Fenwick vs. Felicity
Students earn scholarships
Minster vs. Southeastern
Book Nook provides readers with insights into the world of books. Vick Mickunas takes you into the center of the publishing world with the latest book buzz, book reviews, and exclusive chats with authors..Home > Blogs > Book Nook > Archives > 2007 > July
July 2007
confessions of a galley slave (vol. IV)
The galleys be piling up thick upon the deck. Let’s get out the mop and see what we’ve got.
AN ARSONIST’S GUIDE TO WRITERS’ HOMES IN NEW ENGLAND(Algonquin) by Brock Clarke. Somebody is burning down the houses of famous northeastern writers; Emily Dickinson, Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Robert Frost. poof! another famous writer’s home goes up in smoke. The author of this fiction—Brock Clarke, teaches creative writing at the University of Cincinnati. Super title! (September).
BOOK OF THE DEAD (Putnam) by Patricia Cornwell. Kay Scarpetta is back—this one will sell boatloads. (October).
LOVE OVER SCOTLAND—the new 44 Scotland Street novel(Anchor) by Alexander McCall Smith. A prolific author from a writers’ neighborhood. Probably best known for his The No. 1 Ladie’s Detective Agency series, McCall Smith offers the third installment in this series that is set a bit closer to home. McCall Smith lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, a couple houses down from Ian Rankin. Up the street,their neighbor is JK Rowling. (November).
SONGS WITHOUT WORDS (Knopf) by Ann Packer. She caught our attention with her first novel, The Dive from Clausen’s Pier. Can she do it again? Aye! (September).
Avast ye! Swab those decks! Shiver me timbers! (Where’s that parrot?)
I am humbly, the galley slave.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
dead?… or ALIVE!
We have all done it—you open the newspaper and see the obituary of somebody who used to be famous and think; gosh, I thought that person died ages ago?
One never knows. Have you ever played the game DEAD?…or ALIVE! You name somebody who used to be famous and then try to guess if they are still walking the planet. You will be amazed at who still lives and who left us long ago. Ah, to be famous one moment, a trivia question the next.
In the world of publishing the concept of death is somewhat arbitrary. An article in today’s edition of the New York Times reminded me of just how arbitrary literary mortality can be. The author Robert Ludlum died some years ago. A person browsing in a bookstore would have a hard time knowing it. The Ludlum book machine just keeps on cranking out the new books.
A few years ago I was talking to a publicist and she asked me if I was interested in reading the latest book by Robert Ludlum. I asked her if he was available for an interview? After a moment of stunned silence, she said: “but, Robert Ludlum is dead.”
Who knew?
If you watch much TV you have seen the flashy commercials for new books by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the cult of Scientology. Viewers who don’t know any better might think that Mr. Hubbard is busy writing books. The reality: he died years ago.
In regard to Ludlum; he was all for it. The article in the NY Times explains: “Robert Ludlum died six years ago, but that has done nothing to slow the release of books published under the name of the actor-turned-novelist who specialized in thrillers built on a foundation of paranoia.
Twelve Ludlum books have been released since his death, with a 13th due out in September. The business is deployed now as a kind of film studio, presenting books completed by others or new ones written using his name.
Since early 2006 there have been three alone: “Robert Ludlum’s The Moscow Vector,” the sixth in the “Covert-One” series of paperback originals; “The Bancroft Strategy,” and “Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Betrayal,” by Eric Van Lustbader.
Mr. Ludlum did not want to be forgotten or leave behind only an enormous backlist that started with “The Scarlatti Inheritance” in 1971. He had little reason to worry: he is now a brand extended far into his afterlife.
“This goes back to 1990 or ’91 when Bob had quadruple bypass,” said Henry Morrison, the agent for Mr. Ludlum. “One day we were talking about what would happen when he was gone. He said, ‘I don’t want my name to disappear. I’ve spent 30 years writing books and building an audience.’ ”
Ludlum didn’t invent this type of marketing: “His estate has borrowed from the examples of V.C. Andrews, dead since 1986 but selling well thanks to novels in her name written by an uncredited author; Ernest Hemingway, whose estates issued several books after his suicide; and Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler (both quite alive) who diverted from their skin of solo thrillers to create series written in conjunction with, or solely by, others.
“People expect something from a Robert Ludlum book, and if we can publish Ludlum books for the next 50 years and satisfy readers, we will,” said Jeffrey Weiner, the executor of Mr. Ludlum’s estate. The estate’s post-mortem publishing game plan is reminiscent of licensing and other deals for dead stars like Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Babe Ruth, and the film industry’s comfort with familiar franchises.”
There is one thing that you can count on: Ludlum’s name will always be twice as large on the cover as the name of his “co-author.” His name on the cover translates into sales, be he dead, or alive.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: clearing the cobwebs
new and noteworthy in paperback
Three books that I have previously reviewed in hardcover have recently been issued in paperback. Each book is well worth reading.
THE PUNISHMENT OF VIRTUE:Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban(Penguin) by Sarah Chayes. The former NPR reporter covered the US invasion of Afghanistan. Then, she stayed there. This book offers a prescient view of the underpinnings of that conflict. Chayes postulates that Pakistan, our supposed ally, has been secretly backing the Taliban all along. They still are. Funds that were supposed to be used to reconstruct Afghanistan were diverted to the invasion of Iraq. It’s not pretty.
THIRTEEN MOONS (Random House) by Charles Frazier. After writing a first novel named COLD MOUNTAIN Frazier got a huge advance for this second work. Expectations were high. While this isn’t quite the book that the first one was, it’s still quite good. Will Cooper is an old man who reflects back on his part in some incredible 19th century history, ranging through the removal of native peoples from North Carolina to the Civil War and lots of spots in between. It’s darn good story tellin’.
