In early December, Rainbow Rowell promised fans that a new Simon & Baz novel is on its way.

Now we know she wasn’t trolling us; it’s listed in distributor catalogs.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Macmillan/ St. Martin’s Griffin
October 6, 2015

Publisher summary:

Rainbow Rowell continues to break boundaries with Carry On, an epic fantasy following the triumphs and heartaches of Simon and Baz from her beloved bestseller Fangirl.

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything. Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story — but far, far more monsters.

She recently spoke to Time magazine about it,  declaring that the book is not fanfiction for her own book, “I don’t think it’s fanfiction, I think it’s more like canon! Because even though Simon Snow is fictional inside of Fangirl, I still had to make him up. He still feels like he’s my character.”

A sneak peek will be featured in a new “collector’s edition” of Fangirl, (Macmillan/St. Martin’s Griffin) coming in May, described as including “Fan Art, a ribbon bookmark, an exclusive author Q&A, and an excerpt from her upcoming book Carry On.“

Rowell is scheduled to appear at BookCon in May, which follows Book Expo America.

One of the most-anticipated books of the season, Erik Larson’s Dead Wake, (RH/Crown; RH and BOT Audio; RH Large Print) arrives next week. Known for his skill in spinning a great narrative from dimly-remembered bits of history, Larson tackles the story of the German sinking of the luxury liner the Lusitania, an act that eventually brought the US into WW I.

It gets triple advance coverage including the cover of Sunday’s New York Times Book Review, an early review from Janet Maslin in the daily New York Times and the main review in Entertainment Weekly’s Book Section (not online yet).

Surprisingly, both the Book Review and Entertainment Weekly find most fascinating the villain of the piece, the German U-boat commander who gave the order to torpedo the luxury liner, sinking it in 18 minutes and killing 1,200.

It will hardly matter that both Maslin and the Book Review report that this is a lesser book than the author’s previous titles. As Maslin says, “Larson is one of the modern masters of popular narrative nonfiction. In book after book, he’s proved adept at rescuing weird and wonderful gothic tales from the shadows of history.” Check your holds.

NPR also offers an “Exclusive First Read” and and interview with Larson is scheduled for the upcoming Weekend Edition Saturday.

Larson’s video, below, includes archival film of the Lusitania.

The live chat has now ended. Read the archived version, below.

To join First Flights, the Penguin Debut Author program designed to introduce librarians to new authors, click here.

Live chat with Jacob Rubin: THE POSER

(03/04/2015)

  

Close

5:02	Jacob:  Bye -- thank you! Wednesday March 4, 2015 5:02 Jacob

5:02	[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ]  Continued success, Jake! Wednesday March 4, 2015 5:02 bookclubreader

5:02	[Comment From FrannyFranny: ]  Bye, Jake -- THANKS! Wednesday March 4, 2015 5:02 Franny

5:01	Nora - EarlyWord:  The next book in our program is Eeny Meeny by M. J. Arlidge, a “dark, twisted” thriller. If you are not already a member of the Penguin Debut Authors program, you can sign up here: http://penguindebutauthors.... Wednesday March 4, 2015 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord

5:01	Nora - EarlyWord:  This is the end of this chat. Wednesday March 4, 2015 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord

5:00	Jacob:  Thank you! Wednesday March 4, 2015 5:00 Jacob

5:00	Nora - EarlyWord:  We're all rooting for you. Wednesday March 4, 2015 5:00 Nora - EarlyWord

5:00	Jacob:  but I am excited for the book to be out there and to hear people's responses. Wednesday March 4, 2015 5:00 Jacob

5:00	Jacob:  however many parts which varies day to day Wednesday March 4, 2015 5:00 Jacob

5:00	Jacob:  I am some combination of excited and anxious Wednesday March 4, 2015 5:00 Jacob

4:59	Jacob:  My pleasure - thanks so much for having me, Nora, and thank you all for participating... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:59 Jacob

4:59	Nora - EarlyWord:  Thanks so much, Jake, for taking the time for this. Your book hits shelves in a couple of weeks. How do you feel> Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:59 Nora - EarlyWord

4:58	Jacob:  Absolutely. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:58 Jacob

4:58	Nora - EarlyWord:  Such similarity to what an author tries to do with words. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:58 Nora - EarlyWord

4:58	Jacob:  in whatever medium. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:58 Jacob

