Here's a short list recalling some of my favorite reads of 2009. Feel free to add to it:

-- "Delicate Edible Birds," a collection of short stories by Lauren Groff.

-- "Pops," a new biography of Louis Armstrong by Terry Teachout.

-- "And Another Thing ..." Eoin Colfer adds to the late Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker series.

-- "Invisible," Paul Auster's mystery, told from several viewpoints.

-- "Eiffel's Tower," Jill Jonnes' account of the ambitious, contentious construction project, and the people surrounding it.

-- "The Missing," a moody novel of self-discovery by Tim Gautreaux.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The latest in a line of movies from literary greats -- following "The Road," "Where the Wild Things Are" and a re-imagined Sherlock Holmes -- is released this week: Tennessee Williams' "The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond." The work has never earned the respect of others such as "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" or "A Streetcar Named Desire." But it has many of the hallmarks of his greats, including sultry, rebellious women and class conflict. Some reviews:

-- The Los Angeles Times: Never produced, then shelved these last 50 years (I suspect because it feels like an early draft), "Teardrop Diamond" comes to us with its characters not fully fleshed to their breaking or boiling point ... [yet filmmaker Jodie Markell] succeeds in transporting us back to that other time; capturing the lyricism of the dialogue and the fetid South that Williams so brilliantly envisioned where nearly everything goes to rot.

-- The New York Times: Bryce Dallas Howard ignites like a firecracker, playing an impulsive, emotionally unstable heiress recklessly defying the hidebound conventions of 1920s Memphis high society. ... [Her] character, Fisher Willow, has the familiar hallmarks of a wounded Williams angel but lacks the tragic dimension of his greatest creation, Blanche DuBois.

-- Associated Press: The best thing "Teardrop Diamond" does, with its familiar Williams archetypes and his trademark Southern Gothic, is make you feel like renting some of the playwright's more substantial work, where desperation, alcohol and love mixed more dreamily and more heartbreakingly.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Reviews
        

As 2009 comes to a close, it's time to look back at the year in books. Nationwide, the biggest story was the growth of e-books, and the growing acceptance of readers such as the Kindle and nook -- as well as the publishing world's chaotic reaction.

Among the big prize winners were Herta Muller (Nobel) and Elizabeth Strout (Pulitzer for fiction).

Edgar Allan Poe was also a big winner. In Baltimore (and Philadelphia, Richmond and Boston), it was a year to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Poe's birth. In December, his works set records at a Christie's auction. A first edition of his first poetry book sold for $662,500 and some hand-written poetry sold for $830,500.

On as sadder note, the literary world said goodbye to authors including John Updike, Frank McCourt, J.G. Ballard, Dominick Dunne, E. Lynn Harris and Sheila Lukins.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

David Levine, the great illustrator who skewered politicians, artists and artists for The New York Review of Books, died today at age 83. He did more than 3,800 drawings for the Review, and hundreds more for publications such as Esquire, The New Yorker and The New York Times, according to his Times obit.

You'll recall his famous images, which include President Lyndon B. Johnson pulling up his shirt to show a scar in the shape of Vietnam, Henry Kissinger having sex on the couch with a woman whose head is a globe, and Richard Nixon as the Godfather. Here's a terrific gallery from the Review.

Watch out, St. Peter. You may be getting caricatured soon.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 2:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Obituaries
        

I'm using my week off for some year-end housecleaning -- I've already cleaned out one desk drawer! Getting rid of books is much more emotionally charged, though I'm also eyeing the huge TBR piles that have sprouted in the corners of my house. As for newer books, I'll say goodbye to Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol," which was fine for a quick read but not the sort of book I'd come back to (unlike J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, which can bear an occasional re-reading).

The New York Times asked several authors about their end-of-year housecleaning. I particularly liked the answers of Chang-rae Lee, who teaches creative writing at Princeton. Among his suggestions:

-- Any novel or poetry collection written by a celebrity.

-- Cookbooks with a spiral binder; these are usually distributed by P.T.A., Rotary clubs and voter groups ... [or those] featuring the words easy, delicious or light in their titles.

-- Any oddly prefixed “____-onomics” titled book.

I'd add:

-- Any book over 500 pages that has sat unread for more than two years. (Who are we kidding? It will never be read.)

-- Any textbooks from your college major -- or other books, purchased later, that touch on that subject. (See above: who are we kidding...)

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The one thing you can always depend on when it comes to the classics, is that not everyone has actually read them, and those who have don't remember much about them.

Everyone's heard the jokes (and we've discussed the truths) that no one actually reads James Joyce's "Ullysses."  But what really shocked me was this NPR report on a new production of "Romeo and Juliet," which I assumed everyone had at least cursory knowledge of. Like, you know, how it ends.

Co-directed by a man who's never read the play (I KNOW!), "Romeo and Juliet" gets the rewrite treatment, with the dialogue lifted entirely from conversations the creators had with unsuspecting friends who were trying to piece together the plot. The results go something like this:

"Romeo, oh Romeo, where art thou Romeo. Something or something and you are the sun! I don't remember. I don't have it memorized."

"It is the East, and Juliet is the West."

"Juliet is the sky, and I am the sun. No ... It's getting all jumbled in my head. Jumbled in my head!"

Posted by Nancy Knight at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Hello, my merry band of readers!

The gift-giving season is nearly over, although I hear the Wise Men are still on their way for those of the Orthodox faith, so I thought it would be a good time to share the bookish goodies you may have received for the holidays!

If Amazon's latest news is any indication, (and stop being such a drama queen, Dave!)   then many of you were the hopefully happy recipient of Amazon's Kindle. But I know there were a few Nooks and Sony ereaders delivered as well!

I made out like a book bandit. I was lucky enough to get an autographed copy of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," mostly because an autographed copy of the original is thousands of dollars. But no matter! The alternative was a great treat. And someday, Seth Graham-Smith's signature may be just as valuable.

I also recieved a couple of these very neat floating bookshelves, and I'm looking forward to putting a few of my favorites in a place of floating honor.

So how about it Read Streeters? Let us know about your new favorite books, devices, accessories or dinners with famous authors. (Pictures are also encouraged!)

(Photo from umbra.com)

Posted by Nancy Knight at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Amazon announced that for the first time, on Christmas Day, it sold more e-books than print books. That's more validation of the e-book trend, which is gaining steam through the growth of Amazon's Kindle and Barnes & Noble's nook.

But before we hold last rites for printed books, we should note some caveats posted by Mashable: People who received Kindles as Christmas gifts would certainly want to add their favorite books, boosting e-book sales. And by Christmas Day, the holiday shopping season is basically over and most folks are spending time with their families, gorging on food and egg nog.

Still, a couple of days ago, I was struck by this passage in "And Another Thing ..." the latest in the Hitchhiker's Guide sci-fi series: "Ah, the deBoeuf Principle. I read about that in a thing with actual pages in it. A quaint thing where you flip the paper over."

I fear that sort of exchange is not so far away -- on Earth, let alone on Blagulon Kappa.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season. I received a couple of books as gifts, "How the Body Works" (from my wife, who is always shocked by how little I know about how the body works) and a novel by humorist Dave Barry. I also got a chance to finish reading "Pops." 

Synopsis: A biography of jazz great Louis Armstrong by Terry Teachout, who has also written a bio of Baltimore's own H.L. Mencken

Review: Teachout lays out the magic and genius of Armstrong, a trumpeter who changed jazz. It's a great rags-to-riches story, from impoverished childhood in New Orleans to world tours. I'm partial to jazz piano and not very familiar with early jazz; this really helped me appreciate the significance of Armstrong, a pure entertainer. The book doesn't shy from more serious issues, including a lifetime of philandering that ruined marriages, marijuana use and charges of Uncle Tomming.

Read this if you like: Jazz, African-American history and/or well-written biographies.

 Avoid this if: You don't have access to Armstrong's recordings. I was flummoxed by the detailed descriptions of his revolutionary music technique. Teachout is a trained musician, but most readers aren't, and the technical terms lost me. Having access to online recording was helpful, but a CD would have been great to break down the music.  

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 8:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Reviews
        

And a merry Christmas, as well.

First of all, congratuations to Amy, who has won "The Happiness Project." It's guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, or your money back.

Meanwhile, I've been re-reading Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women," which has long been one of my favorite Christmas reads. Sure it's not exclusively about the holiday spirit, but it sure gets me in the holly, jolly mood.

But on to next week! And if you love food, you'll probably love KitchenAid's "Best-Loved Recipes: Appetizers, Entrees, Desserts and More." With more than 200 recipes, there are bound to be plenty of new family favorites for just about anybody.

So let us know what you're reading, and it could be yours!

