Lemuria Books – Page 162

Page 162 of 257

Bookstore Keys: BEA Round-Up

On May 19, 2011

Yep, sent my suit to the cleaners and picked out a new pair of flip flops, we’re going to the big city to meet with the publishers. As John said in his last blog the two of us are hopping on a jet airplane Monday at dawn – heading to New York in an attempt to make our store better, find authors for the fall, and explore the future of our industry. It’s our book industry trade show – Book Expo America or BEA.

John asked me to give a round-up of the authors we’re excited about this fall, he mentioned three “big fish” – Jim Harrison, Michael Ondaatje, and Paul Hendrickson – here are a few more:

Authors we think we have a pretty good chance of scoring:

Charles Frazier is firmly in the category of bookstore friend. He’s been here for both of his books and is truly a wonderful person. The rumor is that Frazier’s new book is going to be great – a page turner set in the 60s so a bit of a departure.

Our new friend Karl Marlantes of Matterhorn fame already has another book coming out. This is non-fiction, the title says it all: What It Is Like to Go to War. Read all about his visit to Lemuria last year here.

I’m pretty sure we’re going to be able to get Jeffrey Eugenides. The author of The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex‘s first book since winning the Pulitzer in 2002.

A few authors that have been to Lemuria before, but we would love to have back include: Daniel Woodrell of recent Winter’s Bone fame, Tony Horwitz author of Confederates in the Attic and A Voyage Long and Strange, Hillary Jordan who wrote Mud Bound, Tom Perrotta, and, it’s been a while, but we can always hope for James Lee Burke to come back to Lemuria.

A couple of new up and comers that we’re excited about are:

Erin Morgenstern author of Night Circus. A bunch of folks on staff have already this book and really really want to meet Erin.

Jesmyn Ward grew up in DeLisle Mississippi and is currently the Grisham writer in residence at Ole Miss. We’re hearing a lot of good buzz about this one.

We’re thrilled to announce that we already have Chuck Palahniuk on the Schedule!

Authors who have never been to Lemuria, but we’re shooting for are: Mark Bowden, Ha Jin, and Haruki Murakami. Murakami’s 1Q84 is said to be his Magnum Opus and is certainly a huge book for this fall – think Cormac McCarthy big or Jonathan Franzen big.

and last but not least a few Children’s authors that we’re working on:

Christopher Paolini, Anna Dewdney (Llama Llama), Loren Long (Otis the Tractor), Rick Riordan, Jane O’Connor (Fancy Nancy), William Joyce, Mem Fox, and Kate DiCamillo (again!).

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The Bookstore Key Series on Changes in the Book Industry

Lemuria’s Headed for NYC (May17) Barnes & Noble Bankrupt? (April 28) Decluttering the Book Market: Ads on the latest Kindle (April 14) Independents on the Exposed End of the Titantic? (April 6th) Border’s Bonuses (March 30) The Experience of Holding a Book (March15) Finding “Deep Time” in a Bookstore (March 8th) Reading The New Rules of Retail by Lewis & Dart (March 3) The Future Price of the Physical Book (Feb 18) Borders Declares Bankruptcy (Feb 16) How Great Things Happen at Lemuria (Feb 8th) The Jackson Area Book Market (Jan 25) What’s in Store for Local Bookselling Markets? (Jan 18) Selling Books Is a People Business (Jan 14) A Shift in Southern Bookselling? (Jan 13) The Changing Book Industry (Jan 11)

Civil Rights Reading

By Former Lemurians

On May 19, 2011

In Civil Rights

With the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Riders next week in Jackson, I thought I would share a couple of books with you about the Civil Rights Era here in Mississippi and nationwide.

Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders by Eric Etheridge

Eric, a native Mississippian, has put together a fantastic book with the mugshots, current photos and interviews with over 80 Freedom Riders of 1961. These brave people came to Jackson in the spring and summer of 1961 determined to bring civil rights to the state by challenging the segregation laws that were in place.

