Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Adding more good, up-coming books to the list....

From Publishers Lunch Weekly:

FICTION/DEBUT:

Former WSJ writer and Columbia MFA grad Jennifer Cody Epstein's IRON ORCHID, an epic historical novel based on the true story of Pan Yuliang, a celebrated and controversial female Chinese painter born into poverty at the turn of the century, who escaped life in a brothel to attend the Shanghai Academy of Art in 1917 and went on to have a flourishing career in Paris, to Jill Bialosky at Norton, in a pre-empt (US), and to Mary Mount at Viking UK, at auction, by Elizabeth Sheinkman at Curtis Brown UK.Elizabeth@curtisbrown.co.uk

Dutch rights to Pieter Swinkels at Bizije Bij, in a pre-empt, with offers in Italy and Germany.Rights: betsy@curtisbrown.co.uk

Sophie Judah's JWALANAGAR STORIES, depicting the shtetl life in a small Indian village among the Bene Israel Jews, to Altie Karper at Schocken Books, in a very nice deal, by Sharon Friedman at Sharon Friedman Literary Agency (World English). sfbooks@netvision.net.il

THRILLER:

Derek Nikitlas's PYRES, about a young girl who witnesses her father's murder during a carjacking which turns out not to be the random act of violence it first seems, to Michael Homler at St. Martin's, in a nice deal, by Jeff Gerecke.

[Note: St Martin's is an excellent publisher!]

GENERAL/OTHER:

Former game show producer Chuck Barris's THE BIG QUESTION, a satire set in the near-future, when a producer discovers the formula for the ultimate reality/game show, where contestants compete for millions of dollars -- and face on-camera execution if they lose, to David Rosenthal at Simon & Schuster, with Sarah Hochman editing, in a very nice deal, for publication in spring 2007, by Jennifer Lyons of Lyons & Pande (world).victoria.meyer@simonandschuster.com

Manette Ansay's THE CONFESSIONS OF JOSEPH FREMANTLE, about a woman in the early 1800s who went to sea as a man, and MY FATHER'S HOUSE, focusing on the love triangle among Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms, again to Claire Wachtel at William Morrow, by Deborah Schneider at Gelfman Schneider (NA).

HISTORY/POLITICS/CURRENT AFFAIRS:

Clayton Cramer's ARMED AMERICA, examining the origins and development of America's unique "gun culture" from the earliest settlement to 1840 and proving that our forebearers were armed to the teeth, to Joel Miller at Nelson Current, for publication in fall 2006, by Ed Knappman of New England Publishing Associates (World).ed@nepa.com

HARLEMWORLD author and Duke professor of African-American studies and urban anthropology John L. Jackson, Jr.'s RACIAL PARANOIA: The Paradox at the Heart of Black and White, a look at the historical and contemporary manifestations of racial paranoia in American society, and what this phenomena means for the way we understand race and racial difference in this country, to Ellen Garrison at Basic, at auction, by Andrew Stuart at The Stuart Agency (world). andrew@stuartagency.com

MEMOIR:

Actress Kathleen Turner's TAKE THE LEAD, LADY!, written in collaboration with Gloria Feldt (an author and former president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America), covering her path to superstardom and revealing many private struggles and triumphs for the first time, and details on how she persevered in the face of health and family issues, to Karen Murgolo at Springboard Press, for six figures, at auction, by Karen Gantz Zahler at Karen Gantz Literary Management (world).Kgzahler@aol.com matthew.ballast@twbg.com

Marjorie Hart's SUMMER AT TIFFANY, the true story of a University of Iowa Kappa and her best friend, who came to New York during the summer of 1945 where they found positions as pages at Tiffany -- interacting with everyone from Judy Garland on her honeymoon to Old Man Tiffany -- while having misadventures in the city and falling in love, to Jennifer Pooley at William Morrow, for publication in April 2007,jennifer.pooley@harpercollins.com

NARRATIVE:

Kate Braestrup's FINDING THE BODY, about her work as a chaplain working on search-and-rescue missions for the Maine State Warden Service, to Reagan Arthur at Little, Brown, at auction, for publication in 2007, by Sally Wofford-Girand at Brick House (NA).

Playing House and When She Was Bad author Patricia Pearson's SCREAMING LIKE A GIRL: A History of Being Afraid, about the many dangers facing the modern world (avian flu, climate change, terrorism) and what we can do about them (panic); including the psychology, biology, and cultural background behind fear, to Gillian Blake at Bloomsbury, by Paula Balzer at Sarah Lazin Books (World English).

SPORTS:

Golf instructor Jim Hardy's THE PLANE TRUTH FOR GOLFERS MASTER CLASS, the follow up to his The Plane Truth for Golfers, with John Andrisani, to Mark Weinstein at McGraw-Hill, by Farley Chase at the Waxman Literary Agency (NA).

GENERAL/OTHER:

President and CEO of the Boulder Outdoor Survival School and host of the History Channel's Digging for the Truth Josh Bernstein's DIGGING FOR THE TRUTH, weaving history and archaeology with accounts of his travels drawn from his personal journal, including full-color photos, to Jonathan Burnham and Gail Winston at Harper, for publication in January 2007, by Mel Berger at the William Morris Agency.

Wrap...

2 comments:

Leah Goodman said...

Nice to see that there's info out about Sophie Judah's book.

Sophie and I are friends and I've read a lot of her stories. She's very talented, and I can't wait til it's in print to get a copy.

t.c.

Watch 'n Wait said...

t.c.....Do give Sophie my sincere congratulations on the upcoming publication of her book. I'm thinking there will be many people looking forward to the opportunity to read her work. :)