What, is this some kind of ploy by the American Booksellers Association?

The title of this post (and Quote of the Week) comes from Tim Goodman, TV reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle.  He wasn't happy with the selection on Tuesday night, so he blamed it on the vast bookselling conspiracy.  I don't know about you, but I'm honored.

Two book-to-movie stories this week: Where the Wild Things Are (it's been in the works for a while, apparently, but I had no idea, and besides, New York Magazine got a look at the script this week) and Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging.  (I'll be honest and admit I loved the book - currently making my way through the series - and Gurinder Chadha's directing!)

For urban bookstores, something to keep an eye on: The SBA is partnering with the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City "to better address the needs of business owners," according to Inc. 

What would your weekly update be like without more news about challenged books?  Bookshelves of doom links to the story of  West Virginia students who oppose their high school's ban of two of Pat Conroy's books.  Leila's take: "Seeing them stand up at the school board meeting -- it's just like Footloose, but without the dancing and with matching T-shirts!"

Two challenges covered on AS IF!

First, teachers at a Texas high school were told they could only teach Diana Abu-Jaber's Crescent if four paragraphs containing "sexual content" were blacked out.  (Maybe they're just jealous of Valerie Plame?)   The teachers, noting that they wanted their students to read the nuanced portrayals of Iraqis and Iraqi-Americans, asked Abu-Jaber for permission.  She said she didn't like the idea, but wouldn't stop the teachers if that was the only way they could get the rest of the book to their students -- and then she posted the offending paragraphs on her Web site.  (From the same page: "I won't belabor pointing out the obvious irony of blacking out scenes of love-making in a book that's concerned with the depiction and the violence of unjust wars and dictatorship.  We already know this -- in American, love gets bleeped, the violence stays.")

Lisa Yee also posted a story about a Texas teacher facing jail time for giving a student Cormac McCarthy's Child of God.   She also asks in the comments section whether a bookseller would also risk jail under Texas Penal Code 43.24 - do any of our Texan colleagues have any insight?

In only moderately less disturbing news, the Inkwell Bookstore Blog reports that the Foley, Alabama, library has hired a collection agency to go after more than 700 patrons who have yet to return books and other materials worth more than $54,000. 

J.K. Rowling doesn't understand why so many people have a thing for Snape, when he's clearly not a nice man.  (via The Longstockings)

From the department of What He Really Meant to Talk About: Tess Gallagher, writer and widow of writer Raymond Carver, is attempting to have the original versions of some of Carver's stories published.  The stories, heavily edited, were published by Knopf as What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.  In the 1980s, Carver's original versions of some of those stories were published.  Lots of interesting discussion about authorial intent, including thoughts from David Anthony Durham.

Leila also gets credit for pointing me to Motoko Rich's article in today's New York Times about the similar recipes in Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious and Missy Chase Lapine's The Sneaky Chef.  (Or, as Rich describes it, " 'The Sneaky Chef' by Missy Chase Lapine, who is not a celebrity" -- I think we have our runner up for Quote of the Week.)

Check out Crooked House for some children's lit humor.  For instance, Judith Viorst's failed sequel Alexander's Day Was Fine, Thanks, and How Was Yours?  There's also a link to a list of unsuccessful children's book titles, which was on display at my store for a while.

Finally, Chuck Robinson wants to know what author's homes you've visited.  Add your list at the Village Books Blog.  (Off the top of my head, I've been to Shakespeare's birthplace and a few of the places Laura Ingalls Wilder lived.  Does the fact that I drive past Roz Chast's house a lot count?)

Posted at 02:41PM Oct 19, 2007 by Sarah Rettger in General  |  Comments[2]