Fans of Tyrone Power who live anywhere near Arlington Heights, IL, should mark their calendars: on Friday, November 6th from 2-4 p.m., the Arlington Heights Memorial Library will screen the 1937 screwball comedy, Love is News, teaming movie idol Tyrone Power with lovely leady lady Loretta Young. Taryn Power Greendeer will be interviewed by movie historian Annette Bochenek and will autograph copies of Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power, written by Taryn’s sister Romina Power (contains several of Taryn’s photos). The book is a collectors quality limited first edition, available only at select events and by mail order. The library program is free but registration is recommended.
Ancient archeology shows that the concept of neighborhoods has been with us for a very long time, for very good reason. Neighborhoods bring people together in common purpose: safety, economy, socialization and care-giving. In other words: survive through hard times and thrive in good ones.
While the basic goal of neighborhoods is universal, the character of neighborhoods is as varied, distinguishable and fascinating as the characters in the neighborhoods. Books set in neighborhoods provide some of our most vibrant and memorable literature. They let us learn from the people and cultures that preceded us. We can travel the world today, meeting people and visiting different neighborhoods just by opening a book. We can be entertained, enlightened and inspired by stories set in or around neighborhoods.
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is excited that its September 24th event will feature Bedrock Faith, a book exemplifying great literature that comes alive in a neighborhood. Eric May’s debut novel landed on several “Top 10” lists and led to Eric winning the prestigious 21st Century Award from the Chicago Public Library in partnership with the Chicago Public Library Foundation. In fact our September 24th event will be a prelude celebration before the Library’s award dinner in October. Come meet Eric, get a copy of his book and have him personally autograph it for you while you enjoy some wines with great character between 6-8 p.m. at TASTE Wine & Food in Chicago. No reservations or entry fees! Find details at the Book●ed or on our Facebook page.
Meanwhile, here’s a sampling of other notable neighborhood novels set around cities known for the diversity and energy of their neighborhoods:
Washington Square – Henry James The Jungle – Upton Sinclair Manhattan Transfer – John Dos Passos The Maltese Falcon – Dashiell Hammett Call It Sleep – Henry Roth Native Son – Richard Wright The Tin Flute (orig. Bonheur d’occasion) – Gabrielle Roy The Chosen – Chaim Potok Time and Again – Jack Finney The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros The Alienist – Caleb Carr Playing for Thrills – Wang Shuo (trans. Howard Goldblatt) The Sweet Forever – George P. Pelecanos The Devil in the White City – Erik Larson (2004) The Great Perhaps – Joe Meno (2009)
You can learn more by clicking the tab BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ at my Book●ed website.
Ragdale’s ninth annual Novel Affair brings together renowned authors and artists, for two evenings of creativity and conversation in support of Ragdale, the artist retreat in Lake Forest, IL. The event offers guests the opportunity to be engaged, inspired, and challenged by the artists and their work.
The weekend begins with an optional VIP champagne reception with all featured artists and authors in the private Walled Garden at Crab Tree Farm on Friday, October 2 at 5:30pm and concludes with an intimate dinner and lively discussion with one of the artists or authors at a private home of distinction on Saturday, October 3 at 6:30pm.
Fans of Tyrone Power who live anywhere near Arlington Heights, IL, should mark their calendars: on Friday, November 6th from 2-4 p.m., the Arlington Heights Memorial Library will screen the 1937 screwball comedy, Love is News, teaming movie idol Tyrone Power with lovely leady lady Loretta Young. Taryn Power Greendeer will be interviewed by movie historian Annette Bochenek and will autograph copies of Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power, written by Taryn’s sister Romina Power (contains several of Taryn’s photos). The book is a collectors quality limited first edition, available only at select events and by mail order.The library program is free but registration is recommended.
Wine, the most delightful of drinks, whether we owe it to Noah, who planted the vine, or to Bacchus, who pressed juice from the grape, goes back to the childhood of the world. — Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), French lawyer, politician and author of The Physiology of Taste.
With BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ off to a bright start, pairing quality wines with quality books, I find myself reflecting on the place of wine in literature. As far back as antiquity, wine is referenced on clay tablets and papyrus, even before the invention of paper or digital books. Clearly, wine’s potency is not limited to its level of alcohol. Whether part of the action, used as an adjective or offered as a metaphor for something else – success, romantic intoxication, life itself – wine and literature always pair well together. Fortunately for us, a wealth of literature over the centuries was made more interesting and enjoyable for the wine we read about as well as the wine we drink. See how many of these you know:
Frolic Wine — Anacreon Drinking Alone Beneath the Moon — Li Po The Soul of Wine — Charles Baudelaire I Bring an Unaccustomed Wine — Emily Dickinson Ulysses — James Joyce A Moveable Feast — Ernest Hemingway Ode to Wine — Pablo Neruda Taste — Roald Dahl A Long Finish – Michael Dibdin A Debt to Pleasure — John Lanchester
You can learn more about BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ by clicking the tab at the Book●ed website.
