Paul Levine interview

Paul Levine, author of the terrific SOLOMON VS. LORD series, was recently interviewed by his alma mater, Penn State. It's a fun interview - check it out here:
http://live.psu.edu/story/16224

Online book videos bring words to life
By Carol Memmott, USA TODAY
So have you seen any good books lately?

When HarperCollins' Amistad imprint wanted a fresh, new way to promote Lolita Files' fifth novel, Sex.Lies.Murder.Fame, it jumped on the hottest promotional bandwagon in publishing and created its first online book video.

"Consumers are online," says Amistad's Gilda Squires, "so that's where we want to reach them."

Files' novel is a satirical look at the literary and music worlds and the lengths to which people will go for fame and fortune. Because of the novel's music industry influences, HarperCollins produced a music video that features rising pop singer Silena Murrell's debut single I Like My Man Hard. (See it at video.google.com by typing sex.lies.murder.fame in the search field.)

Advertising on the Web and through cellphones and other handheld media players is nothing new. Music videos and movie trailers are wildly popular downloads. And though it might seem ironic to reach readers through pictures instead of words, publishing industry observers say it makes sense.

"Why not use the tools and technology that all other entertainment media use to promote their wares?" says Jerome Kramer of The Book Standard, an online publication that covers publishing.

The Book Standard and Bantam Dell, a division of Random House, are sponsoring a competition for student filmmakers to create 30-second videos for three upcoming novels: The Thieves of Heaven by Richard Doetsch, Stuart: A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters and Shadow Man by Cody McFadyen. And in November, The Book Standard will launch a book video channel on the Web.

Producing book videos is a fledgling business, and they are created in various ways. HarperCollins used actors, but vidlit.com creates high-tech slide shows. Vidlit videos are narrated by the authors but lean toward photos and illustrations. M.J. Rose, Bill Maher, Julie Powell and Meg Cabot have videos on vidlit.com.



USATODAY.com - Online book videos bring words to life

Avid readers swap their books online
By Marilyn Gardner | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

Avid readers everywhere can identify with the challenges Phyllis Gatto used to face in finding space for books she had read. After finishing a paperback, she would put it on a shelf. When the shelves filled, she moved books into cartons, hiding them under beds and in closets.

"The pile would just grow," says Mrs. Gatto, of Dayton, Tenn. "I'd give some to friends, but basically, they just accumulated."

Then a friend told her about an unusual book-sharing website, PaperBackSwap.com. Members swap used books, paying only the cost of postage - usually $1.59. In addition to saving money and freeing space, members can make electronic connections with far-flung readers.

Similar online book-trading sites in the United States include FrugalReader.com and TitleTrader.com. A British website is ReadItSwapIt.co.uk.

At PaperBackSwap.com, members list at least nine paperbacks, earning three credits. Credits allow them to search available titles and choose up to three. Senders pay the postage. They receive one credit for each book they mail, enabling them to order other titles. The website formats a mailing wrapper. The sender then prints out the wrapper, adds stamps, and mails the book.

"It's very user-friendly," Gatto says.

The venture grew out of founder Richard Pickering's years as a business traveler. "Traveling through so many airports, you accumulate a lot of books," he says. "I had no easy way of doing anything with them at home. They collected on my bookshelf."

He tried selling them on eBay and Amazon.com, but grew tired of fees. Determined to find a better way to trade books, he teamed up with partner Robert Swarthout, who had developed a college textbook exchange.

They now list more than 300,000 paperbacks, along with audio books. Because books are sent by media mail, membership is limited to the US, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

Participants include a range of ages and demographics, with women outnumbering men. Mr. Pickering describes a typical member as a woman who loves to read, is bored by TV, and owns many paperbacks. Some members post as few as 10 titles. Others have posted more than 1,000 and have traded hundreds. In all, members mail from 1,500 to 2,000 books a day.

Romance novels and mystery thrillers are the most popular genres. Other favorite categories include home and gardening, home schooling, and Christian books - "anything you can imagine," Pickering says.

Megan Aepli of Boston, who joined PaperBackSwap about nine months ago, reads about eight books a month. "I'm constantly reading three books at a time," she says. "That's why this is great for me."

Gatto orders both books and audio tapes, listening to the latter while traveling. "I like historical novels for reading," she says. "I don't normally read mysteries, but I listen to them." She has listed nearly 60 titles, shrinking the literary cache under her bed.

Books must be in "good" condition. A few readers, however, have complained that a book doesn't fit that description. "It's a legitimate concern in some cases," Pickering says. "We try to put it in perspective and say, 'They were free.' " He estimates that one or two books out of 100 might not live up to the proper rating.

Other features on these sites include readers' reviews, a wish list of titles not listed, discussion forums, and chat rooms.

Gene McCabe, who is president of FrugalReader.com, says that his site's credo is "Read, share, relate." Beyond helping people save money, he says, "It's about helping them connect with each other. They love to read, but they also love to talk about that reading experience, talk about the books, plots, authors."

Such connections can have far-reaching effects. After hurricane Katrina, members in the discussion forum at PaperBackSwap.com decided to donate books to the ravaged area. They found a county in Mississippi where two libraries had been destroyed. "Our members mailed boxes and boxes of books from all over the country to help rebuild the libraries," Pickering says. Librarians have asked them to stop sending because their warehouse is full.

The sites are free, but modest membership fees are ahead. At PaperBackSwap.com, Pickering expects fees to be $10 or $20 a year. McCabe, too, says, "At some point we will have to recover costs and get a revenue stream."

ReadItSwapIt.co.uk encourages reading by giving everyone in the United Kingdom access to free books, says Andrew Bathgate, cofounder.

Environmental charities have praised the site for recycling books. Libraries in London and elsewhere have also promoted it. Traffic peaked after Christmas, Mr. Bathgate says, when recipients of unwanted gift books began "swapping like crazy."

Book-sharing websites help people who can't get out or who have little access to books. "In a lot of places in rural America, you might have to go 100 miles for a bookstore," says Susan Siegel of Book Hunter Press in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., who has studied the used-book market. "For them, it's a fantastic outlet."

