Shh! CIO at Lions Gate Entertainment enjoys reading John Carter of Mars books on his Kindle

The Wall Street Journal has a fascinating interview with Leo Collins, chief information officer and executive vice president at Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., an independent motion picture studio which also produces prime-time television shows. The bulk of the conversation focuses on how technology is affecting the entertainment business, but here is a neat excerpt about the classic John Carter of Mars books:

The Wall Street Journal: You also have a Kindle. What do you like about it?

Leo Collins: It makes the process of buying or reading almost seamless. For example, someone told me that they were very fond of the “John Carter of Mars” books by Edgar Rice Burroughs. So I looked it up and sure enough, there it is. I ask for the first two chapters and they just showed up. I read them and I thought this is good stuff -- it’s a ripping summer read. And when I want more it just shows up.

Shh! Don’t tell author and comedian Sherman Alexie! According to The New York Times, Alexie ranted about Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader at the recent BookExpo America convention in New York. Despite having five of his own e-books listed in the Kindle catalog, Alexie believes the device is “elitist” and declared that when he was enroute to New York and saw a woman sitting on the airplane with a Kindle, “I wanted to hit her.”

Now, Alexie is attempting to clarify his comments. Read the lengthy Sherman Alexie Clarifies “Elitist” Charges, posted on the blog Edward Champion’s Reluctant Habits, and the razzy Message from Sherman, posted on Alexie's own website.