Book Talk - News and Reviews

Book Talk: Akashic, local writers and notable events

2013-05-03T15:58:26Z

Small press focus: Akashic Books

Akashic Books is this edgy press that you may or may not have heard of. Akashic published one of my favorite books of all time, “Ruins,” by Achy Obejas. Their noir series is sure to please fans of noir, and I recommend picking up one of the many titles, perhaps beginning with “Boston Noir 2: The Classics” or delving even deeper into the drug noir series, perhaps with “The Heroin Chronicles.”

You might be asking just how good these books are. Well, with contributors like David Foster Wallace, Joyce Carol Oates and Andre Dubus, how can you go wrong with “Boston Noir 2: The Classics?” This collection is divided into three sections: Broken Families where you’ll find “Night-Side” by Joyce Carol Oates and “Surrogate” by Robert B. Parker; Criminal Minds where Dennis Lehane’s “Mushrooms” and Linda Barnes’ “Lucky Penny” can be found; and Voyeurs and Outsiders with offerings like “Townies” by Andre Dubus, an excerpt from “Infinite Jest,” by David Foster Wallace and “At Night” by David Ryan.

Akashic's series of noir anthologies began with “Brooklyn Noir” in 2004. The series includes anthologies covering Wall Street, New Jersey, Boston, Baltimore, Barcelona, Cape Cod, Copenhagen, Delhi, Los Angeles, Miami, Mexico City and even Moscow. No Sacramento on the list. Yet.

In addition to the more traditional noir anthologies featuring works by Joyce Carol Oates, Andre Dubus, David Foster Wallace and many other recognized names, Akashic also publishes its drug chronicles series. Titles include “The Cocaine Chronicles,” “The Speed Chronicles,” “The Heroin Chronicles” and the forthcoming “The Marijuana Chronicles.” These are short literary fiction works that focus on people and place and feature some of the most well-respected and well-known writers, including Sherman Alexie, Beth Lisick and William T. Vollmann.

My copy of "The Heroin Chronicles" was inadvertently borrowed by someone, and I had to borrow another copy from the library. Yep, these books are good.

“American Honor Killings: Desire and Rage Among Men” by David McConnell is a true crime book that explores various cases, including one featuring an episode of Jenny Jones and one that includes the arson of three Sacramento synagogues in 1999. Congregation B’nai Israel’s library contents were destroyed. Congregation Beth Shalom and Knesset Israel Torah Center were the other targets of the brothers McConnell interviewed for “Matson, Mowder, and the Williams Brothers, 1999,” one of several pieces included. Each story re-creates the events surrounding the cases.

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On the local front

Local writer and historical archaeologist Glenn J. Farris is the editor of “So Far From Home: Russians in Early California,” published under Heyday’s California legacy imprint in collaboration with Santa Clara University. In this fascinating book, Farris brings together documents dating back to 1768 and extending to 1951 and Fort Ross’s place in the Cold War.

A wonderful read for those interested in California’s history, this book is sure to find a place on any history buff’s bookshelf. Through letters like the one written to Ivan Aleksandrovich, dated Oct. 14, 1808, readers learn that Alexander Baranov, the chief manager of the Russian American Company, plans to “dispatch a hunting party to the coast of the American New Albion with the Company vessels Mirt Kadiak and Nikolai.”

With chapters like “Russian and Kodiak Deserters, Captives, and Martyrs: Bolcoff, Egorov, and St. Peter the Aleut,” “The Transformation of Fort Ross’s Primary Function from Fur Hunting to Agriculture and Light Industry” and “Botanists on Russian Expeditions to California,” Farris opens a part of history that many may not be aware of. Several animal species were named by or for Russians, including the tiger beetle; the Monterey salamander; the Steller sea cow, sea lion and sea jay; the live oak cluster beetle and the bombardier beetle.

Much of the material included in this 368-page book has not been previously published. Farris received assistance from the Fort Ross Conservancy and drew material - including letters, journal entries and reports - from California, United States and Russian archives, providing readers with a different look into California history.

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The last time we met Sacramento writer Norm Schriever, he’d sold all of his possessions and had moved to the tropics to write. Well, he moved, lived, laughed and wrote. The result is his second book, “South of Normal: My Year in Paradise,” published by Sacramento-area Authority Publishing.

The release party for "South of Normal" is scheduled for May 11 from 5 - 9 p.m. at LowBrau, 1050 20th Street.

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The first book has rolled off the new small press at American River College, Ad Lumen Press. The anthology, "Burning the Little Candle" features works by Lois Ann Abraham, Christian Kiefer, Michael Spurgeon, Traci Gourdine and an introduction by Anthony Swofford. The next book, "Let the Water Hold Me Down," by Michael Spurgeon is scheduled to release on July 1. Books by Jason Sinclair Long and Daniel Rounds are forthcoming.

Cold River Press, the sponsor of the ever-popular twice-monthly poetry series, Poetry With Legs at Shine Cafe, has been quite busy at the press. This local small press recently released books by Davis poets D.R. Wagner and Phillip Larrea. Ask for these books, and other small press books, at your independent book store.

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On the event front

Conference time has begun. Actually, it never really ends, but summer's warmer temperatures seem to equate with the cooler indoor temperatures of writing conferences. As you know, the Sacramento Poetry Center held its annual poetry conference in April.

"Our Life Stories" is another local conference that is scheduled for Saturday, May 4 from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at Cosumnes River College. This conference is a wonderful opportunity to take workshops from notable writers and poets. Jeff Knorr, the poet laureate of Sacramento, will present "Crafting Your Poems." Satsuki Ina will present "From A Silk Cocoon: Working with Letters, Diaries, Poetry to Tell the Story through Narrative and Film," and V.S. Chochezi will present "For a Live Audience." A full day of workshops, meeting other writers, lunch and materials runs $35 - $40. This is one of the best conferences in town and welcomes writers of all ages and levels.

SummerWords returns this year on May 30 and runs through June 2. T.C. Boyle is the keynote speaker this year, and a host of workshops and readings are available for $95.

The Community of Writers at Squaw Valley has presented workshops in poetry, prose and screenwriting for more than 40 years. This program begins June 22 and runs through July 15. While registration for this event has closed, you can attend several of the public events held in Squaw Valley. Additionally, you can help raise funds for this event by attending the annual benefit reading at Crocker Art Museum on June 21.

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A reminder that May is short story month. Read many short stories this month. You might want to begin with some from Akashic's anthologies or from other anthologies you might have found. Do you have a favorite short story? A favorite short story author?

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If you have book news (new books; author readings, signings, events; or any other book-related items), please email SacramentoBookTalk@gmail.com.

Book Talk: D. A. Powell and the Northern California Book Awards

2013-04-10T03:48:38Z

The Northern California Book Reviewers have shortlisted the books for the 32nd Annual Northern California Book Awards, and D.A. Powell, a Sacramento area favorite, is on the list.

Why does that matter?

Well, he’s also going to be featured in this year’s Festival of the Arts at California State University, Sacramento. On Friday, April 12, from 3 to 4 p.m., Powell will read and hold a book signing at the University Library Gallery.

Powell’s newest book, the one being considered for the poetry award, is “Useless Landscape: A Guide for Boys,” and was published by Graywolf Press in early 2012.

With poems like “Head Out on the Highway,” “The Price of Funk in Funkytown” and “Riverfront Park, Marysville, CA,” Powell presents the between. His ear and attention to language is always careful and appropriate to the poem. There’s also always a little twist.

About Powell, Dr. Joshua McKinney, the event’s host, said:

“To my mind, D.A. Powell has with his last two books assumed his rightful place in the pantheon of California poets—I mean those poets for whom the California landscape (in Powell’s case the Central Valley) and the landscapes of the poet’s psyche, blood, and bone become one and the same. No one captures this terrain—its beauty, futility, and sadness—better than D.A. Powell. He’s a poet whose work draws me back to it often, and I am always humbled and instructed and amazed.”

Other Sacramento area favorites being considered include Lucille Lang Day and her book, “Married at Fourteen: A True Story,” published by Heyday; Art Beck and his translation from the Latin of “Opera Omnia” by Luxorious, published by Otis Books, Seismicity Editions; and Robert Hass and his book, “What Light Can Do: Essays on Art, Imagination, and the Natural World.”

Lang Day’s reading at The Avid Reader a few months ago is still being talked about. If you see her, be sure to ask about the hair. Beck has read several times at the Sacramento Poetry Center, and Hass is the director of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers and will return to Sacramento in June to read at a benefit to be held at the Crocker Art Museum.

In the meantime, mark your calendar and make your way out to the University Library Gallery Friday, April 12 at 3 p.m. to hear Powell read from his new, and perhaps older, works.

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Book Talk: National Poetry Month in Sacramento

2013-04-03T16:04:32Z

If you thought last year’s National Poetry Month celebrations were hot in Sacramento, you haven’t heard about the happenings this month.

Carlos Alcalá kicked the month off at the Sacramento Poetry Center on Monday, April 1, with some light verse.

The Book Collector is offering a generous discount on all poetry books until April 30. Did you know that they have the largest collection of chapbooks by local area poets? Stop by and ask Debbie to show you the collection.

Look at these highlights for the rest of the month. How many events will you attend?

Head to Folsom on Wednesday, April 3, when Verse on the Vine features Indigo Moor.

The Sacramento Poetry Center’s Literary Lectures series continues Thursday, April 4, with William O’Daly and “The Silence That is Great Within Us: The Many Voices of Our Poetry.” If you find yourself in Davis, you might want to stop by the Natsoulas Gallery to hear Joe Wenderoth and Oliver Jones.

On April 8, the SPC 4th Annual Autism Benefit Reading: Poetry and Art at the MIND Institute will kick off with a viewing of art from the MIND Institute (UC Davis Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute), followed by a reading by poets who have a personal connection to autism.

Mark your calendar for Wednesday, April 10, when several area poets, led by Allegra Silberstein, will honor the memory of Patricia Hickerson over at the Shine, part of the Poetry with Legs series hosted by Bill Gainer. This series features readers and open mic opportunities on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. Head back on the 24th for another exciting evening.

Bicycling enthusiasts might want to hear Phillip Baron speak at the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame's "tireside chat" on Wednesday, April 10, from 6 - 7 p.m.

On Thursday, April 11, make your way to Folsom Lake College for a 12:15 p.m. reading by Dana Gioia, then grab a bite to eat and make your way to the Crocker Art Museum for U-Nite, two half hour poetry readings by CSUS faculty, students and alumni. This is the kickoff for the California State University, Sacramento’s Festival of the Arts. This event is led by Dr. Joshua McKinney and begins at 7 p.m.

The Festival of the Arts features the winner of the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, D.A. Powell, from 3–4 p.m. on Friday, April 12; Kristen Iversen on Saturday, April 13, from 6:30–7:30 p.m.; and CSUS Professor Emeritus Edythe Haendel Schwartz will read from her new collection, “A Palette of Leaves,” on Monday, April 15, from 3–4 p.m.

The 13 x 13 show featuring artists, poets and musicians associated with the Rattlesnake Press publication, “WTF,” will perform at Vox Sacramento on Saturday, April 13, which is also the date of the Sacramento Poetry Center’s annual poetry conference. Attend that during the day and head to the Vox in the evening.

