Category: words

— on Sunday at age 83. Brooks won the Pulitzer prize for her poetry in 1949, and completed her most recent volume of poems late this summer. – New York Times (AP)

British novelist and critic Malcolm Bradbury, who died this week, will be remembered as much for his famous writing classes as for his own satirical style. “He believed that a work of prose fiction or drama is seldom perfectly achieved in its early drafts, but that it emerges like a sculpture from a block of stone only through intellectual vigilance and meticulous rewriting.” – The Telegraph (UK)

Canada’s two book superstore-chains are locked in battle as Indigo makes a hostile bid to buy Chapters. Both the chains are losing money. And with the threat of US booksellers trying to get in the Canadian market, the book industry in Canada is entering the all-important holiday season with much trepidation. – The Globe and Mail (Canada)

The Canada Council spends $18 million a year subsidizing Canadian writers. Despite average sales of a fiction title of 2,500-3,000, Canada has produced a long list of important writers, led most recently by Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje “If you look at the Canadian track record in supporting publishing and literature, it is an incredible investment, and we have wonderful success stories that are recognizable and undeniable.” – The Globe & Mail (Canada)

A rival bookseller has initiated a hostile takeover offer for Chapters, Canada’s largest bookseller. Chapters’ CEO rejects the bid. Chapters is said to have been in financial difficulty in the past year. – National Post (Canada)

• FLAWED PREMISE: Why did Chapters get into trouble? “The kind of vertical integration that has allowed one company in Canada – even after a government investigation – to become the major books retailer, wholesaler and e-business just would not, and was not, allowed in the United States. And here, ironically, it is bringing the company down.” – National Post (Canada)

Stephen King says he’ll discontinue publishing his serialized on-line novel “The Plant.” King said when he began the book that he would add additional chapters only if 50 percent of those downloading it paid $1 per chapter. By chapter four, only 46 percent were paying.Wrote one bothered fan: “It bothers me that readers might well think twice about buying installments from any other authors who might go this route because of what King has done. To do this to loyal fans is inexcusable.” – Wired

A proposal by the Association of American Publishers to standardize e-books was released this week. The plan is intended to avoid the mess in the digital music industry. “Today, ebooks are considered to represent less than 1% of business. If the standards are accepted, the group predicts the ebook market will grow to $2.3 billion by 2005. – Variety

Total revenues for America’s four largest bookstore chains rose 6.3%, to $1.59 billion, for the third quarter ended October 28, 2000. – Publishers Weekly

“The real problem is not books but publishing, or publishing as we have known it. Free trade, globalization and the Internet are having their disruptive way with what once was a profession that operated like a gentleman’s intellectual club. Ironically, the country that appears to be suffering the most from consolidation of the publishing industry is the United States. Even more ironic, the country best equipped to withstand the global behemoths may be Canada.” – The Globe & Mail (Canada)

Canada’s venerable publisher McClelland & Stewart boasts such stars as Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, Michael Ondaatje, Rohinton Mistry and Mordecai Richler. But when it came time for the company’s head to retire, he found no obvious buyers. To keep the company intact he was forced to give away the business. – The Globe & Mail (Canada)