Office of Scholarly Publications at Georgetown University: Bret Hart will be at the Press Club, not my house!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Bret Hart will be at the Press Club, not my house!

In one of the more bizarre twists to come out of Book Fair this year, Bret "The Hitman" Hart's official website accidentally posted my home address and telephone number for his signing tonight, instead of the National Press Club. His publicists quickly corrected the error, but not before it was picked up by a number of fan sites. I have been fielding professional wrestling inquiries for two days now!

My interest in pro wrestlers goes back to around 2000, when I met legendary wrestler Luna Vachon on a plane ride from Tampa to DC (Tampa is a big hub for pro wrestlers). We had a great conversation, and I came away with so much respect for the history of the sport, and for what she termed the modern-day carnival. Her husband Gangrel was also on that flight, and later on another flight I met the Bushwhackers. When I became chair of Book Fair at the National Press Club late last year, I wanted Bret Hart in as a nod to that long-ago plane ride with Luna and her colleagues. He has certainly proven to be a popular choice, but who knew that fans might be showing up at my front gate tonight?

If you are reading this and wanted to go to Book Fair to meet Bret Hart or any of the other 85+ authors, PLEASE go to 14th and F Streets, NW (The National Press Building), 13th Floor, at 5:30 p.m. Do not come to my house. If you do, you will find the lights out, and a printed map with directions to the National Press Club. ;-)

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Writing a Book? Literary Advising at Booklab

Booklab works with authors outside Georgetown as well as faculty. Literary education is available either by the hour (advising) or by the project (nonfiction proposals, expert manuscript readthroughs, etc.). Write to us for more information and a course fee schedule.

If you're not a Georgetown author and you have a question, you can have it answered for free if you give us permission to post it on the blog. You will remain anonymous unless you wish to be identified by first name.

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Click here to see a list of books we recommend about writing.

Literary Events

William Morris Endeavor Agency Visited Booklab. Eric Lupfer of the William Morris Endeavor Agency was my guest for a Georgetown University faculty book talk at noon on October 15 in the Leavey Center. Over 70 faculty members attended, including special guests from the Center For Advanced Holocaust Studies at the Holocaust Museum, and some from Mary Washington College. Eric focused on his own approaches, work he admires, and backstage realities at a major literary agency.
Matthew Carnicelli Visited Booklab. This former Dutton editor turned literary agent, first in his own boutique and now with Trident Media, captivated an audience of 70 faculty members with his insights on how scholarly research can form the basis of engaging and popular books. He discussed some of the mechanics of approaching agents, but his core message was what he particularly looks for in an engaging crossover book.
Cary Goldstein Visited Booklab. Director of Publicity and Acquiring Editor Cary Goldstein at Hachette's estimable imprint TWELVE discussed how academic authors can become quoted experts in today's voracious news climate. He analyzed nonfiction from both of his unique perspectives: as an acquisitions editor, and as a senior-level publicity strategist. He also discussed TWELVE and what distinguishes its editorial and promotional approach from other houses.
Smithsonian Books Editor and Georgetown Alumna Visits Georgetown. Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard, a senior editor at Smithsonian Books who was an executive editor at Random House and Farrar, Straus & Giroux, and who has been reponsible for several literary bestsellers, will co-teach a book proposal seminar in the spring. Please see the blog at the left for details.
Sebastian Junger Visited Booklab. Bestselling author Sebastian Junger -- who used to be a Washington, DC journalist and who is still a reporter at heart -- is also a great supporter of Booklab. He discussed his work with faculty. We met in the historic Philodemic Room, where he offered such unorthodox advice as "Write what you DON'T know... you'll learn along with your readers and tell a better, more thorough story." Afterward he accompanied our team to the National Press Club for its annual Book Fair and Authors Night.
Georgetown Author Barbara Mujica at Chapters Literary Bookstore. Georgetown alumna and Chapters co-owner Terri Merz hosted Barbara Mujica at Chapters for a special wine reception.
Oxford University Press Visited Georgetown. The Faculty of Languages and Linguistics hosted Cynthia Read, the executive editor of Oxford USA, on April 17 for a conversation and question and answer session.
University of Arizona Press Visited Georgetown. Carole Sargent welcomed Dr. Christine Szuter, Director of the University of Arizona Press, at the Book Lab townhouse on Wednesday, March 14 at 10:30 a.m.
The Authors Guild at Georgetown. Executive Director Paul Aiken and General Counsel Jan Constantine answered professors' questions about university press contracts, and authors submitted contracts ahead of time for detailed review.
Father James V. Schall read from his new book The Life of the Mind: On the Joys and Travails of Thinking, in late October.
Gemstone of Paradise: The Holy Grail in Wolfram's Parzival, by G. Ronald Murphy, S.J. was the subject of a book talk at the National Press Club's Eric Friedheim Library. Father Murphy regaled the audience with his fascinating story of actually finding the Holy Grail.

Office of Scholarly Publications
at Georgetown University

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Bret Hart will be at the Press Club, not my house!

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