NBC Today Show starting book club
Dates: 4/10/02,8:44 AM through 4/11/02,11:52 AM (4 postings)
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Fiction_L Archives
NBC Today Show starting book club
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FROM: Mary K Chelton <mchelton@optonline.net>
REC'D: 4/10/02, 8:44 AM
Katie and Matt Join the Club: NBC's Today Show Starts Book Club
NBC's morning show Today is setting up a book club that should help fill the
gap left by Oprah's decision to end her book club.
Jonathan Wald, Today show executive producer, said, "Oprah has done such a
terrific job of encouraging America to read. We look forward to carrying on
that tradition--with some new elements of our own--and celebrating America's
fascination with the written word."
Under the format, Today will ask popular authors to suggest titles--both
fiction and nonfiction--by "undiscovered" writers to be discussed in a
half-hour segment hosted by Today show anchors Katie Couric and Matt Lauer.
The segment will air at 7:30 a.m. and, like Oprah, will feature a discussion
between the author and members of an already existing book club invited to
appear on the show.
Today is already a powerful book promoter. Its literary editor, Andrea
Smith, picks approximately 200 titles per year for segments lasting
typically from three to seven minutes. With commercials, the new book club
format will run 22 minutes.
The Today show announcement was welcomed by booksellers. Jill Johnson, owner
of Beagle Books in Park Rapids, Minn., told PW Daily that a Today show book
club will "probably mean business."
Though she only watches about one hour of television per month, her
customers watch a lot more. "I usually follow their lead and know what's
going on from them," she said. "Whatever they hear on television, they're
right in the store and wanting the book. Johnson's only request for Today:
Don't pick books that are depressing.
"Oprah's picks were getting a little too dark," she said.--Edward Nawotka
FROM: Lucy Lockley <llockley@mail.win.org>
REC'D: 4/11/02, 9:53 AM
I had a co-worker tell me, as I came in the door to work, that the Today
Show announced this morning that the first book in their book club will be
"Empire Falls" by Richard Russo. But, my co-worker did not know 'when' the
discussion was to be done on the program. I assume in June some time as
that was when they said they would start their book club and I also assume
that the Russo book was picked because is just won the Pulitzer Prize for
fiction about two days ago.
I tried checking the Today Show web site but did not find anything about
the Russo title being the first pick for the book club only an article
about the book club replacing the Oprah book club and the Russo book
winning the Pulitzer. Nothing dated for today's date, 4/11/02, about the
book club choosing it's first title for discussion.
Does anyone have any other details esp. regarding when the book club
discussion for this title will be?
Thanks in advance.
Lucy M. Lockley Phone: 636/441.2300, Ext. 1563
Collection Development Manager FAX: 636/441.3132
St. Charles City-County Library District
425 Spencer Road
P.O. Box 529 e-mail: llockley@mail.win.org
St. Peters, MO 63376-0529 Library website: www.win.org/library
"Demons after money!?! Whatever happened to the still beating heart
of a virgin?! No one has ANY standards anymore!"
Giles, the Librarian ('Buffy, the Vampire Slayer')
___
| \
| \
@############]==========================================================>
\\ | /
\\ ____/ / Touche!
\________/
FROM: Lucy Lockley <llockley@mail.win.org>
REC'D: 4/11/02, 10:15 AM
"Empire Falls" by Richard Russo is the first book club selection for the
new, just launched, 'USA Today' book club which is different from the
'Today Show' book club. There will be an online discussion with the author
on May 23 and you can register for the book club at the USA Today web
site. Check today's, 4/11/02, online issue of 'USA Today' at www.usatoday.com
Everyone appears to be jumping on the proverbial band-wagon now that Oprah
has bowed out(!)
Lucy M. Lockley Phone: 636/441.2300, Ext. 1563
Collection Development Manager FAX: 636/441.3132
St. Charles City-County Library District
425 Spencer Road
P.O. Box 529 e-mail: llockley@mail.win.org
St. Peters, MO 63376-0529 Library website: www.win.org/library
"Demons after money!?! Whatever happened to the still beating heart
of a virgin?! No one has ANY standards anymore!"
Giles, the Librarian ('Buffy, the Vampire Slayer')
___
| \
| \
@############]==========================================================>
\\ | /
\\ ____/ / Touche!
\________/
FROM: "Gail Curran" <gailcurran@hotmail.com>
REC'D: 4/11/02, 11:52 AM
For more information on the USA Today bookclub see
http://www.usatoday.com/life/llead.htm
Gail Curran
Tinley Park Public Library
>From: Lucy Lockley <llockley@mail.win.org>
>Reply-To: "Fiction_L" <Fiction_L@maillist.webrary.org>
>To: Fiction_L <fiction_l@maillist.webrary.org>
>Subject: Today Show picks first book club title (?)
>Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 09:43:50 -0500
>
>
>To all you helpful folks out on Fiction_L:
>
>I had a co-worker tell me, as I came in the door to work, that the Today
>Show announced this morning that the first book in their book club will be
>"Empire Falls" by Richard Russo. But, my co-worker did not know 'when' the
>discussion was to be done on the program. I assume in June some time as
>that was when they said they would start their book club and I also assume
>that the Russo book was picked because is just won the Pulitzer Prize for
>fiction about two days ago.
>
>I tried checking the Today Show web site but did not find anything about
>the Russo title being the first pick for the book club only an article
>about the book club replacing the Oprah book club and the Russo book
>winning the Pulitzer. Nothing dated for today's date, 4/11/02, about the
>book club choosing it's first title for discussion.
>
>Does anyone have any other details esp. regarding when the book club
>discussion for this title will be?
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>Lucy M. Lockley Phone: 636/441.2300, Ext. 1563
>Collection Development Manager FAX: 636/441.3132
>St. Charles City-County Library District
>425 Spencer Road
>P.O. Box 529 e-mail: llockley@mail.win.org
>St. Peters, MO 63376-0529 Library website: www.win.org/library
>
> "Demons after money!?! Whatever happened to the still beating heart
> of a virgin?! No one has ANY standards anymore!"
> Giles, the Librarian ('Buffy, the Vampire Slayer')
> ___
> | \
> | \
>
>@############]==========================================================>
> \\ | /
> \\ ____/ / Touche!
> \________/
>
>......................................................................
>Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
>Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
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