Bookmarks 8.25.09

Miniature Book Society Grand Conclave in Princeton, N.J. (August 27-31) – A miniature book is defined as a book that is no more than three inches in any dimension, and the vast majority of them are mind-bogglingly cute. At the Wyndham Conference Center this month, the gurus of the art and those with any interest in it will powwow over conferences, exhibits, and social mixers.

Once Upon a Crime’s Anthology Launch Party in Minneapolis, Minn. (August 27, 8:00 p.m.) – The bookstore Once Upon a Crime will have a launch party for its latest anthology of mystery stories this week. There will be no authors reading, but there will likely be detective aficionados sleuthing around with magnifying glasses and trenchcoats. And there will definitely be refreshments.

Publishing Workshop in Reno, Nev. (August 27, 6:00 p.m.) – This workshop, held at the office of LRP/LeRue Press, is ideal for aspiring writers who have high hopes but aren’t quite sure how to get a foot in the door. Gotta start somewhere, right?


2009 Hawaii Writers’ Retreat in Honolulu, Hawaii (August 28-September 3) – Can you even imagine a more idyllic location for a writers’ retreat than at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach in Honolulu? And not only will this retreat be surrounded by palm trees and macadamia nuts, but there will be a highly acclaimed staff of seminar leaders specializing in many genres.

Festa del Libro: A Children’s Italian Book Fair in Corte Madera, Calif. (August 29-30, 9:30 a.m.) – This book fair, held at Book Passage, is a treat for children, Italian students and native speakers, and anyone who enjoys a beautifully illustrated children’s book. Italy’s foremost booksellers will send their finest specimens over, and local bakeries will provide biscotti.


--Emmaline Silverman

Photo: Corbis

Bookmarks 8.18.09

Nuclear Poetry: ACCELERATION in New York, N.Y. (August 18, 8:30 p.m.) - Join the hippest writers on New York’s experimental literary scene for a night of drinks, reading, music, and inspiration. The basement of Elmo’s Restaurant will be transformed into a “literary bomb shelter” as the Nuclear Poetry movement gears up for its first anniversary show on September 15.

A Night of Literary Laughs in Minneapolis, Minn. (August 19, 7:30 p.m.) – Celebrate the light-hearted side of being a book nerd with a lecture on literary hoaxes, five-minute book reports, slide shows, and various activities of bookish fun. The event, which will take place at The Soap Factory, will mark the release of an issue of Granta Magazine.


Julia Child’s Birthday Celebration in Menlo Park, Calif. (August 20, 6:00 p.m.) – Kepler’s Books will ride Julia Child’s wave of popularity with this tasty open house, which will provide champagne, cake, and a chance to peruse the cookbook selection and share notes with other foodies.
URL: http://www.keplers.com/

Translate in the Catskills in Hunter, N.Y. (August 21-23) – This weekend retreat, held at the scenic Catskill Mountain Foundation, will feature seminars and workshops on the art of translation, for skilled translators and those just breaking into the career. There will also be a star-gazing session for people who are sick of city light pollution and want to stare up into a clear mountain night.

31st Annual YMCA Book Fair in St. Louis, Mo. (August 21-26) – At the Kennedy Recreation Center, the YMCA will sell books in over 60 categories at pocket-change prices. In 1978, this book fair was an understated one-day affair, and it has since exploded into an enormous six-day extravaganza, perfect for bargain-loving readers.

--Emmaline Silverman

Photo by reconstructionist/Flickr

Bookmarks 8.11.09

Marvel Comics 70^th Anniversary Party in Arlington, Texas (August 12, 7:00 p.m.) – Captain America and Spiderman may still be young and muscular, but their creator, Marvel Comics, is turning 70 years old. Marvel’s birthday party, held at Lone Star Comics, will be a chance for old and young fans to geek out, chill with superheroes, and eat birthday cake.

Monsoon Voices in Phoenix, Ariz. (August 14, 7:30 p.m.) – Literature is a very sensorial thing—sometimes it’s better when heard and seen along with the taste and smell of a cappuccino. So on August 14, head to Unlimited Coffee for an issue of Monsoon Voices, “the live literary magazine of poetry, prose, and song.”

Jane Austen Ball in Alexandria, Va. (August 15, 8:00 p.m.) – This ball, held at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, is sure to fulfill the fantasies of every Mr. Darcy lover in the D.C. area. There will be period dancing, music, and dress, and the chance to relive the beauty and grace of England’s Georgian countryside. Reservations required.

