Publishers Weekly

File:Pwtiny.png
Editors	Jim Milliot and Michael Coffey
Categories	Trade magazines
Weekly
Total circulation (June 2011)	15,407[1]
First issue	1872
Company	PWxyz LLC
Country	United States
Language	English
Website	www.publishersweekly.com
ISSN	0000-0019

Publishers Weekly, also known as PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of Book Publishing and Bookselling". With 51 issues a year, the emphasis today is on book reviews.^[2]

The magazine began as The Publishers' Weekly (with an apostrophe), a collective catalog for publishers to pool their resources. That listing of books enabled booksellers to learn about forthcoming titles, and eventually the publication expanded to include features and articles.^[3]

Harry Thurston Peck was the first editor-in-chief of The Bookman, which began in 1895. Peck worked on its staff from 1895 to 1906, and in 1895, he created the world's first bestseller list for its pages. In 1912, Publishers Weekly began to publish its own bestseller lists, patterned after the lists in The Bookman. These were not separated into fiction and non-fiction until 1917 when World War I brought an increased interest in non-fiction by the reading public.^[4][3]

Through much of the 20th century, Publishers Weekly was guided and developed by Frederic Gershom Melcher (1879–1963), who was editor and co-editor of Publishers' Weekly and chairman of the magazine's publisher, R.R. Bowker, over four decades. Born April 12, 1879, in Malden, Massachusetts, Melcher began at age 16 in Boston's Estes & Lauriat Bookstore, where he developed an interest in children's books.^[5] He moved to Indianapolis in 1913 for another bookstore job. In 1918, he read in Publishers' Weekly that the magazine's editorship was vacant. He applied to Richard Rogers Bowker for the job, was hired and moved with his family to Montclair, New Jersey. He remained with R.R. Bowker for 45 years.^[5] While at Publishers Weekly, Melcher began creating space in the publication and a number of issues dedicated solely to books for children.^[6] In 1919, he teamed with Franklin K. Mathiews, librarian for the Boy Scouts of America, and Anne Carroll Moore, a librarian at the New York Public Library, to create Children’s Book Week.^[5] When Bowker died in 1933, Melcher succeeded him as president of the company, resigning in 1959 to become chairman of the board of directors.^[7][3]

Writers and readers[link]

In 2008, the magazine's circulation was 25,000. In 2004, the breakdown of those 25,000 readers was given as 6000 publishers; 5500 public libraries and public library systems; 3800 booksellers; 1600 authors and writers; 1500 college and university libraries; 950 print, film and broad media; and 750 literary and rights agents, among others.

Subject areas covered by Publishers Weekly include publishing, bookselling, marketing, merchandising and trade news, along with author interviews and regular columns on rights, people in publishing, and bestsellers. It attempts to serve all involved in the creation, production, marketing and sale of the written word in book, audio, video and electronic formats. The magazine increases the page count considerably for four annual special issues: Spring Adult Announcements, Fall Adult Announcements, Spring Children's Announcements, and Fall Children's Announcements.^[2]

Book reviews[link]

The book review section, not added until the early 1940s, grew in importance over the past half-century, and it currently offers opinions on 7,000 new books each year. Since reviews are scheduled to appear one month or two months prior to the publication date of a book, books already in print are seldom reviewed. These anonymous reviews are short, often no more than 220 words, and the review section can be as long as 40 pages, filling the second half of the magazine. In the past, a book review editorial staff of eight editors assigned books to more than 100 freelance reviewers. Some are published authors, and others are experts in specific genres or subjects. Although it might take a week or more to read and analyze some books, reviewers were paid $45 per review until June 2008 when the magazine introduced a reduction in payment to $25 a review. In a further policy change that month, reviewers received credit as contributors in issues carrying their reviews.

Now titled "Reviews," the review section was once called "Forecasts." For several years, that title was taken literally when a review was followed with italicized sentences that attempted to predict a book's success. The "Forecasts" editor for many years was Genevieve Stuttaford, who greatly expanded the number of reviews. She joined the PW staff in 1975, after a period as a Saturday Review associate editor, reviewing for Kirkus Reviews and spending 12 years on the San Francisco Chronicle staff. During the 23 years Stuttaford was with Publishers Weekly, book reviewing was increased from an average of 3800 titles a year in the 1970s to well over 6500 titles in 1997. She retired in 1998.^[2] Former "Forecasts" editor Sybil Steinberg, who began reviewing for Publishers Weekly in 1976, later edited Writers and Their Craft: Interviews from Publishers Weekly (2003) and other books about writing.

Some PW critics are actually well-known writers. Katharine Weber was an anonymous PW reviewer before she became an acclaimed novelist. Texas novelist Clay Reynolds,^[8] in The Texas Institute of Letters Newsletter (February, 2004), gave a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the policies of PW and other review publications:

You were right on the money with regard to the impact reviews in Publishers Weekly (PW), Library Journal (LJ), Kirkus Review (KR) and the New York Times Book Review (NYTBR) have on publishers and sales; what you may not know is that I also write or have written for all of them. I’m approaching 700 reviews, by the way. I no longer write for KR and LJ, as their policies forbid anyone from writing for PW or one of the others (except the NYTBR), and the work they offered was steadier and more reliable. I’ve now done 87 reviews for PW (given three stars in all that time). For years, Sybil Steinberg was the Forecasts Fiction Editor there, but she retired about two years ago, and the position was taken over by Deena Croog [wrong: Deena was an editorial assistant; Jeff Zaleski succeeded Sybil Steinberg]. Sybil ran a tight ship and taut operation. Deena, who sounds as if she’s about 13, is a little less well organized, but she’s a tougher nut to crack in some ways. What’s interesting about the PW reviews, though, is that copy is sometimes altered before printing. On a few occasions, I’ve had opinions utterly reversed from what I wrote. I’ve questioned this, but I’ve never received satisfactory answers. I keep doing it because it’s good work and satisfies the university administration. I’m thinking of “retiring,” though, when I hit number 100.^[9]

