Almost done with the first go-around on Project 501. One thing that slows the process is that I want to re-read a lot of these books, which I will definitely do once I send the manuscript off to the publisher. Another thing that slows the process is that my typing skills are failing me, at least when I’m working on the laptop. Stupid Mac.
Some of the books are so similar in subject that they tend to blend into one huge tome after awhile. So as much as I pooh-pooh it, I think I’ll relax with a few of the better novels for a change: Brittle Innings, Play for a Kingdom, The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop., even the old Kinsella books. By the way, The New York Times Sunday Book Review recently featured an essay on Coover’s classic. It’s being re-released next month.
As much as I hate to admit it, I’m enjoying that $650,000-for-his-first-novel The Art of Fielding. And if that’s not enough publicity, just chatting about the money he signed for, Vanity Fair produced an e-book on the “making of” Fielding. Give me a break. Is Fielding even out on the shelves yet? (No, it’s not. The official release isn’t until Friday. You can read an excerpt here.)
I could go off on all kinds of jealous speculation on how author Chad Harbach got such a sweet deal. As editor of the literary magazine n+_1, he’s obviously in with the right crowd, editors, agents, and such.
I was going back and forth on this with fellow baseball book reviewer James Bailey recently in which I wondered if the fact simply the fact that he managed to get such a huge contract would draw people to the book and if expectations would be high. (This reminded me of a Freaknomics podcast about whether more expensive wines taste better. Is a $100 bottle of wine really 10 times better than one that costs $10? The short answer was no, according to some blind taste tests.)
I haven’t found anything less than glowing about his work, though, which makes me even more jealous. I also have a feeling this is going to be a front-page review in an upcoming Times Sunday Review. I wonder how long it will take for the critic to get to the money.
Anyway, break time is over. Back to work. And if anyone wants to offer me a $325,000 advance on my next book, don’t worry; I wouldn’t be insulted.
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