On April 18, don't forget to stuff your pockets with poems for Poem-In-Your-Pocket Day. You might want to get one of those traveler's jackets or a gardening smock so you have lots of room for small and large poems.

Lee Herrick returns to Sacramento on Monday, April 22, where he’ll share the featured spot with Sacramento favorite, Alice Anderson.

Head to Luna’s Café any Thursday in April for featured poets and open mic opportunities. The Poetry Unplugged series features Sacramento's longest-running spoken word open mic. Rotating hosts provide the opportunity to hear many voices.

Check one of these calendars for additional events in and around Sacramento.

Medusa's Kitchen

SPAM

Poetry in Davis

How will you celebrate National Poetry Month? Who’s your favorite poet? Will you challenge yourself to write a poem a day? How about attend a poetry reading for the first time? Maybe you'll even curb your fear and read one of your creations at any of the open mic opportunities in the area.

If you don't see your favorite National Poetry Month event listed here (remember, these are only some highlights), please add the event in the comments section below.

Most of all, enjoy the month and enjoy and share poetry.

If you're looking for poetry books, please visit our many local, independent booksellers.

Disclosure: I am a Sacramento poet, writer and visual artist who can't possibly know about everything happening in and around Sacramento.

Book Talk: Allegra Silberstein shines 'Through Sun-glinting Particles"

2013-03-27T15:40:49Z

People in the poetry community from here to there are likely familiar with the name, Allegra Jostad Silberstein. She was the first poet laureate in Davis, and she’s been seen and heard at nearly every poetry venue in Davis, Sacramento and points in the four directions.

Through Sun-glinting Particles by Allegra Jostad Silberstein
Parallel Press
ISBN 978-1-934795-38-5
2012, 36 pp.
Poetry – Local Author

This latest chapbook, “Through Sun-glinting Particles,” is one of the best, and dare I say most meditative, collections I’ve read in quite some time. The collection opens, appropriately with “In this moment,” which is where Silberstein keeps the reader through poems about life, about time and about memory. Her poet’s ear for sound finds its way to the page so that readers can enjoy lines like “nautical miles and knots ago / a call comes across an ocean of space / delivered like a sudden rush of hail. . . / now, now, who are you.” This from “Over and beyond the hills I left behind, is only a sample of the way Silberstein creates with language. She incorporates sound in other ways, too, as in “Old Woman With Springtime Eyes,” one of this reviewer’s favorites. This is not a collection to read silently. Silberstein is a dancer, who “pause[s] in hieroglyphics of night, / in the alphabet of dawn.” You’ll find poems about Aunt Delia and Aunt Lil, and for those of you who’ve crossed the causeway and have looked outside, you’ll recall a “Sunday afternoon near the causeway.” If you’ve never crossed the causeway, you’ll surely find meaning in this poem, as well as the twenty-five additional collected poems.

To read this collection is a pleasure, but if you’re like me and want to hear the poet read, make your way to Shine Café at 1400 E Street on Wednesday, March 27 at 8:00 p.m. where Allegra Silberstein will read from her new collection.
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Book Talk: Book sales for your calendar

2013-03-07T23:11:37Z

If you're like me, you enjoy books. You enjoy holding them, thumbing through the pages and, I hope, reading them. Possibly, you also enjoy searching through shelves of used books for those treasures you didn't even know you needed.

Have you been wondering when a really great book sale would come along? Well, now's the time. Check out the listings below and mark your calendars.

Head to South Natomas Sat., March 9 for the Friends of the Library book sale, the first of 2013. Hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friends may attend the preview sale from 8 a.m. - 9 a.m.

This is a popular sale that offers books in all categories. Bring some bags or boxes for those books you find that you need to add to your collection. This sale usually has a large offering of children's books. Funds raised support library programming and the Lucky Day collections.

Once you've finished there, head up Truxel to Almost New Used Books. Although some of their books are not almost new and might be closer to almost ready for the boneyard, there are some real finds there. This location is closing its doors and is currently offering 50 - 75% off of all books, CDs, and DVDs in the store.

Make sure you leave enough time to head up Truxel and out to Rio Linda to see how that Friends of the Library bookstore has expanded. It is located in a shopping center and has been recently upgraded with new shelving. Lon Lee is the volunteer manager and man behind the freestanding store. The volunteers at this store (open only Friday and Saturday) will make you feel welcome. Children's books, fiction, classics, history and much more can be found at reasonable prices.

When you head back to Sacramento, don't forget to stop by Beers Books and pick up some books. Every Second Saturday, this store offers a discount on their quality books.

You'll want to mark your calendars for Sat., March 16 when you can return to the South Natomas library between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. for the $5-A-Bag Book Sale. This special sale is one day only. Fill a brown grocery bag with as many books as you can fit. Bags are provided.

There are, certainly, many other fine places to locate gently used books, so keep your eyes open and consider a bumper sticker warning other drivers that you stop for books.

If you have book news, books for review, readings or any book-related events, please email sacramentobooktalk@gmail.com with the details.

Book Talk: Cheryl Anne Stapp to visit Time Tested Books

2013-02-26T04:28:30Z

There are so many exciting books being released, especially if you look to the smaller presses, which is what we’re doing today.

“Sacramento Chronicles” by Cheryl Anne Stapp
The History Press
ISBN 978-1-60949-579-4
2012, 144 pp., $19.99
History – Local Author

This newest offering of Sacramento history by Cheryl Anne Stapp is certainly one that those interested in Sacramento’s history (even if you think you already know all there is) will want to add to their history shelf. Sure, you already know about gold discovery, and if you’ve been to Old Sacramento, you’ve likely seen the statue dedicated to the Pony Express, but it’s likely you’ve never read about it the way Stapp tells it.

“Anyone awake in Sacramento at 2:00 a.m. on the dark, rain-drenched morning of April 4, 1860, might have heard the clatter of hooves galloping down J Street as a young, superb horseman named William (Sam) Hamilton sped east.”

If you want to know his connection to the Pony Express and Sacramento, check out “The Pony Express.”

In addition to those fascinating Sacramento tidbits we might already know, Stapp includes a chapter dedicated to agriculture. Yes, the tomatoes are there, but did you know that Sacramento was also a hop producer? Until the mid-1960s? Stapp discusses John Sutter’s role in Sacramento’s agricultural history, and discusses the California State Agricultural Society, which “evolved into the current California State Fair” (after moving through various successor agencies).

The Folsom Powerhouse and all-too-brief overviews of areas such as “The Fabulous Forties,” “Boulevard Park,” “East Park” and “Oak Park” are included. Until reading Stapp’s book, I’d never heard of “The Great Electric Carnival,” and chances are some of you may not have, either.

Stapp covers events like the cholera outbreak, floods and fires, all of which helped to shape the Sacramento we know today. She includes pieces about squatter riots, cemeteries and the Sacramento Valley Railroad.

While she doesn’t begin with John Sutter, he shows up in the first couple of pages, and he is mentioned at various times throughout the book, and closes the book. Stapp includes a bibliography for those of you who, like me, want to know more about some of the topics included.

This is a fun book that doesn’t set out to present a full history of Sacramento. Rather, Stapp offers pieces of history, small glimpses into a Sacramento that many call home and that many may not be familiar with. I wanted to know more about many of the topics Stapp covered, but that’s what the bibliography is for.

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Stapp will discuss her book at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, at Time Tested Books. This event is free and open to everyone.

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Other notable author events this week include poet and novelist Mary Mackey, the winner of the PEN Oakland award. She will read at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, at Luna’s Cafe. This event is free and open to everyone.

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The History Press is a wonderful press that has, since 2004, published over one thousand titles from the East to the West Coast in areas such as American chronicles, heritage, legends and palate; forgotten tales; hidden history; and even true crime.

Each book is written by local history enthusiasts; each book brings history to life through stories. “Sacramento Chronicles” is the third book so far about Sacramento.

Coming soon: a look at Akashic Books, City Lights and many local authors!

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Book Talk: read local, read small, read more

2013-01-30T07:42:59Z

Did you remember to make your 2013 resolution to read more? It’s not too late, even as January comes to a close. If you did make your list, I have to ask if you added books that aren’t just on the bestseller lists or shelves. And, I really must ask if you included some Sacramento area authors on your list. Like I said, there’s still time.

Did I hear you say that you need some help adding books that aren’t on those top ten or twenty or one hundred lists? You’re in the right place, then. There is certainly nothing wrong with those lists, but there are some mighty fine books in the world that you probably won’t find on those lists or in the big stores. You might find them online, but how will you know what to look for? You also might find them in the many local, independent, area bookstores.

Let’s begin with local authors and how to find them. Check with your local, independent bookstore for local author readings and signings. Beers Books, Time-Tested Books, The Avid Reader (Sacramento and Davis), Logos, Underground Books and The Book Collector have books by local authors. Just ask one of the booksellers. And don’t forget the library. The Sacramento Public Library is home to thousands of books, including books from local authors.

Did you know that your local bookseller and library can assist in obtaining a copy of a book that might not be in their shop? Ask at the front desk. The Sacramento Public Library is a member of the LINK Plus program, and you can obtain many small press books from other member libraries.

Don’t forget to check the websites of these shops, and other locations like The Sacramento Poetry Center, Luna’s Café, Shine Café, Sol Collective, and “Poetry in Davis” for poet and author readings.

The Sacramento Poetry Center is not home only to poetry. For the past several years, Stories on Stage (a fiction reading event featuring the work of area writers and performed by area actors) has presented work on the last Friday of each month.

Live readings and signings provide an opportunity to meet the writers, ask questions and discover new books. These events may also be found on the campus of any number of local colleges and universities. American River College hosted a colloquium last year and presented several readings and the opportunity to study with several writers and poets.

The Sacramento area is home to many writers in all areas of interest. There are poets, historians, and fiction and creative nonfiction writers, not to mention many small presses and literary journals. Each of the colleges and universities has its own literary journal, and these publications are wonderful places to find local (and sometimes not-so-local) writers.

As for finding books that aren’t on those lists, check with your local bookseller and ask about small press publications like Akashic, Heyday, City Lights, Press 53, Zone 3 or Marsh Hawk Press (this is definitely not a complete list) or check with Small Press Distribution. And don’t forget the wonderful university presses.

Need more help? Check this column regularly, ask friends and teachers and discover wonderful new writers and books outside of your usual area of interest.

Look for reviews soon of "So Far From Home: Russians in Early California," edited by Glenn J. Farris (Heyday, 2012), "Boston Noir 2," edited by Dennis lehane, Mary Cotton and Jaime Clarke (Akashic, 2012) and "The Meaning of Freedom and Other Difficult Dialogues," by Angela Y. Davis (City Lights, 2012). .

Additionally, check the local shops for new poetry collections by Frank Dixon Graham (Sacramento) and Allegra Silberstein (Davis) and ask about fiction by Christian Kiefer (American River College) and Valerie Fioravanti (Stories on Stage).

What local authors or small press titles have you read lately?

