Latest news with #SimonAndSchuster
Fox News
a day ago
- Business
- Fox News
Bill Belichick's publicist texted coach saying CBS interview would be 'without risk': report
Bill Belichick's publicist reportedly "assure[d]" the UNC head coach his interview with CBS would be about his new book. TMZ Sports reported that David Kass, Simon & Schuster's senior director of publicity, told Belichick the interview would be a "puff piece." Instead, the interview went off the rails. Belichick's girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, was present for the interview, and Belichick was asked how they met. Hudson interrupted the CBS interview to shut down that question, and, according to reports, she interrupted several times and even stormed off at one point, delaying the interview by around 30 minutes. But Kass reportedly wrote to Belichick, "This is a book segment that looks at your life in football and what people can learn from you to achieve success in their own lives." After Belichick reportedly wanted to turn down the interview, another text Kass wrote reportedly said, "I wouldn't be this insistent if this wasn't so important to book sales and without risk." Kass is also said to have told Belichick he spoke to a CBS producer "about sticking to the book and shared that if they do, they'll get a great interview, and he was really open, saying he's not interested in going beyond the book." Belichick released a statement saying he was "surprised" about getting the questions about his relationship and that when Hudson had stepped in, she was doing her job. He also accused CBS of creating a "false narrative" with "selectively edited clips." "I agreed to speak with 'CBS Sunday Morning' to promote my new book, 'The Art of Winning — Lessons from My Life in Football.' Prior to this interview, I clearly communicated with my publicist at Simon & Schuster that any promotional interviews I participated in would agree to focus solely on the contents of the book," he said at the time. "Unfortunately, that expectation was not honored during the interview. I was surprised when unrelated topics were introduced, and I repeatedly expressed to the reporter, Tony Dokoupil, and the producers that I preferred to keep the conversation centered on the book." "After this occurred several times, Jordon, with whom I share both a personal and professional relationship, stepped in to reiterate that point to help focus the discussion. She was not deflecting any specific question or topic but simply doing her job to ensure the interview stayed on track. Some of the clips make it appear as though we were avoiding the question of how we met, but we have been open about the fact that Jordon and I met on a flight to Palm Beach in 2021. "The final eight-minute segment does not reflect the productive 35-minute conversation we had, which covered a wide range of topics related to my career. Instead, it presents selectively edited clips and stills from just a few minutes of the interview to suggest a false narrative — that Jordon was attempting to control the conversation — which is simply not true." CBS responded, disagreeing with Belichick's version of events. "When we agreed to speak with Mr. Belichick, it was for a wide-ranging interview," the company said. "There were no preconditions or limitations to this conversation. This was confirmed repeatedly with his publisher before the interview took place and after it was completed." In a request for comment regarding Kass' text messages, CBS sent the same statement. Kass did not immediately respond. Belichick, 73, and Hudson, 24, have been linked since last year. She has attended several events with him, including February's NFL Honors. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Broken promise that left Bill Belichick 'furious' after disastrous CBS interview
Bill Belichick was reportedly promised by his publisher that the now-infamous April interview with CBS would only be about his book and not veer into outside topics. Belichick was asked questions not directly about the novel, most notably about 49-years-younger girlfriend Jordon Hudson, who was on set, seated off camera. The questions to Belichick about Hudson sparked the 24-year-old to interrupt and prompt weeks of questions as to her influence on the North Carolina head football coach. More than a dozen days before the interview aired on April 27, Belichick was reportedly written by Simon & Schuster's senior director of publicity, David Kass, stating 'I can assure you that the conversation [will be] about the book' and was 'furious' at what occurred, per TMZ. 'This is a book segment, that looks at your life in football and what people can learn from you to achieve success in their own lives,' Kass added. Kass has not immediately replied to request for comment. However, A CBS News spokesperson did give a statement, not changing their stance about the interview. 