Texas Pages

Here's the wrapup from the Expo, as reported in Sunday's paper.

I took part in several conversations at the Expo about the future of book culture in general and book review sections in general. Everything, everywhere seems to be in upheaval.

Some people think it's a problem with book publishers who are more interested in quantity than quality. Some think it's the lack of independent stores, and the passionate owners who used to run them. Some think an alleged rivalry between the mainstream press and literary blogs has something to do with it. Some even blame newspaper publishers. (Not me, of course. I enjoy being employed!)

Lots of fingers were pointed. But when it came to books coverage, I don't think enough was asked about what readers of newspapers and book reviews might want.

That question is at the very heart of why this blog exists. So tell me -- what do you think the books pages should be doing at The Dallas Morning News? What works for you? What doesn't?

Lines are open.

Nobody could survive an event as huge as the Book Expo without some friendly advice. Mark Sarvas, editor and publisher of The Elegant Variation, a literary blog, nicely summed up what the experience is like:

“It’s the meetings, it’s the panels, it’s the floor, and it’s parties. The panels are never as good as they promise, the meetings always go long and the parties are a blast, and they go late into the night.”

Your humble books editor has a panel to tend to in the morning and will have to take Mark's word on the party scene. I realize that my absence might start rampant speculation on Page 6 of "The New York Post," but it's a risk I must take.

Judy Blume, a literary deity to all book-loving kids who grew up in the 1970s, spoke to me for a few minutes yesterday after signing 225 autographs in the space of an hour.

I did not make her shake my hand.

But I did ask her why an author shows up at a zoo like this. She made a joke about her publisher making her, and then said:

“The point of any book signing anywhere is to put you in touch with your readers. And that is the whole point of writing, really. And to meet so many people who grew up on my books. I love it when I meet the children but I also love to meet people who remember being children and growing up with my books.”

Her newest book is "Soupy Saturdays With the Pain & the Great One." She enthusiastically showed off illustrations by James Stevenson and said she intends this to be first in a four-part series.

Yes, the dreaded "technical difficulties" reared their ugly head (heads?) last night. So Important Literary Thoughts, if any, will have to wait until later.

So let's chat about celebrities briefly instead.

First -- if you thought Stephen King's novels were scary, you should hear him sing. His vocals were every bit as awful as you would expect from the all-star author band, the Rock Bottom Remainders, who performed at Webster Hall last night. But I have to say, he does a fine "Don't Fear the Reaper."

Second, if you go to a Rock Bottom Remainders concert, find a good spot near the back, near the bar and the exit. That's where I was standing when a familiar-looking person excused herself past me. I turned to the person behind me and ask, "Was that ... "

"Yes," she said. "Pat Schroeder," head of the American Association of Publishers.

A few minutes later, the person tugged my sleeve. "Did you read 'The Kite Runner?' " I nodded. (I guess only the Book Expo would this seem like normal conversation at a rock concert.)

"The guy who wrote it is standing right over there." Sure enough, there was Khaled Hosseini.

I chatted with him later, after several people stopped to shake his had. He acknowledged that the Expo is one of the few places where he has to worry about being recognized in public. "Usually, it is quite safe."

I just ran into Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Almost stepped on her, actually. You know on your TV screen, how she looks to be about 12 inches tall? In Dr. Ruth's case, that's pretty darn near life size.

She's going to be signing "Sex for Dummies" later. If I stop by, she promises to give me a lucky keychain that will bring me "good sex for life."

So I might need to check that out.

Let's kick off Book Expo coverage with good news for John Grisham fans: Doubleday announced that his next work of fiction, "Playing for Pizza," will be out Sept. 25.

It's not a legal thriller, but -- he has one of those in the works for next spring.