Saddam Hussein novella to drop this Christmas
Also in abbreviated Tattle: Chicago happy about Mexican immigrants, Chris Harrison returns to Miss America and Blago forms a prison rock band
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IF YOU'RE jonesing for the next book in
George R.R. Martin
's "A Song of Ice and Fire," and can't hold on until the bearded bard turns in his manuscript, the Guardian
reports that London's Hesperus Press will be publishing an epic novella in December by ... Saddam Hussein.
If ever there was a writer who thought the sword was mightier than the pen ...
How did the old despot find time to write books while committing so many human rights atrocities?
The book jacket says the story of an ancient-times tribal invasion is "a mix between Game of Thrones and the UK House of Cards-style fiction."
"We were concerned that some of the writers would not be comfortable to be associated with Hesperus once we published this book, but we're politically neutral," a Hesperus rep told the Guardian. "We only publish what we find interesting."
TATTBITS
*
Jaime Camil
and
Bianca Marroquin
made history Monday night in
Chicago
as the first two Mexican-born actors to lead the Broadway cast. Camil and Marroquin hugged and smiled during their curtain call, which got a standing ovation. A large Mexican flag was handed to them by a cast member.
"I am happy to work with the best Roxy Hart there has been," Camil said about Marroquin, who first played the role on Broadway in 2002 and has now played Hart for well over 5,000 performances.
"I had been waiting for you," she told the Jane the Virgin actor, who made his Broadway debut in May as the musical's charmingly corrupt lawyer Billy Flynn.
Now celebrating its 20th season, the show is the longest running American musical on Broadway.
On Monday, when their characters met for the first time onstage, Marroquin and Camil made a salute to their roots by saying hi to each other in Spanish.
Camil's last day in "Chicago" is July 31.
* Chris Harrison of ABC's The Bachelor will be back to host this year's Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, his eighth time hosting. The Miss America Organization made the announcement Monday. Harrison's co-host for the Sept. 11 event at Boardwalk Hall will be ESPN's Sage Steele.
* Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich gave up his life-sized Elvis Presley statue when he went to prison in 2012, but not his love for the King.
Blagojevich's attorney Leonard Goodman (not the Dancing with the Stars judge) says in court documents arguing for a reduction in his 14-year sentence that he has studied guitar and formed a band: The Jailhouse Rockers.
While those with suspicious minds may think the band is only a ploy, Blago has also tutored inmates studying for their GED, taught history, and provided job interview counseling for soon-to-be-released inmates.
Under his current sentence, Blagojevich cannot be released until early 2024 at the earliest. His resentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 9.
It's now or never.
- Daily News wire services
contributed to this report.
215-854-5678 @DNTattle