In truth, Johnny’s not crazy, but he is crazily dedicated to his craft, and he is devoted one hundred percent to being the best writer he can be. When we first talked about West of Here, I felt immediately that we were on the same page, that I “got” the vision Johnny had for the novel and for the worlds his characters inhabited. I felt we could work together, and, fortunately, he felt the same.

The work we did on the novel was not all that different from the work I have had authors do on dozens of other books: I made suggestions for changes (cuts, additions, shifting something from one place to another), and Johnny adapted them so that they became his own, fitting new pieces seamlessly into the original manuscript, and making the necessary cuts and then sewing everything back together in a way that hid the stitches. It was clear to me that he was a pro: he wanted guidance, but once pointed in the right direction, he could find his way there on his own. And to me, this is the ideal author/editor relationship.

So working with Johnny Evison has been exciting, fun, and gratifying. As a storyteller and writer about mankind’s humanity and the occasional lack thereof, I don’t know many who are better. But more importantly, as a person he is easily one of the best. He’s a dedicated family man and a dedicated artist, but he also loves to have a good time. And because a bond develops between the author and editor that can take on different shapes, I’ve found myself responding variously as Johnny’s uncle, or maybe his best friend, and only occasionally have I been called on to stand in as therapist. But my favorite role, and the one that really has marked our collaboration, is that of surrogate father. Somewhere in our working together Johnny decided that I seemed like a father to him, and he started calling me “Pops.” So now, as we are finishing up the edit of his next novel—the amazingly funny and moving The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving—I am firmly entrenched in that role. Plus there’s a nice trade-off: I get to call him “Son.”

–Chuck Adams, Executive Editor

Or at least it seemed like it: The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth was larger than life on the big screen, here in Chapel Hill at the Lumina Theater. The Thursday before the Friday premiere of the Water For Elephants movie (based on Sara Gruen‘s best-selling novel, Water for Elephants), Algonquin staff and members of the North Carolina literary community were treated to a preview screening of the much anticipated film.

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Gathering outside before the show.

Daniel Wallace, author of BIG FISH, with lovely wife, Laura

David Parker, Michael Parker, author of THE WATERY PART OF THE WORLD, Kathy Pories, Senior Editor, and Geoff Martin

Lawrence Naumoff, author of TALLER WOMEN, Haven Kimmel, author of THE SOLACE OF LEAVING EARLY, and Chuck Adams, Executive Editor

Ina Stern, Associate Publisher, and Jill McCorkle, author of GOING AWAY SHOES

Michael Parker and Lee Smith, author of MRS. DARCY AND THE BLUE EYED STRANGER

Today we launch our new video series, Ask an Algonquin Editor. Have a question about the publishing world? Submit it in the comments section and one of our editors may very well answer it in a future episode. First up: Executive Editor Chuck Adams answers the question, How did you acquire Water for Elephants? Bonus material: artwork done by an elephant! See Chuck talk about the beautiful painting that author Sara Gruen gave to him.

I’ve already submitted three of my own questions: 1) Do you remember the first book you ever read? No, not as a professional, I mean ever. 2)  What’s the difference between a galley and an Advance Reading Copy? and 3) I know you said “No” to my cyber-punk novella, but will you read my LOTR fan-poetry? Personally, I’m hoping an Algonquin editor will answer #3.

–Susannah Long, Intern

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The novel, of course, is not about Psycho or even about Leigh or Hitchcock—it is about how life happens, and about how lives intersect, how little moments become large when viewed from the perspective of those people involved. It is about how small steps can take us down paths that suddenly seem endless, headed in a direction that has become irreversible. The novel’s story unfolds much the same way Hitchcock made his iconic film, frame by frame, each tiny moment adding up to an amazing whole, creating an experience that this then-teenage boy will never forget, and that came rushing back as I read this novel.

Just as I envy those who have not yet seen the film, I envy those about to read this novel—neither is something you will ever forget.

–Chuck Adams, Executive Editor

I’ll admit, I often find book trailers to be boring. Who needs another montage of images with a voice over or an interview with an author who really isn’t funny at all?

The unique book trailers stand out, and I’m hoping you’ll find this one to be just that. With its black and white drawings, created to mimic the storyboards used for Hitchcock’s films, the trailer for Manuel Munoz’s What You See in the Dark (publishing March 29^th) creates an eerie, evocative mood echoing the feel and tone of the iconic film Psycho.

So grab your popcorn and soda, and get ready to watch the book trailer for What You See in the Dark!

–Kelly Bowen, Publicity Manager

We were absolutely thrilled that Flyleaf recently hosted an Algonquin Book Club evening with special guest Heidi Durrow, author of the critically acclaimed national bestseller The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, her debut novel now out in paperback.

