A special shout-out to The Book Bin, a Northbrook (Illinois) super store (not to be confused with an impersonal superstore) that has handled book sales during the second season of BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ . I’m not the only fan of this venerable independent bookstore, celebrating its 45th year. NPR recently interviewed owner Allison Mengarelli and now The New York Times mentioned the store during an interview with Fredrik Backman, author of the international best seller, A Man Called Ove. Anyone living, working or visiting Chicago’s North Shore will not be disappointed visiting The Book Bin.
November conjures up a lot of rituals from raking leaves to casting votes in elections to celebrating Thanksgiving. A more recent ritual that is really catching on is National Novel Writing Month – NaNoWriMo.
National Novel Writing Month began as an event in 1999, and in 2005, became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. NaNoWriMo’s programs now include National Novel Writing Month in November, Camp NaNoWriMo, the Young Writers Program, Come Write In, and The “Now What?” Months.
On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30. NaNoWriMo provides the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds—on and off the page.
NaNoWriMo is accessed online. You complete a profile so like-minded writers can connect with you but you don’t write your novel on the site. While the process of writing is a primarily a solitary undertaking, NaNoWriMo sets you up with a regional volunteer “Municipal Liaison” and provides a “Regional Lounge” with online forums. As encouragement, personal achievement badges and writing badges are awarded as you complete specific milestones. Pep talks from published authors, NaNo Prep advice, and other resources are offered to motivate you.
You win NaNoWriMo by writing 50,000 words of your novel between November 1 and November 30. There’s no limit on how many people can win! Just be sure that you’ve defined a novel on their site and validated your novel’s word count at the end of the month. Every year, several generous sponsors offer participant and winner goodies.
All programs for National Novel Writing Month are free. However, they run on (tax-deductible) donations and ask ably-financed participants to contribute towards hosting and administrative costs.
Over 250 NaNoWriMo novels have been traditionally published. They include Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, Hugh Howey’s Wool, Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl, Jason Hough’s The Darwin Elevator, and Marissa Meyer’s Cinder.
Maybe the next great novel to come out of NaNoWriMo will be yours!
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is rounding out its 2016 season with exciting programs!
Our October events celebrate the allure of mystery series, featuring new mystery novels from popular authors: See Also Deception by author Larry D. Sweazy and Death in Cold Water by Patricia Skalka. Get clued in on some wonderful wine as you converse with these authors and get your personally autographed copies of their books.
November is National Adoption Awareness Month and we are honored to welcome award-winning screenwriter Anne Heffron with her recently released memoir, You Don’t Look Adopted. In addition to our traditional BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ at TASTE Food and Wine on November 14th, we are excited to host a BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ fundraiser to benefit Gift of Adoption – a 2016 recipient of the Congressional Angel in Adoptions Award – on November 13th at Sunset Foods. In addition to a wine tasting and book signing, the fundraiser will offer refreshments, raffles and much more.
Seems like mystery novels have been around forever but in the history of literature this genre is a relative newcomer. Before the mid-1800s, books were read primarily by the upper classes for education rather than entertainment. In the mid-1800s, rising literacy rates, technological advances in publishing that made books more accessible, and more leisure time contributed greatly to the popularity of novels in general and mysteries in particular.
Edgar Allen Poe, who died at the age of 40 on October 7, 1849, is considered the father of mysteries as we know them today. Poe created mystery’s first fictional detective, C. Auguste Dupin in The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841). Dupin proved so popular, that his exploits continued in subsequent Poe mysteries. Poe refocused mysteries from merely situational to the study of the criminal’s mind.
Mystery novels weren’t solely the domain of male authors. In 1878, Anna Katherine Greene’s The Leavenworth Case made her the first woman to write a detective novel. Elements of detection introduced in this novel influenced writers of the “English country house murder” school in the 1920s.
You can’t think “detective” without conjuring up Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, who was introduced to readers in A Study in Scarlet (1887) and became the iconic fictional detective of intelligence and scientific knowledge through a series of books.
With increasing prosperity in England and America, and the evolution to a popular format for mystery novels, the 1920s launched the “Gold Age” of mystery fiction. The queen of the genre was Agatha Christie whose 50-year career yielded more than 80 novels, translated into 103 languages. Making the detective’s character as important as the who-done-it, she created two of the most enduring sleuths in mystery fiction: the Belgiun detective Hercule Poirot and the mystery-solving spinster Jane Marple.
On the heels of the Golden Age featuring English authors, American authors with their sensibilities, characters and locales gained popularity. Mystery novels reached their zenith here in the 1930s and 40s. The most notable characters included Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade, Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe, Earl Derr Bigger’s Charlie Chan and Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason. Then there is Ellery Queen, a pseudonym for the collaboration of American cousins Manfred B. Lee and Frederic Dannay whose detective also went by that name. In all, the two authors wrote 33 Ellery Queen novels spanning over 40 years.