'When we agreed to speak with Mr. Belichick, it was for a wide-ranging interview. There were no preconditions or limitations to this conversation. This was confirmed repeatedly with his publisher before the interview took place and after it was completed,' the CBS News spokesperson told Kass was reportedly insistent on Belichick doing the interview, even flying to Chapel Hill in March to make sure the Tar Heels leader and he were on the same page about doing press for his book. It was Kass not attending the interview's taping, which was filmed in Annapolis, Maryland, that led Hudson to feel empowered to direct what Tony Dokoupil was asking. Belichick and Hudson have stayed firm that CBS did not honor their part of the deal for the interview in direct contradiction with the network's message. 'I agreed to speak with CBS Sunday Morning to promote my new book,' Belichick said. 'Prior to this interview, I clearly communicated with my publicist at Simon & Schuster that any promotional interviews I participated in would agree to focus solely on the contents of the book. Unfortunately, that expectation was not honored during the interview.' 'I was surprised when unrelated topics were introduced, and I repeatedly expressed to the reporter, Tony Dokoupil, and the producers that I preferred to keep the conversation centered on the book. 'After this occurred several times, Jordon, with whom I share both a personal and professional relationship, stepped in to reiterate that point to help refocus the discussion. 'She was not deflecting any specific question or topic but simply doing her job to ensure the interview stayed on track. Some of the clips make it appear as though we were avoiding the question of how we met, but we have been open about the fact that Jordon and I met on a flight to Palm Beach in 2021. 'The final eight-minute segment does not reflect the productive 35-minute conversation we had, which covered a wide range of topics related to my career. Instead, it presents selectively edited clips and stills from just a few minutes of the interview to suggest a false narrative - that Jordon was attempting to control the conversation - which is simply not true.' In what appears to be a show of support from UNC to Belichick's tenure, his statement was released by the school in order to try and calm the outpouring of shock at Sunday's scenes. Daily Mail exclusively reported last month that Belichick and Hudson are unfazed, overall, by the response to the interview. Belichick thinks some of the critics from his all-conquering run as Patriots coach now want to see him fail in Chapel Hill. After the interview aired, Pro Football Talk claimed that Hudson interrupted proceedings on so many occasions, CBS decided to include one moment to reflect her overriding influence. TMZ then claimed that Hudson stormed out of the interview for 30 minutes at one stage as she was so unhappy with the direction it was going. Belichick's statement doesn't address those allegations but it is perhaps notable that he described the overall discussion as a 'productive 35-minute conversation'. The New York Times reported that Hudson's presence was 'instrumental' in a deal breaking down
ABC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
The #BookTok backlash over former Canberra Raiders player Luke Bateman's book deal, explained
When Queensland farmer Luke Bateman posted his first TikTok video in April this year, he spoke earnestly about finding a community where he could discuss books and get recommendations. The former rugby league player and star of the television show The Bachelors Australia, had joined #BookTok, a section of the platform where book lovers review and recommend their favourite reads. "I've loved books my entire life … I've never really had anywhere to talk about it or share those things, obviously being a male in blue-collar work," he shared. For many, seeing someone like Bateman interested in books stood out. His first video received two million views, and his account exploded, amassing nearly 180,000 followers in less than two months. But while his reception was initially positive, the tide was about to turn. Just weeks after his viral debut, Bateman hopped on TikTok to announce he had signed a two-book deal for a fantasy series with Atria Books Australia, an imprint of publishing house Simon & Schuster. The announcement drew a mixed response on #BookTok, with some users taking to the comments section of the video with questions around Bateman's writing experience and if the deal was based on his virality alone. Comments included: "Well, good to see that publishing is still a colossal joke," and "The anger here is aimed at the wrong person. He's not the problem. The publisher is". Bateman had said in the announcement video that his social media presence was a big factor in his book deal being finalised. The ABC has contacted Bateman for comment. "It was obviously everyone on here resonating with me that they [Atria Books] gave me this opportunity … all of you have helped me to fulfil my childhood dream." Anthea Bariamis, who acquired the international rights to Bateman's books for Atria Books, confirmed in an Instagram live that she spotted Bateman on TikTok and reached out to his agent. "I had seen Luke online, like I know many people have for the last month or so, and I just loved his content and I was like 'Oh my god, he's a big book