No figures track the impact of the Internet on sales of used paperbacks, so no one can say whether cyberspace swaps will siphon business from bricks-and-mortar bookstores. "There's certainly a potential for that," Pickering says. "But we cater to a different market that wants ease of use. They don't have to get dressed and drive down to the local used-book store."

Dena Russ, assistant manager of B & L Books in Altamonte Springs, Fla., which offers a book exchange, says that swapping online has not affected her store. "Die-hard people who really love bookstores are never going to get out of the habit. They like the atmosphere. They like to go in, peruse the books, smell the books, hold them."

Readers like Ms. Aepli remain enthusiastic about cyber-trading. Recalling the books that once collected dust in her apartment, she gives the website a succinct, thumbs-up review: "It works really well."

Full HTML version of this story which may include photos, graphics, and related links

Romance loses allure after book lovers turn to crime
By Dalya Alberge
TIMES ONLINE
Britain

Thrillers have beaten bodice-rippers as library favourites but a children’s writer reigns supreme

ADULT readers are turning away from romance to crime and thrillers, but the children’s writer Jacqueline Wilson has held her place as the nation’s most-borrowed author, according to library figures released yesterday.

The Top Ten titles of last year show that the gritty crime novels of American writers such as Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs and James Patterson have risen in popularity with borrowers. Until now, romantic fiction had dominated the nation’s tastes for years.

Data released by the Public Lending Right (PLR) has once again revealed trends in reading habits. It shows that the late Dame Catherine Cookson, who reigned supreme as the most borrowed author for 17 years, has dropped out of the list of Top Ten Most Borrowed Authors for the first time since records began in 1984.

Only six years ago, her name appeared in nine out of the Top Ten entries. In 2003, she was toppled by Wilson, the Children’s Laureate, whose books tackle themes such as divorce and domestic violence.

Wilson again heads the charts as overall top-lending author, ahead of the adult fiction writers Josephine Cox, Danielle Steel and Patterson, as well as the most-borrowed children’s author.

She is also the only author to exceed two million loans, with titles such as The Story of Tracy Beaker and Lizzie Zipmouth, on top of some 20 million books she has sold in Britain alone.

She has been called the Mike Leigh of children’s fiction for refusing to avoid difficult and often controversial issues in her books, and has won the Smarties Prize and the Children’s Book Award. and was made an OBE in 2002.

The increase in her popularity has been impressive. In 2002, not one of her titles even made the Top Ten.

Wilson said: “It’s great that so many children are obviously spending time in libraries.”

Although the top children’s fiction title was J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the author herself is relegated to 74th place on the overall list. Authors who do best in libraries have long backlists. Wilson has more than a hundred books, whereas Rowling has barely a handful. Three other children’s writers — Mick Inkpen, Janet and Allan Ahlberg and Roald Dahl — appear in the list of the Top Ten Most Borrowed Authors, along with the best-selling writers of thrillers and crime, John Grisham and Ian Rankin.

Simon Brett, the chairman of the PLR advisory committee and a crime novelist, said: “This year sees crime fiction and thrillers stealing a march on romance. Maybe this is an indication that national tastes are becoming increasingly macabre.” Since its inception in 1979, when it was established by an Act of Parliament, the PLR has made payments to authors based on the number of times their books have been borrowed from libraries. This year authors are receiving a record 5.57 pence per loan for books taken out.

They are eligible for payment if their PLR earnings reach a minimum of £5, but there is a £6,000-limit for the top-lending writers. This year 286 authors will receive the maximum payment.

The latest figures reflect regional differences in reading tastes. The favourite travel book nationwide was The Rough Guide to France. But borrowers in the South West, however, preferred The Rough Guide to Spain, while those in Wales were happy to stay closer to home, with The Rough Guide to Wales.

MOST BORROWED

Adult and children combined (2003-04 position in brackets)

1 Jacqueline Wilson (1)

2 Josephine Cox (3)

3 Danielle Steel (2)

4 James Patterson (6)

5 Mick Inkpen (4)

6 Janet & Allan Ahlberg (7)

7 John Grisham (11)

8 Ian Rankin (9)

9 Roald Dahl (10)

10 Bernard Cornwell (14)

Most borrowed adult fiction titles:

1 Patricia Cornwell Blow Fly

2 Josephine Cox Lovers and Liars

3 John Grisham The Last Juror

4 Joanna Trollope Brother and Sister

5 P J Tracy Want to Play?

6 Maeve Binchy Nights of Rain and Stars

7 James Patterson The Big Bad Wolf

8 James Patterson & Andrew Gross The Third Degree

9 Ian Rankin A Question of Blood

10 Kathy Reichs Monday Mourning



Britain, UK news from The Times and The Sunday Times - Times Online

MARTIN COUNTY BOOKMANIA!

This is my favorite book event every year and this year was no exception. The panels of authors were fabulous but apparently the word has gotten out - it was standing room only for most events, with the overflow out in the courtyard watching on plasma TV. BookTV (CSpan2) was there for the first time and will be broadcasting at least some of the events; scheduling is not available at this time. Kudos to Judi Snyder, organizer of the event and a Martin County Library treasure. She gets the most amazing authors, and every one of them raves about the royal treatment they receive. She keeps the panels on time, the lines moving and everywhere you look you see happy faces. Especially mine!

First panel of the day is usually health related and as usual I missed it. I came to see the next panel, specifically Jeanne Ray, author of Julie & Romeo Get Lucky , the sequel to my personal favorite, Julie & Romeo. She shared the panel called "The Lighter Side of Fiction" with Palm Beach Post columnist Frank Cerabino, author of Pelican Park: A Tale of Romance, Lies and Surging Home Prices set in a fictional development in suburban Palm Beach County. The third author on this panel was N. M. Kelby, whose traditional literary fiction has taken a turn for the humorous with her latest effort, Whale Season. Kelby has been studying with humor master Carl Hiaasen, and the reviews have been excellent. It is often said that much humor comes from pain, and Ms. Kelby is apparently no exception - she had a very tough childhood and then lost her daughter when she was only six days old, dealt with more serious issues in her first couple of books and seems to have found her niche with humor writing. Ray is a great inspiration to me - she is a newcomer to writing after spending 40+ years as a nurse. She had her own inspiration; her daughter is Ann Patchett.

