Our Favor!te Things: Jen Schuster
It’s that time of the year….RECAPS. We asked many of authors, friends, families, coworkers, and some random people on the street what a few of their favorites have been. And we’re posting them here! Starting off with our very own It Books Editor, Jennifer Schuster!
Favor!te Film: Bridesmaids
Favor!te Album: Adele – 21; Jack’s Mannequin – People and Things
Favor!te Book: Just Kids by Patti Smith; Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? By Mindy Kaling
Favor!te Designer: DVF, Tory Burch
Favor!te TV sho
w: Homeland, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Up All Night, New Girl
Favor!te Twitterer: Mindy Kaling; Sophia Rossi, Khloe Kardashian
Who do you most want to smooch on New Year’s Eve? My husband, this is our first New Year’s Eve as husband and wife!
What do you want the most as a holiday gift? Garmin Forerunner GPS watch for running, so I can track my pace and distance accurately. I could have used one in the NYC marathon this year, so hopefully it will inspire me to run some big races in 2012.
HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS ACQUIRES NEWMARKET PRESS NAME AND CATALOG
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS ACQUIRES NEWMARKET PRESS NAME AND CATALOG
Esther Margolis to Join the It Books Imprint
New York, NY (October 24, 2011) HarperCollins Publishers today announced that it has acquired the rights to the majority of titles published by Newmarket Press. As part of the agreement, Esther Margolis, Founder, President, and Publisher of Newmarket Press, will join the HarperCollins It Books imprint as an Executive Editor, where she will continue to acquire entertainment-related books to be published under the imprint Newmarket Press for It Books. The move is part of HarperCollins’s continuing expansion in the areas of pop-culture and entertainment publishing. The changes are effective immediately.
“For years, Newmarket Press has been the industry’s leading publisher of film-related books. Its list of screenplays, making-of books, tie-ins, and other titles on cinema is second to none. Esther Margolis is a highly respected veteran of both the publishing and the film industries, with unparalleled relationships with countless studios and filmmakers. Her wealth of knowledge and experience in publishing to this audience will be an invaluable asset to the growing It Books list,” said Cal Morgan, Senior Vice President and Publisher, It Books.
“HarperCollins Publishers makes a great home for the Newmarket list,” said Margolis. “The resources of HarperCollins and the It Books team will allow the Newmarket backlist to flourish in all channels and formats while enabling me to add to the list going forward.”
Newmarket Press was founded by Margolis in 1981. During its 29 years, the imprint has published more than 200 books in the areas of film, theater, and performing arts, including official tie-in books for films that have garnered more than 300 Oscar nominations and nearly 100 wins. Newmarket Press is especially noted for its illustrated books on such films as Milk; The Matrix; Gladiator; Moulin Rouge; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Chicago; Sense and Sensibility; Saving Private Ryan; and Dances with Wolvesand for its acclaimed Newmarket Shooting Script® Series, including screenplays for King’s Speech, The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire, Milk, Juno, Little Miss Sunshine; Sideways; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; American Beauty; and Shawshank Redemption, among others. Other notable Newmarket titles about moviemaking include The Jaws Log, Final Cut, and Making Tootsie.
In addition, the Newmarket Press list has included more than 100 titles in the fields of parenting, psychology, health, biography, history, business, and fiction, including such popular and acclaimed books as the two-million-copy bestselling What’s Happening to My Body? series of puberty education books by Lynda Madaras; Daphne Oz’s national bestseller The Dorm Room Diet; Suze Orman’s national bestseller You’ve Earned It, Don’t Lose It; Dr. Georgia Witkin’s The Female Stress Syndrome; Gene Hackman & Daniel Lenihan’s first novel, Wake of the Perdido Star; Stuart Avery Gold’s international bestseller Ping: A Frog in Search of a New Pond; Shalom, Friend: The Life and Legacy of Yitzhak Rabin, winner of the National Jewish Book Award in nonfiction; The Words of Gandhi and The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr.; and six works by William Wharton. All non-film-and-entertainment-related Newmarket Press titles acquired by HarperCollins will be published as trade paperbacks under the William Morrow Trade Paperbacks imprint.
