What's hot in publishing, circa June 1902

A short one for the short week.

From Publishers Weekly June 28, 1902, No. 1587.

LITERARY AND TRADE NOTES

We regret to hear that W.B. Perkins, the well-known and popular bookman, is threatened with complete loss of sight.


LAIRD & LEE, Chicago, will publish next month a new story by Opie Read, entitled "The Starbucks," which is said to contain many unusually clever bits of philosophy.

THE so-called "book-fair" will be held in the Palmer House, Chicago, beginning with July 5. About fifty prominent publishing houses will be represented, and buyers are expected from leading points in the West.

THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL on the 19th inst. issued an order denying the use of the mails to the Empire Fountain Pen Company of Massena, New York. The concern was engaged in the operation of a chain-letter scheme.

HERBERT S. STONE & CO. hav published "The Book of a Hundred Houses." A score of writers contribute the text, treating of dwellings large and small, but mostly small, in existence here or abroad or proposed by a designer. The text is accompanied by a number of illustrations from photographs and drawings.

DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & CO. will follow up their work of "American College Sororities" by a volume on "American college Greek-Letter Societies," by Reuel Linus Jason. The volume will be fully illustrated with group pictures and portraits. While the text is written by Mr. Jason, who is a recognized authority on the subject, he will receive material assistance from a board of advisory editors, consisting of one representative officially appointed by the government of each National society. The book will have the endorsement of this official board of advisory editors, who are for the most part the heads of various societies.

OLD-BOOK NOTES

MR. VOYNICH is exhibiting at his rooms, 1 Soho Square, London, 150 unknown and lost books. Though the collection does not include many books that can be described as of general interest, or of a very high order of importance, nevertheless, as every edition of a book has its place in the science of bibliography, the exhibition may be regarded as unique in the annals of bibliography, as is an incontrovertible argument in proof of the theory that there is no finality in bibliography.

No. 1639 June 27, 1903

While perusing the Publishers Weekly shelves for material, it struck me that almost every year I picked up published on June 27th. Coincidence?

Most of the news wasn't worth reporting (again), but I found some interesting tidbits from 1903.

So, here we go, some publishing news from Publishers Weekly, June 27th, 1903 [No. 1639]:

LITERARY AND TRADE NOTES

THE AINSLEE PUBLISHING COMPANY, New York, have just published a new novel by edgar Saltus, entitled "Purple and Fine Women."


It may be necessary or not to pass the word along to the careless author who left a mysterious manuscript of a historical novel of the seventeenth century period, packed in a red box, at John Lane's London office, omitting to leave his address, that if he will but communicate with the "anxious publisher" he will hear something to his advantage.

A.C. MCCLURG & Co. are making arrangements to bring out during the autumn, in portfolio form, reproductions of some of the delightful sketches of girls' heads, drawn in red chalk and charcoal, by Miss Hazel Martyn, a well-known Chicago society woman. these sketched when exhibited this spring won great praise from the professional critics for their clever and original treatment.

CLEOPAS KUNENE, of Natal, South Africa, has applied to Doubleday, Page & co. for permission to translate Booker T. Washington's autobiography, "Up from Slavery,' into the Zulu language for the benefit of those who read the language and are trying to better the condition of the masses of their countrymen, who, the author says, "are still lolling and weltering in darkness and ignorance and poverty."

ALBERT F. BROWN, a clerk in the employ of Charles Scribner's Sons, was arrested on June 23, charged with stealing books. According to the police, he confessed that he had been taking books for the last five weeks. He said that he got into fast company soon after his arrival in this city, about six weeks ago, and needed money to "keep his end up." he then began taking a few books at a time, which he easily disposed of.

H.M. CALDWELL COMPANY will publish shortly a little book with the catchy title, "Reflections of the Morning After," which will contain clever maxims, epigrams, and sayings appealing to the gentler sex as well as to club men. . .

Victorian Pub weekly is back!!

It's been a few months, but there are still decades of Publishers Weekly waiting for me downstairs. Let's resume the review.

Again, all of this is real and from the pages of Publishers Weekly from the late 19th/ Early 20th Century.

This week- Publishers Weekly, June 16, 1900 [No. 1481]

LITERARY AND TRADE NOTES

"HILDA WADE," it appears is not the only unpublished novel left by Grant Allen. There is another, entitled "The Linnet," which is said to contain some graceful love making, with the Tyrol for a background.

DOUBLEDAY, PAGE, & CO. have in press a volume entitled "The Lawyer's Alcove," a collection of "poems by the lawyer, for the lawyer, about the lawyer," edited by Ina Russelle Warren, with an introduction by Chauncey M. Depew.

P. BLACKISTON'S SON & CO., of Philadelphia, have secured the balance of the edition of "American Spiders and Their Spinning Work," by Rev. Henry C. McCook, Vice President of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia. This work contains a large number of colored illustrations and is a standard among entomologists.

R.H. RUSSELL announces a new book by L. Frank Baum, whose "Father Goose," of last year, had such an encouraging reception. The book will be entitled "A New Wonderland," in which the author will introduce his young readers to a new and charming country. Frank Ver Beck has made a number of colored pictures for the book, which will be gotten up in a very attractive style. Mr. Russell has decided to postpone until the fall the publication of Ver Beck's new book of burlesque drawings entitled, "A Handbook of Golf for Bears."

This is a description?!

Subject matter aside, I just ordered a copy of Paul Ruditis's Rainbow Party for the library, and what struck me was the brief description in Worldcat:

Rainbow parties. Are they real? Who's going? Gin and Sandy-one's been with all the guys, one's terrified of them. It's Gin's party: she invited everyone. Alison-President of the celibacy club. What's she thinkin? Hunter and Perry-friends...with benefits. Jade-hanging on to it for the right guy. Skye and Rod-totally doing it, totally curious. Vi-Skye's best friend who has it for Rod. The party could change everything. Rusty and Brick-one thinks he's a playah. One's built like it. Neither's getting any. Ash and Rose-the class couple, not ready yet. So why are they going?

I want to believe the book is either a realistic look at teens exploring sexuality or an exploitative look at teens, but the description makes it sound like a naughty Sweet Valley High with bad grammar.

I'm sure I'm late to the party on this one (bad cliché intended) since Oprah had a special on this and the myth has been discredited, but this description is so bad it needed a comment.

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The Blue Octavo Notebooks by Franz Kafka

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rating: 3 of 5 stars



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