Other types of mystery series that made their mark between the 20s and 40s included Ed McBain’s police procedurals and Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer (maligned by critics for its emphasis on sex and violence but popular with readers). Even young readers got hooked on mysteries, following their own sleuths in the popular Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series.
Mystery series featuring sleuths are as popular as ever. Examples include Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone, Robert B. Parker‘s Boston-based P.I. Spenser, and P.D. James‘British policeman Adam Dagliesh.
Guests at this month’s BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will meet popular mystery authors and learn about the latest books in their series. Patricia Skalka, author of the hot-off-the-press Death in Cold Water (a Dave Cubiak mystery), and Larry D. Sweazy, author of the recently released See Also Deception (a Marjorie Trumaine mystery), will share in the conversation-friendly free wine tasting at TASTE Food & Wine in Chicago on Monday, October 24th from 6-8 p.m. Patricia will also hold court from 6-8 p.m. at the October 25th BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ at Sunset Foods in Northbrook, IL. Books and wines, along with Bonus Buy packages will be available for sale at both events.
Mark your calendar for November 13th and 14th when BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month with two very special events. More details to come! You can stay on top of the latest news by checking the Book●ed website and clicking on BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ or LIKE the Book●ed Facebook page.
One of the most important parts of a non-fiction book is the part readers rarely if ever think about: the Index. It’s just there. But who compiles it? That’s the job of the indexer.
Yes, there are professional indexers, bless ‘em all. I was surprised to learn that most indexers (that’s what they’re called) work freelance and the work can be quite profitable. There’s actually an American Society for Indexing, a non-profit organization that advocates, educates, and provides a central resource for indexing.
In the United States, authors are traditionally responsible for the index of their non-fiction book but most authors don’t actually do it. A few publishers have in-house indexers but most indexing is hired out to freelancers by authors, publishers or book packagers.
While computer software can assist the indexer, indexing requires understanding and organizing the ideas and information in a book’s text to a degree that computers still cannot handle. According to the ASI, “Skills needed to learn indexing include excellent language skills, high clerical aptitude, accuracy, and attention to detail.” (Also)… self-discipline, curiosity, tolerance of isolation and love of books are necessary to keep going.
Although they are typically found in non-fiction books, indexes and indexers populate fiction. Examples are Orson Scott Card’s The Originist and Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle. Author Barbara Pym includes indexers in many of her works, including No Fond Return of Love while Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes made use of a personal index in several of his cases.
In award-winning author Larry D. Sweazy’s Marjorie Trumaine mystery series, the main character is an indexer. See Also Deception, the newest book in the series, will be one of the featured books when Sweazy is the guest, along with popular mystery writer Patricis Skalka and her hot-off-the-press Death in Cold Water, at the October 24th BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ at TASTE Food and Wine in Chicago. Skalka will also appear at the October 25th BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ at Sunset Foods in Northbrook, IL. You’ll be clued in to great mysteries, fabulous wines and much more at these two free conversation-friendly wine tasting book signing events. As always, books, wine and Bonus Buy packages will be available.
Mark your calendar for November 13th and 14th when BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month with two very special events. More details to come! You can stay on top of the latest news by checking the Book●ed website and clicking on BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ or LIKE the Book●ed Facebook page.
Note to Readers – Every now and then, I will re-post a blog entry that has withstood the test of time. Whether you missed it the first time ‘round or read it years ago, I feel it’s worth sharing again. I chose 451 Degrees–Parts 1 & 2 from March 2013 because the American Library Association just completed another Banned Books Week with the goal of raising awareness of the censorship that threatens our freedom to read.
During a heated election year that has exposed an ugly, dangerous polarization in the U.S., at a time when words really do matter, it is critical to see how – and why — some forces seek to control what we read.
American classics that have been banned or challenged around the country include The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald; The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger; The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; and The Color Purple by Alice Walker. For more about books in the U.S. that have been challenged as well as information about classic novels that have been challenged and/or banned, please seeFrequently Challenged Books.
Banned Books Week began in 1982 as a response to what the ALA said was a drastic increase of challenges to, and removal of, books in libraries, schools and bookstores.The first Banned Book list, in 2001, was topped by JK Rowling’s Harry Potter for “satanism, religious viewpoint, anti-family and violence.” From 2000 to 2009, the top five categories that caused a book to be challenged or banned included: sexually explicit material, offensive language, being considered unsuited for the age group, violence or homosexuality.
“We’re seeing more and more challenges to diverse content, such books about people of color or the LGBT community,” said Deborah Caldwell Stone, deputy director of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. “It reflects concerns of changes in our society.” The list of the10 most challenged books of 2015is based on the frequency a book has been challenged or removed from libraries or schools in the US.
