Books digest

LOCAL

Literary meeting

YOUNGSTOWN — Pig Iron Literary and Art Works Inc. will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at the Pig Iron Press, 26 N. Phelps St.

The meeting is open to the public.

REGIONAL

Jim Tully’s works come to life again

KENT — Kent State University Press is releasing two books by American writer Jim Tully, (1886-1947), “Shanty Irish” and “Circus Parade,” both with introductions by Paul J. Bauer and Mark Dawidziak.

Tully was born in St. Marys, Ohio, and is the author of numerous novels. “Shanty Irish,” with a foreword by John Sayles, is a personal and autobiographical portrayal of what life was like in the late 19th century for a poor immigrant Irish family.

“Circus Parade,” featuring a foreword by Harvey Pekar, presents the sordid side of small-time circus life. Tully wrote it in 1927.

Publishing matters

Salinger case back in court

NEW YORK — A Swedish author asked a federal appeals court last week to reverse a judge’s ruling and let him publish a book he claims is a commentary on J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye.”

Fredrik Colting was blocked in July from publishing in the United States his novel titled “60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye.” It was published in England in the spring and had been planned to be released in the U.S. in September.

Lawyers for Colting and distributors of his book argued in papers filed with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the judge erred in concluding that the book infringed the copyright of Salinger’s classic.

U.S. District Judge Deborah Batts found that Colting had “taken well more from ‘Catcher,’ in both substance and style, than is necessary for the alleged transformative purpose of criticizing Salinger and his attitudes and behavior.”

Colting, who writes under the name John David California and lives near Gothenburg, Sweden, has said his book is a commentary and parody of Salinger’s novel, not a sequel.

Salinger, 90, of Cornish, N.H., has remained reclusive for most of his life since “The Catcher in the Rye” was published in 1951.

It has sold more than 35 million copies.

Harlequin for teens

LOS ANGELES — Harlequin Enterprises, a major publisher of romance novels, announced it was establishing a division to produce fiction for teens.

Clearly impressed by the following for Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series, the company said it would target girls ages 13 to 18 with books that feature “paranormal, fantasy and science-fiction elements.”

The first offering from Harlequin Teen, due next month, will be “My Soul to Take” by Rachel Vincent about a teenager who discovers she is a banshee.

Awards

Booker Prize contenders

LONDON — The purported autobiography of a movie-star chimpanzee is among the contenders for Britain’s most prestigious literary award.

“Me Cheeta” is one of 13 novels on the Booker Prize long list. Originally published anonymously, James Lever’s book claims to tell the life story of the chimp who gained 1930s Hollywood stardom in “Tarzan” movies.

Other contenders are former Booker winners A.S. Byatt and J.M Coetzee, as well as Adam Foulds, Sarah Hall, Samantha Harvey, Hilary Mantel, Simon Mawer, Ed O’Loughlin, James Scudamore, Sarah Waters, William Trevor and Colm Toibin.

The shortlist will be announced Sept. 8 and the winner of the $82,000 prize on Oct. 6.

The Booker is open to writers from Britain, Ireland or the Commonwealth.

Combined dispatches