INSIDER
Former flight attendant lands 7-figure deal for 2 novels
Read full article: Former flight attendant lands 7-figure deal for 2 novelsA former bookseller and flight attendant who conjured fictional nightmares during breaks on cross country red-eyes has a 7-figure deal for two novels. The Simon & Schuster imprint Avid Reader announced Thursday that Newmans first book, the thriller Falling, comes out in July. (Avid Reader Press, left, and Melissa Young via AP)NEW YORK – A onetime flight attendant who conjured fictional nightmares during breaks on cross country red-eyes has a 7-figure deal for two novels. The Simon & Schuster imprint Avid Reader Press announced Thursday that T.J. Newman's first book, the thriller “Falling,” comes out in July. The acquiring editor at Avid Reader, Jofie-Ferrari Adler, said he was impressed by the book's “undeniable authenticity” and called it a “great escape in these difficult times."
Publishing saw upheaval in 2020, but 'books are resilient'
Read full article: Publishing saw upheaval in 2020, but 'books are resilient'(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)NEW YORK – Book publishing in 2020 was a story of how much an industry can change and how much it can, or wants to, remain the same. To its benefit and to its dismay, publishing was drawn into the events of the moment. Penguin Random House, among other initiatives, asked all employees to read Ibram X. Kendi’s “How To Be an Anti-Racist.” Kendi later presided over a company town hall. Macmillan CEO Don Weisberg, who cited a wide range of diversity programs at the publishing house that began before “American Dirt,” said he “understands the skepticism." The CEO of Penguin Random House U.S., Madeline McIntosh, noted how well book publishing could meet the public's needs during the pandemic and other events of 2020.
Fox's Tucker Carlson takes heat for Kenosha commentary
Read full article: Fox's Tucker Carlson takes heat for Kenosha commentaryCarlson's commentary drew an angry response online because it was seen as sympathetic to Rittenhouse or offering justification for murder. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich tweeted the Fox management is complicit in Tucker Carlson's racist, murderous rants if they take no action against him. ... You should be removed for the safety of our kids.But presidential son Donald Trump Jr. tweeted that the left-wing media is willfully twisting Tucker Carlson's words to smear him. Last month his show's head writer quit after it was revealed he was posting racist comments online under a pseudonym. There is no justification for what happened in Kenosha and vigilante justice is a crime and should be punished as a crime.
'American Dirt' Latino backlash part of long publishing war
Read full article: 'American Dirt' Latino backlash part of long publishing warHer scathing review of “American Dirt,” in which she accuses Cummins of appropriating works by Latinos, went viral. “American Dirt,” published last week, tells the story of a Mexican woman and her 8-year-old son fleeing to the U.S. border after a drug cartel kills the rest of their family. Some Latino celebrities posted selfies with the book; Mexican-born actress Salma Hayek later apologized for promoting “American Dirt” without having read it after she was attacked on social media. Latino critics say ``American Dirt'' contains stereotypes, incorrect regional slang, and cultural inaccuracies. Tony Diaz, a Mexican American novelist in Houston, had promised to organize a protest outside.