nerd!'" Bariamis said that she had a meeting with Bateman, who pitched her a fantasy series that he "had in his mind and has been working on for a long time". She also confirmed that he would not have a ghostwriter, as some had speculated, and that she had been provided a writing sample before the deal was finalised. The ABC has contacted Bariamis for comment. Even by industry standards, Bateman's deal is notable. "For someone who's never previously published anything before … it's quite unusual to get signed for a two-book deal … particularly if you're writing fiction," says Julian Novitz, a senior lecturer in Media and Communications from Swinburne University. Dr Novitz said that typically, debut authors sign a contract for a single book, with publishers reserving the right of first refusal on the second. The speed and scale of Bateman's book deal have also drawn criticism from content creators on #BookTok and authors from marginalised backgrounds, who view his rise as emblematic of a lack of diversity in Australia's book publishing industry. Bron Bateman, an Australian queer author and poet living with a disability, says the news of Bateman's book deal reflects a lack of effort from big publishers to invest in marginalised authors. "I find it extraordinary that six weeks on TikTok is enough to generate the kind of lavish outspending that Simon & Schuster are obviously prepared to do," she says. "The problem isn't Luke Bateman. The problem is big publishing companies." It has been long reported that Australia's publishing industry is lacking diversity. In 2022 the inaugural Australian Publishing Industry Workforce Survey on Diversity and Inclusion found there was much work to be done. The survey found that fewer than 1 per cent of Australian publishing professionals are First Nations, only 8.5 per cent have an Asian cultural identity, and just over 5 per cent identified as living with a disability. Teo Jing Xuan and Marina Sano, co-founders of Amplify Bookstore in Melbourne which solely stocks books written by Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) authors, said they weren't surprised by the Bateman deal going through. "I'm deeply unsurprised by it, to the point where I'm honestly kind of surprised by how much outrage there is because this is so run of the mill," Sano says. Teo, who has worked in publishing, says deals like this come down to sales appeal. "It's very common in publishing … they will sit around and say 'What is the sale potential for this book?' before it's being acquired," Teo says. "For books by people of colour, the chat around sales potential is a lot more in-depth than you would get from a white author per se." Bigambul and Wakka Wakka author Melanie Saward, a lecturer at the University of Queensland, said deals like Bateman's send an "awful" message to authors from marginalised backgrounds. "It shows them that they're not exceptional enough for the industry, that their stories aren't valued," she said. Dr Novitz says Bateman's book deal is an example of how virality has become an increasingly decisive factor in publishing decisions. "Publishing is a business … in terms of the works that [publishers are] looking to take a risk on, having an author who already has public visibility, and large followings on social media is a real advantage." Dr Novtiz adds that "publishing has a responsibility to broaden representation," and that when visibility begets more visibility, "it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy". "It becomes assumed that writers from a particular demographic are who readers are most interested in, because they dominate the list of published works." In an interview with entertainment news website Chattr following the outrage, Bateman acknowledged the backlash and said he wants to use his platform to spotlight marginalised authors. "A lot of these conversations are very new to me," he admitted. But one particular quote stirred further criticism. "There is no barrier to entry for reading and writing," Bateman said. It's a comment that struck a nerve with Dr Saward. "As soon as you say something like that, your privilege is out there for the whole world to see," she said. Author and person of colour, Chemutai Glasheen, says the discussions happening in light of the Bateman book deal are important, but should motivate readers to champion diverse authors. Author Bron Bateman agrees with the sentiment, saying that she hopes Luke Bateman takes this opportunity to lift up other marginalised writers. "Now in a time of political and social and cultural upheaval, the need for counter voices to be heard is more important than it has ever been … As a matter of absolute importance." Dr Saward says she also hopes this moment prompts readers to reflect. "Audit your own bookshelves and book buying habits. "[If you] make an effort to buy Australian books that have diversity in them … it's telling the publishing industry that that's what you're interested in and they'll go chasing more of those authors."
CBS News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
"Aftertaste" by Daria Lavelle voted the first book of summer for Club Calvi!
