There aren't many poets landing book deals these days, let alone preempts by major houses, but last week it happened twice. First, in an overnight preemptive offer, Daniel Halpern at Ecco acquired North American rights to 2007 Whiting recipient Paul Guest's memoir, One More Theory About Happiness, plus a collection of poems. The memoir recounts the author's recovery from a bicycle accident at age 12 that left him paralyzed. “I was blown away by the writing, the subject matter and voice of the memoir,” said Halpern. “The poems are the best I've read by a young poet in a very long time.”
Guest's first book of poems, The Resurrection of the Body and the Ruin of the World, was selected by Campbell McGrath for the 2002 New Issues Poetry Prize. Betsy Lerner, a former classmate of McGrath's and a student of Halpern's, made the sale, and Ecco will publish both books in 2009.
Doug Anderson, whose 1994 book of poetry, The Moon Reflected Fire, won the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, has also written a memoir, which was preempted by Carol Houck Smith at Norton. In the yet untitled book, Vietnam vet Anderson will recount his Southern childhood, war experiences and life through the present day. Anderson's other book of poetry is Blues for Unemployed Secret Police. Victoria Sanders sold North American rights.
