Books Posnanskis "Paterno" Worst timed booked ever..... - Page 3

Deberg_1990 · 07-24-2012, 10:57 AM

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/23/bu...ming.html?_r=2

On Thursday afternoon, the Free Library of Philadelphia was ready to go with a Sept. 6 event for Joe Posnanski, the author of “Paterno,” a forthcoming biography of the famed and vilified football coach.

On Friday morning, the book’s publisher told the library to cross it off the calendar.

“They’re holding off on the tour,” Andy Kahan, the director of author events for the Free Library, said on Friday, adding that the publisher, Simon & Schuster, had said Mr. Posnanski’s work obligations prevented his appearance.

Simon & Schuster is backpedaling quickly in the final weeks before the publication of “Paterno,” which has emerged as perhaps one of the most unfortunately timed books of 2012.

Announced in March 2011 as “a biography of America’s winningest college football coach, who changed the country one football player at a time,” the book will enter the marketplace at a moment when the name of Joe Paterno, the late Penn State coach, has gone from revered to radioactive.

That, in turn, has made Simon & Schuster, which is owned by the CBS Corporation, the latest example of a publisher that is trying to recover when the story behind a planned book changes before publication.

The handful of books about the Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin that publishers hurriedly commissioned in the midst of “Linsanity” this year seem to have dubious value now that Lin has left the team for the Houston Rockets.

Simon & Schuster moved up the release date of the Paterno book from Father’s Day 2013 to August 2012. The title was changed from “The Grand Experiment: The Life and Meaning of Joe Paterno,” to the more neutral “Paterno.” A report released on July 12 by Louis J. Freeh, a former director of the F.B.I., revealed that Mr. Paterno, who had failed to report accusations of child sexual abuse by his longtime assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, to the police, renegotiated his contract in 2011 as the scandal was playing out, winning himself and his family more money and perks.

Within days, Brown University, Mr. Paterno’s alma mater, removed his name from an annual award and a coaching position. On Sunday, Penn State’s president, Rodney Erickson, ordered the removal of a statue of Mr. Paterno from outside the university’s football stadium.

Now Simon & Schuster is limiting interviews with Mr. Posnanski and scaling back a planned book tour. Anne Tate, a spokeswoman for the publisher, said in an e-mail, “We’re sensitive about putting our author in forums where he might be viewed as a stand-in for his subject.”

Jonathan Karp, the publisher of Simon & Schuster, said in an interview that the release of the Freeh report had complicated matters for the book.

“It’s made people angrier at Joe Paterno,” he said. “And that has made it a more difficult environment to publish a biography about Joe Paterno.”

Simon & Schuster acquired the book for a reported $750,000, and Mr. Karp said he expected the company would print close to 75,000 copies. Printing and related costs can run from $1.50 to slightly more than $2 a book, not including possible extra costs like advertising and paid promotions in bookstores.

If Simon & Schuster were to lose close to $1 million on the book, it would be an unpleasant but not particularly significant sum for an imprint of its size.

Mr. Karp heatedly defended his author, pointing out that the book had been under a strict embargo and that review copies had not been distributed. Few people, he said, have read it.

“I will say this — I think there has been a lot online about this book,” Mr. Karp said. “And I’m amazed by some of the vitriol with regard to Joe Posnanski, who is a truly gifted writer. People can pass all the judgment they want about Joe Paterno, but Joe Posnanski deserves a chance to be read.”

In some bookstores, he will not have a chance.

Michael Fox, the owner of Joseph Fox Bookshop in Philadelphia, has not read “Paterno,” but he knows he does not want to order a single copy.

“I just don’t want it on my shelf,” Mr. Fox said last week. “It’s distasteful and it’s not up to date. I’m sure there’s a lot of college football fans who want to read about the greatest coach of all time. But it’s not something I want to have in my store.”

Much of the negative opinion aimed at Mr. Posnanski has stemmed from a column he wrote in Sports Illustrated in January that was seen as overly sympathetic to Mr. Paterno, who was the head coach at Penn State for 46 years and died of lung cancer in January at age 85.

