Archive for July, 2008

The Obama library

Bookmarked for later reading: Laura Miller highlights some of the formative books in Obama’s intellectual and political life.

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Leak prevention in a Twitter world

Last week a publishing CEO typed a few excited words about a celebrity manuscript into his Twitter feed. Although he seemed a little nonplussed when Publisher’s Weekly reported and pored over the entry, you didn’t hear Lynne Spears or her agent complaining. The discussion since has centered on Twitter’s potential as a buzz-builder, but online small talk, especially pre-deal, is . . .

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A Murdoch hero on writing, and quitting the day job

Last summer I lugged my copy of Iris Murdoch’s The Black Prince all the way from Brooklyn, through Tennessee, to Oxford, Mississippi, without so much as opening it. Probably a good thing, because that was a social trip, and when I finally started reading the novel over the long weekend that just passed, I ended up shunning people and the . . .

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Dreams and shadows

Hilary Mantel once dreamed a whole short story. (Via.) Another dream she describes, about a library, reminds me vaguely of this.

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