Shared wisdom from the master of the historical novel, E. L. Doctorow:
Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.
Writers are not just people who sit down and write. They hazard themselves. Every time you compose a book your composition of yourself is at stake.
Planning to write is not writing. Outlining, researching, talking to people about what you’re doing, none of that is writing. Writing is writing.
Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.
Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader – not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.
When you’re writing a book, you don’t really think about it critically. You don’t want to know too well what you’re doing. First, you write the book, then you find the justification for it. The book is constructed as a conversation, with someone doing most of the talking and someone doing most of the listening.
A physical book is great technology if you think about it. Once it’s produced it doesn’t use up any energy, and if you take decent care of it, it will last forever. That’s a considerable technological achievement.
A book is not complete until it’s read. The reader’s mind flows through sentences as through a circuit – it illuminates them and brings them to life.
My darling daughter’s birthday is in August. A lot of my relatives and friends have August birthdays. My curiosity about this apparent birthday boom led me to research which months are most popular for birthdays; they are September, August and July, in that order. Actually, once you do the math, it’s really about which months are most popular for baby making. Not surprisingly, winter weather and holidays lend themselves to cozying up with someone and letting nature take its course.
This blog post is about “b”s. Not about the bird and the bees, but about birthdays. Birthdays are such potent symbols in our lives, for good or ill, for celebration or sadness. Birthdays represent, in a single day, the connection between yesterday and tomorrow. Farewell and hello. What a great source of inspiration for memorable literature. Here is a list of books where a birthday lays the groundwork or becomes the catalyst for a great story:
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott The Moonstone – Wilkie Collins The Three Sisters – Anton Chekhov The Fellowship of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien The Birthday Party – Harold Pinter Wise Children – Angela Carter Atonement – Ian McEwan Bel Canto – Ann Patchett The Line of Beauty – Alan Hollinghurst
Want to treat a child to a good birthday-themed book? Consider one of these:
A Bear Called Paddington – Michael Bond Happy Birthday, Moon – Frank Asch Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday – Mélanie Watt Mr. Badger and the Big Surprise – Leigh Hobbs The Secret Birthday Message – Eric Carle
For those of you reading this on your birthday, Happy Birthday. And to the rest, a very Happy Un-Birthday!
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is delighted to welcome NY Times bestselling author Jen Lancaster to a book signing and wine tasting at TASTE Food & Wine, 1506 W. Jarvis Avenue, Chicago, from 5-8 p.m. on August 20th to celebrate her newest book, The Best of Enemies, published by NAL on August 4, 2015.
Jen’s books, including Bitter is the New Black, The Tao of Martha and I Regret Nothing, received rave reviews from The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, InStyle and many more.
The Best of Enemies is told from the alternating perspectives of two women who define the term “frenemies”. It is a story of friendship, rivalry, road trips, and the glue that holds it all together—a mutual friend. Books will be available for purchase and signing. On-site book sales will be handled by The Book Cellar.
Reflecting the road trip aspect of The Best of Enemies, the wines to be featured are quality bi-coastal selections: “a voluptuous California chardonnay and a scintillating New York riesling,” announced wine maven Phoebe Snowe, owner of TASTE Food & Wine. Both selections, and others, will be available for sale.
Click on video to see the cute promo video introducing BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™.
What does summer bring to mind for you? What does it look and feel like? How does it smell and taste? What changes from the other seasons does it provoke in you and others? How would you convey those thoughts and feelings to someone who never shared your experience? How would you bring the season to life that would make others experience summer in a new way? Here’s a list of books that successfully use summer as a setting, a catalyst, a symbol or even a character:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream – William Shakespeare Tender is the Night – F. Scott Fitzgerald A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee The Dangerous Summer – Ernest Hemingway Summer Sisters – Judy Blume Prodigal Summer – Barbara Kingsolver Atonement – Ian McEwan Let the Great World Spin – Colum McCann
Find a sunny beach, a shade tree, a crisp mountaintop or a soft meadow; any place that speaks of summer to you. Take along a great summer book and experience the season anew.
For many readers, summer books should be selected like summer wines: light, bright, crisp, and refreshing. And fun, fun, fun! One author delivers this time and again: NY Times bestselling author Jen Lancaster. Her books include Bitter is the New Black, The Tao of Martha and I Regret Nothing, which received rave reviews from The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, InStyle and many more.
