How's this for a Halloween trick? Amid the online book price war being fought by Walmart, Amazon and Target -- which drove the price of upcoming best-sellers below $9 -- the mega-retailers are limiting the number of copies customers can buy. The move could be a response to a threat by indie booksellers to stop buying from publishers and starting buying in bulk at the stores.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Walmart has limited online customers to two copies of certain bargain books, Amazon.com has a three-copy maximum on certain discounted titles and Target Corp. has a five-copy limit online. The price war involves the top 10 hottest book pre-orders.

Taking a closer look at book pricing, Publishers Weekly says that "based on the published discount schedules of the major publishers, there is no way Amazon and Wal-Mart can profitably sell the 10 titles that are being discounted. The highest published discounts offered by publishers for new titles is 48% for books shipped to retail distribution centers; retailers can earn a 50% discount for books bought nonreturnable. The discounts offered by Wal-Mart to customers for books it prices at $8.98, however, range from 74% (Under the Dome, list $35) to 59% (Ice, list $22), which would mean Wal-Mart is losing $8.52 on Dome and $2.02 on Ice."

The price war has led an association of independent booksellers to call for a Justivce Department investigation of alleged "predatory pricing."

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 5:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Dave and I are looking for the top 10 literary landmarks in Maryland.

We're talking legendary places like the Owl Bar, where F. Scott Fitzgerald and H. L. Mencken would party; the Rachel Carson Conservation Park in Montgomery County; or Nora Roberts' bed & breakfast, the Inn Boonesboro.

Are there a few literary haunts you feel every bookworm should visit? Let us know!

Posted by Nancy Knight at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Proof that Dave loves me? He relinquished his copy of "Nightlight," Harvard Lampoon's spoof on "Twilight." Or, it's possible that he's just sick of anything Stephenie Meyer. You decide. Either way, it's very funny, without belaboring the point.

Instead of doing a chapter-by-chapter mockery, they wisely decided to shorten their version, and add in some clever new ideas -- including the Vampire Prom. And Belle Goose's habit of squeezing grapefruit onto her skin, to achieve the perfect aroma that will drive Edwart Mullen and leeches wild.

And I've clearly got food on the brain. I blame my wisdom tooth extraction on Wednesday, which has limited my food intake to ice cream, scrambled eggs and very mushy pasta. I've been daydreaming about apples and burritos and foods that require, you know, chewing.

So it's only appropriate that this week's giveaway is local chef Duff Goldman's new book, "Ace of Cakes." Word on the street is that Atomic Books was packed for the launch Tuesday, so here's a great way to get the book without standing in line. (Of course, it also won't be signed. Sorry.)

Oh, and who won "The Book of Genesis Ilustrated by R. Crumb?" That'd be Jason. Congratulations, and I hope you enjoy it!

Now tell us what you're reading!

Posted by Nancy Knight at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

New horror movies roll off Hollywood's assembly line at a frightening rate. So why hasn't anyone been able to make a decent adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's work? The Baltimore Sun's Chris Kaltenbach looks at that issue, noting that it "would be hard to name a prominent literary figure worse served than the estimable Mr. Poe."

Among the possible reasons: Poe wrote short stories that are hard to adapt to a movie-length treatment (note to the directors of "Where the Wild Things Are").

In the Sun story, Mark Redfield, a Baltimore-based actor and director, also notes that Hollywood loves a winner, and the lack of great Poe movies discourages others from taking a chance. "Nobody is doing it because the other guy has not made a fortune doing it. That's the way Hollywood works....All filmmakers try to find their commercial niche, to make their money back and to reach an audience. But to do something that might be true to somebody like Poe...the risk-takers might be in TV, but it's not going to be in Hollywood."

For more on Poe-inspired movies, including The Tell-Tale Heart (show above), check out this photo gallery. And here's even mo' about Poe.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Edgar Allan Poe
        

Author Michael Connelly, whose latest mystery, "9 Dragons," involves a missing person's case in Hong Kong, has written an interesting commentary for CNN on the confluence of fact and fiction. He notes that a November, 2008 research trip to Hong Kong's Chungking Mansions area coincided with a real-life mystery: the disappearance of Canadian tourist Ani Ashekian, 31.

Connelly reflects on the emotions he had encountered years ago as a crime reporter, and how writing fiction is different -- at least until a tragic coincidence such as this occurs. He writes: "I remember this from my days as a reporter -- that hollow dread and desperate hope I could read in the eyes of some of the people I interviewed -- and I thought I had left it all behind for the comfortable confines of fiction. Sometimes it doesn't work out that way. Now when I think back on my research trip to Hong Kong, I think of the young woman from Toronto who visited the same place and never returned home."

Photo by Steve Vascik via Little, Brown publishers

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

This will make us all feel a bit better: the Daily Beast has named Baltimore the nation's 10th smartest city.

The rankings are based on stats such as college degrees, local universities and non-fiction book sales. (Is this evidence that reading Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" makes you dumb, but Sarah Palin's memoir "Going Rogue" will make you smart?)

I'm happy for the acknowledgement; Baltimore too often gets a bad rap as an unsafe place (thanks, David Simon). And I'd argue that the city could move up a few notches if we got rid of hyphenated areas such as Raleigh-Durham (#1) and Seattle-Tacoma (#7). At the very least, the bastard child Hartford-New Haven (#6) should be eliminated; the only thing they have in common is excellent pizza and Interstate 91.

p.s. Thanks to local poet Reginald Harris and The Daily Brew blog for the tip on the rankings.

Baltimore Sun photo by Algerina Perna

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

In the grand new tradition of every blog on the Internet publishing its own book -- and even some Facebook groups -- I was delighted to find one that actually makes sense to me: The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

For an explanation on why I love this cookbook so much, I should explain my love of Ree Drummond's Web site.

First, she has a great sense of humor. Whenever I have to work with someone whose skills are miles beyond my own, I feel better when they can add a little good cheer to the mix.

Second, she introduced me to the magic of dutch ovens. Seriously, those little suckers can cook just about anything! And they come in such pretty colors. 

And third, every recipe I've used from the site works. I mean, really really works. From the most delicious enchiladas I've ever had to sour cream pancakes, incredible chocolate cakes and lasagnas, the step-by-step photography is sure to guide you to a fantastic meal. Every. Time.

So to say I was glad to discover nearly all my favorite recipes in one book might be an understatement. Finally, my pretty laptop will no longer be at risk every time I'm in the kitchen. (Of course, she's already posting new delicious recipes, so I'm not saying never.)

As a bonus, Drummond also includes her beautiful photos of her family, pets, cattle and wild mustangs, making this the type of cookbook you actually sit down and read. Did you ever wonder what the difference is between chaps and chinks? Oh, you'll get your answers right here. As well as how to make perfect fried chicken. 

In other words, why aren't you at the bookstore yet? Go get this book!

Posted by Nancy Knight at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Halloween is near, and the holiday never seemed as appropriate as this year, when Baltimore marks the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's birth. He gave us some wonderfully scary reads, including my favorites, The Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado. I also remember being completely spooked by "Something Wicked This Way Comes," Ray Bradbury's tale about a carnival that's even creepier than the standard town fair carnival.

That's also the book that R.L. Stine (creator of the Goosebumps series) cites in a Washington Post article that asks: What story scares the hell out of you? The article has scary picks from Anne Rice, Charlaine Harris and other authors.

Nancy admits being creeped out by Mark Z. Danielewski's "House of Leaves." (She's also scared of Stephen King's new novel "Under the Dome," fearing the hefty 1,088-page hardcover will fall off a shelf and crush her.)

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

You all came through for Anne Tyler in the Baltimore Sun's contest to name the biggest local celebrity. She beat TV reporter Jayne Miller to get into Celebrity Smackdown's third round, the Sweet 16!

Now the competition gets even tougher -- the remaining contenders are primarily local media celebrities (though BSO conductor Marin Alsop also is still alive). Tyler faces long-time WJZ anchor Sally Thorner for a chance to go to the Elite Eight.

Let's keep Baltimore's best novelist, a Pulitzer Prize winner ("Breathing Lessons," 1988), alive. To give her good karma, I'm going to finish her new novel, "Noah's Compass," tonight.

Remember: Vote early and vote often!

Photo by Diana Walker courtesy of Random House

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Add Sarah Palin to the list of politicians-turned-millionaires. In a disclosure statement released today in Alaska, she reported receiving at least $1.25 million from HarperCollins for her memoir before resigning as governor. The book, "Going Rogue," is scheduled for a Nov. 17 release. According to an AP report, the disclosure statement covers the period from Jan. 1 to July 27, so her payout could be even bigger.

Hey, I don't blame Palin for cashing in. A long list of politicians, advisers and relatives -- Democrats and Republicans -- have done the same thing. And why not take a break from all those annoying gubernatorial news conferences, legislative hearings and favor-seekers to concentrate on the book -- especially when the payoff is so great.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Whether you love Sarah Palin or can't stand her, November is shaping up as a big literary month for you. Palin's book, "Going Rogue," is scheduled for a Nov. 17 release. Pre-orders have made it a best-seller already, and it has also been helped by the price war among Walmart, Amazon and other retailers.

HarperCollins says Palin will provide "an intimate portrait of growing up in the wilds of Alaska; meeting her lifelong love; her decision to enter politics; the importance of faith and family; and the unique joys and trials of life as a high-profile working mother. She also opens up for the first time about the 2008 presidential race, providing a rare, mom's-eye view of high-stakes national politics—from patriots dedicated to "Country First" to slick politicos bent on winning at any cost."