4:58	Jacob:  I really like abstract portraits that feel hyper-perceptive, acute Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:58 Jacob

4:57	Jacob:  or a distant, tapering shape. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:57 Jacob

4:57	Jacob:  I love the way they can conjure a person with just a few almost primitive lines Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:57 Jacob

4:57	Jacob:  Two of my favorite artists are Alberto Giacometti and Paul Klee... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:57 Jacob

4:56	Nora - EarlyWord:  I was fascianted by the works of art on you wall in the video and wondered what are your favorites. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:56 Nora - EarlyWord

4:55	Jacob:  not at all! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:55 Jacob

4:55	Jacob:  I do think, though, it can become a kind of echo chamber. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:55 Jacob

4:55	Nora - EarlyWord:  Sorry -- didn't mean to interupt! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:55 Nora - EarlyWord

4:55	Jacob:  I think in some ways it's heightening our sensitivity to language and instilling in many sound writing precepts, like the importance of economy... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:55 Jacob

4:55	Nora - EarlyWord:  I'm going to take the privilege of asking the last question … Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:55 Nora - EarlyWord

4:54	Jacob:  I have mixed feelings about twitter... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:54 Jacob

4:54	[Comment From FrannyFranny: ]  Do you enjoy using Twitter? Do you think it's affecting, or dminishing how we communicate today? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:54 Franny

4:53	Jacob:  I think probably yes! I think the setting will be different, but I think some of the themes will be the same. I think it may be more overtly comedic. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:53 Jacob

4:53	[Comment From Francis, SDFrancis, SD: ]  Do you think it will be anything like THE POSER? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:53 Francis, SD

4:52	Jacob:  I'm working on another novel right now. It's still pretty inchoate, but I'm hoping to get back to it soon and see what shape it takes. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:52 Jacob

4:51	[Comment From Francis, SDFrancis, SD: ]  What's next for you? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:51 Francis, SD

4:51	Jacob:  Well put. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:51 Jacob

4:51	[Comment From FrannyFranny: ]  I see what you mean. The first time for fun, the second time to see what made it fun. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:51 Franny

4:51	Jacob:  I do think rereading is invaluable. It helps you take writing apart, like a clock, to see how it's made. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:51 Jacob

4:50	Jacob:  Btw, Franny... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:50 Jacob

4:50	Nora - EarlyWord:  Guess what, gang? I have the unpleasant task of giving the ten minute warning. We will need to wrap up soon, so get your final questions in! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:50 Nora - EarlyWord

4:50	Jacob:  please do! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:50 Jacob

4:50	Jacob:  just enjoying the detail, dialogue, plot, etc. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:50 Jacob

4:50	[Comment From FrannyFranny: ]  I'm going to reread your book with that in mind! I may tweet you about it! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:50 Franny

4:50	Jacob:  i know i often read things in a more purely appreciative light... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:50 Jacob

4:49	Jacob:  that helps the work achieve whatever its ultimate effect is? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:49 Jacob

4:49	Jacob:  what choices are being made on the level of the sentence, the paragraph, the page... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:49 Jacob

4:49	Jacob:  Basically, read stories or novels you love from the perspective of the person trying to sweat through it, sentence by sentence... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:49 Jacob

4:49	Jacob:  That's how my teachers in grad school always put it to us. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:49 Jacob

4:48	Jacob:  to "read like a writer." Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:48 Jacob

4:48	Jacob:  I think the most valuable thing is to - and this has become a little cliched - Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:48 Jacob

4:48	[Comment From FrannyFranny: ]  GREAT answer. Obviously, I'm trying to figure out how to write a novel, What's your best advice for an aspiring writer? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:48 Franny

4:47	Jacob:  communicate exposition or necessary plot developments without, hopefully, any of it feeling too hokey. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:47 Jacob

4:47	Jacob:  on a technical level, nothing that's related can happen without the character being there, which forces you sometimes to use other methods to... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:47 Jacob

4:46	Jacob:  Oh definitely... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:46 Jacob

4:46	[Comment From FrannyFranny: ]  I agree -- I really can't imagine it any other way. But are there issues with not having the omniscient viewpoint? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:46 Franny

4:45	Jacob:  Hi, Franny. I did think about it, but the novel seemed so voice-driven to me and ultimately even about Giovanni finding his own voice that I thought it had to be first person. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:45 Jacob