We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. Please consider joining our Facebook group by CLICKING HERE. Find out more about the books below. Club Calvi's new book explores the power of food to link life and afterlife Club Calvi has a new book! We asked you to decide on our next read and you voted "Aftertaste" as the Readers' Choice. In a message to readers, author Daria Lavelle said the book follows a chef whose food can bring spirits back from the afterlife for a last meal with their loved ones. He opens a New York City restaurant that serves closure. He doesn't expect to fall in love or to cause chaos in the afterlife in the process. You can read an excerpt and get the book below and read along with Club Calvi over the next four weeks. The CBS New York Book Club focuses on books connected to the Tri-State Area in their plots and/or authors. The books may contain adult themes. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ "Aftertaste" by Daria Lavelle Simon & Schuster From the publisher: Konstantin Duhovny is a haunted man. His father died when he was ten, and ghosts have been hovering around him ever since. Kostya can't exactly see the ghosts, but he can taste their favorite foods. Flavors of meals he's never eaten will flood his mouth, a sign that a spirit is present. Kostya has kept these aftertastes a secret for most of his life, but one night, he decides to act on what he's tasting. And everything changes. Kostya discovers that he can reunite people with their deceased loved ones—at least for the length of time it takes them to eat a dish that he's prepared. He thinks his life's purpose might be to offer closure to grieving strangers, and sets out to learn all he can by entering a particularly fiery ring of Hell: the New York culinary scene. But as his kitchen skills catch up with his ambitions, Kostya is too blind to see the catastrophe looming in the Afterlife. And the one person who knows Kostya must be stopped also happens to be falling in love with him. Daria Lavelle lives in New Jersey. "Aftertaste" By Daria Lavelle (ThriftBooks) $22 Excerpt: "Aftertaste" by Daria Lavelle BITTER The first time Konstantin Duhovny tasted something he hadn't actually eaten he was eleven, seated on the edge of the public pool in Brighton Beach, his heels churning grey water into foam. He was watching the backs of the other boys—the ones he was supposed to be swimming with, but who never invited him, even out of politeness, into their circle—as they splashed about, showing off handstands and lung capacities, spouting chlorinated water a foot into the air like porpoises. He watched them all afternoon—Mitya and Sasha and Misha K. and Misha B. (whom they kept calling Bear because of the thick, black hair up and down his back)—until, one by one, their fathers finished their waterlogged Russkaya Reklamas, scratched their nipples through threadbare white undershirts, and peeled their pasty bodies from the rubber loungers, signaling quitting time. Kostya had come chaperoned by his cousin Valerik—not his real cousin, but the teenage son of Tetya Natasha, not his real aunt but an acquaintance of his mother's—who had promptly dumped him when his girlfriend whispered something about a kissing booth at the boardwalk nearby. Don't you move, Valerik had hissed at Kostya. I'll be back. That had been two hours ago. As the last boy, Mitya, raised the handle of the chain-link fence, Kostya felt himself blister with jealousy. There was no one to ferry him home, just like there had been no one to slather sunblock onto his back—which he could already feel was red and tight and burnt—and just like there would be no one to teach him how to talk to these boys in a way that made it clear that he was one of them. But then, of course, he wasn't one of them. Their fathers were alive. He kicked faster at the water, kicked violently, kicked at the fathers and sons, kicked at the great cavity of longing inside himself, this way of missing someone, missing them desperately, missing every part including those he'd never known, a pocket so deep he thought that if he could only reach inside of it, worry its lining long enough, break through it to the other side, to where empty could grow full as a belly round with food, he might just find what he was looking for. Right then, something traveled across his tongue, and Kostya stopped kicking. It coated the inside of his mouth, thick as paste, the taste—the uneaten taste—overpowering. It was savory, salty, the texture mealy, slightly sweet and fatty, something tart, barely, and then, at the tail, in the back of his throat, bitter, bitter, blooming like a bruise. Good, but also bad, just a little bit like s***. He wondered briefly whether one of the boys had found a way to make him ingest a turd—it seemed