In the column, Mr. Posnanski contrasted Mr. Paterno’s “full life” with “a single, hazy event involving an alleged child molester.”

Mr. Posnanski, who was a sportswriter for The Kansas City Star and Sports Illustrated, declined to be interviewed. While he has written on his blog in recent weeks about Kansas City, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game (which was in Kansas City, Mo., on July 10), fireworks and Andy Griffith, he has not posted about his Paterno biography.

One of his only recent mentions of the book came on July 12, when he wrote on Twitter: “I dedicated myself to write the most honest book I could about Joe Paterno. Everything I have to say about his life is in it.”

A description of the 416-page book on Amazon.com notes that it was “written with full cooperation of Joe Paterno and his family” and published “to coincide with Penn State football’s first season without their legendary leader.”

“Paterno” will get its first airing in mid-August, when an excerpt is expected to run in the September issue of GQ. The issue will appear on newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on Aug. 14. The sports blog Deadspin reported that Sports Illustrated, given the first look at the book, had declined to run an excerpt.

At least one bookstore said it believed its event with Mr. Posnanski was still on. Vivien Jennings, the owner of Rainy Day Books in Fairway, Kan., says she has known Mr. Posnanski for years and still plans to host an event for him in September, where she will interview him on stage for an hour, then take questions from the audience.

In town for the All-Star Game this month, Mr. Posnanski stopped at the bookstore to say hello, Ms. Jennings said.

“I asked him, ‘We’re good for your signing, right?’ ” she recalled. “And he said, ‘Absolutely. This is a balanced biography.’ ”

07-24-2012, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

From what I understand, JoPo was given a $750k advance to write a book. The publisher estimates how much they'll receive in royalties for the sale of the book and gives the writer an advance based on those estimated sales.

Generally, there will be two advances given: One at the beginning and one upon completion. But I'm sure that he received the contractually obligated advance in full.

I don't see any logical reason as to why Joe Paterno would receive a share of Posnanski's writer royalties or his advance. If Paterno agreed to an authorized autobiography with said publisher, he would be given his own advance, as the book would be a collaborative effort. But even under those terms, he would not see any of Joe's money and it's likely that his share would be different (subject versus writer).

Very well. I don't know anything about how that works. Good for him. He deserves everything he gets. He's one of my favorite writers.

**wazu** · 07-24-2012, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

Posnanski is a great writer but I hope he doesn't forever tarnish himself with this book. I know it's difficult to say anything negative when he's probably spent as much time with the Paterno family as anyone, but I have a feeling the book is going to glaze over all this horror. That's not going to look good.

He is responsible for himself. It's a defining moment for him. I hope he does it right, but if he doesn't, then that's just who he really is.

**wazu** · 07-24-2012, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia

Pos is way too smart to leave that part hanging. He will work magic with his words and tie it all up with a pretty bow, just like he has always done...

This is what I expect as well. Could end up being Posnanski's finest hour.

**DaneMcCloud** · 07-24-2012, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia

Very well. I don't know anything about how that works. Good for him. He deserves everything he gets. He's one of my favorite writers.

I updated my post because I re-read the article just after posting. He was paid $750k for the book and unless it was a collaborative, autobiographical book with Paterno receiving writing credit, I'm pretty sure that all that dough went to JoPo.

And I agree: He's worth every penny. I hope this doesn't cause any harm to his name.

**BigRedChief** · 07-24-2012, 11:29 PM

Joe was going to publish this book without a single word about the accusations against Sandusky. Joe Paternos comment on those accusations? No comment on those accusations?

No ****ing way Poz didnt hear the rumors, given documents that detailed the police blotter on Sandusky. He's a smart dude, he put it together. Maybe he decided to just focus on the football career. The child molestation had nothing to do with Paterno. Whatever.

Poz needs to adress the issue better than he has or his reputation will be permantently damaged.

**wazu** · 07-24-2012, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Joe was going to publish this book without a single word about the accusations against Sandusky. Joe Paternos comment on those accusations? No comment on those accusations?