But even before her memoir hits the shelves, she's become the target of parodies, including "Going Rouge," a collection of critical essays put together by two editors from The Nation. It will be released the same day as her memoir.

The book's cover reminds me of a parody from Mad magazine or National Lampoon -- a seemingly faithful depiction, but the sunny skies on her memoir are replaced by storm clouds.

Publisher OR Books says it will examine "Palin’s quirky origins in Wasilla, Alaska, her spectacular rise to the effective leadership of the Republican Party, and the nightmarish prospect of her continuing to dominate the nation’s political scene."

Geez, OR, don't sugarcoat it -- tell us what you really think of her.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Fans of Post Typography and Double Dagger will already be familiar with Bruce Willen and Nolan Strals. For those uninitiated, the graphic design/teacher/rock stars will have a new label on Thursday: authors.

Their book, "Lettering & Type: Creating Letters and Designing Typeface," is a collection of essays by designers and artists, detailing the history, theory and art of the letters of the alphabet.

As for me, I've loved the letter "W" since I was a toddler. In fact, my mother loves to tell the story of when I was about 2 years old, and I stole a "W" from a grocery store sign. She was riding her bike to visit my grandmother, with me in the back waving my contraband letter and screaming "W! W! DOUBLE-UUUU!" the whole way.

It wasn't until we reached my grandmother's house that she saw I had ninja'd the thing away. And back to the store we went.

OK, so maybe that's weird, and not everyone has a favorite letter. But I'm betting I'm not alone: And this stylish new book is proof of that.

Want to know more? Willen and Strals were kind enough to guest blog for us, and share the inspiration behind their creation.

 "Lettering & Type" is an introduction and in-depth look into the forms of our alphabet and how contemporary designers and artists are approaching and defining them. The last 10 years or so have seen a real explosion in custom lettering and type design and their proliferation in everyday visual vocabulary and environment. Hand-made lettering, beautiful new fonts, and experimental letterforms have infiltrated rock posters, movie credits, logos, even corporate advertising (see the Visa “Go” campaign for example).

The Internet especially has exposed designers to a wide range of styles and approaches that have further stretched the boundaries of lettering and type. If you’re a type designer today, you can instantly see the latest font someone has released in France. Or you can see wild, hand-lettered poster designs uploaded by a student in Mexico City. The rapid cross-pollination of styles and ideas is incredible. There are also many more designers and artists working with the alphabet as a subject for art and experimentation. You’re seeing more custom alphabets and letters that are made from unexpected objects, drawn to look like hair, or have a similarly startling form.

At the same time, typeface design, which is one of the world’s more arcane crafts, has begun to infiltrate mainstream culture. Within the past few years there have been a ton of articles about fonts and type designers in national publications, as well as a successful documentary film. A big contributor to all of this interest is the arsenal of hundreds of fonts on that everyone has on their personal computer. Unlike 25 or 30 years ago, you no longer have to be an expert to explore the effects of different typography. In general people are much more aware of what different type styles convey—just look at the popularity of the “Ban Comic Sans”movement for example.

We wanted "Lettering & Type" to be a good introduction to lettering and typeface design for any creative person who is curious about fonts or letterforms, whether or not they have a background in graphic design or typography. There aren’t too many books on this subject, and many of those are somewhat dry or outdated. From the outset we were trying to write the kind of book that either of us would like to pick up and read. "Lettering & Type" is full of great lettering and type examples (both contemporary and historical), but we also attempt to provide a real contextual background to everything we show; so that it’s not just another fancy-looking design survey but a book that you want to read, look at, and learn from.

Posted by Nancy Knight at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Meet the Author
        

First off, thanks to everyone who suggested books for my little nephew. Not only were they great ideas, but now I know what little boys read, and I've gotta say, I approve. I read the Percy Jackson series myself last year, and if the rapscallions are into that, I guess the future of reading is doing OK.

I ended up getting him the first two books of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," and it was a huge success. The little guy actually STOPPED EATING to read. Anyone who knows an 8-year-old boy will recognize this as a huge coup.

No wonder "The Lost Symbol" lost its top spot to "Dog Days." Robert Langdon doesn't stand a chance compared to the latest adventures of Greg Heffley.

And the fact that author and illustrator Jeff Kinney is a University of Maryland, College Park grad? That just makes it extra sweet. Go Terps!

Posted by Nancy Knight at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Here's this week's award for "no duh" headline, appearing on an AP story about e-readers such as the nook and Kindle: "Shift to e-books to hurt bookstores, analysts say."

I'd liken that to a headline that read: "A-bomb may be bad for Hiroshima" or "Model T a challenge to buggy-makers."

Clearly the digital revolution is going to turn the publishing world upside-down, and the result is not going to be pretty. As digital sales continue to increase, bookstores will scramble to re-invent themselves by hosting more events. They won't disappear altogether, just as clothing boutiques have survived the consolidation of department stores and the rise in on-line shopping. But there undoubtedly will be more consolidation among bookstores -- and among the many variations of e-readers.

Buckle up for a bumpy ride!

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Today in The Baltimore Sun, read a profile of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the Nigerian-born author who last year won a MacArthur "genius" grant. (You can get an even closer look at Adichie, who now lives in Columbia, on Monday when she reads from her new short-story collection, “The Thing Around Your Neck” at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington.) Here's an excerpt from Mary McCauley's story, which describes Adichie's "contradictory mix of self-doubt and a self-assurance that borders on audacity":

Though she grew up in an egalitarian household, the outside world could be limiting. Maleness was explicitly prized in Nigeria, as was Western civilization.

“I started writing stories at about age 6 that were just like the books we read in school,” she says, “about children with blue eyes and poodles who played in the snow. My mother kept all my stories and occasionally threatens to give them to local journalists if I don’t do what she wants.”

Though Adichie can be critical of her adopted country — “The Thing Around Your Neck” contains pointed observations about the U.S. — she has “an immense affection” for her second home.

“It is the only Western country that makes an effort to address its past,” she says. “And, I have space here. If I’d gone to school in Britain, I wouldn’t have developed the sense of possibility I acquired here.”

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Meet the Author
        

We all know that Edgar Allan Poe liked a drink or two, so it's fitting for the Enoch Pratt to host a Poe-focused event called "Wine in the Stacks." On Thursday, Oct. 29, you can enjoy wine and light fare, and get a guided tour of the library's Poe archives. You'll see photographs of Poe, fragments from his coffin and locks of hair, as well as his letters.

The event is sponsored by the Pratt Contemporaries, a group of library supporters who plan programs for folks in their 20's and 30's. "Wine in the Stacks" starts at 6:30; if you'd like to attend, RSVP to contemps@prattlibrary.org. Maybe next month, they can have a beer-guzzling night to honor H.L. Mencken, or an absinthe-sipping night to accompany the Center Stage production of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest."

While you're waiting for the Pratt event, here's a quiz to compare yourself to famous literary swillers. Which writer do you drink like?

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Happy Friday! I've got a fun-filled weekend ahead of me, including my 8-year-old nephew's birthday party, and possibly a little haunted hayride action, if the weather holds up.

So instead of sharing my reading adventures, I was hoping I could get a few suggestions from you on the perfect book for an active young boy. I have to say, I barely remember being 8, and even so, I think the "Baby-sitter's Little Sister" books wouldn't appeal to this guy.

Meanwhile, this week's winner is: Amy! Congratulations, you'll get to enjoy a positively beautiful edition of Pride & Prejudice. And for those who didn't win, I also saw the entire series at the Anthropologie in Towson last week. Go check it out!

This week, we've got "The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb." It's gorgeous, graphic and much more seriously handled than you might expect from the irreverent Crumb.

So let us know what you're reading, (or a great book that I should get the little man) and it could be yours!

Posted by Nancy Knight at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Freebie Friday
        

Sorry to hear the news that comedian Soupy Sales died last night, at age 83. I got to know him as a kid, while visiting my grandparents in New York City, and watching him heave pies into the faces of guests was a big treat. (His show wasn't carried by any of the stations in Hartford, and in those days, there were only three or four stations available on our TV.)

Sales (nee Milton Supman) had a subversive, slapstick humor that will outlive him. I'd bet that Woody Allen and other great comedians cut their teeth watching Sales, who once was suspended for encouraging kids to take money from their parents and send it to him. He could even incorporate jazz into his skits, like this one with Pookie and White Fang.

He wrote a few books including "Stop Me if You've Heard It" and "Soupy Sez," with lines like this: "I was, in short, the toast of New York. I don't know if it was rye or whole wheat, but it was fun."

Photo of Sales with Hanne Bork after his 1967 Broadway debut in "Come Live With Me"

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

You want authors? We've got your authors right here.

This morning, critically acclaimed YA author Scott Westerfield will be at The Children's Bookstore to promote his latest, "The Leviathan." The "Uglies" author delves into steampunk with this novel, following two youths, one an ostracized royal, the other a disguised commoner, right before the onset of World War I.

Tomorrow, local author Elissa Brent Weissman promotes her second novel, "The Trouble with Mark Hopper," at the Johns Hopkins Barnes & Noble.

 Those of you who are looking for a good bargain should head to breathe books in Hampden, where they're celebrating the store's fifth year with storewide discounts and free mini-sessions in Reiki, reflexology, psychic aura readings and Shiatsu.

