Eamon Dolan is returning to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where he will be v-p and editorial director of a new imprint--Eamon Dolan Books--publishing approximately 10 narrative and serious nonfiction titles per year. He begins working in his new position June 13. Dolan had been editor-in-chief at HMH before joining Penguin Press in 2007."Eamon Dolan is one of the best editors in the industry, with a knack for publishing books that launch discussions that last for decades," said Bruce Nichols, senior v-p and publisher of HMH's adult & reference division. "He is also a wonderful colleague whose return is cause for joyous celebration."
Dolan said he is "thrilled to be rejoining the house where I published so many books that mean so much to me. And I'm eager to build a new list with the support of wise, passionate colleagues among whom are some of my dearest friends."
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The Globe Corner Bookstore, Cambridge, Mass., is closing by the end of this month, the store announced yesterday. Owner Pat Carrier had put the 29-year-old store up for sale last November because of health issues and had received much interest and "several offers," but none of them "met our requirements for selling the business."
Carrier is still negotiating to sell the store's website--one of the oldest bookselling websites in the country--and other assets of the travel book and map specialty store.
Carrier thanked the store's more than two million customers over the years "whose faithful support made possible the Globe Corner's mission of providing an outstanding selection of materials on travel and geographic awareness. " He also thanked "the legions of extraordinary employees who passed through our doors," "an amazing group of authors" who appeared at the store and Harvard University, "whose enthusiastic support for and cooperation with the Globe Corner Bookstore enabled our presence in Harvard Square for the past 24 years."
Via e-mail and on the Globe Corner Bookstore's website, Ulla, the store dog, offered a playlist for the "wind-down" sale:"Big Girls Don't Cry" (Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons)
"Big Boys Don't Cry" (Extreme)
"Don't Worry, Be Happy" (Bobby McFerrin)
Carrier started running the Globe Corner Bookstore in 1982, when it was in Boston, and bought it in 1992. The first Globe Corner Bookstore in Cambridge opened in 1988. The store is descended from the Old Corner Bookstore in Boston that was founded in 1829.
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The verdict is in for Subterranean Books, St. Louis, Mo. Earlier this year, owner Kelly von Plonski said the shop had five months to turn sales around or it would close when the lease was up in September (Shelf Awareness, February 4, 2011). Now June has arrived and "the answer is yes!" the Riverfront Times reported. "Sales have really improved since January," von Plonksi said, noting that there will be changes. "We're still looking to move. I'm vacillating about whether I can afford the high rent [at the store's current location in the Delmar Loop]. Right now I'm looking at Maplewood and South Grand."
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Yesterday, in "a special message" to customers and friends of "M" Is for Mystery... and More bookstore, San Mateo, Calif., owner Ed Kaufman wrote that he is "contemplating retiring from full-time work here at 'M.' The store is in its 15th year, and I am in my 81st. Both, thankfully, are still going strong, but it is time for me to step back and for someone else to take over. As many of you know, I had practiced law for 41 years (at one firm), having retired fully from that career in 2000. Being a bookseller is, by far, harder to give up!"Kaufman expressed his desire "to see 'M' continue to do what I think we have done well, all these years: to consistently attract the best authors, from first-timers to bestselling household names, and to present them to the public at engaging events throughout the year, and to obtain signed first editions from authors not traveling to our area; and to continue to expand the list of literary and nonfiction authors whose work is reflected in the '...and More' of our store name. Doing all of the above, day in, day out, has spurred our growth over the years, and has formed the basis of our reputation nationally.
"It is impossible to sum up how satisfying, and often exciting, it has been to be a bookseller. People frequently say how much they would love to own a bookstore, and I am one of the fortunate ones who have had that experience. For anyone with an active interest, this is an invitation to contact me directly." You can reach Kaufman at ed@mformystery.com."
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Ben, "the iconic Colonial figure" that stood outside Titcomb's Bookshop, East Sandwich, Mass., for 37 years until being toppled by a car last July (Shelf Awareness, August 2, 2010), is returning to his spot on Route 6A, the Cape Cod Times reported. The official unveiling and welcome home party takes place this Sunday, from 1 to 4 p.m. The store is also launching a commemorative soap with Ben's image created by Summer House Natural Soaps.
The statue was repaired by Ted and Timothy Titcomb and painted by Nancy Titcomb and her granddaughter Helen. Ted Titcomb crafted the metal statue as a school project in 1973.
