As a teenager I used to save up my money for monthly trips to London where I would blow it all on booze and loose women.
Not really. I did blow it all though. On records and books. I'd come home laden with bags. Mostly from the Virgin Megastore on Oxford Street which was my treasure trove of choice as a young lad. They had a great cult book range, perfect for me. I remember buying my first Bukowski there (Love Is A Dog From Hell) and, one fine sunny weekend, a copy of Slaves Of New York by Tama Janowitz.
Those of you old enough to remember when that book first came out will recall that it caused quite a stir. It had been a huge hit in the States and was equally popular here. Remarkable for a collection of short stories. It is still considered by many to be a classic.
Little did I know then that twenty years later I would be Tama's publisher and editor. Oh yes. She has just signed to The Friday Project for her next novel, They Is Us, and we hope to reissue some of her out-of-print titles as well.
They Is Us is subtitled 'a cautionary horror story' and makes for quite alarming reading. Set in a future America it is a warped tale of one family's struggle to get by in a world that is eating away at itself through pollution, commercialism and technology. Tama has created a totally believable version of the future, you could really see things turning out like this, and injected it with her own sharp wit and humour. It is quite a book.
We will be publishing it in June 2008 as a strictly limited edition. Every copy will come housed in a metal box and will be signed by the author. Each will be numbered and all the boxes will contain a special 'gift' from Tama. This may be a small painting by Tama, or an original photograph from her bizarre collection of doll pics, or perhaps something equally odd and alluring. This is set to be a highly collectible edition and only 1,000 will ever be made, followed by a slightly more traditional paperback in September.
Great news. I loved Slaves of New York. Was it really published 20 years ago? That makes me feel olllld.
Posted by: Charlotte | October 10, 2007 at 08:04 AM
Well done. She's a proper author.
Posted by: themanwhofellasleep | October 10, 2007 at 09:32 AM
Wow - I'm impressed. I remember when Slaves of New York first appeared. How exciting. Reading Oliver James' Affluenza at the mo - so the bit about society eaten away through commercialism rings lots of bells.
Posted by: Helen | October 10, 2007 at 02:22 PM
Scott
what does editor in this case mean? - does this mean that you will get early drafts and provide editoral insights! If so how does this work with publishing in other markets with other publishers ie what does her american editor do?
Posted by: A friend of Rachel Worth | October 10, 2007 at 02:54 PM
Small world - in our shop only a few yards from your door Scott, we used to sell piles of her stuff as remainders; I didn't think anyone else knew how good it all was.
And the boyfriend of the photographer who did the jackets was quite a regular too. if you are reading this Mike, get in touch...
Then TFL shut us down and split us all up. Thats what they're there for of course , to keep people apart.
I'm not bitter, I got to spend the past year bringing up my son.
TTFN
Drew
Posted by: Drew Mishmash | October 10, 2007 at 08:10 PM
I don't know why but the word 'gimmick' comes to mind.
Posted by: Bela | October 11, 2007 at 03:59 AM
Rachel Worth's friend - I am delighted to say that I am editing the book with Tama as The Friday Project has world rights. If anyone else wants to publish it they have to come to us. At the moment we are looking at a series of logos or icons to use on the page when certain characters take the fore. There are also a number of images that Tama wants to incorporate into the text and we are finding the best way of doing that.
Bela - Of course it is a gimmick. And hopefully a nice collectible one.
Posted by: Scott Pack | October 11, 2007 at 08:56 AM
Never read 'Slaves' - but did enjoy 'The Male Cross Dresser's Support Group' (the book, that is not the therapy).Presumably I should scuttle off and read 'Slaves...' forthwith..?
Friends Of Rachel Worth is for my money one of the best Go-Betweens lps too.
Posted by: lance | October 11, 2007 at 03:38 PM
I remember taking a film crew into a bad-taste New York restaurant one night to interview a con artist and Bret Easton Ellis. There at the table was this woman with long jellyfish-like hair. (Now, you'd call her a cross between Amy Winehouse and Nicola Six.) Anyway, through the fetching uncomfortableness of her shyness was this attractive and tactile shyness, which meant the next day I simply read one of her books. I was not disappointed.
Posted by: Badenoch | October 13, 2007 at 02:06 PM
Slaves of New York is great. Looking forward to this, gimmick or not.
Posted by: sarah | October 14, 2007 at 08:46 PM