News Mon Dec 29 2008
One of my favorite bookstores, Unabridged in Lakeview, has joined us on the internets with a brand-spankin' new blog. It's seriously new, having launched six days ago (if you get up close to your computer, it still has that new-blog smell). There's not much on it yet, but they do bring to your attention that photography books, cookbooks and various other coffee table books are 40% off right now, which is nice because after Christmas, it's all about getting presents for yourself.
— Veronica Bond
News Fri Dec 26 2008
The New Year is upon us and the Reader will get you started learning about some great new local authors with their 9th annual fiction issue. This issue includes pieces by Jona Meyer, Rosaleen Bertolino, Latoya Wolfe, Ben Greenman and the wonderful James Kennedy. If your impending resolution is to get more fiction under your belt, this would be a good place to start.
— Veronica Bond /
Reviews Wed Dec 17 2008
The Order of Odd-Fish
by James Kennedy
(Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers, 2008)
Though there are many books of which I am fond, there are few instances in which, upon finishing a book, I find myself thinking, with some sadness, of how much I would have missed out on had not some happy accident brought said book into my life. This is the thought I had from nearly the first page of James Kennedy's The Order of Odd-Fish. This book will likely receive complimentary comparisons to such literary greats as Lewis Carroll and Roald Dahl, along with contemporary favorites like Lemony Snicket and the perhaps less widely celebrated but no less loved Norton Juster, and while such comparisons rarely set the reader up for anything more than disappointment, they are entirely justified here. Even if Kennedy never again sets pen to paper, he will always be remembered lovingly for the one great contribution he has made to young adult literature today.
The Order of Odd-Fish is at once a coming of age story and a fantastical journey into a middle world where gigantic cockroaches are butlers, knights spend their lives engaged in fruitless endeavors and a legend threatens to destroy an entire community. Jo Larouche is thirteen when her life is uprooted and she finds herself vomited out of a giant fish into the strange world of Eldritch City and an order of knights known as Odd-Fish. Along with her is her eccentric Aunt Lily, who cannot remember anything before Jo's birth, a boisterous Russian named Colonel Korsakov, who literally puts all his faith in his gut and bases his decisions on his digestive sensations, and Sefino, Korsakov's uppity and self-absorbed cockroach butler. It is here that Jo must learn the truth about her birth and how she is inexplicably linked with the Ichthala, the true legend that predicts the return of a goddess known as the All-Devouring Mother and the end of Eldritch City.
Lest Jo's story appear to be more of an inner journey, Kennedy pits her against a couple of formidable and highly comical villains. First up is Ken Kiang, a bored Chinese millionaire whose goal is to be "thoroughly, intentionally EVIL." Here is a man who proudly boasts that he has drunk kitten blood, who concocts a plan for a man to sell his soul in exchange for consuming delicious pies, who "[makes] a mental note to practice his diabolical laughter for fifteen minutes a day," for he knows that the devil is in the details. Acting in opposition to both Kiang and Jo is the Belgian Prankster, known for his ability to pull off world-class pranks like covering New York with orange carpet and standing the Eiffel Tower on its point. To say more about the Belgian Prankster would be to reveal too much, but suffice it to say that he will stand as one of the more memorable and satisfyingly disgusting villains in literature.
If the story in The Order of Odd-Fish is at all great, which it is, it is because Kennedy's writing is so extraordinary. He has a knack for creating outrageous characters and vivid scenes where the subtlest turn of phrase can make the most hilarious impact. Kennedy's remarkable use of alliteration alone is worth noting: "Infamous Insect Indignantly Irked in Insipid Imbroglio" and "Magnanimous Mayor Makes Merciful Motion Mandating Murder Matter Mended" read the headlines of the "Eldritch Snitch," the city's newspaper. It is not often that we are reminded that language can be so much more than an instrument of necessity, the fork by which we feed ourselves words and ideas. There are few writers who remind us, instead, that language can be an instrument of pleasure, the precise curve of a neck, the density of a wood, the delicacy with which a bow is drawn against a set of strings to produce a melodious harmony. Kennedy reminds us that writing, especially young adult writing, does not have to be simple or tedious or at all reductive, that it can be dense and multi-layered and exquisitely complex. These are the words of a man who knows his instrument well and plays it with the joy of someone who has clearly had the luck of discovering a true love.
