“The First Independent, Not-for-profit Book Publisher In The Public interest” Is How The New Press Was Characterized In An Announcement This month By Its Director & The Former Editor-in-chief Of Pantheon Books, Andre Schiffrin.
The first independent, not-for-profit book publisher in the public interest is how The New Press was characterized in an announcement this month by its director, the former editor-in-chief of Pantheon Books Andre Schiffrin.
Created through donations from such charitable enterprises as the John D. and Catharine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the new venture will publish books that reflect America’s diverse cultural traditions, Mr. Schiffrin indicated, and have an impact on education and curriculum development. Its first catalog, to be released in April, includes a book on race relations by Studs Terkel and works on AIDS patients’ rights and art censorship.
Mr. Schiffrin said The New Press will eventually publish 40 books annually, and will seek to subsidize prices and, in some cases, distribute books free to schools and local libraries.
A resource packet clarifying the National Education Goals has been developed by the federally sponsored Educational Resources Information Center System, or ERIC.
Entitled “Striving for Excellence: The National Education Goals,” the packet consists of 30 separate ERIC Digests from the 16 subject-specific ERIC clearinghouses. The digests are organized around goal areas, such as school readiness, high-school completion, student achievement, citizenship, science and mathematics, and drug-free schools. The 72-page packet synthesizes and summarizes research and program findings related to these areas and covers preschool through postsecondary education.
The packet is available for $5.00, including postage and handling, by contacting ACCESS ERIC, 1600 Research Blvd., Rockville, Md. 20850; 1-800-USE-ERIC.
George Bush, the rap star Hammer, and the tennis pro Steffi Graf are three of the subjects included in Biography Today: Profiles of People of Interest to Young Readers, a new quarterly for children age 9 and up that highlights, according to its publisher, individuals “young people want to know about most.”
Each issue contains approximately 30 sketches, detailing the subjects’ vital statistics, early life and education, career highlights, hobbies and awards, and sources for further reading. The first issue also features autobiographical sketches by Lee Iacocca and the children’s author Madeleine L’Engle.
For further information, contact Omnigraphics Inc., Penobscot Building, Detroit, Mich. 48226. --S.K.G.