Posted by Nancy Knight at 5:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

The movie and book worlds are celebrating Sherlock Holmes, the detective made famous by Arthur Conan Doyle. On Christmas Day, moviegoers will get a look at a new interpretation of the character, one closer to James Bond than a cerebral crime-solver such as Poe's C. Auguste Dupin. Publishers are also cashing in on the renewed interest in Holmes. A series of paperbacks on "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" is out; stories include "The War of the Worlds" by Manly W. and Wade Wellman and "The Veiled Detective" by David Stuart Davies. Caleb Carr's re-imagining of Holmes in "The Italian Secretary," is out in paperback.

Here's a summary of reviews of the movie:

-- Los Angeles Times: What is problematic about the film is not so much the change in character as the change in the nature of the classic Sherlock Holmes vehicle. This Hollywoodized epic has attempted to do too much, has had to serve too many masters. That's in turn given the picture an air of trying too hard, which is the one thing Sherlock Holmes should never have to do.

-- The New Yorker: The movie is grimly overproduced and exhausting, an irritating, preposterous, but fitfully enjoyable work, in which every element has been inflated.

-- The New York Times: The failing of [director Guy] Ritchie -- and a team of four writers who share story or screenwriting credit -- is the drab plot they built around Holmes, an uninspired tale of a secret society and potentially supernatural doings. It's nonsense, a dumb Hollywood treatment that's beneath Holmes but is made watchable, even exhilarating at times, by clever chases and scuffles, a superb recreation of old London in its splendor and squalor, and the amiable interplay of the actors.

-- Miami Herald: Right from the requisite opening action setpiece, Ritchie paces every scene at the same furious pitch, so the movie starts out in fourth gear and never downshifts. That may be fine for those who found Speed Racer fun and exciting. Others may be wondering what exactly martial arts and bullet-time photography are doing in the middle of a Sherlock Holmes picture.

-- Detroit News: The main problem with "Holmes" is Holmes himself (Robert Downey Jr.), who very early on is shown to already know everything there is to know and possess the ability to escape from any situation unscathed. There is no learning curve or dramatic arc, so there's nothing at stake to keep you invested. Even watching him solve crimes is tedious.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Reviews
        

Merry Christmas Eve! I'm sure most of you are dutiful, responsible adults who never procrastinate and had your shopping done months ago, but for the rest of us, here are a few bookish presents that can guarantee a happy holiday for everybody.

• Our holiday gift guide for fashion-forward readers includes a few titles we've discussed on this blog, including the Coralie Bickford-Smith designed classics from Penguin and Couture Classics designed by Ruben Toledo. And I don't know many girls who wouldn't enjoy "Fifty Dresses that Changed the World."
• In the same ilk, here are a few collections that will make you the envy of readers and designers alike, as you pour over both the words and the typefaces of great works of literature.
• For the Civil War buff in the family -- and let's face it, we all have one -- pick up local author Madison Smartt Bell's "Devil's Dream," which follows controversial Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest through the war and its aftermath through the eyes of a time-traveling Haitian named Henri. Here's a preview.
• And for the geekier reader in your life, there are graphic novels, Potter-inspired earrings and even a Dark Knight money clip.

So may your holiday be merry, and your gift-giving angst be over. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Posted by Nancy Knight at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

As you know, I'm not a big fan of literary works that have been published posthumously or handed off to other writers as a way to keep a lucrative franchise going. It's an outgrowth of my distaste for the "sequel must beget sequel" mentality that watered down the greatness of Frank Herbert's "Dune." So I screamed a silent scream last fall when it was announced that another author would continue the late Douglas Adams' hilarious Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. And I was more than a little reluctant to pick up the latest (the sixth in a trilogy): "And Another Thing ... " by Eoin Colfer.

Adams, who wrote his last Hitchhiker book 16 years ago, died in 2001 at age 49. Each book in the series -- but especially the original -- is a gem of madcap humor, the sort that Monty Python might have written. So Colfer, a successful author in his own right with the Artemis Fowl series, had a big challenge. About a quarter of the way into the book, I'm relieved. Colfer has captured Adams' fondness for plots that snake about and for silly wordplay. He can conjure up a planet where clouds really are lined in silver, or the silver-tongued devil, a small rat-like animal. Or this passage: "The resorts of Han Wavel were so obscenely luxurious that it was said a Brequindan male would sell his mother for a night in the Sandcastle Hotel's infamous vibro-suite. This is not as shocking as it sounds, as parents are accepted currency on Brequinda and a nicely moisturized septuagenarian with a good set of teeth can be traded for a mid-range family moto-carraige."

So I'm breathing a bit easier this week, enjoying the book. And even looking forward to the seventh in the trilogy.

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

I've been a little late getting my annual Christmas Film Festival started (lots of work, shopping and all that), but I kicked it off in earnest last night with "Scrooged," my all-time favorite. It's a modern version of Dickens' "Christmas Carol," with Bill Murray starring as hard-hearted TV exec Frank Cross. Every Murray smirk, frown and tic is hilarious, and many bits of dialogue have become touchstones in my family. Whenever a family member makes an odd request statement, someone whispers an aside: "Call the police." When a driver cuts one of us off: "Go back to Jersey, ya moron."

Another classic -- Frank Cross, to the Ghost of Christmas Past: I get it, you're here to show me my past and I'm supposed to get all dully eyed and mushy. Well forget it pal, you got the wrong guy.

GoCP: That's exactly what Atilla the Hun said. But when he saw his mother, Niagara Falls.

Tonight, if I finish my shopping in time, I'll watch another holiday classic: "Diner." Some may not consider Barry Levinson's Baltimore tale a true Christmas movie, but it's all about hope and brotherhood and redemption. Plus, when a drunk winds up in a church's creche, it's got to be a Christmas movie.

Others in my Top 5: "A Christmas Story," "Miracle on 34th Street" and "It's a Wonderful Life." (LIke the ghost said, when George Bailey's friends show up at his house, Niagara Falls.)

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Kim Peek, the savant who inspired Dustin Hoffman's character in "Rain Man," has died at age 58. If you remember the movie (and if you don't, that means you haven't seen it, because it's one you can never forget), character Charlie Babbitt is taken from an institution but has trouble managing in real life. He has severe mental problems, despited gifts that allow him to instantly calculate the number of objects in a pile or determine the day of the week for a long-ago date.

That was much like Peek's life, as you can read in his biography, "The Real Rain Man: Kim Peek.". He memorized thousands of books and was the subject of research by NASA. Though he needed round-the-clock care, he could eight books a day, and even read two pages simultaneously, his left eye reading the left page and his right eye reading the right page, according to this obit, which includes a video on the remarkable Mr. Peek.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Sad to hear that David Kipen, who was director of literature for the National Endowment and coordinated the Big Read program, has been laid off. Kipen (pictured at far right) expects the Big Read to continue, according to Publisher's Weekly.

If you attended the CityLit Festival at the Enoch Pratt this year, you got a sense of Kipen's intelligence and humor. He appeared on a panel that I moderated on changes in our book culture. This, sadly, is another example of the pressures being felt by independent stores, critics, writers -- seemingly anyone and everyone seeking to promote the magic of books. Luckily, we have our own version here, the One Maryland, One Book program; Iet's hope that stays strong.

Kipen, a former book editor for the San Francisco Chronicle, joined the NEA in 2005, PW said. He will continue as book critic on the Bob Edwards Show on XMSirius Radio, and Bob Edwards Weekend on public radio.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

For once, someone evokes our "City that Reads" motto, without smirking!

The latest issue of Utne Reader features an extremely flattering view of Charm City's literary scene, including interviews with "Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore" editor William P. Tandy, Atomic Books owner Benn Ray, AuthorsBookshop.com's Brad Grochowski.

Utne's known for their forward-thinking coverage of books, so it's gratifying to see that Baltimore caught their eye. For a list of the who's who of Baltimore's writers, publishers and booklovers, don't miss this article!

(And if there's anyone they missed, please discuss!)

Posted by Nancy Knight at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Every month, I'd estimate that we receive about five books based on Jane Austen's life or books, and most of them are pretty, well, dreadful. Of course, I'm not talking about the sublime "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," which I enjoyed immensely, or even biographies such as "Becoming Jane."

I'm talking about the novels written by or about Janeites which borrow heavily from the source material (not EVERYTHING is a truth universally acknowledged!), are populated by many men who have all read Austen's books (I've never met one), and end with the heroine of the story winning the love of "her very own Mr. Darcy."

So when I picked up "Jane Bites Back," by Michael Thomas Ford, the only inkling I had that this book might be different was because it was written by a man. (And a funny one, at that!)

The book, set in modern-day upstate New York, has a basic conceit: Jane Austen is alive and well, the owner of a bookstore, a particular cat named Tom and a pair of fangs. By day, she battles the indignities of exercise books, cookbooks and badly written romance novels  -- which all bear the weight of her name, if not her talent -- and by night she navigates her love life, mourns her oft-rejected manuscript, "Constance" and drinks blood.

HUMAN blood. None of this namby-pamby "vegetarian vampire" business.

Throughout the book, Jane Fairfax, as she now calls herself, acts like the perfect Regency-era lady, even when dealing with her insufferable Scottish ex-boyfriend whom we all remember from our English lit classes in high school.

