Stephen Fry Visits NYC

British comedian, actor, playwright, and author Stephen Fry graced New York City and the Overlook Press office with his warm and magnetic presence last Tuesday, January 24. We invited Fry to the States to promote his newest autobiography, THE FRY CHRONICLES, a witty and brutally honest stunner that we’ve praised here before. Yet the novelty of having the real life Jeeves from the comic series Jeeves and Wooster was not lost on this P. G. Wodehouse-loving lot. (Did we mention our office is on Wooster Street? Fry was destined to become an Overlooker!).

Despite a morning and afternoon of back-to-back radio and TV interviews, Fry took great delight in spending the evening with a packed house at Barnes and Noble, TriBeCa. The applause of three hundred people filled the normally hushed bookstore as the audience greeted him with cheers and a standing ovation.

Prior to a two-hour meet and greet in which Fry signed books, photos, an iPad, and graciously posed for a portrait, he charmed the audience by recalling numerous childhood anecdotes, gushing over his literary idol, Oscar Wilde, and offering more sage wisdom and uproarious laughs than could be contained to this limited space.

Fry revealed that his love of language and literature began at the tender age of 10. While watching a black and white rendition of The Importance of Being Earnest, he became enamored by the way in which language could be manipulated into something graceful and moving. So passionate was he to discover this playwright that he biked 12 miles each way to the nearest library. It was at that library that Fry encountered his idol whom he later portrayed in the acclaimed Wilde--and so began his destiny as a linguistic master.

To say that Fry writes the way he speaks and speaks the way he writes is a compliment of the highest order. With jaunty prose, striking intellect, and an endearing verbosity, he reveals himself through his speech and written word to be the most genuine of gentleman, holding nothing—not even his insecurities—from the public eye.

During the evening, we were able to capture a few choice moments representative of the contagious laughter, sincerity, and brilliance that permeated the room. In these clips, Stephen Fry speaks about his transition from theater to comedy during his time at Cambridge, his discovery of Oscar Wilde and passion for writing, and the importance of intelligence and moral qualities. We hope you enjoy as much as we did. Cheers!

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: Stephanie Gorton, Editor

Ask any author or agent and they’ll be sure to tell you that the journey from manuscript to finished book can be a tricky process. Sometimes stories written over the course of several months can take years to appear on bookstore shelves (if they even ever make it). Why the wait, you ask? Between fact checking, copy editing, cover design, and the other technical aspects of getting a manuscript prepared for print, about a thousand decisions need to be made before a book is ready for publication.

The creative minds diligently working behind the scenes to oversee this process are editors. At Overlook, our crack-editorial team and legion of dedicated interns all work together to make sure this process happens smoothly and on schedule. Last November we introduced Overlook editor and burgeoning beer brewer, Dan Crissman. Today, our employee spotlight feature returns with questions for editor and Brooklyn resident Stephanie Gorton. Welcome, Stephanie!

OP: Describe your job in 140 characters or less.

SG: Read. Scheme to come up with pitches and design briefs and copy. Have lunch. Edit, argue, read. Dream up new projects. Argue, read, edit.

OP: What are you currently reading?

SG: Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart

OP: What is your favorite book that Overlook has published?

SG: Impossible question but off the top of my head it would be a 3-way tie between Gone Tomorrow, We Is Got Him, and The Late Great Creature, with NASCAR Legends a close second.

OP: If you didn't work in publishing, what would you be doing?

SG: Freelance editor/ tutor/ translator/ cheesemaker.

OP: What is your favorite word (Can be in any language—bonus points if there is a funny/interesting story behind it).

SG: Probably "glorious." My mother uses often to describe pretty mundane things like scarves or going to the movies and it's still one of the best speech quirks I've heard.

