Fifteen Eighty Four

Mary Beth Barilla, Northeast Rep

I never feel as if spring is really here until this time of year, late April. I went away for a few days this weekend, and when I returned, the grass was longer and greener, and rhododendron bushes were blooming all over the neighborhood. It’s chilly outside today, but for me, spring has finally arrived.

For sales reps, though, “spring” means something different, of course, because we’re always looking ahead to what will publish in the next six months. We start thinking about spring titles in October and November and begin selling them shortly thereafter. So, the arrival of warm weather actually coincides with the end of the spring selling season. Buds on the trees signify that it’s time to start thinking about the books that will publish next fall. This is a fun time of year for me. As the weather grows warmer and I can finally put away my winter clothes and gear, I also get a sneak preview of all the cool books we’ll be publishing later in the year. My favorite so far? The Cambridge Companion to Modern Japanese Culture.

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Today, April 22, is Earth Day, and that reminds me of one reason (among many) to be proud of working for Cambridge University Press: our many important publications on climate change. Incidentally, one of our key bookselling partners, the Harvard Book Store, is celebrating Earth Day in a unique way. The store recently began offering a green delivery service – delivery of books to your home via bicycle to various communities in the Cambridge-Boston area. In honor of Earth Day, the service is free for the entire week (April 20-25).