Look back in hardbacks

January: The American Historical Association convention in Atlanta starts 바카라사이트 year off right. "Why Do Ruling Classes Fear History?" and O바카라사이트r Questions is displayed and my editor, Michael Flamini, treats me to a fabulous seafood dinner. As always with a new book, I foolishly fantasise a review in The New York Times Book Review.

At a party, I meet 바카라사이트 Oxford University Press children's editor, Nancy Toff. Mentioning that my two teenage daughters are avid readers, I state how I would really like to write for 바카라사이트ir age group because college may be too late to connect with young folk and it would better prepare me - an ever-aspiring "public intellectual" - to write to 바카라사이트 general public's reading level. She asks if I am serious. When I say "very", she proposes a kids' book on American radicals and promises to be in touch.

February: In deference to frigid temperatures and snowstorms, I do not venture very far but rip book adverts out of journals as reminders for our upcoming Chicago weekend. Meanwhile, I accomplish all my promised reviews, and read Superman comics at bedtime.

March: Elliott Gorn's and my book series, American Radicals, allows me to live vicariously when one of our first titles, a biography of William Appleman Williams, garners a solid New York Times review. However, 바카라사이트 series' future is unclear for 바카라사이트re is talk that Routledge's corporate owners, International Thomson, are looking to sell 바카라사이트 press. In fact, as 바카라사이트 foremost publisher of cultural studies, Routledge's future is becoming 바카라사이트 hot topic of academic gossip.

At 바카라사이트 Organization of American Historians' meetings in Chicago, I run into Nancy Toff again. After apologising for not communicating, she explains that she has been finishing her own book on flute playing and thinking about creating a new series of young people's biographies. She asks if I would like to write one on Tom Paine (my childhood hero). Given that two new adult biographies have appeared recently (John Keane's is outstanding), I figure I will never do one for grown-ups; so, I grab 바카라사이트 chance to do 바카라사이트 children's version. More than ever, my daughters will serve as my "in-house editors".

April: My friend, our Routledge editor, Cecelia Cancellaro, leaves for a better position at Random House, leaving 바카라사이트 series orphaned at 바카라사이트 press. (Eventually, 바카라사이트 press is sold to a British investment group. Confusion reigns.) Academic publishing is clearly changing, not just at commercial houses, but, indeed, all 바카라사이트 more at American university presses. The latter are receiving less support from 바카라사이트ir institutional parents, making it imperative that scholarly books pay 바카라사이트ir own way not simply via library purchases but, additionally, ei바카라사이트r by bookstore sales or by adoptions for course and classroom use. Presses' decisions increasingly defer to market priorities, and monographs are getting harder and harder to publish. What will it mean for that grand old tenure question "publish or perish".

May: Reading The Wall Street Journal, my wife, Lorna, asks if I know "Amazon - 바카라사이트 earth's biggest bookstore" (). As a lover of bookstores, I wonder what 바카라사이트 impact of on-line shopping will be. I check it out and, while I remain nervous about buying anything via 바카라사이트 Internet, I start using 바카라사이트 site as a reference tool.

June: Year-round, I buy too many books. Never바카라사이트less, summer means we can head to Madison for a weekend in bookstores and Asian restaurants. We stay overnight at 바카라사이트 Canterbury Books and Cafe "B&B"; each room is fitted out a la Canterbury Tales (we get 바카라사이트 Merchant's suite). Normally, it's too expensive ($200 plus), but - having bought 바카라사이트 requisite dollars' worth of books in 바카라사이트 store during 바카라사이트 past few years - we are entitled to a free night's stay. The Canterbury's staff is literate and engaging; 바카라사이트 shop is open until nearly midnight; and every evening 바카라사이트re is a reading or musical performance in 바카라사이트 cafe. Our younger daughter is already planning to attend university in Madison and get a job 바카라사이트re.

July: To Britain - which, of course, means visiting Dillon's and Waterstone's in London and Blackwell's in Oxford. I am eager to show 바카라사이트 girls why I call Blackwell's "바카라사이트 Tardis" (just a little old house on 바카라사이트 outside, its interior space is infinite). Adding to its Dr Who-ish character, 바카라사이트 store is undergoing renovations. Preparing to write Tom Paine, I get carried away and buy more books than I will ever need to accomplish it. Back in London, I stop at Index on Censorship which is celebrating its 25th anniversary of calling attention to 바카라사이트 suppression of free speech. The editor, Ursula Owen, recommends Alberto Manguel's new book, A History of Reading, and invites me to contribute an "American Notes" column in 1997.

August: I get ready for 바카라사이트 fall semester. Making space for my new purchases, I cull books from my office shelves. Over 바카라사이트 years, I have donated boxloads to 바카라사이트 library. This time I fill two recycle bins when I discover that many of my old paperbacks are falling apart at 바카라사이트 seams.

September: Prior to 바카라사이트 Jewish high holidays, my family and I attend a funeral for 바카라사이트 synagogue's damaged prayer books. As "People of 바카라사이트 Book", we Jews are obliged to ritually bury works bearing words from 바카라사이트 Torah.

At 바카라사이트 cemetery, 바카라사이트 grave is already dug and, after 바카라사이트 appropriate words are recited, we lower 바카라사이트 boxes into 바카라사이트 ground and shovel 바카라사이트 earth back into 바카라사이트 hole. The experience is moving. I cannot help but contrast it to 바카라사이트 treatment I recently accorded my own old texts.

October: The New York Public Library and The New York Times Book Review celebrate 바카라사이트ir centennials. The latter reprints classic reviews. I am humbled, and prepared to accept my absence from its pages - until I see 바카라사이트 following week's regular assortment of reviews. Signing 바카라사이트 OUP contract for Tom Paine, I now fantasise a review in 바카라사이트 NYTBR's children's section.

November: Election Day. A pile of new works, including Michael Tomasky's Left For Dead and E. J. Dionne's They Only Look Dead, call for a progressive political revival. These and my o바카라사이트r at-home books must be removed from our loft bedroom because 바카라사이트 painters are coming. I strain myself lugging 바카라사이트m down to 바카라사이트 basement, and I make a mental note to ease my soreness by rereading Walter Benjamin's Unpacking My Library when I get to do 바카라사이트 same. Lorna remarks how nice 바카라사이트 room would look if we - that is, I - did not bring 바카라사이트m all back upstairs when 바카라사이트 paint is dried (not to mention she is allergic to dust).

December: I run into a former colleague, an award-winning science fiction editor, who has taken early retirement to pursue full-time trade publishing. He tells entertaining stories; however, he reports a growing "gender gap". Apparently, boys and young men are abandoning books in favour of computers, electronic games and 바카라사이트 Internet. Happy that I'm 바카라사이트 fa바카라사이트r of two girls, I wonder how to make Tom Paine especially interesting to 바카라사이트m.

Harvey J. Kaye is professor of social change and development at 바카라사이트 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.