A Night of Events: THE FRY CHRONICLES, A QUIET VENDETTA & A KILLER’S ESSENCE

Tomorrow night brings two out-of-town Overlook authors, as well as one northeastern native to bookstores across New York for an evening of readings, signings, and lively discussion. Award-winning English novelist R.J. Ellory, author of A Quiet Vendetta will be joined by A Killer’s Essence author Dave Zeltserman to promote their latest crime thrillers at Brooklyn’s BookCourt, while English comedian, actor, and autobiographer Stephen Fry will host a reading of his latest memoir, The Fry Chronicles at Barnes & Noble, Tribeca.

Heralded as one of the top practitioners of dark crime fiction writing today, Dave Zeltserman is the author of nine novels, including his most recent NYC-focused thriller, A Killer’s Essence. Shots ring out just a few feet from a Manhattan mystery bookstore. A woman is shot point blank, and her fingers severed. A prominent financier is found in a dumpster on the Upper West Side, again shot in the face. Underneath the BQE, a pack of dogs are fed poison and then shot execution-style. For NYPD detective Stan Green, these grisly murders can only be the act of one man—someone seriously deranged and seriously committed to a calculated, homicidal plan.

“Zeltserman’s lean but muscular style, so evident in ‘Killer’ and ‘The Caretaker of Lorne Field,’ is just as sharply honed here.” The Boston Globe

“A Killer’s Essence is a five-star psychological crime thriller liberally seasoned with Chef Zeltserman’s zesty secret sauce of subtle horror, jalapeno-hot sauce and intense intrigue, and has more twists that newfangled light bulbs. Stephen King fans will find the Hitchcock-like suspense and soft-core horror to be a spine-tingling thriller. It is one of my Top Ten Picks for 2011.” – The Big Thrill

Imagined by one of today’s premier thriller writers, R.J. Ellory’s A Quiet Vendetta begins with a seemingly straightforward crime: the New Orleans kidnapping of Catherine Ducane, the daughter of Louisiana’s governor. The cops react quickly, expecting the usual demand of a ransom for Catherine’s recovery, but the twisted, menacing nature of the case begins to grow clear when the mutilated remains of Catherine’s bodyguard are discovered.

“An engrossing tale about organized crime from the perspective of a kidnapper whose agenda will keep you guessing until the end.” – Entertainment Weekly

“An absorbing crime novel from Ellory (A Simple Act of Violence) covering more than 50 years of mob violence and American history . . .this is a brilliantly conceived tale of greed, politics, family loyalties, and vengeance.” – Publishers Weekly

Beloved actor, comedian, and writer Stephen Fry continues his life story in The Fry Chronicles, a brave, funny, and revealing coming of age memoir. Fry is best known for his comedic television roles, often played alongside his best friend and Cambridge classmate Hugh Laurie: the pair joined forces in the sketch comedy series A Bit of Fry and Laurie, and later played P.G. Wodehouse’s legendary duo in the 1990s series Jeeves and Wooster. In vibrant, starkly honest prose, this memoir tells the story of Fry’s inspiring transformation from troubled teenager to adored entertainer, tireless activist, and genuinely contented individual.

“Funny, poignant, exhausting.” – The Washington Post

"Honesty can be painful to read, but Fry is cheeky and thoughtful in equal measures, making this a must for his legion of fans.” —Publishers Weekly

We’ll be posting photos and videos from both events later in the week, so if you can’t make it to either reading, be sure to return here for a full recap. For thrill-seeking readers located outside of New York, R.J. Ellory will be taking A QUIET VENDETTA on the road this week to the following bookstores:

Wednesday, January 25^th

Park Road Books (Charlotte, NC)

7:00 PM

Thursday, January 26^th

Murder by the Book (Houston, TX)

6:30 PM

Friday, January 27^th

BookPeople (Austin, TX)

7:00 PM

Saturday, January 28^th

The Poisoned Pen (Scottsdale, AZ)