THE LAY OF THE LAND(Vintage) by Richard Ford. The final book in Ford’s trilogy that began with THE SPORTSWRITER and INDEPENDENCE DAY, the first two thirds of this final novel are in this reviewer’s opinion, the best Ford has ever done. Ford’s sportswriter, Frank Bascombe, is now a real estate agent, still in New Jersey, and quintessentially American. While the ending left something to be desired it is still well worth reading.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: looks good on paper
JK Rowling at work on two new books
Life after Harry Potter goes on for author JK Rowling. In an article in The Scotsman, Rowling describes her current writing endeavors. (Rowling lives in Edinburgh, Scotland).
“But the city-based writer said she is in no rush to publish them, and will enjoy spending lazy days in Edinburgh’s cafes with a notebook scribbling down ideas.
She said: “I’m sort of writing two things at the moment. One is for children and the other is not for children.
“The weird thing is that this is exactly the way I started writing Harry.
“I was writing two things simultaneously for a year before Harry took over. So one will oust the other in due course, and I’ll know that’s my next thing.
“What’s quite uplifting is that in the middle of all this sadness I feel about Harry ending — and I do feel a lot of sadness about it — is the thought that financially I don’t have to publish immediately.
“So I can take my time. And the idea of just wandering off to a cafe with a notebook and writing and seeing where that takes me for a while is just bliss.”
The revelation of her new projects comes just two days after she revealed plans for a Harry Potter encyclopedia are underway.”
So, Rowling isn’t feeling financial pressure to publish right away? With millions of pounds in Potter profits stashed away she must be feeling rather comfortable?
We can only hope that her relaxed lifestyle won’t dull her writing edge.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | | Categories: booms and busts
then we had a snort of dear old Dad
According to an article in today’s edition of the New York Post,“Keith Richards, co-founder of the Rolling Stones, is starting up the bidding war for his life story and is likely to get lots of satisfaction as publishers have already pushed the price tag for the advance to $7.3 million in the hottest bidding war of the year.By late yesterday, the bidding had narrowed down to two houses, HarperCollins and Little Brown.”
According to the article there was a bit of one-upsmanship involved: “At the outset, Richards’ only goal was to beat the nearly $5 million advance that Eric Clapton snagged for his memoir, due out this October.Richards had an advance of $1.6 million to write his life story for Bantam in the 1980s, but gave it back after he supposedly told the publisher he couldn’t recall enough to fill a book.
OK, Keef, if you couldn’t remember what happened 20 years ago, how is it that your memory has suddenly improved? For $7.3 million my memory would improve too!
A few years ago I interviewed Bill Wyman, the longtime Stones bassist. He left the band because he was already in his sixties and he just didn’t see the point of it anymore. His memory is excellent.
He told me how strange those lads seemed to him back when he joined up in the early 1960s. He thought they dressed in a most peculiar way and that the lead singer danced rather oddly.
Somehow, Wyman fit in. The rest, is rock’n’roll history.
Maybe Keith’s memory improved after his headfirst dive from that tropical tree?? He did take quite a thump on his coconut a while back?
Maybe he’ll have more to say about what led him to purportedly inhale some of the cremains of his dear old Dad?
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: clearing the cobwebs
How to raise a Jewish dog
Reasons your dog may not be eating his food, from HOW TO RAISE A JEWISH DOG (Little, Brown and Company; to be published on 9/5/07)-(Paperback) by Rabbis of Boca Raton Theological Seminary—Barbara Davilman—Ellis Weiner(Narrator)
Wanting to torment the owner
Wanting to “get back at” the owner for some previous wrong
Being in one of his “moods”
Because nothing is ever good enough
Because something is always the matter
Because God forbid the owner’s life should be easy
Because the dog doesn’t like the owner’s cooking, apparently
Because the dog thinks he’s “fat,” which is the owner’s fault for giving him a poor self-image
Because the owner stresses the dog out too much Or something.
Do you remember the episode of SEINFELD where Jerry’s dentist converts to Judaism so that he can tell Jewish jokes?
I’m not Jewish but I still laugh at the jokes. Is that OK?? What do you think?
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: laughable
scribbles and scraps-chapter 13
Another politician with lousy timing: Last week I pointed out the poor timing of a new book by the Democratic Senator, Joe Biden. The publishing cycle isn’t instantaneous. By the time a politician writes a book and gets it published the political landscape can be quite different. No doubt Biden thought his presidential aspirations would be paying off when his book Promises to Keep was coming out. His campaign is going nowhere. Republican Senator John McCain was supposed to be a frontrunner for his party’s presidential nomination. His campaign is in a shambles these days. Naturally, he has a new book out. Hard Call—Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them looks like it has about as much chance of being a best-seller as McCain has of being our next president.
Harry Potter gossip:An observer informs me that apparently well-heeled shoppers in a very affluent region of Manhattan can be seen discreetly picking up copies of the new Harry Potter book at their local Barnes&Noble. It’s not what you think. These individuals are then skipping to the back of the book, reading the ending, then returning the books to the shelves. CHEAPSKATES!
I’m excited about: A new book from Gene Logsdon. The Lords of Folly (Wicker Park Press) is a novel based on Gene’s true life experiences as a seminarian. Gene is known as the “Contrary Farmer.” He farms up in northern Ohio. He is the author of 20+ books. I have had the pleasure of interviewing him on a number of occasions. He is a VERY funny fellow.
Book for bloggers:The Argument—Billionaires, Bloggers, and the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics (Penguin Press) by Matt Bai. Political blogs are here to stay. They carry more weight every day. Bai, a writer for the New York Times examines the landscape and the challenges of this strange new world of politics.
