May 18, 2005
Counting Down Cutler's 15 Minutes in 5... 4... 3...
Just a scant two weeks before the publication of Jessica Cutler's "The Washingtonienne," The Smoking Gun points us to the news that former Cutler paramour Robert Steinbuch (at left) is suing her for "invasion of privacy" and "severe emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment, and anguish". The Smoking Gun has image files of the 21-page document, which does not ask for a specific amount in monetary damages. The "news" has also hit Roll Call's subscriber-only Heard on the Hill and Richard Leiby's column in today's Post, where Cutler is quoted as eloquently stating
Wow. It's been, like, my personal policy not to confirm or deny any of the people in the blog, and I'm sticking to that.
Both Leiby and Roll Call note that Cutler's novel is coming out June 1; Steibuch's lawyer Jonathan Rosen seems to deny in Heard on the Hill that the suit has emerged with rather opportunistic timing:
"We’re not seeking any publicity in this case ... The whole point is [Steinbuch] was harmed by publicity."We'll be the first to call B.S. Unlike inside the beltway gossip outlets, The Smoking Gun attracts many thousands of readers from across the country who may not be familiar with the Washingtonienne scandal. A single day of front-page placement on TSG's website is fantastic publicity for Cutler, Cutler's publisher Hyperion, and Steinbuch's case. It's hard to believe that at the very least, some well-meaning, low-level publicist didn't have the smarts to pass on information about the lawsuit to a popular website. In the advance publicity material for "The Washingtonienne," DCist noted the emphasis on online publicity. We doubt this is coincidence.
Oh, and along with publicity material, we were lucky enough to get our grubby hands on an advance copy of the novel itself. Be on the lookout for a full DCist review in a couple weeks, closer to the book's publication.
UPDATE: We're told by a few commenters that Ms. Cutler's debut novel is widely available in area bookstores now.
(Image of plaintiff Robert Steinbuch, whose current whereabouts are unknown)
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But isn't giving her more exposure just a recipe for her to come back?
Refuse to cover her, it's just easier :)
Don't know what kind of "advance" copy you got, but Cutler's novel, "The Washingtonienne," has been available in Kramerbooks for at least 2 weeks now. It's also available for immediate shipping on Amazon now.
Welcome to one of the stranger points of book publishing. The official publication date of any book is actually a few weeks after the book arrives in stores on the East Coast. This is because books are shipped across the country via truck; official pub date is determined by the date books are received in all stores throughout the country.
I've got a galley. Got it a month ago.
Um, "The Washingtonienne" was on sale at the Borders in Friendship Heights at least as early as Sunday.
DCist has been really lax in the details department lately, at least going by the number of mistakes found by readers. I read and understand your comment about fluctuating release dates, but you should at least amend your original post to say that the book is available in the Washington area, and has been for at least a week.
Mistakes like this are at best simply that--mistakes--and at worst just sloppy. You guys need some good editors.
Grrrr...
I could scan my galley, which clearly states on the cover "Pub Date: June 1." That's directly from the publisher.
If a publisher with a west coast warehouse publishes a book for a June 1 pub, the book arrives at Kramers/P&P et al. June 1. Hyperion, on the other hand, has an east coast warehouse -- so books will arrive at Powell's/Tattered Cover/other non-east coast bookstores around June 1. So I'm sorry for stating that the book is going to appear June 1, but that is the knowledge that I was given by the publisher. I'll amend the post.
I'm sick of that whore.
Go play in traffic, Washintonienne.