Archive for the ‘ARLA news’ Category

Believe Me, Ann’s Not Shy!

Tuesday, August 7th, 2007


Our own intrepid Ann went out to Wyoming last week to go to Cheyenne Frontier Days with C.J. Box and his wife Laurie. Here’s a photo of the posse with Governor Freudenthal, who says Chuck’s books are the only novels he reads.

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Jim Fusilli joins the agency!

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2005

Jim Fusilli, the acclaimed mystery writer, has joined the Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency just as his latest, HARD, HARD CITY, has been named a finalist for the Gumshoe Award. He is also the author of TRIBECA BLUES, A WELL-KNOWN SECRET, CLOSING TIME, and the forthcoming PET SOUNDS, a book about Jim’s favorite Beach Boys album. The first review of Pet Sounds is out, and it’s a rave:

“Fusilli is a keen observer and eloquent writer, bringing a fresh perspective to this seminal album with wit and pathos. He starts by talking about the forces that shaped his own childhood, notably Walt Disney – from watching Walt host his weekly show on TV, and from viewing endless films and TV shows, Mr. Fusilli had a utopian vision of California imprinted on his mind. I laughed out loud when I read a description of Annette Funicello as ‘an Italian sparkplug.’ But this autobiographical introduction to the book works perfectly, humanizing the author to his audience, and letting us know exactly where he’s coming from. And despite the slimness of the book, Fusilli doesn’t simply dive into analyzing the album (he doesn’t really dig in until page 41), he unfolds, in a very gentle way, the history of the Beach Boys in both a professional and a deeply intimate portrait.
Mr. Fusilli knows of what he writes as well, infusing his song-by-song examinations with his clear, intuitive understanding of what makes each song tick. He’s even lightly critical of several numbers, which I frankly admire, having read several like-minded articles that place Pet Sounds on an unattainable altar. I felt as I was reading this that I at last understood how Pet Sounds came about; the shadowy psyche of Brian Wilson became a little clearer, reflected in the dark mirror of his art and here illuminated for my eyes. The songs are examined one by one, with pertinent quotes from most of the major players, from Marilyn Wilson to Brian himself, with several small facts thrown in that I hadn’t recalled reading anywhere else. This book, part of a series of acclaimed books about individual albums, is published by Continuum Books, and is a fine addition to your Beach Boys library. I unreservedly recommend it.”

Please join us in welcoming Jim to the agency!

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We have a winner!

Monday, October 25th, 2004

We are pleased to announce that, two years after rittlit.com was launched, a person previously unknown to us has actually won our quiz. That’s right: he answered every question correctly — and with perfect diction. Please join us in congratulating Peter Aaron, 34, who describes himself this way: “I’m pretty much your typical triple-Ivy JD-MBA former-investment-banker television writer (most recently, on UPN’s phenomenal(ly unwatched) animated sitcom Game Over). I currently reside in my hometown of Manhattan, after stints in New Hampshire, Los Angeles, Arles, France and Fukuoka, Japan. On very rare occasions, I have been known to practice law, but only for good friends or good causes, and I only accept payment in the form of sandwiches. Oh, and I’m single. Go figure.” We can’t figure it out, either, but we’re hopeful that the accolades and attention he’ll receive from this remarkable win will bring him the woman of his dreams.

Curious about the answers that only Peter knew? Read on:

  1. Which movie based on which Jane Austen novel contains the line, “I totally paused!”?

    “Clueless” was based on Jane Austen’s “Emma.”

  2. In which Pulitzer Prize winning novel do we learn in the first sentence that the main character is “not beautiful”?

    Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but “Gone With The Wind” won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937.

  3. Name the author of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” and tell why the vehicles in a series of books for adult readers bear an uncanny resemblance to that wonderful car.

    Ian Fleming, author of “C.C.B.B.,” was also the creator of James Bond.

  4. Which children’s book author’s most famous book is a reading primer, and what is its title?

    Dr. Seuss wrote “The Cat in the Hat” as a reading primer.

  5. Of “The Great Gatsby,” “This Side of Paradise,” and “Tender is the Night,” which was the biggest success during this author’s lifetime?

    “This Side of Paradise” was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s first and most successful novel, at least during his lifetime.

  6. In P.G. Wodehouse’s novels and stories about Bertie Wooster and Jeeves, what is Jeeves’ preferred job title, and what is his first name?

    Reginald Jeeves was the perfect “gentleman’s gentleman.”

  7. Which two New Yorker writers are buried in the same famous cemetery where lie the remains of artist Jackson Pollack?

    A.J. Liebling and Jean Stafford Liebling, both New Yorker Writers, are buried at Green River Cemetery along with Jackson Pollack.

  8. Which two children’s book authors lived and wrote on the Blue Hill Peninsula in Down East Maine?

    Caldecott winner Robert McCloskey (“Make Way for Ducklings”) and E.B. White (“Charlotte’s Web”) are probably the authors you’re looking for, although there have been numerous lesser-known children’s authors from the Blue Hill Peninsula area.

  9. The first season of “The Sopranos” is based on the plot of which historical novel, written by whom?

    While “The Sopranos” draws on Robert Graves historical novel “I, Claudius,” it is more firmly grounded in the relationship between series creator David Chase and his own mother, Livia.

The quiz will now be retired. Congratulations, Peter!

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David Webber weds!

Tuesday, June 15th, 2004

Novelist David Webber married Irit Tau on June 6, 2004. And it was a lovely, raucous, moving, slightly drunken affair–not unlike David’s wonderful novel REID’S DILEMMA. Here’s a picture of David and Irit’s first dance, which was darn impressive.

Congratulations David and Irit!

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Alix Lambert joins the Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency

Friday, October 24th, 2003

Acclaimed artist and filmmaker Alix Lambert has joined the agency. Named by The New York Times as one of “30 people under 30 who will change the culture in the next 30 years,” Alix has also been described by Time Out as the Aaron Spelling (with a “dollop of Russ Meyer”) of postconceptualism. She has shown her work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, the Georges Pompidou in Paris, and The Venice Biennale. Her documentary about Russian prison tattooing, “The Mark of Cain,” was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in 2002. She also writes fiction. Wow. Welcome, Alix!

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C.J. Box joins the Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency

Monday, September 29th, 2003

C. J. Box, award-winning author of three mysteries featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, has joined the agency as our newest client — and we couldn’t be happier. Chuck was the first-ever simultaneous winner of the Anthony Award, the Macavity Award, and the Barry Award, and he’s been an Edgar Award and Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. WINTERKILL came out earlier this year to great reviews, which you can see at Chuck’s terrific website, www.cjbox.net. His next book, untitled as yet, will be published in June 2004 by Putnam. Welcome, Chuck!

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Ruchama King has baby girl, will read in August

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2003

Ruchama King, author of SEVEN BLESSINGS, gave birth to a baby girl, Alexandra, on April 15. A couple days later, Ruchama found out she’ll be reading at the Barnes & Noble in New York City’s Upper West Side on August 13 or 19.

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