“The value of an institution isn’t measured in public square feet. But its value can be devalued by bad architecture. And here we get to the schematics Mr. Foster finally unveiled last month.”
Category: publishing
Surprise: “Finnegan’s Wake” Is A Big Hit In China
“The first-ever mainland Chinese edition of the novel sold out its initial print run.”
200 Years Of Pride And Prejudice Covers
“It’s a truth universally acknowledged that sometimes it’s OK to judge a book by its cover. This week marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of one of Jane Austen’s most beloved novels … [and] the numerous editions of the original text have also seen a wealth of interpretive covers: from the annotated to the peacock-inspired.”
Your E-Book Is Tracking You
“You can tell everything about how somebody reads a book,” says Turow, “whether they are the kind that skips to the end, how fast they read, what they skip … So [data from e-readers] can give the author specific feedback. You know, ’35 percent of the people who bought this book quit after the first two chapters.’ “
Big Vocabulary = Success
“Vocabulary size is a convenient proxy for a whole range of educational attainments and abilities–not just skill in reading, writing, listening, and speaking but also general knowledge of science, history, and the arts. If we want to reduce economic inequality in America, a good place to start is the language-arts classroom.”
Barnes & Noble Plans To Close One-Third Of Its Stores Over Ten Years
“Barnes & Noble plans to close about 20 retail stores a year over the next ten years – meaning it would have 450 to 500 stores in the next decade, down from 689 stores today.”
Top German Publisher Tearing Itself Up In Leadership Struggle
At Suhrkamp Verlag, which publishes Brecht and Hesse, Peter Handke and Isabel Allende, among many others, “rival shareholders are trying to expel each other and asking a court to dissolve their partnership” – and authors are taking sides.
‘The Pulsating Mr. Darcy’: A Graph For Pride And Prejudice‘s Bicentennial
“In a light-hearted attempt to measure the relative appeal of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy over the years, we have compared the number of times each is mentioned in books or journals published in Britain.”
Why We Need Language Police
“It is essential for the creative writer that there be, or be perceived to be, a usual way of saying things, if a new or unusual way is to stand out and to provoke some excitement.”
France Outlaw The #Hashtag
“France has decreed that Twitter-using citizens should refrain from using the word “hashtag” in favor of the newly coined French term “mot-dièse.” The new term, which effectively means “hashtag-word,” was developed by a government committee on vocabulary.”