And the book does a grand job of mocking its very foundation -- Austen-mania and its horrible literary value -- while proving itself to be an entertaining read on its own: Think "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (the comic, not the horrible movie). The characters are fully realized, with understandable motivations for their actions and thoughts, and the big schism between Janeites and Bronte devotees is met head-on in a very satistfactory manner.

In fact, the least believable part of the book? (Ignoring the vampire thing, of course.) That "Mansfield Park" is ANYONE's favorite Austen book. I mean, come on? Fanny Price? That's just ridiculous.

It looks like there is already a sequel in the works, "Jane Goes Batty," and I can barely wait. My only request, Mr. Ford? At some point, I would love to see Bram Stoker return as a vampire, made to live with his own legacy of cliches and bad literature. And I think you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Posted by Nancy Knight at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

For some holiday jollity read Rick Reilly's espn.com column about the quirky translations that result from television's closed captioning systems. He sympathizes with the futile efforts to instantaneously type out the names of football players such as Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh -- it came out INCOME CONGRESS SUE. (Probably would get the same outcome for the Ravens' Haloti Ngata and Tom Zbikowski).

But he holds the captioners accountable for turning former pro athletes Mike Piazza and Dick Butkus into MIKE PIZZERIA and DICK BUTT KISS. Some captioning is simply incomprehensible: Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin (who has been noted on Read Street for his literary references) is quoted as saying his team would UNLEASH HOWL IN DECEMBER.

I've gotten some laughs out of this too. As I noted in April, the captioning during an Orioles game said a home run flew out of Camden Yards and landed on "Utah Street" -- rather than Eutaw. Other captioning noted a minor league game in "Buoy" -- rather than Bowie, Md.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Sunday in The Baltimore Sun, Towson University professor Diane Scharper reviews "Black Nature" and "The Swallow Anthology of New American Poets," collections that include contributions from Marylanders. Her reviews:

"Black Nature," Camille Dungy, editor, University of Georgia Press, $17.96. Dungy believes that white and black poets look differently at nature, with whites primarily noticing its beauty and blacks seeing its harshness. The view, Dungy says, is intensified by the black experience of slavery. An edgy mix of pastoral and political, her anthology, “Black Nature,” testifies to her point although a few poems seem somewhat heavy. Dungy includes several poets with local ties — among them, Lucille Clifton, Afaa Michael Weaver, E. Ethelbert Miller and Kwame Alexander. Their poems view nature as blessing and curse. They, for example, look at trees and think of slavery. They see spring’s grandeur and remember the horror of lynching. Clifton (former Maryland poet laureate) and Baltimore native Afaa Michael Weaver (Pulitzer Prize nominee) excel at writing this type of two-edged poem. Both fuse contrasting emotions until the energy almost explodes on the page. Weaver’s “The Appaloosa” and Clifton’s “Mulberry Fields” are worth the price of the book. Dungy (an associate professor at San Francisco State University) arranges 400 years of nature poems by black writers, so they proceed loosely from distant to close up. Reading the book, one has a sense of progression from nature as a separate entity to nature as a part of the interior self. With free verse and traditional forms, the book ranges from the poetically written essays that introduce each section, to rich spirituals, to quiet Zenlike haiku. Alice Walker’s essay, “The Flowers,” is a powerful evocation of the end of summer and, like many poems here, has a spiritual resonance, which Dungy calls a "connectivity with worlds beyond the human." No matter how one names that quality, it gives the best of these poems staying power.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Reviews
        

Woke up to about four inches of beautiful powder, the beginnings of a snow storm that could bring more than a foot. As a Connecticut native (who never got a snow day all through high school), it's a nice reminder of what winter ought to look like. If you're trapped today and tomorrow by the snow storm, here's some good thematic reading:

-- "Snow Falling on Cedars," David Guterson's mystery, set against the Japanese-American internment issue.

-- "My Antonia" by Willa Cather, a heart-breaking tale of pioneer life.

-- "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," Lisa See's poignant tale of friendship.

-- "Snowball: Warren Buffet and the Business of Life" by Alice Schroeder. Might as well dream up some money-making strategies while you're cooped up.

-- "Dr. Zhivago," by Boris Pasternak, in case the storm turns into The Big One.

And for the kids: "The Long Winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder or "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 7:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Following on the recent records set in a big sale of Poe works, some wonderful editions of J.K. Rowling, Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carroll brought big bucks this week at a Los Angeles auction. Maybe folks are stocking up on paper editions now that the Kindle, nook and other e-readers are making print editions more scarce.

According to Reuters, a first edition of Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There" -- dedicated to the real life Alice who inspired the story -- sold for $115,000. Inscribed "Alice Pleasance Liddell," it was described as having been presented to her by Carroll.

Meanwhile, Beatrix Potter's personal copy of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" fetched $92,000. And a first edition soft-cover copy of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" -- described as one of only 200 such copies printed -- sold for $5,750.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Happy Friday, everyone! And it looks to be a snowy weekend, so I hope you have plenty of good books to snuggle up with.

Me, I'm going through a little holiday fun: "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies!" by Michael P. Spradlin. The short parody of Christmas carols, including "Grandma Got Turned into a Zombie," "Slay Ride" and "I Saw Mommy Chewing Santa Claus" are accompanied by Jeff Weigel's black-and-white illustrations, and a tongue-in-cheek (No zombie pun intended) introduction by Christopher Moore.

Yeah, it looks like the zombie train isn't stopping anytime soon.

But on to our winner of "The Truth about Santa" and "The Gift of Murder." Congratulations, JR! If you don't get into the holiday spirit with these two books on your shelf, I just don't know what would do it.

And for the coming new year, we're giving away Gretchen Rubin's "The Happiness Project," which details her year of living happily. Rubin read from "happiness experts" including Thoreau, the Dalai Lama and Oprah, and discovered the small changes you can make in your daily life that will make a big difference in making you happier.

So let us know what you're reading, and this inspiration for a great New Year could be yours.

Posted by Nancy Knight at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

One of the most encouraging trends of the decade: Books continued to remain at the center of our lives, despite the noisy e-demands of TV, movies, iPods, video games, etc. If you have any doubt, wander over to the Baltimore Book Festival, where thousands of people crowd the Mount Vernon area each fall to celebrate books. Or visit the vibrant CityLit Festival, started in 2004,a great addition that has featured Pulitzer-winning writers such as Junot Diaz, Steve Coll and Edward P. Jones.
Some other ways to celebrate our vibrant book culture in the coming decade:
-- Participate in the One Maryland, One Book program.
-- Read a book by a Marylander. Anne Tyler's latest, Noah's Compass, will be released in January, so that's a good place to start.
-- Visit one (or both!) of the festivals. In 2010, the CityLit Festival will be held on April 17, and the Baltimore Book Festival on Sept. 24-26.
-- Attend one of the many readings in the area, such as those in the 510 series, or the special appearances at the Enoch Pratt. (Check the Read Street calendar for a list of events.)
-- Join a book club.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 6:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Jennifer Jones, the movie star who portrayed many literary figures, including Emma Bovary, died today at age 90 at her California home. In addition to her role in the adaptation of Flaubert's "Madame Bovary," she played Nicole Diver in Fitzgerald's "Tender Is the Night," Catherine Barkley in Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms," Elizabeth Barrett in "The Barretts of Wimpole Street." and Carrie Meeber in Dreiser's "Carrie." She also won a lead actress Oscar in 1943 for "The Song of Bernadette."

Has any other actor or actress put a face on so many classics? (Just looking at that list makes me realize how many movies today are made from cartoons, rather than from great literature.)

Here's a longer obituary from the Los Angeles Times, detailing her movie career as well as marriages to Hollywood producer David O. Selznick and industrialist/art collector Norton Simon.

Publicity photo from 1955

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 5:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Susan Weis, owner of Hampden's breathe books, recently sent word that they'll be hosting two new book clubs in the new year!

The first is a teen club, which will meet for the first time on Jan. 10th from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Hosted by "shopgirl Jenn," the club will meet regularly on the second Sunday of the month to discuss books. And as Andrew Bird would say, there will be snacks!"Each month we'll discuss a new book, exploring everything from fiction to graphic novels to nonfiction, focusing on books that raise interesting and important questions," according Weis' e-mail.

The first book to be discussed will be "The Adoration of Jenna Fox," by Mary Pearson. Members are encouraged to sign up in advance, and club members get 20 percent off of that month's selected book.The event costs $7.

On Jan. 30th, the first Books and Bagels will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Weis herself will host these events on the last Saturday of the month, with bagels and coffee provided by Common Ground. The first book discussion will be on "Ghost," by Alan Lightman. The event costs $9, and again, members get 20 percent off the book club books.

Posted by Nancy Knight at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Author Gail Farrelly's Christmas list includes an unusual plea to St. Nick. With the help of the National Security Agency, we intercepted her message, and share it with you:

Dear Santa, all during 2009 I've been nice (okay, okay, I was a little naughty, but only once or twice!), and now I have a very special request. Can you figure out a way to save independent bookstores? More and more of them are closing, and it's very scary.