Book Talk: Haendel Schwartz and "A Palette of Leaves"

2013-01-05T04:42:13Z

A Palette of Leaves by Edythe Haendel Schwartz
Mayapple Press
ISBN 978-1-936419-14-2
2012, 70 pp., $14.95
Poetry – Local Author

This latest book by Davis poet Edythe Haendel Schwartz is a must for artists and poets alike, and is one of the best poetry collections I read in 2012. Beginning with the cover featuring the poet’s art, "A Palette of Leaves" surprised and delighted me. Several ekphrastic poems, beginning and ending the collection with Alice Neel, are spread throughout the three sections. Haendel Schwartz examines subjects like aging, stroke, biopsy and familial relationships, without sentimentality. Don’t confuse sentiment with emotion, and expect these poems to evoke a range of emotions. And, expect to think about each poem. Although the topics may be difficult and sometimes dark, there is always hope. You might, as I did, laugh just a bit at “Help Wanted: Bra Fitter,” but you’ll also recognize its ties to the current economic situation. Haendel Schwartz’s poems are accessible and intelligent, and they never remain in the private realm. These are personal poems, told by many characters, which speak to me as Neel does in “Alice Neel Speaks.” One of my favorite poems, although I’ll admit that it’s difficult to choose only one favorite, is “Suspension,” a poem that addresses how little we know about our parents. Haendel Schwartz’s words here, as in each poem, are carefully chosen and carefully placed, as are her brushstrokes on the other canvas she paints.

Edythe Haendel Schwartz will read from this new collection at the Sacramento Poetry Center at 1719 25th St., on Monday, Jan. 7, at 7:30 p.m.

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Other recent books by local poets include “Three Weeks Before Summer,” by Alexa Mergen and “Window: Selected Poetry,” by James M. Moose.

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Book Talk: Books make great gifts

2012-12-20T20:11:54Z

If you're like many people, you may have forgotten one or two gifts, but never fear. With several shopping days left before Christmas, Book Talk can guide your car to some interesting stops. Maybe you'll even find a gift for yourself.

Books make wonderful gifts, but you don't have to buy the titles listed on the top ten or bestselling lists, and you really don't have to buy those gift books that weigh more than an old-school laptop. In fact, you don't even have to buy new books. Consider shopping at one of the many used book stores in the Sacramento area.

Several are affiliated with various Friends of the Library, including the newest storefront in Rio Linda at 440 Elkhorn Blvd. This store has a special buy-one, get-one free sale through the month of December, and it is open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. There are thousands of new and collectible books from which to choose, with many books priced less than $1 each. Proceeds benefit children's programs at the Rio Linda library.

The Friends of North Natomas Library and the Friends of Belle Cooledge Library also sponsor freestanding book stores, and these are inside each library so hours are based on library hours. They each offer a wide selection of gently used books and other gift items like book bags.

The Book Den is the main friends of the library store for the Sacramento Public Library. In addition to its wide selection of books, The Book Den offers a room with hard-to-find treasures. Located off the grid at 8250 Belvedere Avenue, it's worth the drive. The store is open Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Stop by your local library branch and check its selection of sale books. You never know what you'll find.

Other stores that benefit causes include Sacramento's SPCA store where you might find a selection of mysteries, literary journals, fine art books or that special book you've been searching for. If you're in Davis, you'll want to stop by the Yolo County SPCA store where you're likely to find classics, fiction and a large selection of children's books. Logos Books, a not-for-profit used book store, in Davis carries a wide range of topics from local history to art and mythology to philosophy.

Sacramento is home to several used book stores. Among them are The Book Collector, which has a 50% off sale this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 21, 22 and 23, on most used books. If you're looking for regional poetry, history or art, then this might be the first of three stops. From here, you can walk to Time Tested Books where you'll find a turn-of-the century buiilding housing a wide range of books plus vinyl records. Your final stop should be Beers Books on S Street.

Beers Books is the oldest Sacramento book store, having opened in the mid 1930s. Some of the highlights include books on cd and old radio shows; California history; philosophy, including Eastern philosophy; comic books and graphic novels; Native American literature, culture and history; and Western Americana. You'll also find the classics and new titles. Beers is open Thursday through Saturday until 8 p.m.. If you shop between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday evening, you can save 10% off your purchase. If you stop there any open weekday between noon and 1 p.m., you can also save 10% off your purchase.

Happy shopping!

Book Talk: Lucille Lang Day at Avid Reader

2012-11-30T05:44:35Z

On Sunday, Dec. 2 at 2 p.m., Lucille Lang Day will read from her new book, “Married at Fourteen: A True Story,” (Heyday 2012) at The Avid Reader, Sacramento. Poet, author, recipient of several awards, including the Joseph Henry Jackson Award for her first book of poetry, Lang Day also holds degrees in English, creative writing, zoology and science and mathematics education. Her work has been widely published, most recently in “Tule Review,” a publication of the Sacramento Poetry Center. Joining her will be Sacramento poet and artist, Susan Kelly-DeWitt.

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“Married at Fourteen: A True Story” by Lucille Lang Day
Heyday
ISBN 978-1-59714-198-7
2012, 333 pp., $16.95
Local interest, memoir, poetry

Let me begin by saying that I am not a fan of memoir. Now let me say that this is one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time, memoir or otherwise. Being a fan of the first line, I was engaged from the start. “I own a switchblade knife. It has a black plastic handle with two brass buttons.” And I remained with the book until the end, which, by the way, is a poem.

Not only did I remain with the book until the end, I brought the book with me to appointments, to class, on the bus, to the store. A bit large for my pocket, but it fit snugly under my arm. It's smart, serious, witty and complex. Photos are woven throughout the text, adding another layer of complexity to the many stories contained within.

While the title might conjure the idea that we are to embark on a journey of woe, this is certainly not the case. In fact, it is quite the opposite. It is the story of one woman’s determination during a time when there were different expectations of women. It is the story of love, loss and much joy. And a lot of escapades along the way.

You might cry, and I dare you not to laugh. If you’re like me, you’ll encourage her when she decides to go to college. And you'll get angry when obstacles arise, and you'll cheer the way she maneuvers around each potential block. You might remember Chicken Delight, having to dial the operator in case of emergency (she reminds us that 911 had not yet been invented) and motorcycle gangs. Then again, you might not.

Within each finely crafted page, you’ll discover how one young woman went from searching for a husband at the tender age of twelve to spending time with bikers, and you’ll discover how she went from high school dropout to holding several advanced degrees, including a Ph.D. in science and mathematics education.

Meet the many men who entered and left her life. There was Mark whose response to her telling him she’d reenrolled at the Oakland Adult Day School was “‘I feel betrayed. Before we got married, you said you wouldn’t go back.’” Instead of taking care of their daughter, he’d call her a bad mother and bad wife. When she told him she wanted to be a scientist, he said, “‘That’s ridiculous! Women aren’t scientists.’” Fortunately, she paid him no attention.

There's Gil. John. And there's Bob who took her to the biker party, even though he didn't think it was a good idea. And there's Birdman who asked her to be his woman, to be an Angelette. And there's the way she handled Birdman when he showed up at her house. We can't forget Pierre, the tour guide.

This is not a simple story, nor is it a singular story. While the narrator's quest for a husband drives the story forward, it is her determination to finish her education and her desire to write that parallel that quest. The narrator’s voice is strong and sure, and it is clear that Lang Day respects her audience, and as a reader, I respect her.

* * *

The Avid Reader is located at 1600 Broadway, Sacramento, and the event is free and open to the public.

Book Talk: Sacramento Room welcomes 'Weinstock's' author Annette Kassis

2012-11-27T03:57:57Z

On Tuesday, Nov. 27, at 6 p.m., Annette Kassis will discuss her book, “Weinstock’s: Sacramento’s Finest Department Store,” (The History Press, 2012) in the Sacramento Room at the Sacramento Public Library at 828 I St.

“Weinstock’s: Sacramento’s Finest Department Store” is the second book from The History Press, based in Charleston, S.C., about Sacramento history. The first, released earlier this year, was “Sacramento’s K Street: Where Our City Was Born” by Sacramento author and historian William Burg.

Unlike other history-based books, the History Press does not focus primarily on visuals. While photos certainly enrich the text, the focus is on the text, the writing, and that is what sets the History Press apart from other books in this genre. While there are many books about Sacramento, and there are books about different areas within Sacramento, there hasn’t been, to my knowledge, books as locally focused as Kassis’ “Weinstock’s: Sacramento’s Finest Department Store” and Burg’s “Sacramento’s K Street: Where Our City Was Born.”

Although I did not have the opportunity to shop at Weinstock’s, the name is familiar to me, and my interest was piqued. Below, I’ve reviewed both books, and I highly recommend these as gifts for people interested in local history.

* * *

“Weinstock’s: Sacramento’s Finest Department Store” by Annette Kassis
The History Press
ISBN 978-1-60949-444-5
2012, 142 pp., $19.99
Local interest, history

Annette Kassis’ book “Weinstock’s: Sacramento’s Finest Department Store” is sure to be a hit with people interested in Sacramento, California and department store history. While Weinstock’s was familiar to me, it was only in relation to the Emporium name in the San Francisco area, and since San Francisco has often been the place for the big-name stores, I was fascinated by the impact Sacramento had in this area. As Kassis points out in her introduction, while the name was familiar to many, few knew “how Weinstock’s came to be, and most did not realize the department store was a homegrown business with its roots deep in post-gold rush Sacramento.”

If you don’t know the history of this magnificent store and the players involved, this is the book to read. The story opens with “David Lubin’s first store expansion began with his arrest,” in the first chapter, “D. Lubin, One Price, 1874-1891.” Of course, I had to read further to find out why he was arrested (no, I’m not telling). Throughout the book, Kassis provides short narratives about the people who built Weinstock’s, the struggles and “the beautiful 1891 department store” that suffered through flood and was burned to the ground in a matter of hours in 1903. Some of the most interesting tidbits are the small fire company that tried to battle the fire and that The New York Times ran the story. Today, with the Internet, that might not seem like such a big deal, but in 1903, it was. Another thing that Sacramentans will notice is that fire may destroy structures like playgrounds, or in this case, Weinstock’s, and Sacramentans rebuild.

Indeed, you’ll learn in Kassis’ book that this department store had several lives, and the construction is fascinating, but don’t forget the story of Lubin, who left the day-to-day operations of the store, but continues throughout the book in another capacity. He is a fascinating person. Who would have thought to connect Sacramento with Paris fashions? Kassis covers WWII and a protest ad against a lynching photo on the front page of the Sacramento Bee. Discover when “a new era in retailing had begun in Sacramento” and how elegant this department store had become, and it’s possible that you might recall the store’s Youth Center and its milk bar. Some will recall Weinstock’s at Arden Fair Mall, and many will recall the consolidations and the loss of the name that had been part of Sacramento’s history for more than one hundred years. This book has it all – history, intrigue, interesting characters, and you’re sure to laugh, wonder and even shed a tear.

* * *

“Sacramento’s K Street: Where Our City Was Born” by William Burg
The History Press
ISBN 978-1-60949-425-4
2012, 142 pp., $19.99
Local author, local interest, history

William Burg is a local author and historian who does a wonderful job of covering the history of K Street. He brings history to life through his writing and the narratives, biographies, quotes and essays about people and businesses that have populated K Street in some form. Love it or hate it, K Street, as Burg writes, “reflects their opinion of Sacramento as a whole.”