In 1967, F. G. Melcher's son, David Melcher, explained what happened to the thousands of review copies sent to PW:

Needless to say, our house was always full of books, some of which became mine, but some of which were birds of passage which I had to read rapidly before they were taken back to the office. People often ask what happens to all the review copies received at the office of the Publishers' Weekly. They are worked rather hard actually, as I early became aware. Until they have served their intended purpose of being listed, forecast, reviewed, and commented upon, they stay on the working shelves and are taken out, if at all, only overnight or over the weekend. Later they become available for staff borrowing. Finally, they are divided up among the staff.^[10]

Before the use of e-mail, reviewers were given paper lined for a character count. They then made two carbon copies, kept one copy and mailed in the other copy along with the original typed on the lined paper. For years, freelance reviewers were instructed to return bound galleys after the review was written, but beginning in 2005, reviewers were allowed to keep those advance reading copies.

Some reviews now are published only online as "web exclusives". PW's long standing policy of not reviewing self-published or vanity press books changed in 2010 with the introduction of PW Select, a quarterly supplement requiring self-published authors to pay for a listing and the possibility of being selected for a review, as they outlined:

If you are a self-published author with a finished book that carries an ISBN, you can register to have your book listed in a seasonal supplement that will be bound into issues of Publishers Weekly. Overprints will be available for purchase and bonus distribution. Additionally, a digital edition and online database will be made available. The registration fee of $149 entitles you to a listing of your book—title, author, illustrator (where applicable), pagination, price, format, ISBN, and a description of the book's contents—all of which will appear in the supplement and online database. Authors should also include the online location at which to place orders for their book. All registered listings that meet the above criteria will be listed (though we reserve the right to decline an author's registration and return the fee if we if we deem the book inappropriate to our broad readership).^[11]

Magazines and mergers[link]

For most of its history, Publishers Weekly, along with the Library Journal-related titles, were owned by founding publisher R. R. Bowker. When Reed Publishing purchased Bowker from Xerox in 1985, it placed Publishers Weekly under the management of its Boston-based Cahners Publishing Company, the trade publishing empire founded by Norman Cahners, which Reed Publishing had purchased in 1977. The merger of Reed with the Netherlands-based Elsevier in 1993 led to many Cahners cutbacks amid takeover turmoil. Nora Rawlinson, who once headed a $4 million book selection budget at the Baltimore County Library System, edited Library Journal for four years before stepping in as editor-in-chief of Publishers Weekly from 1992 to 2005.

Sara Nelson era[link]

Beginning January 24, 2005, the magazine came under the direction of a new editor-in-chief, veteran book reviewer Sara Nelson, known for her publishing columns in the New York Post and The New York Observer.^[12] A senior contributing editor for Glamour, in addition to editorial positions at Self, Inside.com and Book Publishing Report, she had gained attention and favorable reviews as the author of So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading (Putnam, 2003), in which she stirred a year's worth of reading into a memoir mix of her personal experiences after a New Year's resolution to read a book each week.^[13]

Nelson began to modernize Publishers Weekly with new features and a makeover by illustrator and graphic designer Jean-Claude Suares. The many alterations included added color (with drop shadows behind color book covers), Nelson's own weekly editorial, illustrated bestseller lists and "Signature,"^[14] longer boxed reviews written by well-known novelists. The switch to a simple abbreviated logo of initials effectively changed the name of the magazine to PW, the name long used for the magazine within the book industry.^[2]

She also introduced the magazine's Quill Awards, with nominees in 19 categories selected by a nominating board of 6,000 booksellers and librarians. Winners were determined by the reading public, who could vote at kiosks in Borders stores or online at the Quills site. Reed Business dropped the Quill Awards in 2008.^[15]

In the past, the front covers of Publishers Weekly were used to display advertisements by book publishers, and this policy was changed to some degree in 2005. Although new PW covers now feature illustrations and photographs tied to interior articles, these covers are often hidden behind a front cover foldout advertisement. The visual motif of each cover is sometimes repeated on the contents page.^[2]

The Nelson years were marked by turbulence within the industry as well as a continuing trend away from serious writing and towards pop culture. Publishers Weekly had enjoyed a near monopoly over the past decades, but it was getting vigorous competition from Internet sites, e-mail newsletters and daily newspapers.^[16] The industry was consolidating. Many independent booksellers, who had been bread–and–butter clients of Publishers Weekly, were going out of business.^[16] Paid circulation dropped by 3,000 to 25,000 in the mid 2000s,^[16] Nelson pushed for significant changes towards modernization, greater use of the Web and more focus on analytical reporting, but she was contending with economic forces working against the book buying market,^[16] problems she addressed in a 2005 interview:

Advertising downturn and sale[link]

In 2008, faced with a decline in advertising support, Reed's management sought a new direction. In January 2009, Sara Nelson was dismissed along with executive editor Daisy Maryles, who had been with PW for more than four decades. Stepping in as editorial director was Brian Kenney, editorial director of School Library Journal and Library Journal.^[2] The dismissals, which sent shockwaves through the industry, were widely covered in newspapers.^[17]

In April 2010, George W. Slowik Jr., a former publisher of the magazine, purchased Publishers Weekly from Reed Business Information, under the company PWxyz, LLC. Cevin Bryerman remained as publisher along with co-editors Jim Milliot and Michael Coffey.^[2]

On September 22, 2011, PW began a series of weekly podcasts: "Beyond the Book: PW's Week Ahead".^[18]

