With giants like Houghton Mifflin Harcourt declaring bankruptcy, and so many others going the way of eBooks, it's no surprise that indie booksellers are working to sharpen the process for getting self published authors on their shelves. After all, self publishing these days means less and less about a book's quality.
The American Booksellers Association wrote on the subject last month. Check out this excerpt about one book seller's plan:
One of Watermark's programs simply offers a little coveted shelf space. "No questions asked, we'll take five copies of a book on consignment," said Sarah Bagby, owner of Watermark Books and Cafe in Wichita, Kansas. The terms are 60/40, and the store keeps the books on the shelves for 90 days. "If they sell, we'll get back to the author right away and reorder. If they don't, the author needs to pick up their books." Staff reconciles the section every month. Contracts for the authors are kept at the cash wrap, and staff is trained on the programs that Watermark offers.
Read the entire article for more details.
— Claire Glass /
Tonight! Windy City Story Slam holds its All-City Championships Semi-Finals at the Chicago Urban Arts Society.
Tonight! Gapers Block and The Coop present a reception for 8x8, featuring writings inspired by art.
Tonight! Book release party
for Molly Backes' The Princesses of Iowa at Story Studio Chicago.
Tonight! Diana Falanga signs P.S. I Still Hate It Here: More Kids' Letters From Camp at the Book Cellar.
Tonight! Vijay Prashad (The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World) discusses Arab Spring, Libyan Winter at High Concept Laboratories; reservations required.
Tonight! Stories From the Bottom of the Glass featuring Keith Ecker, Samantha Irby, Ian Belknap, J.H. Palmer, Shannon Cason, and Dana Norris at SMALL Showroom.
Tonight! The Dollhouse Reading Series featuring Nathan Breitling, Laura Goldstein, Virginia Konchan, and Catherine Wagner.
Saturday! Myopic Poetry Series at Myopic Books.
Saturday! Sappho's Salon "provocative night of lesbian diversions" at Women and Children First.
Saturday! Tamale Hut Cafe Reading Series showcases the work of series regular Christopher Krazmus.
Sunday! Two With Water magazine celebrates the release of its second issue with readings at the Beauty Bar.
Sunday! Readings from Fifth Wednesday Journal contributors at Open Books.
— Claire Glass /
Events Wed May 16 2012
In the spirit of artistic collaboration, The Coop and Gapers Block have teamed up to produce 8x8, an experiment in writing and design.
Eight Chicagoland designers (Jesse Hora, Andy Luce, Chad Kouri, Ina Weise, Letterform, Ryan Sievert, Paul Octavious and Kyle Fletcher) were paired with eight local writers (Patrick Somerville, Claire Zulkey, Kevin Guilfoile, William Shunn, Wendy McClure, Scott Smith, Gapers Block political editor Ramsin Canon and Book Club co-founder Veronica Bond) to create collaborative works, with text informing and influencing art and vice versa. The results of this experiment are presented in limited edition poster form, with writing and design back to back.
The posters make their debut at a reception Friday night, May 18, from 6pm to 10pm at The Coop coworking space, 230 W. Superior St., 2nd floor. Refreshments will be served, and sets of the posters will be available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting Open Books.
— Andrew Huff /
Events Tue May 15 2012
Writer Molly Backes will be celebrating the release of her young adult novel The Princesses of Iowa this Friday, May 18, at 7pm at StoryStudio's Chicago location. In addition to her work as a writer and as a teacher at the North side school, Backes works as its assistant director. The event billed as both celebration and networking opportunity, is open to the public and free of charge.
Backes is gearing up for the approaching chaos of her book tour, but managed to set aside time for us to discuss the task of writing a young adult novel. She spoke to the particular challenge of depicting the in between place that we all occupy at one time or another in which we figure out that adults aren't always right and begin to discover who we want to become.
"It's about my protagonist going from being a young woman shaped by society's idea of perfection and, by the end, she's leaning to listen to her own voice," Backes said. "That's the crux of the teenage experience."
Unlike some writers whose work is reformulated and marketed towards a young adult audience, Backes, a former middle school teacher, set out to appeal to the junior high crowd. While teaching 7th and 8th grade English in rural New Mexico, Backes became uniquely attuned to the complicated dynamics that define teenage life.