Burg, in his introduction, reminds us that “K Street begins at the Sacramento River and ends at Thirty-First Street, Sacramento’s original city limit,” something that many, in 2012, may not realize. “K Street,” he continues “is a street that functions solely within Sacramento’s urban core.” Burg also notes that K Street is “divided into segments,” and provides their descriptions. Beginning with “Embarcadero,” Burg reminds us that this land “was inhabited by the Nisenan (or Southern Maidu),” and about early businesses, the Sacramento Valley Railroad and fighting slavery. Yes, a fight against slavery on K Street.

Throughout each chapter, you’ll find biographies, history and snippets from people like Lincoln Steffens, who recalled Sacramento as a “center for ranches and mines.” In “Raising K,” Burg reminds us that flooding has long been a concern for Sacramento, and you’ll find information about Sacramento’s Chinatown and the Central Pacific Railroad. Similarly, through each remaining chapter, “Progress and Prosperity,” “K Street Jazz,” “The Sacramento Scramble” and “The Shadow of the Alhambra,” you’ll find treasures about this city that nearly half a million people call home, a city that draws people from other parts of California or the country, and a city from which people leave and return to. You’ll discover Japanese jazz, moviemaking, elegant hotels along K Street, Santa’s arrival by helicopter and many businesses that no longer exist. You’ll learn about Sacramento history through the history of K Street. Burg’s writing is clear and interesting, and his passion for Sacramento history and K Street shines.

* * *

Both books will make a wonderful addition to any personal library, and will make wonderful gifts. Since much of Weinstock’s history takes place on or near K Street, these books are likely to be great companions.

Book Talk: Mary Mackey wins the Pen Oakland award and reads at the Sacramento Poetry Center

2012-11-24T16:21:06Z

Mary Mackey will receive the PE N Oakland-Josephine Miles Award for excellence in literature for her 2011 book, "Sugar Zone," on Saturday, Dec. 1 at the Oakland Public Library, Rockridge branch. The public is welcome at the event which runs from 2 – 5 p.m. and includes a reception and book signing.

Mackey will be closer to home in Sacramento on Monday, Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m. for a reading at the Sacramento Poetry Center. She’ll likely speak about the upcoming award that she says is “one of the best things that can happen to a writer in terms of being acknowledged as a serious writer, as a contributor to American literary culture.” And she'll read from her collection, "Sugar Zone."

Mackey released her book, “Sugar Zone,” (Marsh Hawk Press) in 2011, and it was short-listed for the Northern California Book Awards earlier this year. It is this book, which blends Portuguese and English into a collection of poems that can be enjoyed on several levels, that won her the PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles Award.

She has travelled to Latin America every year since she was twenty-one, and for six years, she lived on and off in the rain forest, and she has travelled to Brazil, about which she spoke.

“Brazil is becoming a major player in the world, economically,” she said. They produce ethanol in very large quantities. They are fuel and food efficient, and in last eight years they cut the desperate poverty rate from 38 to 16 percent.”

Brazil is the setting of the poems in “Sugar Zone,” and Mackey is the guide for her readers. Her ear for language, and her ability to place Portuguese and English side by side add a richness that make this collection one to return to. The poems should be read aloud, to hear the beauty of the sound, and Mackey will certainly read from this book at her appearance at the Sacramento Poetry Center on Monday, Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m.

The Sacramento Poetry Center is located at 1719 25th Street., Sacramento, CA, and the event is free.

Book Talk: Let’s have a Heyday with Masha’allah and Other Stories, California Glaciers and find ourselves Wherever There's a Fight

2012-10-23T03:59:46Z

Heyday is local. If you haven’t heard of this press, now’s your chance. Several books and book events are taking place in Sacramento, Davis and Oakland, the latter being the setting of Mariah K. Young’s debut story collection, “Masha’allah and Other Stories.”

* * *

“California Glaciers” by Tim Palmer
Heyday
ISBN - 978-1597141741
2012, 128 pp., $29.95
Local interest

There are several local events tied to the release of this book of photographs and words that capture the beauty and power of California’s last glaciers. Palmer spent spring, summer and autumn of 2010 among his subjects, and this book is a tribute to these disappearing glaciers.

On Friday, Oct. 26, and Saturday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m. both days at Sierra College, Tim Palmer will unveil his book, “California Glaciers.” Sierra College professor Dick Hilton will present “How the Sierra Obtained its Beauty” on Friday evening, using a lecture, graphic illustration and photographs. Palmer will be on hand Saturday to lecture. A reception and book signing will follow.

Palmer will visit The Avid Reader in Davis on Monday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m., where he will present a slideshow and sign copies of his book. On Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m., Palmer will visit The Avid Reader in Sacramento, present a slideshow and sign books.

* * *

“Wherever There’s a Fight” by Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi
Heyday
ISBN - 978-1597141147
2009, 498 pp., $24.95
Local interest

“Wherever There’s a Fight: How Runaway Slaves, Suffragists, Immigrants, Strikers, and Poets Shaped Civil Liberties in California,” by Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi, is just as fresh today as when it was first released by Heyday. It is the perfect book for people interested in history, especially the history of fighting for rights. This book begins with a look at early California law, then moves to the rights of immigrants and workers, racial equality, women’s rights, dissent and free expression. Included are chapters on religious freedom; the rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people; and the rights of people with disabilities. Chapters on criminal justice and the removal and incarceration of people during World War II round out this fine book that should be given space on any shelf. Listen to the voices of those telling their stories, see the photos of those within the struggle, and consider how their fights have impacted your life.

Meet the authors at two Sacramento events this week. On Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 6:30 p.m., Elinson and Yogi will discuss the book at the Sacramento Public Library, 915 I St., Sacramento, CA. On Oct. 27, at 2 p.m., Elinson will present a discussion on the suffrage campaign at the Valley Hi-North Laguna Library, 7400 Imagination Way, Sacramento, CA.

* * *

“Masha’allah and Other Stories” by Mariah K. Young
Heyday
ISBN – 978-1-59714-203-8
2012, 216 pp., $15
Local interest

Mariah K. Young’s collection of stories set in Oakland, “Masha’allah and Other Stories,” is easily one of the best collections I’ve read from a contemporary writer in quite some time. Young’s first book takes the reader into places where many have not wandered: a marijuana grow room, empty houses where a woman sets up temporary styling salons and a spot beside someone waiting for work with other day laborers. In Young’s finely crafted stories, the reader has the opportunity to care about the many characters. Meet Mr. Felix, Dylan, Enzo, and Londell in "Mr. Felix." And stand beside Felipe, Nestor, and the narrator who collects identities like someone in the suburbs might collect porcelain or bells or little dogs. In "One Space," Young uses the second person, placing the reader squarely in the middle of the story, so the reader can feel the texture and temperature of the concrete.

"You stand against a concrete building, close enough to the corner that should a work truck come along, you won't have to sprint to wave the driver down, only jog."

Young writes with the language economy of a poet. Read each story slowly. Read each word. Young clearly trusts her readers, and it is equally clear that she respects her readers, as in this passage from "Studies in Entropic Beauty."

"There was a bag lady that stayed in one spot in the park that I could see from my bedroom window . . .Edina and Brittany had come over to my house, and I showed them that sweet old lady. They laughed and pointed to a little dirt path into the bushes, just beyond where the bag lady was camped. I heard voices and saw a lighter flash beyond the wall of leaves."

While each story takes place in East Oakland, the stories are all different, and the characters are different. And their experiences are different. They all desire something better. And they deserve better. These are stories about the characters, about their lives on the edge of the dominant culture; an excellent book for short-fiction writers in any area to read, to read again, to study. Buy a second copy to mark the way Young uses language, the way she says so much in so few words. She’s captured the speech patterns, knows the terminology, and this reader never failed to believe. Buy copies for friends and relatives. If you’re looking for the happy ending, the happily ever after, you’ll not find it in this collection. What you will find, however, are tightly crafted stories about people who exist in East Oakland (and maybe here in Sacramento). These are not stories without hope.

Mariah K. Young is the recipient of the first James D. Houston Award, and she will be reading from her collection at Diesel Books in Oakland on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, at 3 p.m., at the official launch party for this fine collection.

Coming Soon: Mary Mackey on electronic publishing, local poets Alexa Mergen and James Moose, and more books from Heyday.

Book Talk about bookstores and author events

2012-10-09T22:45:47Z

There is almost nothing better than looking over the shelves of books on topics as far-ranging as a memoir about a former doctor who saved a cat by climbing atop a fire truck in the middle of a busy parking lot and nearly getting arrested to books on how to finish your deck, with or without the hot tub, to novels with shirtless guys on the front or those wonderful classic shorts that Murakami never writes.

I love bookstores. I love small bookstores and large bookstores and those in-between. I look for bookstores in every city I visit. I’m not alone. There are people, and you know who you are, that plan their vacations around the opening of bookstores.

Speaking of new bookstores, there’s a new one opening soon in Rio Linda. Yes, Rio Linda will have an official bookstore, and what better type of bookstore than a Friends of the Library store.

The new store will be housed at 440 Elkhorn Blvd., Suite #7, Rio Linda and will open with hours on Friday and Saturday, 1-6 p.m.

Lon Lee has been working on this project for about 10 months, and is excited about the Oct. 13 grand opening. The store will be open that day 1-8 p.m., and will offer patrons door prizes, refreshments and “thousands of books, movies and music for sale,” said Lee.

When asked in an interview for the Friends of the Library newsletter about what will make this a great place to shop, Lee said that there will be “great prices on books, a wide selection to choose from and more books added weekly. Most of our books will be less than a dollar each. We will have monthly door prizes and special sales (and) offers. Anyone that purchases $20 or more of items will receive a one-year membership to the Friends of the Rio Linda library, and anyone with a current FOL membership card will receive a 10 percent discount on purchases at our store. Also, proceeds from the nonprofit store will be used to support the children’s and adult programs, and to purchase books and materials at the Rio Linda Library.”

Lee has also set up a Facebook page for the store, where more information and updates can be found.

As a frequent shopper at both library book sales and stores, I can say that you never know what treasure you might find.

Lee says that the store is still accepting donations as well, and will consider any gently used books except Reader’s Digest condensed books and encyclopedia sets.

I look forward to seeing you at the new Rio Linda Friends of the Library bookstore during its grand opening on Oct. 13 from 1 - 8 p.m..

* * *

Local author events of note:

Time-Tested Books is presenting several book releases beginning this Thursday, Oct. 11, 7 p.m., with Bruce Holbert.

Holbert's debut novel, Lonesome Animals, has received praise from the Seattle Times and Publisher's Weekly, and is included on reading lists throughout the country. Holbert grew up at the foot of the Okanogan Mountains just east of the Cascade Range, the same country found in his novel.

Holbert graduated from the University of Iowa Writers Workshop and the University of Eastern Washington. His work has been widely published, and he'll read, answer questions and sign copies for attendees at the 7:00 p.m. event.