No ****ing way Poz didnt hear the rumors, given documents that detailed the police blotter on Sandusky. He's a smart dude, he put it together. Maybe he decided to just focus on the football career. The child molestation had nothing to do with Paterno. Whatever.

Poz needs to adress the issue better than he has or his reputation will be permantently damaged.

Maybe pos was a conspirator. Please investigate and let us know.

**BigRedChief** · 07-24-2012, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wazu

Maybe pos was a conspirator. Please investigate and let us know.

If he knew someone had evidence or he believed that there was evidence that would stand up in court of child molestation, he would be a potential co-conspirator in the eyes of the law.

FTR, I love Poz, he's the best sports writer on the planet today.

07-24-2012, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Joe was going to publish this book without a single word about the accusations against Sandusky. Joe Paternos comment on those accusations? No comment on those accusations?

No ****ing way Poz didnt hear the rumors, given documents that detailed the police blotter on Sandusky. He's a smart dude, he put it together. Maybe he decided to just focus on the football career. The child molestation had nothing to do with Paterno. Whatever.

Poz needs to adress the issue better than he has or his reputation will be permantently damaged.

He will. He's truly brilliant. I've had drinks with Joe, Teischer, and Liz Merrill. Adam was obnoxious which I can appreciate, Liz was quietly witty which I anticipated, and Joe was just overwhelmingly brilliant even though I had no idea what to expect from him.

**BigRedChief** · 07-24-2012, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia

He will. He's truly brilliant. I've had drinks with Joe, Teischer, and Liz Merrill. Adam was obnoxious which I can appreciate, Liz was quietly witty which I anticipated, and Joe was just overwhelmingly brilliant even though I had no idea what to expect from him.

I met Teisher a few times, he came off as an arrogant know it all. Never met Liz. Met Poz twice. Both times I thought it was the coolest thing. He is defintely a very smart guy. Could have been successful in any field he chose kind of smart.

suzzer99 · 07-24-2012, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

Posnanski is a great writer but I hope he doesn't forever tarnish himself with this book. I know it's difficult to say anything negative when he's probably spent as much time with the Paterno family as anyone, but I have a feeling the book is going to glaze over all this horror. That's not going to look good.

this exactly

suzzer99 · 07-24-2012, 11:45 PM

Let's all remember some of JoePos' finest moments, before this scandal takes his career down as well: http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/201...ob-costas.html

**Dylan** · 07-25-2012, 01:06 AM

"The one thing that Joe Paterno stood for was making an impact, an impact on people's lives, an impact on a community, on a college. That's what's most significant about him… the questions people have about Joe Paterno, what he did or didn't do, you weigh that against the impact that he made and hopefully people read the book and have a real view of that life."

According to The New York Times, those quotes about Paterno making an impact on people's lives is about a man who "failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade" according to the Freeh report.

Actually, subsequent investigation by the Freeh report make it impossible for Posnanski to tell the true story. It was a mistake to move the publishing date up almost a full year. The book has been published - and according to the Freeh report Posnanski's biography on Paterno, unfortunately went from non-fiction to fiction.

Chicago sports writer Ed Sherman latest on why Sports Illustrated pass to run excerpts from Pasnanski's Paterno book.

http://www.shermanreport.com/?p=3522

Joe Posnanski's article in Sports Illustrated caused quite a stir among his peers:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...rno/index.html

http://www.thefreehreportonpsu.com/R...NAL_071212.pdf

FYI: Posnanski is leaving/or left SI for a job in the USA Today Sports Media Group.

BigRock · 07-25-2012, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia

I'd imagine that any one of us who spent a great deal of time with the Paterno family and were not privy to the information just released would have also been an apologist.

Given the amount of scorn and ridicule he's taken over the last nine months for his apologist stance, I can only assume that's not an opinion held by most.

**Dave Lane** · 07-25-2012, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inmem58

I'm tired of hearing about this shit everyday. Yeah he kept his mouth closed with Sandusky was banging kids. He's in prison and Paterno is dead, move the **** on.

No shit where is all this hate for priests and other pedos? This has been the biggest witch hunt I've witnessed in my life. He believed his friend. He was old and made a mistake in not seeking more help from authorities. Enough already.

