Noah Redux
Noah Greenfeld, born in 1966 with severe autism, has been the subject of several books by his father, Josh, most notably the bestselling A Child Called Noah in 1972, which chronicled Noah's early years, using Noah's older brother, Karl, as a "normal foil" for Noah. Karl Greenfeld, who became a journalist (he is presently an editor-at-large at Sports Illustrated and author of several books, including the forthcoming SARS-related China Syndrome) will revisit his brother's story in Noah's Arc: An Atlas of Autism, which Gail Winston at Harper acquired from agent Gail Ross. Greenfeld will examine the history of modern autism using as a prism his now 39-year-old brother, who has spent the last 15 years in various supportive-living homes and state facilities, and for whom Greenfeld is now primary caretaker. Winston bought world rights; no publication date has yet been set.
Weisbach's Inner Spy
In one of his first major acquisitions since joining the Weinstein Brothers as publisher of their book group, Rob Weisbach snapped up an eight-title children's book series from Elizabeth Sheinkman at Elaine Markson. The series features secret agent Jack Stalwart, a youngster who travels the globe battling evil to protect the world's most precious treasures. Each of Stalwart's missions brings with it a new destination and foreign language, as well as local facts, figures and accompanying villains, including The Escape of the Deadly Dinosaur (New York City), The Puzzle of the Missing Panda (China) and The Caper of the Crown Jewels (London). Author Elizabeth Singer Hunt, an American who lives in London, is a former Saatchi executive who self-published the first five books in the series under an imprint she invented called Chubby Cheeks.
Sex and the Older Woman
Peter McGuigan at Sanford Greenburger has sold Still Doing It, a celebration of female sexuality for women of all ages, to Megan Newman and Dara Stuart at Avery at auction. Authors Diana Holtzberg and Deirdre Fishel, who produced and directed the award-winning documentary of the same name, will focus on dispelling myths about older women and sex; Newman and Stuart acquired North American rights only.
The Briefing
Award-winning screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (author of Oscar nominee for best foreign language film Amores Perros) has sold two new novels to MalaikaAdero at Atria, which is also bringing out Arriaga's first novel to be published in the U.S., TheNight Buffalo, next May; the deal was brokered by agent Laura Dail.