Over 300 people were arrested and convicted of the charge ‘breach of peace’. The Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission whose purpose was to “perform any and all acts deemed necessary and proper to protect the sovereignty of the state of Mississippi” recorded the name, mug shot and personal details of each Freedom Rider that was arrested. Of course, by doing so they unintentionally but luckily for us, created a treasure trove of information about these heroes of the Civil Rights Movement here in Mississippi. This information is collected here in Breach of Peace and is a wonderful source of information about a chapter in Mississippi and U.S. history that has yet to find closure.

Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi by John Dittmer

John Dittmer, who was a professor of history at Tougaloo College from 1967-1979, has written a history of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi in shocking detail. While he does mention the national figures, Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, he mainly focuses on the largely forgotten grass root civil rights workers. Dittmer’s point is that these national leaders were forced to act because of the determination of the ‘local people’ and their refusal to give up the struggle for racial justice.

If you would like to know more about the reunion events for the Freedom Riders, check out their website.

The Great Night, a great enchanting read

By Former Lemurians

On May 18, 2011

In Fiction

The Great Night by Chris Adrian is one of my favorite books this year. The story is a contemporary re-telling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and in this version three people, each of them weighed down by a failed relationship, stumble through San Francisco’s Buena Vista park on their way to a party. Adrian has broken the novel into five parts (Acts, rather, like Shakespeare’s play) and the reader gets to glimpse into the past of each of the lost, lovesick mortals. On this same night Titania, queen of Faerie, and her subjects are also posed for a celebration—that is, until Titania unleashes the monstrous Puck out of grief and desperation over the loss of her Boy and also to bring back her husband the Faerie king Oberon. And of course A Midsummer Night’s Dream would not be complete without someone playing the part of Bottom. Adrian’s version is Huff, the ridiculous, overconfident leader of a band of homeless actors who are preparing to put on a musical version of Soylent Green.

In my opinion the most beautiful part of the novel is Adrian’s twist on the royal Faerie couple. Titania and Oberon occasionally steal a mortal boy, as faeries do, and he becomes a changeling. It just so happens that the royal Faerie couple becomes particularly attached to one of these changelings and he becomes more than an amusement–he becomes their son, their Boy. Sadly he is diagnosed with cancer, and Adrian’s portrayal of Titania’s and Oberon’s foray into the world of mortal grief and loss is touching and wonderfully imagined.

The Boy’s stay in the hospital was published as the story “A Tiny Feast” in The New Yorker in 2009 (and you can read the whole excerpt online here, if you’d like), and below I’ve included a piece of Adrian’s imagination from that very excerpt that I particularly enjoyed.

“This place is so ugly,” Titania said. “Can anything be done about that?” She was talking to the oncology social worker, one of a stream of visiting strangers who came to the room, and a woman who had described herself as a person to whom one might address problems or questions that no one else could solve or answer.

“I don’t mean the room,” Titania said. “I mean everything else. This whole place. And the people, of course. Where did you find them? Look at you, for instance. Are you deliberately homely? And that Dr. Blork—hideous!”

Alice cocked her head. She did not hear exactly what Titania was saying. Everything was filtered through the same normalizing glamour that hid the light in Titania’s face, that gave her splendid gown the appearance of a tracksuit, that had made the boy appear clothed when they brought him in, when in fact he had been as naked as the day he was born. The same spell made it appear that he had a name, though his parents had only ever called him Boy, never having learned his mortal name, because he was the only boy under the hill. The same spell sustained the impression that Titania worked as a hairdresser, and that Oberon owned an organic orchard, and that their names were Trudy and Bob.