Do you have a favorite indie at the North Pole, Santa? I hope you do, because a bookstore like that is a fabulous place to be -- surrounded by books and book lovers -- on a cold, snowy day.

I recently had a wonderful evening at a book signing in New York City at Partners & Crime Mystery Booksellers in Greenwich Village. Great book, terrific food supplied by the author, an interesting blend of people. Civilization at its best. And Santa, since you travel around the world, you may want to come to New York and attend one of the live, old-time mystery radio plays at Partners & Crime. You will love the plots, actors, organist and sound effects. Admission to the plays is reasonable, and they transport you back to another time and place. Finding a parking place for a car is hard in the Village. But for a sleigh and reindeer, any rooftop should do it.

But you know, Santa, with the growth of e-books and increased competition from chain bookstores and chain superstores, how many of the indies will be able to survive? It's something we should all be thinking about. We are letting a good part of our book culture go down the drain. Are we nuts?

Maybe you could help develop better marketing plans and strategies for the indies. Or how about a more direct approach. Santa, you could label as "naughty" any reader who buys a lot of books, but never from the indies. Maybe a big lump of coal in their Christmas stockings would convince them of the error of their ways.

I'm asking a lot. Saving the indies is a big challenge, I know. But Santa, for someone like you who is able to circle the globe in one night to bring gifts to all the good little boys and girls in the world, this should be a piece of cake. We look to you for a miracle. A lot of us are no longer little, but we are good and deserve a gift: the indies 4EVA!

Get to work on it, please. Pronto. Oh and yes, Merry Christmas!

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

The decade has brought intensified pressure on independent bookstores. It's seem odd to include that trend on a "decades best" list, but it certainly has been a major factor in shaping the landscape of booksellers. And you've got to admire and respect the fact that they fight on, against long odds.

Let's review the competition: Big bookstore chains such as Borders and Barnes & Noble. Big box retailers such as Walmart and Target. Online retailers, led by Amazon. And most recently, the rise of e-books.

Not everyone has survived. In the 18 months that Read Street has existed, I've seen the several stores close: Clayton's in Baltimore, Vertigo in College Park and Olsson's in Washington among them. Still, the Baltimore area retains a strong core of indies; Greetings & Readings, Constellation, Daedalus, Ukazoo, Red Emma's and the Ivy, to name just a few.

Here's hoping that there are enough lovers of literature to keep indies thriving in the coming decade.

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

Here's a way to get into the holiday spirit -- a reading of Clement Clarke Moore's "The Night Before Christmas," performed by a gaggle of Marylanders. You'll see Ravens Joe Flacco and Michael Oher, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra conductor Marin Alsop, chef Bryan Voltaggio, Olympic skater Kimmie Meissner and Nobel Prize winner Carol W. Greider, among others. Enjoy!

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The biggest development in the book world this decade was undoubtedly the development of ebooks. (Even if Dave refuses to acknowledge it.) So here are a few highlights of the Ebook Aughts.

It all began with the text. Before ereaders such as the Kindle or Nook were even imagined, Web sites like Project Gutenberg brought thousands of books to people, at no cost, and suddenly ebooks were everywhere. With the growth of the Internet, and its ever-increading availability to the public, readers everywhere took advantage of thousands of free books at their fingertips.

And after that development, portable devices to read those ebooks on weren't far behind.

1. While Sony's e-readers came first, Amazon's Kindle was the first super successful e-reader developed. Whether it was the marketing campaign, the built-in customer base or simply the product itself, Amazon made it big with the Kindle, with Kindle 2 and Kindle DX following soon after.

2. Of course, there was quite a bit of resistance to e-books -- both by the industry and readers. So to really legitimize the format, Amazon brought in Stephen King, who wrote an exclusive mystery for the Kindle. (And at $1, "UR" is pretty hard to say no.)

3. So what happens if you didn't want to commit to an e-reader, but love other gadgets such as your iPhone or iPod Touch? Then you can get yourself an e-book application! Ereader, Kindle, Stanza and Barnes & Noble all have great applications available for your device, many with free ebooks included in the download.

4. In July, Sony and Google officially announced a partnership that changed the momentum of the ereader war. The Sony ebook store gives readers access to more than 1 million public domain books, and gives the Sony ereaders a huge leg up on the competition. In other words, wowza.

5. But just to mix it up, Barnes & Noble got into the act this year with their own e-reader, the Nook. The double-screened device includes a touchscreen color menu to browse through your library, with free wi-fi at all B&N stores and memory expansion, to hold even more books.

Cheaper devices and books, as well as better features, seem to be the norm. With the fierce competition, the future of ebooks -- and readers -- is looking pretty good. And speaking of the future ...

6. Let's talk color e-ink displays. While larger e-reader screens and more detailed illustrations have made e-readers ever more beautiful to read, the future is in color e-ink. Philips has developed a relatively cheap, lightweight, energy-efficient electronic skin. 

Next decade: Literary holodecks. Somebody, make it happen.

Posted by Nancy Knight at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Publishers Weekly has kicked up some dust this week with this cover photo illustrating a story on the African-American publishing world. On Twitter, comments have ranged from "wonderful" to "offensive," with some saying: "Publishers Weekly has lost its mind."

Today, the editor in charge of the cover design, which includes the line, "Afro Picks! New Books and Trends in African-American Publishing," apologized. Senior news editor Calvin Reid wrote, "To me it is a sweet, tongue-in-cheek funny and striking image of quirky black hair power. And while it never occurred to me that anyone would be offended by these images, I was very wrong and I have to acknowledge that." Well said, if somewhat late.

The photo Reid chose is arresting -- and ironically comes from "Posing Beauty: African American Images from the 1890s to the Present," a book celebrating the diverse beauty of black women. But PW's cover misses the mark because it turns a compelling photo into a joke with the "Afro Picks" text. Meant as an inside joke, it's subject to all sorts of misinterpretation in the larger world, Clearly, the topic of image is too sensitive to be tossed off lightly. At least the PW editors were quick to note their error in judgment.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Another British hit television show is making its way across the Atlantic, and this one should interest our booklovers.

"The Book Group" first aired in 2002-2003, featuring an American transplant to Scotland who decides to start a book club. Instead of finding new friends, Claire finds plenty of wacky hijinks and an antagonist or two.

As the Ovation TV site explains the series, "each episode focuses on a different book, which influences the characters lives in some way (if they bothered to read it at all!)."

I've watched a couple of clips of the show, and I'll be watching a whole lot more in the future. While there are elements of awkward comedy, ala "The Office," which normally make me cringe, I do enjoy the concept of a bunch of strange people gathering in one place to discuss "Don Quixote," "The Sexual Life of Catherine M." and a few fictional tomes, as well. Meanwhile, these characters get passionate about their books, as the abundant cursing in some scenes will attest.

The show premieres Jan. 4th on Ovation TV, which is available for DirecTV customers in the Baltimore area, and will air Mondays at 8 p.m. You can check the availability of Ovation TV in your area here.

Who knows? If it becomes popular enough, maybe we'll get a new American version. If that's in my future, I demand guest appearances by authors such as Neil Gaiman, Salman Rushdie and Anne Tyler -- with Shakespearian ocassions of mistaken identity, unrequited love and physical comedy. Maybe even that cage fight between Stephenie Meyer and Stephan King that a few of our readers seem to be hoping for.

Oh, when readers rule the world...

(Photo courtesy of Ovation TV)

Posted by Nancy Knight at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Before folks run me out of town for highlighting The Stephenie Meyer Decade, let me note that she wasn't the only new novelist drawing attention. There were plenty of fresh faces among the major prize-winners and on best-seller lists. We could easily create a strong Top 10 list of authors who broke out since 2000. Here are some I'd include:

-- Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of the Maladies," a collection of short stories, won the 2000 Pulitzer. She followed up with "The Namesake" and another touching collection, "Unaccustomed Earth."

-- Michael Chabon, a Columbia native, won a Pulitzer in 2001 for "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," and followed up with the comic "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" and "Manhood for Amateurs."

-- Junot Diaz, another Pulitzer winner, scored for "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao."

-- Dave Eggers got our attention with "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius," and followed with the truly heart-breaking "What Is the What." His latest is "Zeitoun."

Sarah Vowell is one of the newest favorites, with a quirky humor on display in"Assassination Vacation" and "The Wordy Shipmates."

What other new authors have you discover since 2000?

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Spotted: "You Know You Want It (Style-Inspiration-Confidence)," by Eric Daman (on shelves tomorrow), costume designer for "Gossip Girl." With whom? Well, there's a forward by Leighton Meester, aka queen bee Blair Waldorf from the hit CW series.

I'm a fan of "Gossip Girl," and I am equally a fan of its fashion. Its characters are style icons of the times; Daman drapes them in stunning frocks, bags, belts, ties and headbands -- some of which he has designed himself. Since I've sought out some of the clothes, there was little chance that I was not going to seek out his book.

