Soft Skull News

Frédéric Mitterrand's forthcoming memoir

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:42:42 -0500

As the soon-to-be publisher of Frédéric Mitterrand's memoir in the United States we have been following closely the current discussion concerning Mr. Mitterrand in the press. We'd just like to say that what is most surprising to us regarding the situation is that Mr. Mitterrand's story has for quite some time been public knowledge to the French people, and in the most high-profile fashion. The Bad Life was published four years ago and became a bestseller in France. The controversial passages have been known to us all along and, among other things, it was the frankness and thoughtfulness with which Mr. Mitterand discussed his life that drew us to the project. Whether you agree with Mr. Mitterrand’s story or habits, he approaches them with a compelling and thought-provoking honesty and we continue to stand behind this elegant and brave book in the same way we have since undertaking to publish it here. As a publisher, Soft Skull has always embraced controversial conversations. That which makes us uncomfortable certainly warrants further rather than less scrutiny.

We look forward to releasing The Bad Life quite soon.

The next Martin Millar cover?

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:02:30 -0500

We're torn between two covers for our next book by Martin Millar (coming out in January). The book, which glows with Martin's signature combination of warmth, humor, myth, and rock'n'roll, is called RUBY AND THE STONE AGE DIET and tells the story of a friendship between two young, lovelorn squatters in South London.

I quite like both of these. If you have an opinion as to which would make the more effective cover, can you email me at anne@softskull.com? Would really appreciate any and all feedback.

Even more inappropriate.

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:59:00 -0500

Turn your volume way up.

Extremely Inappropriate.

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:48:29 -0500

Available this fall.

"Meet, Pay, Love"

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:31:20 -0500

As promised, a link to the front page NYTBR review of Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys. Also this, a chance to see some of the contributors tell their stories in person at Modern Times. Looks like an excellent program.

Front page NYTBR review for Hos, Hookers!

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:59:51 -0500

So excited! For a small press like us, it's always a lovely thing to have a book favorably reviewed in the New York Times Book Review. But an absolutely glowing front page review is something that really doesn't happen all that often! In the forthcoming edition (8/23) of the NYTBR, Toni Bentley calls Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys "an eye-opening, occasionally astonishing, brutally honest and frequently funny collection from those who really have lived on the edge in a parallel universe." Congratulations to co-editors David Henry Sterry and RJ Martin for pulling together a truly wonderful anthology. Unfortunately, I don't have a link to the review yet, but here is another bit of it: "The collection is a wonderful reminder that good writing is not about knowing words, grammar or Faulkner, but having that rare ability to tell the truth, an ability that education and sophistication often serve to conceal."

Around the office, I've taken to referring to them as Jamba Douche

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:30:07 -0500

http://flavorwire.com/31088/jacked-by-jamba-juice-david-rees-get-your-war-on

A Little Love from Allure

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:16:23 -0500

As a short girl (with a massive attitude) myself, I can't help but root a little extra hard for Isobella Jade and her forthcoming, semi-autobiographical graphic novel, MODEL LIFE. So I was really pleased to see this early nod for the book from the mainstream fashion world:

http://www.allure.com/beauty/blogs/reporter/2009/07/modeling-gets-graphic.html

Behold . . .

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:13:16 -0500

. . . the supremely awesome book trailer for Jeff Martin's supremely awesome book, MY DOG ATE MY NOBEL PRIZE. It goes down extremely well with this supremely awesome blurb:

"Jeff Martin is a first class liar. Even better than me." --James Frey

My Dog Ate My Nobel Prize Trailer from Connor Raus on Vimeo.

Iran's "Fourth Generation"

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:28:42 -0500

In recent days, Nasrin Alavi, author of one of the only books on digital communications in Iran, has been providing a good deal of insightful coverage of the situation unfolding there, but perhaps this article, which appeared a little while back in the New Internationalist, provides the greatest amount of insight into the cultural history and crucial importance of blogging in Iran. As she so presciently wrote at that time, ""It is this generation that will ultimately determine the future of Iran."

Elvis is OUT

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:36:35 -0500

CAConrad, deviant poet, passionate Elvis disciple, and enterprising vegetarian sin eater, is outing Elvis in a new essay on PhillySound. Entitled "The Purple Gang," the essay takes its name straight from the source - Elvis's "Jailhouse Rock" lyrics.

And this reminds me to share Conrad's recipe for ELVIS LICKING SAUCE, which unaccountably never made it into the book:

ELVIS LICKING SAUCE

Ingredients:
1/4 C chocolate syrup
1/4 C strawberry jam
1/4 stick of soy margarine
juice of 1/2 lemon

Beat all ingredients until smooth, place in refrigerator for at least an hour.

Take turns drawing pictures of Elvis on each other's naked bodies with sauce and licking it off.

THERE IS NO BETTER WAY to show your reverence for The King than to lick His delicious likeness off a lover's ass!

PLEASE NOTE
If you coat a penis with sauce please then refer to it as HOUND DOG GRAVY.

If you listen you can hear Elvis say:
THANK YOU, THANK YOU OH SO VERY MUCH!

Pasha Malla Keeps on Kickin' It

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:14:30 -0500

In case you hadn't heard: Pasha won the Trillium yesterday. Sweet.

And the award goes to....

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:49:23 -0500

Pasha Malla is on a roll. He's kind of a quiet, understated dude, and I think all the fuss may be making him a little uncomfortable, but hell if I care! I'm really pleased with all of the attention his gorgeous book of short stories is getting.

• He's the winner of this year's Danuta Gleed Literary Award

• He's a finalist for the Trillium Award

• He's a finalist for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize

• He's been longlisted for the Giller Prize

• And this just in: he's won the Ellis Award for the best short story for his contribution to Toronto Noir

And I'm thinking, the Canadians seem to be on to something here...

Media Slam (Ok--not really. More like Gripe)

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:25:17 -0500

So sometimes great reviews come your way, and sometimes the powers that be in media land smite you in the face. Here’s some sweet response from Jed Lipinski re Reverend Jen’s Live Nude Elf that a certain downtown alt weekly here decided to nix. Considering Jen’s been a fixture in the East Village and environs (and in said paper’s theater pages for years) you’d think this would be a natural for them. Much head-scratching ensues . . .

"Jen Miller (a/k/a Reverend Jen, Patron Saint of the Uncool)
has a heartwarmingly stubborn faith in the Lower East Side,
where she currently operates a troll museum, hosts the
monthly open-mike “Reverend Jen’s Anti-Slam,” and
cavorts with members of the “Art Stars,” a band of
deranged local performance artists. Her new book chronicles
her two-year stint as a sex columnist for Nerve with the
grace of a nymphomaniac Dorothy Parker. Notable exploits
include “cougar hunts” at NYU, key-party experiments,
and temp work on a porn set."

Finding the G-Spot

Wed, 20 May 2009 16:04:21 -0500

OK, so here is the Reverend Jen giving out some valuable (and free) anatomical information. You may want to have a pen handy.

If you're still confused, you really need to check out the book. I just saw the Reverend read at McNally Jackson. She was wearing a silver sequined mini-dress and elf ears and she was amazing. I had never been at a reading staffed by a fully-uniformed butler handing out candy dots on a silver tray.