Archives[link]

PW maintains an online archive of past book reviews from February 2001 to the present.^[19] The earliest articles posted in PW's online archive date back to 1995. A redesigned website was unveiled on May 10, 2010.^[2]

See also[link]

• Booklist
• Editor & Publisher
• ForeWord
• Kirkus Reviews
• Library Journal
• San Francisco Review of Books
• School Library Journal

References[link]

Listen to[link]

• "PW's Week Ahead" podcasts

External links[link]

• Publishers Weekly official site
• Publishers Weekly iPhone/iPad app
• Interview on magazine's history
• 20th Century American Bestsellers
• Sybil Steinberg discusses Publishers Weekly

Sara Nelson is an American publishing industry figure who is an editor and book reviewer and consultant^[1] and columnist^[2] and who is currently the book editor at Oprah's O Magazine. Nelson is notable for having been editor in chief at the book industry's chief trade publication Publishers Weekly from 2005–2009 during a time of wrenching restructuring and industry downsizing. Her book So Many Books, So Little Time was published in 2003.^[3] Her views have been widely reported in numerous publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, and she has appeared on television broadcasts including CBS's The Early Show. She has written for the Wall Street Journal and the Huffington Post^[4] about publishing industry trends and has been described as a "lively presence within the book publishing industry."^[2] She is an extensive reader^[5] and has been described as a lover of books.^[6]

Beginnings[link]

Nelson attended Phillips Academy in Andover and graduated in 1974.^[7] She wrote about books and publishing at the New York Post, the New York Observer, Glamour magazine, and held editorial positions at Self, Inside.com, and Book Publishing Report.^[2] Nelson married and had a child and is a fierce advocate for respect for working mothers.^[8] Women struggled with ways to juggle careers and families, and stay-at-home moms and working mothers jostled over women's roles in the home, sometimes termed in the media as the Mommy Wars. Nelson wrote:

Nelson, based on a New Year's plan, embarked on an ambitious project to read one book each week and write about it, and the effort morphed into a book entitled So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading which was published by Putnam in 2003.^[9] While her initial book–a–week plan fell apart almost immediately, according to New York Times book reviewer Ihsan Taylor, the effort was fruitful since the book was seen as a commentary on the "nature of reading itself."^[10] Nelson's future employer, Publishers Weekly, reported that her book revealed her "infectious enthusiasm for literature in general."^[11] Writer Augusten Burroughs said Nelson's book was a "smart, witty, utterly original memoir about how every book becomes a part of us."^[12]

Nelson has been a consistent heavy reader throughout her life, and at one point, in a YouTube interview, said that she typically reads about 50 books cover–to–cover per year regardless of her self-imposed commitment. She will only write about a book after she's read it completely, according to Nelson in the interview. Further, she reads portions of many books which are sent to her or recommended by others, sometimes only the first ten pages. She favors fiction over non-fiction generally, occasionally reading classics overlooked during her college years, and some non-fiction works such as David McCullough's treatment of American president John Adams.^[11]

Publishers Weekly[link]

Editor-in-chief[link]

Nelson became editor–in–chief of the trade magazine Publishers Weekly in January 2005.^[6] It was a powerful position since the magazine is traditionally regarded as a standard bearer for mainstream critical opinion regarding books. A positive review from Publishers Weekly can bring a big sales boost to an unknown title, and the editor–in–chief's opinion about new books has considerable weight in the publishing industry. New York Times reporter Edward Wyatt suggested that the top job at Publishers Weekly in 2005 involved facing "many challenges".^[6]

In her new position, Nelson added a new assessment for books called a signature review.^[13] She permitted greater variety in the length of reviews (typically 200 to 500 words long), considered bylines to reviews, and changes to the magazine's cover format.^[6] She hired graphic designer Jean-Claude Suares, added color using so-called drop down shadows behind color book covers, and wrote an editorial each week. She switched the magazine's logo to use the two letters PW since the abbreviation was well understood within the publishing world. She developed a nominating board of several thousand booksellers and librarians to nominate books for prizes in nineteen different categories; readers voted for books within stores or online, and the awards were termed the Quill awards. There was increased use of a foldout advertisement on the front cover, with the theme repeated inside the table of contents page.

The first decade of the new century was marked by turbulence within the industry as well as a continuing trend away from serious writing and towards pop culture. Publishers Weekly had enjoyed a "near monopoly" over the past decades but was getting vigorous competition from Internet sites, e-mail newsletters and daily newspapers.^[6] The industry was consolidating. Many independent booksellers—a mainstay of Publishers Weekly clientele—were going out of business.^[6] Paid circulation dropped by 3,000 to 25,000 in the mid 2000s.^[6] Nelson pushed for significant changes towards modernization, greater use of the Web, and more focus on analytical reporting.^[6]

Nelson commented in an interview about how she saw PW evolving:

Nelson, looking at business practices within the book publishing industry, saw problems. She speculated that the industry practice of printing too many books to "kind of create a buzz" and then having to ship books back from bookstores was inefficient.^[14] She saw a trend favoring so-called big books at the expense of lesser known writers:

Television's impact on publishing[link]

Nelson noticed Oprah's impact on the book publishing industry, not knowing that the popular celebrity talk show host would one day be her employer.