the sort of thing that boys with fathers could do to a boy without one—but just as quickly, the sensation vanished. Kostya smacked his lips, trying to call it back, but there was nothing left now, only a warmth spreading slowly across his tongue as he choked back tears. It was only in the absence of the taste that he suddenly recognized what it had been. Chicken liver, sautéed onions, fresh dill garnish, squeeze of lemon. Pechonka. His father's favorite dish, according to his mother, who invoked it infrequently and had stopped making it after he died. Kostya had never tasted pechonka. He just knew, like an instinct, like another sense he'd only now become conscious of, that the ghost of that dish—not its taste, but its aftertaste—had just been inside of his mouth, spirited there by the person who most longed to taste it again. From AFTERTASTE. Copyright © 2025 by Daria Lavelle. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, LLC. Return to the top of page
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Deliciously addictive', ‘dripping with suspense': the best Australian books out in June
Science fiction, Pan Macmillan, $34.99 What does it mean to build a new world from the wreckage of a broken one? This question lies at the heart of Jennifer Mills' mesmerising new novel, Salvage, which tracks the fortunes of two estranged sisters: gruff, defensive Jude and spectral Celeste. This is a work of speculative fiction, set in a near-future ravaged by war and climate crisis. To survive the chaos, Jude is convinced she needs to shed her past and avoid attachments. But she's wrong, and the arc of the novel tracks her realisation that building a new world requires care and community. Salvage is a timely and surprisingly optimistic manual for navigating our present polycrisis. – Catriona Menzies-Pike Nonfiction, Simon & Schuster, $36.99 Most self-help books are peppered with personal stories that illustrate their advice. Though the tone is light and chatty, with bullet-point takeaways, that's not what you'll get from The Introvert's Guide to Leaving the House, by frequent the Guardian Australia contributor Jenny Valentish. Instead the book reads like the memoir of a writer who has learned how to help herself. The mirror Valentish holds to readers is not always flattering. She explores tendencies toward grandiosity and the unpleasant impacts inwardness can have on other people. For that reason, her efforts to understand her limited appetite for socialising offer something rare for the self-help genre: genuine insight. – Alyx Gorman Short stories, Simon & Schuster, $32.99 Lucy Nelson's debut collection of stories is centred on women – of a wide range of ages and in many different contexts – who don't have children. Some have chosen their childlessness, others have not. While they differ in the intensity and kinds of emotions this provokes within them, it is never the defining aspect of their lives. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Nelson is interested in models of family and of connection, in bodies and their betrayals and consolations, in the lives that women forge for themselves when faced by the unexpected. These stories are fierce and tender, often quirky and hilarious, and driven by great compassion. – Fiona Wright Fiction, Allen & Unwin, $34.99 Shokoofeh Azar migrated from Iran to Australia a decade ago as a refugee, having been arrested multiple times for her work as a journalist investigating human rights abuses. Her second novel is as vividly imaginative as her first, The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree: it opens as a gigantic, mysterious tree suddenly sprouts up in the family home of teenager Shokoofeh, our narrator. No one outside the family seems to be able to see the tree but it brings with it mind-expanding freedoms – just as the Iranian revolution begins and reality grows violent. This novel is packed with ghosts, magical palaces, fortune tellers and folk stories; it could be described as magical realism, though Azar writes with a flair that sets her apart from the South American giants that have dominated the genre. – Sian Cain Fiction, UQP, $34.99 Thomas Vowles' debut is one of the most tense and disturbing novels I've read in a long time. Ash, new to Melbourne, has fallen in love with James, a man he met on Grindr. At a house party he witnesses a violent interaction involving James's new boyfriend, Raf. Ash is desperate to find out the truth about Raf – trouble is, no one believes him, and his unrequited feelings for James might be clouding his judgment and grip on reality. Vowles' background as a screenwriter is evident in the deliciously addictive – and stressful – way the story unfolds, with the narration becoming unreliable, and unhinged as Ash descends into madness. – Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen Poetry, Giramondo, $27 What history forgets, families remember. In her debut collection, Chinese Fish, Grace Yee forged a bridge between the two and announced herself as a poet to watch. In Joss: A History, she continues that potent project – blending family testimony with archival fragments to trace her connection to colonial Bendigo. These are poems of grit and ritual, erasure and persistence, bureaucracy and grace, gold dust and Chinese cemeteries. Here, among the segregated gravestones, Yee captures the cruel, beautiful and ever-messy work of making a place in the world. 