Latest literary hoax perpetrated on my old imprint

This is a large issue that deserves lengthier discussion, but as I am back at work for a half day (woot!) after being gone almost two weeks, a short post will have to suffice.

I heard about this newest publishing scandal on the nightly news a couple days ago.

False Memoir of Holocaust Is Canceled

I was working at Berkley when one of our editors acquired this book, I was privy to many discussions about it, and I met Herman Rosenblat and his wife in our office. They were a very nice, adorable old couple. Sweet as can be. I believe him that he didn’t mean any harm by inventing the first part of his story (that he met his wife while he was in an internment camp and she brought him apples at the fence). But good god, man! Did it never occur to him that you can’t just lie like that?

Now Berkley has cancelled the book and wants its advance back, and once again the morons in the media who have no understanding of the book publishing world are blaming Penguin, the agent, and editors for being “taken in” and not doing “fact checking.”

Dear New York Times: Book publishers are not fact checkers the same way that newspapers are. Nonfiction authors sign contracts stating that all the information they provide is true. Editors have no choice but to trust the veracity of the works they acquire. The agent should do some basic verifying of facts before they start shopping around a memoir, but the onus is on the author to be honest. If they are not, they have broken their contract.

I am so annoyed at the immediate and erroneous finger-pointing that happens in these cases. And I feel so bad for the editorial team at Berkley that now has to deal with this. Hang in there, guys! There will soon be another target of fraudulent nonfiction, and this will blow over.

Besides, Oprah was duped first. Where are her fact checkers?

I am not a Quentin Tarantino fan

But I saw "Death Proof" last night and it wasn't half bad. Well, okay, half of it was kind of bad.


And thanks, Mr. Q.T., for embedding a new image of horrific violence in my head. That's certainly going to haunt me for a while.

Animals

Up here in the hills we have lots of wildlife. Over the last couple days I've seen quail, cows, horses, goats, egrets, squirrels, blue jays, and deer. Here's a doe in our front yard yesterday.

Some of you might have heard Brian go on about the burro in Murphys. He thinks it's hilarious that there can be directions like, "Turn at the burro." Brian met the burro three years ago, and took this photo of me and Jonathan (and the burro)

We went to visit the burro yesterday.

I always assumed the burro was like Lassie, and throughout the years there had been multiple burros taking the place on the corner of Main Street, Murphys, in succession.

But guess what? It's been the same burro almost my whole life!

And there's convenient "Burro Parking." For you to park your own burro, perhaps?


Ah,wildlife.

Photos from home

Look, Eric, a blog post!

I took some photos around my house here in Murphys. You can take a look here:

Murphys, December '08

I'm sending good travel and weather thoughts everyone's way!

Hope all my friends get where they are going with a minimum of zaniness.

Sledgehammers and fire extinguishers, oh my!

Man, South Korean lawmakers have way more fun than ours do.

South Korean Trade Fight Gets Ugly

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This just in.

"NEW YORK (WABC) -- The MTA board approved its "doomsday" budget for 2009 that includes $177 million in service reductions across its subways, buses and commuter railroads and a 23 percent fare increase that would take effect in June.

The vote was 13 to 1, with Norman Seabrook the sole dissenter.

Other board members said they voted yes grudgingly, saying the service cuts and fare increase were painful but necessary

The plan likely means a rise in the base subway and bus fare to $2.50, from $2, and the cost of a 30-day unlimited-ride MetroCard to $104, from $81."

Aaaahh! I was really hoping for a bailout from Albany so it wouldn't come to this. Or a gift from God.

For all of you non-New Yorkers who actually drive, this is like being told your roads are all losing a lane so you'll be stuck in traffic way more often, and the roads will be totally closed sometimes, but you'll have to start paying heavy tolls.

Seriously scary survey numbers.

New Poll Shows 63% Are Already Hurt by Downturn

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Fine. Here are some party pics. :)

At my brother's request, I have purloined some of the photos that my friends put up on Facebook of this weekend's festivities and am repurposing them for my blog. Intellectual property theft! Or something.

Friday there was a party at the home of a girl I know through my Oxford friends. No photos of me because I got there way late after my office holiday party earlier that evening. There was a Wii!

Robert and some Oxford peeps (Michelle, Rachel, and Dan).

Robert takes Wii football(?) very seriously.

Ashley at the pre-party I missed. (What, I had 3 get-togethers that night!) Brian in background talking to my friend Jess.

Brian gets crazed.

Sunday, we went to a party at the apartment of my old coworkers, Cam and Danielle, below, with Michelle, another Berkley Girl. Adorable!

More Berkley love. I used to sit in a cubicle between Allison and Leis. Sparkle boob!

Paul brought a tobacco pipe merely as a prop, while Brian dug out the infamous fish sweater.

They popped little toy cracker things and got crowns! (That's Jess in the foreground, another Berkley Girl.)

Aerial view.

Saturday (yes, this is in the wrong order) we went to our friends Alex and Gina's with about 40 other people for Christmas tamale night. Here's Robert, B, and Dayne.