In 2008, Nelson commented on the intersection of political candidates, books, and television celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, not knowing that the talk show celebrity would be her employer within a year. There were several dozen books about then-candidate Obama.^[16] Nelson was interviewed on National Public Radio on Winfrey's influence,^[17] similar to that of radio personality Imus,^[18] in the publishing arena.^[19] She described Oprah:

Television was playing a bigger role in the publishing industry in other ways. Nelson explained how publicity efforts such as a book excerpt were being eclipsed by TV interviews.^[20] Publishers were increasingly seeking TV exposure for authors since "TV has a greater reach than magazines," she explained.^[20] Sometimes TV shows require that some material not be used, she explained in an interview while commenting on the increasing use of a practice termed book embargoes.^[21] In addition, other ways to promote books were becoming more prominent, such as book clubs.^[22] Nelson was reportedly "not thrilled" by the trend towards pressuring authors to become speakers to promote their books publicly, and wondered whether the pressure from having to make public presentations would detract from a writer's focus on improving his or her craft.^[23]

Reporters sought her insight about why some books generated controversy while others didn't^[24] as well as her counsel on how publishers were trying to reach the lucrative teen market.^[25] "Teens can be very passionate readers ... the format isn't as important as the fact that they're reading," she said.^[26] Nelson commented that reading was ultimately a private act and said "Why people read what they read is a great unknown and personal thing."^[27]

Controversies and industry realignment[link]

During these years some prominent book fabrications emerged, with supposedly credible books being published which later were found to have been untrue.^[28] Nelson wondered whether hoaxes would bring negative publicity to the publishing industry.^[29][30] There was considerable fallout from an attempt to publish O. J. Simpson's controversial book If I Did It. Nelson criticized the project as a pathetic way of "trying to cash in."^[31][32] By that point, a huge negative public backlash, which had been building up, erupted, and the publisher withdrew the book from the marketplace.

After a profound economic downturn beginning in 2007 and lasting for the next few years, the publishing industry slumped significantly. Nelson commented in 2008 how layoffs and salary freezes were "sobering".^[33]

Advice for aspiring authors[link]

Nelson's advice was repeatedly sought by aspiring writers regarding how to get their book on the coveted bestseller list.^[4] When asked How to get a title on the bestseller list? she responded cryptically: "... That depends ... And who knows?"^[4] Nelson said that publishers, evaluating a potential book, look to past successes to gauge potential profitability, and tend to rely on big-name authors^[34] who have a series to sell.^[35] Non-fiction books about food or eating tend to do well, and Nelson commented that Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food was doing well.^[36] She counsels writers to write excellent books and "get it into as many people's hands as you can."^[5]

Industry trends, digital books, self-publishing[link]

Amazon's Kindle is one of many new technologies affecting the publishing industry. Nelson owns one as well as a Sony Reader.

Nelson wrote about such industry topics as Twitter writers signing book deals,^[37] Jonathan Littell's controversial 1,000 page Holocaust novel,^[15] and realignments of publishing firms.^[38] Nelson was quoted about sleeper hit books such as Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen^[39] as well as an expansion of what's considered to be chick lit which has grown to be more accomplished and "grown up," according to Nelson.^[40] She commented on trends in changing technology, such as the coming of digital books such as Amazon's Kindle.^[1] She owns a Kindle^[5] and a Sony Reader and sees both as a "statement to the world that you like to read."^[41] She said:

Nelson identified other trends. Fewer places review books now, unfortunately, but there is more information available to consumers who may not want in-depth literary reviews of a book; rather, they want to know whether it's worth plunking down $25, and that's it.^[5] In some respects, according to Nelson, smaller publishers are better off than large houses which have huge budgets devoted to overhead; for example, Nelson said a small "mom and pop" publisher can do five books a year and be profitable.^[5] She still thinks it's tough times for people employed within the industry; she said "You can do all the right things and still lose your job."^[5] She thinks business-to-business magazines will become available mostly online, and soon.^[5] In the past, self publishing was seen as the "exclusive realm of egomaniacs, eccentrics, and failures," according to a reporter in the Los Angeles Times, but over the past decade or so it's become more popular and somewhat better accepted.^[42] Nelson commented in 2010 that there were more instances of publishers picking up a self-published book, although such success stories are still rare.^[42] "Publishers are taking self-published books more seriously," she said.^[42]

Dismissal from Publishers Weekly[link]

Then, in 2009, Nelson was dismissed from Publishers Weekly. She said:

The action sent shockwaves through the industry and was widely covered in prominent newspapers.^[43] There was considerable reaction by readers as well. One reader wrote: "Sara Nelson turned Publishers Weekly around!"^[2] Another wrote that "Sara Nelson pulled Publishers Weekly into the 21st century with grace, verve, and panache. And I’ve never met such a loud cheerleader for books and for the book publishing industry."^[2]

O Magazine[link]

In September 2009, Nelson was appointed book editor at Oprah's O Magazine.^[44][45][46] She continued to comment in the media about new forces in publishing such as the new quarterly literary magazine called Electric Literature which allows readers to read in a variety of media, including e-book, iPhone, and audiobook.^[47] Nelson applauded the effort saying that "anything that takes the starch out" was good.^[47] Generally, Nelson's outlook for the publishing industry is bright and thinks that "in the end readers will win."^[48] Sara Nelson appeared with Harry Smith of CBS News on The Early Show.^[49] She's also served as moderator for events sponsored by the LA Times Festival of Books.^[50]

Publications[link]

• So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading, Putnam, 2003.^[9]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sara Nelson with CBS's Harry Smith

Chris Hedges
Born	(1956-09-18) 18 September 1956 (age 55) St. Johnsbury, Vermont, USA
Education	Colgate University, B.A. Harvard Divinity School, M. Div
Occupation	Journalist, writer
Spouse	Eunice Wong

Christopher Lynn Hedges (born September 18, 1956) is an American journalist, author, and war correspondent specializing in American and Middle Eastern politics and societies.^[1] His most recent book is The World As It Is (2011).^[2]

Hedges is also known as the best-selling author of War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (2002), which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction. A quotation from the book was used as the opening title quotation in the film The Hurt Locker (2009). The quotation reads: "The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug."^[3][4][5]

Chris Hedges is currently a senior fellow at The Nation Institute in New York City.^[6] He spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He has reported from more than fifty countries, and has worked for The Christian Science Monitor, National Public Radio, The Dallas Morning News, and The New York Times,^[1] where he was a foreign correspondent for fifteen years (1990–2005).

