I’m often promoting the short story. I tell people, life is busy and stressful – I put two kids to bed, read bed time stories, and am exhausted, but it helps so much to have one complete reading experience at the end of the day. I can’t sit down and read War and Peace so I read a short story. You read one really great short story and it’s like, ahh… I’ve at least been able to reach some level of reading enjoyment today. The same can be said for novella’s or the short novel. This past weekend Wendy had a sinus infection. I had to do everything for both kids – clothed, bathed, entertained (actually we skipped baths) So I didn’t have much time on my hands. (gee, being a mom must be tough) But Philip Roth’s new novel Nemesis is a short one. I came away from the weekend feeling like I’d had a pretty balanced time – played with the kids and read Nemesis in its entirety.
For the third straight year Roth has released a little book. This one is set in Newark, NJ where either most or all (not sure) of Roth’s novels are set. It’s WW2 and there is a polio outbreak in Newark. Bucky is a young teacher and is the director of the playground. When “his boys” start to become ill Bucky questions himself. Did he do everything he could to protect the boys? He even wonders if he is the carrier.
I’m always questioning why I enjoy reading so much – is it because of a general interest and curiosity about myself and other folks? This is a very human novel. Full of the thoughts, feelings, and pain of a young man. Bucky eventually turns into a very dark and cynical man – oddly enough this brings the reader to a point of questioning, “would I have thought the same way” “would I have reacted diffently” “why?”
Good book – happy reading.
Year: 2010 (Page 9 of 45)
Maybe you’ve had time to peruse Neil White’s Mississippians. It’s a great conversation piece. Maybe you’ve wondered at the individuals you’ve never heard of. Maybe you’ve wondered why a particular person was not included in the publication.
It could be because Neil views Mississippians as an on-going project; categories will be added and existing ones may be expanded. I think this make sense as there will always be new contributing and innovative individuals. These forthcoming editions will reflect growth and the dynamic nature our state.
As you share Mississippians with your family and friends, keep your ideas in mind. Add your ideas in the comment section below or keep your eye on our blog for future opportunities to share your ideas with Neil.
Tonight Neil will be signing and talking to us about how he put the book together. Come on over for a relaxing evening!
Click here to see other profiles in Mississippians.
Editor Neil White will be signing Mississippians at Lemuria today at 5:00. If you cannot be here, copies are available for purchase online or call the bookstore 601/800.366.7619.
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Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust
by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith
John Wiley Press (2009)
Trust agents are defined as digital natives who use the web to be genuine and humanize their business. In other words, these are people who practice humanistic psychology on the web, people who maintain a web consciousness with a constant plateau of psychology expressing honest and consistent human sales representation.
It seems that traditional advertising–giving out business cards, glad handing, or in your face selling–is old news. As consumers, we’ve been sold too much. We now want helpful information and worthwhile entertainment for our time spent. The social web has given businesses the opportunity to rehumanize. Businesses can share information without holding back knowledge and not just in an one-on-one in-store fashion. Real marketing is sharing with service, and the web offers businesses the opportunity for expanded individualization. However, I believe as marketing broadens, we will have more opportunity for creative display through our traditional advertising as well.
The mold seems to be broken and expanded. By being yourself, your own business can be enhanced by combining your whole marketing to share your core strengths, allowing you to get your message out your way.
Lemuria is stumbling along, trying to get our message to you. As we explore all the tools we can, we want you to know who we are and why we are doing our work. We want our community to be our efforts’ judge. For 35 years we’ve tried to add to the essence of Jackson and care about its readership. Using the web, we are able to expand our reach.
We think if we can add value to our community of readers, we will be a more successful bookstore. Ultimately, we hope you will be more satisfied with your reading experience.
Lemuria wants to be a helpful trust agent for your reading experience.
From the 1981 Muddy Waters King Bee Album, Neil White chose this unforgettable photo for his broadminded catalog of Mississippians. I am a fan of this later years record. Actually, I think I am a fan of every Muddy Waters record that I’ve heard. I often kick myself in the rump for not ever making the effort to experience Muddy live in concert.
Muddy for many, myself included, is the Blues Zeus. I seem to never get tired of his music. Flying low in the Delta, too fast in my yellow bird with the top down, with Muddy on the box is a bright moment. Sometimes, we at Lemuria listen to Muddy all day long and start over on repeat on the next A.M. The amount of pleasure this Mississippian has given me is immeasurable.