5:00 PM

SOPA Blackouts, Cole Stryker Speaks Out

Where were you during the great internet blackout of 2012? Without the aid of everyone’s favorite fact-checking resource, were you busy inventing #FactsWithoutWikipedia? Left without Reddit or BoingBoing to keep us distracted, Overlookers actually got some work done around the office. Cole Stryker, author of Epic Win for Anonymous: How 4chan’s Army Conquered the Web, used last Wednesday’s anti-SOPA protests as an opportunity to share some relevant research from his forthcoming follow up to Epic Win. This quote is from Phil Zimmerman, inventor of Pretty Good Privacy:

“I think that there’s something grotesque about having the internet turned upside down just for the entertainment industry. When you look at how much economic activity is driven by the internet and compare it to that of the entertainment industry—the entertainment industry is not that big! It’s a small part of it.

For the entertainment industry to have this control over the internet…it’s like if auto industry was assembling cars at the command of companies who manufacture FM radios. Imagine if the people who make FM radios had absolute control over where highways can be built, and dictate crashworthiness. It’s perverse. This is an example of powerful lobbies purchasing legislation.”

Cole followed up, stating:

“The problem here isn’t the copyright issue. One could go on forever about how this will smother entrepreneurship in the tech industry because big companies like Google, let alone web startups, won’t be able to afford to hire moderators to continuously monitor their user content, let alone a team of lawyers to fight copyright claims. Recent statistics show that 48 hours of video content are uploaded to YouTube alone every minute. Can you imagine what it would cost to monitor that volume? This blunderbuss approach puts the U.S. government in a position of editorial control that we previously would have criticized China for allowing, only to support broken business models and expand the perpetual game of whac-a-mole that is online piracy.

Meanwhile, the potential for collateral damage of free speech is real and opens up the possibility of bad actors only needing to accuse a site of some minor copyright infringement in order to silence free expression that might be happening there.”

Praise for Epic Win for Anonymous:

“A primer on why the Internet works the way it does today, thanks in large part to 4chan. That includes, but isn't limited to, the emergence of Anonymous.” – Salon.com

“Sharp, witty, and well-researched.” – The Rumpus

“One of the few accounts—along with Julian Dibbell’s work—of 4chan by someone who gets it. ... It’s pretty good for amateur cultural history, and it illustrates the centrality of the lulz to the internet.”— MetaViews

Giveaway: THE FRY CHRONICLES

Stephen Fry’s latest autobiography, The Fry Chronicles hits shelves tomorrow, January 19. Hailed by The Times (London) as “heartbreaking, a delight, a lovely comfy, book,” and “cheeky” and “hilarious” by Publishers Weekly, this tell-all story from the beloved British comedian picks up where Moab is My Washpot finishes, delving into Fry’s college years and beyond.

Our excitement over this stunner’s bookstore debut pales in comparison to our anticipation for a visit from the comic genius next Tuesday, January 24. Fry’s Overlook office drop-in will be followed by a public appearance at Barnes and Noble in Tribeca at 6:00 p.m. In honor of Fry’s one-day whirlwind stopover in New York, we are offering up a copy of the The Fry Chronicles today.

For a chance to win, leave a comment below detailing your favorite Stephen Fry career moment. Is it during his rise to fame alongside Hugh Laurie in A Bit of Fry and Laurie, during his stint as the ever-faithful butler in Jeeves and Wooster, or perhaps in his recent cameo in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows? Whether your pick is one of these famous roles, or a little known moment, we would love to know! One person will be chosen at random tomorrow (don't forget to leave your e-mail address). Good Luck!

(Update! Our lucky winner is Pat H.!)

