I had a very unusual 21st-century experience yesterday. My wife, the beautiful and talented Sheila, had to be in Baton Rouge for the day, which meant she needed to take the one car and the one laptop computer. So Zora, our homeschooled nine-year-old daughter, and I, were facing a day without those two resources we so take for granted. We would be unable to complete usual around-town chores (grocery store, post office, any kind of homeschooling-related outing). I would be unable to check e-mail, Amazon.com book sales, regularly-browsed websites. This was for a grand total of about eight hours, mind you. Not exactly emotional deprivation, but it was still a bit disorienting. So I mowed the lawn, cooked turnip greens for the first time (they do cook down, don't they?), took care of household chores, helped Zora with her Huck Finn project.
Zora and I recently finished The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, on the heels of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. I honestly cannot remember if I read them in early school years, definitely not in college, so it's all as fresh to these 41-year-old ears as it was to Zora's. Both novels, but Huck Finn especially, are remarkable snapshots of the antebellum United States, with Huck and Jim's archetypal journey down the Mississippi providing this homeschooling father ample opportunity to explore history, geography, sociology, psychology (particularly with Huck's continual agonizing over his role in helping Jim escape slavery, his assumption that what he is doing not only violates the social and legal mores of his day, but is immoral in the very eyes of God). Besides slavery, explanations were required for temperance, mesmerism, tent revivals, tarring and feathering and other mid-19th-century cultural artifacts.
The casual literacy of Huck and Tom also made an impression. Neither would be mistaken for a model scholar, and yet both are accomplished readers, with Tom especially having a thorough grounding in Western literature and mythology, from the Bible to tales of pirates, legendary outlaws and fallen nobles. The details are often a bit muddled, to comic effect, but the basic appreciation is there. I can't speak for pedagogical accomplishments in Middle America at this time, but I have a feeling that Twain would drop some hints if he were exaggerating what would be the typical mastery of boys their age.
Now, I can't say much about the project Zora is working on, because we're keeping it a secret from her mama until we're finished, and there is always a slight chance, miniscule if you will, a chance so microscopically insignificant that it would require the most cutting-edge electron microscopic nanotechnology, but a chance nonetheless.... that my wife would actually read this before the project is complete. But we came to a point where research was required. Sans laptop, we packed up what we needed and walked a few blocks to the Rosedale Branch of the Jefferson Parish Library. Small neighborhood library, great staff, always being utilized by members of the local community. As almost always, all of their computers were occupied, as well, so we explored the reference shelves, where Zora was exposed to the exotic volumes of World Book and Britannica. That's right, can you say it with me..... En-cy-clo-frickin'-pedias.
Memory lane, my friends. We had three different volumes out, cross-referencing with the dictionary, piecing together our arcane puzzle, turning pages without the help of google or yahoo or goohoo or yoohoo or any of the rest of them, intoxicated by the purity of the hand/eye/brain coordination, pitying those whose retinas were undoubtedly being scanned by eavesdropping 33rd-degree Freemason Rosicrucian NSA agents guarding the last surviving members of the Warren Commission in some underground silo underneath the Library of Congress ("They think they're harassing the real Arlen Specter at that town meeting! The real Arlen Specter is in this cell right behind me! Magic bullet, my ass! Mwaaah ha ha ha!").
Oh, God, where was I, now, and why are all of these empty wine cooler bottles at my feet? Anyway, as I said in my previous post, I acquired many new books on my recent trip to Shreveport, and the virtual shelves of Deep South Samizdat Books (accessible anytime at amazon.com/shops/deepsouthsamizdatbooks) are bursting with new arrivals. Most came from the Centenary College Book Bazaar, while several dozen came from the catacombs of North Louisiana bookseller Chris Fowler-Sandlin, whose attractively-maintained DeVere Books site can be found on Ebay at stores.shop.ebay.com/DeVere-Books. Check it out.
Among the Deep South Samizdat arrivals, look for highly affordable volumes by Philip K. Dick, Henry Miller and Kurt Vonnegut; a rich vein of poetry by Billy Collins, Denise Levertov, James Merrill and Grace Paley, among others; great pulp tales of Conan and Gor; and some of the more obscure gems by Robert Heinlein and Hunter Thompson. And for those of you in the Greater New Orleans area this fall, come see me at the Freret Market and Broad St. Flea Market for some classic New Orleans and Louisiana titles that I'm keeping out of Amazon.com for the time being. Think Saxon, Hearn, Keyes, Chase. More details as we get closer to the Freret Festival on October 3.