A great joy about Neil’s book is remembering these great Mississippians and revisiting our personal gifts of pleasure from these very special people.
For me, it’s a big empty to not have the physical Muddy Mississippi Water live musical experience. It is a heartbreak for me and a true void in my lifetime of musical experiences.
I would like for you to band-aid my loss by sharing with me your times with Muddy. I don’t mind feeling a little jealous. With your joys I will try to heal my remorse as I re-listen to those early Chess “His Best” recordings.
Click here to see other profiles in Mississippians. Editor Neil White will be signing Mississippians at Lemuria this Thursday, October 28th. Purchase a copy online or call the bookstore 601/800.366.7619.
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Early this year I got a report in the mail stating that my cholesterol was high. That was it. Just a piece of paper with a note telling me to come back in three months. It was kind of depressing. I am only 35-years-old.
So eventually I got over the depressing part and ran across a book in the bookstore. Cholesterol Down appealed to me because it is a plan for lowering cholesterol without using prescription drugs. It is also a healthy plan for people who already take statins to help lower cholesterol. Also important to lowering cholesterol is simply understanding what your numbers mean–this books helps with that, too. What I like about this book the most is that while it targets certain foods that can help lower cholesterol, it also promotes overall healthy habits for a long life.
I have been working at incorporating the steps into my lifestyle one at a time, instead of trying to do them all at one time. Some of these foods you may have heard of as being heart healthy: oatmeal, garlic, flax seeds and beans. Each chapter is devoted to a food or supplement. The appendices include delicious recipes, a cholesterol progress chart, an exercise plan, and some ways to assess your risk for heart disease.
There are a lot of healthy heart resources not found in your doctor’s office. Some of the information you may already know while some may be new. The most important thing is to choose one that works for you because it can provide a lot of positive reinforcement.
My first memory of Jackson’s later to be celebrated Sweet Potato Queen is still vivid in my mind.
In April 1983, Lemuria was having a book signing for Hannah’s cutting edge Tennis Handsome, still my favorite of Barry’s novels. Two kegs of beer were being consumed with Hendrix blaring at top volume. Barry in his rebel gear was handled by beloved pal Ronzo.
Jill (i.e., Betty Fulton) was hanging around, lovely in a yellow oasis lady Lemuria t-shirt (design=nude reading under palms). Later, we loaded the number two keg into a hatchback to hear Albert King at Gino’s Blues Alley. A thunderstorm exploded soaking us all up. What a memory, this lovely amazon in a soaking tee–I was sold, Jill was definitely a Lemurian.
Years later Jill with her Sweet Potato Queen book was kind to express so fondly her love for our bookstore. We worked hard for Jill, her first selling over 5,000 copies. Over the years, her dedication and friendship joined with her husband, our pal Kyle, has yielded many pleasant memories.
Her first reading with Roy Blount, draped in a rebel flag, celebrated her first book publication, as Betty Fulton, in the Norton Book of Southern Humor.
Share with us your first or funniest story about Jill. The more outrageous the better we’ll like it.
Click here to see all of “Lemuria Reads Mississippians.” Editor Neil White will be signing at Lemuria on Thursday, October 28th.
Mississippians is available now! Purchase a copy online or call the bookstore 601/800.366.7619.
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The Fall of the House of Zeus by Curtis Wilkie
I’m not going to say much about this book here, for a couple reasons. First, John, Joe, and Lisa have all been posting excerpts and thoughts on the book and the event — I don’t know that I can improve much on what they’ve already done and said. Second, I’ve been posting my thoughts on the book as I read it on our store Facebook page. I decided that rather than hurrying through the book and then trying to construct some overall perspective on it, I’d just take it day by day, and point out the parts I found especially interesting. You know how, when you’re reading and someone else is in the room, you’ll occasionally stop and say, “Hey — listen to this” and then read a couple sentences out loud? That’s what I wanted to do. Check out our Facebook and tell me what you are finding interesting in Wilkie’s book.
Running Blind by Lee Child
The Lee Child train rolls on — this is the 4th book in the series, and I honestly feel the the first 3 books got successively better. We just got signed copies of the most recent book in the series, Worth Dying For, and even though it’ll be some time before I’m ready to read it, I went ahead and bought one before they are gone.