The next panel was called "Writing from Life" and included Maureen Corrigan, Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books; Carlos Eire, Waiting for Snow in Havana; Scott Eyman, Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer; and John Grogan, Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog. Three journalists and a historian, three memoirists and a biographer, led to a vehement denouncing of James Frey, but even more interesting was their explanations on the difference between nonfiction (it's the truth) and fiction (it's made up). They discussed how they were able to recollect so much for their memoirs, usually because they kept journals. In fact, Grogan talked about his wife's miscarriage and how the night he brought her home from the hospital, he wrote an 18 page entry in his journal. That journal entry became, almost word for word, the chapter in the book on that event in his life. He talked about how when they first got Marley and he would tell people stories about him, they would just howl with laughter so he wrote those stories down in his journal. And he wrote a column when Marley died, and it was all documented and while a memoir is just one person's memory of events, it is not one person's wishes of how events might have happened. But enough of that. All were interesting, it was wonderful to meet Maureen after listening to her on NPR for so many years, and Scott Eyman is always entertaining - smart, funny and quick.

"A Rich Tapestry of Fiction" was next and included Connie May Fowler, The Problem with Murmur Lee; River Jordan, The Messenger of Magnolia Street; Lisa See, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan; and Thrity Umrigar, The Space Between Us. Connie is probably best known for her memoir Before Women Had Wings which became an Oprah-produced film, but this is a novel that is described as "part mystery, part family saga and all about the journey of self-discovery", which rather sounds like her memoir! When asked about voice in writing, she said this, the only quote of the day I bothered to write down: "Novels are lyrical feasts; you can't have false notes in it."

River Jordan is apparently asked more questions about her name than her book. Thrity is from India and is very happy to be here in America and writing. Lisa See, a red headed Chinese-American woman who grew up in Chinatown in San Francisco, wrote an impressively researched novel about life in 19th century China that is fast becoming a book club favorite. Every year at this event I find at least one author whose name goes on my to-be-read list and Snow Flower is on the top of the pile.

The main event of the day for most of the visitors with one notable exception - me! - was Joe Scarborough of MSNBC fame. A former Republican Florida congressman and now a talk show host with a right wing slant, I was not planning on staying for his talk. But due to the seating problems - the only way I would keep my seat was to keep my butt in it - I stayed. And I'm very glad I did. Joe was a complete surprise. He's way better looking in person than he is on TV (I know, I'm completely shallow) and a charming, compelling speaker. It's most surprising that he didn't stay in politics, he was extremely charismatic. But it was what he said that really turned my head. He spoke about how he hated Clinton and everything he stood for, yet when he met him, he was completely charmed. He spoke about Bush and how he never met a spending bill he didn't like. He brought up statistics about the financial ruin of the US that Bush is making and how as much as he despised Clinton, at least he brought some semblance of balance to Washington. A very interesting, very thought provoking speech. Oh yeah, he was pushing a book but you'd never know it, I don't think he even mentioned it once, so I will: Rome Wasn't Burnt in a Day: The Real Deal on How Politicians, Bureaucrats, and Other Washington Barbarians Are Bankrupting America.

Following Joe (who was no easy act to follow) was one of my favorite panels. Every year, Jill Lamar, Manager & Editor of the "Discover Great New Writers" program at Barnes & Noble handpicks a panel of authors that have made the program the success it is. This year she presented Joseph Boyden, Three Day Road; Susan Casey, The Devil's Teeth; Eilizabeth Kostova, The Historian; and Koren Zailckas, Smashed: The Story of a Drunken Girlhood. I loved Boyden's book and have recommended it often. It is a beautifully haunting novel about a Cree Indian family and the Native & Canadian American impact on Word War I. That was the book that convinced me I needed new reading glasses - I was struggling with the small, light print (re-think that, Putnam!) but it was worth it, an absolutely wonderful read. I wasn't familiar with the Casey book, but have since brought it home on audio. It's about the great white sharks off of San Francisco and while the audio doesn't have the incredible pictures the book has, it is a compelling story to listen to.

Elizabeth Kostova was probably the best known author on the panel. The Historian was a huge bestseller about Dracula that took her ten years to research and write. She told a very funny story about a publicity party she attended where a bookseller asked her if she believed in vampires. Kostova explained that she comes from a very scientific minded background, and did not. The bookseller was quite crestfallen about it. At that point Kostova excused herself to use the restroom, and when she entered she experienced a horrific nose bleed. She got it under control but a few drops of blood remained on the front of her blouse, causing that bookseller to think who knows what. Koren spoke about her experiences as a teenage alcoholic and the way teenage girls in particular are having problems with binge drinking. Her memoir is interspersed with lots of facts and statistics, enough to make any mother sit up and take notice. This should probably be required reading in high schools and for parents as well.

The last panel of the day was "Thrills and Chills", the suspense writers who are near and dear to my heart. There was an impressive panel: Deborah Crombie, In a Dark House; Stephen Frey, The Protege; Jilliane Hoffman, Last Witness; Gregg Hurwitz, Troubleshooter; Michele Martinez, The Finishing School; and Brad Meltzer, Identity Crisis and Zero Game. Scott Eyman took off his author's hat to do a spectacular job of moderating this panel. He started off by asking how writers get along at these things, especially in light of some of the huge advances some of them get. This was obviously directed at Jilliane Hoffman of the $1,000,000 advance, but no one said a word about it and they all agreed that mystery writers make for a wonderful community.