Chris Adrian has written three other novels, including The Children’s Hospital. He is in the good company of Karen Russell and Tea Obreht (to name a few) as one of The New Yorker’s “20 Under 40” authors for 2010. He was a student at Harvard Divinity school and is currently a fellow in pediatric hematology-oncology in San Francisco. Talk about a busy man. -Kaycie

Bookstore Keys: Lemuria’s Headed for NYC

By John

On May 17, 2011

In Newsworthy

Borders has missed its deadline of May 6th for bids that would keep the company operating. B & N expressed interest to buy 10 stores. Another offer is rumored to buy 200 stores. This unknown company seems to be interested in the large retails outlets that garner the bulk of the company revenues.

Borders may be forced to close all of its remaining stores if no bidder is found in the next few weeks. With this news and lots of other things on our minds, we’re headed to New York to attend our once-a-year trade show. Many of you may wonder how Lemuria can bring so many first class writers to a small community like Jackson. The answer starts next week when Joe and I land in NYC. The 2011 show should be especially interesting with Borders declining in the brick model and the rapid emergence of the e-book.

Our challenge will be to find out which publishers are interested in working directly with Lemuria to enhance our reading community. We’ll be exploring what the future will hold for Lemuria’s work with the nation’s top publishers.

Lemuria is particularly challenged by this opportunity with our industry’s change. We want to come out of this paradigm shift giving Jackson a better and more successful bookstore. Our work next week will be important in determining if that quality growth will actually come about.

Lemuria doesn’t know what attitude the publishers will have toward our work. Will publishers and authors care about the physical book or just put up a smoke screen? Will the overall focus be on the e-book? I expect we will be shined with both attitudes. However, I’m encouraged that our good publishers will still want quality physical books to thrive and will need local booksellers and plan to enhance their efforts.

On this trip, I’m out to catch these three big fish:

1. Jim Harrison’s new book The Great Leader, published by Grove.

The word is that our longtime favorite, Big Jim, is not coming South. But that is not going to stop me from trying to get a Dixie trip out of the Old Bear. I just started reading Great Leader yesterday. Fans, get ready for Jim’s new counter ego hero. He’s grand again.

2. Michael Ondaatje’s The Cat’s Table, published by Knopf

Michael Ondaatje has never been to our bookstore. A Jax trip is a long shot we hear, however, we are going to try for it. I have read all of Ondaatje’s novels and a goodly bit his nonfiction and poetry. He is one of my favorites and we will work hard to lure Ondaatje South. This is an author whose market size hurts us, but we’re going to let out a lion’s roar for a Mississippi trip.

3. Paul Hendrickson’s Hemingway’s Boat 1934-1961. Five hundred and sixty pages about Papa and Pilar sharing everything Papa loved in life and lost.

Well, that’s just a taste. Watch out for Joe’s round up of our upcoming work in New York in a couple of days. We will share some of the authors who have already made it to our events list and other writers with new books coming out this fall.

We will also be giving you a preview to some of the projects we have in the works for our local community. We’re planning to enhance our physical book reading community this fall through our efforts in the Big Apple. Stay tuned.

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The Bookstore Key Series on Changes in the Book Industry

Barnes & Noble Bankrupt? (April 28) Decluttering the Book Market: Ads on the latest Kindle (April 14) Independents on the Exposed End of the Titantic? (April 6th) Border’s Bonuses (March 30) The Experience of Holding a Book (March15) Finding “Deep Time” in a Bookstore (March 8th) Reading The New Rules of Retail by Lewis & Dart (March 3) The Future Price of the Physical Book (Feb 18) Borders Declares Bankruptcy (Feb 16) How Great Things Happen at Lemuria (Feb 8th) The Jackson Area Book Market (Jan 25) What’s in Store for Local Bookselling Markets? (Jan 18) Selling Books Is a People Business (Jan 14) A Shift in Southern Bookselling? (Jan 13) The Changing Book Industry (Jan 11)

It’s All About the Bike

By Former Lemurians

On May 16, 2011

In Adventure, Sports

Be forewarned–this is a book for the bike geek. As the title, It’s All About the Bike suggests, the bicycle itself is the subject, the story, not just the background for a morality tale or narrative of human struggle and inspiration. Avid cyclists are prone to imbue their bikes with mythical qualities, to treat them as loyal companions and friends rather than as machines built for a purpose. Robert Penn doesn’t pick a side in this argument so much as he connects them together. Each component, each simple machine is crafted with as much art as science and combines to form something greater than the sum of its parts.