If I sound overly laudatory, it is because while there are many good books that I like, there are few great books that I love. Indeed, I loved The Order of Odd-Fish. My only consternation is that I have come across this book at the age that I am. How I envy those who will discover it when they are young.
— Veronica Bond /
Events Mon Dec 15 2008
Orange Alert Press continues their brand spankin' new reading series tonight with presentations from Jac Jemc, Mary Hamilton, Amy Guth and Tim Hall. It's free at 7pm at the Whistler, 2421 N. Milwaukee Ave. Not only does it provide the chance to hear some fresh new readings, but it'll be a great way to get exposed to some new local talent as well.
— Veronica Bond
Feature Thu Dec 11 2008
This week we look at some of the notable nonfiction books published about our fair city in the past year. A sociology graduate student who infiltrates a Chicago gang, a local columnist discusses his journey to sobriety, the continuing fascination of Chicago's murderous history, a final book from Studs Terkel and a notable biography of our president-elect are just some of the subjects on this year's list. Along with last week's round-up of notable fiction, there is something for every reader on your holiday gift list. Plus, go one further and support local booksellers. Search for indie bookstores near you on Indiebound.
Alinea
By Grant Achatz (Ten Speed, 400 pages)
An inside look at Chicago's celebrated restaurant.
Rule 53: Capturing Hippies, Spies, Politicians, and Murderers in an American Courtroom
By Andy Austin (Lake Claremont Press, 413 pages)
Austin shares her memories from decades of covering some of Chicago's most well-known trials as a courtroom artist.
For the Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb, and the Murder That Shocked Chicago
By Simon Baatz (HarperCollins, 560 pages)
A new history of one of the most notorious murder cases in Chicago history.
Building the South Side: Urban Space and Civic Culture in Chicago, 1890-1919
By Robin F. Bachin (University of Chicago Press, 448 pages)
A scholarly work that explores the planning and development of Chicago's South Side at the turn of the twentieth century.
Live Through This: On Creativity and Self-Destruction
Edited by Sabrina Chapadjiev (Seven Stories Press, 240 pages)
In this collection of stories, essays, artwork and photography, female artists candidly express the ways they use their art to heal and survive violence and self-destructive thoughts and behavior. Editor Chapadjiev is a playwright and musician originally from the Chicago area.
Mapping Manifest Destiny: Chicago and the American West
Edited by Michael P. Conzen and Diane Dillon (Newberry Library, 120 pages)
Exhibition book of more than 60 full-color historic maps from the Newberry Library collection.
Ida: A Sword among Lions; Ida B. Wells and the Campaign against Lynching
By Paula J. Giddings (HarperCollins, 816 pages)
Well-reviewed biography of activist Ida B. Wells.
Jackie Ormes: The First African American Woman Cartoonist
By Nancy Goldstein (University of Michigan Press, 264 pages)
Biography of a nearly forgotten pioneer in cartooning, who came to fame in Chicago.
The Chicagoan: A Lost Magazine of the Jazz Age
By Neil Harris and T. J. Edelstein (University of Chicago Press, 400 pages)
This critically acclaimed book resurrects Chicago's Jazz Age counterpart to the New Yorker.
Continue reading this entry »
— Alice Maggio /
Reviews Thu Dec 11 2008
Powell's presents a long, thought-out review of the newly published Norman Maclean Reader, a posthumous collection of the University of Chicago professor's works. The review gives a good idea of what's contained in the collection, which is nice as we're looking forward to reading Maclean's classic A River Runs Through It in February. But be wary if you haven't read the book yet or seen the movie (like me): there's a HUGE plot spoiler smack dab in the middle of the review. (Thanks a lot, Mr. Reviewer...not all of us are in love with Brad Pitt, so don't assume we all know what happens at the end!)