From Bugs to Beasts: Storytelling through Collage by Eric Carle in Washington, D.C. (through September 1) – Who among us was not enchanted by the colorful collaged illustrations The Very Hungry Caterpillar as a child? This exhibit, open at the Stanford in Washington Art Gallery, showcases both the process and product in the artwork of Eric Carle. His famous works and lesser-known pieces alike are on display.

Golden Legacy: 65 Years of Golden Book Illustrations in Omaha, Neb. (through September 6) – Little Golden Books have been a favorite with parents, teachers, and children since their debut in 1942. This exhibit, at the Joslyn Art Museum, will feature gorgeous, original illustrations from the series.

--Emmaline Silverman

Photo: Catalina magazine

Bookmarks 8.4.09

The Cringe Reading Series in Brooklyn, N.Y. (August 5, 9:00 p.m.) – If you thought your angsty teenage poetry, letters to celebrity crushes, diary entries detailing miserable first dates, etc. should be burned or locked up forever, you’re wrong. This reading, held the first Wednesday of every month, invites you to read them out loud before a commiserating audience at Freddy’s Bar.

Fiction Writer’s Retreat in Ancramdale, N.Y. (August 8, 8:00 a.m.) – Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership will be hosting its first Fiction Writers’ Retreat this weekend. The event will workshop novels and young adult literature and highlight the social responsibility in the writing life.

Adult Spelling Bee in Milwaukee, Wis. (August 8, 3:00 p.m.) – If you have a competitive streak and a photographic memory for words, sign up for the Adult Spelling Bee at the Divine Mercy Fun Fest. It will be held at 695 College Avenue, and the winner will take home a cash prize.

The Summer Vermont Book & Ephemera Fair in Woodstock, Vt. (August 9, 10:00 a.m.) – This book fair, held by the Vermont Antiquarian Booksellers Association, is a gathering of the Northeast’s finest booksellers. Special guests include renowned bookbinder Malcolm Summers, who specializes in antique book repair and leather-binding.

A Keeping of Records: The Art and Life of Alice Walker in Atlanta, Ga. (through September 27) – Alice Walker is a pioneer on the front of feminism, civil rights, and literature. In Emory University’s Woodruff Library, her personal archives—letters, notes, papers, drafts—are on display for the first time.

--Emmaline Silverman

Photo: flickr

Bookmarks 7. 28.09

Literary Death Match in New York, N.Y. (July 30, 7:00 p.m.) – This event, held at the Bowery Poetry Club and Café, can’t be described better than it is on its own site: “Opium Magazine's Literary Death Match marries the literary and performative aspects of Def Poetry Jam, rapier-witted quips of 'American Idol''s judging, and the ridiculousness and hilarity of Double Dare.” This looks like one not to be missed, friends.

Printer’s Ball and Gaper’s Block Get-Together in Chicago, Ill. (July 31, 5:00 p.m.) – Chicago’s literary web magazine Gaper’s Block will co-host the Printer’s Ball at Columbia College’s Ludington Building. The event will be a mixer for the city’s publication scene, and include music and a poetry slam. Complimentary beer is available for those over 21.

The Flamenco Poets Society Presents Passages by Women in Houston, Tex. (August 1, 8:00 p.m.) – The Flamenco Poets Society seeks to complement the majesty of poetry with the heat and rhythm of flamenco music and dance. Passages by Women, held at The Artery, will feature three Latin-American female poets reading against the flamenco guitar of Randy Cordero.

Alabama Bound: Contemporary Fine Press and Artists’ Books in Mobile, Ala. (through Nov. 13) – This exhibition features many high-quality books of art from a variety of Alabama art groups, from watercolor to graphic design to quilting. It showcases individual artists’ work and the book itself as an art form.

Edgar Allan Poe: More Than a Poet in Baltimore, Md. (through December 6) – This exposition at the Enoch Pratt Free Library will showcase rare personal letters, notes, photographs, and other memorabilia belonging to Poe. You’d have to be stark Raven mad to miss this Tell-Tale exhibit. If you aren’t Ushered in, you’ll Rue the day forever.

--Emmaline Silverman

Photo: Wisc.edu

Bookmarks 7.14.09

Bodies in the Library: Who Done It at Litquake? in San Francisco, Calif. (July 16 at 6:00 p.m.) – This fundraiser for the Litquake Festival will be held at the Mechanics Institute Library and will feature several Bay area mystery writers in an intimate, mingle-worthy setting. Additionally, there will be a raffle whose prizes include signed copies of newly released mystery novels and the chance to become a character in a new mystery.