Present at the Creation by Amir D. Aczel
I’m a sucker for a good pop science book and when this arrived in the store the other day, I ordered another copy for myself. The subject of the book is the Large Hadron Collider, a 17 mile circumference particle collider that spans the France-Switzerland border. It is the largest and most powerful particle collider ever built, and is capable of creating events not seen in this universe since the first moments after the Big Bang. When the construction was nearly completed and the CERN facility was preparing for the first tests in September 2008, there were a lot of these kinds of jokes circulating the Internet:
So far, the physicists have managed to avoid creating any black holes, but the immense power and level of complexity of the Large Hadron Collider make for a compelling story.
In October of 1975, on the backside of the quarter shopping center, I opened Lemuria bookstore with my ex-wife Mel. We converted a 2nd floor apartment, bought books and went to work. We were located behind Poets, the best bar and hangout in town, at which I went to work quickly after opening to keep Lemuria’s doors open. Below the bookstore was a small art gallery known as The Artist 5.
One morning, I heard a commotion of some sort coming in front of the bookstore. From my front balcony, I saw people carrying on while focusing on a big pick-up truck. In the middle, Jerry Clower was holding court, loud and obnoxious. The cut up was about these raccoons the local artist had painted all over his ride. After a bit, a very pleased Clower cranked up and roared away while gaining everyone’s attention, sporting his prize coons.
Add your Jerry Clower memory in the comment section below.
Click here to see all of “Lemuria Reads Mississippians.” Editor Neil White will be signing at Lemuria on Thursday, October 28th.
Mississippians is available now! Purchase a copy online or call the bookstore 601/800.366.7619.
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My blog day has rolled around again, and sadly I haven’t finished any books lately. I am, however, starting on Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2001.
Set in Brooklyn on the brink of World War II, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is about Joe Kavalier (a refugee from Prague trained in the art of Houdini-style escapism)and aspiring illustrator Sammy Clay, two Jewish cousins, who seize upon their own hopes, dreams, and fears to create the comic book characters the Escapist, the Monitor, and Luna Moth.
I’m not far enough into the novel to divulge more than that—plus, why would I want to ruin the book for you?
If you love Chabon and have perhaps already read this particular novel of his, you should take note of the existence of The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist–an actual comic book based on the character that Kavalier and Clay create. Neat stuff, 
huh? -Kaycie
This is around the time of year I start snooping around for Christmas present ideas. Wanting to skip the mall rush and having little money, I’ve decided to get crafty again and awaken the do-it-myself-er.
In past years, I’ve gifted photographs or fun seasonal baked treats. And now that I’m working at Lemuria, I’ve decided this year, I’m gifting only books or things I’ve made. And because, at times, I have the type of personality to get carried away, I’ve set myself some boundaries. I’ve limited myself to these three books to pull from for inspiration: Sew It, Stuff It by Rob Merrett, The Lampshade Lady’s Guide to Lighting Up Your Life by Judy Lake, and Indie Craft by Jo Waterhouse.
Sew It, Stuff It is a great answer for your gifting needs, such as a baby shower. With several adorable designs, including “Perry the Pony” and a chapter on all kinds of “Divine Dollies”, you will be able to give a heart-felt gift for little cost. I’d be proud to give away a toy I’ve made from this book. Merrett presents so many great ideas in an easy-to-follow way. I’ve been wanting to dabble in lampshade design for a while but figured it would be too tedious.
Judy Lake, AKA “The Lampshade Lady” outlines the step-by-step process for making a wide range of uniquely personal shades in her book. Perfect for the gifting season, shades can be made from a variety of things. She suggests anything from old photos to old scarves and handkerchiefs to new kid decorated craft projects. She shows that simply updating a shade or two can change the feel of the entire space. Check out all the interesting ways you could use this fun craft to bring a personal homey feel.
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I also was really excited by Indie Craft. This book catalogs the alternative craft scene of Indie Craft: “The fantastic art and craft work being produced by artists and makers using traditional craft techniques but with a completely modern, alternative and subversive style, context and subject matter.” I think my mind was blown on every page the first time I opened it. Lots of great work to inspire the creative process. Check it out!
Rob Merrett's Perry the Pony
Need a Halloween Costume? Try one of Erin Dollar's beards.