And speaking of Hampden, you'll want to be there Tuesday when Ace of Cakes' own Duff Goldman launches his new book at Atomic Books, along with the staff at Charm City Cakes.

Meanwhile, if writers, sales and cakes isn't enough for you, there are always more bookish events at the Read Street calendar.

Posted by Nancy Knight at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Book It
        

The Baltimore Sun is running a contest allowing online readers to name the area's biggest local celebrity, and first-round results were not encouraging for writers. David Simon ("Homicide" and "The Corner") was eliminated by ex-Colt Art Donovan. Laura Lippman lost to TV anchor Denise Koch. And Zane, the diva of eroticism, was knocked out by Ravens' quarterback Joe Flacco.

Now, there's only one person left to uphold the city's rich literary heritage: Anne Tyler. She beat Orioles owner Peter Angelos in the first round (after the O's miserable season, what did you expect?) and faces TV investigative reporter Jayne Miller in round two.

Tyler's too modest (or publicity-shy) to stump for support, so I'll do it for her. It's fitting because I'm reading her new novel, "Noah's Compass," which is scheduled for release on Jan. 5. So let's keep Baltimore authors represented among our local celebrities. Vote today! Vote often! Here's the place to cast your ballot.

Photo by Diana Walker courtesy of Random House

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Marylandia
        

Patricia Cornwell, who has created a literary empire with her crime-solving character Kay Scarpetta, is suing her financial advisers, claiming that they burned through tens of millions of her money since 2005. (And you thought your 401(k) was in the toilet.) The federal lawsuit against Anchin, Block & Anchin LLP, detailed on The Daily Beast. makes for some interesting reading. The complaint notes that Cornwell is bi-polar, has her own helicopter and makes more than $10 million per year. It also questions a $5,000 check to adviser's daughter for her Bat Mitzvah, and says the adviser told Cornwell and her partner, Dr. Staci Gruber, to pose as Middle Easterners to lease a New York apartment.

From the complaint: -- "Ms. Cornwell is a best-selling crime novelist whose ability to write is dependent upon the ability to avoid distractions. A quiet, uninterrupted environment, free of the distractions of managing her business and her assets, was essential to her ability to write and to meet her deadlines. Further, Ms. Cornwell openly acknowledges her diagnosis with a mood disorder known as bi-polar disorder, which, although controlled without medication, has contributed to her belief that it is prudent for her to employ others to manage her business affairs."

-- "In July of 2009, after four and a half years in which Anchin controlled Ms. Cornwell’s and CEI’s business affairs and investments ... Ms. Cornwell demanded information as to her net worth, and that of CEI. Notwithstanding eight figure earnings per year during that period, CEI and Ms. Cornwell learned that their net worth, while substantial, was the equivalent of only approximately one year’s net income. They also learned that Anchin had borrowed on their behalf collectively several million dollars, comprised of mortgages for real property and a loan for the purchase of a helicopter."

-- She questions "an electronic check for cash in the amount of $5000, with a memo line indicating that it was a gift from Ms. Cornwell to Mr. Snapper’s daughter (whom Ms. Cornwell has never met) on the occasion of the daughter’s bat mitzvah."

-- Anchin was involved in "entering into a sublease on Fifth Avenue under circumstances where Ms. Cornwell and Dr. Gruber were told by Anchin after Anchin entered into the lease that they would have to pose as the cousins of the tenant, who was Middle Eastern, even though Ms. Cornwell and Dr. Gruber are both fair in complexion and hair and eye color, and do not even remotely appear to be Middle Eastern."

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Even as Walmart, Amazon and Target continue their slash-and-burn pricing of new hardbacks -- dropping as low as $8.99 -- Stephen King is providing an odd counterattack. Scribner, which is publishing his latest, "Under the Dome," said Wednesday that the digital edition would be released a month after the hardcover and would have the same list price: $35.

So let me get this straight: I can spend a couple hundred bucks for a Kindle, nook or other e-reader, for the privilege of buying a digital book later, and at a higher price? It's obvious that publishers have been driven mad by the onset of e-books and the price war by big-box retailers.

The pricing move can be seen as a break for independent bookstores, which will be hurt by the price wars of mega-retailers. (In letters to Shelf Awareness, some indies have wondered out loud why they would buy boxes of books from publishers when they can get the few they need at a lower price from Walmart.) But if publishers think they can artificially prop up prices for e-books, I'm afraid they're mistaken. The e-book genie is out of the bottle, and double-digit pricing -- let alone $35 -- is likely to have all the staying power of a dream.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 8:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

What was your inspiration for the work? I heard about the Pratt Library's competition and knew that I didn't want my altered book to look like a book when I was done with it. I'd just finished a knit piece with yarn and really enjoyed the knitting process so I thought I'd try knitting with paper yarn, narrow strips of paper cut from a book and then glued together. Choosing the book to alter was easy. Agatha Christie mysteries are my comfort reading. I almost always have one on the nightstand. Miss Marple, one of Christie's recurring amateur detectives, is an old lady who knits so I chose a Miss Marple mystery, "The Body in the Library."

Did it feel odd to slice up the book? I did take a deep breath before I started slicing. It goes against all of my instincts to mar a book in any way. I had to tell myself I was doing a good thing.

Was this a departure from your other artwork? I do painting, cut paper and fiber arts (weaving, cross stitch, knitting and sewing). This is my first piece knitting strips of paper. I have since finished a pink baby hat and booties (on display at School 33 through November 14) called You are Beautiful Like... also made with strips of paper, this time with my own writing. I really like the medium and plan to do more with it.

How long did this project take? Comfort Book Wrap took about three weeks.

What do you like to read? Favorite books? Besides the Agatha Christie mysteries I especially like to read (or listen to, I'm a big audiobook fan. It leaves my hands free to work.) non-fiction authors like A. J. Jacobs (The Know-It-All, The Guinea Pig Diaries), Bill Bryson (A Walk in the Woods, A Short History of Nearly Everything) and Sarah Vowell (Assassination Vacation, The Partly Cloudy Patriot). I laugh and learn something at the same time.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

With all apologies to Sony and their long line of e-readers, I can now confidently point to some real competition to Amazon's Kindle.

Barnes & Noble's Nook is a beauty. It offers most of the amenities of my Kindle -- the easy-on-the-eyes e-ink screen, nearly instantaneous downloads of your favorite books and newspapers, in-text highlighting and plenty of space for scores of books -- with a few awesome additions, including a color touch screen menu, and the ability to lend books out to your friends for two weeks at a time.

(Sorry, but I couldn't include Kindle's text-to-speech function or Nook's screensaver as fantastic features. The talking Kindle has become nearly useless thanks to copyright issues, and the completely unappealling computer voice. Meanwhile, I really enjoy Kindle's screensavers of classic authors and printing presses! If I wanted to bother with creating screensavers, I'd be on my iPhone or laptop, thanks.) 

I'm not convinced that Nook's Wi-Fi is all that exciting. Sure, you can browse books with their free Wi-Fi while in a Barnes & Noble, but ... can't you just pick up the physical book while you're in the store, as well? Of course, I'm willing to be proven wrong.

I'm also worried about those long buttons along the edges of the Nook that "turn" the pages for you. The original Kindle had similar keys, and they constantly made me lose my place in the book. I hope the Nook designers kept that in mind, and that these buttons aren't quite as easy to push.

But looking ahead, these new features (did I mention the lending aspect?!?) will only push Amazon to provide the same (and better!) services to their customers, or they'll lose out on the business. Let the innovating continue!

But there is one caveat: I am becoming concerned that the increasing number of devices out there -- and the nature of control the competing companies thus have over the digital rights to our ebooks -- will mean that people who back the wrong device will someday lose their ability to read the books they've bought. 

Here's hoping that this doesn't become a VHS-Betamax-esque cage match.

Posted by Nancy Knight at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

We're happy to note that Read Street regular Gail Farrelly is among the contributors to a "The Gift of Murder," a new short story anthology that benefits Toys for Tots. She wrote a guest post about her story "The Kindle Did It," which, you'll see, was partially inspired by Read Street. Here's Gail:

Black Friday will not find me up at dawn this year, risking life and limb for holiday bargains. No siree! I've already ordered the holiday gift for most of my friends and family: the fourth annual Toys for Tots holiday anthology, The Gift of Murder, the trade paperback of 19 fictional crime stories edited by John M. Floyd and published by Tony Burton's Wolfmont Press.

In this economic climate, there will be more kids than ever needing the services of the fabulous Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. I think of this book as the perfect gift for those who like fictional crime stories and have soft spots in their hearts for children. The book contains good stories, but it's also well produced: high-quality paper, nice size print, impeccable editing, etc.

Okay, okay, I admit it. I'm biased. Disclosure: One of my stories, "The Kindle Did It," is included in the book. In a way, Dave's Read Street post 10 Reasons to Hate the Kindles was the inspiration for my story. When I read that post, I looked over at my poor little innocent Kindle sitting on my desk and started to think of it as a person. My story is about a female Kindle (a clotheshorse who insists on being dressed in a fancy cover) who takes matters into her own hands when her owner's obnoxious wife needs to be "taken care of." Um. . .this particular Kindle isn't so innocent!

Some of the other authors in the book have a connection to Read Street and/or its environs. Stefanie Lazer lives in Lusby, Maryland. Austin S. Camacho (who wrote a guest post on Read Street last fall about black detectives) lives in Virginia, as does Barb Goffman. Earl Staggs is originally from Baltimore but now lives in Texas. Psychotherapist Elizabeth Zelvin visited Read Street last October, writing a guest post about sobriety.