451 Degrees – Part 1
Noted author Judy Blume once said, “Fear is often disguised as moral outrage.” I pondered this concept – one I happen to agree with – as I read about a student-run book club at Chicago’s Lane Tech College Prep High School. The club is called 451 Degrees, the temperature at which book paper burns in Ray Bradbury’s classic 1953 futuristic book about a repressive America that confiscates books and burns them. The Lane Tech book club was created by 16-year-old student Levi Todd with the express purpose of reading banned and controversial books.
Earlier this month, Chicago Public Schools issued a directive that removed all copies of the highly acclaimed, award-winning autobiographical graphic novel* Persepolis from seventh-grade classrooms because of “powerful images of torture.” Author Marjane Satrapi defended her book about her childhood during the 1979 Iranian revolution, noting, “These are not photos of torture. It’s a drawing and it’s one frame… Seventh graders have brains and they see all kinds of things on cinema and the internet.”
As a parent, I am sensitive to the challenges of protecting children from unnecessarily disturbing or inappropriate words, images and values (whatever we deem them to be). The key word is unnecessarily; the concept is very subjective. In reality, we cannot protect our children from disturbing or inappropriate words, images or values. In today’s world, they are all around us, seeping into our everyday lives. If we close our eyes to this reality, we fail our children and our society. Ignorance is not bliss.
We can do better by our children and our society by being vigilant about controversial books – not by jumping the banned book bandwagon, but by reading those books and discussing the aspects that have raised the controversy. We could all learn much about our world and the people in it and the events that shape our lives – and our future.
451 Degrees – Part 2
Ray Bradbury’s 1953 dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, presents a repressive society of the future where books are illegal and firemen burn any house that contains them. Bradbury titled his most famous book after “the temperature at which book paper catches fire, and burns.” The cultural landscape Bradbury created is reminiscent of Nazi Germany and other societies throughout history, from ancient eras to contemporary times, in which censorship of thoughts resulted in mass book destruction.
Lest you think America’s celebrated Constitutionally-protected right to “free speech” has shielded this country from similar attempts at suppression, be aware that in the past dozen years alone, Harry Potter books were burned in several American states, “non-approved” Bibles, books and music were burned in North Carolina, and copies of the Qu’ran were burned in various states.
It doesn’t take burning to threaten books and the treasures they possess. Every year, attempts to ban books abound throughout our country. Thought-provoking expression and concepts are often banished from classrooms, libraries and public discourse simply because someone has taken offense at a word, a phrase or an illustration; isolated fragments are pulled out of context and attacked, often by people who haven’t bothered to read the full text or consider different viewpoints. This is true of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a perennial title on “Most Challenged Books” lists since its publication in 1960, and of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, recently banned in Chicago Public Schools.
Fahrenheit 451 is prescient and worth a read (or re-read) six decades after its first publication. Bradbury envisioned many technical and cultural developments that are common today. The book’s uncanny foresight magnifies the strength of its message: When we ban books, we repress thought; we reduce the ability to think; we diminish what it is to be human. If we do not defend the freedom of books to exist and be read, we could find ourselves fulfilling Bradbury’s dystopian nightmare.
We do not need to endorse books with viewpoints, language or imagery that are at odds with our own — but we should not fear them. Every book eventually stands on its literary merits. Poorly written books, those with gratuitous attempts to shock or titillate, will fall from their own weakness. Every book should be given a chance: to start a dialogue, to teach, to enlighten and to enhance humanity.
It took a full century for a dream to become reality. The ringing of an historic Freedom Bell, echoed by bells throughout our nation’s capital, noted the end of a moving dedication ceremony for the National Museum of African American History on September 24th. The memorable ceremony was accented by eloquent speeches, glorious music and celebrity appearances. The program brought attention to the innumerable contributions made to the U.S.A. over the centuries by African Americans, including the many thousands of unnamed ones who helped build this country with their slave labor.
Among the contributions to our country is the rich legacy of incredible literature by African American authors. See how many of these remarkable authors you have read:
Zora Neale Hurston
Langston Hughes
Richard Wright
Ralph Ellison
Alex Haley
James Baldwin
Maya Angelou
Toni Morrison
Ernest J. Gaines
Alice Walker
August Wilson
Octavia Butler
Edward P. Jones
Isabel Wilkerson
Lawrence Otis Graham
Jesmyn Ward
Eric Charles May (the September 2015 BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ guest author)
Kudos to author Susanna Calkins who won the Sue Feder Historical Mystery Award at the 2016 Boucheron World Mystery Convention, for her 2015 novel, The Masque of a Murderer. BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is proud to have featured Susanna at our launch events of the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ has a great lineup for the remainder of the 2016 season. You can stay on top of the latest news by checking the Book●ed website and clicking on BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ or LIKE the Book●ed Facebook page.
Let’s be honest. For speed, convenience and a cost savings, it’s hard to beat Amazon. I confess that I use it. Statistics strongly suggest you do too. It’s a brilliant business concept. Except that it tends to destroy its competitors. That’s how the market works, you say. As consumers, it’s in our interest to seek out lower prices and convenience. But at what real cost?