'What dreams weather beneath these mounds,' she writes, 'what fierce agitations churn the night.' – Beejay Silcox Science fiction, NewSouth Books, $34.99 Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion This is a really charming and fun reworking of the Dracula story that reimagines the Demeter – the ship that transports Dracula to London in Bram Stoker's novel – as a spaceship, 2,293 days into her voyage transporting humans from Earth to Alpha Centauri. The Demeter is a chatty spacecraft – in fact, she is our narrator, haphazardly trying to keep her passengers from dying at the hands of the ancient vampire who has made his way onboard. If you know the Dracula story, you'll find this enjoyable – there is a distinctly unhinged touch to the humour that I suspect Terry Pratchett fans will like. – SC Fiction, Simon & Schuster, $34.99 The pernicious pleasantries, the boardroom politics, the happy hours and the sad snack drawers: all the grinding machinations of office culture crescendo to a quivering peak in Sinéad Stubbins' very funny, very horrifying novel Stinkbug. An advertising agency gets restructured (likely story); everyone is sent on a work retreat (likely story); it might actually be a cult? (likelier than you think). Like a chunnering conversation with your worst colleague, Stinkbug is claustrophobic. Stubbins faithfully captures the cadences of corporate small talk and dials them up into a nightmarish cacophony of efficiency reports and pitch decks. You'll want to work from home for ever. – Michael Sun Fiction, Text Publishing, $34.99 Gail Jones is a prolific writer – this is her 11th novel – but The Name of the Sister is somewhat of a departure. Fans of her lucid, beautiful prose won't be disappointed, but this is a thriller, set in Sydney and Broken Hill. Familiar themes – identity, the nature of truth and memory – remind us of other books Jones has written (including One Another and Five Bells) but The Name of the Sister is dripping with suspense and intrigue. Driven by complex female characters, this novel is an intellectual page-turner. – Joseph Cummins Fiction, Ultimo, $34.99 When Eva Novak returns to Australia, mysteriously summoned by her long-estranged sister, she is shocked to find Elizabeta dead in her home. The pair haven't spoken for a decade, since the crash that killed Eva's young daughter; Elizabeta was behind the wheel and hadn't strapped Gracie in. Broken by grief and fury, Eva has two weeks to sort through the estate of the woman who killed her daughter – a task she sets to with a detached purposefulness that becomes increasingly devastating under Peričić's taut prose. But as she sifts through the house for all the documents she needs, Eva uncovers a far more complicated picture of what really happened that day – and how trauma can twist memories and recast entire lives. – Steph Harmon Nonfiction, Murdoch Books, $34.99 Nathan Dunne, an Australian journalist, was living in London when he decided to go night swimming in Hampstead Heath. In the cold water he experienced what is known as depersonalisation: a severe dissociative illness that left him unsure about who he was and what was real; a terrifying and debilitating state of having no sense of self: 'In a single moment, a split second, I had been locked away, condemned to wander in a body that was not my own.' This fascinating account charts his recovery, his research into a little-understood condition and his discovery of a whole community of people who have experienced it. – SC Fiction, Hachette Australia, $32.99 Historical novels set among the mid-century upper crust aren't that unusual but choosing an Australian prime minister's wife as a heroine certainly is. Though the novel opens with Harold Holt's disappearance, the 'year' in the title isn't quite accurate: instead Zara reflects on her memories of their entire relationship since 1927, in digestible, dialogue-heavy prose. Although you know from the outset that the story will take a tragic turn, the opening chapters of Kimberley Freeman's novel are fun and foamy. As Zara Holt was a fashion designer, there's a generous helping of very good frocks, too. – AG