4:44	[Comment From FrannyFranny: ]  It's in the first person -- what are the advantages and disadvantages of writing that way? Did you every think of doing it in the third person? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:44 Franny

4:43	Jacob:  it seemed to make sense to me that it would be a relatively changeable book in tone and mood given the nature of its protagonist. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:43 Jacob

4:43	Jacob:  and I wanted the prose style to maybe subtly reflect the mood and tenor of that person and time in Giovanni's life... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:43 Jacob

4:42	Jacob:  I wanted each section to roughly correspond to the figure under whose sway Giovanni is taken for that period of time... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:42 Jacob

4:42	Nora - EarlyWord:  THE POSER is in three parts, almost like a stage play. Why did you structure it that way? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:42 Nora - EarlyWord

4:41	Jacob:  It's been with me so long as an ambition that it's funny - it almost precedes any question of why, psychologically. It just always seemed like a fact that I knew about myself. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:41 Jacob

4:40	Jacob:  I think reading, seeing the books on my parents' shelves... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:40 Jacob

4:40	Jacob:  Almost as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a writer. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:40 Jacob

4:40	Jacob:  though pieces of it remain in the prologue of the book. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:40 Jacob

4:40	Jacob:  There was a 50 page section about Giovanni's childhood that I cut from the book almost entirely... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:40 Jacob

4:40	[Comment From Jo P., CAJo P., CA: ]  What made you want to become a writer? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:40 Jo P., CA

4:39	Jacob:  in the final stages, ironically, I kept wanting to edit the book far past what my editor had initially asked me to do. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:39 Jacob

4:39	[Comment From Brenda, INBrenda, IN: ]  What were the biggest changes? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:39 Brenda, IN

4:39	Jacob:  invaluable, really... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:39 Jacob

4:39	Jacob:  Some, yes, for sure, and my editor was extremely helpful... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:39 Jacob

4:38	[Comment From Brenda, INBrenda, IN: ]  When you got an actual editor, did she/he ask for many changes? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:38 Brenda, IN

4:38	Jacob:  I did it myself. I have become a pretty ruthless editor, in fact, partially as a result of that experience. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:38 Jacob

4:37	Nora - EarlyWord:  Did you get help in editing it, or did you do it yourself? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:37 Nora - EarlyWord

4:36	Jacob:  then I ended up editing the book and having better luck the second time around. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:36 Jacob

4:36	Jacob:  Hi Brenda. I actually tried to sell a version of The Poser years ago and came close at a few places... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:36 Jacob

4:36	[Comment From Brenda, INBrenda, IN: ]  What were the steps in getting your book published? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:36 Brenda, IN

4:35	Jacob:  I don't think so, no, though we can often feel that they do define us. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:35 Jacob

4:35	Nora - EarlyWord:  So, who we are is not defined by our gestures, our habits? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:35 Nora - EarlyWord

4:34	Jacob:  Exactly. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:34 Jacob

4:34	Jacob:  I think his correspondence with his mother is the first instance of his discovering that. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:34 Jacob

4:34	Nora - EarlyWord:  Ah, because it doesn't involve physical gestures. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:34 Nora - EarlyWord

4:34	Jacob:  As the book develops, Giovanni discovers that, given his tendencies, writing ends up being a more honest - or less fraught - mode of communication. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:34 Jacob

4:33	Nora - EarlyWord:  Giovanni has a close relationship with his mother (the librarian). They communicate in many ways, but at one point he notes that they are best via letters. Why is that? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:33 Nora - EarlyWord

4:32	Jacob:  Exactly! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:32 Jacob

4:32	Nora - EarlyWord:  Yes; I think it ends up being much better than THE IMPRESSIONIST and you don't have to worry that someone will think it's about a painter. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:32 Nora - EarlyWord

4:31	Jacob:  Both definitions seemed pertinent. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:31 Jacob

4:31	Jacob:  both one who strikes poses, literally, and one who is a poseur. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:31 Jacob

4:31	Jacob:  I immediately liked it, especially for its double meaning... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:31 Jacob

4:31	Jacob:  and it was my mother, a former English teacher, who conceived of The Poser Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:31 Jacob

4:30	Jacob:  so then I was on the hunt for a new title... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:30 Jacob

