I have one of the most beautiful aromatic bouquets of flowers in my office—an early Valentine’s Day present. As we cozy up to this holiday, I became intrigued by its origins. They start in the Roman period and became associated with martyred Christians. The “love connection” didn’t get going until many centuries later. Young men […]Read more "Love Connection"

<img style="border-style: none;" alt="" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_lqHsy2xLVmU/S2C07GlG7ZI/AAAAAAAAAH8/d8_AQcPpI1k/video47be8a21603a%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('e9426b72-98ca-46da-8e67-63f85cd3ab52'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = " http://hl= By Domenica Di Piazza, Editorial Director, TFCB Andrew, my office neighbor and editorial colleague, sends me links to wonderfully ingenious videos. This latest one is a rap video in which twentieth-century economic gurus John Maynard Keynes (played by Billy Scarfuri) and F. […]Read more "Econ 101 Goes Rap"

By Carol HinzEditorial Director, Millbrook Press I’m posting this a day early in honor of the Super Bowl. I may not be the world’s biggest sports fan, but I can honestly say I’ve at least read our biography of Peyton Manning. As a kid, I found sporting events were best enjoyed with a pencil and […]Read more "Ready, Set, Super Bowl!"

By Sara HoffmannSenior Editor Like a lot of editors, I enjoy wordplay. And not just the sophisticated kind of wordplay most editors would be proud to say they liked. I also like wordplay that’s just plain silly. In fact, one of my favorite things are mondegreens. Monde-what, you may ask? Mondegreens. They’re those goofy words […]Read more "Mondegreens"

The Pew Center has a very interesting study out now on Internet and social media use and it has lots of data on young people. It’s well worth reading in the original or in one of the many summaries from news outlets. I suspect a couple of findings will be subject to some chin scratching. […]Read more "Pew Social Networking Survey"

by Erin Finnegan, NY editorial intern After several weeks of Artist Spotlights, we’ve decided to interview our Graphic Universe writers. Trina Robbins is the author of many books and comic books. She’s writing a Graphic Universe series that will debut this fall (Fall 2010). All we can reveal for now is that it will be […]Read more "GU Comics Day: Shining a spotlight on: Trina Robbins"

By Domenica Di Piazza, Editorial Director, TFCB Paris Fashion Week 2010 wrapped up last Thursday (January 28, 2010). The spring and summer collections for 2010 were on display, and according to Cathy Horyn—the New York Times’s fashion critic—Chanel was the big hit. Check out Ms Horyn’s On the Runway blog for detailed coverage and great […]Read more "Paris Fashion Week"

By Carol HinzEditorial Director, Millbrook Press I love to plan ahead, and there’s nothing I like better than sticking to a plan. This trait generally serves me well, as making books requires a good deal of planning. Yet every so often, bookmaking also requires flexibility and a willingness to take advantage of a pleasant surprise. […]Read more "Leaving Room for Serendipity"

I’m editing a biography of a YA author—the creator of some wildly popular novels geared toward young female readers. The biography discusses the novels’ mixed critical reception. Some of the unkind reviews got me thinking about how other famous novels were once received. From popular paperbacks to the works of literary giants, no book—or author—is […]Read more "Unkind Words"