"I wanted to write something challenging, literary, and realistic," Backes said. "As a teacher I saw all these girls who woke up at 5am to curl their hair to look perfect. I got really interested in the idea of how we forget that there's something under the surface. No one is perceiving anyone else correctly; that's how high school feels."
When the story begins we find Paige, presumably living a life that's as close to perfection as one in his or her formative years could possibly imagine. A "could have been so much worse" car accident following a night of partying ends all of this, however, and leaves her shunned from the social scene she'd been so successful at navigating. Left without options, Paige locates comfort and a newfound interest in figuring herself out apart from the social hierarchy in her creative writing class.
"As I was trying to publish it everyone was saying, 'why do I care about a spoiled princess?'" Backes said. "But that's the point. It's interesting that people can't get passed their prejudices. So much of how we behave towards people is based on who we think they are, and when they don't live up, we're uncomfortable with that to varying degrees."
The book, published by Candlewick Press, is set in Iowa, the site of Backes's student teaching career, as well as her college state. She wrote it while isolated in New Mexico, still adjusting to the move.
"I felt homesick," Backes said. "I grew up in the Midwest and part of me always wants to write about the place I love. Having gone to college in Iowa, it's where I feel like I really came of age and figured out who I was. In retrospect, it's very appropriate that I wrote a coming of age story set there."
StoryStudio is located at 4043 N. Ravenswood Ave., #222.
— Claire Glass /
Events Tue May 15 2012
This month's edition of the Gumbo Fiction Salon, which books a lineup of readers in any fiction genre and concludes with an open mic, is set to take place Thursday, May 17. Designed as a fundraiser for the John Schultz and Betty Shiflett Story Workshop Scholarship fund at Columbia College, all readers are Columbia College Fiction Writing faculty, alums, or students including Jeff Jacobson, Patricia Rosemoor, Geoff Hyatt, Jenine Arteaga, Ellis Wylie, John Dowds, and Michelle Cachey. There will be an auction featuring books by some of the night's readers, as well as gift certificates to local restaurants and more.
There is a $4 cover, $2 for students, with two-for-one admission this month. The event is upstairs at the Galway Arms Irish Pub, 2442 N. Clark St., beginning at 7pm.
— John Wawrzaszek /
Events Tue May 15 2012
Young Chicago Authors has also teamed up with WBEZ for a series of discussions exploring the Chicago aesthetic and how teachers can integrate YCA teaching methods of hip-hop poetic/prose workshops in their classrooms. There will be a series of three talks. The first is this Wednesday, May 16 at the WBEZ West Side Community Bureau, 2531 W. Division St. at 6pm. Free, but reservations are recommended (click here to reserve). The other two talks will be held on May 23 at the WBEZ South Side Bureau and May 30 at the WBEZ North Side Bureau.
— Rebecca Hyland /
Events Tue May 15 2012
This Thursday, Young Chicago Authors presents the Yolanda Showcase. A fan art show of sorts, the show features original work inspired by the character Yolanda from the gospel musical Crowns. Yolanda is a young woman from Englewood who is sent to live with (and learn from) her Grandmother in South Carolina after her brother is shot down on the street. The poets have created a series of pieces that explore Yolanda's story through their own eyes. Performers include finalists from the Louder Than A Bomb competition. The free showcase will take place at Young Chicago Authors, 1180 N. Milwaukee Ave., May 17 from 6-8pm. Check out the Facebook page for more information.
— Rebecca Hyland /
Events Sat May 12 2012
Studs Terkel — author, historian, radio host and listener extraordinaire — may be gone, but his legacy of the importance of listening and the power of the human voice has inspired one heck of a party.
On Wednesday, May 16, the 100th anniversary of his birth, the Newberry Library (60 W. Walton St.) will host a birthday party to celebrate him, "one of the most prolific writers and cultural critics in the history of Chicago letters."
The event, which will be hosted by journalist Rick Kogan, will feature a bevy of memories from a variety of figures from Chicago's literary and radio scenes, such as author Alex Kotlowitz, Alison Cuddy, host of WBEZ's Eight Forty-Eight, and historian David Roediger.