Esther Margolis received the 2008 Poor Richard Award from The New York Center for Independent Publishing, given to a publisher who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of independent publishing. A member of the Women’s Forum, the Women’s Media Group, and Writers Guild of America, Margolis serves on the Trade Executive Committee of the Association of American Publishers, and the American Advisory Committee of the Jerusalem International Book Fair. She originated Bantam Books’ publicity operation in the 1960’s, later becoming Bantam’s first division head for marketing, publicity and communications worldwide, and worked closely with such authors as Jacqueline Susann, Maya Angelou, Louis L’Amour, Gail Sheehy, and E.L. Doctorow.
About It Books
Launched in September 2009, It Books is dedicated to publishing exceptional books in entertainment, music, fashion, design, art, celebrity, pop culture and sports. It Books has published numerous New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestsellers including the # 1 New York Times bestsellers Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern and Red by Sammy Hagar as well as Getting the Pretty Back by MollyRingwald, Booky Wook 2 by Russell Brand, The Red Hot Chili Peppers by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead by Neil Strauss, All My Life by Susan Lucci and The EveryGirl’s Guide to Life by Maria Menounos. Upcoming publications include Dear Cary by Dyan Cannon and Beauty, Disrupted by Carré Otis. It Books is an imprint HarperCollins Publishers, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world and a subsidiary of News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). It Books can be found online at www.YourItList.com, www.Facebook.com/YourItList, www.Twitter.com/YourItList and www.Twitter.com/ItBooks.
About HarperCollins Publishers
HarperCollins, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world, is a subsidiary of News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). Headquartered in New York, HarperCollins has publishing groups around the world including the HarperCollins General Books Group, HarperCollins Children’s Books Group, Zondervan, HarperCollins UK, HarperCollins Canada, HarperCollins Australia/New Zealand and HarperCollins India. HarperCollins is a broad-based publisher with strengths in literary and commercial fiction, business books, children’s books, cookbooks, mystery, romance, reference, religious and spiritual books. With nearly 200 years of history HarperCollins has published some of the world’s foremost authors and has won numerous awards including the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, the Newbery Medal and the Caldecott. Consistently at the forefront of innovation and technological advancement HarperCollins is the first publisher to digitize its content and create a global digital warehouse to protect the rights of its authors, meet consumer demand and generate additional business opportunities. You can visit HarperCollins Publishers on the Internet at http://www.harpercollins.com.
It Books Signs New Book by Justin Halpern
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Alberto G. Rojas, Senior Director of Publicity
212-207-7891; alberto.rojas@harpercollins.com
Heidi Metcalfe, Associate Director of Publicity
212-207-7486; heidi.metcalfe@harpercollins.com
It Books Signs New Book by Justin Halpern, the # 1 New York Times Bestselling author of Sh*t My Dad Says
NEW YORK, NY (June 15, 2011) – It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced today a deal to publish the next book by New York Times bestselling author Justin Halpern. Halpern is the author and comedy writer behind the runaway bestseller Sh*t My Dad Says, which sold 1,000,000 copies within its first year of publication, appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for 40 weeks (including 11 weeks at number one), and has been sold to 20 countries worldwide.
The book, currently referred to as Unt*tled, was acquired by Mauro DiPreta, Vice President and Associate Publisher of It Books from Byrd Leavell of the Waxman Literary Agency. Unt*tled has a tentative publication date of Spring 2012.
Unt*tled will be a series of essays recounting the twists and turns Halpern’s romantic life has taken. Among the stories he has to share: how he learned about sex by walking in on his parents at age nine, getting caught burying stolen pornography in his back yard by his father a few years later, and surviving as the last of his college friends to lose his virginity. Finally (spoiler alert), having taken stock of his love life, Justin jumps on a plane to San Francisco to propose to his girlfriend.
“Growing up, every time I saw a men’s magazine cover that had a headline about ‘73 Ways To Please Your Girlfriend,’ all I could think was, ‘I’m good with one; just tell me one way to please her. Also, I don’t have a girlfriend. Is there an article about that?’” Halpern says. “Throughout my life, most of my brushes with sex and relationships ended with embarrassment. Now, that could be because I’m awkward and began balding at an incredibly early age, but I’d like to think lots of other people felt the same way, and this book is for all of them.”
“If Sh*t My Dad Says established Justin as a new comedic voice,” says DiPreta, “Unt*tled cements it. The man can write as insightfully and humorously about romantic relationships as he can about fathers and sons. We are thrilled to continue to publish Justin with It Books.”