Other upcoming author events at Time-Tested Books include Oct. 18 with Steve Roby who will discuss his book, Hendrix on Hendrix: Interviews and Encounters with Jimi Hendrix, and the Oct. 25 launch of Garbage Night at the Opera, a collection of stories by Stories on Stage host, local writer and teacher, Valerie Fioravanti.

* * *

New anthologies are out from the Sacramento Poetry Center and include the Fall 2012 edition of Tule Review, featuring works by local poets JoAnn Anglin, Lytton Bell, Frances H. Kakugawa, and local favorites Connie Post, Gillian Wegener, and J.P. Dancing Bear. Check their site for the release and reading party.

The much-anticipated anthology, Late Peaches: Poems by Sacramento Poets, will celebrate releases on Oct. 18 at the Rancho Cordova Library, on Oct. 20 at Antiquite Maison Privee, and on Nov. 8 at the CSUS Library Gallery. This collection features the work of 117 local poets including Sandy Thomas, Geoff Neill and Anna Marie Sprowl.

Book Talk: Eagles and Publishing

2012-09-26T02:56:42Z

“Sherman’s Eagle” by Devin Blankenship
916 Publishing
ISBN – 978-0-9856016-0-7
2012, 292 pp., $12.99
Local Author

Sacramento residents will certainly recognize some of the locations mentioned by Devin Blankenship in his first novel, “Sherman’s Eagle,” a plot-driven mystery that moves across the U.S. with a stop in Atlanta and the finale in Sacramento just as Gold Rush Days begins. Old Sacramento, the Tower Bridge, Sutter’s Fort and the historic I Street Bridge are some of the above-ground locations, but Blankenship’s characters also venture underground in their search for “a mythical Civil War antiquity.” The good guys are Kal Boyce, his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, and Boyce’s professor.

***

“The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Published” by Sheree Bykofsky and Jennifer Basye Sander
Alpha
ISBN – 978-1-61564-127-7
2011, 378 pp., $19.95
Local Author

While not a fan of any book with idiot or dummies in the title, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Published,” now in its fifth edition was a surprise. This book, with its orange spine will be easy to locate on any shelf and may be just the one to reach for when you are thinking about sending a box of truffles with that book proposal about cats. Do you have to write the entire book before submitting a query? Sheree Bykofsky and Jennifer Basye Sander will let you know when and why. What I like most about this book is that that it reminds you, repeatedly, to read and study what has already been written. The authors encourage would-be writers to peruse the physical shelves in brick and mortar stores, not just turning pages online. They offer suggestions for publications to read and where you might find them at a lower cost. They tell you that you have to write the book and that you have to write the book again. They encourage writers to seek other writers and form groups. The book begins quite simply by asking the writer to consider why he or she wants to write. It proceeds to a very short list of categories for fiction and nonfiction. Other chapters include information about submitting work, book contracts, agents, and the pros and cons of independent publishing. An excellent book that is certainly not for idiots.

Poet Laureate news, poets for change, Cousineau’s word painting

2012-09-05T04:44:12Z

What could be better than a long weekend of reading some excellent new works of fiction, poetry and history? Look for reviews of several new books later this month.

Today, however, I’d like you to join me in welcoming Jeff Knorr as the new Sacramento Poet Laureate.

If you’d like to hear some of his poetry, please make your way to Time Tested Books this Thursday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. Knorr will be one of five featured poets for the first of four 100 Thousand Poets for Change events in Sacramento. Joining Knorr will be poet and educator Traci Gourdine, poet Emily Wright, little m press publisher Geoffrey Neill and poet and Neruda translator William O’Daly.

Other author events this week include a reading and book signing at The Avid Reader in Davis this Friday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Phil Cousineau, author of “Word Catcher: An Odyssey Into the World of Weird and Wonderful Words,” (2010 Viva Editions) will present from his latest book, “The Painted Word: A Treasure Chest of Remarkable Words and Their Origins” (2012 Viva Editions).

These two books are required for any word lover’s bookshelf. Words like “autologophagist” are defined, but not as one would find in a traditional dictionary. In “The Painted Word,” Cousineau writes that autologophagist is a figure of speech. It gets interesting, however, when he writes “it became an actuality after a Danish writer, Theodore Reinking, wrote a scathing indictment of his country’s defeat at the hands of the perfidious Swedes and was jailed in 1644.”

Cousineau doesn’t stop there, however, as he moves forward to 1980 and writes about German filmmaker Werner Herzog and his shoe eating. You’ll just have to read the book to find out more. Included are average words like “average” that turn out to be anything but average. At $16.95, "The Painted Word" will offer many hours of entertainment, conversation material (tell someone about an autologophagist to start a conversation or perhaps to revive one that’s become a bit tired).

How many snollygosters can you name?

Cousineau is an award-winning writer, filmmaker, educator, editor and storyteller. He currently hosts PBS’s “Global Spirit” series and has published 26 nonfiction books and has 15 scriptwriting credits. His books have been translated into nine languages.

He writes “I grew up in a house filled with books and dictionaries with prints of the world’s great art on every wall in the house.”

Saturday, Sept. 8 is the 7th Annual Macy’s Spelling Bee at the Macy’s in Roseville. The event will begin at 2 p.m. on Level 2 in the children’s department.

What are you reading this week?

Disclosure: I am the official organizer of the 100 Thousand Poets for Change event in Sacramento this year.

Book Talk: Horstman, Hume and lots of news

2012-08-29T02:24:00Z

Lots of news this week from local literary agency Andrea Hurst, local small press publishers Swan Scythe, Rattlesnake and SPC, as well as reviews of books by Judith Horstman and Ulrica Hume, so we'd better get started.

Agent News – Andrea Hurst Literary Agency

“A Real Emotional Girl,” by Tanya Chernov, is subtitled, “a memoir of grief, depression, and recovery” that deals with family, pain, growing up, love and loss. This book is forthcoming from Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. and was in the hands of local literary agent, Gordon Warnock of the Andrea Hurst literary agency. Warnock is an oft-requested speaker at writing conferences and is currently working with San Francisco writer, Mari Naomi, who performed in Sacramento in 2011 with Sister Spit: Next Generation. Look for Chernov’s book in 2012 and Naomi’s at a later date. Keep an eye out, too, for Andrea Hurst’s book, “The Guestbook,” (CreateSpace) released in July, 2012

Publishing News

Swan Scythe Press

Local publisher Swan Scythe Press, headed up by James DenBoer, has announced the winner of the 2012 Swan Scythe Press Poetry Chapbook Contest. “Paradise Hunger,” the winning manuscript, will be published in fall 2012. Poet Henry W. Leung will also receive a $200 award for his work.

DenBoer said of Leung’s work “This collection of poems, ordered by geography and geomancy, displays a depth of emotional understanding and a graceful craftsmanship.”

I am excited to report more on this book as soon as copies are available.

Rattlesnake Press

Local publisher Rattlesnake Press still puts to press the quarterly “WTF. . .,” which is edited by local writers, Frank Andrick and Rachel Leibrock. Many are familiar with Andrick through his appearances on “Good Day Sacramento” and his third Thursday hosting of Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Café on 16th Street. Leibrock recently assumed the role of co-editor of “Sacramento News and Review” and is working on a young adult novel. Pick up your free copy of “WTF. . .” at The Book Collector on 24th Street.

SPC Press

The Sacramento Poetry Center’s press, SPC Press, is working on several projects, and it recently released the two winning chapbooks from the Quinton Duval Chapbook Competition. “Carlos’ Café” by Janet McCann and “Crystal Gods” by Denise Platt Lichtig are both available at the Sacramento Poetry Center at 25th and R. Keep your eyes open for the new “Tule Review” and the “Sacramento Anthology,” which have expected release dates this fall.

* * *

“The Scientific American Healthy Aging Brain” by Judith Horstman
Jossey-Bass
ISBN – 978-0-470-64773-8
2012, 254 pp., $25.95
Local Author

Judith Horstman’s fourth book in the “Scientific American” brain series, “The Scientific American Healthy Aging Brain: The Neuroscience of Making the Most of Your Mature Mind,” is certain to find a home alongside other heath-related books. Better yet, share this book with others. Read this from front to back, or better yet, skip around. Start, perhaps, by learning how physical exercise can help your brain before moving on to chapter 11, “Creativity, Spirit, and Attitude: Enrich Thyself.” Horstman’s introduction, “Welcome to the New Old Age” greets us with these words: “In all of history, there has never been a better time to grow old.” If you don’t believe it, this book may change your mind. In response to her own question of what old is, she writes, “Today in developed countries, it seems to be accepted that young old age begins in the late 60s and that old old age comes after the age of 80.” This is not a how to live longer book. It offers practical advice, humor and hope for those both young, and not as young as before.

“An Uncertain Age” by Ulrica Hume
Blue Circle Press
ISBN – 978-0-9669193-5-6
2012, 370 pp., $17.95
Local Interest

Ulrica Hume’s debut novel, “An Uncertain Age,” is a hefty, yet delightful surprise. She blends the mystery and love genres and sprinkles spirituality throughout to create a story to be enjoyed on several levels. Clearly, Hume cares about the characters she’s created. Readers will also care. What happened to Miles Peabody? It is his disappearance, and the subsequent questioning of Justine, that sets the story into motion. A pilgrimage, a hero’s journey, a mystery, and a love story all describe “An Uncertain Age.” Hume’s care with character, story and at the sentence level shows that she cares about her readers. The many references to people, events, locations and spirituality might seem overwhelming at times, but it offers the reader who is unfamiliar with bees or the True Cross or Guernica, for example, the opportunity to discover something new. Readers learn about the missing Mr. Peabody through the interaction of Justine with others, especially with Dara and Gwynneth. Well-crafted, intriguing, witty, poignant and full of literary and historical references, this book is lovely in its paper version or less weighty in its electronic version.

During September, look for more reviews and an interview with Mary Mackey about electronic publishing.

Book Talk: Electronic, paper, events

2012-08-21T15:04:25Z

I love libraries, book stores, book sales, yard sales with books and my overflowing bookshelves. For me, the feel of a book is akin to that of a record album. I'm not a fan of the compact disc. I may be drawn to a book because of the author or the title. Other times, the cover art pulls me in. I’ve even been known to buy books that I will likely never read only because I liked the cover.

I tried a Nook once. The Sacramento Public Library has them available to borrow, and I thought I should give one a try. I like to talk with the Nook sellers at the local Barnes & Noble. I enjoy when they load a new book and show me all of the features. I even enjoy when they tell me about the accessories, but I have yet to buy one.

I’ve considered buying one several times. Amazon has the Kindle, and many other companies have their own versions of electronic book readers. Electronic books are being published every day and are offered free of charge or for just a couple of dollars. Some electronic books, however, are only a slightly lower price than their paper version. Some, sadly, lack quality editing (more on that in a special column about electronic publishing).

I love to hold a physical book in my hand, flip the pages, make margin notes (or not), and carry my book with me on errands. Or to school. Sure, I know that the thousands of books I have here could be stored on an electronic book reader, and I also know that if I had the electronic versions, I’d have a lot more free space, but what would I do with that space? With the bookcases? With the books? With my bookmarks?

