5th
On embargoes
I reviewed Barbara Walters’s new autobiography, Audition, for Wednesday’s Observer. (It’s not up yet! You’ll have to wait at least another day for my scintillating thoughts!) The manuscript Knopf sent me came with a big warning across the top that no reviews were to run before May 6. Lo and behold, the Times ran their review today. On the one hand, whatever; embargoes, as I have expressed previously, are pretty lame. On the other, if there IS an embargo, it’s sort of bullying of a paper like the Times to publish their review first, just because they can. It’s not like Knopf is never going to send Janet Maslin another book.
(Also, overkill! The Times ran an interview today of Walters by Bill Carter, whom she mentions, flatteringly, in the book. Yucky!)