"It is rare that a person is widely seen as the greatest raconteur in a big city and as its best listener," said Roediger, a professor at the University of Illinois. "Studs was remarkably both and his legacy leaves us pondering how the two are connected."
Inspired by his "spirit of aurality, storytelling, and memory," Heather Radke of the Hull House has established a "Studs Memory Hotline" of sorts, to continue the tradition of oral histories by creating a repository of how Studs has inspired others.
"I thought that both the medium and the content of recorded stories would be a nice tribute to Studs," Radke said. "He was a huge proponent of the power of the human voice. As a radio producer myself, I know how transporting it can be to hear someone telling their story rather than just reading it. With the help of some of my brilliant co-workers at the Hull-House Museum, I decided that it was also important to be able to participate in the project even if you have no particular affiliation or knowledge of Studs, which is why there are two questions: What does Studs mean to you? and When has listening closely changed the way you thought about the world?"
Some of these Studs-related stories, all of which will be archived by the Newberry, are available for your perusal online, and anyone can participate by calling 559-546-1661.
"For me," continued Radke, "Studs is the rare historical figure that is celebrated for his ability to midwife the voices of others, and whose work is as much about listening as it is about talking. I'm glad that others are excited about his legacy of dedication to the People's History, and I am excited to hear all of the jokes, anecdotes, memories, and thoughts on the phone line and at the event."
Bucky Halker and Jon Langford will provide music, and a special 'zine pairing anecdotes from Garry Wills, Sydney Lewis, and others with illustrations from Chicago artists will be distributed.
"Studs was a living link to the Chicago/America I never knew," said Langford. "His comments on WBEZ after 9/11 impressed me greatly, elevating him to level of all seeing oracle. Thanks to miracle of recorded sound people can go on listening to the man forever."
DETAILS:
Wednesday, May 16
Newberry Library (60 W. Walton St.)
5:30pm reception; 6pm program
This program is free and open to the public; no reservations are required.
— Megan E. Doherty /
Tonight! Check out Journey to the End of the Night event in collaboration with Here's the Story.
Tonight! Rock night at Naked Girls Reading featuring rock star biographies and Naked Guitar Hero.
Tonight! Kate Hopper reads from Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers at Women and Children First.
Saturday! Takashi Yagihashi discusses Takashi's Noodles with demonstrations and recipes at Macy's.
Saturday! Isaac Adamson reads from Complication at the Book Cellar.
This weekend! 2nd Story observes Mother's Day as storytellers share the theme of
letting go.
This weekend! Version Fest 12 featuring Quimby's pop up shop in Bridgeport.
— Claire Glass /
Events Wed May 09 2012
This weekend Quimby's, the legendary North Side comic/books/zine shop, will be opening a pop up shop in Bridgeport. They'll be one of many pop ups participating in Version Fest 12, a month-long event billed as "what happens when you invite cultural workers, community developers, urban entrepreneurs, artists, designers, foodies, public space hackers, urban planners, cultural geographers, and dreamers to swarm a neighborhood and transform it for one month." Quimby's Bridgeport can be found at 755 W. 32nd St., May 11 and 12 from 11am-6pm.
— Rebecca Hyland /
Events Wed May 09 2012
This Thursday, Bucket o' Blood Books and Records welcomes Isaac Adamson. He'll be reading from his latest thriller, Complication. A tale of serial killers, thieves, family secrets and Eastern European intrigue, Publisher's Weekly says "Adamson's atmospheric and satisfyingly twisted tale...could easily have collapsed under the weight of its own complexity, but [he] pulls it off with style and a whopper of a twist." (Fun fact: Adamson's first novel, Tokyo Suckerpunch, is being made into a film starring Tobey Maguire). Bucket o' Blood Books and Records, 2307 N. Milwaukee Ave., Thursday, May 10 at 7pm.
— Rebecca Hyland /
Events Tue May 08 2012
Although theater is not necessarily of the literary persuasion, I think the Chicago Humanities Festival's presentation of The Postman, as part of the spring theater festival Sights & Sounds, is well worth noting here. Unlike most plays--and books for that matter--this one, for young children ages for four and up, has zero dialogue. The hour-long show comes across more like a child's imagining of a picture book than a play.