Electronic books do have benefits. Carry hundreds of titles. Enlarge the font size. Obtain free classics. Read newly released titles that have been out of print for years (more on that in a future column).

But can you really curl up on the sofa with a comfy blanket in front of a fire on a winter day with an electronic book reader? I should also mention that formatting can be an issue for graphic novels and poetry. And can you wander the shelves of the shops and libraries for these electronic titles?

So, this week’s question is, “Electronic or paper?”

* * *

Author events

Aug. 25 - Face in a Book - 5:30 -7:30 p.m. - Local author Owen Sullivan will read from his debut novel, "The House's Money," from local nonfiction press Authority Publishing. About publishing a piece of fiction, publisher Stephanie Chandler said, "Owen Sullivan’s book has an interesting relationship to the current economy so it seemed like a good fit for us."

Aug. 25 - Franklin Community Library - 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Local authors participate in a Read-In, reading from their own short stories.

Book Talk: Connie Post to read in Davis and Woodland

2012-08-14T02:09:56Z

Connie Post’s latest poetry collection, “And When the Sun Drops,” is also her third about autism from a mother’s point of view. Her first collection, “Seasons of Love, Seasons of Loss,” is “about discovering and accepting that her son has autism,” writes Post. Her second, “Letting Go,” is “about the difficult journey of placing her son with autism in a residential group home.” It is, Post continues, “a book about coming apart, and coming together.”

About this third collection, Post writes, “I didn’t think I would write another book about autism. I had written individual poems about our continuing lives with autism. Mostly to serve as a catharsis for me to express the inexpressible. As Thomas neared his twenties, the flavor of my poems changed and I kept writing, and then began sending them to friends, and various journals.”

Poet Lynn Knight encouraged Post to put those poems into a manuscript, but Post hesitated, unsure whether she wanted to do “another book of poems on autism.” After much thought, however, and the knowledge that “many people write about the early experiences of parenting/autism but not much about later in life,” she asked herself about “what happens to these kids with autism who become grown ups with autism and how does it affect our lives.”

For the next year, Post wrote about a dozen more poems about daily life with her autistic son. “It was easy to write them, choosing subjects I deal with all the time that most people don’t think about or take for granted like getting dressed.

“Sequencing of the poems was very key for me in order to truly tell our story about Thomas.”

Post is no stranger to the Sacramento area where she has been one of the featured poets in the annual Sacramento Poetry Center’s Autism Reading Benefit. Other benefit readers include Davis poet and reading host Andy Jones, Becky Foust and Michelle Bitting, winner of the Sacramento Poetry Center’s 2011 book manuscript competition. This annual fundraiser is organized and hosted by SPC board member Frank Graham.

About her upcoming visits to the Sacramento area, Post writes that “it is somewhat ironic for me to have readings in the Sacramento/Davis area. Thomas lived in a group home in Orangevale for 15 years so the Sacramento area feels like somewhat of an old stomping ground for me in regards to Thomas and the surrounding sorrow of his absence.” Poems about her commute and the group homes are included in “And When the Sun Drops.”

About the Sacramento and Davis community of poets, she says that she has enjoyed being a part of this vibrant community and that she’s enjoyed getting to know people in the area.

Post will speak with Dr. Andy on “The Poetry and Technology Poetry Hour” program on Aug. 16 at 5 p.m., then will read at the Natsoulas Gallery on Aug. 16 as the featured poet, along with CJ Morello, for the monthly Poetry Night Reading Series, hosted by Andy Jones. The event begins at 8 p.m. and is always free. If you miss her in Davis, she’ll be back on Aug. 29 to read as the featured poet for Jessica Kristie’s Inspiring Words series at the Woodland Public Library. The event begins at 7 p.m. and is also always free. Books will be available, and there’s never a charge to ask for a signature.

Post also hosts the popular monthly Valona Deli Poetry Series in Crockett.

* * *

“And When the Sun Drops” by Connie Post
Finishing Line Press
ISBN — 978-1-62229-058-1
2012, 28 pp., $14

Post’s latest collection, “And When the Sun Drops,” will touch the hearts of families living with autism and reach into the hearts of those not living with autism. Keep a box of tissues at hand for poems like “Autistic Son, Almost 19,” in which she writes, “A Sunday in October is over / You won’t be home again until Thanksgiving.” In the same poem, you’ll understand a mother’s love when you read, “your shirt is on inside out / I leave it that way.” Post’s focus on everyday living is what brings this collection together, what makes readers become involved, and what makes them angry when she writes, “how do I tell you / that there is bigotry in the world / hidden in neighborhoods / with white doors / and narrow streets” in “A Letter in the Newspaper.” The poem “To a Hero Twelve Miles Away” introduces readers to the group home care provider who “let me call / as many times as I needed,” and even though the mother “didn’t know what pajamas / you would choose,” she knew she "could trust you / to see the complexities of its shadows.” Don’t worry about crying over each page. There is much to celebrate in this collection. Post’s writing is clear, her images strong and always just right, as they must be.

* * *

Other area reading events include:

Sacramento historian William Burg at Time Tested Books on Wednesday, Aug. 15, at 7 p.m. Burg will read from his new book “Sacramento’s K Street: Where Our City Began,” (The History Press, 2012).

Motivational writer and speaker Jewel Diamond Taylor will present a discussion and book signing at Underground Books on Saturday, Aug. 18, at 2 p.m.

The Order Sons of Italy in America Milano Lodge members will host a book release party at The Club at Natomas Park on Sunday, Aug. 19, 6-9 p.m., for “Flavors of Milano” (N Magazine Press, 2012). Proceeds will benefit the victims of the 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquakes.

Local writer Michael Panush will be at The Avid Reader on Friday, Aug. 24, at 7:30 p.m. Panush will read from his new book, “Dinosaur Jazz.” (Curiosity Quills Press, 2012).

Several local writers will appear at Face in a Book on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 6-8 p.m., to celebrate the release of “The Dog with the Old Soul,” compiled and edited by Jennifer Bayse Sander.

Book Talk: events, news and a question

2012-08-08T04:48:47Z

Let’s start off this week with a question.

What are you reading now? What book(s) do you recommend others read, and why?

Okay, three questions.

I’m currently reading Lorrie Moore’s “A Gate at The Stairs,” and a book I’ll be reviewing in a few weeks, “An Uncertain Age,” by Ulrica Hume. Also, I’m reading “The Collected Stories” by Amy Hempel and “Landscapes with Figures” by Robert Root.

The books I recommend include any of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short stories and any of Hemingway’s short stories. I’ll toss in Raymond Carver’s short stories and “Black Tickets” by Jayne Anne Phillips. Poetry books include anything by Robert Hass and Kazim Ali, as well as Connie Post’s newest book, which I’ll review here next week.

Why do I recommend those books? I love short stories and poetry, and these are great books to enjoy or to study. The sentences and lines are tight and perfect. Nothing overwritten. That’s my selection today, at this moment. Another moment might bring another selection.

Let’s move on to events and news.

Ruthie Bolton will read from her book, “The Ride of a Lifetime: The Making of Mighty Ruthie,” at the Avid Reader at the Tower on Sunday, Aug. 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. For those of you who aren’t aware, Bolton is a former WNBA Sacramento Monarchs basketball star and two-time Olympic gold medal winner. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

Laura Lippman will appear at the Sacramento Central Public Library on Aug. 16 at 6 p.m. Lippman is a mystery and psychological suspense writer. She has won many mystery awards for her books, which include “What the Dead Know,” and her latest thriller, “And When She Was Good.”

Two California State University, Sacramento professors have new books.

Joshua McKinney just released his latest book of poetry, “Mad Cursive.” Look for a review of his book right here in the next few weeks. He’ll be reading and signing copies at the Sacramento Poetry Center in September. Details to follow.

Kim Zarins will read from her latest book, “The Helpful Puppy,” at the Avid Reader in Davis in September. Book review and event details to follow.

Remember, we focus our attention on local authors, local presses and books of local interest. We include outsiders from time to time. If you have a book to be reviewed, query first at SacramentoBookTalk@gmail.com with information about the book and a sample of the writing.

Enjoy reading and attending events until next time.

Book Talk: Hershey and March

2012-07-31T05:40:56Z

This month's books are Sibilla Hershey's "The Bleeding Tree" and Ray A. March's "River in Ruin." Excellent books about two different topics. Hershey's book took a lifetime to write, and March's book ten years to research. Each filled with exquisite language, and each to be kept in sight to be read and shared and discussed.

“The Bleeding Tree” by Sibilla Hershey
Primula Press
ISBN – 978-0-61559363-0
2012, 35 pp., $12.50
Poetry – Local Author-Local Publisher

Davis poet Sibilla Hershey presents a collection of poems that weave history, family, society, war and love together. In four sections, Hershey introduces the reader to the ancestors who “grew potatoes, rye and oats / in the sandy soil of the Baltic coast.” She offers a glimpse of “the land where in springtime / yellow buttercups bloomed in vernal pools / and bluebells on higher ground.” Personal, yes, as when the narrator tells how the family “fled to safer lands” in 1944, leaving behind the grandmother “where in winter wet snow fell,” yet never so private as to exclude the reader. In Latvia, the father had been a lawyer. In Brooklyn, he was a super who “made a pot full of asparagus / because it was on sale.” The narrator asks “and now, after fifty years in exile, / with grown children of my own, / please tell me in what language / should I address my parents?” In “Grief,” we join the narrator in her search “for the / purpose of our lives / in the landscapes / of your past,” and know that many of us have done, or will do, the same. Hershey permits us to join her on camping trips and train rides, ending with “The Knock on the Door.”

***

“River in Ruin” by Ray A. March
Bison Books
ISBN – 978-0-8032-3834-3
2012, 174 pp., $24.95
Nonfiction – California Author-Local Interest

“River in Ruin: the story of the Carmel River” is Ray A. March’s latest book, and it is a history of a river that is trying to heal after having been exploited to the extent that it nearly died. And it is a history of California that is not often told. March’s prose is elegant, his word choice always careful, as illustrated by this passage:

“Once a refuge, the river was becoming a waste disposal site, as if whatever thrown there would be sucked down into infinity by the slow-moving current and disappear, forever out of sight and mind.”

The Carmel River is tiny — only 36 miles long, yet it has a long history. Reaching back to 1603 and the words of Sebastian Vizcaino, the man who discovered the Carmel River, March traces the history of the river through the arrival of Father Serra, Crocker and tourism, the building of several dams, two women from Oakland, the demise of the sardines, the arrival of golf courses, an environmental awakening, the fate of the Steelhead, and the fire that was “the final insult.”

About the fire, March writes:

“The fire was calm, burning far longer than the hot, fast-traveling Marble-Cone Fire of 1977. This one was consciously taking its time, burning out brush, little trees, some big ones, sparing others along its path. It was as if the fire was gradually, methodically cleaning house, working its way over the forest floor and the river’s watershed at its own controlled pace; clearing rubbish the only way it knows how, free of good conscience, ethics, moral principles, and political persuasions. All firefighting apparatus placed in its mosaic path was a minor inconvenience to this fire.”