As always, comments, critiques, "Mike, you ignorant slut!" are always welcome at mpbookfreak@hotmail.com. Peace, y'all.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Fanboy Night at Octavia Books
I realize it has been much too long since my last post, but my excuse is that I have been working on processing the hundreds of great books I purchased last weekend in Shreveport, mostly at the Centenary College Book Bazaar. In my never-ending quest to bring the sophisticated consumer the best in used books, I travel to all corners of the great state of Louisiana, and the folks at Centenary put on as good a sale as anybody. But more on that shortly.
Despite my absorption in the literary treasures I came home with, I did manage to get to an event at Octavia Books this past Tuesday, September 15. Octavia is, of course, one of those glorious anachronisms nurtured in New Orleans like in few places. I speak, of course of the coelocanth of contemporary commerce, Bookstorious Independentus. In addition to a mindblowing/expanding selection of new books, the folks at Octavia are very active in showcasing local and touring writers. This night, the spotlight was on not one, not even two, but four writers, all of whom are involved in the upcoming HBO series Treme, which will highlight the historic New Orleans neighborhood through the prism of the local musical and restaurant culture.
Two of those attending, David Simon and George Pelecanos, collaborated on the previous series The Wire, which for me and thousands of others did nothing less than redefine what the medium of television drama was capable of at its best, as the deindustrialization of a major American city (Baltimore) was documented over the course of five seasons, with emphasis given to different classes and institutions (cops and criminals, teachers, journalists, politicians, dock workers). It was co-created by Simon, a former Baltimore Sun reporter, and Ed Burns, a former Baltimore cop, with Pelecanos and other prominent novelists (Dennis Lehane and Richard Price) contributing scripts. They will be joined on Treme by locals Lolis Eric Elie and Tom Piazza.
Elie was until recently a columnist for the Times-Picayune, a great newspaper that is more slightly diminished by his absence. When we moved here about 14 months ago, my wife and I immediately got a subscription to the paper, because that is the kind of weirdos we are. Cell phones and Facebook accounts and cable can wait, but we've got to have our paper in the morning. And the passion and intelligence and sense of history and love for the city exhibited by Mr. Elie provided a doorway for me to walk through as I began to navigate a city that had ceased to be merely exotic, several-times-a-year intoxicating nourishment, and was now home. Just one example: it was through one of Elie's columns that I learned of the life and career of Robert Tannen, whose work I viewed at the Ogden and have explored further since. Then, when I inevitable met Mr. Tannen at the Broad Street Bazaar, I was able to engage him in conversation without sounding like a total jackass.
Tom Piazza is the author of several books, including the novel City of Refuge (which he was gracious enough to sign for me, although I admitted I haven't read it yet) and Why New Orleans Matter, written shortly after Katrina. But I have read his great, short book True Adventures with the King of Bluegrass, about the late Jimmy Martin, and we talked about that for a while. Oh, for the New Orleans natives reading this, I should explain that Bluegrass is an indigenous American musical form that has the curious distinction of not originating in New Orleans. I know it's impossible to believe, but, as far as I know, they cannot trace it back to Congo Square, unlike jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock and roll, funk and so many other contributions. That's true, it does incorporate the banjo, just like early jazz, and, yeah, you're right, Jimmie Rodgers did record those sides with Louis Armstrong, but I still think it's a bit of a stretch (it's hard to reason with these people sometimes).
By the way, if you didn't see Piazza's opinion piece in the Times-Picayune a couple of weeks ago, you should check it out here: blog.nola.com/guesteditorials/2009/09/house_thieves_on_a_grandscale.html#more
It is a passionate, plainspoken analysis of the attempted demolition of Charity Hospital and building of a flashy medical complex in its place. It is simply startling in its directness of language regarding an issue that is typically cloaked in obfuscating expert jargon.
I believe the televisual treatment of New Orleans is in very good hands. But I still can't justify paying for HBO. Is there anyone out there who would be willing to host me whenever Treme makes it debut? Anyone at all? Hello? Hello?.......
Despite my absorption in the literary treasures I came home with, I did manage to get to an event at Octavia Books this past Tuesday, September 15. Octavia is, of course, one of those glorious anachronisms nurtured in New Orleans like in few places. I speak, of course of the coelocanth of contemporary commerce, Bookstorious Independentus. In addition to a mindblowing/expanding selection of new books, the folks at Octavia are very active in showcasing local and touring writers. This night, the spotlight was on not one, not even two, but four writers, all of whom are involved in the upcoming HBO series Treme, which will highlight the historic New Orleans neighborhood through the prism of the local musical and restaurant culture.
