News Mon Jun 29 2009
The New Yorker's Book Bench blog isn't really the place I expected the image of such shirts to jump out at me, as if leaping through the past to haunt me in my present (I wholeheartedly concur with Walker's summation of time spent at the University of Chicago as "bleak"). Nevertheless, two reported items are of note: the left-leaning locally published magazine The Baffler is coming back, and two undergrads are penning a book called Twitterature: The World's Greatest Books, Now Presented in Twenty Tweets or Less and have sold it to Penguin. Is the last item sad or ironic? The thing about the U of C is that you never really can tell the difference.
— Veronica Bond
News Mon Jun 29 2009
There's even more Hemingway news to bring you. Last week Alice alerted us to a new book that will take a fictionalized look at Hemingway's first marriage; now the New York Times tells the story of the author's grandson's efforts to restore the posthumously published A Moveable Feast, the memoir that includes the dissolution of that first marriage. It seems that the editing of the book is a story in itself: originally edited by Hemingway's fourth wife, the first edition included a final chapter on that first marriage built from parts that Hemingway indicated he did not want published. The upcoming new edition of the book, what is being called the "restored edition," is edited by grandson Seán Hemingway who, among other changes, added passages from the manuscript that he believes puts his grandmother (the author's second wife, Pauline) in "a more sympathetic light." The Times reports on Seán's motivations:
Seán said he revised edits that had been made in the first edition, and restored paragraphs that he believed presented his grandmother's relationship with Hemingway in a more nuanced and truthful way. Seán said that in doing so, he felt he was returning the text closer to the way his grandfather wanted it.
The new version of Pauline's arrival in Hemingway's life, titled 'The Pilot Fish and the Rich,' and included in the additional Paris sketches, shows Hemingway taking more responsibility for his breakup with [first wife] Hadley. While the 1964 edition casts him as Pauline's victim, he shares the blame in the new version.
— Veronica Bond
Events Mon Jun 29 2009
One of the preeminent scholars of our time, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University, will be at the Harold Washington Library tonight for a discussion on "Our Histories, Our Stories," a look at how the way we tell stories shapes our history and how our history shapes the way we tell stories. Joining him will be Chicago Tribune columnist, author, and FoBC (Friend of the Book Club) Rick Kogan. For some time now Gates has been an influential and important voice in the academic study of literature and the African American experience, so if the idea of either of those interests you, this is not a talk you'll want to miss. Free at 6pm (doors open at 5pm) in the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, 400 S. State St. Call 312-747-4300 for more information.
— Veronica Bond
Stores reporting this week: Anderson's Bookshop; Read Between the Lynes; The Book Cellar; Lake Forest Books; The Bookstall at Chestnut Court; The Book Table; the Seminary Co-op Bookstores; and Women and Children First.
Hardcover Fiction
1. Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafron
2. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
4. First Family by David Baldacci
5. The Women by T.C. Boyle
Hardcover Nonfiction
1. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
2. Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton
3. Renegade by Richard Wolffe
4. Home Game by Michael Lewis
5. Driving Like Crazy by PJ O'Rourke
Paperback Fiction
1. The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
2. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
3. Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
4. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
5. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith
Paperback Nonfiction
1. The Naked Roommate by Harlan Cohen
2. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
3. City of Sin and Splendour by Bapsi Sidhwa
4. Armageddon in Retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut
5. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
Children's
1. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
2. Goldilicious by Victoria Kann
3. Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover by Ally Carter
4. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
5. LA Candy by Lauren Conrad
— Alice Maggio
News Thu Jun 25 2009
— Alice Maggio
News Wed Jun 24 2009
The Guardian asked novelist Ewan Morrison, author of Menage, to pick the Top Ten Literary Threesomes. His list includes not one, but two Chicago authors. In at #1, the Top Literary Threesome Ever, is Oak Park native Ernest Hemingway with The Garden of Eden, a novel that "tells the story of an author, his adventurous wife, and the psycho-sexual games they play while sharing a young woman. It is largely held to be autobiographical." University of Chicago alum Susan Sontag comes in at #7 with The Volcano Lover, a historical fiction revolving around Sir William Hamilton, his wife Emma and Vice Admiral Horation Nelson. Apparently, Chicago authors know how to write the sexy. (Of course, we already knew that.)