Brad Meltzer and I have a bit of history. I met him when his second book had just come out. He was visiting his parents and stopped into Borders where I was a bookseller. I had just read both of his books, The Tenth Justice, which is still one of my favorites, quickly followed by Dead Even, and he signed them for me. Fast forward several years to an email about a review I posted on a later book. I wrote back, reminding him that we had met and to my surprise and frankly, disbelief, he said he remembered me. But he convinced me when he pointed out that he didn't remember my name per se, but rather remembered meeting a bookseller in Boca early in his career that had actually read both of his books and how meaningful that was to him. His son climbed on his lap as he signed books, it was very sweet. His latest is a graphic novel – or as he put it, a comic book. It's actually a murder mystery featuring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, and apparently was a dream come true for Meltzer to write.

I was also delighted to meet Michele Martinez. I loved her first book and was privileged to review her second for Library Journal, where it received a starred review. She's a very bright, very interesting woman who had a career much like her heroine, working as a Federal prosecutor in New York City who goes after drug dealers and gangs. Stephen Frey writes thrillers set in the financial world, and to keep his fingers in it he works there too. Gregg Hurwitz is a Harvard & Oxford educated thriller writer (and, as Scott Eyman pointed out, probably way overqualified to actually write thrillers!) who likes living on the edge; he goes undercover to do his own research into things like biker gangs and cults. Last but not least was Deborah Crombie, one of the grand dames of mystery writers with eleven novels under her belt. Interestingly, she's an American who writes British mysteries, which allows her to travel through the UK for "business" purposes. All in all, a wonderfully enlightening, engaging panel. And a wonderful day.

NOTE: I tried to post pictures but Blogger is only letting me post these. I'll try again later.

BMW drives into audio book podcasts
By Amanda Andrews, Media Business Correspondent

The advertising and publishing industries have collaborated in a landmark deal to create a series of podcast books featuring product placement.

Leading authors at the publisher Random House, including the bestselling crime writer Karin Slaughter and the Californian writer Don Winslow, have written 45-minute audio books. Each audio book features a different BMW car.

Jonathan Hill, head of innovation at WCRS, the advertising agency behind the 118 118 and BMW Mini campaigns, said that the creation of BMW Audio Books, which will be available only as free downloads, was a new approach to advertising in the UK.

The popularity of MP3 players had led to an increased demand for podcasts and this form of advertising could soon become more commonplace, he said.

The books are intended to be the length of the average car journey. The first podcast, Don Winslow’s The Beautiful Ride, was made available yesterday on a specially designed website, www.bmwaudiobooks.com.

A new tale will be available every two weeks, including Karin Slaughter’s Cold Cold Heart. Other featured authors are James Flint and Simon Kernick.


Media news, Times Online

The facts. Don't give me the facts
After James Frey, Kenneth J. Harvey opens a campaign for real fiction

AFTER READING JOHN BANVILLE’S Man Booker prize-winning The Sea, a slim volume trumpeted as fiction, I was startled to discover, upon perusing my hefty atlas, that this supposedly fantastical place named Ireland was an actual island. While reading, I thought it sounded familiar, yet I let it slide, not wanting niggling particulars to ruin the experience.

Stunned by my discovery, I was unsettled by other suspicions: What if the main character, this Max Morden, was an actual person. I explored the phone book and came up with four individuals bearing the name Maxwell Morden. Feeling more greatly duped, I telephoned the first three and demanded to know on what ground each stood. Yet despite repeated harassment, none would concede to being fictional.

To read the rest:
Books - reviews and literary news from The Times and The Sunday Times

with thanks to Kenneth J. Harvey for sending this link

R.I.P. the James Frey Fiasco

James Frey and his publisher have written notes that will be included in all future printings of A Million Little Pieces.

Author's Note

Publisher's Note

Interestingly, copies of the notes are being sent to booksellers to insert into copies of the book already in stock. However, no mention was made of all the copies in libraries - will they be receiving these notes to add to their copies? And what about the sequel, My Friend Leonard? Will Riverhead Press (a different publisher) look into the truthiness* of that book?

And most importantly, does anyone really care anymore?


*thank you, Steven Colbert, for that fabulous new word

More on a Million Little Lies...

from PW Daily

Doubleday/Anchor to Reissue AMLP With Notes

After James Frey's painful trip to Oprah's couch this afternoon—the author sat through a live taping of the talk show with a stunned look as journalists and Oprah skewered him for fictionalizing key elements of his memoir A Million Little Pieces—Doubleday/Anchor, announced it will be adding both a publisher's note and author's note to all future editions of the book.

Frey's hardcover publisher Nan Talese, who appeared alongside the author on the Oprah broadcast, made mention of the changes on-air. In its statement, Doubleday/Anchor noted that while it initially stood by Frey, after further questioning of the author, the house has "sadly come to the realization that a number of facts have been altered and incidents embellished." Doubleday/Anchor apologized to the public "for any unintentional confusion surrounding the publication" of Pieces.

The company said that no new copies of the book will be shipped and it will not go back to press for new editions without the two notes. The notes will also be posted on randomhouse.com as well as mailed to booksellers to insert in existing copies. Books with the update could be headed to bookstores by next month. —Rachel Deahl

A MILLION LITTLE LIES...

from the NY Times, January 24, 2006

Treatment Description in Memoir Is Disputed
By EDWARD WYATT

To Oprah Winfrey, the power of James Frey's memoir, "A Million Little Pieces," lay not in whether the author really spent three months in jail, as he claimed, or whether he lost a lover to suicide.

Rather, she said in her now-famous call to CNN's "Larry King Live" on Jan. 11, where Mr. Frey defended himself against accusations that he falsified significant parts of his life story, it was the author's story of recovery, a rebirth that took place within the walls of an addiction treatment center, that provided "the underlying message of redemption" that resonated with her.

But more than three months before questions were raised about Mr. Frey's memoir by the Smoking Gun Web site (www.thesmokinggun.com) - before, in fact, Ms. Winfrey first had Mr. Frey as a guest on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" - producers at the program were told by a former counselor at the foundation that runs the Minnesota treatment center reportedly used by Mr. Frey that his portrayal of his experience there grossly distorted reality.