In the past decade, book selling has undergone major upheaval. Independent book stores found themselves increasingly competing against major chains and discount stores encroaching on their territory. It was impossible to compete with the floor space, advertising clout and cut-rate prices offered by the deeper-pocket, faceless corporate entities.
Then independent stores got creative. They realized they could offer their customers personalized service because they took the time to get to know them. The indie stores opened up opportunities to local authors, they welcomed children and book clubs. They participated in off-site events and developed loyal customers through newsletters. The ambiance of neighborhood bookstores made them community gathering places, which could not be achieved by the chains and discounters.
The indies started to flourish as the corporate behemoths started to flounder. Borders went under. 130-year-old Barnes & Noble is reportedly teetering on the brink. The one giant seller still going great guns is Amazon, which began as a bookseller out of a Seattle garage in 1995. Now Amazon is out to topple local independent bookstores.
Surely Amazon would tell you it salutes and welcomes indie book stores. But that won’t stop them from trying to steal away indie book store customers. Chicago will be the fourth city in one year to have a brick-and-mortar Amazon book store open. Their store prices will match their online prices, which means less than you would pay at your neighborhood independent book store. What will this mean to the many vibrant indie book stores that serve Chicago’s booklovers so brilliantly? Time will tell.
There’s no reason for Amazon to open a physical book store in Chicago, except that the empire recognizes there’s money to be made from an active book-loving public. Now it will be up to those readers to show the indie stores we love them too by being as loyal to them as they’ve been to us.
Since July 2015, booklovers have had a new, fun place to meet authors and buy books – at BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ http://www.bookedwebcast.com/booked_books-n-bottles.html. Now in its second season, the monthly events are held at two venues, one in Chicago and one in suburban Northbrook, IL. Each venue offers a different convivial atmosphere for lovers of books and wines. Guests enjoy conversing with authors while enjoying quality wine tastings. The quality wines are as diverse and delicious as the books and both are available for sale. In season two, we also added the Bonus Buy concept: mementos, merchant discounts and professional photos with the author, among other goodies. For season three, to begin in the spring of 2017, we expect to add a third venue. Three venues, three different settings. Something for every taste. Stay tuned!
This month’s singular BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will be a national book launch celebration on September 25th at Sunset Foods in Northbrook, IL. Boy, 9, Missing is the debut novel from Chicago author Nic Joseph, to be released by Sourcebooks Landmark on September 20th. In the tradition of Defending Jacob or Drowning Ruth, this suspenseful thriller explores the ramifications of revenge, justice, and the aftermath of a terrible night in the lives of two families. As we enjoy our free wine tasting, we’ll be discussing where inspiration comes from and how this book elevates its theme. As always, audience participation will be encouraged! Books will be available on site from the Book Bin, wine and the ever popular Bonus Buy packages (mementos, merchant discounts, professional photos with the author and more) will also be available for purchase.
October 1st is the deadline for submissions to the Missouri Review’s competition for the 26th Annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editor’s Prize. Prizes of $5,000 each for Fiction, Nonfiction and Poetry. Winners receive publication, invitation to a reception and reading in their honor and a cash prize.
The Unbound Book Festival is looking for hosts to hold fundraising parties for next year’s event. The free Missouri festival aims to bring nationally and internationally recognized authors to Columbia, Missouri to talk about their books, their work, and their lives in interactive activities. Beyond the one-day event, organizers hope to raise funds and awareness to improve literacy standards throughout the State of Missouri.
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will celebrate the national book launch of Boy, 9, Missing from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, September 25th at Sunset Foods in downtown Northbrook, IL. The debut novel from Chicago author Nic Joseph, published by Sourcebooks Landmark, has been compared to classic thrillers Defending Jacob or Drowning Ruth. The event, hosted by Book●ed, includes a free wine tasting, conversation with the author, book signings and more. Books will be available on site from the Book Bin, wine and the ever popular Bonus Buy packages (mementos, merchant discounts, professional photos with the author and more) will also be available for purchase.
The 13th Annual Best Book Awards entry deadline is September 30th. The i310 Media Group, organizer of the competition, says it is “specifically designed to not only garner media coverage and book sales for the winners and finalists but to promote awarded books to the publishing and entertainment industries.” Open to all books with an ISBN and published in 2016 (galley copies welcome). 2015 and 2014 titles are also eligible.
“Book Readings That Sell Your Book” is a workshop offered by Off Campus Writers Workshop on Thursday, October 13th from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Winnetka Community House in Winnetka, IL. Part of publishing a book today is performing readings and doing signings at bookstores, libraries… and, if you’re really lucky, BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™. Actress, comedienne, and novelist Jennifer Rupp will shares practical tips for giving author readings that entertain, intrigue and help sell books. Jennifer invites attendees to bring three pages of something you’ve written for practice in a safe, supportive environment.