**Rausch** · 07-25-2012, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia

He will. He's truly brilliant. I've had drinks with Joe, Teischer, and Liz Merrill. Adam was obnoxious which I can appreciate, Liz was quietly witty which I anticipated, and Joe was just overwhelmingly brilliant even though I had no idea what to expect from him.

People slam JoPo because he's a homer.

True, but he's just a guy that loves sports and writes from the heart. He's a driven writer that has to find that story but that GOOD story.

It almost seems like his articles are written to Springsteen songs...

07-24-2012, 10:57 AM
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $244454	Posnanskis "Paterno" Worst timed booked ever..... http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/23/bu...ming.html?_r=2 On Thursday afternoon, the Free Library of Philadelphia was ready to go with a Sept. 6 event for Joe Posnanski, the author of “Paterno,” a forthcoming biography of the famed and vilified football coach. On Friday morning, the book’s publisher told the library to cross it off the calendar. “They’re holding off on the tour,” Andy Kahan, the director of author events for the Free Library, said on Friday, adding that the publisher, Simon & Schuster, had said Mr. Posnanski’s work obligations prevented his appearance. Simon & Schuster is backpedaling quickly in the final weeks before the publication of “Paterno,” which has emerged as perhaps one of the most unfortunately timed books of 2012. Announced in March 2011 as “a biography of America’s winningest college football coach, who changed the country one football player at a time,” the book will enter the marketplace at a moment when the name of Joe Paterno, the late Penn State coach, has gone from revered to radioactive. That, in turn, has made Simon & Schuster, which is owned by the CBS Corporation, the latest example of a publisher that is trying to recover when the story behind a planned book changes before publication. The handful of books about the Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin that publishers hurriedly commissioned in the midst of “Linsanity” this year seem to have dubious value now that Lin has left the team for the Houston Rockets. Simon & Schuster moved up the release date of the Paterno book from Father’s Day 2013 to August 2012. The title was changed from “The Grand Experiment: The Life and Meaning of Joe Paterno,” to the more neutral “Paterno.” A report released on July 12 by Louis J. Freeh, a former director of the F.B.I., revealed that Mr. Paterno, who had failed to report accusations of child sexual abuse by his longtime assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, to the police, renegotiated his contract in 2011 as the scandal was playing out, winning himself and his family more money and perks. Within days, Brown University, Mr. Paterno’s alma mater, removed his name from an annual award and a coaching position. On Sunday, Penn State’s president, Rodney Erickson, ordered the removal of a statue of Mr. Paterno from outside the university’s football stadium. Now Simon & Schuster is limiting interviews with Mr. Posnanski and scaling back a planned book tour. Anne Tate, a spokeswoman for the publisher, said in an e-mail, “We’re sensitive about putting our author in forums where he might be viewed as a stand-in for his subject.” Jonathan Karp, the publisher of Simon & Schuster, said in an interview that the release of the Freeh report had complicated matters for the book. “It’s made people angrier at Joe Paterno,” he said. “And that has made it a more difficult environment to publish a biography about Joe Paterno.” Simon & Schuster acquired the book for a reported $750,000, and Mr. Karp said he expected the company would print close to 75,000 copies. Printing and related costs can run from $1.50 to slightly more than $2 a book, not including possible extra costs like advertising and paid promotions in bookstores. If Simon & Schuster were to lose close to $1 million on the book, it would be an unpleasant but not particularly significant sum for an imprint of its size. Mr. Karp heatedly defended his author, pointing out that the book had been under a strict embargo and that review copies had not been distributed. Few people, he said, have read it. “I will say this — I think there has been a lot online about this book,” Mr. Karp said. “And I’m amazed by some of the vitriol with regard to Joe Posnanski, who is a truly gifted writer. People can pass all the judgment they want about Joe Paterno, but Joe Posnanski deserves a chance to be read.” In some bookstores, he will not have a chance. Michael Fox, the owner of Joseph Fox Bookshop in Philadelphia, has not read “Paterno,” but he knows he does not want to order a single copy. “I just don’t want it on my shelf,” Mr. Fox said last week. “It’s distasteful and it’s not up to date. I’m sure there’s a lot of college football fans who want to read about the greatest coach of all time. But it’s not something I want to have in my store.” Much of the negative opinion aimed at Mr. Posnanski has stemmed from a column he wrote in Sports Illustrated in January that was seen as overly sympathetic to Mr. Paterno, who was the head coach at Penn State for 46 years and died of lung cancer in January at age 85. In the column, Mr. Posnanski contrasted Mr. Paterno’s “full life” with “a single, hazy event involving an alleged child molester.” Mr. Posnanski, who was a sportswriter for The Kansas City Star and Sports Illustrated, declined to be interviewed. While he has written on his blog in recent weeks about Kansas City, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game (which was in Kansas City, Mo., on July 10), fireworks and Andy Griffith, he has not posted about his Paterno biography. One of his only recent mentions of the book came on July 12, when he wrote on Twitter: “I dedicated myself to write the most honest book I could about Joe Paterno. Everything I have to say about his life is in it.” A description of the 416-page book on Amazon.com notes that it was “written with full cooperation of Joe Paterno and his family” and published “to coincide with Penn State football’s first season without their legendary leader.” “Paterno” will get its first airing in mid-August, when an excerpt is expected to run in the September issue of GQ. The issue will appear on newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on Aug. 14. The sports blog Deadspin reported that Sports Illustrated, given the first look at the book, had declined to run an excerpt. At least one bookstore said it believed its event with Mr. Posnanski was still on. Vivien Jennings, the owner of Rainy Day Books in Fairway, Kan., says she has known Mr. Posnanski for years and still plans to host an event for him in September, where she will interview him on stage for an hour, then take questions from the audience. In town for the All-Star Game this month, Mr. Posnanski stopped at the bookstore to say hello, Ms. Jennings said. “I asked him, ‘We’re good for your signing, right?’ ” she recalled. “And he said, ‘Absolutely. This is a balanced biography.’ ”
Posts: 68,498