4:30	Jacob:  It was actually originally titled The Impressionist, but I later discovered that there is another novel of that title... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:30 Jacob

4:30	Nora - EarlyWord:  How did you come up with the book’s title? Was that the title from the beginning? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:30 Nora - EarlyWord

4:30	Jacob:  i think both fiction writing and rapping, when they're going well, carry with them a feeling of flow, of the words sort of tumbling out of you. so maybe they originate from a similar feeling or interest. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:30 Jacob

4:29	Jacob:  i don't know that it's directly influenced my writing except perhaps in the ways i wrote about performance... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:29 Jacob

4:29	Jacob:  it was perhaps only a little less ridiculous than it sounds or maybe a lot more Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:29 Jacob

4:29	Jacob:  it was a live-instrument seven-man hip-hop group... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:29 Jacob

4:28	Jacob:  and a little after college... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:28 Jacob

4:28	Jacob:  Ha! Yes - this was in high school and college... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:28 Jacob

4:28	[Comment From Jan, FreemontJan, Freemont: ]  You mentioned having been a rapper in your video. Tell us more!! And, has rapping affected your writing style? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:28 Jan, Freemont

4:28	Jacob:  Eventually, I was working in earnest on The Poser. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:28 Jacob

4:27	Jacob:  I soon realized I was much more interested in the impressionist character than in the half-baked story. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:27 Jacob

4:27	Jacob:  someone widely celebrated for being able to mimic anyone he met... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:27 Jacob

4:27	Jacob:  Looking for clues, he began to root around in her garbage and came across a photo of a world-famous impressionist... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:27 Jacob

4:26	Jacob:  In it, a man had woken up in a woman's apartment, remembering little of how he'd gotten there... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:26 Jacob

4:26	Jacob:  Hi, Sue. The idea actually originated with a short story I was writing years ago... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:26 Jacob

4:26	[Comment From Sue from St. CharlesSue from St. Charles: ]  I was wondering where you came up with the idea/concept of the novel? I will admit I may have missed something - got here late. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:26 Sue from St. Charles

4:26	Jacob:  To me, it has been a real sanctuary. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:26 Jacob

4:25	Jacob:  anyone can join for an annual fee. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:25 Jacob

4:25	Jacob:  It's a private library that has existed, I think, since the 1770s... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:25 Jacob

4:25	Nora - EarlyWord:  Oops -- forgiven -- and that wasn't intentional! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:25 Nora - EarlyWord

4:25	Nora - EarlyWord:  ALL typos are forgivine! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:25 Nora - EarlyWord

4:24	Jacob:  sorry, that should be: engaged Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:24 Jacob

4:24	[Comment From Bill, IllinoisBill, Illinois: ]  I don't live in New York and you mentioned the library you write in -- doesn't sound like a public library. I'd love to hear more about it. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:24 Bill, Illinois

4:24	Jacob:  In my experience, they are all very spirited and engagedz people, who are none the less so for being well-mannered. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:24 Jacob

4:24	Jacob:  so I talk to librarians almost every day. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:24 Jacob

4:23	Jacob:  Ha! Well, as I mentioned in the video, I write everyday at the New York Society library... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:23 Jacob

4:23	Nora - EarlyWord:  Tell us about some of the ”fiery librarians” you’ve known. We LOVE those stories! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:23 Nora - EarlyWord

4:22	Jacob:  I've known some fiery librarians in my day. In my experience librarians are like writers -- a fierce minority fighting against what feels like a mass culture of proud stupidity. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:22 Jacob

4:21	Nora - EarlyWord:  Giovanni’s mother is a librarian who is blessedly free of the stereotype – why did you choose to make her a librarian? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:21 Nora - EarlyWord

4:21	Jacob:  Sure thing! Thanks for coming. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:21 Jacob

4:21	[Comment From LucyLucy: ]  Looking forward to the chat but may need to 'lurk' more than actively participate Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:21 Lucy

4:21	Nora - EarlyWord:  I just want to acknowledge one of our regulars -- didn't get her hello in at the beginning … Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:21 Nora - EarlyWord

4:20	Jacob:  because everyone is smushed together and so used to being smushed together that they're totally unselfconscious and will talk about themselves at great length even when surrounded by total strangers. We all do it here! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:20 Jacob

4:20	Jacob:  I think the eavesdropping in NY is world-class... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:20 Jacob

