-
dark galleys
The Devil Reps Prada: A Lizzie Grubman Tell-All
Lizzie Grubman, lobster-faced PR woman and runner-over-of regular people, once had an assistant named Robert Rave. That since-disillusioned young man has now published a roman à clef about a boy working for a fearsome PR dragon. We've got a manuscript! More » -
status galley book club
Gawker's 'Status Galley' Book Club: Joshua Ferris' The Unnamed
Publishers release "advance reader copies" or "galleys" of books for the New York Literary Elite to have before the masses and Oprah ruin them for you. Being spotted with some merits certain kinds of "status"...that we're about to ruin.
More » -
moguls
Facebook Movie Turns Sean Parker Into Rock Star
The blog ScriptShadow got hold of the first draft of Aaron Sorkin's Facebook movie. The verdict? The movie reads oddly mesmerizing, and has an unexpected hero: Sean Parker, an early investor in the social network. More » -
stars' crossing
The Tragic Love of Bobby and Jackie
The New York Post runs some tidbits today from the new book Bobby and Jackie: A Love Story, which purportedly reveals some steamy, sad secrets of a long-hidden affair between Jackie Kennedy and her brother-in-law, Robert Kennedy. More » -
europe is different
European Officials Keep Reading In Public
Here is the German Economy Minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, reading a fairy tale about the exchange rate to some children at the behest of "the German Center for Fairy Tale Culture." Ok, Germany! Can you imagine if Geithner did this? More » -
struggling writers
Exploiting the Blog-to-Book Bubble: A Guide
Two blogs, Texts From Last Night and Look at this Fucking Hipster, scored contracts at Penguin's Gotham Books imprint in the past week, the latest in an endless series of such deals. Shouldn't you get a piece of the action? More » -
books
Alice Hoffman's Non-Apology Apology for Her Bout of Twitter Rage
Alice Hoffman, America's most hypersensitive to criticism novelist, issued a statement this afternoon after publishing Roberta Silman's phone number and calling her names on Twitter after Silman wrote a negative review of Hoffman's new book in the Boston Globe. More » -
nerdfight
Condé Nast's Grumpy East Coast-West Coast Feud
Big Ideas Author Malcolm Gladwell, a Manhattanite of the New Yorker, has issued a smackdown review of Free, Big Ideas Author Chris Anderson, a Berkeleyan of San Francisco's Wired. If that's not provocative enough, Gladwell sounds downright grumpy. More » -
-
Jewish Shouting
'The Ringtone of Choice Among Hip Literary Types This Summer'
This wailing ringtone featuring a horsey Philip Roth sample is still better than anything Moby came up with for New York magazine. Of course, the joke is that there are no "hip literary types." [Guardian] -
scandal
How the Crescent City Revealed Wired's Plagiarizing Editor
How did the Virginia Quarterly Review connect Chris Anderson's book to Wikipedia, thus unraveling a plagiarism scandal? A strange use of parentheses. More » -
books
Facebook Tell-All Has Founders Banging Groupies in Bathroom Stalls
Ben Mezrich's forthcoming Facebook exposé was sold to film producers before it was even written. The Hollywood influence helps explain why the book answers such pressing questions as, "Who might the co-founders have conceivably boned, and where?"
More » -
isobella jade
Short, Crazy Model Triumphs
In 2006, Isobella Jade was just another homeless 5'2 model writing her memoirs at the Apple Store, all day. And now, three years later, that book is actually being released. Crazy dreams of models come true. [Her site, Previously] -
books
Wired Editor Steals Content for Book About How Content Should be Free
Chris Anderson has been caught lifting huge chunks out of Wikipedia for his book Free. The irony speaks for itself. But it's worth noting that the Wired editor's excuses are disconcertingly clichéd. More » -
from the mailbag
Hipster Blog Author Speaks, Comedically
Joe Mande, the NYC comedian revealed yesterday as the author of the Look At This Fucking Hipster blog and recipient of the latest Tumblr-to-Book deal, has shed some comedic light on his book deal, via email. Here it is: More » -
comparisons
Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Book Thief?
Potential plagiarist, at least! When author Susan Hassett sent her book Living with Celiac Disease to screechingest View hostess Hasselbeck, perhaps she was seeking some advice or PR. Instead, Hasselbeck published her own similarly-themed book a year later.
More » -
the internet
Best Tumblr-to-Book Deal Yet
Look At This Fucking Hipster, a blog about looking at hipsters, and then making fun of them, has scored a book deal. Plus the formerly anonymous, self-loathing author has been revealed!
More » -
scandal
Pretend Father of John Edwards' Love-Child Trying to Sell Tell-All
The guy who pretended to be the father of Rielle Hunter's child with John Edwards is shopping a book! It might be a picture book. All of the pictures are of John and this mystery baby. More » -
books
Facebook Tell-All Released Into Wild
Facebook's creation myth has left the building, or so we hear: Fortune is said to be readying an excerpt of Ben Mezrich's tell-all book and movie about the social network. And another publication is, naturally, trying to ruin the scoop. More » -
publishing
The Facebook Status Update That Could End Up a Movie
Sure, people have made books out of tweet collections and websites about emails and fatty foods, but has anyone parlayed a lone Facebook update into old-media glory? This might actually happen, insanely enough.