I will admit that part of the appeal of this book is that the author does what the vast majority of cyclists can only dream of doing: building his dream bike, part by part, selecting carefully only the best and most appropriate pieces, cost be damned. The purpose wasn’t to build the lightest, fastest bike (any number of bike manufacturers can sell you a near-perfect replica of their Tour de France race bikes for a princely sum), nor to experiment with the newest and most advanced bike technology (on the contrary, certain aspects of the author’s dream bike are nearly anachronistic), nor to pursue individuality for the sake of individuality (many of the components selected are off-the-shelf parts available to anyone).

The purpose was to construct piece-by-piece the single best riding bike for the author. Not for long-distance touring, not for racing, not for commuting–simply for the joy of riding, built just for the enjoyment of being in the saddle and spinning away the miles.

The danger in a book like this is self-indulgence. Ultimately, I wouldn’t really care to read 200 pages of information about someone else’s bike. It would be a bit like looking at someone else’s vacation pictures or listening to stories about someone else’s grandkids. You might be happy to share in their enjoyment, but you aren’t going to borrow the photos or ask them to write down their stories for your later perusal. The author avoids this by using the construction of his dream bike as the structure for discussing the early history of the bicycle, the development through the industrial boom, and the modern-day mish-mash of cottage industry artisans and aerospace-inspired high technology. Each chapter becomes the story of a different component of the bicycle, from the classic, hand-welded Brian Rourke steel frame to the Cinelli carbon-fiber handlebars to the traditional Brooks leather saddle.

A minor quibble: the book is peppered with small, black-and-white illustrations and photos of individual components, but at no point is the reader treated to a full-color shot of the author’s dream bike. This oversight becomes particularly glaring when the reader finishes the chapter in which the author describes in great detail his struggle to pick a color scheme for the frame. Perhaps the decision was intentional; maybe the author felt that a tiny photo in a book couldn’t convey the great care and craftsmanship that went into his bike, and that the reader would find the bike somehow diminished by the photo. I have no compulsion to protect the mythology of the author’s bike, however, and so I’ll cap off this post with the payoff.

Kate DiCamillo is on the way…

By Former Lemurians

On May 14, 2011

In Oz: Children's Books

Award winning author, Kate DiCamillo is coming to Lemuria! She is an acclaimed author of many books for young readers and the recipient of a Newbery Medal; a Newbery Honor Book and was named a National Book Award finalist. She is a very big deal and we are thrilled that she is coming!

I picked up a really cute book by her this morning called, Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken. Louise is a most unusual chicken in that she longs for adventure and seems to be able to leave the hen-house whenever she wants! The book is divided into several chapters each telling of a different adventure.

In one story, she goes to sea in search of real adventure and has an exciting encounter with pirates! In another, she runs away to the Circus and becomes a tight rope walker and in the last chapter, she visits a far away land with an exotic market where she finds herself in a bit of trouble all in the name of adventure! But, in the end, Louise realizes the same truth that Dorothy learned in the Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home!”

A precious book with a BIG heart and a BIG lesson. Check out Diane’s blog here and Emily’s blog here! And then don’t forget to come out tomorrow, Sunday, May 15th at 1:00 and meet Kate DiCamillo!

Our Miraculous Journey with Kate DiCamillo

By Diane

On May 13, 2011

In Oz: Children's Books

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Dicamillo is a beautiful book that all of us here at Lemuria love. From Bagram Ibatoulline’s beautiful illustrations to the distinct way Kate DiCamillo inspires all of us to be a little better than our original selves, what’s not to love about this beautiful book?