Although the publisher, editor, and authors have all donated their services, it's still a challenge these days for a small press publisher to turn a profit with a seasonal book. Bookstores can order directly from the publisher or from the traditional outlets, Ingram and Baker & Taylor; but since it's a fundraiser, the terms are not quite as good as those routinely offered. The fact that it's available in a number of ebook formats is terrific, because inventory, packaging, and shipping issues don't exist. More money for the kids! The publisher has info about pricing and the places (including Amazon.com) where the book is available.

Just think. Your Black Friday doesn't have to be that black this year. You can get a jump on your shopping and contribute to Toys for Tots at the same time. Then when you wake up at dawn on Black Friday, maybe you can just roll over and get a few hours more sleep. And you can definitely smile, because you'll know that you helped to put holiday smiles on the faces of kids who usually don't have a lot to smile about.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 7:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Here's a look at the new Barnes & Noble e-reader, dubbed "nook," which was unveiled today in New York City. Nancy's a Kindle owner, but welcomes the competition, because she says it will force Amazon to improve its device. Some notable features of the nook:

-- Screen is 7.7 by 4.9 inches. Also has a small, color touchscreen to scroll through tiltes and tap open your next read.

-- Price: $259.

-- 2GB of memory stores up to 1,500 books, newspapers and magazines; can be upgraded with a memory card for storage of up to 17,500.

-- Equipped for free wireless from Barnes & Noble via AT&T, Wi-Fi ( 802.11 b/g), and free Wi-Fi in all Barnes & Noble stores.

-- Most eBooks can be lent for up to 14 days at a time, and sent to a friend's reader, cell phone, or computer.

The last item is a big leap for e-books, which have been restricted to a single device (and sometimes even lifted from that device, a la Amazon's "1984" pilfering). The 14-day limit was no doubt designed to deter digital piracy; it will be interesting to see whether it becomes an industry standard, or whether publishers loosen up even further.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

I've gotten a few e-mails lately about some past Poe posts, including the Edgar paper doll and the Nevermore embroidery pattern, neither of which are still available at the older links.

So after a bit of sleuthing, and with the generosity of a certain artist, I've re-discovered the popular projects -- and found a new one, as well.

First of all, the not-so-good news: While I found the Nevermore embroidery, it is no longer free. However, Urban Threads is offering it for a mere $1, which I think is a pretty good deal.

Then, I caught up with the artist who created the Edgar Allan Poe paper doll. Illustrator Brian Gubicza, who has a pretty awesome etsy store filled with great digital prints, was kind enough to re-share his doll design so that we can all have a little Poe watching over our shoulders. And if you'd like to thank Mr. Gubicza in person, it looks like he's touring the country during the next few months, with a stop at Baltimore's Squidfire Art Mart on Dec. 12.

And now for something new: A Halloween tree!

A lovely young lady named Tresa Edmunds has designed these neat little Edgar Allan Poe signs, with some of his most-loved quotations. Even if you don't want to make a whole tree, it'd be a nice spooky touch for any Halloween party (or all year-round, if you're into that kind of thing!)

Enjoy, my crafy little book lovers!

(Photo of Edouard Manet's Poe-inspired lithograph courtesy of the Baltimore Museum of Art)

Posted by Nancy Knight at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

For those who missed the Enoch Pratt's "Altered Books" contest, here's a look at the first place winner, "Comfort Book Wrap." Susan Brandt knitted strips from pages of an Agatha Christie book. Just the thing for a cozy mystery.

Other winners include: Second place, Jessica Kantorski for "The Merry Man;" third place, Kathryn Sowinski for "Sorrento;" and honorable mention, Jacob Bouknight for "Partyware."

The Pratt contest was open to "any book, old or new that has been recycled by creative means into a work of art. They can be rebound, painted, cut, burned, folded, added to, collaged in, rubber stamped, drilled or otherwise adorned. [It] may be as simple as adding a drawing or text to a page, or as complex as creating an intricate book sculpture."

Still want more bookish art? Take a look at these images.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Marylandia
        

UPDATE: Here's the latest on the nook, with specs. 

Barnes & Noble is expected to unveil its e-reader Tuesday,and ads touting the device call it the "nook," according to the Wall Street Journal. Details about the nook appear in a full-page ad in the New York Times Book Review section for Oct. 25, the Journal said, noting that the device would sell for $259, have a color screen, and allow e-books to be exchanged among friends. (That's a big leap from the Kindle and other e-readers.)

News about the name has led some Twitterers such as mikecane to gasp -- and suggest slogans: "Curl up with a Nook." "Put a book in your Nook." "Get Nooked." "Have some Nookie tonight." Lots of folks will have fun with that name. But after all, what the heck is a Kindle? It sounds like a Yiddish abbreviation for a small body part: "Careful with that knife, bubeleh, you might slice off your kindle!" Which brings me to my slogan for B&N's new device: "Don't be a schnook. Buy a nook."

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 7:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

There are only 12 days till Halloween. Do you know where your zombies are?

If I were you, I'd start looking in Hampden, at Atomic Books to be precise. And if you've got no luck there, the Internet is always a good way to go.

This year's Rigor Mortis might be hard to spot, though. It's camouflaged behind a clown cover; an evil-looking clown with a a bright red nose and an undead head beneath his arm, to be precise.

But behind that gruesome visage, you'll find that "this is a zine (mostly) about zombies." We've got "The Rules of Zombiedom;" "Romero vs. Romero," in which Dread Sockett compares the original "Night of the Living Dead" with its 1990 remake; and an overview of reality paranormal shows.

Next time, if they give us an article about how awesome "Supernatural" is and a re-animated Edgar Allan Poe, I will truly be in love with this series of zines.

My one complaint? Benn Ray doesn't even have a convincing nom de plume! How about Benn Ray-zor Sharp Teeth? Or Menn (Eatin') Ray? I'm just sayin'.

So do yourself a favor, and had over the $3. At the very least, you'll get a good education on which zombie books and movies to grab, and why there are absolutely no cute, smart or animal zombies allowed.

Posted by Nancy Knight at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

There's no official word from Barnes & Noble, but according to media reports, the company will introduce its own e-reader Tuesday in New York City. For a sneak peek, take a look at some Gizmodo photos, which show a nifty device with a black and white e-ink screen like the Kindle has — and a multi-touch display like an iPhone underneath.

The New York Times reports that B&N has been talking to publishers about a new model that allows users to “lend” an e-book to a friend -- a feature that could help the bookseller market the device to members of its book clubs program. However, publishers are reluctant to approve the sharing feature.

The new device, if ready to compete with the Kindle and Sony Reader during the holiday shopping season, could make consumers dizzy. And things will get even more complicated whenever Apple unveils its own tablet/e-reader and Google creates its "cloud library."

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 8:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Columbia native Michael Chabon, whose quirky novels have featured unlikely characters such as golems and a colony of Alaskan Jews, takes a close look at his own family life in his new book, "Manhood for Amateurs." In a review in today's Baltimore Sun, Steve Almond describes the book as "a raft of shortish essays that traces his progression from a lonely, bookish boy to a thoughtful if addled husband and father." Here's an excerpt from Almond's review:

His focus swivels from unrepentant geekitude (comic books, Carl Sagan, "Planet of the Apes") to the sorrows of divorce, with welcome excursions into the wonders of Bisquick, telescopes, basement lairs and Roberto Clemente. Chabon is more or less incapable of writing a boring sentence. Like Updike, he is an inveterate noticer, and the central appeal of his style lies in its lyric precision, whether he's describing a pack of stickers "scented with the sweet dust of bubble gum" or a fudge upside-down cake "floating like the earth's mantle on a glutinous brown magma." If the book has a unifying theme, it is the need to preserve our sense of wonder against an incessant tide of marketing. Chabon takes direct aim at the forces eroding our cultural imagination. He is especially good at diagnosing the neuroses of what used to be called the bourgeoisie. Here's his take on the paranoia that plagues modern parenthood.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Just in time for the city's Edgar Allan Poe festivities, Barbara Wells Sarudy, former director of the Maryland Humanities Council, has provided a guest post about the women in his life -- and their impact on his work. Lost love was a common theme for Poe, as she notes. For pictures of the women, check out her post on the Women in American History blog. Here's Barbara:

I became interested in Poe and his strange relationship with women years ago as an undergrad lit major. When we moved to Baltimore, Poe kept popping up in my mind, sort of daring me to look at that question again. Poe's most recurring gothic themes deal with women and death. And even some of his literary criticism, which was usually merciless, seemed almost seductive, when he wrote of literary women. But by now I was a historian, looking for clues in his life, rather than in his work.

Both of Poe's parents were actors who died when Poe was just turning 3. Of his mother, Poe wrote in 1835, "I myself never knew her...the want of parental affection has been the heaviest of my trials." Taking pity on the toddler, tobacco exporter John Allan & his wife Frances raised Poe as a foster child in Richmond. But they did not adopt the young boy, who would always be known as the poor orphan of an itinerant actress.

When they sent him to the University of Virginia, he excelled academically but ran up so much gambling debt; that they forced him to drop out in less than a year. In 1828, Poe worried about losing his foster mother's love, "I hope she will not let my wayward disposition wear away the love she used to have for me"

He returned from the university to find that his longtime childhood sweetheart had married another in his absence. Now his foster parents & his first love had abandoned him; just as his birth parents had. In 1835, the 27-year-old Poe married Virginia Clemm, his 13-year-old cousin from Baltimore.