— Veronica Bond /
News Wed Jun 24 2009
Banned Books Weeks is coming up in about three months and it's a shame to be reminded why we so desperately need to continue with this celebration. Recently, parents at a school in the suburb of Antioch petitioned to pull Sherman Alexie's The Absolutley True Diary of a Part-Time Indian from the freshman required summer reading list. Parents objected to the book's "descriptions of masturbation, racist language, graphic depictions of sex, and references to bestiality," but faculty maintained that the language needs to be read in context and that the book contains an overall "strong anti-drug, anti-alcohol message." The faculty won (yay!). I haven't read the book myself, but knowing that it was challenged certainly sparks my interest when I had none before. I imagine the same will be true for a lot of those freshmen. [via]
— Veronica Bond
Reviews Tue Jun 23 2009
Love and Obstacles
by Aleksandar Hemon
(Riverhead Books, 2009)
I will be the first to admit that when we read Aleksandar Hemon's debut novel, Nowhere Man, during our first year of Book Club meetings, I was not the author's biggest fan. I generally like my novels and stories to be imbued with a certain element of concreteness and plausibility; I like to feel a sense of roundedness; I like to believe that if we start out in one place we will eventually get back to that place in one way or another. These are qualities that Nowhere Man does not possess. I do not mean this as a criticism of this book - my literary likes simply did not match up with what Hemon had to offer and I was content for us to go our separate ways. Rare is the author who can execute both styles of writing and execute them well. How wonderful and surprising it was to then find out that in his newly published collection of short stories, Love and Obstacles, Hemon shows that he is indeed that author.
Continue reading this entry »
— Veronica Bond
Events Mon Jun 22 2009
The Dollar Store is going on tour! Of course, with Chicago being the show's home, you've been lucky enough to see the show whenever it's on. Fittingly, this Sunday the show kicks off their tour right here with a huge party at the Hideout featuring readings from Tobias Amadon Benglesdorf, Elizabeth Crane, Amelia Gray, Patrick Somerville, Caroline Picard, and Zach Dodson and Jonathan Messinger of Featherproof, among others. Come eat some barbeque (vegetarian desires will be kept in mind), enjoy improv by 1,2, Fag and Hag! and An Oak and enter into a raffle for which the prize is a custom-built, Featherproof-themed bike. 1pm-6pm at 1354 W. Wabansia. $8 admission; purchase your tickets here.
— Veronica Bond
News Mon Jun 22 2009
Joe Meno scores a review in the New York Times Book Review for his latest novel The Great Perhaps. The reviewer says Meno "has a highly developed ear not simply for teenage dialogue but for the teenager's inner life."
The Tribune also reviews the novel, and according to the reviewer, Meno is an "ambitious, adventurous writer" who "throws in every thing but the kitchen sink -- historical digressions, magic realism, fervent prayers, sordid sex, academic politicking, three wars and the 2004 election -- as he follows two confused teenagers, their bewildered parents and a disoriented grandfather through one eventful month."
And, in the following video, Meno talks about why he works with an indie publisher to publish his books:
— Alice Maggio
News Mon Jun 22 2009
Ray Bradbury is lending his considerable literary clout to save the Ventura County public libraries, which are threatened by loss of revenue from falling property taxes. The 88-year-old author tells the New York Times, "Libraries raised me. I don't believe in colleges and universities. I believe in libraries because most students don't have any money. When I graduated from high school, it was during the Depression and we had no money. I couldn't go to college, so I went to the library three days a week for 10 years."
— Alice Maggio
News Mon Jun 22 2009
— Alice Maggio
News Mon Jun 22 2009
Do you think you know your Chicago literature? Here's your chance to put your knowledge to the test. Bill Ott at Booklist has put together a wicked Literary Chicago quiz. Not only do you have to match the book with its author, but you also need to correctly identify the neighborhood or location where the story takes place. Several of his choices are past GB Book Club selections. Here's the .pdf version. Good luck!
— Alice Maggio
News Mon Jun 22 2009
Time Out Chicago raises the alarm bells for Women and Children First, which is still struggling to survive.
W&CF does have an online store, so even if you can't visit the physical store, consider buying online and help support a valuable local business.
— Alice Maggio
News Mon Jun 22 2009
The Seattle Times has a review of Luis Alberto Urrea's new novel, Into the Beautiful North, about a young Mexican woman who travels to the United States to find her own 'Magnificent Seven' to save her town from drug dealers. The reviewer says, "Not to trivialize, but these characters cry out for a sequel -- maybe a telenovela? They are too good for just a single outing."
On the other hand, the San Francisco Chronicle calls Into the Beautiful North "Border Crossing Lite" and says the book "seems rushed."
The Chronicle also has an interview with Urrea in which the author explains, "in this book I partially wanted to give a lighter read."
— Alice Maggio
Events Mon Jun 15 2009
Literacy Works is holding their 7th annual June Jamboree Benefit, a night filled with live music, silent auctions, food, drink and children's activities. Tickets are $25 if purchased in advance and $30 at the door. Literacy Works's mission is to promote adult and family literacy in Chicago, helping to fulfill everyone's basic rights "to read, write, and interpret the world." By attending the Jamboree, your money will go toward working to achieve that goal and creating a richer community engaged in literature. Purchase your tickets by calling 773-543-2784 or emailing colleen[at]litworks[dot]org. The Jamborbee will take place at the North Park Village Nature Center, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd., from 6pm-9pm.