NORTHBROOK WRITES: Character Development with Eric Charles May, part of a series of free workshops for writers, will be offered by the Northbrook Public Library on Saturday, October 29th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. May, who was a BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ featured author in 2015, is an author, associate professor in Fiction Writing at Columbia College Chicago, and former reporter for The Washington Post. His workshop will address how to develop rich and engaging characters.
The psychological thriller is one of the hottest genres in publishing. Twists, turns, playing with your mind. Building tension. Challenging your assumptions. Surprising you. The best ones are described as page turners, the books you can’t put down, the ones that stay with you after the final sentence.
Certain themes and elements tend to populate thrillers: a vulnerable, unsuspecting victim (usually female or young or both) facing an unstable, unreliable menace (human or otherwise). The action is intense and unrelenting. Success of the book depends on an author’s ability to create memorable characters in situations that feel fresh, keeping the reader’s heart racing from scene to scene, page to page before a resolution that satisfies the reader.
The psychological thriller may also fall into other categories (romance, horror, science fiction, etc.) but it has an edge over the standard suspense thriller because of its familiarity. Instead of depending primarily on plot, we get inside the minds of the characters, recognizing elements of ourselves in their thoughts and feelings. This is what pulls us in and holds us captive.
Classic psychological thrillers include Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca (1938), Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train (1950), Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby (1967), Stephen King’s The Shining (1977) and Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs (1988). Popular psychological thrillers on their way to becoming classics include Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island (2003), Gillian’s Flynn’s Gone Girl (2012) and Tim Johnston’s Descent (2015) – Tim Johnston was the featured guest at the June 2016 BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™.
Destined to grab readers’ attention is a psychological thriller set to debut on September 20th. Boy, 9, Missing is the debut novel from Chicago author Nic Joseph, published by Sourcebooks Landmark. BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is “thrilled” to host Nic at a book launch celebration this month. In the tradition of Defending Jacob or Drowning Ruth, this is a suspenseful debut that explores the ramifications of revenge, justice, and the aftermath of a terrible night in the lives of two families.
As we enjoy our free wine tasting, we’ll be discussing where inspiration comes from and how this book elevates its theme. As always, audience participation will be encouraged! Books will be available on site from the Book Bin, wine and the ever popular Bonus Buy packages (mementos, merchant discounts, professional photos with the author and more) will also be available for purchase.
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™, hosted by Book●ed, are monthly events connecting authors and their books with booklovers who also enjoy great wine. Check out the Book●ed website and click on BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ for details of the upcoming events.
Yellow school buses have started rumbling down my street. Across the country similar scenes are playing out. Another school year is awakening. Children are making memories that will stay with them throughout their lives. What do you remember about your school years? Betcha there’s a teacher or two entwined in those memories.
There are two kinds of teachers: the kind that fill you with so much quail shot that you can’t move, and the kind that just gives you a little prod behind and you jump to the skies. – Robert Frost
Because we’ve all had experiences with teachers who lifted us or quashed our dreams, literature about the teacher/student relationship resonates. How many of these notable books featuring memorable teachers have you read?
Fiction Villette – Charlotte Brontë Anne of Green Gables – Lucy Maud Montgomery Goodbye Mr. Chips – James Hilton Good Morning, Miss Dove – Frances Gray Patton To Sir, With Love – E.R. Braithwaite The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – Muriel Spark Up the Down Staircase – Bel Kaufman A Lesson Before Dying – Ernest J. Gaines Dancing in a Distant Place – Isla Dewar The Woman Upstairs – Claire Messud
Non-Fiction The Water is Wide – Pat Conroy Reading Lolita in Tehran – Azar Nafisi
If we believe that children are our greatest treasures and we entrust most of the hours of their formative years to teachers, perhaps we should offer teachers exceptional salaries, thereby attracting more of the best and the brightest.
For a great quote about the lifelong impact of teachers and books, check out this week’s Book.ed Blog Quotable.
I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. – John Steinbeck
The acclaimed author Pat Conroy, who died earlier this year, was a teacher before he became a published writer. He chronicled his teaching experience in the award-winning The Water is Wide, which became the basis of the 1974 feature film, Conrack. Here is a lovely piece he wrote about the lifelong influence of teachers and books:
The world of literature has everything in it, and it refuses to leave anything out. I have read like a man on fire my whole life because the genius of English teachers touched me with the dazzling beauty of language. Because of them I rode with Don Quixote and danced with Anna Karenina at a ball in St. Petersburg and lassoed a steer in “Lonesome Dove” and had nightmares about slavery in “Beloved” and walked the streets of Dublin in “Ulysses” and made up a hundred stories in the Arabian nights and saw my mother killed by a baseball in “A Prayer for Owen Meany.” I’ve been in ten thousand cities and have introduced myself to a hundred thousand strangers in my exuberant reading career, all because I listened to my fabulous English teachers and soaked up every single thing those magnificent men and women had to give. I cherish and praise them and thank them for finding me when I was a boy and presenting me with the precious gift of the English language.
