In Change, Publisher Recalls Book - New York Times

Oh, thank goodness. I was growing more and more irritated as the publisher came out to defend the author. No one should defend this sort of thing. The only way to make the industry look like it has any integrity was to take some initiative and pull the book.

And though I have no sympathy for her, I'm glad that she finally fessed up. Now maybe Oprah can have her on and rip her a new one.

D'Ambrosio Day

I was lucky enough to hear Charles D'Ambrosio read last month at CSU. He was humble and read wonderfully. He read "Screenwriter," so I've got one story out of the new collection already done. And then I've already read "The High Divide" out of the 2005 Best American Short Stories. Another one down, and my mind made up to buy the book the moment it comes out.

A Google search turned up this interview with D'Ambrosio by Dan Wickett. He makes the mistake of admitting that he likes receiving letters--actual letters, not email. He just might be receiving one from me one of these days.

But here's one for you. Can someone tell me why my local Barnes & Noble is not carrying Charles D'Ambrosio's Dead Fish Museum? Not one. So, I had to travel to Tattered Cover (fantastic independent bookstore who has established a store out in the suburbs, for some reason, but happens to be somewhat near to where I'm living now), and they only had one copy. I bought it.

And then on my way home I heard the Alan Cheuse NPR review of the book. He liked it.

I'll be reading the book tonight. Well, starting it, I mean. There's not a chance I'll finish it in the next week. In the meantime, here's a few stories of his floatin' around the internet:

TRAIN IN VAIN
HER REAL NAME
The Lighted Window
Blessing

Pundit as Press Secretary

CNN.com - Snow takes White House job - Apr 26, 2006

Fox News analyst replaces McClellan as press secretary

Tell me there's not something wrong with this. Shouldn't there be a line between politics and the press? The Bush Administration and Fox News? I always thought Tony Snow was talking for the Administration, so maybe it's just a change of venue. Why not just admit that Fox News is an extension of the White House.

Unintentional, my foot

Harvard Novelist Says Copying Was Unintentional - New York Times

The more I think about this the more it bothers me. Whatever Ms. Viswanathan may say about the borrowing of language being unintentional, too many sections are taken practically verbatim. I can see a phrase or two that may may have stayed in her head and she used, but this is pretty blatant.

The other interesting part is this:

Ms. Walsh said that she put Ms. Viswanathan in touch with a book packaging
company, 17th Street Productions (now Alloy Entertainment), but that the plot
and writing of "Opal" were "1,000 percent hers."
Alloy, which referred questions to Little, Brown, holds the copyright to "Opal" with Ms. Viswanathan.

A "book packaging company" that shares the copyright with the author? Sounds like they might be as much to blame.

I hope that the Little, Brown sues Ms. Viswanathan for representing the work as hers when it was not. I hope they make a very visible effort to right the situation. An apology is not enough

Giving writers a bad name

Harvard author faces scrutiny - The Boston Globe

Who on earth things that they can get away with plagarism anymore? I'm willing to give writers a lot of credit when something seems similar to something else. I have to say I was on Dan Brown's side. But just look at the several passages compared in The Boston Globe and you'll be stunned by the audacity.

Thanks to Bookdwarf for bringing this to our attention.

Fiction Pulitzer

The 2006 Pulitzer Prizes

What does it mean when I've never even heard of the Pulitzer Prize winner for Fiction? How out of touch am I? Oh, I do my best, I think. I check the litblogs--though I don't know many of the books they're talking about. I even skim the NYT Book Review (once in a while). And still I've never even heard of Geraldine Brooks's March. But maybe it's a good book?

McClellan Out as White House Press Secretary

McClellan Out as White House Press Secretary

He really should never have lasted this long. Not that I believe he really resigned. Maybe the next guy can be a more convincing liar.

TIME.com: Wayne Allard: The Invisible Man -- Page 1

TIME.com: Wayne Allard: The Invisible Man

Not only do I have my Congressman, Tom Tancredo, to be embarassed by, I also have this guy representing me in Washington.

The Immigration Debate

Okay, I’ve got to insert my comments into this silly immigration debate. I have my opinions on what should be done, but those ideas differ greatly from what I believe will actually be done. You want to know the Congress will accomplish on this issue? Nothing. Not a thing, because it is in nobody’s interest to do anything. Oh, both sides believe that they can use the debate to damage the opposition and bolster their base, but there’s no actual need to get their hands dirty by passing legislation.

As for what I think should be done, it is certainly not most politically viable option. Not the most popular option, and not necessarily the same as the ideas of the Democratic leadership. I don’t think anything can be done on immigration without first securing the border. I don’t think that a hot-button idea like a “wall” makes much sense, but putting more money into border security so that more guards can be hired and more surveillance done would help the situation. The next course of action would be to increase enforcement. Here, again, we’re talking about more personnel, more funding so we can complete the actions that laws require. While I don’t think large sweeps to try and remove large numbers would be any good for anybody, I just want to know that people who are charged with crimes in the U.S. do not get to stay in the U.S. And I also think increasing pressure on employers would help (I know there are any number of issues that influence these things, and each is contentious). Only after we make some headway on these first two problems can we begin to even think about the idea of guest workers. We do have many of illegal immigrants working and surviving and contributing to our system, and finding somewhat to legitimize their status makes sense. And I wouldn’t call it “amnesty.” I don’t even know that putting these people on a path to citizenship is the right course.

I don’t know that we’re getting anywhere in this debate. I just hope we can get it off the front page so that I don’t have to hear anything more about Tom Tancredo. He is my Congressman, and it’s damned embarrassing.

Book Review: Shopgirl

Shopgirl by Steve Martin

Via the publisher’s podcast, I had a chance to listen to Steve Martin read an excerpt from this short novel and found myself intrigued. Of course I’m reluctant to embrace anything by an actor-turned-author (is he only getting published because he’s famous), but I thought I’d give it a chance. It was initially difficult to get Martin’s voice out of my head. This is no comedy. His wit finds its way in, but this is no SNL skit. The tone of the writing is dry and melancholic, and moving because of it. The characters may be somewhat exaggerated or stereotypical, but I really enjoyed my time in the world Martin creates. When Martin takes the time to write a full-length novel, my guess is that it will be worth the read and a little better than this short book.

Washington Post Spring Book Preview

Spring Preview

WaPo has a preview of the books to look for this spring. Philip Roth, Walter Mosley, Douglas Coupland, Curtis Sittenfeld, Larry McMurtry, John Updike, Sebastian Junger, Willie Nelson. Good reading.

Sources: DeLay to leave House re-election race

CNN.com - Sources: DeLay to leave House re-election race - Apr 3, 2006

Rep. Tom DeLay will drop out of his re-election race, two Republican congressional sources told CNN on Monday.

Oh, happy day.

Tan, Rested and Ready

Back now from vacation, which was preceded by closing on our housing, defending my thesis, and two weeks of moving and unpacking. But I had a week of beach time, some uninterrupted reading under the sun, and I'm ready for life again. So, I've got some book reviews to put together for you, plenty of political things to comment on, and some (ok, many) thoughts on writing to share.

So, keep checking back and I promise to keep posting and posting and posting...