Jane Mayer nominated for NBCC award for her book exposing 'The Dark Side' of U.S. torture policies New Yorker correspondent and author Jane Mayer appeared on a 2008 Miami Book Fair panel, along with Chris Hedges and Laila Al-Arian, co-authors of Collateral Damage: America's War Against Iraqi Civilians, and Jonathan Mahler, author of The challenge: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and the Fight Over Presidential Power, to talk about her second book, The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals (Doubleday; July 2008), which has been nominated for the prestigious National Book Critics Circle Award for best non-fiction in 2008. Mayer began her remarks by admitting to feeling shame for writingThe Dark Side, a book she wished she had never had to write, and went on to describe a case of 'extraordinary rendition' in Syria and detailed the secret program wherebysuspected terrorists were kidnapped and sent to so-called 'black site prisons' run by the CIA on foreign soil to avoid prosecution for war crimes. Proving that the U.S. torture program was not the result of 'a few bad apples,' as the Bush Administration claimed, Mayer offered insight into how a U.S. torture training curriculum, originally intended to prepare U.S. soldiers to resist revealing information while being tortured by an enemy, evolved into a primer on how to torture enemies of the U.S., focusing specifically on methods used by the former Soviet Union designed to elicit false confessions, which went straight to the desk of former Vice President Dick Cheney. In closing, Mayer gave praise to the many extraordinary people inside the Bush Administration, the military, and the CIA who risked their careers and resisted torture practices by shedding light on 'the dark side.'
Book and Author Headlines
James McBride sticks another feather in his hat--historical novels: Multi-talented jazz saxophonist, musical composer, journalist, bestselling memoirist and novelist James McBride presents historical novel 'Song Yet Sung' at the 2008 National Book Festival.
Salman Rushdie blends East and West cultures in 'The Enchantress of Florence': Award-winning British Indian novelist and essayist, knighted for his 'services to literature,' Salman Rushdie is interviewed by Washington Post Book World editor Marie Arana at the 2008 National Book Festival 20 years after the publication of 'Satanic Verses' and the ensuing death threats that drove him into hiding for ten years.
Earvin 'Magic' Johnson shows game-changing moves in '32 Ways to Be a Champion In Business': Basketball legend Magic Johnson appears at BookExpo America 2008 to talk about his latest game-changing moves.
Azar Nafisi brings her 'portable home' to BookExpo: Iranian academic, free speech activist, and bestselling author of 'Reading Lolita in Tehran,' Azar Nafisi introduces her memoir, 'Things I've Been Silent About,' at BookExpo America 2008.
Ted Turner gets 'back on top' with autobio, charm, and swagger: Ted Turner turns on the charm at BookExpo America 2008 and predicts his autobiography will be 'a home run' that will put him 'back on top.'
Francine Prose reads like a writer at the National Book Festival and Miami Book Fair: Francine Prose hits the road (like a writer) for 'Goldengrove' with reading stops before packed audiences at the 2008 National Book Festival and Miami Book Fair International.
Peter Matthiessen wins National Book Award for 'Shadow Country' after Miami Book Fair reading: Peter Matthiessen reads from 'Shadow Country' and talks about his work at the 25th annual Miami Book Fair International 2008 one week before winning his second National Book Award.
Miami Book Fair celebrates 25 years of history-making, award-winning, and emerging voices, Nov. 9-16: Hundreds of authors and thousands of fans flock to the 25th edition of internationally famous Miami Book Fair 2008, featuring today's leading history-making, award-winning, and emerging voices of literature.
Dennis Lehane 'sucked at everything' until he discovered writing: Dennis Lehane recalls how and why he became a writer, noting that he 'sucked' at everything else.
Ron Nahser, Journeys to Oxford: Nine Pragmatic Inquiries Into the Practice of Values in Business and Education.
Nine pragmatic inquiries into the practice of values in business and education.
Jon Meacham duels David Brooks over Jefferson and Hamilton political influences in American history.
Pulitzer Prize winning biographer, former editor-in-chief of Newsweek, and executive editor the Random House book publishing house, Jon Meacham engages in a lively debate with New York Times conservative columnist David Brooks over the adversarial politics and personalities of America's founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.
Alex Hitz dishes Atlanta, New York, and Beverly Hills foodie memories and recipes.
Foodie to the stars Alex Hitz offers a taste of life among celebrities and southern cooking with an international accent.
Lois Lowry brings 'The Giver' cycle full circle.
Two-time Newberry Medal winner Lois Lowry introduces the fourth and final book in the cycle of YA novels that began with 'The Giver' in 1994--'Son,' at the 2012 BEA.
Natalie Merchant signs off on her first children's book, Leave Your Sleep.
Singer-songwriter-musician Natalie Merchant signs her first children's book, adapted from her acclaimed folk album, Leave Your Sleep.
Jane Mayer nominated for NBCC award for her book exposing 'The Dark Side' of U.S. torture policies