Poe was devoted to his child bride. He guided her education, personally tutoring her in the classics & math. She excelled at singing & piano lessons. But only seven years into the marriage, Poe found out that his bride was dying of tuberculosis. Virginia's diminishing health drove Poe into deep depression, to heavy drinking, & into romantic friendships with other women. Some of his female companions helped him deal with Virginia's approaching death, while others angrily turned on him.

Poe became editor of the New York Broadway Journal in the spring of 1845. Here he met "Fanny" Osgood, estranged wife of portrait painter, Samuel S. Osgood. Poe fell in love with the woman he described, "She is ardent, sensitive, impulsive...slender to fragility, graceful...complexion usually pale."

When the winter weather became too much for the frail Mrs. Osgood's health, she left New York for a season. Taking advantage of her absence, a younger author, Mrs. Elizabeth Ellet, began a relationship with the ever lonely, ever searching Poe. The jealousy between the two women led to Poe's dying wife Virginia finding out about his affairs. On January 30, 1847, Virginia died.

Poe wrote to a friend about a year later of how Virginia's 6 years of illness affected him. "Each time I felt all the agonies of her death...I loved her more dearly...But I am constitutionally sensitive--nervous, in a very unusual degree. I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity...During these fits of absolute unconsciousness I drank, God only knows how often or how much."

Poe continued drinking, and he continued searching for a woman to love who would not die or leave him. He declared to author Sarah Helen Whitman, on October 1, 1848, "From that hour I loved you...that the very first dawn of human love burst upon the icy night of my spirit...you awoke in me a shuddering sixth sense, vaguely compounded of fear, ecstatic happiness, and a wild, inexplicable sentiment that resembled nothing so nearly as the consciousness of guilt."

Shortly after Miss Whitman rejected him, mostly because of his excessive drinking, Poe met & fell in love with Annie Richmond. Mrs. Richmond, wife of paper manufacturer Charles Richmond of Lowell, Massachusettes, lovingly consoled Poe. On November 16, 1848, he wrote to Annie, "Ah beloved...do I not love you Annie? do you not love me? Is not this all?...Can you, my Annie, bear to think I am another’s?"

After being dismissed by Whitman and finally realizing that the married Annie was unattainable, Poe sought out his first young love, Sarah Elmira Royster Shelton, now a widow in Richmond. On September, 1849, Poe wrote his last letter to his mother-in-law, "Elmira...I think she loves me more devotedly than any one I ever knew & I cannot help loving her in return...if possible I will get married." But, on October 7, 1849, at age 40, Poe died alone after collapsing at a tavern in Baltimore, without ever achieving an ongoing, loving connection with a woman; just as the married narrators of his tales never are able to attain lasting relationships with their brides.

Edgar Allan Poe wrote, “Beauty is the sole legitimate province of the poem... Melancholy is thus the most legitimate of all poetical tones...The death, then, of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world—-and equally is it beyond doubt that the lips best suited for such topic are those of a bereaved lover.”

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

I'm sure we've all felt the urge to curl up with a good book these past couple of days, and I was no exception. As a history of both history and fantasy, I was recently delighted to receive "Boilerplacy: History's Mechanical Marvel," by comic book creators Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett.

The husband-and-wife team have made a visually and thematically stunning book, following the fictitious life of Boilerplate, a robot built in 1893 to fight man's wars. From Chicago's World Fair to the First World War, you're transported to the worlds of Nikola Tesla, Teddy Roosevelt and Orson Welles. Think of Boilerplate as a steampunk Forrest Gump, without all those annoying and nonsensical platitudes.

But enough about me, how about our winner? Congratulations, Tony, you've won "PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God." As usual, it's a gorgeous book, with amazing stories to share.

Next up, I've got a beauty that Dave made me promise to give away, rather than keep. The killjoy.

It's Penguin Classics new "Pride and Prejudice" hardcover, and it's part of their new series, including "The Picture of Dorian Gray," "Great Expectations" and "Tess of the D'Urbervilles." Each one would make a lovely present for the upcoming holidays, much less the entire set.

So hurry up and share your books, before I have the chance to steal this beauty away.

Posted by Nancy Knight at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Freebie Friday
        

Walmart's aggressive discounting of upcoming books by Sarah Palin, Stephen King and others has triggered a full-scale, online price war. As we noted yesterday, Walmart dropped prices on the Top 10 pre-selling books -- including Palin's "Going Rogue" and King's "Under the Dome" -- to $10, and threw in free shipping. Amazon quickly matched that price, leading Walmart to drop to $9. By this morning, Amazon also had priced the books at $9.

The new prices even undercut e-books, which Amazon sells for $9.99 -- a price that some publishers have complained about as unrealistically low. The price war puts more pressure on competitors such as Borders, Barnes & Noble and independents, too. But it's a sudden, welcome windfall for consumers.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

What would Edgar do, if he lived today? Would he huddle, tortured inside, over some poetry at an attic desk? Or would he spend Sunday afternoons in a recliner, watching the Ravens on HDTV -- and screaming as the team lost another close game? I think we know the answer.

If you have any doubts, check out the fanciful man cave created for Poe at this week's Maryland Home, Garden & Living Show at the Timonium Fairgrounds. (There are also versions for Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. and filmmaker John Waters.) Susan Reimer wrote for The Baltimore Sun that interior designer Laura Kimball, of LCK Interiors in Perry Hall, planned a Ravens/"The Raven" theme, complete with the colors of the football team and a four-stanza recasting of the famous poem. "The poem is about a guy trapped watching a makeover show with his girlfriend, Lenore. He is dying for his own man cave where he can watch football."

According to Reimer's story, the poem reads in part: "I need a space, a nest, a cave to watch the Ravens, I implore. This I ask and nothing more!" The television in Kimball's design will be in a gilt picture frame -- it is a mirror when turned off -- and the tone of the room will be dark and somewhat Victorian. The only nod to modern times is an Andy Warhol version of Poe's portrait, replicated in shades of purple.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The much-awaited movie adaptation of "Where the Wild Things Are" opens in theaters today, and it's a tall order to capture both the whimsy and quirky menace of Maurice Sendak's book. Michael Sragow, movie critic for The Baltimore Sun, says: "The scaffolding that Jonze and co-writer Dave Eggers erect over Sendak's 338-word book can't hold the weight of their longing. It lacks richness and variety in incident and character, and it crashes when it needs sustained imaginative transport. As my 8-year-old self would have said, there's great stuff. There just isn't enough good stuff. ...

"When open-faced Max Records flies to extremes as Max, his naked emotions provoke empathy as well as laughter. Jonze and his editors pinpoint the moments when the actor Max dials his adrenaline up to 11 and the fictional Max goes out of control. Dressed in his shaggy-tailed, wire-whiskered wolf suit, Max runs away through the dark woods and onto a starry shore and jumps in a ship that sails to the Wild Things island. "Unfortunately, he never again becomes a commanding figure -- even after the huge figures there give into his tall tales and declare him king. ... Jonze doesn't depict Max working a sorcerer's charm the way Sendak did, "[taming] them with the magic trick of staring into all their yellow eyes without blinking once" as they brush their claws across their cheeks and brows. He's more like Ricky Gervais in "The Invention of Lying," telling whoppers to a crew that's never heard one before."

While you're waiting to see the movie, you can relive other adaptations of children's books with this photo gallery. My favorite in the gallery: the animated version of Alice and Wonderland.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 4:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)
        

I don't know exactly what happened, but somewhere along the line this week, it got nasty outside. I'm all for a chill in the air come October, but chilly rain? Blech!

Extraordinarily bad weather means we've got to have some extraordinarly good events to coax you out of that house. So how about these?

Tonight, head to the Central Library for readings from "Poe: 19 New Tales" with authors Ellen Datlow, Gregory Frost and John Langan. Horror, fantasy and "weird fiction" fans won't want to miss this latest generation of writers, keeping Poe's legacy alive.

Tomorrow night, Dr. Cornel West returns, also to the Central Library, this time to discuss his latest book: "Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud." The memoir follows his life, and how he came to love both learning and teaching.

On Saturday, Montgomery College in Rockville hosts the 14th Annual F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference. With writers workshops, literary panels and honored guest Julia Alvarez, author of "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents," I suggest you register ASAP.

Finally, The Ivy will host award-winning author David Schmahmann on Wednesday evening. Schmahmann will discuss and sign his new novel, "Nibble & Kuhn," a satire of today's modern law firms and law practices in general. Feeling disaffected? This guy's book will speak to you.

Be brave, my bookish friends: Steel yourself against the bad weather, and have some literary fun. And if you need some more enticing, check out the Read Street calendar, with plenty more events.

Posted by Nancy Knight at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Book It
        

As the holiday season approaches, Walmart is heaviliy discounting new books. The company announced today that it will offer the Top 10 pre-selling books for $10, including shipping, on its Website. UPDATE: Both Walmart and Amazon had dropped prices to $9 Friday.

The books are scheduled for release in November and include "Under the Dome," by Stephen King, "Going Rogue: An American Life" by Sarah Palin, "Alex Cross" by James Patterson and "Ford County: Stories by John Grisham."

You can find more details on the Baltimore Sun's Consuming Interests blog.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

I hope Dan Brown has socked away some euros, pounds and dollars from sales of The Lost Symbol. Because if he was counting on a windfall from Icelandic krona, he may be out of luck.