Two of those attending, David Simon and George Pelecanos, collaborated on the previous series The Wire, which for me and thousands of others did nothing less than redefine what the medium of television drama was capable of at its best, as the deindustrialization of a major American city (Baltimore) was documented over the course of five seasons, with emphasis given to different classes and institutions (cops and criminals, teachers, journalists, politicians, dock workers). It was co-created by Simon, a former Baltimore Sun reporter, and Ed Burns, a former Baltimore cop, with Pelecanos and other prominent novelists (Dennis Lehane and Richard Price) contributing scripts. They will be joined on Treme by locals Lolis Eric Elie and Tom Piazza.
Elie was until recently a columnist for the Times-Picayune, a great newspaper that is more slightly diminished by his absence. When we moved here about 14 months ago, my wife and I immediately got a subscription to the paper, because that is the kind of weirdos we are. Cell phones and Facebook accounts and cable can wait, but we've got to have our paper in the morning. And the passion and intelligence and sense of history and love for the city exhibited by Mr. Elie provided a doorway for me to walk through as I began to navigate a city that had ceased to be merely exotic, several-times-a-year intoxicating nourishment, and was now home. Just one example: it was through one of Elie's columns that I learned of the life and career of Robert Tannen, whose work I viewed at the Ogden and have explored further since. Then, when I inevitable met Mr. Tannen at the Broad Street Bazaar, I was able to engage him in conversation without sounding like a total jackass.
Tom Piazza is the author of several books, including the novel City of Refuge (which he was gracious enough to sign for me, although I admitted I haven't read it yet) and Why New Orleans Matter, written shortly after Katrina. But I have read his great, short book True Adventures with the King of Bluegrass, about the late Jimmy Martin, and we talked about that for a while. Oh, for the New Orleans natives reading this, I should explain that Bluegrass is an indigenous American musical form that has the curious distinction of not originating in New Orleans. I know it's impossible to believe, but, as far as I know, they cannot trace it back to Congo Square, unlike jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock and roll, funk and so many other contributions. That's true, it does incorporate the banjo, just like early jazz, and, yeah, you're right, Jimmie Rodgers did record those sides with Louis Armstrong, but I still think it's a bit of a stretch (it's hard to reason with these people sometimes).
By the way, if you didn't see Piazza's opinion piece in the Times-Picayune a couple of weeks ago, you should check it out here: blog.nola.com/guesteditorials/2009/09/house_thieves_on_a_grandscale.html#more
It is a passionate, plainspoken analysis of the attempted demolition of Charity Hospital and building of a flashy medical complex in its place. It is simply startling in its directness of language regarding an issue that is typically cloaked in obfuscating expert jargon.
I believe the televisual treatment of New Orleans is in very good hands. But I still can't justify paying for HBO. Is there anyone out there who would be willing to host me whenever Treme makes it debut? Anyone at all? Hello? Hello?.......
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Welcome Back, Freret Market! and Market Bestseller Bestsellers Update!
Here we are, on the other side of Labor Day, looking forward to the eventual end of summer, hopefully by Thanksgiving this year. My wife and I kept busy painting the kitchen in our new house, but only after Saturday's return of the Freret Market here in New Orleans. Unfortunately, we lost the first hour to a much-needed deluge, but the organizers altruistically provided free beer to the vendors until the sun came out a little after 1:00. Other folks were obviously as anxious for the return as I was, because they came out in force for the rest of the afternoon. I also received good news from vendor organizer Cree McRee that the Broad St. Bazaar will return on October 10. Reminders will be posted as the date gets closer.