Like his characters, the how-to guide to dressing to impress is lavish and pretty. Readers (well, more like viewers, since photos are the main focus here) are told about figure-flattering shapes, "exorcising" their closets, ways to care for heels and how to pick a -- gasp! -- business suit. He classifies dresses into office, weekend, date and black-tie wear. There is a tailor do-list. Need a guide to types of underwear? Yes, Daman's got that covered, too.

Did I learn anything from "You Know You Want It?" Not particularly. I already knew that it's OK to wear white in winter. Would I buy the book for my 20-something friends? Probably not. This is a coffee-table book for the tween and teen set (think "Sold at Urban Outfitters").

Did I drool over the clothing and pore over the where-to-buy-it index in the back? Absolutely. Too bad most of it isn't in stores anymore, and it is a shame that the black-and-pink Oscar de la Renta dress is vintage (not that I could afford it).

Verdict: Younger fans of the show should love the book but might be disappointed that the cast members aren't the models. Their parents will be displeased that Daman says girls should have one quality bag that will set them back upwards of $200.

But Waldorf wannabees might start to dress a bit classier.

Posted by Carla Correa at 1:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Reviews
        

Maybe CNN is having a fine old time making fun of Charm City, but we've got something New York doesn't: one of the 20 most beautiful libraries in the world.

Well, according to a definitive list that Sarah over at Reality Check found on the Internet. And of course, we trust everything on the Internet!

This list of places I must see before I die includes the British Museum's Reading Room, the Rijkmuseum Library in Amsterdam, the Biblioteca Geral University of Coimbra in Portugal and the Central Library in Seattle. (And of course, the Library of Congress was included.)

But most impressive: Baltimore's own George Peabody Library made the cut. While it's not surprising -- the place is simply stunning -- it's nice to see Mobtown recognized for something positive for a change.

(Baltimore Sun photo by Amy Davis)

Posted by Nancy Knight at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

In the coming weeks, we'll review some of the decade's biggest books and trends, beginning with this pronouncement: I hereby declare 2000-09 to be the Stephenie Meyer decade. (That sound you just heard was Nancy hitting the floor.) Meyer's novel "Twilight," released in October of 2005, hit the top of the best seller lists and has hardly budged since -- while being joined by others in the series. Just look at the latest list: Sarah Palin's on top, but Meyer has the #2, #3, #4 and #7 spots with "New Moon," "Eclipse," "Twilight" and "Breaking Dawn." What could she have done if she hadn't waited until the decade was half-over to start her series?

 Is there any doubt that she's the successor to J.K. Rowling?

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (84)
        

Watching Fareed Zakaria's GPS this afternoon, I was ticked off by the cheap shot taken at our fair city of Baltimore, As panelists discussed whether government restrictions on Wall Street bonuses could damage New York City's financial might, Simon Schama said (and I'm paraphrasing) that there was little chance of the Big Apple becoming a Baltimore. Zakaria let it pass. Hey, I realize that our reputation has been sullied by depictions in The Wire and by the recent conviction of Mayor Sheila Dixon, but has the mere mention of our name become an international punch line?

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 6:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

There's been a spate of recent reviews on the Barnes & Noble nook, available for its first holiday season. It's a serious challenger to Amazon's Kindle, as well as the other e-readers on the market. The Kindle and nook have many similarities, including price ($259), screen size, E Ink display and wireless connections. But reviewers found plenty of differences. Generally, the nook seems like a 19-year-old fireballing pitcher rushed into a major league debut -- it has lots of promise, but triggers frustration with rookie mistakes. Some highlights:

-- New York Times: Every one of the Nook’s vaunted distinctions comes fraught with buzz kill footnotes. That “color touch screen,” for example, ... is exclusively for navigation and controls. Sometimes it makes sense; when you’re viewing inch-tall book covers, for example, you can tap to open one. At other times, the color strip feels completely, awkwardly disconnected from what it’s supposed to control on the big screen above. Worse, the touch screen is balky and nonresponsive ... .

-- USA Today: Barnes & Noble says you can read up to 10 days without charging the battery when wireless is turned off, compared with two weeks for the Kindle. But at least a user can replace the battery on the Nook, which you can't do on the Kindle. ... You can also virtually lend e-books to friends with a Nook (as well as to those who download free Barnes & Noble software onto a PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch and, soon, select BlackBerrys).

-- Wall Street Journal: During my tests, I found the Nook slower, more cumbersome to use and less polished than the Kindle. I ran into various crashes and bugs. And, while the Kindle's navigation system isn't exactly world class, it ran circles around the Nook's, despite the great possibilities offered by the latter's use of the touch screen. The Nook may be wonderful one day, but, as of today, it's no match for the Kindle, despite advantages such as lending, because it's more annoying to use.

Gizmodo: When it comes to shopping for books (and reading them), the Nook is the Kindle's equal, and may soon leverage Barnes & Noble's 800 physical locations to knock it out of first place. I was not able to test these features, because they are only starting to roll out this week, but when you take a Nook to a B&N, it will automatically jump on the store's Wi-Fi network, and offer you free goodies—not just downloads but cookies from the café and other treats. 

Engadget: In many ways the Nook has a leg up on the competition -- not just by its presence in Barnes & Noble stores (though that helps), but by providing an attractive package and feature set, offering personalization (via add ons and accessories), a huge selection of books, perks like the LendMe feature, that color screen, and the excellent buying experience. On the other hand, when it came to day to day use, we felt let down in a big way.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Once more on the book-to-movie theme: Disney's new movie "Princess and the Frog," owes a considerable debt to Maryland author E.D. Baker. As The Baltimore Sun's Mary Carole McCauley writes, the first book by the Harford County woman was called "The Frog Princess," and served as inspiration for the new movie. Baker is credited in the film and was flown by Disney to Los Angeles last month for the premiere. Here's an excerpt from McCauley's story:

"Although it is not my story - they say that my story inspired their story - I could see a few things that were in my book," Baker writes.

"The general basis for the plot is the same. A frog talks a reluctant girl into kissing him, and she herself turns into a frog. They end up in a swamp and seek magical help to turn them back. They learn how to eat like frogs, have trouble with their tongues, and befriend other creatures."

The author's affection for nature and for animals shines through the book. Her days are very much involved in caring for the horses and the other farm critters, which include goats, cats, ducks and a Newfoundland dog that apparently is a world-class shedder of fur.

Photo by Kimmy Bender

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 6:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

In case the incessant commercials, Christmas music and stupid old snow haven't been clear enough reminders: Did you realize that Dec. 25th is well on its way?

Well, maybe I can add a little bit more cheer.

First order of business: Announcing the winner of "A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Books." Congratulations, Lisa! I do hope you enjoy this edition of the Christmas classic.

Second order of business: This week we're giving away not one but TWO holiday books. Gregory Mone's "The Truth About Santa" explores the technology Kris Kringle has developed, including wormholes, robots and bugs implanted in ornaments to discover who's been naughty and nice. This is a great read for anyone who wants to believe in Santa again: This year, we can prove his annual visit to children worldwide is indeed scientifically feasible.

And as a bonus, we're giving away a copy of "The Gift of Murder: An Anthology of Holiday Crime Stories to Benefit Toys for Tots." Our own Gail Farrelly has contributed her short story "The Kindle Did It," along with 18 other authors. There's murder, revenge and redemption, and of course the writers all donated their time and talents to a very good cause. Tell me that doesn't warm your heart just a smidge!

So let us know what you're reading, and both of these beautiful books could be yours!

Posted by Nancy Knight at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

While we're on the topic of books-to-movies, Variety is reporting that Natalie Portman will be cast as Elizabeth Bennet in "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies." The book, a surprise best seller, is a retelling of Jane Austen's novel -- but decidedly bloodier. As Bennett searches for love and independence, an outbreak of a deadly virus turns the undead into vicious killers. A feel-good tale!

Nancy, a fan of everything undead and everything Austen, loved the book. So did many other readers. The quirky retelling by Seth Grahame-Smith has sparked others, including "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Zombie Jim."

When will the madness end? Maybe someone can write "The Catcher in the Rye Meets the Grim Reaper."

