As a reader, I love this. As a writer, I am terrified.
Via the always excellent Carolyn Kellogg at Jacket Copy, Farrar, Straus and Giroux is creating a new web site, FSG Work In Progress, that presents conversations with authors while their books are still being written.
It also has some fascinating looks inside other parts of the publishing world, like interviews with book cover designers and things from the old files, like Susan Sontag’s touring schedule from 1989.
The first conversation is between Jeffrey Eugenides and FSG President Jonathan Galassi: “After my junior year in college, I took a year off to travel the world. … But I never published anything on the subject except for a small nonfiction piece. Well, in the new book, I’m trying yet again, and we’ll get to see if I’m getting any better at it.”
Enjoy!
3 responses
Many moons ago, I was Jonathan Galassi’s assistant at FSG. Each week, they sent around folders of the editors’ correspondence for all the employees to read. They were some of the most extraordinary letters I’ve ever read, especially Elisabeth Sifton’s. I love the idea of the editors becoming more visible, more vocal–I hope that’s what this trend will include. And with the FSG files in particular, there is just a treasure trove of goodness to be had. Thanks for the tip, Seth!
Wow! That sounds like a very cool job. Though I imagine slightly stressful.
Yes–both! I also hope FSG will also show more process behind the work. That would be cool too.
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