— Veronica Bond
News Thu Dec 11 2008
Have you ever wondered how some of your favorite writers organize their days? The blog Daily Routines posts information on the lives of writers, artists and "other interesting people," all taken from books, newspapers, magazines and other websites. Some locals you could get to know: Saul Bellow, Ernest Hemingway, J.M. Coetzee, Philip Roth and Roger Ebert.
— Veronica Bond
News Wed Dec 10 2008
UIC Professor Lennard J. Davis, author of the newly published Obsession: A History, has some interesting thoughts on Axl Rose and the ridiculously long-awaited release of Chinese Democracy:
"In some ways, we might regard this as the latest act of a tortured genius in the great tradition of other tortured geniuses. The nineteenth century abounded with them, from Captain Ahab and his obsessive quest of his white whale to Frenhofer, Balzac's tortured painter, and Claude Lantier, Emile Zola's novelistic representation of Cezanne. What these driven people have in common is the desire to create, to capture, and to produce something extraordinary. And yet, they all end up ruining the thing they want and destroying themselves in the process."
— Veronica Bond /
News Wed Dec 10 2008
They're stationed in Madison, which doesn't really make them local, but Bleak House Books has published some local works, most notably the great Chicago Blues, which I reviewed two Octobers ago. So, I feel sufficiently justified in linking to them here, especially when it's for the purpose of spreading the word that they're offering free books this holiday season. You pay for shipping, but that's it! Nothing else! There are a few things that are unavailable, so be sure to read the website carefully for what you can get and the rules for getting them. It's just a little bit of love from an independent publisher who's trying to spread some good words.
— Veronica Bond
News Mon Dec 08 2008
The New York Times has a rather cold reaction to David Sedaris's re-released Holidays on Ice:
"Now the author has decided to take this bitters-soaked little fruitcake of a book, tack on a few extra stories from his more recent publications, garnish it with one that is entirely fresh and wrap the whole thing in a shiny new jacket. Well, pardon me for feeling as if I've been regifted!"
— Veronica Bond
Events Mon Dec 08 2008
Come to Chicago Comics on Saturday to help comic book lovers and comic book creators celebrate the release of the 7th volume of the comic anthology Kramers Ergot. Not only will drinks be served, but you'll get the opportunity to meet several comic authors and have them sign your books, including locals Ivan Brunetti, Chris Ware and Anders Nilsen. Free at 3244 N. Clark St. from 5pm-9pm. Call 773-528-1983 for more information.
— Veronica Bond
News Fri Dec 05 2008
Time Out Chicago has a nice write up of the new No Coast bookstore in Pilsen:
"And that's what makes No Coast such an intriguing contribution to the city right now--aside from Quimby's in Wicker Park, no space offers the kind of diversity in stock, and certainly not on the South Side. The studio also offers a series of open workshops and a monthly screenprinting 'lock-in,' where studio members are available for 24 hours to teach the craft. The space has played host to screenings, music shows (including one to launch the store, pictured above), and will help launch the latest Eye Rocket zine on December 11 at 7pm."
— Veronica Bond
Feature Wed Dec 03 2008
As always, Chicago gave us a wealth of new stories and characters to challenge, despise, laugh with and make us fall in love. We were graced with the final works of two literary giants: Richard Wright and Kurt Vonnegut, both of whose books were posthumously published with the efforts of their children. We traveled through Eastern Europe looking for the story of a man named Lazarus with Aleksandar Hemon. We got inside the minds of Chicago-living Egyptian immigrants with Alaa al Aswany. We invoked the city's dead with John McNally. We discovered the truth behind a thirteen-year-old girl's mysterious and dangerous birth with James Kennedy. And, of course, we did so much more. Below is a list featuring some of the notable books about Chicago or written by Chicago authors published in 2008. If you're looking for some gift ideas for family or friends who are local lit lovers, I hope this will give you some solid ideas of where to start.