About Justin Halpern: In the summer of 2009, Justin Halpern created a Twitter account as a way to archive his father’s no-holds-barred, expletive-ridden words of wisdom. Within a month, www.Twitter.com/shitmydadsays became an Internet sensation. More than 2.5 million people currently follow Halpern’s musings on Twitter and Facebook alone. Justin’s first book, Sh*t My Dad Says (HarperCollins / It Books), a collection of essays about growing up with his unapologetically honest father, is a #1 New York Times bestseller. Justin currently splits his time between Los Angeles, where he is a writer on the CBS show “How To Be A Gentleman,” and his parents’ home in San Diego. He can be found online at www.Twitter.com/Justin_Halpern and www.JustinHalpern.tumblr.com.
About It Books: Launched in September 2009, It Books is dedicated to publishing exceptional books in entertainment, music, fashion, design, art, celebrity, pop culture and sports. It Books has published numerous New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestsellers including the # 1 bestsellers Red by Sammy Hagar and Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern, as well as Getting the Pretty Back by Molly Ringwald, Booky Wook 2 by Russell Brand, The Red Hot Chili Peppers by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead by Neil Strauss, All My Life by Susan Lucci, and The EveryGirl’s Guide to Life by Maria Menounos. Upcoming publications include Dear Cary by Dyan Cannon and Beauty, Disrupted by Carré Otis. HarperCollins, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world, is a subsidiary of News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). It Books can be found online at www.YourItList.com, www.Facebook.com/YourItList, www.Twitter.com/YourItList and www.Twitter.com/ItBooks.
80s Cartoons are Truly Outrageous
It’s a well documented fact that I am a child of the 80s and watched every animated show created in that decade. I loved most of them (sorry, Alvin and the Chipmunks).
Now, new-ish television network The Hub has been rolling out some of the 80s classics recently, including the holy grail of 80s cartoons, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. I could talk about He-Man for a day, but that’s not why I’m here. What I want to share with you, dear reader, is the return of Jem! For those not aware, Jem was a show about a woman named Jerrica Benton who ran a record label, but also had an alter-ego, Jem, who was the front woman to the band Jem and the Holograms. Jerrica was able to transform into Jem by using holographic projectors in her earrings which were connected to a huge computer (named Synergy) that ran the show. Jem is basically every over-the-top and garish theme from the 80s rolled into a 22 minute cartoon. If you never saw the show it’s totally worth a shot. If you saw it in the 80s, you MUST re watch it as an adult. It wasn’t until I saw it as an adult that I realized why I liked it as a kid; it’s essentially a cartoon all about high tech computers, women in business, and drag queens. Just like my life today.
Also, The Hub, which clearly has it’s fingers on the pulse of what’s hot today, got Randall from the hilarious Honey Badger Don’t Care video to dub a trailer for the relaunch. The head of programming and marketing team of The Hub clearly deserve our thanks.
Check out the new trailer below:
It Books to Publish New Memoir by Regis Philbin
It Books Acquires Regis Philbin’s New Memoir
Unique collection of personal experiences out Fall 2011
NEW YORK, NY (May 9th, 2011) – It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced today a deal to publish television icon Regis Philbin’s next memoir in Fall 2011. Philbin, an Emmy Award winner and Hall of Fame broadcaster, has entertained millions of Americans for the past five decades – and every weekday morning for the past 28 years hosting the popular show LIVE! with Regis and Kelly, in its various incarnations.
The book was acquired by Lisa Sharkey, Senior Vice President and Director of Creative Development for HarperCollins, and Hope Innelli, Vice President and Executive Editor for It Books, from Mel Berger of William Morris Endeavor. Innelli will edit the book.
Philbin will share inspiring anecdotes, laugh-out-loud tales and awkward celebrity moments, making the book more than a memoir—it will be his guide to living a positive life. Marked by the same tongue-in-cheek humor and candor Philbin has always displayed, this book will serve and endure as a reminder of why America has related to and loved this one-of-a-kind television legend for so many decades.