Note to Readers – Every now and then, I will re-post a blog entry that has withstood the test of time. Whether you missed it the first time ‘round or read it years ago, I feel it’s worth sharing again. I choseKeep Your Day Job from October 2014 because every author I’ve met (a few whom I selected for BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™) faces the challenge of putting his or her book in the hands of readers … and profiting from the effort. This post explains budget factors for every writer to consider. Also, check myQuotable post for thoughts about publishing from notable authors.
Who doesn’t have the great American novel waiting to be written? Or maybe it’s a collection of poetry begging to spill on to pages of a book? Nearly everyone I talk to confesses at some point to harboring the dream of being a published author. Writing groups are gaining in popularity, with members ranging from the pure dreamers to ambitious authors who have prepared a manuscript and are searching for the path to publication. Are you one of these writers?
The dream of having your book published is accompanied by the expectation that it will be purchased to be read; that fortune will accompany fame, or at least cover your publishing costs. This hope exists whether your book is published traditionally or self-published.
With traditional publishers, production, distribution and related professional costs are born by the publishing company but authors have become more responsible for their own promotional efforts; and the book’s “life” is under the control of the publisher. Self-published authors bear total responsibility and costs but maintain total control of every step.
Whether you go the traditional route or self-publish, keep your day job. Until your book sells in the several thousands of copies, the only riches you will receive will be the knowledge that some people are reading your work. How can this be when hardcover books sell for $25 and up, a paperbacks sell for $15 and up, and eBooks run $7 and up? Where does the money go?
Welcome to “trickle down income” in the publishing world. If your book is published traditionally, you will periodically be paid a royalty for books sold after the publisher deducts all its costs plus its profit. If you self-publish, you pay yourself … after you pay anyone you employ to get your book into the hands of readers: editor, proofreader, technical formatter, cover designer, printer, (possibly) a warehouse, distributor, marketer, (maybe) a web designer, administrator.
Production is not necessarily the most expensive factor. Authors can expect a wholesale discount of 40 percent to be taken off the retail price by major book stores and big box stores. Libraries typically take a 20 percent discount. Distributors take 15 percent on top of those discounts. Sellers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble act as both distributor and seller, taking 55 percent off your retail price. If you use an agent, expect 10-15 percent off the wholesale price to be collected for services.
Ongoing promotion is a book’s life insurance. Regardless of how a book is published, authors are expected to oversee this job. Maintaining websites, arranging book signings, giving talks and doing interviews are some of the recommended promotional activities.
Some expenses occur once while others will be recurring. Every responsibility you handle yourself rather than hire out is more money in your pocket … if you know what you’re doing and you don’t mind spending your time on it … time you could use to write your next book.
Scared? Don’t be. Knowledge is power. Empower yourself by learning all the aspects of taking your brainchild from start to a successful finish. But, at least for now, don’t quit your day job.
I still encourage anyone who feels at all compelled to write to do so. I just try to warn people who hope to get published that publication is not all it is cracked up to be. But writing is. Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises. That thing you had to force yourself to do—the actual act of writing—turns out to be the best part. It’s like discovering that while you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony. The act of writing turns out to be its own reward. – Anne Lamott
Publishing a book is like stuffing a note into a bottle and hurling it into the sea. Some bottles drown, some come safe to land, where the notes are read and then possibly cherished, or else misinterpreted, or else understood all too well by those who hate the message. You never know who your readers might be. – Margaret Atwood
An author who gives a manager or publisher any rights in his work except those immediately and specifically required for its publication or performance is for business purposes an imbecile. – George Bernard Shaw
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is thrilled to introduce booklovers to author Jessica Chiarella and her haunting debut Speculative Fiction novel And Again (Simon & Schuster, 2016) at our August 29th event in Chicago and August 30th event in Northbrook, IL.
And Again asks the question: Would you live your life differently if you were given a second chance? How much of your identity rests not just in your mind, but in your body and heart? The story, told with Chiarella’s keen imagination and soaring prose, examines the consequences when four ordinary individuals with terminal illnesses are given a chance to continue their lives in genetically perfect versions of their former bodies. Drawing from today’s headlines about advances in genetics and cloning, Chiarella develops four memorable characters who need to contemplate what it means to be human.
U.S.A. Today calls the book “haunting” and awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars. As always, the author conversations and book signings will be complemented with equally stellar wines.
When was the last time you wondered what your life would be like if just one decision in the past had been different? When you had that thought, did you decide to make changes going forward? This compellingly human experience has launched many of our best literary stories over generations and in all settings.