A thief broke into offices of the Bjartur publishing house and swiped the first proof copy of the Icelandic translation of The Lost Symbol, according to an AP report. Another copy of the translation was sent to the proofreader, so publication won't be disrupted, and the good folks who live in Reykjavík, Ísafjörður, Hafnarfjörður and other parts of the country can soon read about the exploits of Professor Robert Langdon. But it raises the possibility of pirated copies -- especially since the thief also took a computer scanner.

At least the publisher has a sense of humor about the whole thing. "Possibly the burglar gave up on his English copy of the long novel and in his desperation decided to get a copy of the Icelandic translation before anyone else," Gudrun Vilmundardottir, chief of publishing for Bjartur, said today, according to the AP.

Photo courtesy of the Icelandic Tourist Board

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 5:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

While the Kindle, Sony Reader and other companies aggressively market their devices, Google has quietly been vacuuming up and digitizing entire libraries of books. The effort is the focus of a legal dispute, and a proposed settlement that would have allowed Google to proceed has run into trouble recently.

Meanwhile, Google's plan has been come clearer. At this week's Frankfurt Book Fair, a company official said Google Editions, a "buy anywhere, read anywhere" e-book program would be launched by June 2010, according to a report at The Bookseller. Amanda Edmonds, Google's director of strategic partnerships, said the company would create a "cloud library" for e-books purchased from stores, publishers and Google itself, according to The Bookseller. Books floating in that library could be accessed from laptops, phones or e-readers. "All books will live in the same library, so it doesn't matter where you buy it or where you read it." she said.

It's an interesting twist on the e-book phenomenon. It liberates content from the reading device itself, a twist on the saying that information wants to be free. But there probably still would be room for e-readers with special features, just as there is room for different types of TV sets.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

We recently received a letter from Kimberly Ann Poe, who is lucky enough to claim old Edgar as a distant relative. She took notice of our recent burst of coverage of him, and expressed her gratitude:

 Dear Baltimore Sun, 

My name is Kimberly Poe. Yes, I am fortunate enough to bear the last name of my distant relative. I just wanted to send a truly heartfelt thank you to the amazing people of Baltimore for honoring the man, who in my opinion, has so greatly influenced my love of writing. I just now read of the funeral, via AP News, and it brought tears to my eyes. I wish I could be there to thank Jeff Jerome personally for all the work he has put in to this, and for his continuing effort to ensure the legacy of Edgar [Allan] Poe. I just hope that, by some small chance, you will find it in your hearts to pass on this message to all involved. This will be a moment I [will] never forget. I, by some twist of fate, am getting to participate in my own way in the funeral for the man who makes me proud to bear the last name Poe. Thank you Baltimore, once again, for allowing me this opportunity.

Yours Truly, Kimberly Ann Poe

It's nice to know that something that's seen as perhaps only an intellectual exercise for some -- what would Poe's contemporaries have said if he had received a proper burial? -- was a meaningful ceremony for others.

Posted by Nancy Knight at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Today was a very sad day, as I attended the funeral for Baltimore Sun colleague Tim Wheatley, who was killed in a car crash last week. Tim was a former Sun sports editor and more recently was the business editor, and our paths crossed every day for several years. He was a quiet guy with a big laugh, a straight shooter who was devoted to his wife, three children and church.

A speaker at the service at Grace Fellowship Church spoke of that dual devotion, noting that Tim was a big fan of Steve Farrar's book "Finishing Strong." From the description, the book offers a good life lesson: Don't worry about obstacles and personal stumbles, just keep pushing forward. That's a lot like the message delivered by the Christian minister profiled in Mitch Albom's latest, "Have a Little Faith."

I read Albom's book, which also chornicles a rabbi's last months, during Yom Kippur, a day of repentance for Jews. And though "Finishing Strong" is aimed at a Christian audience, the lesson is universal. Life is not about where you start, but where you end up. It's a great lesson to remember as a way to honor Tim.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 6:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

I went to Colonial Williamsburg for the first time last weekend, and it was awesome!

General Washington led a parade of his troops, cannons fired loudly enough to make small children cry and I put Pat in the stocks for suggesting that I would have been illiterate in the 18th century.

It turns out that only 55 percent of women in the capital city of the Virginia colony could read and write. Being a country girl from Salisbury, he may be right. But I don't have to like it!

As if that weren't bad enough, the guy at the bindery told us that one book cost the equivalent of at least $12,000. So even if I could read books, I didn't have much of a chance to get my paws on one.

We did have the pleasure of meeting John T. Phillips II, whose "George Washington's Rules of Civility" has been the No. 1 best-seller at Williamsburg for eight years. It's got some nice illustrations of fancy gentlemen, accompanying gems such as:

"While you are talking, point not with your finger at him with whom you discourse, nor approach too near him to whom you talk, especially to his face."

Yeah, that's right. The father of our country just told you to get out of his face. And trust me: He's got the troops to back him up.

For the kiddies, Phillips spoke highly of Joan Lowery Nixon's "Colonial Williamsburg: Young Americans" series. While I've never read these, I can say that I greatly enjoyed her "A Family Apart," which opens her Orphan Train Adventures series. These YA gems are about six siblings who are separated when their mother can no longer support them, sending them away to live with families out west. It's Boxcar Children meets Oregon Trail; you can't get much better than that.

Posted by Nancy Knight at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Read Street was a lively place for commenters last week, in the wake of President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize. And "lively" is an understatement. The comments were unusually vitriolic and polarized for this blog. They put me in the unusual role of censor, so I thought I should explain my thinking on the topic.

Comments must be approved by me or Nancy before they're posted on Read Street, and I'm usually pretty light-handed, killing only those that are obscene or slanderous. And the bounds of fair comment are broad when a political figure is the target. So I posted many harsh comments, even though there was obvious irony in those that said Obama's Nobel was premature, while skewering him for a host of political sins that he could not possibly have had time to commit in less than a year in office.

I admit to censoring one comment though. It was from a Holocaust denier. That, to me, was in its own way, obscene and slanderous to the memory of all who died, and all who remember them today.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

If you didn't get the chance to see the re-imagined funeral for Edgar Allan Poe yesterday in Baltimore's Westminster Hall (I was watching my beloved Red Sox being buried), this story by The Baltimore Sun's Robert Little will take you there. An excerpt:

Billed as a proper reburial of Poe, the funeral was part of a series of events commemorating the bicentennial of Poe's birth, in 1809. With the sale of 700 tickets to two funeral performances yesterday, the celebrations have attracted several thousand people, Jerome said.

People milling about the Westminster yard, some in widow's veils or other funereal garb, said they had come because they are fans of Poe's famously macabre body of work, and of the genre he pioneered.

"He was a brave trailblazer," said writer and actor Michael N. Langford, who arrived from his home in Atlanta in top hat and cravat. "He wrote the first science fiction stories, the first real American horror stories, he created the detective genre - he was like a fountainhead of American literature."

For another report on the event, here's a version from NPR. And here's the first news report of his death in the Sun, on Oct. 8, 1849, the day after he died in Baltimore, as well as more photos, stories and other material about Poe.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Edgar Allan Poe
        

University of Maryland alum Jeff Kinney may call himself a "failed cartoonist" (he drew a strip called Igdoof in college and had hoped to syndicate it), but he's on a heckuva ride with his “Wimpy Kid” franchise. "Dog Days," the fourth book about middle schooler Greg Heffley, goes on sale Oct. 12 (with a print run of four million), and the live-action movie “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” is scheduled for release in 2010. The Baltimore Sun's Mark Gross asked Kinney about his work. Here's an excerpt:

Q: What differences do you see between how children appreciate “Wimpy Kid” and how adults appreciate it?

Kinney: Younger kids read it at face value, and they’re shocked by Greg’s behavior. The kids in fourth and fifth grade get the irony, and they get that the humor comes from Greg’s flaws. Adults might see it as a nostalgia piece, which is what I intended.

Q: You’ve called Greg a middle school Larry David.

Kinney: I think that’s a pretty good analogy. He can be a miserable person at times and a crummy friend, but you are entertained by him and you stick with him. That’s the tightrope I walk when writing for Greg Heffley.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (37)
        

But Brit Katie Price, aka the model Jordan (not to be confused with the river Jordan), puts him to shame. Only 31, she's writing her fourth memoir in the past five years!

I guess she lives a fast life, and has lots of stories to tell about hanging out with her scantily clad pals. But according to reports in the British media, some bookstores are fed up with the prolific Price, and are reluctant to hawk her latest, a tell-all about her recent divorce from singer Peter Andre (whom she met on the TV show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!). How many memoirs does one person get to write, after all?

And the Nobel judges complain about the state of literature in America? Humbug.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Happy Columbus Day weekend, everybody! I don't really know how you're supposed to celebrate such a weekend, but I'll be in Williamsburg hanging out with some colonials.

Dawn has something to celebrate: She's won "The Year of the Flood!" Congratulations, and let me say, you can never be too fond of books.

I'm diving into Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" right now, since pretty soon everyone will have seen the movie, and I'd rather not overhear the spoilers. I'm ready for my mind to be blown, and nobody tell me otherwise until I've finished, OK?

Great.

Next up: Frank Warren's latest, "PostSecret Confessions on Life, Death and God." If you didn't have a chance to see him yesterday, you can at least enjoy the shocking, silly and oftentimes heartbreaking insights people anonymously mail to this Germantown man.

So, what are you reading?