“When I look back over my five decades of working in television–practically the last thirty of them spent with our devoted morning viewers–I realize what a lucky guy I’ve been,” says Philbin. “I’ve had a chance to get to know and to learn from some of the greats, not only in our business, but from plenty of early influential people along the way. I’m so pleased to share those special adventures and lessons, collected together in one book, as kind of my ‘valedictory’ tribute to many of those who helped me realize how to live a happier life. (And, believe me, I keep learning more every day.) It’s also meant to be my personal thank-you to everyone–our fans, especially–who’ve made this ride of mine such a remarkable experience…. so far! Because, let me tell you, Regis isn’t done with this ride yet–not by a long shot.”
Philbin will recount memories about chance meetings, interactions and full-blown adventures with Jack Nicholson, Donald Trump, Dave Letterman, Johnny Carson, Jerry Seinfeld, Don Rickles, George Clooney, George Steinbrenner, Howard Stern and others. He will also share his experiences of working with Kelly Ripa and Kathie Lee Gifford, and discuss his relationship with his wife of 41 years, Joy Philbin.
Visit Regis’ Official Facebook Fan Page here and suggest a title for the book!
About It Books:
Launched in September 2009, It Books is dedicated to publishing exceptional books in entertainment, music, fashion, design, art, celebrity, pop culture and sports. It Books has published numerous New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestsellers including the # 1 bestsellers Red by Sammy Hagar and Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern, as well as Getting the Pretty Back by Molly Ringwald, Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead by Neil Strauss, All My Life by Susan Lucci, and The EveryGirl’s Guide to Life by Maria Menounos. Upcoming publications include Dear Cary by Dyan Cannon and Beauty, Disrupted by Carre Otis. It Books is an imprint HarperCollinsPublishers, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world and a subsidiary of News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). It Books can be found online at www.YourItList.com, www.Facebook.com/YourItList, www.Twitter.com/YourItList and www.Twitter.com/ItBooks.
SAY YES TO THAT DRESS..AGAIN!
I pried my eyes open this morning to join the 100 zillion others watching the royal wedding. (One, by the way, I had declared I wasn’t getting up for!). The moment we were all waiting for, of course, was the big reveal of Kate, I mean Catherine’s , wedding gown. First thought: “beautiful.” But something kept at me…I’d seen this dress before.
Then it hit me: Grace Kelly. Hey, if you’re going to be inspired, I say, Princess Grace is not a bad way to go.
An go they did, because as soon as I got to work I found a picture of lovely Grace and the shockingly unattractive Prince Rainier on their wedding day. Yep, definitely practically the same dress.
But my coffee-fueled brain worked overtime and came up with another comp: Princess Margaret. Poor Margaret—so pretty, so vivacious…so tragic. Here she is with the unfortunately dour Earl of Snowden, who perhaps already knew that this marriage was going to be a bust. Still, William and Kate, I mean Catherine, seem like they might just make this work out. So good luck you crazy kids! And good show today. Now, just be sure you watch out for Pippa when Harry corners her in the bar.
________
Lucia Macro is an Executive Editor for Avon and unofficial royal expert.
Avon Romance
Photo: People Magazine
Our Favor!te Things 2010: Stephanie Meyers
Favor!te Book: The Hunger Games series. (Yes, I am still 12 years old at heart.)
Favor!te Designer: Karen Millen, because of her stunning and uber-flattering and tantalizingly close-to-affordable dress collection.
Favor!te TV show: Fringe, Castle, and Boardwalk Empire are in the running, but… Glee. (See above, re: 12 years old.) 
Favor!te Blog/Website: Hyperbole and a Half. “This is why I’ll never be an adult” is a must read.
Favor!te Twitterer: Shameless author plug alert! @evilwylie (a.k.a. @andrewtshaffer)
Favor!te YouTube Video: OK Go!, This Too Shall Pass
What are you most excited about for 2011? Well, according to AstrologyZone, “Cancer, your career soon on fire. Best career aspects you’ve ever, ever seen.” So that sounds pretty good!
What do you want the most as a holiday gift? For everyone to buy The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas! Royalties go to a charitable cause, eternal glory goes to me.