Cool book for kids:Under Ohio—the Story of Ohio’s Rocks and Fossils (Ohio University Press) by Charles Ferguson Barker. As a kid I was fascinated by rocks. I picked up every rock that caught my eye. I still have some of them. I found one rock that was my favorite. It was so large that I kept it outside, hidden away in the hedge. One day I came home from school and found out that I was in BIG TROUBLE. My little brother had decided to haul my favorite rock into the bathroom to “wash it.” As he walked past the toilet he dropped it. It was one of those ancient porcelain water closets. The rock shattered it. Water flowed everywhere. He told my parents that it was “Vick’s rock.” So, I got blamed for that disaster. My rock. Your kids will have a safer way to learn about Ohio’s rocks and geology with this lovely book.
Buddy on the roof: That little guy climbs up there almost every day now. He must enjoy the view. Or maybe, he’s hoping that peacock across the road flies over and fails to see that little scamp crouched down beside the chimney. Hmmmm, peacock!
Bookish beverage:Schneider & Brooklyner Hopfen-Weisse is a most unusual beer, the product of a collaboration between the German brewer Schneider and the Brooklyn Brewery. It’s a German wheat beer in an aggressively over-hopped American style.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: scribbles and scraps
are you a word lover?
I am.
My third grade teacher used to teach us a new word every week. I still remember those words. My favorites were: debris, procrastinate, prevaricate.
My favorite game ?? SCRABBLE.In the third grade they called me bookworm— a compliment, right?
Recently, I met a gent who was teaching aspiring writers for the Antioch Writers’ Workshop. Paul Dickson has authored numerous books. He is a lexicographer—a word lover!
One happy result of our meeting arrived today in the mail. It is a copy of BURGESS UNABRIDGED—a Classic Dictionary of Words You Have Always Needed by Gelett Burgess. Originally published in 1914, the book has essentially been out of print for the past 72 years.
The publisher Walker and Co. will issue a new version in September. Paul Dickson has written a forward for the re-issue. Dickson notes that only 4000 copies of the original were sold. It has been a rarity. And oh—-what wonderful words it contains!
Words like: “Cowcat, n. 1.A person whose main function is to occupy space. An insignificant, or negligible personality. 2. A guest who contributes nothing to the success of an affair; one invited to fill up, or from a sense of duty. 3. An innocent bystander.”
The words are enhanced with sly erudition like: “The cowcat will not talk, but oh, how he listens! How he watches! How he criticises!”
There are also clever poems that include these delightful words. Some words feature illustrations. Words like BRIPKIN and JIRRIWIG. Lewis Carroll would have loved this book.
Do you know any cowcats? Do you know any word lovers? This book could make a lovely gift for those word lovers (and cowcats) that you know.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: secret passions
I’ll consider myself warned
Publishers will pay big advances to some writers. Take J.K. Rowling for example. She got a humongous advance for the last few Harry Potter books. That final book had already sold over 8 million copies in the US during the first 24 hours following publication. Perhaps they will actually turn a small profit after they recoup Rowling’s generous advance?
A lesser known author has a new book coming out in September. Financial markets once rose and fell based on this writer’s pronouncements. When he used words like “recession” you could imagine the sound of windows opening on Wall Street. Alan Greenspan, the former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, got a huge advance for his upcoming memoir, THE AGE OF TURBULENCE.
His publisher is trying to avoid the sort of leaks that bedeviled the final Harry Potter book. I don’t think they need to worry too much.
I received an e-mail today:
Dear Reviewer,
“I am working with Penguin Press on the publicity for Alan Greenspan’s THE AGE OF TURBULENCE, which will be published on Monday, September 17, 2007 and is embargoed until that date. I am writing to let you know that review copies will be expressed to all reviewers for arrival on September 17 (in New York City, copies will be messengered). We are happy to deliver copies directly to your assigned reviewer if that is helpful in order to run a review as soon as possible after publication date.”
“As you plan your fall book coverage, please save space in your review pages for this important and eagerly-awaited new book.”
“Let me know if you have any questions.”
Their message came though loud and clear:
Don’t even think about reviewing the book before September 17. The economy and the finances of Alan Greenspan’s publisher depend upon you. NO SPOILERS!
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: that's what they say
Pottermania rules over at Amazon.com
One could have hoped that Pottermania would be subsiding somewhat now that the final book has been released. If anything, the Potter frenzy seems to be increasing if Amazon.com sales are any indication.
I checked the best-sellers on Amazon.com and Potter still rules the roost. Even more so. Book 7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows remains in the top perch, a spot it has held for months.
At #2 on the chart is the audiobook version of Deathly Hollows. At #4 we find the paperback box set of books 1-6. #5 is Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in paperback.
Moving in to the top ten at #6 is the new collection of books 1-7 in hardcover. It sells at Amazon for $122.85. That one is certain to be found under a few Xmas trees this winter.
At #7, we find the hardcover version of Half Blood Prince. And breaking into the top ten at #9 is the first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
JK Rowling owns 7 of the top 9 spots over at Amazon. Welcome to Potter Country. It’s like she never left.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: in the Amazone
confessions of a galley slave (vol. III)
Summer is a great time for catching up. I’m still clearing away tree debris from last winter’s storms. Pulling weeds. And that pesky poison ivy!
Our recent rains have spurred even more growth in the greenery. The trumpet vines around my mailbox are attractive to hummingbirds. My mailman, Eddie, isn’t quite as enthralled with that blooming mailbox.
Speaking of mail; the advance galleys are stacking up. I’m excited about BRIDGE OF SIGHS, the new novel by Richard Russo. It will be published in October by Knopf. Russo is a superb writer. He likes to write while sitting in a diner in his small town up in Maine.
I am huge fan of Larry Watson. He isn’t well known. He should be—he has created an amazing body of work. His new novel, SUNDOWN, YELLOW MOON will be published by Random House in September. Watch for it.