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Pessimistic thought of the day: Pondering the fate of the book trade, Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam wrote that he "cannot imagine a worse time to buy a bookstore."
Optimistic counter-thought of the day, stated in two store e-newsletters this week. Rainy Day Books, Fairway Kan., wrote: "We've just returned from BookExpo America in New York City and we're happy to report: the book is alive and well!" And the Next Chapter Bookshop, Mequon, Wis., noted: "Lanora and Dave have returned from Book Expo America in New York City and they have stories to tell! We saw many great books coming this fall and winter. Watch our schedule for some amazing opportunities to hear and meet the authors of the day! The book is alive and well!"
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Celebrating its 10th year in business, Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural and Bookstore, Sylmar, Calif., "has endeavored to be the San Fernando Valley's answer to City Lights, a Chicano-centric version of the San Francisco bibliophiles' paradise that mid-wifed the Beat generation," the Los Angeles Times reported, adding that "under the restlessly energetic ownership" of Luis Rodriguez, his wife Maria Trinidad Rodriguez and brother-in-law Enrique Sanchez, Tia Chucha's "continues to serve as a cultural oasis for a clientele with mostly modest incomes and limited access to wireless Internet, bookstores, movie theaters and live performance venues."Supporters of Tia Chucha's say it "is one of the region's few remaining genuinely grass-roots cultural institutions aimed primarily at working-class people of color, at a time when numerous other community venues have fallen victim to rising rents or recessionary downturns," the Times wrote.
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More fallout from Amazon's "most well-read cities in America" list: Techflash observed that the "list is dominated by college towns, an indication that Amazon.com is a popular site for books among students."
In the Christian Science Monitor, Rebekah Denn wondered "if Portland, Ore., (#19) would have scored higher if we could have factored in sales from independent bookstores. There's always a healthy crowd and a line at the registers at Portland's landmark Powell’s bookstore. Then, how about towns with strong library systems? Would Seattle, which regularly dukes it out for the #1 spot on other literacy lists, have fared better if the list accounted for the Seattle and King County library systems? King County is one of the top library systems in the country by circulation--those are a lot of books that people aren't ordering through Amazon."
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With the 2012 London Olympic Games on the horizon, "poets from the 205 Olympic nations are competing to be part of the U.K.'s largest ever poetry festival next year," the Guardian reported. "Led by the Southbank Centre's artist in residence, Simon Armitage, and artistic director Jude Kelly, Poetry Parnassus will be part of next year's Cultural Olympiad," with the attending poets "taking part in readings, workshops and a gala event, touring the U.K. and contributing a poem in their own language for a poetry collection, The World Record, which will champion poetry in translation."The public will nominate up to three poets from any of the competing nations. A panel will come up with the final one poet per country line-up, which will be announced next spring."
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The literary world can breathe easier now that the longtime feud between V.S. Naipaul and Paul Theroux, who had not spoken for 15 years, apparently ended with a handshake at the Hay Festival. The Telegraph reported that "yesterday the old friends turned bitter enemies did see each other in the festival green room and--with some help from Ian McEwan--there was a moving rapprochement.""After so many years, we've finally spoken," said Theroux later. "I've had an experience today with a capital E."
Naipaul observed: "It was very nice to see him. And I'm pleased things have worked out the way they have."
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"Allow me to initiate your bookcase fetish, if you are not already afflicted," wrote Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, Mass., in its latest e-newsletter, which introduced a link to Neatorama's "18 Seriously Cool Bookshelves & Bookcases."
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Brian Dettmer’s "deconstructed vintage books" were showcased by Flavorwire.
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Book trailer of the day: I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl: A Memoir by Kelle Groom (Free Press).
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Thomas Nelson has made the following appointments:
Effective July 1, Eric Shanfelt is joining the company as senior v-p of e-media, a new position. Shanfelt has more than 20 years of experience in digital and online media and has held executive jobs with Penton Media, Virgo Publishing and Interweave. Most recently he has consulted with companies about digital and online media.
Tom Knight has been named senior v-p of sales for all Thomas Nelson's publishing units. He formerly led the Christian retail and ministry sales divisions and joined the company in 2007 as v-p of independent retailing.
Sally Hofmann is being promoted to the live events leadership team as senior v-p of sales and marketing. She was formerly senior v-p of general market and international sales and joined the company in 2005.