Our Favor!te Things 2010: Detmar Blow
Favor!te Film (all time): Fellini’s La Dolca Vita 
Favor!te Album (all time): Roxy Music
Favor!te Book (all time): The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald 
Favor!te Work of Art: The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass), by Marcel Duchamp
Favor!te Designer: Alexander McQueen
Favor!te TV show: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
Favor!te Blog/Website: Mara Castilho.co.uk
Favor!te You Tube Video: Fla & Flu by Los Super Elegantes
What are you most excited about for 2011?Watching my son Sasha Blow, now aged 2 years 4 months grow up
Who do you most want to smooch on New Year’s Eve? Mara Castilho
What do you want the most as a holiday gift? Books on Ernest Hemingway
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Detmar Blow is the author of Blow by Blow.
Our Favor!te Things 2010: Tracy McMillan
Favor!te Film: The Social Network 
Favor!te Album: Because I have a 13-year-old son and live in Los Angeles, I end up logging many, many miles of hip-hop radio in the car. I am age-appropriately shocked at most of it, but I will say Drake is very impressive. And Lil Wayne has quite the knack for melody.
Favor!te Book: I’ve had the same favorite book for years now: Passionate Marriage by David Schnarch – changed my understanding of relationships. For current books, I know I will love Freedom by Jonathan Franzen – but I’ve been too damn busy to read it. 
Favor!te Work of Art: Loved the William Eggleston show at the LA County Museum of Art.
Favor!te Designer: Rodarte. And Vuitton. But my real fashion-world fave: photographer Scott Schuman’s Sartorialist. Genius!
Favor!te TV show: Friday Night Lights, hands down. And always, the cheesy real-estate show Property Virgins, on the Home and Garden Channel. It’s my guilty pleasure.
Favor!te Blog/Website: I do all my procrastinating on the New York Times online. My two favorite jams: Weddings and Celebrations, and Great Homes and Destinations.
Favor!te Twitterer: The novelty wore off very quickly. Now it’s just a horn-tooting, cleverness machine for writers and comedians.
Favor!te You Tube Video: I’m always shocked at how great stupid videos are once you actually watch them. Antoine Dodson is a classic. Also, Teach Me How to Dougie. Obviously, I live with a teenager.
Favor!te Internet Meme: I think maybe I’m too old for internet memes.
What are you most excited about for 2011? Another great year of life.
Who do you most want to smooch on New Year’s Eve? I’d give my kid a kiss, but he pretends not to know me when we’re in public.
What do you want the most as a holiday gift? It’s boring, but I would really love a great pair of slippers.
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Tracy McMillan is a television writer and the author of I Love You and I’m Leaving You Anyway
Our Favor!tes of 2010: Carrie Kania
Favor!te Film: The film I haven’t seen yet, Somewhere.
Favor!te Album: Pandora: the “New Order” channel
Favor!te Book: You can’t ask me that – I love all my children.
Favor!te Work of Art: Olympia Le-Tan’s handbags http://www.olympialetan.com/
Favor!te Designer: It was the year of McQueen 
Favor!te TV show: Project Runway never fails to amuse
Favor!te Blog/Website: Ours, silly.
Favor!te Twitterer: @ Karl_Lagerfeld
Favor!te You Tube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfi4X13fGCU
Who do you most want to smooch on New Year’s Eve? Sad Keanu
What do you want the most as a holiday gift? All of this: http://www.viviennewestwood.co.uk/
Our Favor!tes of 2010: Justin Halpern
Justin Halpern had was released from the CBS writers room of $#*! My Dad Says to give us a few of his all time favorites.
Favor!te Film: Godfather II 
Favor!te Album: Pet Sounds
Favor!te Book: Lord Of The Flies
Favor!te Work of Art: Dali’s portrait of Mrs. Jack Warner
Favor!te Designer: Whoever designed the Snickers
Favor!te TV show: Breaking Bad 
Favor!te Blog/Website: Theonion.com
Favor!te Twitterer: Tie between Bill Oakley (@thatbilloakley) and Bill Simmons (@sportsguy33)
Favor!te You Tube Video: Riskay’s “Smell Yo Dick.” A fine ballad that examines both sides of the argument regarding infidelity.
Favor!te Internet Meme: Hitman Monkey Finds No Joy In His Job
What are you most excited about for 2011? The same thing every year, the San Diego Chargers season, which will end ultimately in heartbreak.
Who do you most want to smooch on New Year’s Eve? My fiancee (I am required by law to say so, but also feel this way)
What do you want the most as a holiday gift? Tie between World peace and one of those remote control helicopters from Brookstone.