Heidi Durrow

The room was packed to the gills, with audience members noshing on cheese and sipping on winter beer. Algonquin’s Marketing Director Craig Popelars started off the night as only he could, with an inspiring ode to book clubs written to the tune of Vanilla Ice’s “Ice, Ice Baby.”

Craig Popelars

Heidi Durrow, winner of Barbara Kingsolver’s prestigious Bellwether Prize, dazzled the audience with her dramatic reading and then had a lively Q&A with the audience.

The audience at Flyleaf

Afterward, Algonkians Chuck Adams, Kathy Pories, Ina Stern, and Michael Taeckens took to the stage and discussed various titles that are perfect for book clubs, including Hillary Jordan’s Mudbound, Lauren Grodstein’s A Friend of the Family, Robert Goolrick’s A Reliable Wife, Jonathan Evison’s West of Here, Caroline Leavitt’s Pictures of You, Joseph Skibell’s A Blessing on the Moon, Lewis Nordan’s Wolf Whistle, and Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants. They also discussed the particulars of the Algonquin Book Club, a new program that will be launching later this month with beautifully designed catalogs and a brand new website (more details to come, so stay posted!).

Kathy Pories, Chuck Adams, Ina Stern, and Michael Taeckens

The evening concluded with more partaking of wine and cheese, tons of audience members lining up to have Heidi sign their books (Flyleaf sold out of every copy!), and people loading up on Algonquin titles and other offerings, thinking about their future book club reads.

Heidi Durrow autographing her book

People waiting to get their books signed by Heidi

Thank you for a great evening, Heidi and Flyleaf!

–Megan Fishmann, Publicist

How long have you been at O: The Oprah Magazine? Oprah and you are totally best buds now, right?
I started in September ’09, so it’s been a little over a year. Oprah and I are [she holds up two fingers, not too close together] like THIS.

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I really admire how you transformed Publishers Weekly. Can you tell us about your tenure there? What do you feel you added to the magazine?
I was at PW for four years and loved every minute of it. It was the first time I’d been in a position to work on a whole magazine, to reshape it, re-”brand” it, etc. I added Signature Reviews to the Review section, I wrote a weekly column that I’m told was widely read and discussed, and I did a lot of traveling to Europe and Asia and the Middle East to attend book fairs and try to make PW more global. I think I succeeded in making this quiet little magazine talked about, important again.

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You also wrote for the Daily Beast, and before PW you were at the New York Post covering the publishing beat, and then before that you were at Glamour. Where else have you worked?
I can’t seem to hold a job! I’ve worked at many, many magazines — SELF, Glamour, 7 Days — and newspapers and Web sites.  I think I really “broke through” as a book business editor at the now defunct Inside.com, which led pretty directly to my job at the New York Post, my column at the New York Observer, and PW.

How did you get into books journalism?
Just fell into it, really. I read a lot and knew a lot of magazine editors, so I began pitching myself as a reviewer to supplement my work as a freelance writing generalist.

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You’re the author of So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading. Did you really read all of those books or did you use CliffsNotes for some of them?
Hey!  I spent many sleepless nights reading those books, and I have the circles under my eyes to prove it.

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Are you worried about the future of book review coverage?
Yes. And no. I think traditional book review coverage is under siege — from blogs and websites, etc. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I do think the trend is away from what we used to call “lit-crit” and toward a much more practical “Do I want to buy this book to read on vacation” form of reviewing. Personally, I think anything that gets people talking about books is great, so I tend to be optimistic about the burst of the web.

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How about e-books–do they signal the end of the world? Or at least the end of physical books?
I think there will always be physical books — and e-books. I think certain kinds of books are best read in e-form: books like travel books, cookbooks, “pulp” novels, romances. Books that you consume rather than lose yourself in are more likely to be e-books. Sometimes I say that e-books are the mass-market of this generation.

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Who are some of the famous people you’ve met and/or interviewed over the years?
Well, I don’t know. Famous to me and famous to the rest of the world are two different sets of people. I once said in an interview that I was more interested in what went on in Sonny Mehta’s head than George Clooney’s. I meant that. That said, I have met too many great writers to mention — I don’t want to leave anybody out! I have never met my idol, Philip Roth, though — so if anybody has his phone number, can you pass it to me?

Your favorite BEA parties?
Yours, of course. (Note: Party for Tab Hunter Confidential, June 2006. Among the many hundreds of people in attendance were Tab’s close friend, Joyce DeWitt–otherwise known as Janet Wood on Three’s Company–much to the delight of many of us who grew up with the show; and James Ellroy, who regaled everyone with tales that were hilarious and sordid in equal measure.)