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is delighted to welcome Jen to a book signing and wine tasting at TASTE Food & Wine, 1506 W. Jarvis Avenue, Chicago, from 5-8 p.m. on August 20th to celebrate her newest book, The Best of Enemies, published by NAL on August 4, 2015.
The Best of Enemies is told from the alternating perspectives of two women who define the term “frenemies”. It is a story of friendship, rivalry, road trips, and the glue that holds it all together—a mutual friend. Books will be available for purchase and signing. On-site book sales will be handled by The Book Cellar.
Reflecting the road trip aspect of The Best of Enemies, the wines to be featured are quality bi-coastal selections: “a voluptuous California chardonnay and a scintillating New York riesling,” announced wine maven Phoebe Snowe, owner of TASTE Food & Wine. Both selections, and others, will be available for sale.
If you missed the wonderful launch of BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ last month, you have another chance to be part of the fun on Thursday, August 20th, when we host NY Times best-selling author Jen Lancaster and feature her hilarious new book, The Best of Enemies. The fun begins at 5 p.m. at TASTE Food & Wine, 1506 West Jarvis, Chicago. Another delicious tasting will pair fascinating wines with elements of the featured book and author. Reservations are not necessary. Cheers!
After months of planning the newest venture from Book●ed, I’m delighted to report that the launch of BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ was a blast! The gathering of people at TASTE Food & Wine on July 23rd mixed, mingled and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. The pairing of quality books with quality wines was “a stroke of genius” said one of the guests. Oh yes, indeed!
Author Susanna Calkins captivated us with her description of the fascinating period in history, “the world turned upside down” in 17th century England, where her acclaimed Lucy Campion mystery series takes place. The Masque of a Murderer, the third book in the series, was available for sale, along with copies of the previous two books, which Susanna personalized and autographed for new and returning fans.
Wine maven Phoebe Snowe poured the featured wines that were paired with references in the book to Rhenish wine and claret. Rhenish means from the Rhine Valley in Germany; for that, we were treated to a crisp, German reisling. Claret, explained Phoebe, was the name given by the British to wines from the Bordeaux region of France; the Bordeaux we tasted was luxurious. Both selections were big hits with the guests.
Thanks to Nili Yellin, representing The Book Cellar, for expediting book sales; and to Sara Fenwick of F-Stop Photos for capturing images of the evening.
Many of the guests who attended our launch plan to return for the August 20th BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ event when we host NY Times bestselling author Jennifer Lancaster. With her latest book, The Best of Enemies, we move from the mysterious past to the hilarious present. Wait till you see what featured wines TASTE will pair with that book! We hope to see you there.
To learn more about our events, visit the Book.ed website where you can read my weekly blog or click on the BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ tab for upcoming event details and our entertaining little promo video.
The literary world was rocked this past week as news spread that Harper Lee’s sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird (actually written before the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic) reveals Atticus Finch to be a racist. Go Set a Watchman follows daughter “Scout” (now adult and using her given names “Jean Louise” and living in New York) on a return to Maycomb, Alabama to visit her father.
The shock and disillusionment Jean Louise feels as she realizes the moral compass of her world was corrupted by bigotry, that the pure remembrance she had of her father was the false idealization a child creates around a parent, has been shared by many lifelong admirers of the heroic Atticus they met in Mockingbird (both the 1960 book and 1962 movie).
So beloved was the Atticus Finch we’ve lived with for 55 years that some Harper Lee fans refuse to read Go Set a Watchman. Still others note that the Atticus Finch who emerges in the clear eyes of an adult Jean Louise is truer to the people who would have lived his life in his place and time.
It is interesting that Harper Lee wrote the actual Atticus first and then, in a more polished book, placed him in the memory of a child as a true literary hero. The timing of each book’s publication seems perfectly matched to the social conversations taking place when they came out.
Whatever you feel about the quality of the writing and the uncomfortable revelation about Atticus Finch, the pairing of Go Set a Watchman with To Kill a Mockingbird serves a purpose beyond storytelling. Together, they accomplish what few books do but which more books should aspire to: reflect the truth of what it is to be human, to acknowledge that there is dark and light in each of us. What we see in others says as much about us as about them. For this reason, Harper Lee’s only two novels to be published should be considered in tandem.
The title of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman comes from the King James Bible, Isaiah 21:6: “For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.” Lee’s longtime friend, Baptist minister and historian Wayne Flint, said that in this passage Isaiah is prophesizing about the downfall of Babylon. “Nelle (Harper Lee) probably likened Monroeville (her Alabama birthplace and the inspiration for fictional Maycomb) to Babylon. The Babylon of immoral voices, the hypocrisy,” “Somebody needs to be set as the watchman to identify what we need to do to get out of the mess.”