In 2002, Hedges was part of the team of reporters at The New York Times awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the paper's coverage of global terrorism. He also received in 2002 the Amnesty International Global Award for Human Rights Journalism. He has taught at Columbia University, New York University, Princeton University^[1] and The University of Toronto. He writes a weekly column on Mondays for Truthdig and authored what The New York Times described as "a call to arms" for the first issue of The Occupied Wall Street Journal, the newspaper giving voice to The Occupy Wall Street protests in Zuccotti Park, New York City.

Biography[link]

Christopher Lynn Hedges was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, the son of a Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Thomas Hedges. He grew up in rural Schoharie County, New York, graduated from the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut, in 1975 and attended Colgate University where he received a B.A. in English Literature. He later gained a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, where he studied under James Luther Adams. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in May 2009 from the Unitarian Universalist seminary, Starr King School for the Ministry, in Berkeley, California.^[2]

Hedges is a critic of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, and was also an early and vocal critic of the Iraq War. He questioned the rationale for war by the Bush administration and was critical of the early press coverage, calling it "shameful cheerleading". In May 2003, Hedges delivered a commencement address at Rockford College in Rockford, Illinois, saying: "We are embarking on an occupation that, if history is any guide, will be as damaging to our souls as it will be to our prestige and power and security."^[7]

His newspaper, The New York Times, criticized his statements and issued him a formal reprimand for "public remarks that could undermine public trust in the paper's impartiality."^[8] Shortly after the incident, Hedges left The New York Times to become a senior fellow at The Nation Institute, in addition to writing books and teaching.^[8][9]

In his December 29, 2008, column for Truthdig, Hedges identified himself as a "socialist" in contrast to what he sees as "ruthless totalitarian capitalism".^[10] On November 4 2011, Hedges was arrested with others in New York as part of the Occupy Wall Street demonstration.^[11][12] Hedges has appeared on the syndicated Democracy Now! television program.^[13][14] and George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight.^[15]

Chris Hedges is married to the Canadian actress Eunice Wong. They have two children and Hedges has two children from a previous marriage.^[2]

Books[link]

[edit] War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (2002)

Hedges' bestselling War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (ISBN 1586480499) draws on his experiences in various conflicts to describe the patterns and behavior of nations and individuals in wartime. The book was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction.

[edit] What Every Person Should Know About War (2003)

Hedges is also the author of What Every Person Should Know About War (ISBN 1417721049), a book he worked on with several combat veterans.

[edit] Losing Moses on the Freeway (2005)

Losing Moses on the Freeway: The 10 Commandments in America (ISBN 0743255135) was published in June 2005. The book was inspired by the Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski and his ten-part film series The Decalogue. Hedges wrote about lives, including his own, which had been consumed by one of the violations or issues raised by a commandment.

[edit] American Fascists (2007)

American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America (ISBN 0743284437) was published in January 2007. In this book, Hedges argues that the Christian fundamentalist movement emerging today in the United States resembles the early fascist movements in Italy and Germany at the beginning of the last century, and therefore constitutes a gathering threat to American democracy.

[edit] I Don't Believe in Atheists (2008)

I Don't Believe in Atheists (ISBN 141656795X), published in March 2008, is a critique of what Hedges perceives as a radical mindset that rages against religion and faith. Hedges states the book was motivated by debates he had with atheist authors Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens who, Hedges feels, excessively demonize religion, particularly Islam, in ways that, Hedges believes, were eerily similar to the thinking of Christian fundamentalists. The 2009 paperback edition (1416570780) was retitled When Atheism Becomes Religion: America's New Fundamentalists.

[edit] Collateral Damage (2008)

Collateral Damage: America's War Against Iraqi Civilians (ISBN 1568583737), with Laila Al-Arian.

[edit] Empire of Illusion (2009)

Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle (ISBN 9781568584379) was published in July 2009. It is an exploration and critique of how literacy and meaningful relationships have been eclipsed and replaced by illusion and spectacle in American culture and society.

[edit] Death of the Liberal Class (2010)

Death of the Liberal Class (ISBN 9781568586441) was published in October 2010 by Nation books.

[edit] The World As It Is (2011)

The World As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress (ISBN 9781568586403), a collection of original Truthdig columns, was published in April 2011 by Nation Books.

References[link]

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (March 2012)

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Chris Hedges

• Chris Hedges' hub on Truthdig
• Chris Hedges' articles in "The Nation"
• Chris Hedges on Charlie Rose and interview
• [1] on web.ebscohost.com
• Hedges, Chris (February 2011). ""Hope,From Now On"". Vital Speeches of the Day. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=17&sid=7274f798-8110-478b-ba0e-93a0cb240cc4%40sessionmgr11&vid=1&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=57850102. 

