The Art of the Publisher
ISBN10: 0374536473
ISBN13: 9780374536473
Trade Paperback
160 Pages
$15.00
CA$21.00
In this illuminating volume, Roberto Calasso reflects on more than half a century of distinguished literary publishing at Adelphi Edizioni in Milan. "Part merchant, part circus impresario, the publisher has always been considered with a certain mistrust, like a clever huckster," Calasso writes, and yet "publisher" may also be one of the most prestigious titles around.
Recalling the beginnings of Adelphi in the 1960s, Calasso touches on the house's defining qualities and its strategy of publishing a wide range of authors of high literary quality. Stepping back, he then considers the publishing industry as a whole, bringing his signature erudition and grasp of literary history to bear on various aspects of the enterprise. From the vital importance of jackets, design, and cover flaps to the consequences of universal digitization, Calasso offers a penetrating study of the industry and an essential survey of twentieth-century literature.
A daring defense of an industry in flux and an ode to publishers who devote themselves to "good books," The Art of the Publisher makes an insider’s case for publishing as a singular artistic form. An essential collection for writers, readers, and editors, it is a tribute to the age-old art of making books.
Reviews
Praise for The Art of the Publisher
“[Calasso is] a literary institution.”—The Paris Review
“[Calasso] brings learning and passion to this chronicle of the business of getting books into the hands of readers . . . A treat for book lovers.”—Kirkus Reviews
Reviews from Goodreads
BOOK EXCERPTS
Read an Excerpt
PUBLISHING AS A LITERARY GENRE
I’d like to address something that is generally taken for granted, but turns out not to be so obvious: the art of publishing books. And first of all I would like to consider the notion of publishing...