The New York Review Of Books Novels & Stories

A text from an unknown number. *Dear Dr. Zanetti, I'm Clara Benson, Senior Editor at Meridian Books. I read your thesis abstract online and was incredibly impressed. I'd love to discuss the possibility of publishing it as a monograph. Are you free for a coffee next week?* Keira stared at the screen, her heart hammering. Meridian Books. One of the most respected independent publishers in the UK, known for their beautifully produced academic titles and their commitment to emerging voices. They'd published books she'd cited in her thesis. Books that had shaped her thinking.

He wasn’t sure what he was going to watch since he didn’t watch TV that often. **** Beverly was at The N.Y. offices catching up on her email. The N.Y. was a two-year-old news website that put out a hard copy magazine every month. Some people called it a gossip rag. Whatever it was The N.Y. was the most popular online site in New York. The N.Y. was popular for not holding punches and printing anything about anybody newsworthy. Beverly had just made full-time employment. The pay was better than being a temp all over the city, but she still had to watch her pennies. New York was not a cheap city to live in.

“The conventions I attend are usually so dull compared to all this.” “This is relatively small. You should see the BookExpo America at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. That one is about three times the size, but for your debut, I believe this event is perfect. You’ll have a better opportunity to talk to people who are interested in your book and not just looking for freebies.”

“No. I’ve been working on the rewrites of Legal Briefs all day. I’m not even dressed, why?” “Well, you can forget the rewrite. Peter Williams, the main man from Prelude Press just called and he loves the book.” “Prelude? I’ve never heard of them.” “They’re a small, very exclusive New York House. Started publishing poetry back in the early seventies, expanded to political non-fiction, then opened their fiction department about a year ago. Peter said he mailed your contracts express overnight, so throw some clothes on, or go in your underwear, I don’t care, but get your little ass over to that little post office of yours and pick up your mail.”

The air in the New York Public Library press room was charged, not with the schadenfreude of scandal, but with the excitement of genuine mystery. The invitation itself had been cryptic, with only the image of a stylized ship's wheel merged with a drafting compass and the words: The Roberts-Jones Foundation: A New Horizon. No one knew what to expect. A mea culpa? A retirement statement? A final attempt at rescuing a reputation?