Book●ed has teamed up with TASTE Food & Wine, a popular Chicago shop, to elevate author book signing events with quality wines paired by themes to the books. The launch of BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will be Thursday, July 23, 2015 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at TASTE Food & Wine, 1506 W. Jarvis Avenue. You can view my brief video with Phoebe Snowe, talking about this new venture by clicking on BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™.
For those who enjoy quality wine as much as quality books, BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ offers both as authors and readers get to meet in a convivial setting.
The first author to be fêted at a BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ event will be Susanna Calkins, whose newest book is The Masque of a Murderer. Published by Minotaur Books, it is the third Lucy Campion mystery set in 17th century England. Publishers Weekly called Calkins’s writing “Assured… Calkins’s familiarity with the period and her use of obscure details, such as the fire court set up to adjudicate claims after the Great Fire of 1666, are a plus.”
Reflecting themes in the book, a Rhenish (German riesling) wine and a claret will be featured among the wine options of the evening. Books will be available for purchase and signing. On-site book sales will be handled by The Book Cellar.
It might seem counter-productive to give away something you’ve spent your time and money creating, if your goal is to make money. But savvy marketers know that sampling is one of the most effective ways to expand customer awareness and generate purchases. That means giving away something you’ve produced. Vendors of food and cosmetics use this tactic very effectively. Smart authors and publishers are doing it too. A little taste builds up an appetite. When someone accepts your offer, a relationship has been established.
At Book Expo America this past May, free books were offered like lollipops. Often, but not always, giveaways were linked with author appearances and book signings. I returned home, my suitcase bulging with books I was eager to read, written by authors I hadn’t heard of. As part of the community that builds a buzz for book sales, I may recommend the books and authors through my Book●ed blog.
Are you an author who is not going to industry conventions? Working on a budget that doesn’t allow massive giveaways? There are many other ways to promote a book and entice readers to buy it:
Hold a contest. Through bloggers and other social media, offer your books as prizes in exchange for positive media coverage to targeted audiences. For example, a copy of Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power was given to a popular classic movie blogger to use as a prize in a May 2014 contest, the month of Tyrone Power’s 100th birthday. In return, the book got an enthusiastic write-up that was share with that blog’s readers and all the other bloggers in an association of classic movie bloggers.
Donate a book as a charity raffle prize. If your book theme relates to a charity’s cause, or if you personally support the cause, donate an autographed book as a fundraising raffle prize in exchange for an ad or other promotional plug at the charity event.
Donate a book to your local library. Tie the donation to the offer of a free talk about your book and a book signing/sale at the library.
Offer excerpts from your book. Do public readings where your book would be available for sale and autographing. Consider reputable places (print or online) where an excerpt could be reproduced with attribution to you and your book.
Use Social Media Distribution. Services such as BookGrabbr charge nominal fees to provide social media marketing promotions using free excerpts or the entire text from your book. See my June 21, 2015 blog post “How to Grab an Audience” for more information.
If you believe you created something worth having, give it away wisely and let it speak to its own value. Use the law of reciprocity: those to whom you give will feel an obligation to return the favor as a way of expressing their thanks. Everyone wins.
Book●ed has teamed up with TASTE Food & Wine, a popular Chicago shop, to elevate author book signing events with quality wines paired by themes to the books. The launch of BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will be Thursday, July 23, 2015 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at TASTE Food & Wine, 1506 W. Jarvis Avenue.
For those who enjoy quality wine as much as quality books, BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ offers both as authors and readers get to meet in a convivial setting.
“Many new friendships, and even some romances, have started over wine at our tastings,” said Phoebe Snow, owner of TASTE Food & Wine. “We strive to create a welcoming atmosphere in our store and introduce wines that generate conversation.”
The first author to be fêted at a BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ event will be Susanna Calkins, whose newest book is The Masque of a Murderer. Published by Minotaur Books, it is the third Lucy Campion mystery set in 17th century England. Publishers Weekly called Calkins’s writing “Assured… Calkins’s familiarity with the period and her use of obscure details, such as the fire court set up to adjudicate claims after the Great Fire of 1666, are a plus.”
Calkins, an historian and educator at Northwestern University, will read from her book and talk about the fascinating time in which the series takes place. Reflecting themes in the book, a Rhenish (German riesling) wine and a claret will be featured among the wine options of the evening.
Books will be available for purchase and signing. On-site book sales will be handled by The Book Cellar.
Good books and good wines are a natural pairing. I love both. As my friend Phoebe Snowe described her popular Chicago wine shop — TASTE Food & Wine — and the twice-weekly wine tastings that draw a loyal following, my brain cells started sparking. I’d been to book signings at book stores where run-of-the-mill wine was offered. Why not elevate the wine to be as good as the books — especially in a convivial setting? What better venue would there be to hold book signings than at a really neat wine shop?