Decatur Book Festival Fete in Decatur, Ga. (July 16, 7:00 p.m.) – This party, held at the Marcus Jewish Community Center, is an enormous gathering of book clubs in the Atlanta metro area. There will be wine, good, and local authors mingling and discussing the book club institution and how to make yours better.

Drunken! Careening! Writers! in New York, N.Y. (July 16, 7:00 p.m.) – Really, the event title alone should be enough to draw you to this event, but if anyone needs further description, Drunken! Careening! Writers! will be an evening of drinking, readings, and performances with “actors-slash-memoirists-slash-screenwriters” at the KGB Bar on 85 E. 4^th Street.

DePaul’s First Annual Summer Writing Conference in Chicago, Ill. (July 17-19) – This conference is open to writers of all ages and experience levels. It will be a weekend of craft classes, readings, panel discussions (such as “Publishing in Literary Magazines” and “Ethics in Memoir”), open mic sessions, and a keynote address by Achy Obejas in “Writing and Responsibility.”

Prayers in Code: Books of Hours from 16^th-Century France in Baltimore, Md. (through July 19) – Books of Hours, devotional and ornamented books from the Middle Ages, were both instruments of prayer and status symbols. This exhibit, free and open to the public at the Walters Art Museum, displays some of the later, transitional, unusual examples of the genre and examines the relationship between the images and the prayer text.

--Emmaline Silverman

Photo: Flickr

Bookmarks 7.9.09

The American Library Association Annual Conference 2009 in Chicago, Ill. (July 9-15) – This is the largest, best-attended tradeshow for those working in the library field, from elementary school libraries to the Library of Congress. It will be held at the McCormick Center. It is a gold mine for those interested in the library industry, but don’t speak above a whisper, or you might get shushed by the other attendees.

Books and Bars in Minneapolis, Minn. (July 14, 7:00 p.m.) – A book club that unites frank literary discussion with pints of beer and potent cocktails. This Tuesday, the club will be discussing Rivka Galchen’s Atmospheric Disturbances, and all are welcome, including those who haven’t read the book.

(Book)Fest in the West in Scottsdale, Ariz. (July 11-18) – This book festival is designed to soothe and stimulate both body and mind. During the days, enjoy a mud bath or a steam room at a local spa, and in the evenings, commune with your fellow book-lovers to discuss a different genre each night, from thriller to historical fiction.

Pages of Gold: Medieval Illuminations from the Morgan in New York, N.Y. (through September 13) – This exhibit at The Morgan Library & Museum displays lavish, red-blue-gold pages from the illuminated manuscripts of the twelfth to sixteenth centuries. The dead medium, which unites of visual art and literary storytelling, is a feast for the eyes, and one that can rarely be experienced on this side of the Atlantic.

The Greg and Leo A. Daly III Fund for Architectural Books in Washington, D.C. (through November 15) – This exhibit at the National Gallery of Art explores the 18^th- and 19^th-century move toward Greek and Gothic revival in architecture. Wander through the blueprints and images of facades to get a sense of how the faces of neighborhoods came to look as they do today.

--Emmaline Silverman

Photo: Daily Candy

Bookmarks 7.7.09

Illustrating Books for Children with Harry Moore in Orlando, Fla. (July 7, 6:00 p.m.) – Anyone interested in the art of book illustration will benefit from discussion and instruction from Harry Moore, a character artist for the Spongebob Squarepants books and several other projects from Disney and Hasbro. The event will be held at Planet Digital Education. Call 407.970.4792 for details.

Writers of New York in New York, N.Y. (July 8, 12:30 p.m.) – This panel discussion held in the Bryant Park Reading Room and monitored by Thomas Beller will feature authors Jonathan Ames, Alice Mattison, Colum McCann, and Joseph O’Neill. All are local New York writers, and will lend insight to the writing life and how their city seeps into their work.

Scenes of Life: Works from the WPA Philadelphia Printmaking Workshop, 1935-1943 in Philadelphia, Pa. (through July 10) – When the WPA established a printmaking workshop in Philadelphia during the Great Depression, it aimed to stimulate art and the economy by paying artists for their work. The prints on display at the Free Library of Philadelphia espouse the ideals of democracy and hope during the toughest of times.

The Science of Obscurity in Chicago, Ill. (July 10, 7:00 p.m.) – This is a science fair hosted by the Chicago Underground Library at Jupiter Outpost. But don’t come expecting colored chemicals running through tubes or analyses of lab rats’ test results: instead, it will present literary works in progress as science fair experiments. Other highlights of the evening will include a cathartic burning of rejection letters and a literal book launch (via a catapult).