• Hedges, Chris (2007-07-07). "A Declaration of Independence From Israel". Truthdig. http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20070702_a_declaration_of_independence_from_israel/. Retrieved 2009-12-13. 
• Hedges, Chris (2007-11-18). "U.S. IN THE TIME OF EMPIRE?". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2007-12-21. http://web.archive.org/web/20071221001844/http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20071118_U_S__IN_THE_TIME_OF_EMPIRE_.html. Retrieved 2007-11-18. 
• Hedges, Chris (May 2005). "Feeling the hate with the National Religious Broadcasters". Harper's. http://www.harpers.org/archive/2005/05/0080541. Retrieved 2007-04-11. 
• Hedges, Chris (2004-12-16). "On War". New York Review of Books Volume 51, Number 20. http://www.nybooks.com/articles/article-preview?article_id=17630. Retrieved 2007-11-18. 
• Hedges, Chris (2004-11-15). "The Christian Right and the Rise of American Fascism". TheocracyWatch. http://www.theocracywatch.org/chris_hedges_nov24_04.htm. Retrieved 2007-01-31. 
• Hedges, Chris (2003-05-20). "Text of the Rockford College graduation speech". Rockford Register Star. http://www.rrstar.com/localnews/your_community/rockford/0521hedgesspeech.shtml. 
• Hedges, Chris (2003-03-07). "Bill Moyers talks with Chris Hedges on the eve of the Iraq War". NOW. http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_hedges.html. 
• Bush's Nuclear Apocalypse - An article written by Chris Hedges and published on the 8th of October 2006 on www.truthdig.com and on www.pravda.ru in Italian (L'Apocalisse Nucleare di Bush)
• I Don't Believe in Atheists - An interview with Chris Hedges by Charly Wilder at www.salon.com, 13 March 2008, on why New Atheists are as dangerous as Christian fundamentalists.
• Our Father - An essay by novelist Christian Bauman that provides a behind-the-scenes view of the writing of What Every Person Should Know About War, at IdentityTheory.com, February 2009.
• Nation Books description of Death of the Liberal Class, October 2010

Video links[link]

• Chris Hedges lectures at The University of Toronto on Death of the Liberal Class. November 4, 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNrDej7aXMs.  55mn
• George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight. CBC. November 3, 2010. http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/videos.html?ID=1633345372.  13mn
• The Agenda with Steve Paikin: debate with Chris Hedges on The Liberal Class. TVOntario. October 29, 2010. http://www.tvo.org/TVO/WebObjects/TVO.woa?videoid?648567296001.  37mn
• The Agenda with Steve Paikin: interview of Chris Hedges on The Liberal Class. TVOntario. October 29, 2010. http://www.tvo.org/TVO/WebObjects/TVO.woa?videoid?648511066001.  14mn
• Chris Hedges - The Death of the Liberal Class: Talk by Chris Hedges at Media Sanctuary. October 17, 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYCvSntOI5s.  46mn
• Chris Hedges - The Death of the Liberal Class: Q & A by Chris Hedges at Media Sanctuary. October 17, 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfPDp0jCT_U.  40mn
• Chris Hedges - Empire of Illusion: Interview by Allan Gregg. March 19, 2010. http://www.tvo.org/TVOsites/WebObjects/TVO.woa?b?9078811269050400000.  30mn
• Chris Hedges - Empire of Illusion. December 12, 2009. http://fora.tv/2009/12/08/Chris_Hedges_Empire_of_Illusion#fullprogram.  1h22mn
• Chris Hedges - Collateral Damage: America's War Against Iraqi Civilians (Google video). June 27, 2008. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=221047753114925234&hl=en.  1h05mn
• An evening at Maryknoll with Chris Hedges (Google video). February 21, 2007. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3031605291712829016.  1h10mn
• Chris Hedges on “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America”. Democracy Now!. February 19, 2007. http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/19/1545218.  46mn
• Who Are the American Fascists?. Cambridge Forum/WGBH. February 14, 2007. http://forum.wgbh.org/wgbh/forum.php?lecture_id=3345.  1h14
• The Hour. CBC. February 6, 2007. http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1357.  10mn^{[dead link]}
• BookTV talk. CSPAN. Jan 18, 2007. http://www.booktv.org/ram/feature/0207/btv020407_4b.ram.  54mn
• Teach-In at G.W. University (Google video). December 4, 2006. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4447302406546777538.  33mn
• The Connection: Iraq and the Meaning of War with Chris Hedges (Google video). Houston PBS. November 28, 2006. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2766855390159220776.  27mn
• War is a Force that Gives us Meaning with Chris Hedges. UCTV. November 1, 2004. http://www.uctv.tv/search-details.asp?showID=9109. 1h
• Commencement address at Rockford College (YouTube video). May 17, 2003. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAWMgYyAtHU.  21mn
• War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. WGBH Forum Network. Jan 22, 2003. http://forum.wgbh.org/wgbh/forum.php?lecture_id=1123.  1h18mn
• Hedges: President Obama is a "Poster Child for the Death of the Liberal Class" - video interview by Democracy Now!
• The Image of Faith in America conversation at World Affairs Council of Northern California, April 2008
• The Ten Commandments in America book discussion at Chautauqua Institution, August 2008
• The Empire of Illusion book discussion at The New School, December 2009
• C-SPAN Q&A interview with Hedges, July 27, 2008
• In Depth interview with Hedges, January 1, 2012

Audio links[link]

