Squares and Fairs

Good morning Bookies! Stand by for news.

*** Here's The Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice by Maureen McCormick. That's right, today is the day the entire world can find out the truth about Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. Was she really the wholesome girl next door, the squarest of the square, or was she secretly into sex, drugs and big brother Greg, as the gossips have been saying for years? Well, according to her, she was secretly into sex, drugs and big brother Greg. (In reality, Barry Williams, who also has a biography out there somewhere) Okay, that kind of makes your stomach queasy, but they are more or less the same age and all. What's really gross, however, is that apparently she dated Hugh Hefner, too. That's a mental image I did not want.

*** Your friendly neighborhood bookseller notes that the Frankfurt Book Fair opens tomorrow in, of all places, Frankfurt. The hot topic this year appears to be e-books. One need not turn to politics to find signs of the apocalypse, one need only look at the hell-spawned e-book to consider that the end may be near. What's next, a virtual book fair? Wouldn't that be fun? Can't you see authors holding virtual book-signings for your e-books?

*** Cashing in on fame is really what winning the big awards is all about. The Booker, for example, could easily be re-named the Bucker, except the slang 'Bucks' really doesn't work for Euros and Yen and Rupees. But you get my drift.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081013/en_nm/us_books_booker;_ylt=Amv8Ob_i0WsF3DQrzKaU6sFREhkF

*** BoucherCon was last weekend in Baltimore. Yes, BBG would have loved to have gone. Life intrudes, however. As many Bookies know Baltimore is the city of Tess Monaghan, PI hero of Laura Lippmann, surely one of the nicest, hardest working authors out there. I've had the pleasure of meeting her on several occasions and she is never less than funny and gracious.



This was in July of 2005 at Davis Kidd here in Memphis. For a brief overview of the convention, here's a link.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6604701.html

This Saturday at 1 PM, Davis Kidd in Memphis is hosting Tom Graves, author of a new biography of blues Legend/God/Devil Robert Johnson and his influence on American music. I suspect he will draw a good crowd, but Saturday afternoon is a tough time, especially if the weather is nice.