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Justin Halpern is the New York Times bestselling author of Sh*t My Dad Says. You can follow him on Twitter and visit his website.
Our Favor!te Things 2010: Rachel Shukert
Favor!te Film: I loved The King’s Speech. It’s like My Fair Lady, but with
the English Royal Family and the impending Nazi threat, and when I saw it
I thought finally! Someone’s made a movie for a focus group of only me.
It’s like proof that the Secret works.
Favor!te Album: I purposefully stopped paying attention to new music
when I moved to New York in 1998, like how kids from Bible Belt move here
and give up God. I will say that my personal listenership of the original
cast recording of A Little Night Music was +27%, while that of the original
cast recording of Candide went -43%.
Favor!te Book: I don’t know how to be diplomatic about this one. At least
it wasn’t my own. That would be SO tacky.
Favor!te Designer: Alexander McQueen, right? That’s the only logical
answer. He didn’t stick around for most of 2010, sadly.
Favor!te TV show: Peep Show. I’m just obsessed with that show. It’s my
favorite of all time, even though it doesn’t air in America and it messes
up my computer whenever I try to stream it. And I like Mad Men, being as
how I am a New York media type that belongs to a certain socio-economic
bracket, although I’m pleased to say that my unhealthy overidentification
with Betty Draper has lessened considerably this year. And I have kind
of a love hate relationship with all the Real Housewives shows, in that I
love them, but I hate the fact that they mean there will probably never be a
remake of Dynasty now, because this is just so much cheaper.
Favor!te Twitterer: My friend Ben Rimalower, (@benrimalower) and his
quixotic dream of making #pattilupone a trending topic on Twitter.
Favor!te You Tube Video: I was a pretty big sucker for that little boy who
cried when he couldn’t be a Single Lady. But then my friend Evan sent
me this trailer for this movie called “Christmas With a Capital C” which is
about some big city slickster elitist who wants to take Christmas away from
the hard-working folk of Trapper Falls, Alaska. It’s sweet when Gentiles try
to make movies. It reminds me of Count Bessie, the piano-playing chicken
from that episode of The Golden Girls.
What are you most excited about for 2011? Maybe I’ll finally figure out
what this lump at the back of my neck is!
Who do you most want to smooch on New Year’s Eve? The lovely Ben.
And after that, the lovely Alec Baldwin.
What do you want the most as a holiday gift? I have been looking
everywhere for a pair of black pull-on riding boots with a tan cuff, like
the kind you wear fox-hunting. I have been looking for these boots for
probably like four years. This year I found this amazing pair at Fratelli
Rossetti, and then I got spooked by the price and didn’t buy them, which
was probably a good decision from a financial standpoint, but has left me
an emotional wreck. So if anyone comes across them in a size 7.5, you
heard it here. I also want peace on Earth and a really nice lemon zester.
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Rachel Shukert is the author of Everything Is Going to Be Great. You can visit her website and follow her on Twitter.
Black Swan: or, Showgirls 2
Wow, those people online sure are crafty! Some genius out there as done a mash-up trailer for the too-gay-to-function camp classic, Showgirls and newly released Natalie Portman vehicle, Black Swan. The similarities of the two films are striking, and I’m surprised it took this video to make me realize it. If you’ve never seen Showgirls, shoot yourself run to the Netflix immediately, invite a friend or two over and open a bottle of tequila because you’re in for a treat. The bar is high, Black Swan….I hope you can keep up.
The NSFW trailer below:
Showgirls | Black Swan Trailer MASH UP from Jeffrey McHale on Vimeo.
On the Occasion of the Death of Leslie Nielsen
One of our favorite authors, Rachel Shukert, has written a heart-felt tribute to the beloved Leslie Nielsen. We graciously share it with you below.