Phoebe jumped at the idea of combining forces with me. The result is BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™, making its Chicago debut July 23rd from 5-8 pm at TASTE Food & Wine, 1506 West Jarvis Avenue. I recruited my dear friend, Nili Yellin (aka Chicago’s much-in-demand “Storybook Mom”), to help with onsite book sales.
Next step was finding the books people want to read and the authors they want to meet. I struck gold right off the bat. The summer lineup will be The Masque of a Murderer by Susanna Calkins on July 23rd and The Best of Enemies by Jen Lancaster on August 20th. And wait till you learn who our future authors will be (yes, you will have to wait but I promise news-making events are lining up).
The Masque of the Murderer is the third book in the acclaimed Lucy Campion series. Set in 17th century England, the book combines finely wrought characters, a richly detailed historical atmosphere, and a tightly-plotted mystery into a compelling read. Booklist says historian Susanna Calkins’ writes with “tantalizing clues and rich historical details,” that “draw readers into the seventeenth century, led by the piquant and elusive Lucy….”
The Best of Enemies is the newest uproarious book (launching in August) from New York Times bestselling author Jen Lancaster and early previews indicate fans will not be disappointed! USA TODAY said, “If laughter is a great tonic for the spirit, then Jen Lancaster… is a double dose.” PEOPLE magazine said, “She’s like that friend who always says what you’re thinking-just 1000 times funnier.”
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is a natural expansion of Book●ed‘s: mission to connect authors and their books with booklovers. The rapid response from major publishing houses, authors and publicists proves there is a thirst (pun intended) for such opportunities to bring authors together with their audiences. I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones at BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™!
We all grew up reading books published by companies that have been around for decades, some even more than a century. You know their names, their authors and many of their titles. For years, to be published meant to be elevated to the literary heights by the giants of the industry. The times, they are a-changing!
Most authors still dream of being published by one of the major publishing companies but there are other options to be considered. Today, there are four forms of publishing: traditional (major publishing houses), self-publishing (the author pays in advance for every service used), university presses (they publish more than text books but their genres are limited and they are struggling to compete in the changing marketplace) and independent publishing. Independent (“indie”) publishers are smaller presses that are separate from the publishing conglomerates but perform most of the same functions. (The terms indie publishing and self-publishing are sometimes interchanged but they are very different.) All forms of publishing are found at book stores, online and in libraries (although self-published books still struggle for acceptance in some of these arenas).
At this year’s Book Expo America, I was impressed not only by the number of independent publishers represented, but in their variety (many specialize in certain genres), quality production capabilities, marketing reach and author support. While it is true that indie publishers work with smaller production and promotional budgets, they tend to be more collaborative with their clients through the publishing and marketing process, which can be very attractive for an author. In a smaller pond, every fish gets more attention.
Major publishing houses won’t accept any manuscript that is not submitted through an established literary agent. This creates an extra hurdle for authors: getting their manuscript accepted by an agent before it will be considered by major publishers. Independent publishers consider manuscripts submitted directly by authors, although (due to their smaller staffs) the wait time for a response may test your patience.
Indie publishers employ the same distribution channels used by the major houses. Because of emerging and evolving companies serving the book industry, targeting specialized markets (military, schools, etc.) can be achieved with smart planning, regardless of the size or type of publisher.
If you are an author exploring your publishing options, your choices should be guided by: how much control you want to retain over the artistic aspects of your book; the format of your book (major publishers offer the most options); how much collaboration you want to have in the production and marketing of your book; how much time and effort you are willing to put into getting an agent.
For authors, indie publishers offer plentiful opportunities to get their books into the hands of readers. For readers, indie publishers provide wider access to great books, especially from emerging or less mainstream authors. And that’s a very, very good thing!
Ever read a book and imagined who should play the characters in a movie adaptation? I found a neat internet company call The Imagine Film List (The IF List) that lets you become a casting director, imagining your favorite book transformed into a movie with your choice of stars. It’s fun and it’s free.
Over coffee at Book Expo America last month, The IF List co-founder Noel Spangler explained to me how his company can help authors build a greater following for their books, possibly even attracting the attention of filmmakers. “We provide simple, but powerful tools to visualize any story as a movie, propose a dream cast, and nominate filmmakers to bring the story to life on screen. Proposals that receive the most support from fans are ranked at the top of The IF List, where they are in the best position to attract the attention of producers, casting directors, celebrities and others who have the power to turn ideas into reality.”