Chicago: A Novel
by Alaa al Aswany (Harper, 342 pages)
Set on the campus of the University of Illinois Medical Center in a post-9/11 world, Chicago records the social collisions of Egyptian and American lives. Among the cast of characters are an atheistic anti-establishment American professor, an immigrant who has embraced his new American identity but cannot escape his Egyptian roots when it comes ot his daughter, an Egyptian State Security informant and a student poet who comes to America to fund his literary dreams.
The Kept Man
by Jamie Attenberg (Riverhead Books, 291 pages)
Jarvis Miller has been living as a half-widow for six years: Six years ago her husband, an artist whose career was on the cusp of success, suffered a fall and has been in a coma ever since. It isn't until Jarvis meets a group of kept men - men whose wive's are the breadwinners - at her laundromat that the idea of opening up to new changes becomes a possibility. After learning a devastating secret about her husband, Jarvis is faced with having to decide what to do with what remains of his art and of his life. [You can read my full review of this book here.]
The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation
by Elizabeth Berg (Random House, 242 pages)
The stories in this book focus not so much on food specifically, but on women departing from convention. They ask what you would do if you left Weight Watchers and spent a day eating whatever you wanted; what would happen if you started a dating service for people over fifty; how you can find comfort in aging or friendship in the unlikeliest of places. They are an exploration of the chanllenges ordinary women face everyday.
An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories: Volume 2
edited by Ivan Brunetti (Yale University Press, 400 pages)
In this second volume of graphic stories, local comic artist Brunetti collects work from well-known artists like Chris Ware, Daniel Clowes, Art Spiegelman and Charles Burns, and lesser-known artists like Laura Park and Matthew Thurber. Also included are classic comic strips, related fine art and historical materials.
The Lagoon
by Lilli Carre (Fantagraphic Books, 80 pages)
Carre's debut graphic novel features a family who is seduced by the song of the Creature from the Black Lagoon and details how each member reacts to the Creature's call. The films Creature from the Black Lagoon and Night of the Hunter served as inspiration for Carre's work.
Continue reading this entry »
— Veronica Bond
News Tue Dec 02 2008
Open Books's holiday auction is now open for bidding. Check out the wide variety of items here.
— Veronica Bond
News Tue Dec 02 2008
I've been trying to curb my Obama-related literary postings now that it's been some time since the election has passed, but it seems like you just can't get away from one person or other either commenting on how Obama will increase literature awareness or how some previously published book relates, in some cases quite marginally, to his election. This story in the Guardian does the latter. Apparently a Brazilian writer published a serialized novel in 1926 in which a black politician is elected the 88th President of the United States. While existence of the book, in itself, is not particularly noteworthy, except maybe for the fact that it was published so long ago, what is worth noting is that the book was conveniently republished around election time, with the disclaimer that "any resemblance to actual events is pure coincidence," and was a hit. Well, that's making the market work for you. The fact that the story's protagonist and our President share a similar skin color is merely a coincidence, but I hope it's the only one - in the story this President is found dead on the day of his inauguration. I can't say I'd find reading that kind of thing comforting in the coming days.
— Veronica Bond
Events Mon Dec 01 2008
Book Club author Joe Meno comes to the Book Cellar tonight to read from his latest work Demons in the Spring. Joining him will be will be Chris Connelly reading from his memoir Concrete, Bulletproof, Invisible + Fried: My Life as a Revoling C*ck, Stephanie Kuehnert reading from her novel I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone and Jolene Siana reading from her collection of published letters Go Ask Ogre: Letters from a Deathrock Cutter. Free at 7pm at 4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave. Call 773-293-2665 for more information.
— Veronica Bond
