Bay Area: 1; Atlanta: 0

I'm sure you all remember awhile back when the AJC eliminated the position of book review editor and the book community went all petition crazy and junk. And, of course, the AJC didn't give two shits and now Ms. Weaver is working for Habitat for Humanity and Atlanta Magazine . Well, it turns out that the Contra Costa Times is a bit more caring about their literary audience. BRE Sue Gilmore has announced that the newspaper has reversed it's decision to move their Sunday Book Review section out of the paper and onto the interwebs only, due to the huge outcry from readers.

Apparently the Contra Costa times made the mistake of thinking that people who still subscribed to papers preferred TV listings over book reviews, not realizing that no one freaking checks the paper to see what's on. That's what the "Guide" button is for on our Time Warner remote. Plus, who watches live TV anymore? We have Tivo and DVR people. Also, I remember back when I used to get a paper (or well, when my parents did and I still lived at home), it came with this crappy little local TV guide thing that had the schedule for the whole week. And we saved that, and looked in it (because my parents were assholes and refused to get cable so I didn't have a fancy schmancy "Guide" button. Screw you all.) when we wanted to see what was on. But, I digress. The point is, go Contra Costa Times for realizing that you were being dumb retards. And boo, AJC for never realizing the same. That is all.

-Ladytron

ps. I should probably also note that the Contra Costa Times received a number of letters suggesting that their loyal readers would defect to - horrors - the San Francisco Chronicle. The AJC has the luxury of being the only decent newspaper in the state, so really, where else where those whiney literati gonna go?

Psst, guess what... Southerners Just as Snarky as New Yorkers (DBF part 1)

I must say, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution went all out for the second annual Decatur Book Festival. It was almost as though they were trying to prove something (cough - no Teresa Weaver - cough - no book section. The Square itself reminded me of a good old New York street festival, complete with corn dog stands. All of the exhibitors had little white tents for visitors to browse, and there were a variety of stages where authors and other industry folk discussed their books and the biz. There was even a special participant room, stocked with food and drinks, where the "VIPs" could hang between events. Not too shabby. Maybe Book Expo should take notes for next year.

But aside from the panels, the southern charm, delicious food, and plenty of booze, there was some other interesting stuff at work behind the scenes. First of all, the exhibitor list . Notice any stores missing? Hmm, Barnes and Noble? Borders? Nowhere to be found. Apparently, the AJC favors the independents, and Ladytron says more power to them. I've been known to swing into a B&N in my day (ahem, Harry Potter), but for the most, part, I do try to support my local independent. So right on, DBF peeps.

The most glaring omission, however, was Wordsmith. I was especially interested in checking the store out, since I'd read so much about it in the past few months . Opened by a former Chapter 11 exec (previously the largest independent book chain in the ATL area), Wordsmith is located RIGHT OFF the Decatur Square and had been written about in PW, Shelf Awareness, Galleycat, etc. So, after being hailed as the next great independent, why weren't they represented at the Festival?

Ladytron used her connections (by which I mean, I chatted up some locals from other independents) and unearthed some speculation. One, Wordsmith opened in June, a mere two and a half months before the Book Festival. All of the other independents were well-established in the Atlanta area, while Wordsmith (despite publicity) hadn't had a chance to prove themselves. Two, owner Zach Steele might be a touch shady. I've never met the man personally, so truly, I don't know, but word on the street is that when he defected from Chapter 11, he took a number of authors with him, dealing a huge blow to the already struggling store. Also, Steele claims to not sell children's books due to an agreement with nearby children's book shop, Little Shop of Stories. Not true, my sources say. Zach just doesn't like kids and doesn't want them running around his shop. The folks at the AJC-DBF are pretty kid-friendly and were not down with this. Finally, I heard that Steele, an initial supporter of the "Save the Book Review" campaign that stormed Atlanta earlier this year, disassociated himself as opening day grew closer. Once the store was open, Wordsmith claimed they were always involved in the fight, angering some of the true supporters.

However, to Steele's credit, he has opened a beautiful bookstore, and I've heard he took in many of the former Chapter 11 employees who were left jobless when the stores closed. And, maybe, in this day and age, you need to bend the rules a bit to play with the big boys...
So there you go…turns out that New York's not the only place where book gossip reigns supreme. Those crazy independents are just as back-stabbing as us publishing folk anyday. Whew. I don't feel so bad about myself now.

-Ladytron