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.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Now that's one hangover I wouldn't have minded at all! And thanks for letting me in on that little known connection. I understand CS Lewis, too, along with Huxley and you know who.
ReplyDelete