As promised, I am updating the Greater New Orleans market bestseller list for 2009, side by side with the previous list:
pre-Labor Day current
1. Kurt Vonnegut 1. Kurt Vonnegut
2. Star Trek 2. Star Trek
3. (tie) Ray Bradbury 3. (tie) Ray Bradbury
3. (tie) Walker Percy 3. (tie) Walker Percy
5. (tie) Robert Heinlein 5. Albert Camus
5. (tie) Hermann Hesse 6. (tie) Robert Heinlein
5. (tie) James Joyce 6. (tie) Hermann Hesse
5. (tie) J.D. Salinger 6. (tie) Aldous Huxley
6. (tie) James Joyce
6. (tie) George Orwell
6. (tie) J.D. Salinger
6. (tie) Clifford Simak
As you can see, several classic writers managed to earn their way onto the list, with Algerian existentialist Albert Camus leading the way after two copies of The Stranger sold on Saturday. The most surprising entry has to be Golden Age science fiction writer Clifford Simak, vaulted onto the list by the efforts of one obsessive fan. I've alluded to this before, but let me remind you that all of you are the ones who decide. Are you outraged that that pinko pacifist Vonnegut is at the top, and the dean of military s-f Heinlein is stuck in sixth place? Come on out to the market and put the world right. Camus, Simak, Harlan Ellison and John Kennedy Toole fans did just that this past Saturday, and all showed substantial gains. Not enough diversity? Chinua Achebe, Joan Didion, Ernest Gaines, Sylvia Plath and Anne Rice are all on the verge of greatness. Will you be the one to give them the push they need?
Before I mentally leave the market, one more observation, to be filed in the The Kids are Alright file:
A kid I see at the Freret Market every time, must be about 11, was looking at a paperback copy of Hell House, by Richard Matheson. It has a pretty scary looking skeleton in what appear to be monk's robes on the cover, and I'm thinking that is what is attracting the kid. So I ask him if he has seen episodes of the original Twilight Zone, since Matheson wrote several episodes, second in volume only to Rod Serling himself. So the kid politely lets me know he's aware of that, and he recently read I Am Legend, the novel also written by Matheson and made into two movies, starring Charlton Heston and Will Smith, respectively. I play it cool, but immediately show my respect.
Now let that sink in. Again, I say he can't be more than 11, and this kid is savvy enough to be reading one of the modern masters of dark fantasy and science fiction, someone legitimately placed in the company of Lovecraft and Bradbury. In an age when he is bombarded with gory computer games and Saw 8 and Crescent Wrench 4: The Revenge of the Plumber, and young adult vampire stories and Marilyn Manson, this kid is choosing Richard Matheson. How cool is that?
As promised, I am updating the Greater New Orleans market bestseller list for 2009, side by side with the previous list:
pre-Labor Day current
1. Kurt Vonnegut 1. Kurt Vonnegut
2. Star Trek 2. Star Trek
3. (tie) Ray Bradbury 3. (tie) Ray Bradbury
3. (tie) Walker Percy 3. (tie) Walker Percy
5. (tie) Robert Heinlein 5. Albert Camus
5. (tie) Hermann Hesse 6. (tie) Robert Heinlein
5. (tie) James Joyce 6. (tie) Hermann Hesse
5. (tie) J.D. Salinger 6. (tie) Aldous Huxley
6. (tie) James Joyce
6. (tie) George Orwell
6. (tie) J.D. Salinger
6. (tie) Clifford Simak
As you can see, several classic writers managed to earn their way onto the list, with Algerian existentialist Albert Camus leading the way after two copies of The Stranger sold on Saturday. The most surprising entry has to be Golden Age science fiction writer Clifford Simak, vaulted onto the list by the efforts of one obsessive fan. I've alluded to this before, but let me remind you that all of you are the ones who decide. Are you outraged that that pinko pacifist Vonnegut is at the top, and the dean of military s-f Heinlein is stuck in sixth place? Come on out to the market and put the world right. Camus, Simak, Harlan Ellison and John Kennedy Toole fans did just that this past Saturday, and all showed substantial gains. Not enough diversity? Chinua Achebe, Joan Didion, Ernest Gaines, Sylvia Plath and Anne Rice are all on the verge of greatness. Will you be the one to give them the push they need?
Before I mentally leave the market, one more observation, to be filed in the The Kids are Alright file:
A kid I see at the Freret Market every time, must be about 11, was looking at a paperback copy of Hell House, by Richard Matheson. It has a pretty scary looking skeleton in what appear to be monk's robes on the cover, and I'm thinking that is what is attracting the kid. So I ask him if he has seen episodes of the original Twilight Zone, since Matheson wrote several episodes, second in volume only to Rod Serling himself. So the kid politely lets me know he's aware of that, and he recently read I Am Legend, the novel also written by Matheson and made into two movies, starring Charlton Heston and Will Smith, respectively. I play it cool, but immediately show my respect.