Books that explore this universally human dream of alternate lives, only imagined or made real, include:
Fiction The Awakening – Kate Chopin The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck The Razor’s Edge – W. Somerset Maugham Disgrace – J.M. Coetzee
Non-Fiction Seven Years in Tibet – Heinrich Harrer Into the Wild – John Krakauer This Boy’s Life – Tobias Wolff Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is thrilled to introduce booklovers to author Jessica Chiarella and her haunting debut Speculative Fiction novel And Again (Simon & Schuster, 2016) at our August 29th event in Chicago and August 30th event in Northbrook, IL.
And Again asks the question: Would you live your life differently if you were given a second chance? How much of your identity rests not just in your mind, but in your body and heart? The story, told with Chiarella’s keen imagination and soaring prose, examines the consequences when four ordinary individuals with terminal illnesses are given a chance to continue their lives in genetically perfect versions of their former bodies. Drawing from today’s headlines about advances in genetics and cloning, Chiarella develops four memorable characters who need to contemplate what it means to be human.
U.S.A. Today calls the book “haunting” and awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars. As always, the author conversations and book signings will be complemented with equally stellar wines.
Speculative Fiction is a fast-growing literary genre you may not have heard of but have probably read and enjoyed. The genre encompasses literature ranging from hard science fiction to epic fantasy, ghost stories, horror, folk and fairy tales, magical realism and modern myths.
As broad in plot as Speculative Fiction is, the best of the genre will:
• Introduce a memorable and relatable protagonist with human traits (whether human or alien).
• Present the protagonist with a dilemma — an antagonist (another being or a situation) — and build tension by before showing resolution.
• Make the resolution worth the journey – for the reader as well as for the main character.
• Research the “factual reality” behind the speculation to develop a firm, believable foundation before letting the imagination soar into speculative fantasy.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest news for inspiration and to keep the story fresh.
Speculation asks us to imagine “what if…?” At the heart of the “what if…” is the human connection: “What if this were to happen to me?”
A sampling of the best in this genre includes:
• The Time Machine – H.G. Wells
• 1984 – George Orwell
• Stranger in a Strange Land – Robert Heinlein
• The Left Hand of Darkness – Ursula K. Le Guin
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is thrilled to introduce booklovers to author Jessica Chiarella and her haunting debut Speculative Fiction novel And Again (Simon & Schuster, 2016) at our August 29th event in Chicago and August 30th event in Northbrook, IL.
And Again asks the question: Would you live your life differently if you were given a second chance? How much of your identity rests not just in your mind, but in your body and heart? The story, told with Chiarella’s keen imagination and soaring prose, examines the consequences when four ordinary individuals with terminal illnesses are given a chance to continue their lives in genetically perfect versions of their former bodies. Drawing from today’s headlines about advances in genetics and cloning, Chiarella develops four memorable characters who need to contemplate what it means to be human.
U.S.A. Today calls the book “haunting” and awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars. As always, the author conversations and book signings will be complemented with equally stellar wines.
Regardless of the genre, it has been said that no story is wholly original. Each one has been told before in some form or fashion. Researchers at MIT recently demonstrated the truth behind the theory that one of only six core plots form the building blocks of complex narratives. You can read the MIT explanation at the MIT Technology Review.
Regardless of what corner of the political boxing ring you sit in these days, all Americans should be proud to see a woman finally nominated by a major party as their candidate for office of the President of the United States.
Hillary Clinton made history this past week but she is not the first woman to change history. The list of women who have shaped the world we know (in addition to our mothers) is endless. Their stories are made more challenge, complex and interesting by virtue of their gender.
Whether or not you’re “With Her” (Hillary), let’s give her her due for breaking an historic barrier. Then check your local book store or library to find great books about other women who left their mark. You might start with these:
Margaret Mead – Jane Howard Clara Barton: Professional Angel – Elizabeth Brown Pryor Eleanor Roosevelt: Volumes 1 & 2 – Blanche Wiesen Cook Harriet Beecher Stowe: A Life – Joan D. Hedrick Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol – Nell Irvin Painter Personal History – Katharine Graham Mother Jones: The Most Dangerous Woman in America – Elliott J. Gorn Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom – Catherine Clinton Jane Addams: Spirit in Action – Louise W. Knight On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson, Author of Silent Spring – William Souder
It’s never too soon to let our children (boys as well as girls) know about the important contributions made to our world by women. There are plenty of wonderful books for young readers that adults can also learn from. Here are four to get you and your favorite child started:
Remember the Ladies: 100 Great American Women – Cheryl Harness Here Come the Girl Scouts! – Shana Corey Rachel Carson and Her Book that Changed the World – Laurie Lawlor Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project – Jack Mayer
Note to Readers – Every now and then, I will re-post a blog entry that has withstood the test of time. Whether you missed it the first time ‘round or read it years ago, I feel it’s worth sharing again. Recently, I was aghast to see a room designed with a bookcase full of books placed backwards, spines hidden, to match the room’s white/beige color theme. As the Rev. Sidney Smith (1771-1845) said, “No furniture is so charming as books.” Clearly the designer of the white/beige room isn’t a booklover. But you are. Here’s what I wrote about the most important part of a book’s cover on July 27, 2014.