Posted by Nancy Knight at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Freebie Friday
        

Here's a sad sign of the times (though this is not the actual sign): All Baltimore libraries are closed today, as the city observes one of the five scheduled furlough days designed to ease the city's budget problems. Most city offices are closed today, and workers take the day off without pay.

Libraries also will be closed Monday for Columbus Day, so I hope no one has the reading Jones right now. The other scheduled furlough days are: Friday, November 27; Thursday, December 24; Friday, January 15; and Friday, May 2.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Well, for all the Euro-centrism shown judging the Nobel Literature, those who award the Peace Prize went out of their way today to honor President Barack Obama. He won even though he took office shortly before the nomination deadline, and has yet to end conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, or make significant inroads in the Middle East. There's no doubt, however, that simply by becoming America's first black president, he has made a powerful statement. (And maybe, as some speculate, the judges also wanted to take a slap at George Bush.)

As a addendum to my rant yesterday, when Nobel judges again snubbed U.S. authors to honor Herta Mueller, let me note that since 1994, all but two winners have been European citizens. And this story notes that because judges from the Swedish Academy tend to have a European outlook on literature.Peter Englund, who replaced Horace Engdahl as the academy's permanent secretary in June, told AP: "In most language areas ... there are authors that really deserve and could get the Nobel Prize and that goes for the United States and the Americas, as well." He added: "I think that is a problem. We tend to relate more easily to literature written in Europe and in the European tradition."

Engdahl said last year that "Europe still is the center of the literary world" and U.S. authors were "too sensitive to trends in their own mass culture."

Ouch. Maybe Obama can win it for the U.S. in literature, too, some day.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 7:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (44)
        

It's Comic-Con weekend in Charm City, and that's not even the beginning of all the excitement coming up this week. Let's dive in:

Tonight, PostSecret creator and author Frank Warren will be at the Bloomberg Center to discuss his latest, "PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God." If you're a fan of the Web site, I know you won't want to miss this event.

Also tonight, Atomic Books in Hampden kicks off their new Atomic Fiction Series with authors Tao Lin and Rupert Wondolowski, who will read from their new books, "Shoplifting from American Apparel" and "The Origin of Paranoia as a Heated Mole Suit," respectively.

Tomorrow night, "Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore" holds its open mic at Cyclops Books. If you want to share your story with Baltimore, reserve your time slot now, and you might see your essay in a future issue of the award-winning zine.

Downtown Baltimore will be inundated with superheroes, their biggest fans and their creators all weekend at the annual Baltimore Comic-Con. Held at the Baltimore Convention Center, 1- and 2-day passes are available -- and children 10 and younger can attend for free! I will be out of town this weekend, but if past conventions are any indication, this is going to be a great time for all. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

And finally, Sunday you can attend Edgar Allan Poe's funeral ($35 in advance, $40 at the door) at either 12:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.

There's plenty more where that came from! See the Read Street calendar for more events; and be sure to let us know if there are any events we're missing!

Posted by Nancy Knight at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Book It
        

Herta Mueller, who was persecuted for her writing under Romania's Communist regime, beat out Stephenie Meyer, Dan Brown and others for the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Today's award seems to reinforce the notion that the Nobel is a sort of literary archeological dig, in which judges scour the world's libraries and academies for an obscure author, in the hopes of creating a broad, worldwide audience and righting wrongs. The judges liberally slather on their political values, as the winning authors often are known for social commentary that hits at authoritarianism and racism.

Not that Meyer and Brown -- or any other wildly popular mass market writer should win the Nobel. And many past winners (V.S. Naipaul, Toni Morrison, Doris Lessing, are utterly deserving) But the prizes risk becoming a parody of themselves if they routinely exclude American writers and others who have generated a following with serious works.

Mueller, who was a member of Romania's ethnic German minority, was honored by the Swedish Academy for work that "with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed." Most of her work is in German, but some works have been translated into English, French and Spanish, including "The Passport," "The Land of Green Plums," "Traveling on One Leg" and "The Appointment." (Here's a New York Times review of "The Appointment," in which "the thuggery of the government is a backdrop to the brutality and betrayal with which people treat one another in their everyday lives.") 

"I am very surprised and still can not believe it," Mueller said in a statement released by her publisher in Germany. "I can't say anything more at the moment."

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Amazon's decision to drop the Kindle's price to $259 from the original $399 in 2007, is the latest sign of the dynamic market for digital books. The price of the Sony Reader has also been falling, and it will be interesting to see how that company responds to Amazon. And everyone's waiting for an entry from Apple, whose design genius and functionality could blow the competition away.

Meanwhile, publishers are grappling with the pricing of e-books. In a survey from the Frankfurt Book Fair, an overwhelming majority of publishers said e-books should be less expensive than the printed version, but few supported Amazon's flat-rate of $9.99 on front-list titles. Overall, book fair organizers said the industry remains "completely divided about appropriate e-book pricing." The most popular view was charging 20 percent less than the print edition. About a third recommended charging more than 30 percent less. The one-price-fits-all pricing was less popular.

According to the report on Bookseller.com fair organizers said, "It is still completely unclear whether or not e-books will be used merely as a 'second book' for a quick glimpse, or whether portions will, in fact, ultimately be sold as mobile content for a price many times higher than the printed work." A quarter of publishers said a flat rate subscription model would be the most prevalent format for future digital purchases; another possibility was micropayments for snippets of content.

Not suprisingly, the subscription and micropayment models are also being debated among newspaper publishers, who are scrambling for opportunities to boost revenue from digital content. Those might work. But I'd be amazed if selling portions of a book could generate more revenue than the printed work, as some publishers suggest. Buying a chapter of "The Lost Symbol" isn't as satisfying as downloading a track off a Dave Matthews album. (Maybe Dan Brown's fevered prose is more suitable as ringtones: I can't breathe. I've got to get out of this box! )

For another view on the topic, here's Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, writing on HuffPo about the need for $4 books.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Kindle is about to be loved (and hated) the world over.

Amazon has announced another price cut, down from the original $399 in 2007 to $259 today. However, our reading brothers and sisters in Australia, Japan, India and Germany willl pay a bit more, at $279.

And here's the bad news for book purists: According to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, "I think that ultimately we will sell more books in Kindle editions than we do in physical editions." Considering how large a share of the books market Amazon has, I find that prediction stunning.

With a bad economy and Christmas coming up, this was clearly a good business move for Amazon, but I wonder how many previously on-the-fence readers will now embrace the e-reader?

And how low would the price have to go for you to buy one, Dave?

Posted by Nancy Knight at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Shame on me for thinking that there would be a simple solution to the Archie-Betty-Veromica love triangle. That a decades-old story line would be unraveled in a single issue. That Archie's marriage was not just a publicity stunt to sell more comics around the world.

The New York Times exposed the sordid underbelly of Archie-gate today, reporting that the highly publicized proposal to Veronica in  issue #600 (shown here) was not the final word. In November, Archie will marry Betty, according to the Times. Then there will be time for further episodes in the six-part story -- with an ending that is still secret.

The Archie-Betty marriage would please all of the fans (including me and Nancy) who can't stand the thought of the redhead shackled to Veronica, working for a hedge fund, golfing and summering in the Hamptons for the rest of his life. But if, after six episodes, the ending is: "Archie woke up and it was all a dream," the writer, Michael E. Uslan, should be impaled on his pen.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Fall's arrived, and with the changing seasons many feel the need to make other changes: in clothing, education and especially decorating.

That's why I love this DIY book strap side table from DesignSponge. It's simple, it's bookish and I'm pretty sure even I could make it, given enough time in a Saturday afternoon.

After all, who doesn't have a few extra paperbacks and a glue gun lying around? If you've got a few guilty pleasures you can't bear to part with but don't necessarily need at hand, this is the perfect solution. Just get some wood, a couple of old leather belts and you've got yourself a new table.

And yes, red does seem like the perfect color.

(Photo from designspongeonline.com)

Posted by Nancy Knight at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Don't know about you, but I'm creeped out by the cover of Stephen King's latest, "Under the Dome." Something tells me this won't be as cute as Jim Carrey's "The Truman Show."

The publisher's website, which offers an excerpt, describes the book this way: "On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester’s Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. ... No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when—or if—it will go away.

"Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens ... . Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing—even murder—to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn’t just short. It’s running out."

The book is set to be released Nov. 10. I expect the nighmares will begin sooner.

p.s. The controversy that he kicked up months ago by criticizing Stephenie Meyer stills rages on Read Street. We've had more than 700 comments on the issue, some applauding him, others saying he's just jealous.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 7:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

In the latest shakeup in the publishing world, Conde Nast announced today that it will close several magazines, including the stalwart Gourmet. Ironically, the news comes amid a renaissance in high-end, damn-the-cholesterol cooking, following the release of the Julie and Julia movie.

But Gourmet has been losing ad pages, and many foodies have  moved online. My wife's a great cook, but doesn't spend much time reading magazines on the topic (though she would choose Bon Appétit over Gourmet when given a choice). When she needs a recipe, she hunts among online sites such as Epicurious.

The New York Times' Media Decoder blog notes that Gourmet has "almost biblical status" in the food world and has been published since December 1940. The closings -- which include Cookie, Modern Bride and Elegant Bride -- come after a McKinsey & Company study of Conde Nast's magazine business. According to the blog, there was speculation that either Gourmet or Bon Appétit would go — but most bets were on the latter, because Gourmet has a richer history and editor Ruth Reichl is powerful in the food world.