4:20	Jacob:  Absolutely. I think eavesdropping is my primary form of inspiration! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:20 Jacob

4:19	Nora - EarlyWord:  That makes me think you must get lost in overheard conversations, living in New York. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:19 Nora - EarlyWord

4:19	Jacob:  Yes, I can relate to that! I do often privilege sound above almost everything else. It's almost ludicrous how much the sound of the language seems to matter, sometimes even more than sense. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:19 Jacob

4:18	Nora - EarlyWord:  Not at all – after all, we often hear writers talk about their characters "speaking" to them! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:18 Nora - EarlyWord

4:18	Jacob:  I'm aware that this makes me sound slightly schizophrenic. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:18 Jacob

4:18	Jacob:  I'm afraid I may not be able to talk about it very intelligently.It has a lot to do with the sound of the language and with feeling like you're entering a certain mood. I really follow the voice as much I can, or try to. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:18 Jacob

4:17	Jacob:  Thank you! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:17 Jacob

4:17	[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ]  I'd say mission accomplished! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:17 bookclubreader

4:17	Jacob:  Voice is really everything for me as a reader, and it is what I try to pay most attention to as a writer... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:17 Jacob

4:17	Nora - EarlyWord:  THE POSER has a clear and distinctive voice. It feels like being told a tale. How do you establish your voice? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:17 Nora - EarlyWord

4:17	Jacob:  Thank you, yes. I was hoping they would create that sense - a kind of theatrical unreality. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:17 Jacob

4:16	[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ]  I think the character names give a larger than life feel. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:16 bookclubreader

4:16	Jacob:  Thank you! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:16 Jacob

4:16	[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ]  Hi Jake. Enjoyed the video and your juggling skills. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:16 bookclubreader

4:16	Jacob:  Indeed...I am fascinated by the ways in which certain telegenic performers - Reagan, for instance, or Arnold Schwarzenegger, are able to transition so smoothly into politics. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:16 Jacob

4:15	[Comment From Jan, FreemontJan, Freemont: ]  And, we often hear that people like Abraham Lincoln would never have made it in today's politics because they wouldn't have been media -ready! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:15 Jan, Freemont

4:14	Jacob:  some others I saw seemed to get pretty far out there. Very Machiavellian Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:14 Jacob

4:13	Jacob:  Yes, I do. I've seen a few episodes that I liked a lot... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:13 Jacob

4:13	[Comment From Jody, Salt LakeJody, Salt Lake: ]  As a side question, do you love the Netflix series, HOUSE OF CARDS? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:13 Jody, Salt Lake

4:13	Jacob:  Both seem totally in control of how they appear even when they are doing something seemingly off-handed, like laughing away from the podium or scratching their nose. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:13 Jacob

4:12	Jacob:  I think to me the two consummate modern political performers are Reagan and Clinton... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:12 Jacob

4:12	Jacob:  Good question... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:12 Jacob

4:12

[Comment From Jody, Salt LakeJody, Salt Lake: ]  The part about a politician watching himself from every angle to make sure he comes across well was very funny. Image and reality have become so separate in politics. Is there anyone you think is a master at crafting image? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:12 Jody, Salt Lake

4:11	Jacob:  So many New Yorks inside of New York. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:11 Jacob

4:11	Jacob:  Thank you, yes...It's shifty place... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:11 Jacob

4:11	Nora - EarlyWord:  Those of us who live in New York can say that it the reality of The City -- you feel you can't get to the reality of it. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:11 Nora - EarlyWord

4:10

Jacob:  He's plagued by the feeling, I think, that he isn't a real person or that he requires some vague certification that will make him real. I think I wanted the place itself to suffer from a similar malady: perhaps it's almost a real, an inch away from being real... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:10 Jacob

4:10	Jacob:  Yes -- I think I wanted the setting to strain to be real in the same way Giovanni himself does... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:10 Jacob

4:09

Nora - EarlyWord:  I’m glad you brought up the “shadowy landscape.” I couldn’t figure out where or when the novel is set. It feels like early 20th C, but then there’s a character muttering “Pick up, Pick up” into a phone. I figured “the City” was New York, but was thrown that Sea View was north of the city. Were you deliberately making it obscure? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:09 Nora - EarlyWord