• Chris Hedges interviewed on Death of the Liberal Class December 1, 2010, KBOO Community Radio
• Chis Hedges lecture on corporate power and media January 9, 2010 web audio lists and program times
• Chris Hedges interviewed on Humankind Public Radio November 15, 2009
• Chris Hedges and Adam Sternbergh on CBC debate the effect of sensational pop culture September 16, 2009
• Chris Hedges talks on consumer culture, the cult of the self, corporations and media manipulation. July 22, 2009
• Scott Horton Interviews Chris Hedges. Antiwar Radio. October 19, 2007. http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2007/10/19/chris-hedges-3.  26mn
• Christo-Fascism?. The Dennis Prager Show. February 21, 2007. http://www.townhall.com/TalkRadio/Show.aspx?RadioShowID=3&ContentGuid=59039e61-9970-4791-a7ef-37979a4e6877.  35mn
• American Fascists. Pacifica Radio. February 16, 2007. http://uprisingradio.org/home/?p=1153.  21mn
• The Religious Right. CBC Radio. February 8, 2007. http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2007/200702/20070208.html.  28mn
• Author Argues Christian Right Hurts Democracy. NPR. Jan 25, 2007. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7020219.  30mn
• On David and Goliath. Open Source. July 26, 2006. http://www.radioopensource.org/on-david-and-goliath.  1h
• Does God love war?. March 11, 2006. http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=18141. 
• Reflections on War. AFSC. November 6, 2004. http://www.afsc.org/resources/audio/ChrisHedges.htm.  35mn
• War Is A Force that Gives Us Meaning. Altruists.org. October 11, 2003. http://www.altruists.org/f222.  49mn
• War Is A Force... Reading by Chris. (suitable for dial-up users)
• Has Religion Been a Boon or Bane to Humanity?. Kuow.org. March 27, 2008. http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=14588.  54mn
• Chris Hedges presents his newest book, Empire of Illusion http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/36777

Sandra Lynn Brown
Sandra Brown, New York Times Bestselling Author, at the 2009 Texas Book Festival.
Born	Waco, Texas (United States)
Pen name	Rachel Ryan, Laura Jordan, Erin St. Claire, Sandra Brown
Occupation	Novelist
Period	1981- present
Genres	Romance, Suspense, Thriller
www.sandrabrown.net

Sandra Lynn Brown (b. March 1948 in Waco, Texas) is an American bestselling author of romantic novels and thriller suspense novels. Brown has also published works under the pen names of Rachel Ryan, Laura Jordan, and Erin St. Claire.

Biography[link]

Sandra Brown was born in Waco, Texas and raised in Fort Worth. She majored in English at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, but left college in 1968 to marry her husband Michael Brown, a former television news anchor and award-winning documentarian of Dust to Dust.^[1] After her marriage, Brown worked for KLTV in Tyler as a weathercaster, then returned to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area where she became a reporter for WFAA-TV's version of PM Magazine.

Brown started her writing career in 1981 after her husband dared her to.^[2] Since then she has published nearly 70 novels and had over 50 New York Times bestsellers. In 2008 Sandra realized her dream of a college degree when she was presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from her alma mater, TCU.

Her novel French Silk was made into a movie, released in 1994, for television. Susan Lucci, Shari Belafonte, and Lee Horsley starred.^[3]

In 2007 she contributed to Court TV's series Murder By The Book in regard to the murder of Betty Gore in Wylie, Texas, on Friday, June 13, 1980.

Her latest release is titled LETHAL and was published in August 2011.

Bibliography[link]

As Rachel Ryan[link]

Single Novels[link]

Originally Dell Candlelight Ecstasy Romances

• 1981 Love's Encore
• 1981 Love Beyond Reason
• 1982 Eloquent Silence
• 1982 A Treasure Worth Seeking
• 1983 Prime Time

As Laura Jordan[link]

Single Novels[link]

• 1982 Hidden Fires (Historical Romance)
• 1982 The Silken Web

As Erin St. Claire[link]

Single Novels[link]

Originally published as Harlequin/Silhouette Category Romances

• 1982 Not Even for Love
• 1983 Seduction by Design
• 1983 A Kiss Remembered
• 1983 A Secret Splendor
• 1984 Words of Silk
• 1984 Bittersweet Rain
• 1984 Tiger Prince
• 1985 Sweet Anger
• 1986 Above and Beyond
• 1986 Honor Bound
• 1987 Two Alone
• 1989 The Thrill of Victory

Astray & Devil Series[link]

1. 1985 Led Astray
2. 1987 The Devil's Own

As Sandra Brown[link]

Bantam Doubleday Dell's Loveswept Category Romance Books[link]

• 1983 Tomorrow's Promise
• 1983 Relentless Desire
• 1983 Heaven's Price
• 1983 Temptations Kiss
• 1983 Tempest in Eden
• 1984 In a Class by Itself
• 1985 Thursday's Child
• 1985 Riley in the Morning
• 1986 The Rana Look
• 1986 22 Indigo Place
• 1987 Sunny Chandler's Return
• 1987 Demon Rumm
• 1988 Tidings of Great Joy
• 1988 Hawk O'Toole's Hostage
• 1989 Long Time Coming
• 1989 Temperatures Rising
• 1989 A Whole New Light

Bed & Breakfast Series[link]

1. 1983 Breakfast in Bed (Originally Loveswept # 22)
2. 1984 Send No Flowers (Originally Loveswept # 51)

Coleman Family Saga Series[link]

(Historical Romance)

1. 1985 Sunset Embrace
2. 1985 Another Dawn

Mason Sisters Series[link]

1. 1987 Fanta C (Originally Loveswept # 217)
2. 1988 Adam's Fall (Originally Loveswept # 252)

Texas! Tyler Family Saga Series[link]

1. 1990 Texas! Lucky
2. 1991 Texas! Chase
3. 1991 Texas! Sage

Single Title Romance Suspense/Thrillers[link]

• 1988 Slow Heat in Heaven
• 1989 Best Kept Secrets
• 1990 Mirror Image
• 1991 Breath of Scandal
• 1992 French Silk
• 1992 Shadows of Yesterday
• 1993 Where There's Smoke
• 1994 Charade
• 1994 Love beyond reason
• 1995 The Witness
• 1996 Exclusive
• 1997 Fat Tuesday
• 1998 Unspeakable
• 1999 The Alibi
• 2000 Standoff
• 2000 The Switch
• 2001 Envy
• 2002 The Crush
• 2003 Hello, Darkness
• 2004 White Hot
• 2005 Chill Factor
• 2006 Ricochet
• 2007 Play Dirty
• 2008 Smoke Screen
• 2008 Fantasia/Fantasy
• 2009 Smash Cut
• 2009 Rainwater
• 2010 Tough Customer
• 2011 Lethal
• 2011 Low Pressure