This slim volume could certainly join Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” as a cautionary tale of what could happen, what has happened. Human intervention caused the Carmel River to change its course, and it "no longer merely empties into Carmel Bay as it did when Sebastian Vizcaino discovered it in 1603." Today it empties into a special area "within the federally protected Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary." March has presented both warning and hope.

While not a local author, March is well-known in Sacramento’s literary circles, as he is the co-founder of the Surprise Valley Writers’ Conference, held each year in beautiful Cedarville. The conference will be held this year in mid-September, and applications are due Aug. 1. March is also the co-founder of Modoc Forum, “a nonprofit perpetuating an awareness of rural life through literature and the arts.” Sadly, a local speaking engagement this month has been cancelled.

Tractors should be red

2012-07-17T04:26:32Z

On Sunday afternoon, several dozen people came to Sacramento’s The Avid Reader to hear Anthony Barcellos read from his novel, “Land of Milk and Money” (Tagus 2012).

Barcellos, dressed in white shirt, black tie, black pants and black-and-white tennis shoes, presented a professional yet casual appearance, that of an approachable author. He welcomed people and said, “It is bad luck to go into a bookstore and leave without buying a book.”

He opened by talking about how the novel came to exist, how at family gatherings someone would say, “Hey, tell the story about … ,” and how he was a storyteller and said that anything can be true in fiction.

Barcellos proved his mettle as an oral storyteller as he read several passages from the book, beginning with the first chapter, "The Gambit," which he referred to as the setup. It is a passage that sets the tone for the book that several have called funny or hilarious.

One of the most enjoyable parts was when he showed the alternative book covers. Beginning with the current cover, he provided commentary that had the audience laughing, and at least one of us thinking a bit differently about cows.

The current cover shows a cow “that has not been bred and lactated.” The second cover, the one coveted by the author’s mother, gained the most return commentary from the audience, who agreed that it showed a “non-Central Valley landscape,” and that it was certainly “not a California dairy farm.”

Barcellos should know, since he spent his early years on a farm, or as he later said, trying to get as far away as possible, which led him to become a math professor and department chair at American River College.

The third cover, the author’s favorite, features a cow about which Barcellos proclaimed, “Big, bad Bossy has been bred, has been lactated,” and “Yes, that is manure on her haunches.” Barcellos felt that this cover best depicted the spirit of the novel, and admits to still pining over it.

Throughout the reading, Barcellos had the audience engaged and laughing at stories like “Boys Meet Girls,” and lines like “It was also a meat market.” Laughter continued with “A Son Back Home,” and the awkward interchange between the boss and his hired hand.

“Tractors are to be red, not blue from Ford or green from John Deere or yellow,” Barcellos said before closing.

The author graciously signed books for friends, colleagues and strangers, and posed for photos with audience members, including representatives from the Portuguese Historical and Cultural Society.

Anthony Barcellos at Avid Reader this weekend

2012-07-12T15:08:02Z

Local author Anthony Barcellos will read from his first novel, “Land of Milk and Money,” at the Avid Reader in Davis on Saturday, July 14, at 7:30 p.m., and at the Avid Reader in Sacramento on Sunday, July 15, at 2 p.m.

Barcellos’ book has been praised by Gerald Haslam, John Lescroart and others. “Land of Milk and Money” (2012, Tagus Press) follows the Francisco family, Portuguese immigrants who build a prosperous dairy farm in California's Central Valley, and the legal battle over the inheritance of cattle and land.

About the book, Barcellos said, “There are many oft-told tales in my family history, dragged out on special occasions for the edification of new additions to the family or the entertainment of guests. My sister would sometimes tell me that they needed to be written down – but as fiction, ‘because no one would believe these things really happened.’”

Tagus Press published “Land of Milk and Money” under the “Portuguese in the Americas” series, which is a good fit, since Portuguese-Americans are under-represented in American literature. Barcellos said that “a natural component of the novel is the loss of an immigrant family’s original language and culture,” something too often seen in other cultures in America.

“Land of Milk and Money” is at once interesting, entertaining and thought-provoking. The number of characters sometimes reminds us of the quantity found in Russian novels, but we never get lost. We come to know each character and his or her positive and negative aspects through the stories of attending school, dating, marriage and work. Readers will find the cast of characters and glossary of Portuguese words and phrases at the book's end useful. The story revolves around the trial over the farm’s legacy, which drives wedges further into the family. At times, it may be difficult to tell who is on which side. Even the lawyers have to keep scorecards. The court setting holds the book together, as Barcellos explores the history of the Francisco family, intergenerational struggles, changing times and the death of the matriarch. Barcellos moves to and fro through time, through the novel's 10 parts, dating and titling each chapter. The nonlinear format suits this novel, and the story is sure to please anyone with an interest in history, Portuguese-Americans, dairy farms, intergenerational struggles within immigrant families or California history.

Local NCBA finalists

2012-07-10T05:29:28Z

The Sacramento area was well-represented by local writers and presses last month at the 31st Annual Northern California Book Awards held in San Francisco on June 10.

Each year since 1981, a volunteer group of people who love books – including book reviewers and book review editors – have met and presented awards to Northern California writers in the areas of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, general nonfiction, translation (fiction and poetry) and children’s literature (young adult and younger readers).

Poet, screenwriter, novelist and professor emeritus of the California State University, Sacramento, English department, Mary Mackey, faced tough competition with her recent poetry book “Sugar Zone” (2011, Marsh Hawk Press). Mackey’s book has received considerable praise and attention, all well deserved, and her ability to blend the Portuguese language with English in “Sugar Zone” makes this book one to return to again and again. This is a book to read aloud “in the hot lands nas terres tórridas” where “ the Milky Way hovers / over us like a great white osprey.”

Other finalists in the poetry category (Jane Hirschfield, Lorna Dee Cervantes and David Meltzer) are favorites in the Sacramento area.

Hirschfield’s latest book, “Come, Thief” (2011, Alfred A. Knopf), is filled with poems that ask us to reflect and listen to “the mandarin silence of windows before their view, / like guards who nod to every visitor.”

Cervantes keeps her poems to one hundred words in “Ciento: 100 100-Word Love Poems” (2011, Wingspress). Cervantes has visited Sacramento several times to share her poetry, often hosted by Los Escritores del Nuevo Sol – Writers of the New Sun. In this book, we join the poet and “wonder at the synchronicity / of you, at the planetary shift that shot your face / into view.” Each poem is a story about love – its silence, noise, passion and tenderness.

Meltzer’s book “When I was a Poet” (2011, City Lights) reflects his beat background. Sound is important, and these are poems that need to be taken from the page to understand what he means when he writes “When I was a Poet / Passion was a Wire / plugged into Nerve Ends.”

These books are winners in any competition, as is “My Naked Brain,” from the local Swan Scythe Press. This bilingual edition features the poetry of Leopoldo María Panero in his native Spanish, and the English translations by local favorite Arturo Mantecón. A finalist in the translation category, this book deserves to be read in both languages “on the sea sands of the night, / en la playa de la noche.”

Book Talk - Chandler, Corbett, Halebsky, Raban, and books in the news

2012-06-26T02:58:39Z

This month we feature local writer Stephanie Chandler, local press Folded Word, Judy Halebsky's award-winning chapbook, and essays by Jonathan Raban.

Books in the news include Peter Grandbois' award-winning novel "Nahoonkara" (Etruscan Press 2011), which was recently nominated for both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award and which received the prestigious Gold Medal Award in literary fiction in Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year Awards for 2011. Peter Grandbois, a popular professor at California State University at Sacramento, now lives in Ohio. Several Sacramento authors and small presses were finalists for the Northern California Book Awards including Mary Mackey for her book of poems "Sugar Zone" (Marsh Hawk Press 2011) and Leopoldo Maria Panero's book of poems "My Naked Brain" (Swan Scythe Press 2011), translated and edited by Arturo Manecon. More on the nominees and winners next week..

“Own Your Niche” by Stephanie Chandler
Authority Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-935953-28-9
2012, 234 pp., $19.99
Business-Marketing — Local Author-Local Publisher

Stephanie Chandler’s latest book, “Own Your Niche,” is a reference book for any service-based business owner that wants to join the world of Internet marketing. Each of the 13 chapters is packed with useful information written in everyday language. Each chapter ends with an entrepreneurial interview, proving as valuable as the information contained within each section. Chapters cover choosing and researching niches; establishing authority in your field; building audience and engaging community; increasing website traffic; blogs; e-newsletters; and social media. In the chapter “Social Media Simplified,” Chandler discusses the basics of social media — how it can be beneficial, what to share and not share, and she presents the basics of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google Plus. Perhaps the most important section in this chapter, though, is “Social Media Time Management,” something everyone can use. This well-written reference book concludes with a “Directory of Resources.” Chandler’s book is for artists, writers, musicians, speakers, small business owners and anyone else needing to own their niche. The lime-green cover will make "Own Your Niche" stand out among the other reference books on your shelf, and the text is likely to be often used.

***

“On the Humber” by Julie L. Corbett
Folded Word
ISBN: 978-1-61019-209-5
2012, 18 pp., $6
Poetry — Local Press

“On the Humber” by Julie L. Corbett, a UK poet, is a delightful read from local publisher Folded Word. Sixteen poems comprise this collection that “explores the River Humber and its surroundings as only a native can.” Corbett’s language is fresh, and Sacramentans will relate to the opening poem, “Mapmaker,” in which Corbett writes, “and don’t be fooled / by the empty plots / of abandoned land / or sprawling suburbia / my home town river.” Corbett’s remembrance of a bridge across the Humber might make us think of bridges spanning the Delta or the American River. Each poem is crafted with exacting language, and Corbett is skilled in building image upon image to fill our senses, as in “Shore Leave Weekend,” in which she writes about the four smells of “steak and kidney pie, stale breathy / beer, shoe polish and the kit bag.” These scents may be unfamiliar to us, yet they reach across the ocean and become universal in their final form. “By Monday the flat was ready — ripe enough for the purging / with mop bucket, bleach and boil wash,” concludes the poem. A wonderful addition to any library.

***

“Space/Gap/Interval/Distance” by Judy Halebsky
Sixteen Rivers Press
ISBN: 978-0-8027-2309-3
2012, 35 pp., $10
Poetry — Local Author-Local Publisher

Judy Halebsky’s latest book, “Space/Gap/Interval/Distance,” won the Poets-Under-Forty Chapbook Contest sponsored by Sixteen Rivers Press, and was a finalist for the California Book Award. Halebsky, who studied art and literature in Japan for five years, translates her experience in this latest offering. From the first poem, “Transmission,” through the last, “The Ohno Studio,” Halebsky skillfully crafts each poem, line and word. Clearly, she understands the nuances of language and of the importance of word sound and line rhythm. She opens with “From the darkness and the fireflies, he calls me / mapless, unguided, night walker,” but Halebsky proves a skilled mapmaker, guiding us through each poem. In “A Thread for a Nest, a Word for a Vein,” she incorporates kanji characters and references Frida and Emily, names familiar to those in both the visual and literary arts worlds, and she places Aunt Nina between these two women. Not every poem is set in Japan, as Halebsky recalls “the day we drove from the coast back to Sacramento,” where she spent several years. This small collection is large in scope and a pleasure to read again.