I tend to eschew most Hollywood biographies but there is one coming out in October that might be compelling. Ed Sikov previously wrote MR. STRANGELOVE: A BIOGRAPHY OF PETER SELLERS. This time around he has turned his attention to the screen star Bette Davis. The book is called DARK VICTORY. It will be published by Henry Holt and Co.
This galley slave business is hot work! Time for a beer.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Tom DeLay drives me buggy
They called him the “Bug Man.” Before he became a powerful member of our US Congress, Tom DeLay was a pest exterminator in Sugarland, Texas. He rose to great power and then resigned in scandal.
DeLay has a new book. It will be reviewed this Sunday, in the New York Times. It’s called “NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER—One American’s Fight.”
DeLay admits to no wrong-doing. “DeLay discusses his childhood, traces his background in pest control and his start in politics, offers a confessional about his years of carousing and adultery (which stopped when he found God), talks about how he rose up the political ladder (he later came to believe it was not his choice but a calling from God) and defends himself against his many enemies.”
“And oh, those enemies! The main theme of the book is introduced early on: “I have learned something about liberals. They are much like Communists. They believe they have to destroy you in order to win. … Liberals in Congress have no ideas that history hasn’t disproved, and this leaves them pursuing only power. To get that power, they will destroy you — and if they can’t destroy your message they will try to lock up the messenger. Congress today is plagued by the politics of personal destruction.””
Tom, thanks for the reassurance. In my book, you are still a jerk.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: politicked
a review of the new Harry Potter
Today readers of the New York Times were treated to a review of the new Harry Potter book by J.K. Rowling.
Wait a minute? How did they get a copy? Well, according to their reviewer, Michiko Kakutani, “With each installment, the “Potter” series has grown increasingly dark, and this volume — a copy of which was purchased at a New York City store yesterday, though the book is embargoed for release until 12:01 a.m. on Saturday — is no exception. While Ms. Rowling’s astonishingly limber voice still moves effortlessly between Ron’s adolescent sarcasm and Harry’s growing solemnity, from youthful exuberance to more philosophical gravity, “Deathly Hallows” is, for the most part, a somber book that marks Harry’s final initiation into the complexities and sadnesses of adulthood.”
Michiko reads fast! Or maybe she had already read one of the bootleg copies that have been floating around on the internet?
Oh well.
The BUZZ continues to build.
So how does Rowling feel about these early reviews? She is outraged. Here is what she had to say about the early reviews:”“I am staggered that some American newspapers have decided to publish purported spoilers in the form of reviews in complete disregard of the wishes of literally millions of readers, particularly children, who wanted to reach Harry’s final destination by themselves, in their own time,” Rowling said in a statement on her website.”
According to the Washington Post, the New York Times felt justified in running the review before the book’s publication date: “New York Times book editor Rick Lyman defended the newspaper’s decision to run its review before publication.
“Our feeling is that once a book is offered up for sale at any public, retail outlet, and we purchase a copy legally and openly, we are free to review it,” a spokeswoman said.
“We came across a copy of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ at a store in New York City and we bought it.
“We took great care not to give away the ending, nor to give away significant details about who lives and who dies, confining our review — which, incidentally, had extremely high praise for both this final book and the entire series — to broader-brush assessments of the tone and the writing.”
In the review, writer Michiko Kakutani gives away some plot details, including roughly how many characters die and what “deathly hallows” means, but does not leak the big secrets.”
“We came across a copy of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ at a store in New York City and we bought it.” Just like that! There they were, strolling through a bookstore and they just happened to see it. There, it’s the new Harry Potter, underneath that book by Nora Roberts. Wow! What a lucky find!
We are supposed to believe that story? C’mon!
Of course, things could be worse.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: what do you think?
curses, spoiled again!
As the time draws near for the release of the final Harry Potter book the spoilers are out in force. An article in today’s edition of the Chicago Tribune reveals the latest Internet spoiler:
“Photos of what appeared to be every page of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the breathlessly awaited seventh and final installment in the wildly popular series by J.K. Rowling, were circulating around the Web on Tuesday, potentially upsetting the most elaborate marketing machine ever mobilized for a book.”
“Various file-sharing Web sites were carrying what looked like amateur photographs of each pair of facing pages of the book, which officially goes on sale at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Some of the photos make the text difficult to read, but the ending is legible.”
So, if you want it, you can have it. A recent survey of Potter fans found that a significant number of them plan to skip to the ending right away to find out what happens. They simply cannot bear to read it without knowing first.
Today’s New York Times has more on the spoils of Potter:
“Tens of thousands of people downloaded the files yesterday, according to BigChampagne, a research firm that tracks file-sharing. By midday, many of the Web links were no longer working.”
“On the link-sharing site Digg yesterday, a person using the name TocsinFilms appeared to take credit for uploading the images, then said he was simply “one of the first” to do so. He wrote on Digg in May that he had obtained a copy of the book from “someone who works for a Scholastic Distributing company for Waldenbooks” and had posted photos of its pages online. Those photos have since been taken down. This person did not respond to e-mail or telephone inquiries.”
“Some who say they have copies of the book or knowledge of the plot have been posting snippets and scans of supposed manuscript pages for weeks. Ms. Holton acknowledged that some of the photos looked genuine. But, she added, “it’s a bunch of people who are going to extraordinary lengths to make it look like they have the authentic book.””
“There were also six photos posted on Flickr, the picture-sharing site, by a user named hermionepotter77, a reference to one of Harry’s best friends. Over the caption “Here ya go kids, the Deathly Hallows ending!” one appeared to show the first page of the final chapter; others showed the table of contents and more pages. This material was almost entirely different from what appeared in the images of the full book, meaning one or both had to be fake.”
