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The week draws to a close, but the excitement never stops! I spent much of the morning reading a manuscript. Then I headed out into the blustery Manhattan streets to meet up with agent Shana Cohen for lunch at Savoy (highly recommended if you're hanging out in Soho!). Topics mentioned included: Ace, Roc, the apocalypse, Manhattan apartments, her author Greg Frost's Shadowbridge, the new MUJI store, and Patrick Rothfuss. Then it was back to Hudson Street!

For your delectation today, I've performed...an interview! One of my authors is a little...well...closer to me than all the rest---by which I mean he works down the hall. Anton Strout has the dubious claim to fame of being both a Penguin salesperson, and a Penguin author. His great urban fantasy Dead To Me will be published by Ace in March of 2008. I thought it would be fun to have a little conversation with Anton about how the editorial process has treated him. Has it been a clash of fiery wills or a harmonious meeting of minds? Anton (who is a good sport in the face of Ace/Roc's editorial staff mercilessly referring to his reasonable questions about his own debut novel as "egobibliomania") is willing to tell all!

JW: So Anton, at any point during the editing process did you harbor murderous thoughts against your editor?

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Anyone who’s ever dreamed of pulling together a book has to face the daunting subject of what to include….and more specifically; what to leave out!

As I gradually assembled the permissions to reproduce the transit maps of the world it dawned on me that there was a lot more historical material for some cities than for others. My friend Mike who had been a tower of support since the beginning of the project suddenly gained a new role: he would be my editor.

Mike helped me to focus on the subject matter; what was it about the maps that made them interesting to designers. How were they similar – and why were they different. I began several months of thorough investigation about the nature of the maps and diagrams of subways. One aspect that I began to understand a lot better was why many transit maps have adopted the schematic solution as opposed to using maps that are true to the geography of their cities above.

This has had the added benefit of not just being the most effective way of depicting the complex system of tunnels beneath our feet but also has inspired designers because when well done they are often very beautiful in their own right. The London diagram is one of the greatest examples of this as it evokes a sense of balance and clarity. This is one of the reasons why Harry Beck’s original design for the London Tube has both stood the test of time and been emulated round the world by other transit operators. It has also inspired artists to play with the design concepts and come up with pieces like "The Great Bear" - now on display at London’s Tate Gallery