In addition to being a creative platform, The IF List is a comprehensive database and search engine – the first of its kind for imagined films and TV shows. “Our listings include profiles of thousands of proposed stories, roles, actors, and filmmakers, all with updated scores that reflect what is most in demand among moviegoers,” said Spangler. “Over the next two years, with the contributions of our fans, we plan to increase the size of our database tenfold, establishing The IF List as a valuable resource for discovering potential movies.”
Booklovers should plan on being in Chicago next Spring: Book Expo America 2016 will be at McCormick Place from May 11th-13th and the Chicago Tribune’s annual Printers Row Lit Fest will be in June (dates to be announced). Keep following the Book●ed blog for updates.
Ignore all those Henny Penny the sky is falling reports that print books are at death’s door. I recently returned from Book Expo America in NYC and the industry filled all 4 levels of the city-block-size Javitz Center. All the major U.S. publishers were there, along with industry representatives from several countries (China had the largest presence with a hotel lobby-size exhibit area and many programs). Indie publishers and individual authors were also highly visible. Just as important were all the supporting service companies promoting their capabilities. The place was buzzing and everywhere you looked, there were books, books, books, beautiful printed books.
This is great news for authors and booklovers alike. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share with you what I saw, heard and learned at BEA. Here are some of the key observations:
• The major publishers (you know their names) are the elephants in the room, big and powerful but they can’t tap dance.
• Smaller, indie publishers are gaining in recognition and respect, helping to launch more great authors and books that are overlooked by the majors.
• Self-published books continue to grow as a percentage of new titles each year.
• E-books continue to be popular but print dominates by a wide margin.
• Services supporting self-published authors and their books are becoming more sophisticated, effective, accessible and user friendly.
• Social media is an increasingly driving force behind book sales.
• There are exciting new players on the field; watch them run!
If you are an author, know an author or want to be an author, you’ll find (and, I hope, share) a wealth of useful information in the coming weeks of the Book●ed blog.
Book Expo America is coming to Chicago! North America’s largest book industry convention will leave NYC in 2016 and come to McCormick Place May 11th-13th, bringing along its adjunct BookCon event on May 14th. BookCon is a newer event, geared to the general public. Consumers interact with the authors, publishers, celebrities and creators of content that influence everything we read, hear and see. BookCon features Q+A’s, autographing sessions, storytelling podcasts, special screenings, literary quiz shows and more. For anyone serious about being part of the book business, BEA is a must. For anyone who loves books, BookCon is a treat. Book●ed will keep you updated on these events as they develop.
Although I’ve lived away from it almost as long as I lived in it, New York City will always be home to me. When I say New York City, I mean Manhattan. I was born there on New Year’s Eve, spent my first years living on Broadway, attended the famed H.S. of Music & Art, roamed the fabled coffee houses of Greenwich Village and still live on that island in my dreams.
Returning to “my city” for Book Expo America led me to think of the enduring magnetism of this metropolis where anything is possible – good or bad. And of all the great books that have featured the city for atmosphere or as a catalyst. These should be on your list:
Non-Fiction Here is New York — E.B. White World of Our Fathers — Irving Howe The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge – David McCullough Just Kids – Patti Smith
Fiction The Age of Innocence — Edith Wharton The Great Gatsby — F. Scott Fitzgerald The New York Stories of Henry James — Henry James A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith Call It Sleep – Henry Roth Invisible Man — Ralph Ellison Breakfast at Tiffany’s — Truman Capote Wonderful Town: New York Stories from The New Yorker – multiple authors The Alienist – Caleb Carr
After you take a few bites of “The Big Apple”, I’m convinced you’ll develop a taste that keeps bringing you back.
NYC is noted for excelling at many things; that includes producing and inspiring some of the world’s best writers. Flavorwire shares its list of New York’s 100 most important living writers.
One of my literary heroes is O. Henry (1862-1910). Although he lived only 47 years, he produced some 600 short stories, defined by their keen insights about humanity and usually punctuated with a twist ending. Born in North Carolina, O. Henry moved around the country but his most prolific writing period started in 1902, when he moved to New York City; while there, he wrote 381 short stories. Visit Pete’s Tavern (est. 1864) in Gramercy Park and sit at the booth with the plaque stating that William Sydney Porter — pen name O. Henry — sat in that very same booth when he wrote The Gift of the Magi, his most famous story.
O. Henry loved New York, its people, places and potential. It has been reported that his last words were “Pull up the shades so I can see New York. I don’t want to go home in the dark.”
Amen.
Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours. – Wallace Bruce
As the political rhetoric of the next Presidential election heats up, much bloviating has focused on what people said and did in the lead-up to the Iraq war. Everyone wants to be on the right side of history but history is still in flux. Regardless of your political leaning, you’ve probably noticed how people’s view of the Iraq war has changed over the years, just as the view of the Vietnam war has evolved. This adjustment of judgment is the psychological nature of all humans, not just politicians, pundits and media personalities.