I can’t comprehend such behavior. They seem to be missing the point of reading it? I never skip to the ending of a book. I don’t even look to see how many pages there are so I won’t inadvertently read something on the last page that might give away the ending.
I hate spoilers.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: what do you think?
scribbles and scraps-chapter 12
For the love of Potter: As PotterMania builds with the release of the final book in the series this week the best-seller chart at Amazon.com is simply wild about Harry. Book 7-The Deathly Hollows has held the top spot for months. The audiobook version is currently at #4. The paperback box set of books 1 through 6 is at #5 on the chart. The last book, The Half Blood Prince is at #6 in paperback and #8 in hardcover. That’s 5 out of the top 8 sellers on Amazon.
Political dud book of the week: Promises to Keep by Senator Joe Biden (Random House). Poor Joe, he has run for president a few times. He’s running again, I think? At least, he probably was planning on being a front-runner for the Democratic nomination right about now, as his book was set to come out. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are getting all the attention. Poor Joe—maybe next time (NOT!)
Our best-selling author from Dayton: Martha Moody has a new novel coming out in a few weeks. The Office Of Desire (Riverhead) is the follow-up to Best Friends, a book that sells and sells and sells. You go, Martha!
Antioch Writers’ Workshop highlight: My personal highlight was making the acquaintance of the writer Paul Dickson. He kept an office of sorts at the Emporium in downtown Yellow Springs during the conference last week. The first time I spotted him he was wearing a name placard that read vagrant. Little did I know. Dickson is a scholar, lexicographer, raconteur, and certified baseball fanatic. He is my kind of author!
The exploits of Buddy: That little guy is not renowned for his athleticism. I heard him walking up on the roof so I set up a ladder to climb up and get him down. Before I could even it set up he had strolled to the roof edge and vaulted across the chasm. He sunk his Buddy claws into a catalpa sapling and scurried down with the agility and finesse of a squirrel. Who knew?
Bookish beverage: A Spanish rose’ : Red Guitar 100 % garnacha. Yummo!
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | | Categories: scribbles and scraps
the sweet scent of a good book
A suspicious package arrived in the mail. As soon as I picked it up I detected an exotic, spicy scent. Very strange.
I opened it and determined the source of the odor. It was a book with a small parcel attached to it—a packet containing Bombay Chai tea—thus, the scent.
That delicate fragrance was meant to attract my interest—it worked! I examined the book. It is an advance reading copy of THE TASTE OF CONQUEST—the Rise and Fall of the Three Great Cities of Spice by Michael Krondl. The book will be published on October 30 by Ballantine Books.
Krondl is a former chef who is now a food historian. He traces the history of the global spice trade that peaked in the 16th and 17th centuries. The spice trade was the driving force that led to world exploration as explorers like Christopher Columbus sought new routes to the spice producing regions of the world. As you know from reading your history books, these explorers didn’t always find spices. They did find lots of other things and many strange lands—a land called America among them.
The title of the book alludes to three cities that were at the center of the spice trade. Are there any history buffs who might venture a guess at the cities??
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: escapism
a wonderful book about a dog
Are you a dog lover? Do you have a special hound in your life? I confess—I’m a dog lover. Some wonderful dogs have been a part of my life over the years.
I like to read books about dogs. Two of my favorites are THE HIDDEN LIFE OF DOGS by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas and DOGS NEVER LIE ABOUT LOVE by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson. I have had the pleasure of interviewing each author for those books and it was clear that they love their dogs.
Have you read the hottest dog book of the past year? It’s MARLEY AND ME by John Grogan.
I just discovered a book that I think is even better.
It’s Merle’s Door—Lessons from a Free-Thinking Dog by Ted Kerasote (Harcourt). I fell in love with it.
This is the best dog book that I have read in years. Check it out.
WOOF!
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: secret passions
How to make friends and oppress people
I’ll admit it, I needed a laugh. Folks have been acting too serious lately. Forget that!
I scanned the pile of books and extracted a promising title: HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS AND OPPRESS PEOPLE—Classic Travel Advice for the Gentleman Adventurer (Thomas Dunne Books) by Vic Darkwood.
Darkwood is one of those anachronistic throwbacks who seems to live in another era. He has gone through stacks of dusty travel books from 1800 to 1920 and extracted some gems of wisdom.
Here are some examples: “They carried with them five pounds and a half of cheese, eight large loaves, eight pieces of meat, eleven fowls, twenty seven bottles of vin ordinaire, two bottles of Bordeaux, two of cognac, two of eau de cerise, fourteen of sirop de framboise, capellaire, and lemonade; lemons, raisins and prunes.”A Narrative of an Ascent to the Summit of Mont Blanc, Benjamin Hawes, 1828
Fireplaces in boats: “In boating excursions, daub a lump of clay on the bottom of the boat, beneath the fireplace—it will secure the timbers from fire.”The Art of Travel, Francis Galton, 1872
Avoiding blisters: “To prevent the feet from blistering, it is a good plan to soap the inside of the stocking before setting out, making a thick lather all over it. A raw egg broken into a boot, before putting it on, greatly softens the leather: of course the boots should be well greased when hard walking is anticipated.”The Art of Travel, Francis Galton, 1872
I laughed. I learned. Here’s one more, a favorite of mine: “A dangerous man killer can be reduced to temporary harmlessness by a daily pill of opium and hemp.”A Manual of the Diseases of the Elephant John Steele, 1885
You’ll never know when you might need to rely on some of these tips.
Happy Bastille Day!
Vick Mickunas
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confessions of a galley slave (vol. II)
The galleys are hitting heavy, and hard. Advance copies of books that will be read by millions, no doubt. OK, thousands. Hundreds? They are arriving like flotsam mingled with the jetsam.