***

“Driving Home: An American Journey” by Jonathan Raban
Pantheon
ISBN: 978-0-307-37991-7
2011, 512 pp., $29.95
Essays — Local Interest

Each of the 43 essays in Jonathan Raban’s “Driving Home” should be “read at the level of the word, the phrase, the line,” and each essay asks the reader “to listen, savor, question, ponder, think.” Whether Raban is writing about homesteading, Philip Larkin, President Obama or any number of other topics in the collection, he is witty, and his language is precise, as when he writes that “there are parts of the Mississippi so deathly and cloacal that they get censored even in bad dreams.” He brings an outsider’s view to America, Americans, and our mobility that is neither sentimental nor nostalgic. Many essays are set in Seattle, a “city of newcomers,” in which “having no ancestors of [his] own, [he] bought some at a Queen Anne yard sale.” As with any collection, readers will find their favorites, whether the 2010 piece “At the Tea Party” or 1993’s “Mississippi Water.”

Coming soon: "River in Ruin" by Ray March, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published" by Sheree Bykofsky and Jennifer Basye Sander, "The Bleeding Tree" by Sibilla Hershey, "Land of Milk and Money" by Anthony Barcellos, and "The Scientific American Healthy Aging Brain" by Judith Horstman

"Book Talk" welcomes comments and queries from local authors and publishers. SacramentoBookTalk@gmail.com.

An epic reading of Homer’s “The Odyssey” at Fairytale Town

2012-06-22T05:19:42Z

Kathryn Hohlwein will host an all-night, community-participation reading of Homer’s “The Odyssey,” beginning at 7:30 p.m., Friday, June 22, and concluding at 7 a.m., Saturday, June 23. The reading, the first in Sacramento in more than 10 years, will take place on the Mother Goose stage at Fairytale Town.

About the event, Hohlwein said, “I did the first one at Gibson Ranch in 1998, the second in 1999. Then I moved to New York City, and we did several there. Since then, it has been more abroad than in the States.” Hohlwein cited readings in Alexandria, Egypt; on the Greek Islands of Chios and Kos; on a cruise entitled “The Journey of Odysseus;” in Montevideo, Uruguay; at the 92nd Street Y in New York; and at the Getty Villa in Malibu, Calif.

“We have had readers reading in practically every language imaginable. This works because we have the PowerPoint presentation in the host language so people can follow,” Hohlwein said, and cited Flemish, Danish, Portuguese, Turkish, ancient Greek, French, Spanish, Dutch, Mandarin, Japanese, Arabic and Finnish as some of the languages. “And tomorrow in a Sengalese dialect.”

“There are still slots available to read between 1:30 and 6 a.m.,” Hohlwein added.

Gates will open at 6:30 p.m. Friday for the long-awaited return of this epic, community- participation reading, which is presented in partnership with T he Readers of Homer, an organization that produces this type of reading of Homer’s “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” throughout the world, and Fairytale Town, a non-profit children’s park and educational center in Land Park.

Children, veterans, poets, teachers and others from the greater Sacramento community will comprise the 200 or so participants who will read aloud pre-assigned passages from the Robert Fagles’ translation of “The Odyssey.”

Attendees are encouraged to bring jackets, lawn chairs, tents, snacks and beverages to enjoy during this 12-hour reading of Odysseus’ 10-year struggle to reach home after the end of the Trojan War.

Advance tickets are $20 for adults. Event-day tickets are $25 for adults. Veterans, active military, students with valid ID and children 12 and younger are free. To reserve your tickets please email your full name to mail@fairytaletown.org.

Brendan Constantine brings Calamity Joe to Time-Tested Books

2012-06-19T05:01:38Z

Calamity Joe by Brendan Constantine
Red Hen Press
ISBN – 978-1-59709-176-3
2012, 112 pp., $17.95
local reading

Brendan Constantine’s latest poetry collection, “Calamity Joe,” appears to be a series of linked poems, but each poem relies on no other for its meaning. Constantine is a skilled writer who guides readers through three main sections: “Once,” “Twice,” and “The Charm.” The book opens with “The Cast (in order of disappearance),” in which we meet “The Cancer,” “The Mother,” and “The Nine-fingered Girl,” among others. Constantine shows his skill in poetic form and the nuance of meter and rhyme in poems like “The shape of my name” and “Swear.” These are poems, like many others, that must be read aloud to hear the music of lines like “looks like Carnation blue. It is Good / to see you, and even Damned if I do.” The characters are ones we root for as we follow their stories through landscapes that are often familiar and unfamiliar like the street where “a flock of pink flamingoes move in / across the street, and set up plastic people / on the lawn” from “Difficult Listening Time.” This is a book to read once, twice, and thrice.

What better way to enjoy this collection than to hear the poet read?

Brendan Constantine is a poet whose work has appeared in numerous journals, “The Underground Guide To Los Angeles,” and whose first book, “Letters to Guns,” was released by Red Hen Press in 2009. He conducts workshop classes at foster care centers, hospitals, and with the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project, and is currently poet-in-residence at both Loyola Marymount University Extension and the Windward School in West Los Angeles.

Brendan Constantine will make one stop in Sacramento at Time-Tested Books (1114 21st Street) this Thursday (June 21) at 7 p.m. for a reading and book signing. This event is free and open to the public.

Anthony Swofford at Time Tested June 8

2012-06-05T18:37:59Z

Anthony Swofford’s newest book, “Hotels, Hospitals, and Jails,” (Twelve 2012) returns to the memoir form that brought America “Jarhead” and catapulted Swofford into a life of flying to Paris, Madrid, Istanbul, or Ho Chi Minh City for a meal; flying women to London, Tokyo, or Oakland for dinner or sex; buying and losing a home and sports car; and led to him and his father traveling the country together in a Winnebago.

While Swofford’s book is not for everyone, it is solidly written about sex, loss, and his understanding of what being a father means. There are some difficult passages, some eloquently written ones, and writing that is always direct.

“If I lied to a lover about what neighborhood or city or country I’d slept in the night before, it didn’t really matter: the relationship might sour but she would never kill me.” This passage is written from an older, perhaps wiser, Anthony Swofford.

About the title, Swofford says that the hotels refer to those he has stayed in and where he “occasionally behaved badly.” Swofford once spent a night in a New York jail after wrecking his BMW sports car. The hospitals, though, are the one at Travis AFB where he was born and where he picked up his father after he had collapsed; hospitals where he watched his older brother die from cancer; and the hospital where his daughter was born.

“There are also the hotels, hospitals, and jails in my mind, where I spent a lot of time in my thirties while I tried to figure my life out. Sometimes I escaped, sometimes I was sick, and sometimes I was incarcerated, but eventually I found a way out,” Swofford said in an earlier interview.

Anthony Swofford attended American River College, graduated with a BA in English from UC Davis in 1999, and completed his graduate studies at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. His first memoir, “Jarhead,” was released in 2003 and the film adaptation released in 2005.

Swofford will speak about his experiences, read from “Hotels, Hospitals, and Jails,” and sign books 7:00 p.m. Friday at Time Tested Books, 1114 21st Street, Sacramento, CA 95811. This event is free and open to the public.

Book Talk - Linville, Palmares Meadows, Miranda and Notley

2012-05-29T04:53:58Z

Welcome to the premiere of "Book Talk," a column where you will find reviews of books written by local poets and authors, books published by local presses, and books of particular interest to this area.

This week we feature local writers, Cynthia Linville and Jen Palmares Meadows, as well as Megan Miranda and Alice Notley.

“The Lost Thing” by Cynthia Linville
Cold River Press
ISBN 978-0-9846403-3-1
2012, 97 pp., $12.95
Poetry – local author / local press

Cynthia Linville’s collection of poems, “The Lost Thing,” travels through time and geography in search of love. Beginning with “Wandering Sunday, lost,” where the speaker asks, “What is there to fear,” Linville guides the reader through poems that are relatable to anyone who has ever loved, lost and loved again. Through poems like “A Thousand Ways to Say Goodbye,” “What should I do with all these love poems now?” and “This Poem is Not About You: A Post-Break-Up Spell,” we realize that there is nothing to fear. In “Heat,” we relive that moment where we are “almost kissed,” and in “Joshua Tree National Park,” we feel the passion of that new love, where we want to “ride the slow-wave of blood / rushing in / rising without crest.” These poems are funny, sad, and never lack hope. Are these poems personal? Perhaps, and it is just that personal touch that makes them universal.

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“Annotated Pai Gow Poker and more” by Jen Palmares Meadows
2011, 28 pp., $5.00
Short fiction and creative nonfiction – local author

Fiction meets creative nonfiction in Jen Palmares Meadows’ chapbook, “Annotated Pai Gow Poker and more.” A short fiction piece features two voices, illustrations and instructions on how to play Pai Gow. The language in this section is both seductive, befitting a story set in Sin City, and direct. It is a quiet, contemplative piece, unlike the raucous nonfiction ”Pretty Potion,” a recipe that claims to be “the solution to every homely girl’s puberty predicament,” and that encourages the mixing of sugar; cinnamon; eye shadow; a decapitated, chopped and melted Barbie doll and a lock of Kelly Kapowski’s hair. Directions are given, with a warning: “Inexact measurements could result in uneven-sized breasts." “Pretty Potion” is a girl’s coming-of-age story that reminds us what it was like to be in junior high school, a girl with braces or glasses, or wearing a hand-me-down training bra.

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“Fracture” by Megan Miranda
Walker Childrens
ISBN 978-0-8027-2309-3
2012, 272 pp., $17.99
Young adult fiction

Megan Miranda’s first book, “Fracture,” follows Delaney Maxwell, a 17-year-old girl who has been in a coma for six days. Her voice opens the book with, “The first time I died, I didn’t see God.” From the first page, Miranda’s characters are people we care about: Decker, the boy Delaney’s known forever and who waits by her hospital bed; Delaney’s mom, who seems on the verge of some sort of breakdown and who has her own secrets; Troy Vega, the young man who works in an assisted living facility; and Delaney. It seems like Delaney’s fall into freezing water, where she remained for 11 minutes and should have been dead after 10, and her subsequent coma, affected her brain so that she can sense illness and death. She doesn’t understand this new power and learns that Troy also has it, but they have differing views about actions they should take.

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“Songs and Stories of the Ghouls” by Alice Notley
Wesleyan
ISBN 978-0819569561
2011, 208 pp., $24.95
Poetry

History is usually written by the winners, but Alice Notley turns that old belief on its head in her latest book, “Songs and Stories of the Ghouls,” where the victims of genocide, particularly women, tell their stories and gain power – sometimes for the first time. Within the 208 pages of prose, dialogue and poetry, Medea is not the murderess of her sons, and Dido repeatedly founds a city. “The fact that our souls are poems is obvious, once it has been stated,” says Dido, the “activator of our ghoul world” who is “helping us to wait for what we’re owed, after the planet is finished and the gods all of them are defunct, the diseases are exhausted, and the genocides, successful, are concluded.” Throughout the book, we are reminded that the same horrors and the same outcomes have occurred, and still occur, but poetry provides the stories that the winners never tell.

"Book Talk" welcomes comments and queries from local authors and publishers. SacramentoBookTalk@gmail.com