4:09	Jacob:  I think I thought of the names as existing on a similar plane as the somewhat shadowy landscape in which the novel is set. I wanted the names to feel very kind of public -- almost like everyone is onstage even when they aren't. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:09 Jacob

4:08	Jacob:  I think it also might have influenced the noir feel of some of the novel. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:08 Jacob

4:08	Nora - EarlyWord:  Giovanni Bernini. Lucy Starlight, Bernard Apache, Maximilian Horatio – all such great character names. How did you come up with them? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:08 Nora - EarlyWord

4:08	Jacob:  that colored some of the descriptions of Fantasma Falls, the Hollywood-esque location in the book. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:08 Jacob

4:08	Jacob:  It's given me some experiences out west... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:08 Jacob

4:08	Jacob:  I don't know that the influence is directly manifested in the characters or plot of The Poser but I actually think sometimes of writing something more closely based on my experiences there. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:08 Jacob

4:07	Nora - EarlyWord:  You've also written screen plays -- has that influence you as well? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:07 Nora - EarlyWord

4:07	Jacob:  I think it might have, yes. I think it emphasized the importance of detail... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:07 Jacob

4:06	Nora - EarlyWord:  Did that influence your writing in any way? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:06 Nora - EarlyWord

4:06	Jacob:  I also had a chance to talk to some very interesting sources and authors about current events and cultural happenings around the city. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:06 Jacob

4:06	Jacob:  you really had to roll your sleeves up and investigate the issue, down to the tiniest detail... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:06 Jacob

4:06	Jacob:  As a fact checker, you couldn't get a way with the kind of skimming I often do as a reader of newspaper articles... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:06 Jacob

4:05	Jacob:  It was interesting... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:05 Jacob

4:05	Nora - EarlyWord:  What was it like being a fact checker? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:05 Nora - EarlyWord

4:05	Jacob:  ha! thank you. hope so. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:05 Jacob

4:05	Nora - EarlyWord:  Well, it's nice way to get a foot in the door, but you still have to have the goods. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:05 Nora - EarlyWord

4:04	Jacob:  about a reissue of Kurt Vonnegut's early novels. Both the work experience - and the review - helped put me on the magazine's radar, I think. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:04 Jacob

4:04	Jacob:  so I was able to send it to some editors and writers that I had worked with years ago. I also wrote a book review for them a few years ago … Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:04 Jacob

4:04	Jacob:  I worked years ago at NYmag as a fact checker... Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:04 Jacob

4:04	Nora - EarlyWord:  They don't often cover debuts -- how did it catch their attention? Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:04 Nora - EarlyWord

4:03	Nora - EarlyWord Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:03

4:03	Nora - EarlyWord:  Here’s an image of it – you’re in a great spot. Highbrow, but not too highbrow and on the side of Brilliant. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:03 Nora - EarlyWord

4:03	Jacob:  Sounds great. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:03 Jacob

4:03	Nora - EarlyWord:  THE POSER made it on to New York magazine’s “Approval Matrix” -- "Zelig with a dash of Being There.” Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:03 Nora - EarlyWord

4:02	Nora - EarlyWord:  I'll kick this off with a few questions of my own. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:02 Nora - EarlyWord

4:02	Jacob:  Got it, thanks for being here. I'm delighted to have the chance to chat with you all. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:02 Jacob

4:02	[Comment From Jo P., CAJo P., CA: ]  I don't have many questions, but look forward to the chat. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:02 Jo P., CA

4:02	[Comment From Bob SmithBob Smith: ]  Love talking to debut authors! Thanks for this. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:02 Bob Smith

4:02	Jacob:  Thank you! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:02 Jacob

4:02	[Comment From Jule, AZJule, AZ: ]  Loved your librarian character. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:02 Jule, AZ

4:02	Jacob:  Thanks, Franny. It was fun to make it. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:02 Jacob

4:02	[Comment From Jody, Salt LakeJody, Salt Lake: ]  Hi, Jake! Thanks for taking the time! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:02 Jody, Salt Lake

4:02	Jacob:  Thank you, Jennie! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:02 Jacob

4:01	[Comment From FrannyFranny: ]  Hi, Jake -- enjoyed the video! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:01 Franny

4:01	[Comment From Jennie RJennie R: ]  Thanks for the book. I had a great time reading it. Looking forward to the chat! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:01 Jennie R