Several other addiction counselors who formerly worked for the organization, the Hazelden Foundation, which runs the Hazelden rehabilitation center in Center City, Minn., have also come forward to dispute Mr. Frey's claims about Hazelden. The accusations call into question what Mr. Frey has labeled the "essential truth" of his book, the "420 of the 432 pages" that take place during treatment. It was Mr. Frey's story of redemption that led Ms. Winfrey to make "A Million Little Pieces" a selection for her television book club and propelled it to sales of more than two million copies.

After receiving the information from Debra Jay, a Michigan addiction counselor who herself has been a frequent guest on Ms. Winfrey's program, a senior producer for the "The Oprah Winfrey Show" conducted an extensive interview with Ms. Jay. It is not known if Ms. Winfrey was apprised of the concerns, but she made no mention of the potential discrepancies in her many on-the-air comments about "A Million Little Pieces," including when she called the book "all completely true" on her program and told Mr. Frey, "I don't doubt you."

In response to questions last week about the early warning given to the program, a spokeswoman for Ms. Winfrey, Angela DePaul, said, "We have no comment."

In a statement, Mr. Frey said he was not acquainted with any of the people who were disputing his account. "It's quite possible that different people have different experiences," he said. "There are situations that patients experience that staff know nothing about and which are deliberately kept from them."

Since "A Million Little Pieces" was published in 2003, it has been widely reported that the center described in the book is Hazelden, assertions that neither Mr. Frey nor Hazelden has disputed. Hazelden officials, citing medical confidentiality regulations, say they can neither confirm nor deny that Mr. Frey was there. But Mr. Frey's descriptions of the center in his book, which say that it is a lakeside retreat in rural Minnesota that opened in 1949, leave little doubt that he is talking about Hazelden.

"His description of treatment at Hazelden is almost entirely false," said Ms. Jay, who trained as an addiction counselor at Hazelden's operations in Minnesota and who is the co-author of two guides to treating addiction published by the Hazelden Foundation. She has appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" at least six times to discuss issues related to alcohol and drug addiction.

Ms. Jay said she voiced her objections about "A Million Little Pieces" to a senior producer for Ms. Winfrey's program on Oct. 1, nearly a month before Ms. Winfrey's interview with Mr. Frey was broadcast. "I'm coming forward because his descriptions of treatment are so damaging," Ms. Jay said. "These are things that could not happen to anybody at Hazelden or at any reputable licensed treatment center."

Among the episodes she and the other former counselors have called into question are Mr. Frey's claims of being physically abused by other residents of the treatment center, of being left to sleep on the floor of a common room overnight after an altercation, of regularly vomiting blood and of having his nose rebroken and set by a doctor. "He describes a level of medical care that would not occur at Hazelden," Ms. Jay said. "He would have been taken to an emergency room, and any violent behavior would have been met with a discharge."

"I can surely confirm there were disputes between patients and no one remembers better than I do vomiting blood," Mr. Frey said.

In interviews over the last week, Ms. Jay and the other counselors said they had decided to speak publicly because they feared that Mr. Frey's portrayal of rehabilitation was more likely to scare people away than lead them to seek help. While questions have been raised about the book's depiction of rehab by some critics and in online chatter, this is the first time treatment professionals who have worked inside Hazelden have spoken publicly at length.

None of the former Hazelden employees who have decided to speak out ever met Mr. Frey during his stay at Hazelden; nor could they talk about it if they had. But each of them said the regulations and procedures at Hazelden were subject to rigorous review by groups of counselors, so that the many breaches of protocol described by Mr. Frey would have been unlikely to go unnoticed.

Carol Colleran, who worked for 17 years in the Hazelden system, including two years at the Minnesota locations, said that unlike Mr. Frey's contention on "Larry King Live" that only about 5 percent of his book is in dispute, "98 percent of that book is false" in its descriptions of how Hazelden works.

Ms. Colleran, now a certified addiction professional in West Palm Beach, Fla., said she sent her complaints about the book to the Winfrey program by e-mail in November. Ms. Colleran also posted questions about the book on Amazon.com that month.

"I have had young people say to me that if they had a child who was having problems, they would never send them to treatment after reading that book," Ms. Colleran said.

John H. Curtiss, the president of the Retreat, another inpatient treatment center in Minnesota, worked at Hazelden for more than 19 years, including during the early 1990's, the period that Mr. Frey has said he was in treatment. Though he never met Mr. Frey at Hazelden, Mr. Curtiss did meet the author when Mr. Frey traveled to the Retreat last fall along with Ms. Winfrey's producers to film a segment for the program.

The segment had Mr. Frey greet and talk with a client at the Retreat who had written to Ms. Winfrey saying that his book had convinced her to seek help for her addiction.

Mr. Curtiss spoke to Ms. Winfrey's producers about the book during their visit to the Retreat, but he declined to provide details about the conversation. He also said he spoke to Mr. Frey.

"I told James that I've been there, that I worked there and I've never seen any of those things happen at Hazelden," Mr. Curtiss said. "In a million years those things would not happen at Hazelden. He said that was his recollection, but that he changed the names."

Mic Hunter, a psychologist who worked for four years at Hazelden-related treatment centers in Minnesota, said Mr. Frey's book made him angry. "It's hard enough for people to get accurate information about treatment because of all the confidentiality rules," he said. "So many people have negative feelings about treatment to begin with. Why would anybody want to send anyone to a treatment program where they would be treated like this? He is claiming it is true, but it's not."

M.J. Rose at Murder on the Beach

It was such a thrill for me to finally meet one of my favorite authors, M.J. Rose. I heard about MJ when her first book, Lip Service, a self-published tome, was picked up by the Literary Guild/Doubleday Book Club in the late 1990's. It was big news in the book business, a first for a self-published novel. Then it went to auction and was published by a traditional house. I snagged myself a copy and fell in love with her unique writing style and I've been hooked ever since.

