A Paradise of Books
February 15, 2009
I loathe Valentine’s Day, and I have always encouraged the men in my life to ignore it. I dislike more than I can say the frilly pink doo-dads and gee-gaws that are pushed in our faces as soon as the New Year’s champagne is put away. The few mistakes old boyfriends made when they fell into an advertiser’s maws were graciously acknowledged before I gently informed them, much to their unanimous relief, that such things were unnecessary.
Now few of us, including me, are wont to turn down gifts. It’s just that gifts should reflect the recipient’s interests. Given that I write about books, talk about books, own a website devoted to books, judge books, e-mail friends about books, read about books, talk about books, and most of all, read books you’d think picking a gift for me would be easy. Though I do like chocolate and am exceedingly fond of roses, the truth is I need to lose weight and the roses would have to go on top of the refrigerator—alas, out of my sight—so the cats wouldn’t eat them. Books, however, are another matter.
Guys, here are some facts if you are married to, involved with, or dating a book lover: Books are the perfect gift. They have zero calories, no fat, no salt, and no carbohydrates. They are allergy-free. You don’t have to worry about getting the right size or having her say, as she holds it up, “Do you really think I am this fat?” Books don’t come in “wrong” colors. And regardless of how her home is furnished books will always complement the décor.
Books don’t need to be fed or watered. They stay where they are put. They are always ready to go out when she is, and they will go anywhere she wants to go. While they are not waterproof neither are they a potential death hazard in the bath. Books can be a soothing companion after a rotten day at work. They can also be thrown against a wall for emotional release if needed and still be readable. They are cost-effective. One hardcover book priced at around $25 should provide, depending on how fast it is read, hours, days or even weeks of reading pleasure.
Books are also excellent bed buddies. They are ready to go whenever she is and will stop when she wants. They don’t require much space and that space can be anywhere.
While it is a bit late for Valentine’s Day this year, keep this in mind for all gift-giving occasions: books—new, used, hardcover, paperback, e-books, audio books—are the perfect gift. As was said so perfectly a long time ago . . .
A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread—and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness-
O, Wilderness were Paradise enow!
Upcoming Book Festivals:
Next weekend will see two book festivals, one in Mississippi and one in Minnesota.
Natchez, Mississippi will host the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, its four-day literary and cultural event celebrating southern life, culture and history . This year the theme is “Southern Women Writers: Saluting the Eudora Welty Centennial.” Events begin Thursday morning with Eudora Welty Day events including lectures, an informal reception, film screenings, and discussions. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday include more of the same type of events plus exhibits, readings, a luncheon, an awards ceremony, and writing workshops.
Minneapolis, Minnesota will be the site of the Multiples Mall: A Bookish Fair from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on February 21. Presented co-jointly by the Walker Art Center and Minnesota Center for Book Arts., this day of festivities includes tours of the exhibition, Texts/Messages: Books by Artists, a lecture on the history of chapbooks by Rain Taxi editor Eric Lorberer, and an artists’ book fair and sale open for browsing throughout the afternoon.
The Pub House:
The mission of Cinco Puetos Press is to publish “great books which make a difference in the way you see the world.” To be more specific, this literary press specializes in literature (children and young adults, poetry, fiction and nonfiction) from the U.S./Mexico border, the American southwest, and Mexico.
Among their best-known titles are the children’s bilingual classic, La Llorona (The Weeping Woman). In their nonfiction section, you will find What Men Call Treasure: The Search for Gold at Victorio Peak, the story of one man’s attempt, after he was diagnosed with AIDS, to visit the mountain of his grandmother’s most famous story and attempt to verify her story of a long-buried treasure. One of their novels, Modolo Antiguo, calls itself “a novel of Mexico City.” It begins when an old woman entices a young cocky taxi driver to be her chauffeur; and as time passes during their trip the city changes too, becoming the city of the woman’s youth, the 1940s and 1950s.The Cinco Puetos blog also offers intriguing looks at some of their writers and graphic artists.
Of Interest:
AbeBooks began as an online marketplace for books. It continues as that, but it has become so much more. Their Community, for example, hosts several forums for booklovers. If you want to talk books there’s the forum. The Avid Reader Book Club focuses on literature and the Award-Winning Books section has searchable lists of literary award winners. Their Archives section has a linkable backlist of all the feature articles once highlighted on the AbeBooks site—and it’s an amazing, extensive, wonderful list, all related in some way to books. Two particularly interesting areas are their BookSleuth® and GiftSleuth® areas. Looking for a long-lost book whose title or author you can’t remember? The former is an excellent place to start if you are searching for that special book you vaguely recall reading but can’t remember much about it. Post a short description of whatever you do remember, and someone might remember for you. Using that same kind of format, GiftSleuth® members will help you with your gift-buying dilemmas. Just post any information you know about the person, your budget, and any other relevant details and pretty soon the other members will be posting with helpful suggestions.
This Week:
In my search last week for international book blogs, I came across two sites featuring books by Africans or about Africa. The first is the Africa Book Centre. It’s not a blog, but it is a worthwhile site for books “from and about Africa.” Intrigued, I stopped to visit for a while and browse their catalog.
The store itself was located in London—I say was because while it is in its three-year development plan it is online only, though anyone can make an appointment to see the books in person and it will be back—but it is currently online only. It was founded in 1989 to “provide books and music from and about the continent of Africa.” I tried looking at books from three randomly chosen countries and came up with what appear to be great ones—Heart of Fire, a memoir from Senait Mehari of Eritea; The Parachute Drop by Norbert Zongo of Burkina Faso; and Let Us Die for Africa by Desmond D. Phiri from Malawi. If you are interested in exploring some literary worlds outside your own this site-store offers a notable opportunity.
The second African books site is the African Books Collective (ABC), which is an organization of African publishers that “seeks to strengthen indigenous African publishing through collective action and to increase the visibility and accessibility of the wealth of African scholarship and culture.” Their books, which include literature, art & culture, children’s, humanities & social sciences, science, technology & medicine, and visiting Africa, can be ordered through their distribution partners (in the U.S. that is Michigan State University Press). Among their excellent offerings are The Last Slave Traders by Pierre Meunier (Nigeria); How to be an African Lady by Uche Onyebadi (Kenya); and Aboke Girls: Children Abducted in Northern Uganda by Els De Temmerman (Uganda).
Until next week, read well, read often and read on!
Lauren
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