The Chatter for Sunday, July 14 We're at a moment when cultural power is passing to new gatekeepers. Joe Esposito, a publishing consultant. Last week, Barnes & Noble lost its C.E.O. as its digital plans floundered, Random House officially merged with Penguin, and a federal judge strengthened Amazon's position by ruling that Applehad illegally conspired with publishers to try to raise e-book prices. Jonathan Miller, president of the Miller Samuel appraisal firm, talking about the Manhattan housing market. The inventory of apartments for sale in Manhattan has reached the lowest levels in at least 13 years. The average price for a Manhattan apartment this spring was $1.425 million.