One opinion that has secured firmed footing, regardless of how we feel about war: soldiers who serve in our name, risking life and limb, are heroes. Literature helps us understand and fully appreciate the lives and sacrifices of those who serve in our military, as well as the heroic families that sacrifice to support them. It also enlightens our understanding of how society (that’s us folks) relates to soldiers … and how we can show our appreciation.
Regardless of which war interests you, and whether you prefer non-fiction accounts or novels carrying the theme, great books to enlighten and inspire readers abound. Here are some recommendations:
Non-Fiction Red Tail Captured, Red Tail Free — Alexander Jefferson with Lewis Carlson (WWII/Europe) Unbroken — Lauren Hillenbrand (WWII/Pacific) The Ghosts of Hero Street: How One Small Mexican-American Community Gave So Much in World War II and Korea — Carlos Harrison (WW II, Korea) Dispatches — Michael Herr (Vietnam) Jarhead — Anthony Swofford (Persian Gulf) Thank You For Your Service — David Finkel (Iraq) Fobbit — David Abrams (Iraq) Plenty of Time When We Get Home — Kayla Williams (Iraq) The Face of War — Martha Gellhorn (various)
Fiction The Red Badge of Courage — Stephen Crane (Civil War) A Farewell to Arms — Ernest Hemingway (WW I) Catch-22 — Joseph Heller (WWII) The Thin Red Line — James Jones (WW II, Pacific) Johnny Got His Gun — Dalton Trumbo (WW II) Paco’s Story — Larry Heinemann (Vietnam) Tree of Smoke — by Denis Johnson (Vietnam) The Things They Carried — Tim O’Brien (Vietnam) The Yellow Birds — Kevin Powers (Iraq) How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! – Maya Angelou
From where I sit at my computer, I have a view of a spectacular Prairie Fire Crabapple tree that is in full bloom at this time of year. A glorious cloud of deep pink blossoms sway gently with every soft spring breeze. It’s one reminder of the miracle of flowers that reappear in colorful abundance each year at this season. This got me thinking about the role flowers play in literature. It’s not all a bed of roses.
In Daphne du Maurier’s haunting Rebecca, here’s the description of the flowers seen by the second Mrs. De Winter (who is never referred to by a first name) on the first approach to her new home, Manderley: “The woods had not prepared me for them. They startled me with their crimson faces, massed one upon the other in incredible profusion, showing no leaf, no twig, nothing but the slaughterous red, luscious and fantastic, unlike any rhododendron I had seen before.” How quickly the innocent “faces… in incredible profusion” become “slaughterous red, luscious and fantastic”. The flowers, cultivated by the deceased first Mrs. De Winter – Rebecca of the book’s title – are an omen of things to come, the evolution of welcoming grace into some very luxurious yet dangerous darkness. Flowers – their colors, fragrances and how they grow — make symbolic appearances throughout the novel to powerful effect.
In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses flowers almost exclusively in relationship to Ophelia. Implying that Hamlet’s love for her is fleeting, Laertes calls that love “A violet in the youth of primy nature”, comparing it to a charming, fragrant but short-lived flower. Throughout the play, Ophelia hands out flowers that symbolize different qualities in other characters. Even Ophelia’s death takes place as she is picking flowers and falls into a brook where she drowns: “Clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke,/ When down her weedy trophies and herself/ Fell in the weeping brook.”
Harper Lee used flowers memorably in To Kill a Mockingbird. In this story, the camellia represented justice. Just as Jem must nurture Mrs. Dubose’s white camellias, he must nurture the courage he needs to deal with the emotional upheaval of his young life. Fighting her own struggles before she died, Mrs. Dubose prepared a wax camellia for Jem, a camellia that would endure, as his courage must. Although they were not a focal point of the narrative, red geraniums also play an important, symbolic role. The description of Mayella Ewell’s property is like the “playhouse of an insane child.” Yet: “…against the fence, in a line, were six chipped-enamel slop jars holding brilliant red geraniums, cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to Miss Maudie Atkinson. People said they were Mayella Ewell’s.” While the Ewell family was not known to be caring and loving, the presence of the flowers symbolized the predisposition to good that still exists in everyone, no matter how corrupted they might be.
Now and through the coming months, don’t just stop to smell the roses you encounter. Think of what flowers symbolize to you. And give them more thought as you encounter them in the books you read.
Book Expo America (BEA), the largest annual book trade fair in the U.S. will be held in New York City this year from May 27-29. More than 750 authors, hundreds of new titles, 1,000+ exhibitors, and four Author Stages, along with the Digital Discovery Zone (D2Z) provided by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) make this one of the best environments for networking, sourcing, and relationship building in the publishing industry in North America. The BEA website has details.