These days Rose is writing a series of psychological suspense. Her lead character is a sex therapist and single mom, Dr. Morgan Snow, and the books are set in New York City. The first book, The Halo Effect, was terrific and I just started the new one, The Delilah Complex. I've had to reluctantly put it down (temporarily!) to read Steinbeck for school. I'll just say this: Steinbeck may be a great writer, but he's slow going compared to Rose!

This is her first book tour and Rose was impressive. She's very personable and warm and really turned what could have been just another reading and book signing into a memorable event. She spoke about her careers, her books, and the publishing industry and then decided to make the program interactive. Most people believe that at least parts of what they read in a work of fiction are somewhat autobiographical to the author. Rose has proposed a contest: she asks attendees at her signings to guess how many instances of "truth" there are in her newest book. Whoever guesses closest will win a gift certificate to the bookstore they saw her in. And then she took it a step further; there was a small enough group for Rose to turn the tables and ask her fans some questions for a change. She wanted to know about what they read and why, and what makes them stop reading a series. It was a fun and fascinating evening.

Borders(R) Announces 2005 Original Voices(R) Award Winners
19.01.2006 19:12:00

Borders today announced the winners of the 2005 BordersOriginal Voices Awards, the retailer's program that shines a deserving light on emerging and innovative authors and musicians. Winners will receive $5,000 from the company for their outstanding achievement in crafting creative, original books and music. In addition, the winners will be honored at a special breakfast reception during the 2006 BookExpo America convention in Washington, D.C. in May.

Nicole Krauss' "The History of Love," published by W. W. Norton &Company, won top honors in the fiction category from a field of six finalists. According to members of the Borders selection committee, Krauss did "a masterful job of interweaving many story lines, bringing them all together in a moving and meaningful way, and the ending is pitch-perfect, down to the last line." "The History of Love," set in New York, tells the story of the intersecting lives of Leo Gursky, an aging Polish immigrant, and Alma Singer, a 14-year-old girl trying to hold her fragile family together.

"Finding George Orwell in Burma," written by Emma Larkin andpublished by The Penguin Press, was the nonfiction winner among six finalists. Larkin spent a year traveling around Burma, a shuttered military dictatorship in Southeast Asia, using the life and work of George Orwell as her guide. Members of the nonfiction committee said Larkin's story offers "an interesting perspective on how intellect survives the worst of humanity while still retaining a high standard of dignity. It is an eloquent and poetic blend of travel narrative,literary criticism and political commentary."

In the children's picture book category, "Russell the Sheep," written and illustrated by Rob Scotton and published by HarperCollins Publishers, was named the winner from a field of six finalists. This charming story of a sheep that can't sleep won the hearts of the Borders selection committee, who commented that this title is "a playful, unique take on traditional bedtime and counting books and Russell is just plain darling."

"Elsewhere," written by Gabrielle Zevin and published by Farrar,Straus and Giroux, was named the winner in the young adult category. Members of the selection committee found that this novel about life after death offers "a fascinating concept of the afterlife and is ultimately a novel full of hope." "Elsewhere" is where 15-year-old Liz Hall has ended up after dying; a place filled with those who have passed before and where life is lived backward, from the age at your death until you are once again an infant. One committee member commented, "I can only hope that the afterlife contains some of the elements that make "Elsewhere" so special. This is truly a marvelous book for readers of all ages."

For the first time, the 2005 Borders Original Voices program included music selections and from the group of six finalists, "Careless Love" by Madeleine Peyroux on the Rounder Records Group label was selected as the winner. In choosing this title as the award recipient, music committee members said, "It is Peyroux's voice that first catches your ear, but it is her beautiful, laid back, melodic jazz treatments of everything from Leonard Cohen to Bob Dylan to Hank Williams that keeps you listening."

"As in previous years, our committee members reviewed an outstanding selection of books and music for the 2005 Borders Original Voices awards," said Mike Spinozzi, executive vice president and chief product officer of Borders Group, Inc. "Each of the winning titles highlights the amazing new and emerging talent in the publishing and music industries and each represents the best-of-the-best from this past year. We are proud to honor this musician and group of authors for their exceptional works."

The six nominees in each category were chosen by Borders store employees and corporate office employees and the winners were selected by a cross-functional panel of judges at the corporate office, who volunteered to read each book nominated and listen to each CD and serve in several group discussions on the nominated selections.

Throughout the year, the Borders Original Voices program features the works of more than 200 contemporary authors/illustrators and musicians from around the world in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, young adult, picture books, and music. The monthly program highlights innovative and ambitious new work from new and emerging talents, as well as works that represent a new direction for established authors and musicians. All featured titles receive special placement in Borders stores, and are also highlighted in the in-store magazine, "Borders This Month."

City will have own poet laureate
Literary community mounted effort after governor vetoed statewide position
BY CANDACE RENALLS
Duluth News Tribune

Denver, San Francisco and Grand Rapids, Mich., have poet laureates. Thirty-seven states also have one.

Minnesota doesn't have any of such prominence, but that will change in April when Duluth names a poet laureate.

"I'm very excited that the city I live in is taking this step,'' said Duluth resident Claire Kirch, who writes about regional works for Publishers Weekly, a publishers' trade journal.

Kirch said Duluth is known nationally as a hub of literary activity, including being home to several nationally known poets.

"It will make Duluth even more celebrated in the national literary community, a place where poetry is not just being written, it's being celebrated,'' she said of the poet laureate program.

Since last June, Kirch has been part of the poet laureate committee of Lake Superior Writers, a nonprofit organization. With program guidelines and initial funding in place, the committee is accepting poets' applications until March 1.

The poet laureate will be announced during a series of local literary events April 19-22 that include a visit by National Public Radio commentator Terry Gross.

The Duluth effort was spurred by Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto last spring of a state poet laureate program.

"While respectful and appreciative of the arts, I do not believe Minnesota needs an official state poet," Pawlenty wrote in his veto message. "We can benefit from the richness and the diversity of all the poets in Minnesota and recognize and embrace their work as merit and circumstances warrant."

