Interesting article about the life of Dan Brown, author of "The Da Vinci Code". It sounds about right, in terms of how he's gone into a virtual bunker. I used to be able to correspond with him via email and even talk on the phone about Kryptos, but over the last several months, I've only been able to get through to his assistant. I'm still dying of curiosity though as to whether (or how much that) Kryptos is going to factor into his new book (and whether or not my name will be one of the ones in the long list on the "thank you" page).

Making notes for myself from the article (in case it gets lost to web rot):

"The Da Vinci Code," released on 3/18/2003, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list on 4/6/2003, and has sold "roughly" 25 million copies in 44 languages, including 10 million copies in North America.

Brown's earlier novels have now sold more than 7 million copies.

Doubleday's original contract with Brown was for $400,000 for two books, of which "Da Vinci Code" was the first. The contract has since been renegotiated (probably for millions).

Brown has probably earned about $50 million from the sales of his books.

The manuscript for the next book may not be ready until 2006 (this pushes it back at least a year from previous reports).

Brown can evidently be seen in the audience of an Aerosmith concert scene in the new movie "Be Cool".

And this bit gave me a chuckle:

] "In some ways, my life has changed dramatically," Mr.
] Brown said, as when he arrived at the airport in Boston
] to catch the shuttle to La Guardia Airport - only to
] realize that he had left his driver's license at his home
] in New Hampshire. "Fortunately, the guy behind me in line
] had a copy of 'Da Vinci Code,' " he said. "I borrowed it,
] showed security the author photo and made my flight."

LOL! So now a bookjacket counts as a federally-approved ID?

For 'Code' Author, 24 Months in a Circus