The 2009 Winkie Convention in Pacific Grove, Calif. (July 10-12) – This conference is the 45^th annual celebration of all things related to Oz, Dorothy Gale, and Frank L. Baum. This year it commemorates the 100^th anniversary of the publication of The Road to Oz. Events will include a 10-minute ballet, a costume contest, an Oz trivia game, talks from Oz illustrators, and more.

--Emmaline Silverman

Photo: The Judy Garland Database

Bookmarks 7.2.09

Cartoonapalooza: An Evening with America’s Top Editorial Cartoonists in Seattle, Wash. (July 2, 7:30 p.m.) – This event, held at Seattle’s Town Hall, is part of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists’ annual convention. It will consist of a slides, animation, and discussion about the art form. Books will be available for sale.

Mile High Rendezvous in Denver, Colo. (July 3-5) – Celebrate Independence Day with this festival of live music, food, dancing, and words. The more literary attendees will appreciate the cowboy poets and the Native American storytellers.

Brooklyn’s Open Salon in Brooklyn, N.Y. (July 7, 7:00 p.m.) – Booklyn Artists Alliance is a small Brooklyn group of book-makers who strive to promote and preserve the book as an art form. On the first Tuesday of every month at their studio, they invite the public to come check out the month’s work and learn a bit about the techniques of book-making.

ZAP! POW! BAM! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938–1950 in Los Angeles, Calif. (through August 9) – This exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center explores the genesis of the comic book as an artistic and literary form. It examines the history out of which the superhero movement sprang and displays rare objects like original sketches and 1940s Hollywood movie serials. As an added bonus, it has a vintage Batmobile ride and phone booth stations where kids can make a quick superhero costume change, just in case the day needs saving.

2009 Utah Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City, Utah (June 29 through October 17) – If you’re looking to cool off from those long, hot summer days, what better place than inside the theater at the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespearean Festival? The program includes several of Shakespeare’s classics, as well as a few non-Elizabethan pieces of theatre, and during your visit you can attend literary seminars, backstage tours, and play orientations.

--Emmaline Silverman

Photo: Mark CC

Bookmarks 6.18.09

Playwrights’ Platform Summer Festival of New Plays in Boston, Mass. (June 18-20, 8 p.m.) – Come support the aspiring writers of Playwrights’ Platform who have written the vibrant short plays constituting this summer’s festival. After each performance, the audience members will vote on their favorite plays and actors for the awards ceremony that concludes the festival. Who knows, there might even be a future Lorraine Hansberry in the group!

A Bilingual Reading of Pablo Neruda Poetry in Seattle, Wash. (June 20, 2:00 p.m.) – This reading, which will take place at Central Library, is perfect for English-speaking students of Spanish, Spanish-speaking students of English, hardcore bilingual Neruda fans, and lovers of the poet who have only read translations and wish to hear the exquisite music of his native tongue.

Sunken Garden Poetry & Music Festival in Farmington, Conn. (June 24, 6:30 p.m.) – This festival, which opened two weeks ago, will be held every other Wednesday evening until August 5, in the Sunken Garden of the historic Hill-Stead Museum property. Bask in the bloom of the Colonial Revival as you listen to readings by the Connecticut Poetry Circuit winners and Baron Wormser, and a musical performance by New York’s Uptown Trio.

Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. (June 24-28 and July 1-5) – The Folklife Festival is a multimedia, multicultural, enormously popular event on the National Mall. This year’s programs will include Giving Voice (focusing on “The Power of Words in African American Culture”), Las Américas, and Wales, and visitors can experience these cultures through food, music, dance, and, of course, storytelling.

Fresh Threads of Connection: Mother Nature and British Women Writers in Iowa City, Iowa (through July 26) – If you love the likes of Jane Austen, George Eliot, and Charlotte Bronte, head over to Iowa City’s Old Capitol Museum. The Fresh Threads of Connection exhibit, through the work and lives of ten female British writers, examines art, culture, nature, and these women’s relationships to the world and to one another.

--Emmaline Silverman

Bookmarks 6.16.09

Po’Jazz at Cornelia Street Café in New York, N.Y. (June 18, 5:30 p.m.) – Po’Jazz is a perfect union of poetry and jazz, with a side dish of great food and drink. This Thursday’s program will feature Golda Solomon, “The Medicine Woman of Jazz,” along with readers Pam Laskin, Duewa Frazier, Rishana Blake, and Laura Modigliani.

Juneteenth Celebration in Washington, D.C. (June 19, 11:00 a.m.) – Celebrate history and freedom in the nation’s capital on Juneteenth with a day of poetry, music, drumming, and dancing. The festivities will be held in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library.

