Kicking Off Book Season

Jennifer Joel and Emma Bloomberg/Photo: Amanda Gordon

As Dan Brown’s book party got underway at Gotham Hall -- a fancy affair befitting that rare thing in publishing these days, an instant blockbuster -- International Creative Management agent Jennifer Joel was at Norwood for the first party of a literary patrons group she co-chairs, the New York Public Library’s Young Lions. The mood was upbeat at both Monday events. “Especially coming off of nine months when people have been timid and there’s been a general air of low confidence and pessimism, everyone is looking forward to fall,” Ms. Joel said. “Things will be better again. People are excited publishing is in over drive.” As for fall selections, Ms. Joel said her lunch partner earlier in the day, literary scout Maria Campbell, “could not stop talking about E.L. Doctorow’s new book,” “Homer and Langley.” At the Young Lions party, Ms. Joel shared a couch with Emma Bloomberg, Mayor Bloomberg’s elder daughter, who had praise for her summer reading: “Little Bee” by Chris Cleave.