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On the Occasion of the Death of Leslie Nielsen
I gathered round my children
On this cold December morn
To tell them of the greatest star
Since Jesus Christ was born
A shock of hair as purely white
As a nest of eiderdown
A rosy round proboscis
Like a virile circus clown
His last name it was Nielsen
His first name it was Leslie
Whilst wearing full-length latex
He boned Priscilla Presley
As Police Squad Sergeant Drebin
He kept us from strife
With his partner O.J. Simpson
Before he killed his wife
With little but his naked gun
He vanquished our foe Libya
While Simpson’s hapless Nordberg
Broke yet another tibia
Yet even at his triumphs
He swallowed all his pride
That each of us should know just how
A man can hurt inside
Then he wedded Dorothy Zbornack
On that Floridian lanai
And like life, the series ended
In the blinking of an eye
My sadness overcame me
With no hope of relief
I had to speak to Leslie
To overcome my grief
I wept: “Surely, you’ll be sorely missed,
You left us far too early.”
Then from the underworld I heard a cry
Rumbling: “Please don’t call me Shirley.”
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Rachel Shukert is the author the the critically acclaimed memoirs Everything Is Going To Be Great and Have You No Shame? You can follow her on Twitter and visit her website, RachelShukert.com.
Mustaine by Dave Mustaine: On Sale Today!
The fall and rise of a heavy metal icon
From his early, crazy days as a founding member of Metallica, Dave Mustaine has seen and experienced everything in the world of rock n’ roll. From his young triumphs and ignominious ouster from the band for his hard-partying ways to his later rule over Megadeth, one of the most successful heavy metal bands of all time, Mustaine tells it all. Outrageously candid and in-your-face, this is a classic rock memoir —an insider’s look at the loud and sordid world of heavy metal.
Available now wherever books are sold
Truth, Revised Histories, Wishful Thinking, and Flat Out Lies
The John Jasperse Company has the New York debut of the brilliant new work, Truth, Revised Histories, Wishful Thinking, and Flat Out Lies, June 16-19 at the Joyce. If you’re in or around NYC you definitely don’t want to miss this one.
Via Joyce.org:
“When Jasperse makes a new work, it should be seen: end of story,” says Claudia La Rocca of The New York Times. You can see Jasperse’s latest work when the company returns to The Joyce for the first time since 2000 with the New York premiere of Truth, Revised Histories, Wishful Thinking, and Flat Out Lies. The evening-length piece explores the often fluid boundaries between fantasy and reality, and features a commissioned score by composer Hahn Rowe and live musicians from the critically acclaimed International Contemporary Ensemble.
(Photos via Joyce.org and JohnJasperse.org)
How Twilight Works
Finally, an explanation of why Twilight drives so many straight females crazy. In video form!
Via Buzzfeed
Amazing technology or Antichrist?
Remember way back in the day when Disney characters in parks were played by sweaty college students in stuffy costumes trying to make a few bucks over the summer? Apparently, those days are over.
I’m half fascinated, half horrified. I don’t think I would want to let kids around that thing for fear that it would malfunction and start eating babies, but hey that’s just me. What do you think?
It Books to publish book by Whitney Port
It Books to publish a new book by The City star, Whitney Port
New York, New York (April 21, 2010). It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, has announced it will publish True Whit by Whitney Port, star of the MTV hit reality shows, The City and The Hills.
The deal was negotiated by Lisa Sharkey, Senior Vice President and Director of Creative Development at HarperCollins, Matthew Elblonk of DeFiore and Company, and Max Stubblefield of United Talent Agency. True Whit is scheduled to be published on February 1, 2011 and will be edited by Amy Bendell and Jen Schulkind.
Upon reaching her early 20’s, Whitney Port experienced what her mother called, “The Quarterlife Crisis” the time in your life when you’re in your 20s, out of school, and facing the world on your own for the first time. Although initially thrilled to be on her own, Whitney soon learned navigating through the real world wasn’t easy. Real life is filled with challenges, expectations, pressure, and frankly, more than a few crazy people. Hitting a crossroads, Whitney decided not to throw in the towel, and began to reassess and regroup. It was this experience that inspired her to write the book.
In a conversational, fun, and candid guide for girls looking to start out with style, Port shares personal stories, honest and straight-forward advice, and what she’s learned along the way, from how to get rid of puffy under-eye bags, to what to wear on a first date, and how to turn a tiny apartment into a palace, as well as perfecting your hostess skills. Whitney’s fans will get to see a side of her that the cameras don’t capture. The book will be complete with her own scrapbook, worthy behind-the-scene photos woven throughout with intimate and personal family stories, and advice and recipes from the woman she looks up to the most, her mom.