Omnibus[link]

• Three Complete Novels: Mirror Image / Best Kept Secret / Slow Heatin Heaven (1992)
• Crush / Hello Darkness (2006)
• Heaven's Price / Breakfast in Bed / Send No Flowers (2007)
• Tomorrow's Promise / Two Alone (2008)
• Led Astray / Devil's Own (2010)
• A Secret Splendor / Above and Beyond (2011)

Awards[link]

• American Business Women's Association's Distinguished Circle of Success
• B'nai B'rith's Distinguished Literary Achievement Award
• A.C. Greene Award
• Romance Writers of America's Lifetime Achievement Award
• International Thriller Writers Award, "Thrillermaster", 2008

Notes[link]

References and resources[link]

• Sandra Brown's official homepage
• Sandra Brown at eHarlequin

External links[link]

• Q&A With Sandra Brown AllYourTV.com
• Erin St. Claire and Sandra Brown at Fantastic Fiction
• Sandra Brown, Rachel Ryan, Erin St. Claire and Laura Jordan at the Internet Book List
• http://sandrabrown.net/books_search.php
• http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/sandra-brown/

Marcus Borg speaking in Mansfield College chapel.

Marcus J. Borg (born 1942) is an American New Testament scholar, theologian and author.^[1] He is a fellow of the Jesus Seminar and was formerly Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture at Oregon State University, a position from which he retired in 2007. Borg is among the most widely-known and influential voices in progressive Christianity and is a major figure in scholarship related to the Historical Jesus.^[2][3]

Career[link]

Borg was born and raised in a Lutheran family in South Dakota. After high school he attended Concordia College in Minnesota, initially planning to be an astrophysicist and majoring in math and physics. He later changed his major to political science and philosophy. Though plagued by doubt as a young adult, after his undergraduate studies Borg decided to study at Union Seminary in New York City, where he became familiarized with liberal theology. One of the profound influences on Borg during his seminary years was his professor and the noted theologian W. D. Davies. After graduating from Union he then enrolled at Oxford University, where he earned his D. Phil.^[4]

Borg was a faculty member at Oregon State University from 1979 till his retirement in 2007 as Distinguished Professor in Religion and Culture and the Hundere Endowed Chair in Religious Studies. Borg was appointed Chair of the Religious Studies Department in January 1988. The Religious Studies Department was closed at the end of the 1991-1992 academic year and Borg became became a faculty member in the Philosophy Department. ^[5] During his time at Oregon State he organized and led two nationally televised symposia, one in 1996 (Jesus at 2000), and another in 2000 (God at 2000). Borg has been national chair of the Historical Jesus Section of the Society of Biblical Literature, co-chair of its International New Testament Program Committee and president of the Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars.^[6] On May 31, 2009, he was installed as the first canon theologian at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.^[7] Borg has been a frequent collaborator with his friend John Dominic Crossan^{[8][9][10][11]} He is also a friend of N.T. Wright, despite their theological differences. The two discussed their differences in their book The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions (2000).^[12][13] Borg has frequently been featured in programs on networks such as PBS, NPR and National Geographic, and has also made appearances on ABC World News and The Today Show.^[14]

Books[link]

• Speaking Christian: Why Christian Words Have Lost Their Meaning, 2011; ISBN 978-0-06-197655-1
• Putting Away Childish Things: A Tale of Modern Faith, 2010; ISBN 978-0-06-188814-4
• The First Paul: Reclaiming the Radical Visionary Behind the Church's Conservative Icon, co—authored with John Dominic Crossan, 2009; ISBN 0-06-143072-2
• The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus' Birth, co-authored with John Dominic Crossan, 2007
• "Executed by Rome, Vindicated by God," Stricken by God?, ed. by Brad Jersak and Michael Hardin, 2007, ISBN 978-0-9780174-7-7
• Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary, 2006, ISBN 0-06-059445-4
• Living the Heart of Christianity: A Guide to Putting Your Faith into Action, co-authored with Tim Scorer, 2006
• The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus's Final Week in Jerusalem, co-authored with John Dominic Crossan, 2006, ISBN 0-06-084539-2
• The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith (2003)
• Reading the Bible Again for the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously but Not Literally, 2001, ISBN 0-06-060919-1
• The Apocalyptic Jesus: A Debate, co-authored with Dale C. Allison, John Dominic Crossan, and Stephan J. Patterson, 2001
• God at 2000 (editor, with Ross Mackenzie, 2001)
• The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions. Co-authored with N. Thomas Wright, 1999, ISBN 0-06-060875-7
• Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?: A Debate Between William Lane Craig and John Dominic Crossan, 1998 (Marcus Borg, Respondent)
• Conflict, Holiness and Politics in the Teachings of Jesus, rev. ed., 1998 (originally published in 1984)
• Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings, ed., 1997
• The God We Never Knew, 1997
• The Lost Gospel Q, ed., 1996
• Jesus at 2000, ed., 1996
• The Search for Jesus: Modern Scholarship Looks at the Gospels, co-authored with John Dominic Crossan and Stephen Patterson, ed. by Hershel Shanks, 1994
• Jesus in Contemporary Scholarship, 1994
• Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, 1994, ISBN 0-06-060917-6
• Jesus: A New Vision, 1987
• The Year of Luke, 1976
• Conflict and Social Change, 1971

References[link]

External links[link]

• Borg's Blog for the Washington Post