Book Swap Party at The Booksmith in San Francisco, Cali. (June 19, 7:00 p.m.) – In between books? Tired of everything in your bookshelf? Bring a worn-out favorite to The Booksmith this Friday and trade with other literary junkies as you schmooze over food and wine.

Magnolia Storytelling Festival in Roswell, Ga. (June 19-20) – Head down to the Peach State for a weekend of storytelling performances, workshops, and banjo music. As the festival is located in the heart of Roswell’s gorgeous historical district, it is also served with a good dose of local legend.

The Underground Poet’s Society National Poetry Conference 2009 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (June 19-21) – The Underground Poet’s Society is an Internet-based, African-American poetry movement where poets of all levels can share their work and exchange ideas. The movement can be experienced next weekend in the flesh at the National Poetry Conference. This event will include workshops, poetry slams (with cash prizes!), and hip-hop and neo-soul showcases, and will take place at the Bahia Mar Beach Resort.

--Emmaline Silverman

Photo: Clutch

Bookmarks 6.11.09

A look at what’s going on this week in the literary world across the country:

Salon: Writing in Changing Times in Denver, Colo. (June 11, 8:00 p.m.) – The Lighthouse Writers’ Workshop presents novelist Laura Hendrie and nonfiction writer Harrison Candelaria Fletcher speaking on how to proceed with the writing life in an electronic, rapidly changing era. The talk will be held at Baur’s Restaurant, located at 1512 Curtis Street.

Poetry Saloon and Workshop Party in Oakland, Calif. (June 12, 6:00 p.m.) – Get drunk on poetry with workshop leader Clive Matson. The evening will include a casual potluck, an open mic poetry reading, and dancing. Plus, it comes with a free dessert and coffee.

61^st Annual Philadelphia Writer’s Conference in Philadelphia, Pa. (June 12-14) – This event, expecting to host 160 to 200 aspiring writers, has a wide variety of workshops from “Novel: Plot and Pacing” to “Cookbooks & Food Writing.” Cost of attendance is $205, but the solidarity and the chance to study under the experienced workshop leaders could prove to be worth it.

BooksNJ 2009 Book Festival in Paramus, N.J. (June 14, 1:00 p.m.) – An engaging afternoon of readings, panel discussions, crafts, story-telling, and a poetry slam. This celebration of words and writers is free and open to all.

Abraham Lincoln: In His Own Words at in New York, N.Y. (through July 12) – Beneath the surface of one of our greatest presidents was a diligent reader and a brilliant writer. This exhibition at the New York Historical Society will display Lincoln’s personal correspondences, official papers written in his own hand, and early drafts of his famous speeches. Overall, it will highlight the bookish side of Honest Abe.

--Emmaline Silverman



Photo courtesy of Corbis.

Bookmarks 6.9.09

[Anne Frank, whose 80^th birthday is being honored this week at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles]

A look at what’s going on this week in the literary world across the country:

Alaska Book Festival in Fairbanks, AK (June 11-13) - A celebration of the literary arts with a little something for everyone: a book-making class, a screen-writing workshop, storytime for the kids, author readings, and opportunities to learn about Alaskan history. Most events will take place on the University of Alaska campus.

Anne Frank: The Diary in Los Angeles, CA (June 11, 7:30 p.m. and June 14, 7:00 p.m.) – In honor of what would have been Holocaust victim Anne Frank’s 80^th birthday on June 12, the Museum of Tolerance will present Asli Bayram, a Turkish-German actress, reading from Frank’s immortal diary.

Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival in McCook, NE (June 12-13) – Located in the prairie heartland, this event is a marriage of the literary and performing arts, with folk music, a cabaret, tales about local sports legends, a chance to share your favorite ghost stories at an open mic, and more.

Rose City Used Book Fair in Portland, OR (June 12-13) – A self-professed “unpretentious book fair,” this gathering of 33 booksellers will showcase used, antique, collectible, and even miniature books (tiny in size, gigantic in charm). The event will include appraisals and seminars.

Terror Among the Tombs: The Fall of the House of Usher in Baltimore, MD (June 13, 6:00 p.m.) – Take part in the celebration of Nevermore 2009, Baltimore’s yearlong bicentennial of Edgar Allan Poe’s birth, by sitting in Westminster graveyard for a theatrical performance of Poe’s classic horror tale. The emcee for the evening will be Frank the Body Snatcher, and various Poe characters will mingle with the audience throughout the night.

-- Emmaline Silverman

Photo courtesy Fox News.