In a recent gathering of writers, the discussion turned to book cover design and, more specifically, book spine design. Even more specifically, how often book sales are lost because authors and publishers overlook this crucial part of a book.
As important as a book’s cover is, it’s usually the book’s spine that first greets us on the shelves of stores and libraries. It’s one thing if we’re looking for a particular title or author, another if we’re browsing. Truth is we’re browsing even when we’re looking for a particular title or author. This is why book spine design deserves at least as much attention from authors and publishers as they give to cover design.
Since shelved books usually stand vertically, the ideal direction for type on the spine is horizontal to make words appear as we normally view them. But this is problematic if the book is not fat or the words are long. Most books cannot support this design. Instead, letters are usually turned at right angles to the viewer’s eye, running along the vertical spine. Because this is not the normal way we view writing, it has to be even clearer than it would otherwise have to be.
In North America, the normal direction of words on book spines is from top to bottom; in Europe, it’s usually bottom to top. This is because in North America, books are stacked face up, while in Europe, they’re stacked face down, with no front covers visible at all. The result is that readers browsing the shelves in a European bookstore tilt their necks to the left, while those in North America tilt theirs to the right.
With spine design, simple sells. This may be one reason modern books titles are often only one or two words; a design choice as much as a literary one. Capital letters, having no ascenders or descenders, present more cleanly than lower case letters. Bold fonts work better than delicate ones. Colors need to contrast but not compete. The spine must attract attention, convey information and please the eye; a huge job for a relatively small plot of real estate on a book.
Next time you’re browsing bookshelves – in a store, a library or your own home – see which books attract your attention. Then consider the designs of the spines. You’ll notice trends that succeed but also be surprised when a rule-breaking design works.
Like people’s spines, book spines should be accorded the care and respect they deserve because their job is critical to everything that resides within the body.
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is proud to feature an Elle Magazine Readers’ Choice winner at our July events. Come sip excellent wines as you get to know author Mitchell Bornstein and learn about his inspirational true book, Last Chance Mustang. Join us from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, July 25th at TASTE Food & Wine in Chicago or on Tuesday, July 26th at Sunset Foods in Northbrook. Wine, books and the popular Bonus Buy packages are available for sale at these free events.
Note to Readers – Every now and then, I will re-post a blog entry that has withstood the test of time. Whether you missed it the first time ‘round or read it years ago, I feel it’s worth sharing again. This month’sBOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™book, Last Chance Mustang by Mitchell Bornstein, is the inspired and inspirational true story about the unique bond forged between a man and a spirited wild mustang with an ugly, abusive past. This blog post honors the bonds between celebrated authors and their animal muses. Here’s what I wrote about those relationships on April 14, 2013.
My daughter, Kenna, suggested I write about writers’ pets. The menagerie in our home includes a calico cat named Katje, a dwarf hotot rabbit named Oliver and a betta fish named Tidus. Past residents included Arrow (English Pointer), Dusty (mini-lop), guinea pigs Mücki and Rosette, and a goldfish named Sunset. All have been amusing, but only one has been a muse for me, resulting in my prose poem, Katje Must Be Fed. My niece, Leisa, also has a variety of pets but it was her first pug that inspired her to write the children’s picture book, Pugsley’s Imagination.
Dogs have been favored by the likes of Steinbeck, Cheever, Doctorow, Vonnegut, Sendak, Wharton, Dorothy Parker, Stephen King, Virginia Wolf and Robert Penn Warren (who saluted Tolkien by naming his dog Frodo). Cats were companions to such literary luminaries as Twain, Dumas, Beckett, Huxley, Kerouac, Collette, Eliot, Plath, Sartre (his cat was Nothing) and Raymond Chandler (whose Persian purred while perched on his manuscripts as Chandler edited). Polar opposites Hemmingway and Capote owned both cats and dogs (the progeny of Hemingway’s famous six-toed cats still roam the Hemingway House & Museum in Key West, FL).
As far as I can tell, authors choose cats more often than dogs to share their lives. This may not be a matter of personalities (authors’ or species’) as much as it is a result of lifestyle. An author living in the countryside might like to take thoughtful walks with a canine companion while a city-dwelling author might view dog walking as stealing writing time. Cats tend to be more independent — or less needy — than dogs, depending on how you feel about felines vs. canines.
Then again, look at which authors have chosen dogs and which have chosen cats. Do you see any trends? And what can we imagine about writers with more “exotic” tastes in pets? Those would include some obvious ones such as Beatrix Potter (rabbit) and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (raccoon). But how do you explain Flannery O’Connor (peacocks) or Lord Byron (peacocks, crocodile, crow, heron, fox and bear — oh my!)?