The 31st annual Printer’s Row Lit Fest, considered the largest free outdoor literary event in the Midwest, is expected to draw more than 150,000 book lovers throughout the weekend of June 6-7 in Chicago’s South Loop. LeVar Burton, the force behind the PBS series “Reading Rainbow,” will be honored at this year’s Lit Fest as recipient of the Chicago Tribune’s 2015 Young Adult Literary Award. The Fest offers block after block of booksellers, vendors, performers and events, hosting more than 200 authors in panels, discussions and other programs. Among those appearing in this year’s extensive lineup are: Erik Larson, Edward P. Jones, Rick Bayless, Amber Tamblyn, David Axelrod, Lawrence Wright, Garry Wills, Aleksandar Hemon, Elizabeth Berg, Neal Stephenson, Scott Simon, Rebecca Makkai and more.
When we think “American” authors, we tend to assume they are U.S. authors, eh? Oh Canada,
how could we overlook you?! Because I am spending a few days at Niagara Falls, Ontario, I decided to explore Canadian authors and their books. I was amazed, as I expect you will be, to discover that these well-known authors you probably thought were from the States (each name accompanied by one of their best-selling books):
Margaret Atwood – The Handmaid’s Tale
Alice Munro – Lives of Girls and Women (also known for short stories)
Michael Ondaatje – The English Patient
Sara Gruen – Water for Elephants
Robertson Davies – What’s Bred in the Bone
L.M. Montgomery – Anne of Green Gables (series)
Yann Martel – Life of Pi
W.P. Kinsella – Shoeless Joe (became the movie Field of Dreams)
Here’s a list of lesser known (to us) Canadian authors whose books are also highly recommended:
Rohinton Mistry – A Fine Balance
Margaret Laurence – The Stone Angel
Mordecai Richler – Barney’s Version
Joesph Boyden – Three Day Road
Lawrence Hill – Someone Knows My Name
Alistair MacLeod – No Great Mischief
Farley Mowat – Never Cry Wolf
The eager reader is one who learned early on that reading can be fun. Typically, a child’s earliest experiences with books are being read to by an adult. Wanting to hold the magical spell of the lines and shapes on a page, the keys that open new worlds, the child learns to read.
Book●ed blog followers value reading. We love books. Can you imagine never having a book to call your own? In the United States, sadly, countless children do not own a single book. Fewer than half of families read to their kindergarten-age children on a daily basis. Thirty-three percent of low-income 4th graders are unable to read at their basic grade level; sixty-eight percent are unable to read proficiently at grade level. Forty million adults in the U.S. can’t read well enough to share a simple story with their child. One in four Americans grows up functionally illiterate.
Children who are poor readers at the end of 1st grade show decreased self-esteem, confidence and motivation to learn. They fall behind in school. They fall behind in life. We all suffer as a result. This is a scandal that does not have to continue!
Two programs are working diligently to turn the tide of literacy in the U.S.: RIF and Reading Rainbow.
RIF – Reading is Fundamental – is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization working for children’s literacy. In 2014, RIF distributed 1.7 million books to children in underserved communities. Since its establishment in 1966, RIF has provided more than 401 million books for children to choose and keep – “because to understand the value of books, kids need to own books.” There is no charge to the children or their families for the books or other provided by RIF.
In addition to letting children choose their own books from a carefully selected assortment, RIF volunteers generate enthusiasm for books and reading with storytellers, costumed book characters, guest readers and author visits. Programs are tailored to individual communities through collaboration with community members and parents.
Reading Rainbow was an Emmy-winning PBS series that aired for 23 seasons (1983-2006), reaching a nation of elementary school-aged TV-watching children and motivating them to read. For the show’s host, actor LeVar Burton, Reading Rainbow was more than a gig. “My mother was an English teacher, so there were always books around,” he said. “I’d be sitting in Sacramento, California, but I could see and experience things I couldn’t even dream of.” About the lifelong impact of early literacy, Burton observed, “If you can read, you are free. If you can read, no one can keep you in the dark. You can learn anything, inform yourself and make up your own mind.”
Burton’s commitment to Reading Rainbow continued after the series ended. He and a business partner produced a reading app. Realizing that tablet computers are not affordable by everyone, he is taking Reading Rainbow content in an expanded version to the Web. Burton supports reading books in digital format and in print. Although he co-founded a digital technology company, he also is a first-time author of a whimsically illustrated children’s book, The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm in print because, “…we need to keep turning those pages.”
If you love books, love reading, love children, take a closer look at RIF and Reading Rainbow.