Today I got PORTRAITS AND OBSERVATIONS—the Essays of Truman Capote (yawn) by Truman Capote. 507 pages- can’t wait!
I also got a copy of the galley of HENRY JAMES—the Mature Master by Sheldon M. Novick. Oh my, it’s only 591 pages. I’m sure this one will be HUGE! (it’s not heavy, it’s my book).
Don’t get me wrong, I love long books, if they’re good. I haven’t read these. I know NOTHING. Still, things don’t look that promising, really.
No, wait! Here’s one. I’m into titles—good titles. This galley is one that I might like; WORK SHIRTS FOR MADMEN by George Singleton looks like a book I might get behind. Or, at least, try to read. It’s a svelte. slender 315 pages.
Galley slavery, it’s not just for breakfast anymore.
Vick Mickunas
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the most stressful job in the world
Do you know what it is? The answer will surprise you, unless you are a librarian. That’s right, according to a recent study, librarians have the most stressful jobs of all.
How can that be? Libraries are so quiet, and peaceful. They must be great places to work, right? Well, according to this article, they aren’t that wonderful. Librarians suffer a lot.
Here’s why: “Librarians complained about their physical environment, saying they were sick of being stuck between book shelves all day, as well as claiming their skills were not used and how little control they felt they had over their career. They were also more likely than other professions to be absent from work.”
“Fighting fires may sound taxing, chasing criminals demanding, but a new study says that working in a library is the most stressful job of all. Librarians are the most unhappy with their workplace, often finding their job repetitive and unchallenging, according to psychologist Saqib Saddiq. He will tell the British Psychological Society that one in three workers suffer from poor psychological health.The study surveyed nearly 300 people drawn from five occupations. They were firefighters, police officers, train operators, teachers and librarians and were intended to cover the spectrum, with the librarians first-thought to be the least stressful occupation.”
Librarians occupy a special place in this reader’s heart. The next time that you see your librarian, tell her (him) how much you appreciate what they do. They need for us to understand exactly what they are going through.
Vick Mickunas
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Remembering Doug Marlette
The American League had just won the All-Star Game. I thought I had better check the news before turning in for the evening.
I was stunned—shocked—deeply saddened to discover that the cartoonist and author Doug Marlette died in a car wreck on Tuesday.
Marlette was the creator of the brilliant comic strip KUDZU and he been polishing his craft as a novelist.
This is how it was reported in the CHICAGO TRIBUNE:
RALEIGH, N.C. — “Doug Marlette, the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist who recently turned his incisive wit toward a budding career as a novelist, died Tuesday in an auto accident in Mississippi. He was 57.
Marlette, who split his time between Hillsborough and Tulsa, Okla., and was visiting Mississippi to help a group of high school students with the musical version of his syndicated comic strip, “Kudzu.” He had just delivered the eulogy at his father’s funeral Friday in Charlotte, N.C.
“You know, there’s a couple of family members I’d rather have lost instead of Doug,” said author Pat Conroy. “And he would have laughed at that. This has been a shock of all shocks.”
Conroy spoke daily with Marlette and last talked with him Monday. The author of “The Prince of Tides” said he expected a call Tuesday evening after Marlette had wrapped up a rehearsal with the drama students at Oxford High School, adding he had no idea how he will fill the void left by his friend’s death.
“I’ve simply been sitting here crying all day, not knowing the answer to that question,” Conroy said. “Just don’t know.”
Marlette started his cartooning career in 1972 at The Charlotte Observer, and most recently was on staff at the Tulsa World. He won the Pulitzer prize in 1988 for his work at The Observer and the Atlanta Constitution, the same year the Observer won the Pulitzer’s public service award for its work detailing the misuse of funds by Jim Bakker’s PTL television ministry.
At the time of the Pulitzer, Marlette said his biting approach could be traced in part to “a grandmother bayoneted by a guardsman during a mill strike in the Carolinas. There are some rebellious genes floating around in me.”
Marlette was the passenger in a pickup truck driven by John P. Davenport, of Oxford, Miss., the theater director at Oxford High School, said Sgt. Leslie White, a spokesman for the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Davenport was treated at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford and released. He declined to comment Tuesday when reached at his home. “
After the recent tragedy of David Halberstam’s death as a passenger in a car crash this latest sad event is even more difficult for me to swallow.
Marlette’s novel MAGIC TIME (Picador) has just been published in paperback. Marlette was slated to visit Dayton this summer on book tour. I was talking to his publicist about an interview. Then this.
His death is a great loss. The world is less intelligent now-less funny. He will be missed.
Vick Mickunas
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just Pottering about
Have you had enough of Harry Potter? Will the final book satisfy your Potter cravings ? Hard to say without reading it, right?
Potter fans by the thousands have signed a petition asking J.K. Rowling, Potter’s creator to continue the series beyond the final book. She has indicated that she might consider it.
What do you think? Would you sign this petition? Or, are you sick of all the Potter brouhaha? It won’t be long now. The final book will be out soon.
It can’t come soon enough. I’m all Pottered out.
Vick Mickunas
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some other book blogs
Blogging about books is a blast! I hope that you are enjoying my daily take on books.
If you do a Google search on the words “book blog” you’ll get 327 million hits! Clearly, book blogs are trending up!
I have been checking out some other newspaper book blogs. Here are a few of my favorites so far:
The Guardian, an English newpaper has a good one; click here to check it out.
The Los Angeles Times calls their book blog; Jacket Copy.
The New York Times has Paper Cuts. When you peruse that blog you can also find out the authors who will be interviewed on Leonard Lopate’s radio show on WNYC. Nifty, eh?
Taking it one step further, The National Book Critics’ Circle has Critical Mass. They cover a range of topics including newspaper book reviews and newspaper book blogs.
