News and Notes from the World of Books

Categories: In the News

This week, instead of writing about a particular author or title, I thought I’d share some bits and pieces of news from the book world with you.  In no particular order…

Hannibal Rising, a novel about the early days of psychopathic killer Hannibal Lecter, will be published on December 5.  According to the president of the Bantam Dell Publishing Group, Hannibal Rising will give readers the chance to “learn of Lecter's beginnings and will see the evolution of his evil.” Thomas Harris is also working on a screenplay for a movie by the same name.  It has an estimated release date of early 2007.  Unfortunately Anthony Hopkins (who won an Academy Award in 1991 for his performance in Silence of the Lambs) will not reprise his role of Dr. Lecter in the new movie. 

The MacArthur Foundation just released the names of the MacArthur Fellowships (frequently referred to as the “genius grants”) for 2006.  This year, the list of recipients includes two writers: David Macaulay and George Saunders.  Macaulay is probably best known for his intricately illustrated books for kids that explore the design and construction of architectural wonders (Mosque, Castle, Pyramid, etc.). George Saunders is a goephysical engineer who writes satirical, sometimes surreal, short stories about the dark absurdities inherent in contemporary life.

The poet Adrienne Rich will receive the National Book Foundation's annual Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters “in recognition of her incomparable influence and achievement as a poet and nonfiction writer.”  Robert Silvers and Barbara Epstein, co-founders and editors of the legendary New York Review of Books will receive the Literarian Award for “the important contributions they have made – through their literary magazine – to the serious discussion of books for more than forty years.”  The honorary medals will be presented at the National Book Awards Ceremony on November 15.

Since January, when he was publicly excoriated by Oprah for fabricating significant chunks of his bestselling book A Million Little Pieces, James Frey has kept a low profile and declined requests for interviews.  Frey recently broke his silence when he sat down with a writer from the British newspaper The Guardian for an interview.  It’s pretty interesting reading—Frey has lots to say about the response of publishers, editors, and agents to the kerfuffle and how what he began as a work of fiction ended up packaged as a “memoir.”