4:01	Nora - EarlyWord:  We have some First Flights members here as well, will ask them to say hi. Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:01 Nora - EarlyWord

4:01	Jacob:  Thanks so much for participating in the chat! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:01 Jacob

4:01	Jacob:  Hi, everyone! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:01 Jacob

4:01	Nora - EarlyWord:  Jake is in the house, so we can invite him to say hi! Wednesday March 4, 2015 4:01 Nora - EarlyWord

3:53	Nora - EarlyWord:  Link here to see a special video that Jake made for First Flights members: Wednesday March 4, 2015 3:53 Nora - EarlyWord

3:52

Nora - EarlyWord:  If you are always mimicking other people you never have to be yourself. Giovanni is pushed by his mother to be discovered by a showman and thrust into the life on stage as an impersonator. He can mimic anyone within minutes and soon becomes the darling of the vaudeville life. Being a showman seems to be all he can ask for except for the one person he can't find "the thread"and that is the person who holds his heart. He trusts others to protect his heart and is then dumbfounded when they break it. Giovanni is both puppet and puppetmaster and you feel equally sorry for the way he is used and angry at the way he in turn, uses others. It reads with an authentic voice of the showmanship of Coney Island, the backstage antics of vaudeville and the political backstabbing of the time. My thanks to the First Flights program for an advance copy. -- Kimberly McGee from Lake Travis Community Library Wednesday March 4, 2015 3:52 Nora - EarlyWord

3:52	Nora - EarlyWord:  And, a review by one of our First Flights members: Wednesday March 4, 2015 3:52 Nora - EarlyWord

3:51	Nora - EarlyWord Wednesday March 4, 2015 3:51

3:51	Nora - EarlyWord:  Meanwhile, here’s the cover of THE POSER… Wednesday March 4, 2015 3:51 Nora - EarlyWord

3:51	Nora - EarlyWord:  We will begin our live online chat with Jake Rubin in about 10 minutes. Wednesday March 4, 2015 3:51 Nora - EarlyWord

 

 

One of the moment’s hottest directors Richard Linklater (Boyhood) may direct the film adaptation of one of the surprise hits of 2012, Maria Semple’s debut novel Where’d You Go, Bernadette, (Hachette/Little, Brown; Hachette Audio; Thorndike).

A script is already in place, according to The Hollywood Reporter, written by the team behind Fault in Our Stars.

UPDATE: Thanks to Misha for correcting us in the comments. Bernadette was actually Marie Semple’s second novel, a fact she wryly notes in her book trailer, which follows her as she searches for a way to pitch the book (with a few famous friends):

The post office has just unveiled a stamp honoring Maya Angelou, which will be issued on April 7 and is now available for pre-order.

It seems particularly fitting that it is a “forever” stamp.

The sudden attention to Helen Macdonald’s memoir H is for Hawk (Grove Press; Blackstone Audio; OverDrive Sample) has resulted in the book being out of stock at many wholesalers.

We’ve checked with the publisher who says a new printing is coming by the end of the week and yet another next week.

Those copies are sure to be snapped up as the media continues its blitz. The New Yorker has a piece on it in this week’s issue (with a headline that puts to shame all our attempts at hawkish puns, “Rapt“), the author was interviewed on NPR’s midday news program Here and Now yesterday and several other sources including Time magazine have stories in the works.

Also keep your eyes open for requests another book. The New Yorker describes H is for Hawk as “one part grief memoir, one part guide to raptors, and one part biography of T. H. White, who chronicled his maiden effort at falconry in
The Goshawk, written just before he began work
on The Once and Future King.”

The Goshawk is available from the New York Review of Books Classics.

Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games, Winter’s Bone, Silver Linings Playbook) is set to star as a combat photojournalist in an adaptation of Lynsey Addario’s just released memoir,  It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War (Penguin, Feb. 10; OverDrive Sample). Steven Spielberg is attached to direct.

Warner Bros. won what Deadline characterizes as a “whirlwind auction” for the film rights, adding”The memoir has been the hot title since it was excerpted by The New York Times Magazine, and there were no shortage of bidders for the life of a woman who goes into the most dangerous places in the world in search of truth.”

The book has also been featured on NPR’s Fresh Air, Elle, Entertainment Weekly, Time, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and it debuted at #11 on the 3/8 NYT Hardcover Nonfiction Best Seller list.

