I am writing this sitting in bed next to my sleeping infant daughter who will soon wake up demanding food, while stacked around me are piles of laundry (clean but not folded), my three-year-old son’s collection of Mardi Gras beads (his grandmother sent him fifteen dozen bags for fun), a collection of caffeine-laden beverages (all empty), and one old cat with bad breath, an even worse attitude, and a nervous scratching disorder.

When you read this I will be back at work with the rest of my beloved Spiegel & Grau colleagues whom I missed terribly during the almost 7 months I was out of the office on pregnancy related bedrest and maternity leave. While I am sure to suffer the usual separation anxiety that comes with returning to work, I’m excited to get back into the routine of being the publicity director for a new house. Although I’ve been in the book publicity business for eighteen years I have never had the good fortune to come into a venture at such an early stage. It has been truly thrilling to watch Spiegel & Grau go from publishing two books in 2007 (two hugely successful books, I might add) to launching their first full list in 2008, and I can’t wait to hear about all of the books that were bought while I was on leave. I have loved watching the development of this Web site from afar (aka my bed) and was glad to discover that it is an excellent place to keep track of what we are publishing.

One of the aspects I love most about my job is helping to launch the careers of talented new writers, and this month on our site we will hear from four young, debut novelists. Liza Monroy writes our dispatch this month from her recent trip back to Mexico City. This June we will publish her debut novel, Mexican High, about the intense culture shock a high school senior suffers after being transplanted to an elite international school in Mexico City. This month’s First Person comes from Saher Alam, author of the forthcoming July paperback original The Groom to Have Been, a moving debut about young lovers thwarted by the restrictions of their community and the fears of a world suddenly defined by tragedy. This month’s multimedia features a video from another of our debut novelists, Steve Toltz, whose book, A Fraction of the Whole, was just published last month to rave reviews. Three more first-timers discuss the task of writing a memoir in this month’s Roundtable—Jessica Queller, Ta-Nihisi Coates, and Piper Kerman.

Well that’s all from me for now. I look forward to welcoming you again in the future. Thank you so much for visiting our new site and come back often for updates.

Best regards,

Gretchen Koss
Director of Publicity
Spiegel & Grau

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