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

The first reviews are in for the movie adaptation of Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones, which was a best-selling novel and a favorite of book clubs. The story describes the aftermath of a child's grisly murder, told from a heavenly point of view. The gruesome topic will likely keep The Lovely Bones from displacing a feel-good adaptation, The Blind Side, from the #1 box office spot. But Sebold's intriguing theme seems made for film. A look at some of the reviews:
-- New York Times: Director Peter Jackson's "film ... shows less audacity [than the novel] and too much art. Susie’s unearthly home, in the book a minimally sketched, nondenominational purgatory where the dead loiter on their way to heaven and keep tabs on unfinished business down on earth, has been expanded into a digitally rendered Wonderland of rioting metaphors, crystal seas and floating topiary. ... The filmmakers’ evident affection for the book expresses itself as a desperate scramble to include as much of it as possible, which leaves the movie feeling both overcrowded and thin."
-- L.A. Times: "An enormously gifted performer, [Saoirse] Ronan is the only element of the film that is exactly as it should be, bringing naturalness, honesty and radiance to the part of a young woman just on the cusp of life. Other elements, including "The Lovely Bones' " imaginative notion of what Susie's afterlife looks like, are strong, but everything that's good is undermined by an overemphasis ... its weirdest, creepiest, most shocking elements, starting with the decision to give a much more prominent role to murderer George Harvey."
-- The New Yorker: "The book was brought off with considerable delicacy—it’s really an affectionately detailed portrait of a suburban girl’s life. Literalized in the movie, the material is closer to a high-toned ghost story. Jackson intermingles family goings on with Susie’s gossamer interventions, and some of the brushed-with-ether imagery verges on the uncanny. Yet Jackson has become an undisciplined fabulist: the movie is redundant and undramatic."

Associated Press -- "The images often are striking - ships inside giant bottles shattering on the rocks of a forlorn shore, candy-colored landscapes where Susie romps as she begins to sense the freedom of passing into the cosmos. But the spectacle Jackson creates is showmanship, not storytelling, distracting from the mortal drama of regret and heartache he's trying to tell."

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 7:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Bad news for anyone who keeps close tabs on newspapers and books -- The Nielsen Co. said today that is shutting down Editor & Publisher and Kirkus Reviews, publications that have been around for decades. E&P has chronicled issues in newspapers for 108 years; Kirkus was started in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus, once the head of the children's book department of Harper & Bros.

Thursday's closure of Editor & Publisher "was a shock," editor Greg Mitchell told the AP. "We knew that something big was happening but we didn't think the aftermath was that ... it would be folded." E&P switched from a weekly to a monthly format in 2003 and heightened its focus on the Web. Kirkus has been a stalwart for producing, as it says, "critical, descriptive, and concise (approx. 320-word) reviews" in many genres. The two publications have 18 employees combined.

With the newspaper industry being rocked for years, it's no surprise that E&P, as its know in the business, would succumb. Its subscriber base and classified ads have been whittled away, much like the companies it covers. Kirkus' industry is also experiencing seismic shifts, as book reviewing has shifted from print to bloggers, and publishers look for new ways to engage readers directly. Still, it's sad to see them go.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Herta's Muller's acceptance speech for her Nobel Prize for literature is a moving essay that entwines a piece of cloth with human emotions. Love, dignity, kindness -- these and more are captured in the handkechiefs that flutter through her life under a Romania's oppressive Communist regime. If you have time today -- the day she gets her Nobel -- give her speech a read. Here's an excerpt:

"No other object in the house, including ourselves, was ever as important to us as the handkerchief. Its uses were universal: sniffles; nosebleeds; hurt hand, elbow or knee; crying, or biting into it to suppress the crying. A cold wet handkerchief on the forehead for headaches. Tied at the four corners it protected your head against sunburn or rain. If you had to remember something you made a knot to prompt your memory. For carrying heavy bags you wrapped it around your hand. When the train pulled out of the station you waved it to say good-bye. And because the word for tear in our Banat dialect sounds like the Romanian word for train, the squeaking of the railcars on the tracks always sounded to me like crying.

"On hot summer days the parents would send their children to the cemetery late in the evening to water the flowers. We stayed together in groups of two or three, quickly watering one grave and then the next. Afterwards we would huddle together on the steps of the chapel and watch wisps of white mist rise from some of the graves. They would fly up a little ways and disappear in the darkness. For us they were the souls of the dead: animal figures, glasses, little bottles and cups, gloves and stockings. And here and there a white handkerchief bordered by the black night."

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

It's the holiday season, and the events dry spell we experienced is over.

First up is the Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore #12 Release Party at Cyclops Books tonight at 7. You can join Eight-Stone Press' William P. Tandy and a few of the 30 featured authors as they read their essays and share their Charm City insights, with musical accompaniment by Wild Bonerz. Need I say more?

There are a couple of great events tomorrow night. At 6 p.m., the BMA hosts A Cinematic Celebration of Poe, in collaboration with the Baltimore 48 Hour Film Project. Professional and amateur filmmakers will screen their 11 Poe-inspired short films at the Meyerhoff Auditorium. The best part? It's completely free.

And at 8 p.m., the Reginald F. Lewis Museum hosts Floetic Friday, where you can join the museum's youth volunteers, The Travelers, for an evening of poetry and music. The $8 open mic event ($6 for members) begins at 7:30 p.m., and features the Black Diamond Band and performer Jason Reynolds.

On Saturday afternoon, the Evergreen Museum and Library brings you Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," directed by Michael Carlton. The dramatic reading by Baltimore Shakespeare Festival actors uses the special performing edition Dickens himself used for his presentations. The event is free with museum admission, and you can make your required reservation by calling 410-516-0341.

For you writers out there, the Baltimore Free Writers at Constellation Books and Ukazoo's Creative Writing Group both meet on the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 16th this month. So head on down to either store to get your write on in a creative, supportive environment.

And there are many more events on the Read Street calendar. Check it out, and go have some bookish fun!

Posted by Nancy Knight at 9:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

President Barack Obama and novelist Herta Müller will receive their Nobel prizes today in a ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall -- and let's not forget Baltimorean Carol Greider, who will share the prize in medicine.

The big awards often generate controversy, and Obama's peace prize is no exception. Many have already expressed surprise -- and outright anger -- that he won before his first year in office was complete; others will note that the prize comes as he increases troops in Afghanistan.

Muller, who won for works written when she lived under a repressive Romanian regime, is hardly a well-known author. Her selection added to suspicions that the Nobel jurors go out of their way to diss U.S. writers and fete Europeans. Toni Morrison was the last American winner, in 1993, and since then, all but two winners have been European citizens.

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

Publisher Simon & Schuster is taking the boldest step against e-books, by announcing that it will delay the digital edition of about 35 leading titles in early 2010. The move -- scheduling the e-book release four months after hardcovers hit the shelves -- would affect Don DeLillo's "Point Omega," Karl Rove's memoir "Courage and Consequence," and Jodi Picoult's "House Rules," according to the Wall Street Journal.

"The right place for the e-book is after the hardcover but before the paperback," said CEO Carolyn Reidy told the Journal. "We believe some people will be disappointed. But with new [electronic] readers coming and sales booming, we need to do this now, before the installed base of e-book reading devices gets to a size where doing it would be impossible."

Simon & Schuster's strategy is the publishing world's latest counter-attack against e-books, which generally sell for less than $10. As the Kindle, nook and other e-readers become more popular, publishers fear that their revenue will shrink drastically. This is one way to fight back -- but it risks alienating the owners of e-readers, who have spent a couple of hundred bucks for the convenience of reading digitized books. It may be little more than a small, futile effort to plug a hole in a dike that is fast eroding.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Not to be confused with my favorite Decemberists' tune, the Mariner's Revenge Song, this modern mobile puts you in the middle of Moby Dick, with a battered boat, the monstrous whale (and his tale) and even the classic harpoon.

And if revenge isn't your cup of tea, the designer also offers the Wild Things mobile, for children of all ages. (You know, if you can get the taste of that horrible movie out of your mouth.)

Aw man, now I DO want pajamas with clawed feet...

Even better, it's not too late to nab a few of this for the holidays! The Salty and Sweet Shop guarantees the goods will arrive in time for Christmas if the order is made by Dec. 16th for domestic shipping, Dec. 18th for expedited shipping and Dec. 11th for international deliveries. Enjoy!

Posted by Nancy Knight at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

“Dracula is Dead," a new travel literature book by Sheilah Kast and James C. Rosapepe, provides an updated look at Romania. We asked the husband-wife team — he was U.S. ambassador there from 1998 to 2001; she is the host of "Maryland Morning" on 88.1-FM WYPR -- about their travels. (More from the interview will run Sunday in The Baltimore Sun's Travel section and here. Meanwhile, you can read this Sun story about the book.):

Q: When you travel, do you plan meticulously or improvise?

A: [Jim] Meticulously. I like to know where I'm going to sleep and be sure I can talk with a good range of people to get different perspectives.

[Sheilah] I agree. A little flexibility in the schedule is great -- so you can take an extra detour, or linger in a museum. And I like to pick out restaurants on the spot. But I can enjoy myself much more if I know there's a bed waiting for me -- and a seat on a plane or a train.

Q: What is your favorite memory of your time in Romania?

A: [Sheilah] Your question sends a hundreds pictures across my mind. How to pick a favorite memory? One of the favorites was a Sunday afternoon at the Village Museum in Sibiu, an old city in Transylvania. ...  