“Being a twenty-something can be a difficult phase,” says Whitney, “There are so many questions, and I wanted to write about my experiences for anyone who needs help navigating through life. It’s a really fun and fresh how-to-guide where I can share anecdotes that I’ve learned from both work and my personal life.”
who is iamamiwhoami?
This interesting YouTube campaign isn’t necessarily new, but I only recently caught on. Now I’m obsessed. Five months ago the YouTube account iamamiwhoami launched. It started with a brief, one minute long, strange-as-hell clip featuring trees with limbs moving to an electronic hymn of sorts…cut with a scene of a woman in a bog looking pool attached to some cord (umbilical?). A viral phenomenon is born!
Via thesound.com: “In the five months since, seven similar videos have been posted, each time revealing slightly more of the mysterious young woman’s features, who is seemingly born of a tree or out of the Earth. The last two, titled simply “b” and “o” (rather than long number sequences separated by periods) are full-length songs, and show enough of the woman’s face, uncovered by tar-like makeup and relatively undistorted otherwise, for some to recognize her as Swedish singer/songwriter Jonna Lee.”
These videos are, in my humble opinion, amazing and certainly worth your time. While it is widely speculated at this point that Joanna Lee is in fact the songstress featured in these clips, her record label denies any involvement and Jonna herself is unwilling to commented on them.
There’s a lot of layers here, and I have to say I don’t care who is responsible…just as long as they keep it up.
Lady Gaga makes some calls
Lady Gaga’s new video (featuring Beyonce) for the song Telephone debuted last night.
Overall, I like! There were hits and misses, obviously, and I can only hope that the acting between Gaga and Beyonce was that cardboard on purpose (Beyonce can kind of act, right?) but otherwise, it was ok. The clear highlight of the video:
I could watch that all day. A few more highlights after the jump.
First Annual Your It List Oscar Pool
This year’s Oscar season seems a bit more tame than past years. What with the 35 nominated films for Best Picture (none, by the way, being (500) Days of Summer, ahem). There are a lot of familiar names on the nominees lists, not quite as many “Who?” nominees… a lot of people seem to think the winners will be the obvious choices.
I’m hoping for a return to the surprise a la 1966 when Richard Burton lost the best actor nod for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf to Paul Scofield in A Man For All Seasons. Luckily Mrs. Burton won that year for Virginia Woolf, though rumoredly the couple abstained from attending due to Mr. Burton’s fear of losing (and worse his fear of losing and watching Mrs. Burton win). It was the first time either Burton ever abstained from anything.
The votes have been cast, somewhere a really boring looking accountant has them in a sealed briefcase. But let your voice be heard in the first annual Your It List Oscar Pool.
Click here to let us know who you think is going to win (don’t forget to leave your email address so we can contact you!).
On Monday, the person with the most correct answers will win a FULL BOX of movie flavored books, including:
Heads On and We Shoot
Avatar
My Word is My Bond
Pieces of My Heart
George Lucas’s Blockbusting
Showgirls, Teen Wolves, Astro Zombies
Tales from the Script
Some Like It Hot Companion
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Shutter Island
Crazy Heart
Coraline
Making of Coraline
We’ll announce the winners on Monday!
Click here for complete rules.
The Art of the Drag
It’s no secret that we’re big RuPaul fans. It Books is publishing Workin’ It! RuPaul’s Guide to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Style tomorrow. But before Workin’ It! was even a glimmer in RuPaul’s carefully made-up eye, Rupaul’s Drag Race was born on Logo. If you never got a chance to see it then I assure you you missed out. However, the hotly anticipated second season premieres tonight and it’s no doubt going to bring twice the amount of fabulosity.
To promote season two, the good people at Logo Online are giving us the chance to get into the drag spirit with the all new Dragulator. Feeling festive, I gave it a shot this morning. The results:
Confirmed! I would make an ugly-ass drag queen. But the martini glass accessory was a nice touch. Try the Dragulator out for yourself here. If drag persona is particularly fierce, email it to us at youritlist@harpercollins.com and we’ll post some of our favorites.
The new season of Drag Race starts tonight at 9:00 EST and Workin’ It is on sale tomorrow.
In related video news, check out Ru on the Today show this morning (spoiler, he basically calls Kathy Lee a drag queen to her face! Hilarity ensues.):
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