Yahoo’s new Red Planet dropkicker is a bibliophile

Eric Brown, Yahoo’s new head of public relations and the individual responsible for enforcing CEO Carol Bartz's edict to "dropkick to fucking Mars" any employee caught leaking stories to the press, is a proud bibliophile. Introducing himself to company employees in a July 6th memo that was leaked to the press (D'oh!), Brown declared:

• He is “impressed with how many amazing books this group has collectively read.”

• He earned a B.A. in English from the College of William & Mary. “Loved lit crit. Senior honors thesis was on post-WWII masculinity in American society as represented by the works of Norman Mailer.”

• He loves reading, “though I haven' t picked up a Norman Mailer since my undergrad days.”

• “If the Internet didn' t exist, what I' d be doing right now: teaching literature to high school students.”

• His “Favorite book: someone who majored in literature can' t just name one, so I'll split them into categories ... Favorite works of literature: The Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Favorite work that kindled my imagination: The Hobbit by Tolkien. Favorite works that make me laugh: anything by David Sedaris (the man is wicked funny).”

• “My guiltiest pleasure: ice cream in bed with the Kindle (yes, just as Elisa put in her email) – the ice cream HAS to be Ben & Jerry's (LOVE being on this floor with the conference room names!) and my favorite is Peach Cobbler.”

Consider reading the entire memo. It's hilarious. Champagne, Gucci, jaunts to Paris and Hong Kong, a ratty old Buick Skyhawk. Reminds me of the elitist Louis Winthorpe III, played by actor Dan Aykroyd, in the film Trading Places (1983).

Yahoo's Eric Brown is not related to British SF author Eric Brown.