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Favorite books you’ve read recently (w/in last year or so):
A Reliable Wife, Cutting for Stone, The True Memoirs of Little K, Unbroken, A Visit from the Goon Squad

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You’re going to be stranded on a desert island: You can choose two people from the publishing industry to take with you. Who are they? (No Algonquin people can join you, unfortunately–we’ll all be stranded on a cruise ship.)
If I can’t take Chuck Adams (Algonquin’s executive editor), I’m not going.

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How many times have your friends/extended family members asked if you could get them on the Oprah Show?
Only a few. How many have wanted me to get their books on the show . . . well, that’s a different story.

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Umm, I have this book for you, and I think Oprah would really love it. May I get her cell phone number from you?
As Jackie Onassis reportedly said to her onetime boyfriend, the journalist Pete Hamill, when he suggested she allow him to write a profile of her: “Gimme a break!”

–Michael Taeckens, Online and Paperback Marketing Director

Johnny Evison portrait by Don Bachardy

We have four exciting Jonathan Evison-related items to share with you today:

1) Behold, the brand-spanking-new website for WEST OF HERE. Isn’t it gorgeous? Bonus points if you can find the Bigfoot Easter egg!

2) That portrait of Johnny to the right? It was recently painted by none other than Don Bachardy, Christopher Isherwood’s lifetime partner and a well-regarded artist in his own right. (Their relationship was chronicled in the critically acclaimed documentary Chris & Don.) Johnny is currently writing an essay about meeting Don and sitting for the portraits–stay tuned for more on that.

3) Is it getting hot in here? CultureMob includes Johnny as the first of five people in the Seattle Hot List 2010.

4) And last but not least, we present you with Johnny’s brilliant ode to booksellers, which received a standing ovation at the MPIBA trade show and which appears in Publishers Weekly this week. Without further ado …

Editor & author: Chuck Adams and Johnny

A Bookseller’s Love Story

For thirteen years I’ve been stocking the shelves at the Book Cathedral, and it is my love story.

You will probably not remember me by my name, but call me Ishmael. Or Tom Jones, or Tom Sawyer, or Elmer Gantry, or McTeague, or The Idiot, if you like. You may not remember me for my wispy hair, or brick-shaped loafers, nor for the wealth of cat hair clinging to the seat of my faded Dockers. I distinguish myself by my love of books, and by never using the search function—I’ve no need of it.

Ask me who’s between Allende and Sherwood Anderson, and I shall tell you without pause, Martin Amis; between Sartre and Schulberg, Saunders; and at the end of the line, you’ll find Zusak, unless of course we’re out, in which case you’ll find Zafón. Blindfold me and spin me around in circles, then set me straight and run my fingers down the spines, and I’ll tell you when we get to Proust, or the shorter novels of Melville. Ask me where to find Silas Wegg, and I shall point you to Dickens. Ask me, where is Oskar, and I’ll tell you he’s banging his tin drum between Golding and Graves. And if it’s Sancho Panza you’re after, you’ll find him chasing windmills with Quixote just to the left of Chaucer.

Ask me All About Lulu. Ask me For Whom the Bell Tolls. Ask me where A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, or What Makes Sammy Run, and I shall tell you without hesitation that the answer to the universe is 42. Or that it’s never too late to have a happy childhood. Or that A Good Man Is Hard to Find. Or that The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. Or that You Can’t Go Home Again. I will show you the beating heart of Ragtime, drag you kicking through Hard Times, In Our Time to Places Where I’ve Done Time, through The Age of Innocence, The Age of Reason to The Winter of Our Discontent. You’ll meet The Sleeping Father, The Time Traveler’s Wife, A Bigamist’s Daughter, and Wittgenstein’s Mistress. I’ll lead you to the Shining City, beneath The Sheltering Sky, past Lions and Shadows to The Dark Side of Guy de Maupassant—and if it pleases you, to the very Heart of Darkness itself. I will tell you The History of Love, The Brief History of the Dead. I will tell you The Secret Life of Bees. I’ll tell you A Tale of Two Cities that will make All the Pretty Horses whinny and All the King’s Men weep. I will explain The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, How the Dead Dream, and The Way of the Pilgrim. I will talk Of Mice and Men, Of Time and the River, of Leaves of Grass, until finally, at the end of the night, when The Moon Is Down, the sun will also rise, and everything will be illuminated.

Now, ask yourself: where else on earth are you gonna’ get this kind of service but an indie book store?

Read below as Chuck recounts his memory of the slaphappy comedian who helped him survive a year of unemployment.

-christina