[Jim] How smart and hard working so many of the people are. In Dracula Is Dead, we tell the story of visiting an engineering company in Brasov which was working for clients in the US. I asked one of the young engineers, "What’s the most difficult part of working with your American colleagues?” I expected him to say it was the language or the seven-hour time difference. “Truthfully,” he replied, “it’s that the Americans take off the weekends. Because we’re operating seven days a week, they get behind us.” So much for the question of whether Romanians, raised in a Communist system without incentives to work, can compete with the good old American work ethic.

Photo of the "painted" monastery at Sucevita

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

According to news reports, Peter Gammons is leaving ESPN -- sad news for any baseball fan (like me) who has followed his analysis in print and on TV. Gammons, 64, is expected to write a farewell espn.com column Friday, USA Today reported, adding that his future plans have not been announced.

If there's any consolation, the extra time may give Gammons time to write more books. His "Beyond the Sixth Game," is a favorite of mine, and sits on a bookshelf at home. The title refers to the sixth game of the 1975 World Series, when Carlton Fisk of the Boston Red Sox hit a game-winning home run (a moment celebrated with loud cheers in the Wellesley College dorm lounge where I was watching). Gammons uses the game as a launching point for an examination of free agency, which has transformed baseball by helping high-spending teams such as the N.Y. Yankees. (Don't get me started on Bucky Dent and the 1978 playoffs. Whenever I think of that dark day, I have to look up at the framed Boston Herald page on my office wall -- it marks the 2004 playoff win against the Yankees that led to the Sox' world championship.)

So good luck, Peter.

Gammons photo from 1995

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

There are many reasons to love the Enoch Pratt, and here's another: The library will offer free H1N1 flu shots this Friday (Dec. 11) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The clinic comes as the state opens up swine flu vaccinations to a broader audience, now that the vaccine supply has increased. Until now, most vaccinations have been aimed at special groups such as pregnant women and young children.

Both the H1N1 and regular flu shots will be available at the Pratt. (The Baltimore Sun has a list of other clinics, too.) The Pratt clinic, provided by the ACE Coalition Flu Clinic, will be held in the main hall of the Central Library, 400 Cathedral Street in Baltimore. Doctors and nurses will be available to answer questions about flu and other health problems.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

It's no secret that I love my Kindle. It goes with me practically everywhere, and I shop through Amazon's free Kindle books on an almost-daily basis. (On a side note, if you haven't yet discovered Amazon's 25 Days of Free, in which they give away 25 holiday songs before Christmas, it should bring a smile to your face.)

And my latest perusal of Kindle's freebies brought me "House of Danger," by R.A. Montgomery, also known as the sixth title in the Choose Your Own Adventure series. And it was while reading this classic format from my childhood that I realized -- Kindle is perfect for CYOA (as we like to call it in the book-reading biz).

Not only does the Kindle version include the photos you'll find in the original bound version, but when it's time to choose which not-so-great option you should take, there's NO WAY TO CHEAT. You simply click on your chosen direction, and the Kindle immediately takes you to the appropriate chapter. There's no flipping through, trying to figure out how to get to that option where you don't die a grisly death; you simply have to depend on your own good sense.

Of course, I died in my very first try. My own good sense isn't worth much in the House of Danger, I suppose.

Either way, I think Kindle should tap into this market. Of course, the CYOA books are made for children, most of whom don't have an extra $300 to blow on a Kindle, but this could be a great way to get parents and kids to enjoy the Kindle together, and hook 'em while their young.

And if this leads to more adult versions of this kiddie classic, I'm all for it. I'm picturing a noir detective novel, much like "House of Danger," but without the killer chimps or giant man-eating plants. (Have I already said too much?) Perhaps a good femme fatale and down-on-his-luck protagonist, instead?

Posted by Nancy Knight at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

I finally got a chance to see the Baltimore Museum of Art's show  Edgar Allan Poe: A Baltimore Icon, and it was well worth the trip. The show nicely mixes images of Poe himself with those that illustrate macabre writings such as "The Black Cat" and "The Raven."  It's interesting to see the range of famous names drawn to Poe: Manet, Vallotton (shown here) and Motherwell among them. It's a tribute to the timelessness of Poe's works -- and to their ability to stimulate the imagination. If you have time, you can relax in the gallery's comfy chairs, read some of Poe stories at hand and let your own imagination soar. 

I would have liked to see more commentary explaining the artists' fascination with Poe. And it was odd to have the show, which is not all that big, split into two rooms -- that took away from the  sense of continuity. But overall, I enjoyed it. 

You can still catch the BMA show, part of the city's Poe celebration; it runs through Jan. 17.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Edgar Allan Poe
        

Daphne Czechtowika, hostess for a German-themed restaurant in Racine, Wis., revealed today that she did not have an affair with Tiger Woods -- a claim that set off a rush by book agents for her memoir. If true, the claim would make Czechtowika the only hostess or waitress in America whom Woods did not hit on.

"Tiger came in once for the Tuesday night all-you-can-eat brat special, and I may have seated him a little too close to the oompah band," said Czechtowika, 23, who has worked at the Little Bavaria restaurant for two years. "Or maybe he was preoccupied by the recent birth of one of his children. Or maybe he doesn't have a thing for dirndls."

"Whatever -- we just never hit it off," she added, forming her fingers into the shape of a W. "But I still wish him well."

Publishers eager for a holiday blockbuster are bidding her memoir into the high six-figure range. The story reportedly will detail Czechtowika's rise from a public housing project in Milwaukee, and the inspiration she drew from her family, including an immigrant grandmother.

"While we value Tiger's privacy, this is a wake-up call for all families -- even ones without multi-millionaires and supermodels. We think iher story will have universal appeal for the holidays," said one agent who would did not want to be named.

Ho, ho, ho!

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 2:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

If you're already overwhelmed by Black Friday, CyberMonday and the other commercial manifestations of the Christmas spirit, you'll love "The Dreaded Feast," a compilation of holiday essays. You may have read some of them elsewhere -- they go back to comic genius S.J. Perelman, after all. But they're worth reading again. (Just remember how many times you've seen "A Christmas Story" or "Scrooged,"; my favorites.)

John Waters weighs in with "Why I Love Christmas ," a hilarious take on his personal love-hate relationship with the holiday. He sets you up from the very first words: "Being a traditionalist ..."

Here's an excerpt: "By December I'm deep in Xmas psychosis, and only then do I allow myself the luxury of daydreaming my favorite childhood memory: dashing through the snow, laughing all the way (ha-ha-ha) to Grandma's house to find the fully decorated tree has fallen over and pinned her underneath."

Ho, ho, ho!

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

At a time when best seller lists are dominated by Dan Brown and Stephenie Meyer, it's nice to see an old master -- someone who helped define their genres -- get some respect. Edgar Allan Poe is widely credited with creating the detective story, and as everyone knows, was also a master of the supernatural. Yesterday, his genius was recognized at a Christie's auction in New York, when a rare 1827 edition of poetry sold for $662,500, a record for a 19th century book of poetry. Even more surprising, two-pages of hand-scrawled verses from 1849 netted $830,500, breaking the 19th century literary manuscript record. (It was the first eight stanzas of "For Annie," written for a passing love, Nancy L. Richmond.) Neither buyer was identified.

Not bad for an ex-Baltimorean who died disoriented, near-penniless and little noticed in a hospital on the city's east side. (Think I'm kidding? Here's all his death merited in The Baltimore Sun.) Somewhere, I hope he's smiling.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 8:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Happy Friday, everyone!

And it's an especially happy friday for Stewart, who has won Michael Crichton's "Pirate Latitudes." Congratulations, Stewart, and I hop you enjoy it!

Meanwhile, I've been reading up on Malaysia, since a very good friend of mine is leaving for Kuala Lumpur for eight months. So far, I've stuck to travel guides and the CIA Factbook, but if any of you have some good reading recs (fiction or nonfiction) with Malaysian characters or settings, I'd love to hear about them!

In anticipatory delight of the holiday season, this week we're giving away Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Books." This Everyman's Library edition includes "The Chimes," "The Cricket on the Hearth" and an introduction by Margaret Atwood.

So tell us what you're reading, and this Christmas classic could be yours!

Posted by Nancy Knight at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Recent revelations about Tiger Woods playdates have exploded his wholesome image in a Big Bang louder than the sound of an Esclade hitting a fire hydrant and tree. But it also has given a sales boost to "Get a Grip on Physics" by science writer John Gribbin. Photos released by the Florida Highway Patrol show the book in Woods' mangled car, amid shards of glass.

That has been enough to lift the book to the 2,268th position on the Amazon sales list, up from 396,224th the previous day. "This is one of my older and lesser known books – a guide to new physics for non-scientists. I can only guess that Tiger has been interested in the various stories about the Large Hadron Collider, and wanted to learn more," Dr. Gribbin told the Independent.

I can just imagine all the slicers, hookers (not that kind!) and yippy putters trying buying the book to discover Tiger's secrets (not that kind!).