Publisher’s Weekly has a book blog for publishing insiders called The Book Maven.
Vick Mickunas
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scribbles and scraps-chapter 11
Bastille Day is coming up this week: One of those holidays that isn’t celebrated too much outside of France. Maybe we should? The Bastille was the symbol of oppression, a notorious prison. Bastille Day celebrates that day (July 14, 1789) during the French Revolution when this iconic evil was liberated. I’m reading two books in honor of Bastille Day: VIE FRANCAISE (Knopf) by Jean Paul Dubois and SUITE FRANCAISE (Vintage) by Irene Nemirovsky, just out in paperback.
Notable new paperback: THE BRONX IS BURNING—1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of the City (Picador) by Jonathan Mahler. I had just returned from Bermuda to Boston. When I walked into the apartment that night I arrived just in time to watch Reggie Jackson smack the first of the three home runs he hit for the Yankees in a game that was pivotal in the Yankee’s World Series Victory over the Dodgers that year. ESPN has just produced an 8-part miniseries based on the book. According to an article today in the NY Times, Reggie Jackson is pretty honked off that he wasn’t consulted by ESPN.
Bookish beverage: It was a sweltering July Day in 1973. I was in West Berlin and I was looking for a cooling beverage. I found it in a beer garden. Berliners enjoy a unique beverage. It is a weisse beer but it is a different style than the wheat beers that they serve in Munich. Berliner Kindl Weisse is tart, almost astringent. They serve with a dollop of fruit syrup that injects a sweet counterpoint to mellow out the sharpness of the beer. I haven’t found anything quite like it in this country, until now. The DOGFISH HEAD BREWERY in Delaware just released Festina Peche, a “malt beverage brewed with peach concentrate.” This stuff makes me want to read another book!
Poland versus Lithuania: These countries may share a common border but they have never gotten along. My Lithuanian penpal Ramunas sent me this link to a YouTube clip of Polish soccer thugs trashing the stadium in Vilnius, Lithuania today (Sunday). The UK doesn’t have the exclusive on aggressive skinheads who use soccer as a smokescreen to conceal their violent behavior. Lithuanian police showed remarkable poise. Polish thugs who were arrested got 10 to 15 day jail terms.
The Buddy Report: The Budster is pretty pleased that Little Mama finally came back home. They have spent the day lounging about on the lawn admiring the butterflies together. She just took a ground turkey break. What a life!
VickMickunas
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07-07-07 was a lucky day!!
I’m not superstitious.
That being said, the number SEVEN has always been my favorite number so July 7, 2007 did seem like a good day, superstition or no.
I did find a wonderful new book to read: AMONG OTHER THINGS, I’VE TAKEN UP SMOKING (Penguin) by Aoibheann Sweeney (now that is a lucky name!)
The Antioch Writers’ Workshop is underway. Yellow Springs seems charged with literary energy this weekend.
The luckiest thing of all happened on Saturday morning:
Her name is Little Mama. She is a feral cat who turned up a few years ago. She is a tiny creature. There was no inkling that she was pregnant when she arrived here. She gave birth in the toolshed. One of her kittens, Little Bit, is still around. Little Mama vanished about a week ago. She tends to wander but never for this long. I was getting worried.
In the morning there she was, waiting out in the yard. She was half starved. I fed her. I brushed her. I love that cat. I just looked out to make sure that she was still there. She was.
Vick Mickunas
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a nightmarish look at the future
In 1961 Anthony Burgess was trying to sell the rights to publish his novel A CLOCKWORK ORANGE to an American publisher. He needed money and he accepted an offer to publish it minus the final chapter. That last chapter, the 21st, has never appeared in the American edition of the book, until now.
When Stanley Kubrick made his film version of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE he based his movie on the American edition of the book. Filmgoers from England and the rest of the world who had read the book were puzzled? Why did Kubrick leave off the ending?
45 years have gone by since Burgess published his book. Americans are finally being allowed to enjoy that controversial final chapter. It is included in the new audiobook version.
I confess that I never read the original. I was a huge fan of the film. This new audio version is a revelation. Published by Caedmon and read by Tom Hollander, it is a thing of beauty. If you’ll recall, Burgess invented his own bizarre language for his narrator, Alex. Simply brilliant!
Not only does it include the last chapter, it has the introduction that Burgess wrote in 1986 called A CLOCKWORK ORANGE RESUCKED. Burgess died a number of years ago. They have included a recording of an excerpt read by the author himself.
It’s a lovely package. If you liked the movie you’ll want to check out this audiobook.
The future is now.
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midnight confessions-part 1
Have you ever had one of those moments when you suddenly realized that you were re-connecting with the YOU that you used to be?
I had such a moment today. I was opening the mail when I saw it—that book. It was RAT SALAD—BLACK SABBATH—the Classic Years—1969+1975 (Thomas Dunne Books) by Paul Wilkinson.
I looked at it. I did a double take. Then, I remembered. I didn’t scoff. No sneers. I had a revelation. Back in 1969 I had liked those guys! I liked BLACK SABBATH! (At least, I liked their first album, the eponymous BLACK SABBATH—by album #2 they had SOLD OUT in my opinion).
It was haunting and mysterious. Eerie. Gothic. Fantastic with headphones or lying on the floor between the speakers. I was attending St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware. The word got out; that kid Mickunas has this incredible album. Seniors (Seniors!) were stopping in to try to borrow it. I could tell that they were according me a grudging and unusual respect. I had the only copy in the entire school-so cool!
It all comes back to me now.
A dozen years later, in the early ‘80’s I was in the audience at Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines for a concert by Ozzy Osborne, the former lead singer of Black Sabbath. Somebody threw a bat (a winged mammal) on stage. Ozzy bit right into it. It was horrible.