Minnesota already has a state folklorist. And Pawlenty expressed concern that "this will lead to calls for similar positions. We could see requests for a state mime, interpretive dancer or potter. So, I draw the line here," he wrote.

The Duluth idea gained momentum when U.S. poet laureate Ted Kooser visited Duluth in August.

Jim Perlman, who owns Holy Cow! Press in Duluth, first approached fellow members of the Lake Superior Writers Board last June. Research led to a committee that met monthly and expanded to include members from area colleges, universities, bookstores and arts groups.

The 12-member group will choose a poet laureate to serve a two-year term. The post's mission will be to raise awareness and appreciation of poetry in the community through readings, appearances, workshops and other initiatives.

To qualify, poets must live in the Duluth area, be respected by their peers and have written one to three volumes of published poetry in the last 10 years.

"There's probably less than two dozen poets who would be eligible to apply,'' said Perlman, who has published poetry and other works for 28 years and has excused himself from selection discussions involving poets he has published. "This isn't an honor conferred on a poet. It's one that has to be applied for by the poets themselves.''

Applications rather than nominations are being used to ensure fairness and to make sure a poet really wants the honorary post, Kirch said.

Nationally known poets from Duluth whose names have come up include Barton Sutter, Connie Wanek, Louis Jenkins and Jim Johnson.

Sutter said he might be interested but would like more information.

"Duluth is a highly poetic place and a lot is going on,'' he said. "It makes some sense to me. I'm happy about almost anything that promotes the visibility of poetry.''

Wanek was flattered but said she didn't think she was in the same league as Sutter and Jenkins.

"I would feel very presumptuous applying for a post like that,'' she wrote in an e-mail response to questions. "Not to mention... I'm one of Garrison Keillor's shy people, and not even Powdermilk Biscuits can give me the courage to be comfortable in a very public setting.''

Jenkins said he's not likely to apply.

"I don't think poets belong in official positions,'' he said. "It may compromise your independence as a poet and that's one of the few things you have.''

While he is critical of government-sponsored poet laureate programs, Jenkins felt better about Duluth's.

"It seems to be a grass-roots movement,'' he noted.

For poets, the post could popularize their work and mean greater book sales as well as be an honor, Perlman said. A $2,000 honorarium was raised in part by a grant from the Duluth-Superior Area Community Foundation.

"It's an honor to be the first poet laureate in a city in Minnesota,'' Perlman said. "It would be quite an accomplishment to be chosen by one's community.''

Duluth poet laureate

Applications for Duluth's first poet laureate will be accepted by Lake Superior Writers until March 1. The poet will be announced during literary events slated for April 19-22. For more information, visit www.lakesuperiorwriters.org, call 218-722-3094 or write to Lake Superior Writers, Poet Laureate Application, 1301 Rice Lake Road, Suite 132, Duluth, MN 55811.

Qualifications:

• Must be a legal resident of Minnesota and have lived in the Duluth, Hermantown and Proctor area for at least five of the past 10 years.

• Within the past 10 years, must have written at least one published volume of poetry of 48 pages or more or published at least three poetry volumes of 16 pages or more. Self-published and vanity publications are not accepted.

• Has been recognized by peers in the literary community as having made a significant contribution.

• Possesses a willingness and ability to fulfill poet laureate duties.


St. Paul Pioneer Press | 01/10/2006 | City will have own poet laureate

The 50 Top-Selling Books of 2005

1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Rowling, J.K. (Arthur A. Levine Books, 0439784549, 7/1/2005, $29.99)

2. A Million Little Pieces, Frey, James, (Anchor Books, 0307276902, 9/1/2005, $14.95)

3. The Kite Runner, Hosseini, Khaled, (Riverhead, 1594480001, 4/1/2004, $14.00)

4. 1776, McCullough, David, (Simon & Schuster, 0743226712, 5/1/2005, $32.00)

5. The Da Vinci Code, Brown, Dan, (Doubleday, 0385504209, 3/1/2003, $24.95)

6. The World Is Flat, Friedman, Thomas L. (Farrar Straus Giroux, 0374292884, 4/1/2005, $27.50)

7. The Purpose-Driven Life, Warren, Rick, (Zondervan, 0310205719, 10/1/2002, $19.99)

8. Angels & Demons, Brown, Dan, (Pocket Star, 0671027360, 7/1/2001, $7.99)

9. You: The Owner's Manual, Oz, Mehmet, (HarperCollins, 0060765313, 5/1/2005, $24.95)

10. Eldest, Paolini, Christopher, (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 037582670X, 8/1/2005, $21.00)

11. The Broker, Grisham, John, (Doubleday, 0385510454, 1/1/2005, $27.95)

12. Your Best Life Now, Osteen, Joel, (Warner Faith, 0446532754, 10/1/2004, $19.99)

13. Blink, Gladwell, Malcolm, (Little, Brown, 0316172324, 1/1/2005, $25.95)

14. Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About, Trudeau, Kevin, (Alliance Publishing, 0975599518, 6/1/2005, $29.95)

15. Freakonomics, Levitt, Steven D. (William Morrow, 006073132X, 5/1/2005, $25.95)

16. The Secret Life of Bees, Kidd, Sue Monk, (Penguin, 0142001740, 1/1/2003, $14.00)

17. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Haddon, Mark, (Vintage, 1400032717, 5/1/2004, $12.95)

18. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Brashares, Ann, (Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers, 0385730586, 3/1/2003, $8.95)