My friend Matt.

Our Emerson friend Jonathan visited us from Boston and came to the party! That's also Jane, there, but JCrowe's girlfriend and Jane's boyfriend Sam talking to B.

Me with our friends Matt and Clare. They are lovely.

Whee!

This giant pot is full of tamales steaming.

Things later devolved into a sing-a-long in the back bedroom, while a bunch of other people played Rock Band in the living room. Don't ask me why there's so much video-game playing at our shindigs.

Jane and I are very happy to be singing (was probably Smashing Pumpkins or something), while Brian steals Gina and Alex's belongings.

Aw, my last weekend in New York for the year. I'll miss everybody! Next up: February birthday parties.

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It stopped. That was exciting.

SNOWFLAKES! HUGE, HUGE SNOWFLAKES!

(drifting past my window)

Whirlwind weekend

My mind is swimming with all the fun I had this weekend at the four holiday parties I was lucky enough to attend. I am so grateful for all my wonderful friends and acquaintances in this city!

Half day! Woot.

I am thrilled that I get to participate this afternoon in a tradition peculiar to large offices in big cities: the office Christmas (sorry, "holiday") party. Sure, organizations in other towns have holiday gatherings, too, but I feel like I've seen the particular brand of debaucherous New York office party depicted in innumerable movies, TV shows, and cartoons.

Today is my first one in this environment, where there will be a lot of people who don’t really know each other, and the potential for insane awkwardness. I’m hoping mine will be like the scene from “The Apartment” with ladies dancing on desks and a cute, young Jack Lemmon drinking just enough nog to get brave and hit on Shirley MacLaine, the elevator girl. Of course, there will be no desks because we’ve rented out a bar, but, you know. I’m fascinated by this ritual not because I think it will be a grand ol’ time but simply because it has been so mythologized in popular culture.

Wish me luck!

P.S. Of course I am sorry to all those out there whose holiday parties got downsized or cancelled. Perhaps you can crash mine!

Stark

Over the weekend I had occasion to notice the sunset out the back window of my apartment, and I found its appearance through the bare branches of an ailanthus tree to be striking. I took many shots, and here are a few I like.

Nice air

Here's what I love about New York: When you get off your ass and walk around, you never know what you'll see. Yesterday was rainy but warmish so I strolled up to Bryant Park at 42nd Street, where there's currently an ice rink I find it soothing to spectate. But yesterday there was also an exhibition of Olympic skiers and trampolinists doing routines on giant trampolines, with skis or snowboards, and without. Totally weird and fascinating and I took tons of photos. The best:

Welcome to the movement, everybody!

Gay Marriage Ban Inspires New Wave of Activists

Sorry you couldn't make it before Nov. 4, but better late than never, I suppose.

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After my third one in two weeks, I wonder...

Why does "continental breakfast" at business events ALWAYS have to mean chopped fruit (the same four: melons, strawberries, pineapples, and grapes), tiny croissants, and bagels with cream cheese? I need some protein, people. Can I please get a side o' bacon? A hard-boiled egg? Or perhaps you could mix it up with a Pop Tart or two. I think I'll start sneaking champagne in my purse to add to the orange juice and make these things more exciting.

I have to work tomorrow, but I think this is an interesting initiative

Oh, the weather outside ...

I don't want to start posting already on how winter is lame. Usually it's not till after Christmas that I return from shiny California to realize that these four (or five) months where you cannot do anything outside without being bundled to the extreme are an insult to humanity. For some reason, my displeasure with the season in this, my fifth East Coast winter, has already begun. Someone please buy me a SAD lamp and a gym membership before I become a blubbering ball of "I hate winter - I want to go outside - why can't I go to the park and have a picnic - New York is stupid."

Thanks.

My hair froze as I walked from my house to the subway station this morning.

Hello, winter!

All is not lost!

Things are tough all over. And as of yesterday, in what’s being referred to as “Black Wednesday,” that includes publishing. Many of you know the news that Random House announced massive restructuring, Simon & Schuster plans big job cuts, Houghton Mifflin is totally imploding, and Thomas Nelson fired another 10% of its workforce.

Today, it comes out that Harper and Pearson are freezing pay increases (including at Penguin!), Bowker’s slashing positions, and Macmillan’s intimating job cuts. Who knows who’s next?

So, to all my friends in book publishing, I’ve trolled the current NYC Craigslist postings to help you begin thinking ahead to other potential careers:

Experienced lice treatment professionals

Egg Donors earn up to $10,000

Female galmour[sic]/art/figure model

Bather/Fluffer for Dog Grooming Spa

Bathroom Attendant

Study for Painful and Discomforting Symptoms Following Menopause

Seeking Fun Flirty Types for Shot Girl

Paid focus group for people suffering from Excessive Sleepiness

Gritty rock vocalist w/ sick chops

BEAUTIFUL, FRIENDLY GIRLS...MAKE $100+ AN HOUR DOING FANTASY ROLEPLAY!

and my favorite option:

Hey Girls, Make $100 Per Hour With Your FEET!

Start polishing those resumes!