Journal

Friday, August 09, 2002
There's a really good interview up at BWI NEWS, the book wholesalers to libraries, conducted at ALA in Atlanta. (They sent it to me to proofread first, and I'm wondering how I missed Squiggles for Scruples and Dark Land for Dark Knight, but it's a very good interview nonetheless.) You can always tell when I've not done an interview for ages -- I rabbit on and on and am impossible to shut up. When I've been out promoting something for a while I tend to just Answer the Question, especially if it's the same question over and over again.

Does the british edition of Coraline contain artwork by Dave McKean? Looking at Amazon.co.uk it's doesn't look that way...

I'm pretty sure this was answered somewhere here already. (A tip: there is a SEARCH function for the website now -- the book and magnifying glass over on the top left of the page. You can always type a keyword or two in and see what you get.)

But no, it doesn't. Bloomsbury wanted the books unillustrated, and with the photo cover, I think concerned that teenagers wouldn't pick up a book with pictures in it. They're probably losing a fair number of sales to the US right now, and I'm hoping to persuade them to do the iullustrated edition as well, we'll see.

What's the scoop on the long-anticipated Sock Monkey book Monkey See Monkey Who? I had it on my Amazon wishlist until such time as I could purchase it (i.e. until it was finally published). I don't recall seeing publication dates change (but Amazon really isn't that good at keeping up with changing publications dates, even when you tell them that the date of publication has changed). In any case - I recently discovered that it was no longer ON my wishlist. For that matter, it was no longer on Amazon. Or Barnes and Nobles. Is this a case of the mysterious disappearing book? Was it all just a hoax? I want my sock monkeys!

Thanks - Gloria Astrid


I don't know. I got an invitation to the launch event at the Jan Kesner Gallery in LA -- exhibition from July 4th to Aug 31st. (http://www.jankesnergallery.com/exhibition/EX_01.html) They might know. This was one of those things where you get asked to do something so cool you can't refuse (ie. write something to accompany a sock monkey portrait), but that's where my involvement ends. When I get my author's copy, I'll mention it here, though.