This random re-connection with my former self had taken me through the initial euphoric memory of a new discovery through the eventual disgust of remembering what was to come later.
One little book did that. Maybe I should actually read it?
Vick Mickunas
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you never know who you’ll meet in Yellow Springs…
July 4 (Yellow Springs) I was picking up my newspapers this morning at The Emporium in Yellow Springs when I spied some familiar faces. They belonged to Neenah Ellis and Noah Adams. Next, I heard those familiar voices.
Their voices are their most recognizable features. Noah anchored All Things Considered for all of those years. Neenah creates extraordinary radio documentaries. They both write books-they are twin threats: journalists AND authors. (note* Neenah and Noah are married).
Noah’s most recent book, “The Flyers: In Search of Wilbur and Orville Wright” (Crown) was published during the centennial year of that historic flight at Kitty Hawk. Neenah and Noah did much of the research for that book here in the Dayton area.
Neenah Ellis has written “If I Live to Be 100: Lessons from the Centenarians” (Three Rivers Press). Neenah interviewed a number of Americans who lived to the ripe age of 100 years. She told me today that two of her respondents are still living. They are 108 years old now!
So, we had lunch together and we talked. I have interviewed Noah and Neenah on a number of occasions. We had a lot of catching up to do. We talked about the things that were on our minds: Yellow Springs, Antioch College, NPR, WYSO, books, dogs, even Indiana.
It was great to see them. You never know who you’ll meet in Yellow Springs….
Vick Mickunas
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“true patriotism is dissent”
A few years ago I interviewed Studs Terkel. Studs is an American legend for his work as a radio host, oral historian, and raconteur. He said something to me during our conversation that has always stuck with me. Studs expressed this viewpoint: “TRUE PATRIOTISM IS DISSENT.”
As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day I think that it behooves us to examine our liberties and the threats that could undermine our freedoms. These threats seem to loom all around us, from restive movements worldwide to restive groups within our own borders.
Studs Terkel won the first Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Lifetime Achievement last year. He turned 93 in May.
Vick Mickunas
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confessions of a galley slave (vol. I)
Mr. Webster’s dictionary has a number of definitions for the word “GALLEY.” When I call myself a galley slave I’m blending two meanings of the word.
In the film BEN HUR you’ll recall that Ben (played by Chuck Heston) was a galley slave, chained to his oar on a Roman warship. I’m linked to a different form of galley. My galleys are proofs, advance copies of books that aren’t out yet. It’s a most pleasant form of enslavement. I choose to be chained.
Summertime is a fine time for galleys. Publishers send out these advance copies of books to build up buzz for their fall releases.
Today I got a copy of “THE ALMOST MOON” (Little, Brown) by Alice Sebold. Her first novel, “THE LOVELY BONES” will be a hard act to follow. This second novel comes out on October 16.
Sometimes they don’t even send a whole book. Today I got a sampler of sorts from Gotham Books. It has some page proofs from a book titled: “DISCOVER CHOCOLATE—The Ultimate Guide to Buying, Tasting, and Enjoying Fine Chocolate” by Clay Gordon. A silver packet was included. It contained 3 exquisite bars of Parisian chocolate from Michel Cluizel. This book comes out on October 4.
Many galleys are generic in appearance, no cover art—always in paperback form. I sort them into categories—good—-bad—attractive. There are always some that catch your eye. Here’s an example: “SMILE WHEN YOU’RE LYING-Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer” (Henry Holt) by Chuck Thompson promises to take readers “ from Bangkok to Bogota, a hilarious behind-the-brochures tour of picture-perfect locales, dangerous destinations, and overrated hellholes from a guy who knows the truth about travel.”
So many galleys—so much time—I love to read! That’s why I’m a galley slave. Let’s see, what do we have here? A new book by Jenna Bush! I think I’ll put that one over there—way over there…..further. Hmmm…it might get rained on out there?
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the death of a library
Joe Cali was a legend among librarians. He died this past winter. The day before he died he had kept the Antioch College Library open during a blizzard. It was more than dedication that impelled him. The man loved his work.
Cali was notorious for many things. I remember him for this: scholarly journals publish “errata,” corrections for mistakes that were published in previous editions. Cali was painstaking in his work. When he got errata he would look up the offending publications and attach the corrections therein. Find me another librarian who cared so much about his work. You won’t.
It was tragic to hear that Antioch College is closing. You can be sure that Joe Cali would have had something to say about it! There is a moral here: NEVER mess with a librarian. They guard their books with the maternal fury of a mother bear protecting her cub.
The Chicago Tribune had a piece today about the Antioch Library.
When Joe Cali died he was the longest serving Antioch staff member. They had tried to get rid of him in the past. During the administration of Antioch Chancellor Alan Guskin he was the target of removal efforts. It never came to pass. Why? Antioch faculty stood up for Cali. He kept his job. When he died he was still doing the job that he loved.
Today Antioch College faculty are fighting for more than that one librarian, they are fighting for an institution and their own survival as teachers and keepers of the flame, the Antioch Flame. It is still flickering ever so faintly. Long may it burn.
Vick Mickunas
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Antioch Writers’ Workshop
The Antioch Writers’ Workshop is coming up this week.
There has been a change in the keynote speaker;”An important announcement: Sigrid Nunez has had to withdraw as our keynote and fiction intensive instructor due to a medical emergency. We are very pleased to announce that Elizabeth Strout, author of Amy and Isabelle and Abide with Me, has agreed to join us in Ms. Nunez’s place. We plan to feature Sigrid Nunez at a future session of the Antioch Writers’ Workshop.”
Let it be noted that Elizabeth Strout is way cool! “AMY AND ISABELLE” is a most excellent book.
Vick Mickunas
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