— Veronica Bond
News Thu Jun 11 2009
Recently the Guardian interviewed Egyptian author Alaa al Aswany, known to us through his 2008 novel, Chicago, based on his experiences as a student at UIC. On his time here:
"As a dentistry student in Chicago three decades ago, he hugely admired America's efficiency. But it was not, in the long run, for him. 'Everything is systemised, practical. Egypt is the opposite, but there is beauty in that. To me, it's the most wonderful place on earth.'"
— Veronica Bond
News Wed Jun 10 2009
Do you think print is dead? That no one is reading anymore? Then Dave Eggers has a message for you.
In the meantime, Eggers is also busy with a novelization of Where the Wild Things Are and a new nonfiction book, Zeitoun, about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina "as seen through the eyes of a Muslim-American family."
— Alice Maggio
News Wed Jun 10 2009
The June 8-15 summer fiction issue of the New Yorker features a cover by Daniel Clowes and an essay by Aleksandar Hemon.
— Alice Maggio
News Wed Jun 10 2009
Phil Vettel went to the Printers Row Lit Fest and found affirmation that the printed word can still draw crowds.
— Alice Maggio
News Tue Jun 09 2009
Julia Keller profiles Dalkey Archive Press, located at the University of Illinois, and happily reports: "While most updates from the publishing business these days can automatically be filed under the 'bad news' category, the dispatches from Dalkey are decidedly upbeat."
— Alice Maggio
News Tue Jun 09 2009
Last month author Aleksandar Hemon appeared at a Barnes & Noble event with Ukranian-born musician Alina Simone. He discussed fiction and identity, and you can watch the video online:
— Alice Maggio
Events Mon Jun 08 2009
I met comic book artist Gene Ha through his brother Donn, not longer after I'd connected "my brother Gene" to the name I'd seen on some of my favorite titles. When he e-mailed asking if another friend and I wanted to be photo models for the upcoming DC title JSA vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith, I tried not to reply too eagerly. As I wrote him back, I started to think: while it's become increasingly apparent that comic books aren't just for white guys in basements, I feel that as a female loving cape and cowl set -- as Michael Chabon put it in The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, "fictional characters of unprecedented powers dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest," -- I'm still in somewhat of a minority. I gravitate towards Batman and Superman (or Prince Namor or Kitty Pride) as easily as (though differently than) Heraclio and Carmen, Chunky Rice, or Jimmy Corrigan. There is much speculation regarding why traditional superheroes don't appeal to a largely female demographic, or anyone who takes issue with the following tropes: they tend to be action-, not plot- and emotion-oriented, concerned more with punches and epithets than feelings and nuance. Morality is more black and white than shades of gray. Female characters in superhero tales tend to be passive or she-devils, serving as eye candy or villain but not much in between. And there's the obligatory gravity-defying boobs. There are some excellent exceptions to these rules, but they're still that- exceptions.
Basketball-sized breasts are kind of ridiculous, Mary Jane doesn't get too many great lines, and there's the Women in Refrigerators Syndrome (it seems that every female or female superheroine has been killed, raped, depowered, crippled, turned evil, maimed, tortured, contracted a disease or had other life-derailing tragedies befall her). In spite of this, I love the genre, flawed and sexist as it can (but doesn't have to) be. I want good guys and bad guys, the glorification of power and vengeance, the satisfaction of seeing evil beat down in a fantastical scenario. All these reasons, coupled with Gene Ha's exceptional artistic talent, made the choice to be drawn as Power Girl an easy one.
Continue reading this entry »
— Rose Lannin /
Events Mon Jun 08 2009
No comic lover will want to miss the wonderful and talented Adrian Tomine and Seth at Quimby's on Wednesday. The two will talk about their new books, both of their own work and their efforts editing others' works. Tomine will discuss his new editions of Shortcomings and 32 Stories and his editing work on Yoshihiro Tatsumi's A Drifting Life, while Seth will discuss his new graphic novel George Sprott 1894-1975 and his work on The Collected Doug Wright: Canada's Master Cartoonist. Free at 7pm, but I'd make sure to get there early if you want to get nice and closer. Quimby's is located at 1854 W. North Ave. Call 773-342-0910 for more information.
— Veronica Bond
The Chicagoland Indie Bestseller List returns next week, but this week I'm posting the Heartland Bestseller List, the top-selling books at indie bookstores from the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association.
Three Cups of Tea, The Last Lecture and the Twilight books are still going strong. And, you know it is graduation season because Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Suess is high on the children's list.
