The Millions: This and That

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May 27, 2004

This and That

Attention prospective authors: not to discourage, but the number of books coming out each year is getting out of hand. According to Bowker, a company that compiles and distributes bibliographic information, approximately 175,000 different books came out in 2003, a rise 19% from the previous year. Many believe this "book glut" is at least partly to blame for the financial woes of many publishers. Here's the full press release with all the facts and figures. Following up on the comment that Edan left under yesterday's post. Missing novelist, Helen DeWitt, author of The Last Samurai, has been found in Niagara Falls. Here's the article. Look for Dan Chaon's first novel, You Remind Me of Me to be a hot read this summer. Janet Maslin gets the ball rolling with her warm review in the New York Times.

Bookspotting

When: Evening 05/26/04
Where: The gym at George Washington University
Who: A girl on one of the stationary bikes
What: Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
Description: "Catch-22 is like no other novel we have ever read. It has its own style, its own rationale, its own extraordinary character. It moves back and forth from hilarity to horror. It is outrageously funny and strangely affecting."

When: Late 05/26/04
Where: At the bar at Cantina Marina on the waterfront in downtown Washington, DC
Who: A man in a suit, puffing a cigar, sipping his drink
What: The Prince of Providence by Mike Stanton
Description: "Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stanton tells the incredible story of Buddy Cianci, America's most colorful mayor, in this classic story of wiseguys, feds, and politicians riding a carousel of crime and redemption."