07-24-2012, 11:29 PM	#35
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $-651038 VARSITY	Joe was going to publish this book without a single word about the accusations against Sandusky. Joe Paternos comment on those accusations? No comment on those accusations? No ****ing way Poz didnt hear the rumors, given documents that detailed the police blotter on Sandusky. He's a smart dude, he put it together. Maybe he decided to just focus on the football career. The child molestation had nothing to do with Paterno. Whatever. Poz needs to adress the issue better than he has or his reputation will be permantently damaged. __________________ Mahomes is not a game manager. Release the Kraken.
Posts: 81,288

07-24-2012, 11:45 PM	#41
suzzer99 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: L.A. Casino cash: $-665716	Let's all remember some of JoePos' finest moments, before this scandal takes his career down as well: http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/201...ob-costas.html
Posts: 28,358

07-25-2012, 01:06 AM	#42
Dylan The Lede Join Date: Aug 2007 Casino cash: $10016591	"The one thing that Joe Paterno stood for was making an impact, an impact on people's lives, an impact on a community, on a college. That's what's most significant about him… the questions people have about Joe Paterno, what he did or didn't do, you weigh that against the impact that he made and hopefully people read the book and have a real view of that life." According to The New York Times, those quotes about Paterno making an impact on people's lives is about a man who "failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade" according to the Freeh report. Actually, subsequent investigation by the Freeh report make it impossible for Posnanski to tell the true story. It was a mistake to move the publishing date up almost a full year. The book has been published - and according to the Freeh report Posnanski's biography on Paterno, unfortunately went from non-fiction to fiction. Chicago sports writer Ed Sherman latest on why Sports Illustrated pass to run excerpts from Pasnanski's Paterno book. http://www.shermanreport.com/?p=3522 Joe Posnanski's article in Sports Illustrated caused quite a stir among his peers: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...rno/index.html http://www.thefreehreportonpsu.com/R...NAL_071212.pdf FYI: Posnanski is leaving/or left SI for a job in the USA Today Sports Media Group. __________________
Posts: 33,643