Egmont USA organized a bus tour of Manhattan with author Walter Dean Myers, in support of his new novel Riot (Sept.), set in 1863 during the New York City draft riots. Beginning at the New-York Historical Society, the tour visited numerous sites of historical interest, including the Irish Hunger Memorial, Castle Clinton, the South Street Seaport, the site of the former Five Points slum and the African Burial Ground, with Myers and historian/author Barnet Schecter (The Devil’s Own Work: The Civil War Draft Riots and the Fight to Reconstruct America) serving as guides. Here, Myers speaks in front of the statue of Horace Greeley at City Hall Park.
-Erica
Our bags are packed (almost) and our books have been shipped (fingers crossed). We have an exciting line-up of authors joining us for the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Stop by Booth #1834 to see our latest releases, receive free galleys, hear about what we’re reading and what we’re excited about! We can’t wait to see you there!
James Ellroy (Blood’s a Rover, Knopf)
Saturday July 11th – 10:30am to 11:30am
ALA Auditorium Speaker Series, followed by a free galley signing in the Random House Inc. booth, #1834.
Ben Greenman (Please Step Back, Melville House)
Saturday July 11th – 1:30pm to 2:00pm
LIVE! Stage Reading, Aisle 3200, followed by a signing in the Random House Inc. booth, #1834.
Michael Greenberg (Beg, Borrow, Steal, Other Press)
Saturday July 11th – 3:00pm to 4:00pm
Free galley signing in the Random House Inc. booth, #1834.
Nick Taylor (American-Made, Bantam)
Sunday July 12th – 8:00am to 10:30am
RUSA Literary Tastes Breakfast at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel’s Red Lacquer Room. Signing to follow on site.
Stephen G. Bloom (The Oxford Project, Welcome)
Sunday July 12th – 8:30am to 10:00am
YA Author Coffee Klatch at the Mariott Chicago. 10:00am – 12:00pm The Alex Awards at McCormick Place West, W-179 followed by a signing in the Random House booth, #1834
Carleen Brice (Children of the Waters, One World)
Sunday July 12th – 8:00am to 10:30am
ALTAFF Diversity in Literature at McCormick Place West W-476. Signing to follow on site.
Monday July 13th – 8:00pm – 10:00pm
Black Caucus Literary Awards and Reception at the Intercontinental Seville East Signing to follow on site.
Charlie Huston (My Dead Body, Del Rey)
Sunday July 12th – 10:30am to 12:00am
Things That Go Bump in the Stacks at McCormick Place West, W-190a. Free galley signing to follow on site.
Margot Berwin (Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire, Pantheon)
Sunday July 12th – 1:30pm to 3:30pm
ALTAFF First Author, First Book at Hyatt Regency Chicago – Columbus Hall E/F. Signing to follow on site.
Carlotta Walls Lanier (A Mighty Long Way, One World)
Monday July 13th – 10:30am to 12:00pm
ALTAFF: Reflecting on the Past at McCormick Place West, W-194a. Free galley signing to follow on site.
Gillian Flynn (Dark Places, Shaye Areheart)
Monday July 13th – 2:00pm – 4:00pm
ALTAFF Author Gala Tea at the Fairmont Hotel’s Gold Room. Signing to follow on site.
Tracy Kidder (Strength in What Remains, Random House)
Monday July 13th – 3:00pm – 4:00pm
ALA Auditorium Speaker Series Free galley signing to follow at the Random House, Inc. booth, #1834.
It’s not every Friday morning I find myself on the Playboy website. I swear. But with ALA coming upon us and James Ellroy the highly anticipated Auditorium Speaker (Saturday 10:30am), that is exactly where I just found myself. Don’t miss this in-depth video as Ellroy tours the “places in LA that haunt him and to meet the ghosts who haunt him still.”
And now, when I meet him next month a topic of conversation can be Playboy…or not.
-Erica
Marcia, Jen, and I had a wonderful time at BEA this year. It was great to see so many of our librarian friends and attend all the programs sponsored for librarians only! I tried to be vigilant in my photo taking. Here are my snapshots and highlights!
Jonathan Lethem charmed the crowd at the AAP sponsored dinner. Lethem’s eagerly anticipated new novel,
Chronic City, pubs in October.
One World/Ballantine Senior Editor Melody Guy and bestselling author Nikki Turner discuss Street Lit with Pratt Institute students. Look for Turner’s latest novel,
Backstage, in September!
-Erica
A road trip with fellow Library Marketers from HarperCollins and Macmillan + the librarians assembled for the 2009 MLA Conference + Laurie R. King = a fabulous trip for Erica!
Virginia, Talia, and I presented top picks from our respective Fall 2009 lists for the Publisher Round-Up and Book Buzz (if you would like a copy of my powerpoint leave a comment with your address and I’ll send it along).
Laurie R. King participated in the Conference Co-Chair’s Favorite Authors program. My synopsis and praise cannot even begin to compare with the MLA conference blog’s. My favorite moment, though, was when the conference co-chair who had chosen Laurie to appear on this program was able to correctly answer a question regarding a character of Laurie’s, while Laurie had been unsure of the answer. Laurie took it in stride and with humor and we all had a good laugh!
And look at who I ran into on the exhibit hall floor. Robin Brenner, our very own Random House, Inc. Graphic Novel Catalog Contributor! Robin shares all her best tips for beginning and cultivating your library’s graphic novel collection.
-Erica
Now available in paperback is Salman Rushdie’s The Enchantress of Florence, which Library Journal called a “…magical and haunting new novel.” Just in time for the paperback release, Random House has launched a dedicated Salman Rushdie website featuring excerpts from the author’s many books, information about his upcoming appearances, author videos, and more.
-Jen