19. The Broker, Grisham, John, (Dell, 0440241588, 11/1/2005, $7.99)

20. French Women Don't Get Fat, Guiliano, Mireille, (Knopf, 1400042127, 12/1/2004, $22.00)

21. Wicked, Maguire, Gregory, (ReganBooks, 0060987103, 12/1/2000, $15.00)

22. True Believer, Sparks, Nicholas, (Warner Books, 0446532436, 4/1/2005, $24.95)

23. The Mermaid Chair, Kidd, Sue Monk, (Viking, 0670033944, 4/1/2005, $24.95)

24. Black Rose, Roberts, Nora, (Jove, 0515138657, 6/1/2005, $7.99)

25. The Penultimate Peril, Snicket, Lemony, (HarperCollins, 0064410153, 10/1/2005, $11.99)

26. The Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis, C.S. (HarperCollins, 0066238501, 10/1/2001, $19.99)

27. Mary, Mary, Patterson, James, (Little, Brown, 031615976X, 11/1/2005, $27.95)

28. The Historian, Kostova, Elizabeth, (Little, Brown, 0316011770, 6/1/2005, $25.95)

29. Girls In Pants, Brashares, Ann, (Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers, 0385729359, 1/1/2005, $16.95)

30. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Brashares, Ann, (Delacorte Press, 0385731051, 12/1/2004, $8.95)

31. My Sister's Keeper, Picoult, Jodi, (Washington Square Press, 0743454537, 2/1/2005, $14.00)

32. Red Lily, Roberts, Nora, (Jove, 0515139408, 12/1/2005, $7.99)

33. The Last Juror, Grisham, John, (Dell, 044024157X, 12/1/2004, $7.99)

34. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Rowling, J.K. (Scholastic, 0439358078, 8/1/2004, $9.99)

35. The Five People You Meet In Heaven, Albom, Mitch, (Hyperion, 0786868716, 9/1/2003, $19.95)

36. At First Sight, Sparks, Nicholas, (Warner Books, 0446532428, 10/1/2005, $24.95)

37. Eragon, Paolini, Christopher, (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 0375826696, 4/1/2005, $9.95)

38. Deception Point, Brown, Dan, (Pocket Books, 0671027387, 12/1/2002, $7.99)

39. He's Just Not That Into You, T, Behrendt, Greg and Tuccillo, Liz (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 068987474X, 9/1/2004, $21.95)

40. Rachael Ray's 365, Ray, Rachael, (Clarkson Potter, 1400082544, 10/1/2005, $19.95)

41. Honeymoon, Patterson, James, (Little, Brown, 0316710628, 2/1/2005, $27.95)

42. The Tipping Point, Gladwell, Malcolm, (Back Bay Books, 0316346624, 1/1/2002, $14.95)

43. 4th of July, Patterson, James, (Little, Brown, 0316710601, 5/1/2005, $27.95)

44. Why Do Men Have Nipples?, Leyner, Mark, (Three Rivers Press, 1400082315, 7/1/2005, $13.95)

45. Teacher Man, McCourt, Frank, (Scribner, 0743243773, 11/1/2005, $26.00)

46. Team of Rivals, Goodwin, Doris, Kearns, (Simon & Schuster, 0684824906, 10/1/2005, $35.00)

47. Our Endangered Values, Carter, Jimmy, (Simon & Schuster, 0743284577, 10/1/2005, $25.00)

48. Trace, Cornwell, Patricia D. (Berkley, 0425204200, 6/1/2005, $7.99)

49. Bad Cat, Edgar, Jim, (Workman, 0761136193, 10/1/2004, $9.95)

50. Predator, Cornwell, Patricia, (Putnam, 0399152830, 11/1/2005, $26.95)


The Biggest of 2005: The 200 Bestselling Books of the Year: "The 50 Top-Selling Books of 2005"

Publishers toss Booker winners into the reject pile
Jonathan Calvert and Will Iredale

THEY can’t judge a book without its cover. Publishers and agents have rejected two Booker prize-winning novels submitted as works by aspiring authors.
One of the books considered unworthy by the publishing industry was by V S Naipaul, one of Britain’s greatest living writers, who won the Nobel prize for literature.

The exercise by The Sunday Times draws attention to concerns that the industry has become incapable of spotting genuine literary talent.

Typed manuscripts of the opening chapters of Naipaul’s In a Free State and a second novel, Holiday, by Stanley Middleton, were sent to 20 publishers and agents.

None appears to have recognised them as Booker prizewinners from the 1970s that were lauded as British novel writing at its best. Of the 21 replies, all but one were rejections.

Only Barbara Levy, a London literary agent, expressed an interest, and that was for Middleton’s novel.

She was unimpressed by Naipaul’s book. She wrote: “We . . . thought it was quite original. In the end though I’m afraid we just weren’t quite enthusiastic enough to be able to offer to take things further.”

The rejections for Middleton’s book came from major publishing houses such as Bloomsbury and Time Warner as well as well-known agents such as Christopher Little, who discovered J K Rowling.

The major literary agencies PFD, Blake Friedmann and Lucas Alexander Whitley all turned down V S Naipaul’s book, which has received only a handful of replies.

Critics say the publishing industry has become obsessed with celebrity authors and “bright marketable young things” at the expense of serious writers.

Most large publishers no longer accept unsolicited manuscripts from first-time authors, leaving the literary agencies to discover new talent.

Many of the agencies find it hard to cope with the volume of submissions. One said last week that she receives up to 50 manuscripts a day, but takes on a maximum of only six new writers a year.

Last week, leading literary figures expressed surprise that Naipaul, in particular, had not been talent spotted. Doris Lessing, the author who was once rejected by her own publishers when she submitted a novel under a pseudonym, said: “I’m astounded as Naipaul is an absolutely wonderful writer.”

Andrew Motion, the poet laureate, who teaches creative writing, said: “It is surprising that the people who read it (Naipaul’s book) didn’t recognise it. He is certainly up there as one of our greatest living writers.”

While arguing that the best books would still always find a publisher, he added: “We need to keep the publishers on their toes as good books are as rare as hens’ teeth.”

Middleton, 86, whose books have a devoted following, wasn’t surprised. “People don’t seem to know what a good novel is nowadays,” he said. Naipaul, 73, said the “world had moved on” since he wrote the novel. He added: “To see that something is well written and appetisingly written takes a lot of talent and there is not a great deal of that around.”

“With all the other forms of entertainment today there are very few people around who would understand what a good paragraph is.”



Publishers toss Booker winners into the reject pile - Sunday Times - Times Online