More » -
books
Gloria Vanderbilt Book Features Spanking, But Not Unicorn Sex
Anderson Cooper's mom's sexy erotica book is coming out next week! Gloria Vanderbilt is 85 and not taking any crap from anybody when it comes to, oh, kinky food sex fantasies. The New York Times is scandalized! Details! More » -
publishing
The Cover for Dave Eggers' New Book is Just Precious
Dave Eggers has a new book coming out in October! It's an adaptation(?) of the children's book Where the Wild Things Are called The Wild Things, and the cover is, well, precious! More » -
advances
Small-Town Wisconsin Has Its Own Blog Wars, Thank You Very Much
Blog wars aren't just for the prickly coastals anymore. No, people in the cheese-filled, clotted heart of this nation are turning to the internet to yell at their neighbors too. Like this crazy book-burning lady and her angry liberal enemy. More » -
Popular Gay Books
Amazon.com Outs Barry Diller
Ho ho, what do people who buy a copy of "Dillerland," a biography of married media mogul Barry Diller, also buy, according to the Amazon.com robots? More » -
relative success
The Obamas are the Kardashians of Book Publishing
Because everyone gets a piece! George Obama, president Barack's half-brother, has signed a deal with Simon & Schuster to publish Homeland, about his struggles with drugs and his eventual salvation through, gulp, community organizing. Our favorite tidbit about the tome: More » -
david sedaris
Indeed, Why Wouldn't He?
"A nursing mother offered me a taste of her pre-pumped breast milk, and I took her up on it," announces David Sedaris, to a reporter. [NYT] -
mysteries
Why Won't the Times Review Warren St. John's Book?
Warren St. John, the dreamy NYT reporter and author of incongruous 'Bama football book Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, has a heartwarming new book about refugee soccer players that is a smash hit. Why won't his own paper review it? More » -
book fare
New Dave Eggers Hurricane Katrina Book About to Drop
Coming just on the heels of twindie (twee + indie) movie Away We Go, the film's co-writer Dave Eggers is releasing a new book. It's a non-fiction tome called Zeitoun, following a Muslim-American family during and after Hurricane Katrina. More » -
Media Crack
Reporters Hired, Fired, Mired, Tired
In your torrential Tuesday media column: No rock-breaking for Current reporters, a new job for Jesse Oxfeld, more Observer layoff victims, ad spending plunges (more), and one more unnecessary Obama book TK: More » -
when memes collide
Arthur and Anna and Me
Last night, James Frey met Philly fameball Arthur Kade, a character so committed to perfectly attaining the state of "douchebag" (as originally defined) that some suspect he's a performance-art hoax. Frey investigated — and earned his Gawker special correspondent wings. More » -
when memes collide
You Got James Frey in My Arthur Kade
Last night, James Frey went down to Philadelphia to give a reading with Anna David. Curious to meet the phenomenon of online-self-humiliation that is Arthur Kade, they invited him. Kade was, of course, thrilled for the attention. More » -
underminers
Hillary Clinton Still Up To Something
Our secretary of state is biding her time, waiting for just the right moment to strike, according to Richard Wolffe's book on the Obama campaign. And then, when we least expect it, she'll finally win the 2008 Democratic primary campaign. It's true! More » -
publishing
Kanye West Doesn't Read, Only Co-Writes Crap Books
Despite being the son of an English professor, maniacal all-caps blogger Kanye West claims he's a "proud non-reader," though he's co-written a book of "Kanye-isms" that he thinks you should totally read. It's 52 pages long, some of which are completely blank! More » -
authors
Dick Cheney To Write Another Book About All the "Corpulent" "Cripples" Of Congress
Dick Cheney, the least likable humanoid creature both on the planet and deep below its surface, where he came from, wants to write a book. He would like $2 million for it, thank you. It's worth it, though! His last book was totally awesome! More » -
updates
How To Avoid a Conflict of Interest at Your Wife's Book Party
Last night, New York Times LA bureau chief Jennifer Steinhauer had a party for her new book at the home of Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton. The additional drama: Her husband Edward Wyatt covers television for the Times! So what happened? More » -
everyday he's hustlin'
Blago's Boffo Book Bucks Blocked?
Not only was beloved former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich denied his opportunity to be a celebrity wishing to get out of here, now he won't even get his million dollars from his book deal. More » -
conflicts of interest
The New York Times L.A. Bureau's Favorite Studio
Jennifer Steinhauer is the L.A. Bureau chief for the New York Times. Her husband is Times television reporter Ed Wyatt. Steinhauer's having a book party in LA tonight for her new novel, Beverly Hills Adjacent. The location of the party: the home of Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton. What? More » -
Media Crack
Are 637 Identical Obama Books Enough?
In your warming Wednesday media column: Steve Forbes is in your pocket, insulting your bosses in your competitor's paper may damage your career, somebody fucking finally does not write an Obama book, and much more!: More » -
gawker book club
Lauren Conrad's New Novel L.A. Candy: Lights, Camera, Promotion!
Sigh. We warned you this day would come. Lauren Conrad, the moon-faced star of MTV's The Hills, is set to release her first young adult novel. And her former intern haunt Teen Vogue has an excerpt. More » -
books
Holocaust Love Liar Gets His (Fake) Story Told
Herman Rosenblat's touching story about reuniting with a holocaust survivor years after the war ended was a sham. Among the conned: the NY Post, Oprah, publishers. Now alchemized into fiction, the tale's finally going public. More » -
deep thoughts
It's Just Meta-Bankruptcy
A New York Times reporter is never really broke until after he's spent all the money he got to write a book about how he went broke. [NYT]

































