Fame. Why do authors seek it? How does one acquire it? What are the consequences of attaining it? Gabriel Zaid examines the methods and motivations, from ancient times to the present day. He shines a critical, yet humorous, light on today's literary world, whose denizens find it more interesting to talk about writers than to read them, and he takes a serious look at the desire for fame and the disillusionment and objectification that can accompany it. Along the way, Zaid pokes fun at literary and scholarly traditions, including the unwritten rules of quoting other authors, the ascendancy of the footnote, and the practice of publishing foolishly complete works. The author can manage his literary name like a brand, with a whole line of products: books published under his name (but not necessarily entirely written by him), with all their subsidiary rights; as well as a line of services . . . There's no reason that toys, clothes, and many other things should be the sole province of characters like Harry Potter and Mickey Mouse. At the Gnter Grass Museum, established with the participation of the writer, Gnter Grass t-shirts or Gnter Grass tin drums could surely be sold. Gabriel Zaid's poetry, essays, and cultural criticism have been widely published throughout the Spanish-speaking world. In 2003, Paul Dry Books published Zaid's So Many Books, which The New Republic called genuinely exhilarating. Natasha Wimmer is an editor and a translator in New York City. She recently translated The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano (Farrar, Straus and Giroux Publishers).

This brief guide argues that, in the future, books will be less precious than the time it takes to read them. It addresses how to tackle personal "must read" lists and pare them down to the books that will truly benefit their readers -- which ones to start this year, which to put on hold, and which to pull off the sagging shelves. This witty volume describes the importance of books, the way they deepen conversations, and how they create a special hold on their readers. Rather than attempting to answer the question "What should we be reading?", it encourages individuals to come up with their own answers.

"Gabriel Zaid . . . is a jewel of Latin American letters, which is no small thing to be. Read him--you'll see."--Paul Berman

The first appearance in English of the poetry of Gabriel Zaid, this book comprises forty-two poems (in both English and the original Spanish), translated by a variety of English-speaking poets. Renowned in Mexico as one of his country's leading writers, Zaid has published two books in English, "So Many Books" and "The Secret of Fame" (both from Paul Dry Books).

Late Again
Translated by Eliot Weinberger

"It's so hard to coordinate:
one hand over your head
like a halo
the other
perpendicular
to your navel."

"Nevertheless it's a universal law:
people begin soaping
at their bellies
while other worlds
turn around in their heads."

"Think with your stomach,
said the happy Buddha.
But we
ruminate with our heads."

Gabriel Zaid's poetry, essays, social and cultural criticism, and business writings have been widely published throughout the Spanish-speaking world. He lives in Mexico City, Mexico, with the artist Basia Batorska, her paintings, three cats, and ten thousand books. Paul Dry Books has published his "So Many Books" and "The Secret of Fame."