So what was Tiger trying to learn about the mysteries of physics? Maybe he hoped that electromagnetic waves could be used to erase Jamie Grubbs' answering machine. Or that his millions could be used to build a time machine (like Mr Peabody's Wayback machine), and transport him back to happier days.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

UPDATE: "Tamerlane and Other Poems" sold for $662,500, according to Christie's; no word on the buyer.

This afternoon, Christie's will auction a rare first edition of Edgar Allan Poe's first book, "Tamerlane," but don't hold your breath for a Baltimore buyer to claim it. The Baltimore Sun's Chris Kaltenbach explored the possibility of a local buyer emerging, but the cash-strapped Enoch Pratt isn't likely to bid for the book, estimated to cost at least $500,000. And the Johns Hopkins University's Sheridan Libraries, which has a Poe collection, also appears out of the running for "Tamerlane" -- one of only 12 copies known to exist. But maybe a local philanthropist will emerge.

Hey, I bet Tom Clancy could buy it, and donate it to a  library, if he just cut back on the carpet quality in his new $12.6 million penthouse. How about it, Tom?

Here's an excerpt from Kaltenbach's article: "You could probably say it's the Holy Grail of 19th-century American literature or American poetry," says Francis Wahlgren, a rare-books specialist who will serve as the auctioneer at the sale.

So rare, in fact, that there's not a single copy in Baltimore, the city where Poe began his professional writing career, where he died in 1849 and was buried, and which has spent the past year celebrating one of its favorite sons at every available opportunity. The nearest copy is in Philadelphia, in the collection of the Free Library there; the University of Virginia in Charlottesville used to have a copy, but that one was stolen in the 1970s.

"It's the rarest book in American literature," says Susan Jaffe Tane, a New York rare-book collector who owns the only other copy of "Tamerlane" in private hands.

Sadly, unless someone around Baltimore has a spare half-million dollars they're not talking about, it appears unlikely the city will be getting its own copy of "Tamerlane" anytime soon.

"I'm not aware of any collectors in the Baltimore region who might be willing to bid on 'Tamerlane,'" says Jeff Savoye of the Poe Society of Baltimore. "I have, however, asked for it for Christmas."

Adds Gabrielle Dean, a curator and librarian who's in charge of the Poe collection at the Johns Hopkins University's Sheridan Libraries, "We definitely have looked at the auction catalog online, and we've salivated. But half a million dollars for one pamphlet, versus half a million dollars that could be used for other books and equipment we need. ... If someone wants to give it to us, we would be certain it would be loved and cared for."

Photo courtesy of Christie's Images Ltd. 2009

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 9:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Edgar Allan Poe
        

It's the first Thursday of the month, and that means there's a hot mic at Ukazoo Books tonight. If you've got a masterpiece or two to share, the event opens at 7 p.m., but presenters are encouraged to register beforehand.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the annual Enoch Pratt Free Library book sale. The sale includes books, CDs, DVDs, magazines and records -- and on Sunday, you can pile up all your goodies in a box for $1.50.

Also Friday, former Baltimore Sun reporter Margo Hammond will be at Coffee & Tea to sign her new book, "Between the Covers: The Book Babes' Guide to a Woman's Reading Pleasure." There are recommendations for every woman in your life, and maybe even a few gift ideas.

And finally, the JHU Press hosts its Book Signing and Madiera Tasting at the Homewood Museum. The event is free, and features authors of the Press' regional books, as well as books written by Johns Hopkins University faculty.

Got an even better event you want us to include in the Read Street calendar? Let us know!

Posted by Nancy Knight at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Continuing on the British theme, I heard an interesting radio report on "The World" (carried locally on WYPR) about what may be the world's smallest library. The good folks in the English village of Westbury-sub-Mendip have remade an unused phone booth into a lending library. (Photo is a London phone booth, not the WsM version.)

According to the report, the mini-library can stock about 150 books at a time. Here's an excerpt from the interview with Janet Fisher, a villager who had the idea for the creative reuse (the best I've seen since the rails-to-trails program):

"We started off with four empty shelves and within a very few days, the villages had brought books that they read and enjoyed and they didn’t bring any rubbish, it was all lovely stuff and they’re exchanged on a regular basis. People bring a book and take a book. It’s never locked so it’s open all the time and there are now DVD’s and CD’s and we have a box on the floor for the children’s books and that’s very popular so it’s just taken off."

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

What was the mysterious ailment that killed Jane Austen? Could she have been felled by the lovely cows in the English countryside? That's the theory of an article in the journal Medical Humanities.

Many have assumed that Austen died from Addison's disease, a once-fatal condition triggered by the failure of the renal glands. But in Medical Humanities, K.G. White examined the author's letters and found no mention of the painful symptoms common to Addison's. Her theory: Austen may have succumbed to tuberculosis contracted from cows. Here's a summary of her findings:

"Important symptoms reported by contemporary Addison’s patients—mental confusion, generalised pain and suffering, weight loss and anorexia—are absent from Jane Austen’s letters. Thus, by listening to the patient’s perspective, we can conclude it is unlikely that Addison’s disease caused Jane Austen’s demise. Disseminated bovine tuberculosis would offer a coherent explanation for her symptoms ... ."

A bit more on the topic from The Guardian.

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Friday, Christie's auction house in New York is selling a rare first edition of Edgar Allan Poe's first book: "Tamerlane." It's of only 12 known copies, and is expected to fetch $500,000 to $700,000.

The book was published in Boston in the summer of 1827, when Poe was 18, and only 50 copies likely were printed, according to the Christie's catalog. It was published anonymously, with the authorship attributed to "A Bostonian." Here's how the catalog explains it: "Poe may have chosen not to give his name so that his foster-father John Allan would not know where he was. His choice to embrace his Bostonian heritage may have been an attempt to distance himself from the Allan family in Richmond."

You can read more about the book at the Poe Society of Baltimore. And even if you can't spring for "Tamerlane," you can read the poem. (You can also browse the Christie's catalog for other interesting Poe items -- and dream.)

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 6:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Edgar Allan Poe
        

Just in time for the holidays! Along with visions of sugarplums, I'm fantasizing about the literary frenzy that will soon hit these three headline-hogging women: Sheila Dixon, Michaele Salahi and Tiger Woods' girlfriend (if she really exists). Any bets on which one will be the first to appear on Oprah and/or write a tell-all?

Dixon, Baltimore's mayor, was convicted today of taking gift cards intended for the city's poor. She also was acquitted on several other charges, but still could lose her office. Working title: "Confessions of a Shopaholic -- the sequel."

Salahi (shown here) is deep in a controversy about whether she and her husband, Tareq, crashed a state dinner thrown by the Obamas. It has raised questions about Secret Service attentiveness, and about the couple's scramble for celebrity status. Working title: "The Woman Who Came to Dinner."

Tiger Woods' girlfriend has been the subject of feverish speculation, much of it triggered by a National Enquirer report that he was having an affair with former New York night club hostess Rachel Uchitel. She denies it; he won't talk about it -- or about his recent traffic accident. (For the record, I hope none of it is true because I admire the guy, and my mom adores him.) Working title: "Swinging with Tiger."

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

By now, everyone knows Richard Heene is a fame-hungry reality TV "star," the father of three would-be hooligans (NSFW) and now a confessed felon.

But did you know that he's also an author?

As expected, his book -- "The Official Offensive Driving Handbook" -- is as gross as you'd expect. It's also currently out of stock, so I guess it won't be this year's top gift, either.

 I guess the only thing I'm really shocked about is that no one has bothered to "review" the book yet. Maybe it's a good sign, though: perhaps our celebrity-obsessed country has had enough with this man's brand of "humor."

Posted by Nancy Knight at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The release of "Pirate Latitudes" by Michael Crichton (shown here) and  "The Original of Laura" by Vladimir Nabokov -- authors who left this world some time ago -- reopens the sensitive issue of posthumous publication. They're not alone, of course. Authors including Jane Austen and Franz Kafka have watched from heaven as their works were published. Ditto for one of my favorites, "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole.

In the kindest interpretation, these new works offer scholars and fans new knowledge about literary giants, and a chance to reinterpret other works. In the cruelest view, they can be little more than literary grave robbing, crass exploitation to make a few bucks.

Nabokov, for example, recorded thoughts about a new book on notecards, and left instructions that they should be destroyed upon his death. But his son decided to publish the fragmentary work.

I don't have a problem with that sort of publication. It gives Nabokov lovers a chance to examine him working at his craft. In a way, it almost makes him immune from criticism, because we would assume that any bad writing would eventually smoothed over, any plot holes would be plugged.

I have more reservations about "finished" works that are published posthumously. I assume they stayed in a drawer for a reason: The author wasn't satisfied. Out of respect, these works should stay where they are, bound and gagged.

For more on the topic, see this Time essay on posthumous publication and commentary by Nathaniel Rich in The Daily Beast.  Meanwhile, The Guardian asks whether this is a sign of "[p]ublishers devoid of inspiration cashing in on sure things, or worthy attempts to provie the complete spectrum of a writer's work? My curious (nosy) nature means I err on the side of worthy."

Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)