Now let that sink in. Again, I say he can't be more than 11, and this kid is savvy enough to be reading one of the modern masters of dark fantasy and science fiction, someone legitimately placed in the company of Lovecraft and Bradbury. In an age when he is bombarded with gory computer games and Saw 8 and Crescent Wrench 4: The Revenge of the Plumber, and young adult vampire stories and Marilyn Manson, this kid is choosing Richard Matheson. How cool is that?
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Drunk on Books: One Man's Civilized Weekend
Last weekend was a good one for the literary-inclined, as there were events at both of my favorite local used bookstores, McKeown's Books and Difficult Music and Blue Cypress Books. And, miracle of miracles, I managed to fit both into a typically busy weekend.
McKeown's, located at 4737 Tchoupitoulas St., has been around for a few years, under the proprietorship of Maggie McKeown, with capable assistance from Jason Moore. Very strong in fiction, philosophy, science, poetry, all things Louisiana, with a few carefully-chosen new books blended in, as well. Maggie, like me, also loves the thrill of the hunt, always willing to pick up and follow the migratory book sales in search of profitable game. Her other passion, as evidenced by the name of her store, is experimental, hard-to-categorize music (think John Cage or John Zorn, later John Coltrane, some Yoko-era John Lennon, definitely not Jon Bon Jovi), and I have been stymied in my previous attempts to make it to her Evenings of Difficult Music, which occur on periodic Saturday evenings. To find out about the next one, as well as other McKeown's info, go to mckeownsbooks.com.
Saturday evening, August 29, happened to the be the anniversary of the Thing, and the difficult music of guitarist and composer Donald Miller accompanied the poetry of Brett Evans, who touched on the anniversary without making it the central theme of the evening. In addition to his musical activities, which include decades-long participation in the legendary experimental group Borbetomagus, Donald is a local market bookseller, who has been encouraging me to move down here for four or five years, when we would run into each other at the New Orleans Bookfair (coming up Saturday, November 7). Our personal and professional literary passions tend to complement each other well, and it was wonderful to be able to hear him play in such an intimate setting.
Brett Evans read two long poems, accompanied by Miller on what I would describe as the "prepared" guitar, in honor of the prepared piano devised by John Cage in the 1940's (incidentally, a photo of Cage bending over the piano strings he was "preparing" adorned Donald's t-shirt: I want that shirt). The poet and the guitarist sat on opposite sides of the room, creating an interesting visual as well as acoustic experience. The first poem featured the recitation of dozens of porn movie titles, alternately banal and amusing, broken up by bursts of emotion. The overall effect was rather like watching porn, actually, with the rather mundane attempts at narrative finally yielding the voyeuristic thrill. And the low-volume controlled dissonance of Miller's guitar, enhanced by several objects (small bowls, a whirring barbecue grill cleaner) placed onto the strings, was a welcome alternative to the typical synthesizer-heavy wocka-wocka porn soundtrack.
The second poem read by Evans was based on the book Leftover Life to Kill, by Caitlin Thomas, widow of Dylan. Miller's accompaniment included an echo of Evans' words emanating from a female voice over a cell phone. I'm not sure how the effect was achieved, but it was haunting and very effective.
Blue Cypress Books is a more recent fixture at 8126 Oak St., but owner Elizabeth Ahlquist has created a wonderful space amongst the Maple Leaf, sushi and barbecue joints and coffee shops. Great selection of kids' books, fantastic oddball offerings in graphic novels and visual art, and a poetry section that has burst out of its shelves and now occupies part of the floor. Elizabeth also hosts a book discussion group once a month, with this past Sunday's featuring Italo Calvino's The Baron in the Trees. The wine and conversation flows freely, but the discussion tends to stay focused on the book, which group members usually read and complete beforehand (the consensus on the Calvino seemed to be that everyone liked it, but it wasn't transcendent in the way his reputation would seem to suggest).
Personally, the emphasis on fiction has been great for this reader, who tends to obsess on politics and then escape to books about sports. Previous offerings have included Toni Morrison, Katherine Dunn, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Robert Olen Butler, with Cormac McCarthy and Truman Capote still to come.
Next up is Cormac McCarthy's The Road, with the discussion to take place Sunday, Sept. 27, at 4:00 p.m. This will be a rare novelistic reread for me (the last one being Man in the High Castle), and an emotionally wrenching, yet rewarding, one it will be. For reminders about the book group meetings or word about other Blue Cypress happenings, go to bluecypressbooks.blogspot.com.
Also, don't forget the Freret Market this Saturday, Sept. 5, from noon to 5:00 p.m. Look for me close to the music stage (but not too close). Mention this blog, and get 25% off any purchase!