Praise for The Fry Chronicles

“Heartbreaking, a delight, a lovely, comfy book.”—The Times

“Perfect prose and excruciating honesty. A grand reminiscence of college and theatre and comedyland in the 1980s, with tone-perfect anecdotes and genuine readerly excitement. What Fry does, essentially, is tell us who he really is. Above all else, a thoughtful book. And namedroppy too, and funny, and marbled with melancholy.”—Observer

“Fry's linguistic facility remains one of the Wildean wonders of the new media age. The patron saint of British intelligence.”—Daily Telegraph

"Honesty can be painful to read, but Fry is cheeky and thoughtful in equal measures, making this a must for his legion of fans.” —Publishers Weekly

“Willing to do the work to reap the fame, Fry illustrates what it takes with hilarity, wit, and linguistic flair.”—Library Journal

“Confessional humor at its warm and wicked best.” – Kirkus Reviews

Downton Abbey on Wooster Street

Since its highly acclaimed debut in 2010, the Primetime Emmy Award winning series Downton Abbey has captured the hearts and minds of American viewers. With a killer cast and rich plot wrought with juicy aristocratic drama and the political tensions of a world at war, it is no wonder this stunning British melodrama hits all the right notes for stateside fans.

The series, which airs Sunday nights on PBS, commences in season one with the devastating news of the sunken RMS Titanic and ends with the declaration of WWI. After a year-long hiatus, the show returned on January 9 with a 2-hour season premiere. We don’t do spoilers, so get up to speed on your own; you have two days to catch up!

The history, the fashion, the forbidden love—we can’t get enough of Downton Abbey. While riveted to the screen, we fondly think of our own British sagas and wartime stories, bound and shelved in our downtown office. When Monday morning rolls around, and you are longing for the Edwardian thrills and high drama of Sunday nights, look no further. We think these exciting Overlook Press titles will tide you over through the week.

No Angel, Something Dangerous, Into Temptation

Penny Vincenzi

Much like Downton Abbey, Penny Vincenzi's Spoils of Time trilogy begins during the Edwardian Era, at a time when social stratification was most evident, yet the World Wars devastated rich and poor alike. The first book of the trilogy, No Angel, introduces the Lytton family, whose wealth and prestige as a publishing dynasty contrasts sharply with the relentless poverty of those around them. Something Dangerous and Into Temptation follow suit with intense themes of power and family politics amidst a backdrop of passion and glamour.

"The racy plots and period atmosphere will keep you firmly hooked. Irresistible!"—Washington Post Book World

The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë

Bedlam: The Further Adventures of Charlotte Brontë

Laura Joh Rowland

The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë and Bedlam predate Downton Abbey in the Victorian Era, yet betrayals, passionate romance, and adventure remain the common thread among the three compelling storylines. Follow Charlotte Bronte and her sisters in suspenseful jaunts through Haworth, London, and beyond. If you enjoy engaging mysteries and historical drama, these two period novels will not disappoint.

“Laura Joh Rowland not only evokes Victorian-era London with a sure hand, she creates a believable Charlotte whose intelligence, stubbornness, and wit recall Jane at every turn. Even more important, the mystery itself is particularly fine.” —Entertainment Weekly

The Collector's Wodehouse

P.G. Wodehouse

Is there anything more quintessentially British and charming than the works of P. G. Wodehouse? Lauded as one of the greatest comic writers of our time, Wodehouse represents an antic high point in the world of farce and social satire. Creator of Jeeves, Blandings Castle, Psmith, Ukridge and more, the masterful Wodehouse lives on in our beautifully produced The Collector's Wodehouse (see the collection here).

"His novels are the very definition of British humor: bubblingly witty and dryly loony. Overlook Press continues its reissue of a handful of these absurd souffes. You can buy the work for yourself in suave hardcover volumes, the dust jackets as natty as the prose." —Entertainment Weekly

Bliss, Remembered

Frank Deford

Lovers of historical fiction will revel in this fictional memoir with flashbacks to Nazi Germany and the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The threat of war and forbidden love between an American Olympic hopeful and the son of a Nazi diplomat makes for “an enthralling work of fiction” (Library Journal) that should not be missed.

