BookExpo

A week from today, BookExpo America will be underway, and hundreds of American Booksellers Association members will be participating in the ABA Day of Education, sponsored by Ingram Book Company/Ingram Publisher Services, at the Renaissance Hollywood, this year's Hotel ABA.

There is no question: environmentalism is in. It's cool to be green these days, especially in Hollywood. But, as is so often the case in la-la land, not everything you see is real. While any number of celebrities are very good at talking the green talk, many are not so adept at walking the walk -- unless it's to their idling private jets.

Amy Goodman, co-host of the global news hour Democracy Now! and co-author with her brother, David Goodman, of Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times (Hyperion), will be talking about her new book, the independent media landscape, and the importance of independe

More than 12 of indie booksellers' favorite authors will be on hand at next Wednesday's "Welcome to Hollywood" Reception, co-sponsored by the American Booksellers Association and the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association. The event, beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the Egyptian Theatre, just down the street from Hotel ABA, is free and open to all ABA and SCIBA member booksellers.

Authors who will be there to chat with booksellers include:

There's still time for ABA member booksellers who will be in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon, May 28, to sign up for a unique, behind-the-scenes walking tour of Hollywood with a decidedly literary slant.

The American Booksellers Association is inviting all book industry professionals registered for BookExpo America to the Celebration of Bookselling, beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 29, in the fifth-floor Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Hollywood, this year's Hotel ABA.

Due to a few cancellations, a limited number of rooms are currently available at Hotel ABA 2008, the Renaissance Hollywood; however, any ABA member bookseller who would like to reserve a room must do so by contacting Program Assistant Margaret Nafz at [email protected] or (800) 637-0037, ext. 6614 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, May 23.

PublicAffairs will present the panel discussion "Obscene in the Extreme: Why Books Still Get Banned" on Saturday, May 31, at BookExpo America.

The event, which begins at 11:00 a.m. in Room 402A of the Los Angeles Convention Center, will be moderated by Nicholas Goldberg, editor of Op-Ed and Sunday Opinion for the Los Angeles Times.

Above the Treeline, the business intelligence tool that gives bookstores greater control of their inventory and the means to establish better, more collaborative relationships with publishers, will be the focus of three sessions on Saturday, May 31, at BookExpo America.

For most booksellers, completing the easy-to-use 2008 ABACUS Survey now underway via a simple, confidential electronic form on BookWeb.org will take about an hour.

Booksellers and other book industry professionals registered for next week's BookExpo America can still order tickets online for an array of author events -- everything from the Children's Book & Author Breakfast to the Book Industry Foundation Benefit, starring Lewis Black.

Here's recap of BEA special events from Friday, May 30, through Sunday, June 1.