You’re Never Too Young for Champagne
January 3, 2010

Nearly four years ago, on January 6, 2006, BiblioBuffet opened its doors, and in celebration of our birthday we’ve broken out the champagne and the gifts—for you. Naturally you wouldn’t expect us to do this without some reminiscences and toasts on our part so please take a glass, grab some hors d'oeuvres, and find a comfy place to sit.

Like many good things in life, BiblioBuffet began with the ashes of something else, a local newspaper. I had a books column for nearly two and a half years. But as editorial changes and then finances began to weigh the paper down, it became obvious that the end was coming. I grieved, but by the time of the paper’s demise I was already engulfed in the planning stages for what became BiblioBuffet.

One of the main instigators was a friend, Harriet Schechter, the author of Let Go of Clutter and several de-cluttering/organizing books. I still like to tease her that she nagged me into it, but the truth is that without her friendly “nagging” it might not have come to fruition. The newspaper that had carried my books column for nearly three years had experienced a lingering death. And I wasn’t feeling up to taking on such a large and, to me, scary, project.

But I did. Though the first couple of years were tentative, rough, uncertain, and filled with enough frustration to build a road to hell I hung on. So did the person I consider my equal partner in the venture, Nicki Leone. She has long since proven herself a writer of notable stature, but when she agreed to accept the role of Managing Editor she began to make improvements that have since attracted the wonderful and professional writers we have today.

Through tears, laughter, joyful celebrations, intimate talks, and most of all a shared vision, we have been able to move BiblioBuffet onto a much higher plane. I am honored that what began as a vision has become a reality and that it continues to expand and grow.

Among our 2009 experiences were the development of our blog, Behind the Words at BiblioBuffet; the addition of writers Lindsay Champion (“Memoirama”), David Mitchell (“Things Said and Done”), and Pete Croatto “( The Athletic Supporter”); the creation and introduction of Lauren Baratz-Logsted’s “The Disrespectful Interviewer” series; guest appearances by Mark Bastable, a superb writer of literary humor; the tear-out-our-hair “thrill” of updating our technology platform; the incredible columnist applicants; and as always the wonderful books that we were able to read.

Celebrating our birthday should be as much fun for you as it is for us. To that end we invite you to take a glass of champagne and to help yourself to a gift. We have four wonderful new books to give away. If you’d like one, please send us an email with the title in the subject line. (If you like more than one book, tell us. We’ll enter you in up to two of the books’ drawings, though you can only win one.) On Friday, we will choose four winners!

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. This is the gorgeously illustrated new edition by Penguin Classics whose cover was specially designed by the famous fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo.
• Keith Haring Journals with a foreword by Shepard Fairey. If you enjoyed the New York art scene in the 1980s, this book is an excellent and beautifully designed look at the man who became its icon.
• Jetpack Dreams: One Man’s Up and Down (But Mostly Down) Search for the Greatest Invention That Never Was by Mac Montandon. A fun read, this book details the search for the inspiration and development of the pop culture dream and the visionary focus of fictional and real characters who dream of a personal flying machine.
• Essays on Bookmarks and Related Topics by Frank X. Roberts. Dr. Roberts was a major contributor to BiblioBuffet’s “On Marking Books” column for well over a year before retiring to travel. He is one of the most knowledgeable experts on their history including the definition, origins, and historical, social and literary relationships. This lovely self-published book, issued in an exclusive print run, is a unique gift for any bookmark lover.

We also have BiblioBuffet bookmarks (with room on the back to note your own “BiblioThoughts” for anyone who would like one (or more). Just send us an email, and we’ll get them in the mail immediately.

As for what we see ahead in 2010? We wish we knew. Kind of. Not knowing makes it a treat, but we do have plans that we hope make BiblioBuffet even better for you, our readers, than in 2009. More columnists, more books, more fun. Please stay with us, and drive safely. We want to see you at the end of the year too.

Upcoming Book Festivals:
The first book festival of the year, the Key West Literary Seminar, will be held from January 7-10. “Clearing the Sill of the World: A Celebration of 60 Years of American Poetry” will offer discussions, conversations, and readings over the course of four days. Preeminent poets including U.S. Poets Laureate Kay Ryan, Billy Collins, Maxine Kumin, Rita Dove, Mark Strand, and Robert Pinsky, and his fellow Pulitzer Prize winners Natasha Trethewey, Yusef Komunyakaa, and James Tate. Unfortunately, the seminar is sold out. But the public does have a chance to hear the poets in a special Sunday afternoon session from 2:00-4:00 pm at the San Carlos Institute that is free (on a first-come, first-serve basis).

The Pub House:

The mission of Enigma Books is to publish “significant works 20^th Century History for all readers, students and scholars.” That doesn’t mean they focus on textbooks. Rather, their works of both fiction and nonfiction are intended for those with a serious interest in history who demand excellent writing. Among their current books are A Crate of Vodka: An Insider View on the 20 Years That Shaped Modern Russia, the story of two Russian friends who revisit the years 1998-2001 and look at how both their lives and their country were transformed during the dramatic changes that took place during that time. A Death in Washington explores the role of the greatest defector from Stalin’s Russia and his mysterious death in Washington D.C. in 1941.

Of Interest:
The National Book Foundation’s Innovations in Reading Prize 2010, which every year awards prizes up to $2,500 to individuals, institutions, and partnerships between the two who “develop innovative means of creating and sustaining a lifelong love of reading” is accepting applications. Important criteria are creativity, risk-taking, and a visionary quality in addition to being a novel way of presenting books and literature. The deadline is February 17. Click here for more details about entering including self-nominations.

This Week . . .
Charles Dickens: Gad’s Hill Place is for lovers of Charles Dickens. It’s a kind of “All Dickens, All The Time” place with pages devoted to his works, quotations, his life, games based on Dickens, themed e-cards, book reviews, and interviews. There’s even a gift shop. But most of all there are wonderful facts and stories.

Until next week, read well, read often and read on!

Lauren