For more details, here's a corporate memo outlining the changes; it notes that Conde Nast will continue Gourmet’s book publishing and television programming, as well as Gourmet recipes on Epicurious.com.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Want to know why book sales are down and book stores are closing? Here's why: authors are too durn good. Just compare the posts in Read Street to those in ZonTV, the television blog by my colleague, David Zurawik. He just saunters into work each day and takes his pick among the day's scandals: Jon breaking up with Kate and sabotaging the family's TV show, or David Letterman being extorted and confessing to affairs, or ACORN getting caught in a sting. Little wonder that ZonTV often gets more hits than even the Ravens blog.

So what do we have to talk about on Read Street? I'll tell you what: a bunch of well-behaved, studious authors, who live in tidy Roland Park Victorians, wear cardigans and spend all their time reading and writing. Taylor Branch and Anne Tyler. John Barth and Madison Smartt Bell and Elizabeth Spires.

Is it asking so much for just one of them get enmeshed in an extortion plot or have a televised breakup with a spouse? At the very least, how about becoming the target of a jihad for slandering Islam? Geez, the only local authors with the potential for over-sized scandal -- Edgar Allan Poe and F. Scott Fitzgerald -- have been dead for decades.

Even blockbuster national authors such as Dan Brown and Stephenie Meyer hide from the public these days. Here's Brown's idea of a public splash: interviews in Parade and on the Today show. Hardly the stuff that feeds supermarket tabloids. So I guess we're stuck with books reviews and other news on Read Street. For something juicier, check with Z.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

This is the week to celebrate the death of Edgar Allan Poe. That sounds weird, but in the case of the macabre master, it's somehow fitting. The week is full of Poe-themed events in Baltimore, including a mock wake and a memorial service; here's the place to find details.

Meanwhile, in a story in The Baltimore Sun, Chris Kaltenbach notes that while many cities can lay claim to having inspired and nurtured Poe, only one -- Baltimore -- has his body. Here are some excerpts about Poe's lasting influence:

“His stories, they go right to your heart and right to your mind,” says Jeff Kortman, Poe fan and manager of the Maryland Department at Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library. “I don’t know how demented one would have to be, to dream up some of those twists in those stories that he wrote. And that kind of stuff really lives on.”

There’s also the continuing fascination with Poe’s life, which seems to have been as mysterious and macabre, not to mention tragic, as anything Poe himself ever wrote. Poe was orphaned at age 3. At age 27, he married his 13-year-old cousin, who would die less than seven years later — perhaps one reason why the specter of early death shows up in so much of his work (including “The Raven”). He struggled to earn a living throughout his life and never achieved the kind of success he thought he deserved. And he died young, only 40, under circumstances never explained.

“Some of the circumstances of his life were so classically tragic,” says Doreen Bolger, director of the Baltimore Museum of Art. “He’s an orphan, he marries his 13-year-old cousin and she dies of tuberculosis. It almost becomes overwhelming.”

“There’s been a lot of speculation about his life, and people love that sort of thing,” says Steve Parke, a Baltimore artist and photographer who illustrated the 2002 graphic novel, “In the Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe.” “It’s sort of like gossip that’s still around 160 years after the guy died.”

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Edgar Allan Poe
        

I hope everyone has had a chance to watch at least some of Ken Burns' PBS series, The National Parks. the photography is terrific, and he manages to balance human stories with nature's grandeur. I'd also recommend the companion book by Burns and Dayton Duncan, which is loaded with historical photos and artwork, interviews and a poster of Yosemite.

I'm a sucker for this stuff. I've been fortunate enough to visit a number of the parks, and carry powerful memories: rock climbers suspended overnight on the sheer face of El Capitan in Yosemite, a caribou sauntering along a streambed in Denali, the piercing call of a marmot on Mt. Ranier. And when I have to pay my federal taxes every year, recalling those moments makes it a bit less painful.

But as good as the series and book are, they can't do justice to the feeling you get standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon or on the floor of Yosemite Valley. So get out there!

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Happy Freebie Friday, everyone! I hope you've had a splendid week, and that your weekend plans are even better.

I'm hoping I can get some reading in this weekend, because I'm right in the middle of Sarah Langan's "The Keeper." In Langan's debut novel, which is available for free on the Kindle right now, a hard-hit industrial town in Maine sees a whole lot of gore after the town's most disturbed daughter, Susan Marley, falls to her death. I'm five chapters in, and there hasn't been a death yet...but I have faith that the book's description isn't steering me wrong!

And now for our weekly winner: Congratulations, Dawn! You've won "The Year of the Flood." And thanks for sharing "It's a Cold-Blooded Business," it sounds like a great read.

Next up: Joyce Carol Oates' "Little Bird of Heaven." It follows the aftermath of a woman's murder, with her husband and lover both suspected, and how her daughter goes on living. For a chance to win this critically acclaimed author's latest, just let us know what you're reading!

Posted by Nancy Knight at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Congratulations to Stanley Plumly, Maryland's new poet laureate. The honorary position entails staging public readings around the state. Baltimore Sun reporter Laura Smitherman lyrically covered Thursday's announcement by Gov. Martin O’Malley; here's an excerpt:

Plumly, 70, founded the master of fine arts program in creative writing at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he’s a professor. He is the author of nine books of poetry, including "Old Heart," which won the Los Angeles Times Book Award and was a finalist for the National Book Award. Most recently, he wrote "Posthumous Keats," a "personal biography" of poet John Keats. ...

Alice McDermott, an award-winning author and Johns Hopkins University professor who chaired the selection committee, said Plumly was the unanimous choice. She called reading his work "an exercise in both humility and gratitude" and said of all poets: "Their gift is our gift."

To quote Plumly himself: "Being able to speak with a certain amount of clarity what's in your mind and in your heart seems to me to be inseparable from having a happy life."

On October 29-30, the University of Maryland will host "A Celebration of Stanley Plumly and Poetry," to highlight his work and the importance of poetry.  In the meantime, here are a couple of his poems: Now That My Father Lies Down Beside Me and Still Missing the Jays.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 8:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Happy October! It's time for pumpkins, zombie movies and plenty of Poe events. I love this time of year.

In case you didn't hear, there's an Edgar Allan Poe exhibit beginning at the BMA on Sunday, focusing on Poe as a Baltimore icon. And the Poe House and Museum will have a viewing of Poe's body Wednesday. Talk about creepy.

But we're all about variety around here, so what else do we have to look forward to this week?

Greetings and Readings will host local author Roland Morin on Saturday to discuss his book, "We The People," a psychedelic look at American founders, documents and memorable quotes.

Later that day, Red Canoe presents City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who will lead a discussion with Corey about his letter being published in "Kids Letters to President Obama." Also, I hear they have great food there. Yum.

Tuesday night, "Tipping Point" and "Outliers" author Malcolm Gladwell will deliver the Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium lecture at The Johns Hopkins University. There will be a Q&A session and book signing after Gladwell speaks at the free event.

And Wednesday night, Khaled Hosseini, author of "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" speaks at St. Timothy's School in Baltimore County.

As always, there are plenty more events where those came from; check out the Read Street calendar for more.

Posted by Nancy Knight at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Book It
        

The mad scientists at Simon & Schuster have rolled out a hybrid book/video combination, which they've named the vook. The digital combo, available on computers, iPhone and iPod Touch, allows you to read a book interspersed with videos that are explanatory or move the story along.

I'm a purist when it comes to the reading experience, but I think S&S is moving in the right direction. Just as the Internet opened up sound and video for newspapers, vooks (or whatever else they get called) can broaden the dimensions of the printed page. One of the first vooks is "The 90 Second Fitness Solution," with videos that demonstrate exercises. That's a perfect fit for the technology (just as textbook publishers have used video disks for years). In the same way, when reading a biography of a film director or musician, it would be great to see and hear their work. I'm reading the memoir "Tide, Feather, Snow," and if I hadn't been to Alaska, the book wouldn't be as meaningful; a vook could solve that for other readers.

I'm less convinced that the vook has a place in fiction. That could seem gimmicky, and might curtail a reader's ability to imagine characters and scenes -- one of the beauties of fiction. But this is just the start or the book's evolution, so let's see where the technology can take us.

 Here's a more detailed look at the vook in today's New York Times.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

For anyone who hasn't heard yet, The Baltimore Sun is honoring Maryland's Outstanding Blogs this month, with the aptly named Mobbies. (Yes, we're very proud of how clever we are.)

Categories include Foodie, Neighborhood, Politics, Ravens and my personal favorite: Misfits.

There are also a few bookish blogs, whose writers sometimes visit us here, that I thought I'd bring to your attention.

Mobtown Shank, created by Atomic Books owners Benn Ray and Rachel Whang, has been nominated for multiple categories. For you out-of-towners looking for that John Waters flavor, Mobtown Shank is the perfect place to stop by. And if it's just Waters you're looking for, they accept mail for him, too.

Our friend Heather Johnson, who writes Age 30+ ... A Lifetime of Books, has been nominated, as well. If you're not already reading about her adventures in reading, book clubbing and her adorable son, now's the time to start.

And then there's Andrew Hazlett over at The Occasional, who never fails to find the coolest stuff in the world. (Check out this Edward Gorey-esque video he discovered a few days ago.)

And there are plenty more blogs where those came from. So go! Enjoy the reading, do very little work today and tell your boss it's all my fault.

And don't forget to vote.

Posted by Nancy Knight at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)