A production by the Velo Theatre Company, founded in 1981 in Angers, France by Charlot Lemoine and Tania Castaing, this like all of the company's work prominently features a bicycle. In fact, the bike in question is actually the backbone of the set, which develops in a sort of diorama fashion, taking shape and unfolding from within the postman's boxes as they're opened. Velo was built on the notion that an actor's connection to physical objects on stage can be as much a form of expression as words. This particular show surely does the mission service.
The scenes themselves are tiny, built with the keen eyesight of a young person in mind, and easily come to life at the hands of the Postman turned puppeteer, played by Charlot Lemoine who has been performing the show around the world for the past 30 years. Lemoine's excitement is simultaneously palpable and muted to allow for focus on the intricate scenery and palm sized action.
There are only two more showings of this particular production left to run. If you are lucky enough to catch one, expect, mermaids, dragons, a surprisingly effective rendering of the ocean, and a sweeping mountaintop. The show features moments of slight tension, namely when the lights go off save for a dragon's illuminated eyeballs, as well as a fairy tale quality, especially during an underwater scene.
I never once felt remotely bored during the show despite my separation from its target demographic. One of only two or three adults without a kid on her lap, I felt myself transported back to the first floor steps of my childhood home where I often looked through books with my mother, making up the story based on the illustrations.
Visit the Chicago Humanities Festival website for a complete listing of the springtime lineup and to purchase tickets.
— Claire Glass /
Events Tue May 08 2012
On Wednesday, May 9, local author Jac Jemc will read from her first novel My Only Wife. The book was released in early April on Dzanc books. Join her to hear from what writer Blake Butler (Scorch Atlas) calls, "a novel concerned with timeless dedication, love, and respect." Stick around after the reading to snag a copy (and get her to sign it). The reading is set for 7:30pm at Women & Children First, 5233 N Clark St.
— John Wawrzaszek /
Author Tue May 08 2012
Author and illustrator Maurice Sendak died in the early morning today. He was 83. Well known for his work Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak had a distinct style that many children came to know and love. His work had resonance that spanned over four decades.
— John Wawrzaszek /
Events Mon May 07 2012
Bang Bang Pie Shop is sort of the most exciting thing that's happened to me since moving to Logan Square. The shop started as a food truck, but co-partners Megan and David Miller and Michael Ciapciak parked for good, opening the storefront at 2051 N. California Ave. in early April. The baked goods were thrilling enough, but then I discovered the place has its own reading series, Bang Bang Fiction & Poetry, which focuses on local readers and invites the well established and the burgeoning alike.
On a daily basis Bang Bang serves up delicious coffee, blended specially for the shop by one of its owners, David Miller, biscuits that achieve moistness unlike any other I've ever eaten, and pie that brought my anti-chocolate boyfriend back for seconds, hunched over the tin in our dining room with the lights off.
I am not, however, here to talk about food, tempting as it might be. The reading series is carried over from Ipsento Café, which David Miller co-owned before moving on to pie. Organizer Ryan Lang worked at Ipsento with Miller when Bang Bang was just an idea.
"I've tried to raise the bar here because at Ipsento, I could only do so much with the space--we had the coffee grinders going, and though we were in a separate room you could still here them," Lang said.
This month's edition, scheduled for May 10, will feature readers A.D. Jameson, who is pursuing a doctorate in creative writing from UIC. Jameson is the author of two books, has taught classes at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Lake Forest College and StoryStudio Chicago, among others and is the nonfiction and reviews editor of the online journal Requited. He also writes for HTMLGIANT.
Chicago Poet Annah Browning will join Jameson at the reading. Her work has appeared in numerous online publications including Anti-Poetry, The Diagram and The Kenyon Review Online. Plus, Lara Levitan, writer at Jealous Mag and contributor to the Logan Square Review, will be in the mix.
Bang Bang Fiction & Poetry is held at 2051 N. Califonia Ave. and begins at 7:30pm.
— Claire Glass /