I fell in love with Edward on the first read. For me, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane represents the journey that many of us take in life. At the beginning of the story, Edward has more love than any china bunny, or person, can expect — he is loved selflessly and unconditionally. However, Edward has no regard for all this love and appreciation. Again, as in life, change is waiting to happen, and for our selfish little bunny, this change comes in the form of an accident at sea. This event becomes the catalyst for about twenty years of life adventures — most are full of love and happiness, but a few reveal to Edward all that he had taken for granted. At one point Edward is feeling pretty low and realizes that to be loved you must open your heart, and that to fully be happy you must give love in return. As you all know, opening the heart brings risk. Can Edward open his heart? Get the book and find out!

You will definitely enjoy not only the book but meeting the amazing person who gave us this beautiful story. Kate DiCamillo will be here this Sunday, May 15th at 1:00. We hope you will come out and meet her. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Also, check out Emily’s blog on Kate’s signing here!

Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don’t

By John

On May 12, 2011

In Business/Economy

Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don’t

by John Sullivan (Penguin, 2010)

Booksellers are in a unique position in that they constantly watch what people read and get new ideas for reading adventures from their customers. I had a fun experience learning about the latest book by Paul Sullivan.

My first encounter with Clutch was in September at a Texas airport having a beer. The young pretty gal next to me was reading it and so of course I took notice.

Some time later, an old youth baseball coaching pal came in and bought a copy. He then came back and ordered eight more copies. That caught my attention. I got a copy and laid it on the pile until the time was right.

Clutch is having the ability to do what you can do normally while under immense pressure. Success under intensity is hard work. Sullivan’s goal with Clutch was to find people who were clutch and deconstruct what made them so good. By using two areas, money and sports, where people choke the most, the author explains how we can make better decisions under pressure. Sullivan wants to show people how to become better while under pressure and avoid the simple mistakes that cause most of us to choke.

Sullivan asserts that there are several traits which make an individual clutch.

1) Focus: The basis for all great performers under pressure. Focus is not just about concentration. It’s about trusting yourself and allowing your hard work and assets to come forward when situations get tough.

2) Discipline: This is the battle within yourself. Through discipline, set up a strong foundation in your work instead of giving into neurosis and the demands of the ego.

3) Adaptability: When your plan fails, focus on the intent and an outcome based on solutions. The focus must be outward and big picture and not inward on emotions and details.

4) Be present: This involves being ready for whatever comes your way and developing a heightened awareness that prepares you to respond.

5) Fear and Desire: Carry your drama and recycle it into discipline. Learn big picture, macro not micro. Shape your destiny.

Why do people choke? Part of success may involve how people perceive their actions. Take responsibility and learning from your mistakes. Be accountable for your actions. My actions = my results. On the other hand, Sullivan also explores the dangers of over thinking and over confidence traps.

Finally Sullivan analyzes how to be clutch and what it can teach you. Clutch awareness allows you to enjoy your pleasures fully as the opportunity presents itself. Being prepared mentally and enjoying the process naturally.

Being a bookseller in 2011, I found reading Clutch helpful as I prepare mentally for this time of publishing change. Clutch decisions for small bookstores are critical as we try to stay in business as the recession subsides. Understanding your clutch strengths and weaknesses are a good tool in the work toward success and survival. Move forward without fear and haste; utilize your strengths to increase the endurance of your business.

Clutch by John Sullivan (Penguin, 2010)

Kate Dicamillo at Lemuria this Sunday!

By Former Lemurians

On May 11, 2011

In Newsworthy

If you have ever been back to the children’s area of Lemuria, lovingly known as Oz, you probably have heard us rave about Kate DiCamillo, if not by name, then by her book titles. Because of Winn-Dixie, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Tale of Despereaux, the Mercy Watson series, these books are just a few of the amazing works that Kate has given us.

In a blog I wrote last year, I discussed Kate’s 2010 Indies Choice Award “Most Engaging Author” and her love for indies. Well, I am here to say that we love you in return, Kate. One of the best parts of my day is handing a book to a child knowing that it will open their hearts and minds and leave them with that amazing tingly feeling you get when you finish a good book. Often, the author of that book in my hand is Kate DiCamillo.