Below, Addario appears on The Daily Show:

This month’s GalleyChat has now ended. Join us for the next one, Tuesday, April 7, 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern (3:30 for virtual cocktails). PLEASE NOTE: We will have sprung ahead to DAYLIGHT time by then so make adjustments for your own time zone.

#ewgc Tweets

Veronica Roth, author of the hugely popular Divergent series (Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant, and the companion book, Four), just announced a deal with HarperCollins for a two-book YA “duology,” set for publication in 2017 and 2018.

The HarperCollins press release states that the books will be “in the vein of Star Wars” and will explore “the story of a boy who forms an unlikely alliance with an enemy. Both desperate to escape their oppressive lives, they help each other attain what they most desire: for one, redemption, and the other, revenge.”

Roth has just begun working on the new books and is, according to the Associated Press, taking her time with their development. In the meantime, the second title in the Divergent trilogy, Insurgent, hits movie screens on March 20^th.

The second and final trailer was released last week.

When Warren Buffett speaks, investors listen. His fiftieth annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders published Saturday, is called a “must read” by the financial news site TheStreet and is getting even more attention than usual because in it, the 84-year-old announces he has found a successor (but doesn’t say who that is).

He also mentions two books. MarketWatch  picked up on the story and both titles raced into the top 100 on Amazon’s sales rankings.

Of Fred Schwed’s Where Are the Customers’ Yachts?: Or A Good Hard Look At Wall Street (Wiley, 2006), first published in the 1940s, Buffet says, “If you haven’t read Schwed’s book, buy a copy at our annual meeting. Its wisdom and humor are truly priceless.”

He counsels against financial advisors, warning that most of them “are far better at generating high fees than they are at generating high returns. In truth, their core competence is salesmanship” and says investors would be better off reading Jack Bogle’s The Little Book of Common Sense Investing (Wiley, 2007; OverDrive Sample).

He also quoted Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, but that mention did not have a perceptible effect on sales.

Girl in the Dark (Random House/Doubleday, 3/3/15; BOT), a memoir written by a woman calling herself Anna Lyndsey (to protect her privacy), recounts a rare and mysterious reaction to light – sunlight and fluorescent – so severe she was forced to quit her job and live in a dark room, sustained by midnight walks, the radio, and audiobooks.

So, of course, it is also available as an audiobook.

Spotting it early, NPR highlighted the book in a “First Read” feature a few weeks ago, calling it “a gorgeously written, occasionally snarky chronicle” and T: The New York Times Style Magazine ran a profile of the author, describing her book as “funny, sharp, mostly devastating.”

More attention is on the way. Reviews are scheduled by People and the NYT Book Review, making this a good time to order additional copies.

Jane Pauley takes a look at “the hit of the season on Broadway,” The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, on today’s CBS Sunday Morning, through the eyes of a group of Philadelphia students with autism.

The publisher took the unusual step of publishing a “Broadway Tie-in Edition” of Mark Haddon’s 2003 best seller:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: (Broadway Tie-in Edition)
Mark Haddon
RH/Vintage: November 25, 2014
9781101911617, 1101911611
Trade Paperback; $14.95 USD

Soon to join it on Broadway is the stage adaptation of first two books in Hilary Mantel’s Tudor trilogy, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, set to open on March 20.

The play also has a tie-in, but in the form of the actual script along with, according to the publisher, “a substantial set of notes by Hilary Mantel on each of the principal characters, offering a unique insight into the plays and an invaluable resource to any reader looking for an even deeper understanding of Mantel’s historical creations.”

Wolf Hall & Bring Up the Bodies: The Stage Adaptation, 
Hilary Mantel, Mike Poulton (adapted by)
Macmillan/Picador: February 24, 2015
9781250064172, 1250064171
Trade Paperback; $16.00 USD

The BBC six-part series adaptation begins April 5 on PBS Masterpiece. Two tie-ins are coming this month:

Wolf Hall: As Seen on PBS Masterpiece
Hilary Mantel
Macmillan/Picador: March 17, 2015
9781250077585, 1250077583
Trade Paperback, $16.00 USD

Bring Up the Bodies: The Conclusion to PBS Masterpiece’s Wolf Hall
Hilary Mantel
Macmillan/Picador: March 17, 2015
9781250077608, 1250077605
Trade Paperback, $16.00 USD