The New York Observer » Molly Fischer

Freedom on the Loose Thanks to Amazon Error

The Post is reporting that for a brief period yesterday, Jonathan Franzen's Freedom slipped free of its embargo and was available online in its entirety thanks to a mistake by Amazon. It is gone now, but not for long: the book will be available to non-presidential readers on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, The New Read More

Items! Snow Leopards, Memories

Coming up in The Paris Review: Interviews with Norman Rush and Michel Houellebecq.
Slate helps you poop.
No, you cannot eat kangaroos or snow leopards.
Burnch with music sounds like too many things.
Memories of Ken Mehlman.
The Rumpus interviews Lydia Davis.
Isabella Rossellini: "Bed bugs have Read More

James Franco’s Book: ‘Amazingly … Stories’

Publishers Weekly has released their review of James Franco's forthcoming short story collection, Palo Alto. It is not a good review.
"The author fails to find anything remotely insightful to say in these 11 amazingly underwhelming stories," declares PW, adding that several stories read "like Patrick Bateman from American Psycho fell into Read More

Fashion Week Mystery Tweeter Revealed

An anonymous tweeter writing as FashionweekNYC began attracting attention in the last few weeks with a steady stream of tweets describing Fashion Week plans. Who was this person? How did he attract 24,942 followers? And who was he working for?
Lincoln Center and IMG both denied any affiliation with the account, but Racked tracked Read More

Whither Vice, Without American Apparel?

American Apparel's financial future continues to look bleak, and the retailer may be forced to cut back on its signature ads. WWD reports that in the last year already, AA's advertising, trade show and catalogue spending fell by $9.6 million, mostly in advertising. So what does this mean for the "blogs, Read More

Items! Bad Speakers, Cold Days

Amazon says the new Kindle sold big, but continues to avoid actual numbers.
NPR has a Franzen excerpt.
Novelist Rosecrans Baldwin likes crappy speakers.
Reviewing the city's many Shake Shacks.
West Village signage: "PLEASE call...(212) 564-7453...Christine Quinn's Office, West Village District, if you have had or are having any Read More

Did New Royalty Rates End the Random House-Wylie Standoff?

What brought about yesterday's resolution to the Random House-Wylie standoff, and was Wylie really the loser that he appeared to be? Publishers Weekly hears that Random House has been maneuvering behind the scenes to appease agents:
One high-placed source with direct knowledge of the rights talks said the house has quietly been Read More

American Apparel: Maybe Bulk Back-to-School Spandex Will Solve All the Problems

The financially woebegone retailer puts on a brave face: "Shop our Back to School packs!" they tweeted today.
So, if you have a hankering for three Cotton Spandex Jersey Strapless Ruched Bodysuits—maybe you should get on that, before American Apparel is totally hosed.

Mario Batali Asks Times Readers to Imagine Him Having Sex

Today Frank Bruni returns briefly to the restaurant beat with a profile of chef Michael White, whose new restaurant—Osteria Morini—will be opening this fall. White was a real live wire, Bruni writes:
He was caroming from one bold proclamation to the next: If his surname were Italian, the city's food establishment would have rallied Read More

James Franco to Pursue Surgical Career Next, Maybe

James Franco's masochistic interests are not limited to endless graduate studies: James Franco is also interested extracurricular amateur amputations.
In Danny Boyle's 127 Hours, Franco plays Aron Ralston, a climber forced to saw off his own arm after it got trapped under a rock. If this new trailer is to be trusted, the reason Ralston's arm Read More

Hitchens Doesn’t Regret ‘Wine and Other Stimulants’

The ailing Christopher Hitchens remains unrepentant regarding his "bohemian existence"—i.e., smoking and drinking a whole lot.
"Making the most out of every moment and enjoying every dinner often kept the flow of wine and other stimulants going," he said in a recent radio interview. The Page Six report adds that Hitchens went Read More

Items! Dorky Parents, Sexy Parties

When Bill and Hillary Clinton go on vacation and dance, they look just like anyone's dorky parents.
Mockingjay is apparently the hugest deal ever.
Mary-Louise Parker makes a cameo in Howl.
American Apparel might be delisted from the Stock Exchange.
The MTA plans $130 monthly Metrocards.
Good news for people Read More

Anna Wintour Grants Shocking Interview

Anna Wintour has given an explosive, revelatory interview to Opening Ceremony's Humberto Leon!
Just kidding, it is almost aggressively boring. A selection of our favorite questions and answers:
HL: Ignoring budget and logistics, can you describe your fantasy FNO?AW: Looking at the impressive lineup for this year, I think we are already seeing the fantasy Read More

Random House and Wylie No Longer in a Fight

Remember last month, when Andrew Wylie started publishing e-books on his own, and Random House became very angry and said it would have nothing to with Wylie, and Wylie continued to sell his e-books, and everyone wondered what would become of publishing as we knew it?
Well, everything Read More

Lauren Leto Says Goodbye to All That, Hello to New York

Lauren Leto is a Horatio Alger story for our times, except instead of pluck and bootstraps she fashioned success from text messages that say things like "You're the only person i know who can laugh and talk while puking."
The Texts From Last Night founder left Michigan for New York in April, and has Read More