Kate has won so many awards that it is hard to keep up, but just to name a few:

Newbery Honor for Because of Winn-Dixie (which was turned into a great live action film)
National Book Award Finalist for Tiger Rising
Newbery Medal for The Tales of Despereaux (which was also turned into an animated film)
Geisel Award for Bink and Gollie

We recently read The Magician’s Elephant with my 5th grade girls book club. One of the girls described the language in the book as “layered,” and I couldn’t agree more, not just about The Magician’s Elephant, but about all of Kate’s books. These are books that you read to your small children and then give back to them when they are in second and third grade for them to read again and find their own magic. They connect with such a wide audience, from people such as myself, a twenty-something with no children, to grandmothers, and three-year-olds. In a blog I wrote last Christmas, I gushed about my love for her newest format of book, Bink and Gollie, which won the Geisel Award, an award given to books that encourages reluctant readers.

As you can see, I am in love with Kate DiCamillo works and what they do for children’s literature, but it’s not just me. Others at the store and in the community are in love with her books as well. She appears on more bookcases and on more summer reading lists in the area than any other writer. I am so excited that she will be here this Sunday, May 15th at 1:00! She will be signing and reading, so please come meet this amazing children’s writer!

There are some rules associated with this signing that you will need to be aware of:

Kate will sign AND personalize one title per person and just sign up to two additional titles per person. So all in all, you will be allowed to get three books signed by Kate the day of the signing. Also, one of these books will need to be bought from Lemuria.
Kate will NOT sign promotional items, posters, autograph books, personal items, etc.
Kate will allow photos in progress, but there should be no posing or going behind the signing table.

Please come out and meet Kate DiCamillo! You never know when you will get a chance like this again!

Jukin’ at Lemuria

By admin

On May 11, 2011

In Blues

“A juke house was where anything goes.” – Jimmy “Duck” Holmes

There was a time when we went to a juke joint. And we used to go hear live blues and dance until the wee hours. In fact a few pictures of such activities have appeared on this blog. Now days we have little ones and if we’re up in the middle of the night it’s because someone has to go potty or because someone else is sick. Instead of juke joint pictures on the blog you get lots of pictures of cute kids.

And they are cute. And we don’t regret any of that. It’s ok. Really.

But wouldn’t it be nice if you could bring the kids to the juke joint? Or if you could have that same experience only not late at night?

This Friday Lemuria’s juke joint will be in effect. Always wanted to go over to Bentonia to Jimmy “Duck” Holmes’ Blue Front Cafe, but never been able to? Well, Duck Holmes will be playing for free on Friday at our juke joint (dotcom building) starting at 5:00.

The occasion is the release of Roger Stolle’s new book Hidden History of Mississippi Blues. Roger is also one of Mississippi’s hidden secrets. (not so hidden actually) He is the owner of the Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art store in Clarksdale and an avid spokesperson for the blues. In his words:

I moved to Clarksdale to circle the wagons, to mount a defense, to help the last generation of cotton-farming, mule-driving, juke-joint playing bluesmen deeply inhale the final breath of this amazing tradition we call Delta blues. My idea was to help other like-minded individuals and entities organize and promote this uniquely American art form from within and by all means necessary.

So, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes will be playing, Roger will talk about his books, Duck will play some more, we’ll have beer for a buck, and to top it all off the event is co-sponsored by Mississippi’s own Cathead Vodka. We’ll see you Friday the 13th at 5:00, right?

Page 162 of 257

Bookstore Keys: BEA Round-Up

Civil Rights Reading

The Great Night, a great enchanting read

Bookstore Keys: Lemuria’s Headed for NYC

It’s All About the Bike

Kate DiCamillo is on the way…

Our Miraculous Journey with Kate DiCamillo

Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don’t

Kate Dicamillo at Lemuria this Sunday!

Jukin’ at Lemuria

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