Book News, In Brief

The Guardian UK has an unflattering piece about the publishing industry's ugly new sales gimmick: Using an author's looks to sell books.


26-year-old Amelia Lester has been hired as The New Yorker's new managing editor. No word yet as to whether Lester will shutter her lemonade stand early, or finish out the busy summer season.


First Margret Atwood starts Tweeting, now comics' #1 curmudgeon, Harvey Pekar has a Twitter account?! Is nothing sacred stagnant? Still, it's a good way to see what Pekar's grousing looks like before it's prettified by Crumb and co.


You've read Bill Clinton's reading list and Obama's beach books. Now what? Well, the folks at Oprah.com have scoured countless articles, interviews and photographs, compiling a list of children's books Michelle Obama has been seen reading. That oughta tide you over 'til the end of the weekend.


Miraculously coinciding with the unfortunate death of Senator Ted Kennedy is news from his publisher, Twelve, that the release date of Kennedy's memoir, True Compass, has been bumped from October to September. USA Today reports, "'We'd always hoped to publish earlier,' Cary Goldstein, spokesman for book publisher Twelve, said in an e-mail to us. 'The production process moved faster than expected, so we were able to shave off some time.'" Wow, what a coincidence!