Finally, your literary trivia question for the week: What is the common thread linking the lives of writers Aldous Huxley, Randolph Churchill and Dominick Dunne? Send your answers to mpbookfreak@hotmail.com, or tell me at the Freret Market.
McKeown's, located at 4737 Tchoupitoulas St., has been around for a few years, under the proprietorship of Maggie McKeown, with capable assistance from Jason Moore. Very strong in fiction, philosophy, science, poetry, all things Louisiana, with a few carefully-chosen new books blended in, as well. Maggie, like me, also loves the thrill of the hunt, always willing to pick up and follow the migratory book sales in search of profitable game. Her other passion, as evidenced by the name of her store, is experimental, hard-to-categorize music (think John Cage or John Zorn, later John Coltrane, some Yoko-era John Lennon, definitely not Jon Bon Jovi), and I have been stymied in my previous attempts to make it to her Evenings of Difficult Music, which occur on periodic Saturday evenings. To find out about the next one, as well as other McKeown's info, go to mckeownsbooks.com.
Saturday evening, August 29, happened to the be the anniversary of the Thing, and the difficult music of guitarist and composer Donald Miller accompanied the poetry of Brett Evans, who touched on the anniversary without making it the central theme of the evening. In addition to his musical activities, which include decades-long participation in the legendary experimental group Borbetomagus, Donald is a local market bookseller, who has been encouraging me to move down here for four or five years, when we would run into each other at the New Orleans Bookfair (coming up Saturday, November 7). Our personal and professional literary passions tend to complement each other well, and it was wonderful to be able to hear him play in such an intimate setting.
Brett Evans read two long poems, accompanied by Miller on what I would describe as the "prepared" guitar, in honor of the prepared piano devised by John Cage in the 1940's (incidentally, a photo of Cage bending over the piano strings he was "preparing" adorned Donald's t-shirt: I want that shirt). The poet and the guitarist sat on opposite sides of the room, creating an interesting visual as well as acoustic experience. The first poem featured the recitation of dozens of porn movie titles, alternately banal and amusing, broken up by bursts of emotion. The overall effect was rather like watching porn, actually, with the rather mundane attempts at narrative finally yielding the voyeuristic thrill. And the low-volume controlled dissonance of Miller's guitar, enhanced by several objects (small bowls, a whirring barbecue grill cleaner) placed onto the strings, was a welcome alternative to the typical synthesizer-heavy wocka-wocka porn soundtrack.
The second poem read by Evans was based on the book Leftover Life to Kill, by Caitlin Thomas, widow of Dylan. Miller's accompaniment included an echo of Evans' words emanating from a female voice over a cell phone. I'm not sure how the effect was achieved, but it was haunting and very effective.
Blue Cypress Books is a more recent fixture at 8126 Oak St., but owner Elizabeth Ahlquist has created a wonderful space amongst the Maple Leaf, sushi and barbecue joints and coffee shops. Great selection of kids' books, fantastic oddball offerings in graphic novels and visual art, and a poetry section that has burst out of its shelves and now occupies part of the floor. Elizabeth also hosts a book discussion group once a month, with this past Sunday's featuring Italo Calvino's The Baron in the Trees. The wine and conversation flows freely, but the discussion tends to stay focused on the book, which group members usually read and complete beforehand (the consensus on the Calvino seemed to be that everyone liked it, but it wasn't transcendent in the way his reputation would seem to suggest).
Personally, the emphasis on fiction has been great for this reader, who tends to obsess on politics and then escape to books about sports. Previous offerings have included Toni Morrison, Katherine Dunn, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Robert Olen Butler, with Cormac McCarthy and Truman Capote still to come.
Next up is Cormac McCarthy's The Road, with the discussion to take place Sunday, Sept. 27, at 4:00 p.m. This will be a rare novelistic reread for me (the last one being Man in the High Castle), and an emotionally wrenching, yet rewarding, one it will be. For reminders about the book group meetings or word about other Blue Cypress happenings, go to bluecypressbooks.blogspot.com.
Also, don't forget the Freret Market this Saturday, Sept. 5, from noon to 5:00 p.m. Look for me close to the music stage (but not too close). Mention this blog, and get 25% off any purchase!
Finally, your literary trivia question for the week: What is the common thread linking the lives of writers Aldous Huxley, Randolph Churchill and Dominick Dunne? Send your answers to mpbookfreak@hotmail.com, or tell me at the Freret Market.
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