greatest Generation and the books that followed has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my life," Brokaw said. Brokaw's latest book, A Long Way from Home (Random House, 2003), is about his life growing up in South Dakota and his experiences in broadcast journalism.
Posted on February 8, 2005
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Kelby Dominates Computer Book Sales
Nielsen Bookscan data for the 2004 calendar year indicates that Scott Kelby is the top-selling computer book author in the U.S. Kelby, who is
President of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals,
is widely recognized as a bestselling Photoshop how-to book author, but he has also written how-to books on Windows XP, MS Office and iTunes. Kelby published a total of 16 titles in 2003 and 2004 combined,
including the industry's top-selling digital photography titles The Adobe
Photoshop CS Book for Digital Photographers and The Photoshop Elements 3 Book for Digital Photographers. Kelby's The Adobe Photoshop CS Book for
Digital Photographers, in addition to being number one in the market, outsold all other computer books by more than 5 percent. Overall, Kelby held 21 percent of the entire Photoshop book market in 2004. The busy Scott Kelby is also the editor of three
magazines: Mac Design Magazine, Photoshop User and Capture User.
Posted on February 7, 2005
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White House Mum on Bush's Fascination With Charlotte Simmons
The International Herald Tribune reports on President Bush's secret fascination with Tom Wolfe's latest book, I Am Charlotte Simmons (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). Word has leaked out that Bush loves the book and has been recommending it to all his friends. But the book, which has plenty of beer-soaked parties and promiscuous activity, is not listed on the White House Official List of Books the President is Now Reading. On that list are: His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis (Knopf), Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (Penguin) and the Bible. The news has journalists scrambling for a juicy explanation. Could Bush be vicariously re-living his days as a partying Deke? Or could he be trying to determine exactly what Jenna and Barbara have been up to the past four years? White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan has so far refused to answer journalists' repeated emails and phone calls on the subject, perhaps wary of James Dobson getting wind of it. And if Dobson thinks SpongeBob Squarepants is promoting alternate lifestyles to children, wait until he hears about Charlotte Simmons' first year at college.
Posted on February 6, 2005
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Next Bond Move is Casino Royale
BBC reports that the next Bond movie will be Casino Royale, following the plot of the first James Bond novel written by Ian Fleming. Many aficionados of the original spy novels felt that the films had become to gimmicky and silly, straying far from the books tight plots and tortured hero, and that Pierce Brosnan had brought some new life into the films. But now Brosnan is out, and the search is on for a new 007. Apparently, the producers asked Brosnan to come back for one more film, then un-invited him, which seems quite rude. Quentin Tarantino was keen to direct Casino Royale and had Brosnan's backing. But none of that panned out, more's the pity. Martin Campbell, who directed the worldwide flop, Beyond Borders starring Clive Owen and Angelina Jolie is now slated to direct, which is somewhat unsettling. At least Tarantino can handle action and his films are never boring. Current names being bandied about to play He of the Shaken But Not Stirred Martini are Scottish actor Dougray Scott, Oscar nominee Clive Owen and Australian star Hugh Jackman. Personally, we're rooting for Hugh Jackman.
Posted on February 4, 2005
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Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe Under the Eucalyptus Trees
Fox Searchlight Pictures announced that production will begin February 7 on the film version of Eucalyptus, starring Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe. Eucalyptus is a New York Times Notable Book of the Year written by Murray Bail. The story is a fractured fairy tale, set in Australia. A lonely widower plants hundreds of eucalyptus trees in memory of his wife. He realizes that his beautiful daughter can't stay hidden in the eucalyptus forest forever and announces a competition: the man who can name all 800 eucalyptuses on his property, by sight, will win his daughter's hand in marriage. A botanist comes close to naming them all, but a storytelling stranger captures the daughter's heart. Of course, most of the press about the film right now centers on the fact that Ms. Kidman found listening devices planted in her home, which is really creepy. Most likely, it's the Australian papparazi, which has a reputation for being even worse than the British papparazi. Will Kidman wear tiny fake moles on her face, as the character had in the book? We hope that's one detail they decide to leave out.
Posted on February 2, 2005
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Film Rights to Wolf Brothers Sold
The BBC reports that Michelle Paver has sold the film fight's to her children's fantasy novel, Wolf Brothers, to Fox for a seven-figure sum. Paver is currently working on writing a sequel to Wolf Brothers which will be the second book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. A spokesperson for Paver told BBC that "I've told her about the film deal but at the moment she is writing the second book and her mind is 6000 years away deep in the primeval forest."
Posted on February 1, 2005
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Enter Stage Right: Newt Gingrich
He's Back! The Contract With America, the Bill Clinton Impeachment....Fans can now re-live those good times with fomer Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich by buying his new book, Winning the Future: A 21st Century Contract with America (Regnery). Newt is doing the rounds of the talk shows, railing against the liberals, but what's new is his pointed criticism of the handling of the Iraq War. "Iraq is a mess," he writes. "It is going to remain a mess for a long time."
Michiko Kakutani savages the book, calling it "sloppy," "poorly reasoned," and "riddled with gaps in logic," but -- perhaps in the spirit of bipartisanship -- she also really hated My Life by Bill Clinton. The book is selling like crazy.
Posted on February 1, 2005
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