“Deford has a superb sense of character and period, and readers will at once feel drawn into the turbulent times…this is a poignant story, utterly charming and enjoyable.”—Publishers Weekly

Conversations with Peter Mayer: The Origins of Overlook

As dedicated readers of the Winged Elephant already know, in 2011 Overlook celebrated its 40^th birthday as an independent publisher. Founded in 1971 by Peter Mayer, who was then serving as the head of mass market paperbacks at Avon Books, Overlook was never meant to be a publishing company, but has nonetheless flourished to become the publisher of more than 1,500 titles as well as the home to Ardis Publishers and Duckworth.

With four decades of experience under our belts, we’ve acquired some interesting stories along the way. Beginning today, and continuing as a regular supplement to the blog, we’ll be hosting videos from our publisher Peter Mayer, bringing to life the history of Overlook through a series of personal stories highlighting the books and authors that have kept us in business over the past 40 years.

Aufbau (Reconstruction), an anthology of articles originally published in the German language newspaper of the same name, was the first book released by Overlook. Check out the video below for the full story of how Aufbau was conceived, as well as Overlook’s humble origins as a publisher of re-printed hardcovers.

Happy 77th Birthday, Elvis!

This past Sunday, January 8^th, fans the world over gathered to celebrate and remember the life of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, on the anniversary of his 77^th birthday. Thousands of guests visited the Heartbreak Hotel and other Graceland attractions, as well as the Elvis Presley Birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi to honor the King, who passed away in 1977. In Memphis, the historic city where Elvis’s prodigious talents first came to light, officials proclaimed the date a new city-wide holiday, Elvis Presley Day.

Elvis has the largest and most dedicated following in the history of show business, and this year’s birthday festivities jump-start what will undoubtedly be a moving year for Elvis fans worldwide, as it commemorates the 35^th anniversary of his untimely death at the age of 42. For Presley enthusiasts searching to learn more about the life and career of the biggest name in show business during this historic anniversary year, Overlook offers a wide range of books about the King, ranging from encyclopedic compendiums detailing his dual careers on the stage and on the screen, to original fiction inspired by the Presley legacy.

Elvis first performed in Vegas in 1958 and bombed. His rockabilly act was considered too uncouth for an older audience used to show tunes, and he didn’t return until 1963. By the late 1960s, however, the King had won over the city of sin, and would ultimately perform more than eight hundred sold-out shows throughout the city’s hotels and casinos before his death in 1977. Elvis in Vegas, the latest addition to the Overlook Elvis collection, spotlights the King’s life and career in Las Vegas. Published in late 2011, it features over 300 full-color and black-and-white photos, as well as concert and set lists, news clippings, and interviews. Written and compiled by Elvisologist and long time Presley friend Paul Lichter, Elvis in Vegas is the missing volume in any Elvis aficionado’s collection.

For a more comprehensive guide to all things Presley, The Elvis Encyclopedia by Adam Victor is “a valuable one-stop source of all things informational about the King. The A-Z reference covers seemingly every person, place, and thing that touched Elvis's eventful life” (Bookpage). A visual compendium of Elvis’s career, featuring more than four hundred photographs ranging from never-before seen candid moments to the extraordinary iconic images the world has come to love, Elvis in Vegas is the definitive one-stop resources for fans and scholars of the King.

Elvis’s Hollywood years are rigorously documented in The Elvis Film Encyclopedia, a guidebook to Elvis’s more than thirty iconic appearances on the silver screen, as well as the original music he wrote and recorded for his films ranging from fan favorites Love Me Tender, Jailhouse Rock, and King Creole to the golden-globe winning documentary Elvis on Tour. With an unbiased view, one-to-five star ratings for all his movies, as well as complete credits, synopses, and soundtrack details, The Elvis Film Encyclopedia offers a fresh look at the cultural phenomenon and the distinctive place Elvis’s movies hold in film history.

Part mystery, part love story, part commentary on America’s waning presence throughout the world, P.F. Kluge’s Biggest Elvis tells the story of a trio of Elvis impersonators working out of a club called Graceland set in the Philippines. Biggest Elvis revives and re-envisions the life of America’s leading twentieth-century folk hero in an edgy and compassionate novel that NPR calls, “highly entertaining.”