FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(NEW YORK) – January 12, 2012. Atria Books today announced a deal with the four original MTV vjs for an as yet untitled oral history of MTV’s defining years during the early ‘80s. This publication will mark the first time Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter and Martha Quinn give their uncensored accounts from the front lines of the cultural revolution that was MTV. Among the highlights will be the vjs’ never-before-told stories about getting, doing, and ultimately leaving the most coveted job of the decade; the truth behind Roger Daltrey’s demands to visit MTV; days and nights spent partying with Van Halen; the “Paint the Mutha Pink” contest with John Cougar Mellencamp that went toxic; joining the mile high club while flying to see the band Asia play at the Budokan in Japan; and all true tales of hair styles gone horribly wrong as a new kind of broadcast medium was being created hour by hour and day by day — all perfectly set against the era when you would still call into your answering machine from a pay phone.
When MTV burst onto cable television on August 1, 1981, these four original vjs (along with their colleague, the late J.J. Jackson) couldn’t imagine the hold they would quickly come to have over pop and youth culture. Written with Gavin Edwards, contributing editor at Rolling Stone, the book also perfectly captures the magical, fleeting period in a twenty something’s life when anything seems possible.
“The original vjs are to the MTV generation what the original cast of Saturday Night Live was to the‘70s generation, in terms of their influence and their iconic status,” says Judith Curr, Executive Vice President and Publisher of Atria Books. “This book will give voice to how Nina, Mark, Alan and Martha became the narrators of the early ‘80s for us all.”
“We look forward to sharing our unique perspective of what it was like to be on the forefront of a cultural revolution: the birth of MTV, Music Television. Yes, the ‘M’ really did stand for music at one time!” says Nina Blackwood.
“We are thrilled to be working with Atria, not only because they totally get the story of MTV in its heyday and have the strength and expertise to publish our uncensored tales, but also because they are big slobbering fans of the era. We just hope they understand what they are getting themselves into — this could get ugly,” says Alan Hunter.
The deal, which is for World Rights including audio, was negotiated by Amy Tannenbaum, Editor at Atria, and Daniel Greenberg of Levine Greenberg Literary Agency.
Atria Books is an imprint of Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation. Simon & Schuster is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Online, and international companies in Australia, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom. For more information about Atria, visit our website at http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/atria.
Contact:
Paul Olsewski
VP, Publicity Director
212-698-7089
paul.olsewski@simonandschuster.com
