Just think, if Melville House Press hadn't decided to bring noted French politico-philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy over to the US a couple of years back, would he be so promimently placed in the news right now? I suppose, but then again, he's also hawking a new book -- this time with the big boys of Random House -- about his "literary odyssey of America."

The LA Times gets BHL's take on AMERICAN VERTIGO, who reveals that it will be published in English (with translation by Charlotte Mandell) before the French get to read it:

"I wrote it for America, about America, so it seemed rather natural," Lévy said, sipping tea recently in his elegant apartment on Boulevard St. Germain. "It's a more or less faithful mirror … that I hold out to Americans. It seems fair to me that Americans should be the first to say whether they recognize themselves or not. Also, I had the sentiment of having been really welcomed by this country, so I wanted to give something back.

John Freeman also got a chance to catch up with BHL for Newsday and remarks on a "typical BHL performance" where he gets diva-ish at the Carlyle Hotel. Amusing stuff...