HARDCOVER FICTION
1. The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly
2. Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child
3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett and Amy Einhorn
4. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith
5. Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton
2. Coop by Michael Perry
3. The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow
4. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
5. The End of Overeating by David A. Kessler
TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION
1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
2. The Shack by William P. Young
3. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
4. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
5. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen
TRADE PAPERBACK NONFICTION
1. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
2. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
3. My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor
4. Cook Yourself Thin by Lifetime Television (Eds.)
5. American Lion by Jon Meacham
CHILDREN'S
1. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
2. Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss
3. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
4. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
5. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
You can download and view the complete Heartland Bestseller List here.
— Alice Maggio
Our next meeting is coming up this Monday, June 8. We will be talking about Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. Following are some of the discussion questions I may be springing on the group:
Why does the narrator, John, start the novel by saying, "Call me Jonah"? How does his story relate to the Biblical story of Jonah?
Is John any better (more intelligent, moral, responsible, etc.) than the other characters in the novel?
Was Felix Hoenikker an evil man? Are any of the Hoenikkers evil?
Why does Vonnegut tell us about the train model Frank constructs while working at Jack's Hobby Shop? What does it say about Frank's character?
How would you describe Julian Castle? Mona? H. Lowe and Hazel Crosby? What purpose do they serve in the story?
How would you describe Bokononism?
What do you think the cat's cradle symbolizes in the novel?
Why is the book titled Cat's Cradle?
How does Vonnegut use irony throughout the novel? For example, the story of George Minor Moakley (ch. 13) or the Hundred Martyrs to Democracy.
Is humanity inevitably doomed, according to the novel? Why or why not? What are the biggest problems facing humankind?
What is Vonnegut saying about truth and lies?
— Alice Maggio /
Events Wed Jun 03 2009
It's time once again for the Printers Row Lit Fest, that annual event that features authors from all over the country and booksellers as far as the eye can see. If you've been to the Fest in the past, you know what you're in for, but if not, here is a guide to help direct you to some authors that will be of particular interest to Book Club members.
Luis Alberto Urrea - Saturday, 11:30am in the University Center/Loop Room
Luis Alberto Urrea speaks with Carolyn Alessio about his latest book Into the Beautiful North, a story about a young woman in a Mexican village who dreams about her father who crossed the US border to find work, only to realize that almost all the men in her village have done the same. Urrea's The Hummingbird's Daughter, about a girl's struggles on her rise to fame as a faith healer in Mexico, was our March 2007 selection.
Billy Lombardo, Joe Meno and Peter Ferry - Saturday, 11:45am in the Hotel Blake Burnham Room
The three authors speak with Donna Seaman of NPR's Eight Forty-Eight. Joe Meno's latest work, The Great Perhaps, follows a Chicago family on the brink of dissolution as they struggle to find something to keep them together. Meno's Hairstyles of the Damned was the inaugural Book Club selection. Peter Ferry's Travel Writing is this English teacher's debut, semi-autobiographical novel about a mysterious car accident and the beautiful woman who, as a result, is killed. We will read Travel Writing in November of this year. Billy Lombardo's first collection of stories, The Logic of a Rose, focuses on a young boy living in Bridgeport and the everyday life of boyhood and adolescence.
Aleksander Hemon and Joseph O'Neill - Saturday 2:30pm in the Harold Washington Library Center Multi-Purpose Room
Aleksander Hemon's Nowhere Man was our October 2005 selection. His latest collection of stories, Love and Obstacles, is a starkly realistic portrait of a life as a Bosnian living in America. Hemon is joined by Joseph O'Neill, author of Netherland, a book about a man left alone in New York after 9/11 who shares his immigrant experience with a Trinidadian through the subculture of cricket. This is a ticketed event.
Continue reading this entry »
— Veronica Bond /
Events Mon Jun 01 2009
It's time once again for the premier literary event in Chicago: the Printers Row Lit Fest. Stretching over both Saturday and Sunday, the Fest will feature numerous publishers and book sellers, both local and throughout the country, featuring their wares and a wealth of authors reading from and discussing their works. This year's Fest will feature the likes of Dave Eggers, Neil Gaiman, Chris Ware and Elizabeth Berg, just to name a few. You can view the full schedule of events here. Keep in mind that some of the big name author events are ticketed (admission is free) and while some of the events have sold out, there's always the possibility that they'll have some last minute empty seats, so it never hurts to stake out the venue if you weren't able to get a ticket to see an author you love. Come check back with us later this week when we'll have our full Book Club guide to the Fest, highlighting some of the notable local authors, sellers and organizations. For questions about the Fest, call 312-222-3986 or email ctc-events[at]tribune[dot]com.
— Veronica Bond
