Land of 10,000 Lakes, and Just as Many Books

As always, the Minneapolis trade show was an awesome whirlwind, and I am tired. Travelling is not high on my list favorite activities; as a matter of fact, I approach the whole ordeal with a great degree of trepidation, and several bottles of Pepto. However, each year, that first glimpse of the Mississippi river quells my travel anxiety. The gentle power of the river provided much inspiration for Mark Twain, and actually seeing what so many authors honored with words, poems and lyrics redefines "breathtaking" for this ex-English teacher. My years working at Golden Ring Folklore Center acquainted me with talented folk musicians who praised the river in song - Pete Seeger, Dan and Roxanne Kedding, and Art Thiem, to name just a few. (I know it's nerdy, but seeing William Shakespeare's little bubble pants, and threadbare brocade vest hanging in the closet of his Stratford home made me a little teary, as well! More on that another time.)

**********

From 5-7:30 on Friday night, there was a cocktail reception for authors, and booksellers. Ten tables were set around the perimeter of the room, where authors sat, ready to chat and sign books. The lineup of authors changed every half hour.

Here's a fuzzy picture of the reception. I was balancing a bottle of water, with a plate of goodies, while attempting to budge my way into a few favorite author's lines. That's Lesley Kagan, author of Land of a Hundred Wonders on the right. Lesley and I were able to firm up the time she will be with us on Nov. 22...11:00. Be here. You don't want to miss her. Not only is her book wonderful, Lesley is high energy, funny, and so anxious to come to Manitowoc.

After the reception, we went to dinner with the Tom's - Maltman and Swift, and Mrs. Tom Swift! Yup, the writer on the far left is really named Tom Swift, and I think he's pretty sick of the lame jokes about his name. He wrote a book about greatest American Indian baseball player of all time, entitled Chief Bender's Burden. His wife just finished her PhD. in clinical psychology, so it was nice to celebrate with her.

Some of you might recognize Tom Maltman, author of The Night Birds. We were lucky to have Tom teaching creative writing at Silver Lake College when his award winning book was published. Sadly, Tom accepted a new teaching position and relocated to Bloomington, Minnesota. He is working on his second novel for Soho Press, a mystery set in Minnesota.

We went to Buca for dinner, along with two booksellers from Cedarburg. If you haven't been to Buca di Beppo, hop in the car and take a drive to the Milwaukee location, on Van Buran, right next to the Bally Fitness Center, which always makes me laugh. This place is wild. Big. Loud. Colorful. Energetic. It's like eating in a big Italian mama's kitchen - and she doesn't let anyone go hungry! Our table filled quickly with plenty of pasta, garlic mashed potatoes, salad, bruschetta, garlic bread, and I think some broccoli even found its place among the carb fest! Of course, there were bottles of Chianti, and peach bellinis...good conversation, and fine storytelling.

Buca pays homage to Italy's finest with colorful, wacky, and irreverent shrines. The honorees include Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida and Frank Sinatra. There's even a special Pope's table, with a glorious bust of the Pope for a centerpiece. We left through the kitchen and stopped to chat with a nice family dining there. You see, at Buca, if you are real nice to the staff, they let you eat at a special table right in the kitchen where you can catch all the action, and get lots of free samples.

I spent Saturday in the exhibit hall, checking out new books, featured titles offered by publishers, and catching up with friends from other stores. I had my energy upped at a new age publisher's booth. It was near the end of the day, and, in attempt to bypass this particular display, I may have said that I was tired and needed to take a break. Before I knew what was happening, she was on her feet, rubbing a brass bowl with a miniature rolling pin wrapped in felt. She circled me, the brass bowl hummed, and she guaranteed that I would be energized. I was amused...and embarrassed. New Age (sorry if I'm insulting anyone) doesn't speak to me. I think a rock is just a rock, and no matter where you rub it on your body, you are not going to get richer, prettier, or healthier. But I could be wrong.

Trade shows also offer education opportunities, and since I still have a lot to learn about this retail world, I took advantage of those lessons when I could.

So, that was my weekend. I had some fun, spent lots of money, ordered lots of fun stuff for the holidays...and I am glad to be back in Manitowoc.

I'm Just Warning You...

I'm finding all sorts of fun uses for these vintage cards that a customer gave me! You'll probably be seeing lots of more of them pop up on this blog. The only place I have ever seen a bluebird is on a greeting card. I received a bluebird house for Christmas, but no one moved in this year.

On to the warning! I guess when one names something Fine Print on a Monday, and when one announces that a new post will appear bright and early each and every Monday morning, one should assume that people will check on Monday morning. That's exactly what happens. And, as I mentioned early in my blogging career, I am stunned, and thrilled, that you all are reading this. From the hit counter, I can see that Monday is the busiest day on Fine Print, telling me that you took my promise of Monday chatter seriously.

You might not...probably will not...most likely will not...almost 100% for sure will not...let me just be honest...there will not be a post on Monday. Going to a trade show means many opportunities, including being able to listen to entire book on CD in one day on the drive to Minneapolis. I can't decide between Dean and Me by Jerry Lewis, or Francis Mayes' A Year in the World. I grabbed them both from the library this morning. Their selection of books on tape is awesome. Coming home from a trade show means hours of unpacking, sorting, and organizing. There will be pictures to prove it...be patient!
****************************
Joe Keil, author of When Just Say No Doesn't Work: What Every Parent Needs to Know Now About the Changing Face of Today's Drug Use, will be on Dr. Stacey Soeldner's radio program...Monday...WOMT...11:30. tune in if you can. He is so very knowledgeable on this important subject.

A horse. A horse. My kingdom ... by guest blogger Steven Head

The other night I attended an outdoor presentation of William Shakespeare’s “Richard III”. That is the play that begins with, “Now is the winter of our discontent…” and includes the famous ‘horse’ reference. For people of a certain age the ‘winter of our discontent’ is associated with a John Steinbeck book more than a Shakespearean play. It is interesting how many common phrases have been plucked from the works of Shakespeare. A small sampling of “Hamlet” yields: Neither borrower nor lender be. To thine own self be true. All the world’s a stage. Get thee to a nunnery. Methinks he doth protest too much.

What is even more interesting is how many contemporary plot devices have been extracted from Shakespeare’s plays. But in all fairness Shakespeare borrowed liberally from Ovid, but that’s another entry. There are plenty of soap opera episodes, plays, books, and movies where the writer’s have consciously, or unconsciously, repeated a fragment (or more) of Shakespeare. If you do not believe me then start going to Shakespeare plays, or watch video productions on cable.

Over the past 8 years I’ve managed to see about a dozen Shakespeare plays. Most have been done by a local semi-professional company, a few by University theatre departments, and one by a traveling professional company. Not all productions are created equal and I ‘just kept walking’ at intermission of a couple performances.

And even though some plays are troubling, “Richard III” for one, I generally get something positive from the experience. Evil and duplicity is punished although the innocent pay a high price. Love conquers as separated families or lovers are re-united. And everyone is fair game for justified mockery.

Wisconsin is blessed with a summer theatre festival in Spring Green that includes Shakespearean plays. Unfortunately, I was not aware of it when I lived in Manitowoc. And I’ve not made it to a performance yet, but it is on my ‘bucket list’. There is both an outdoor and an indoor venue. I would prefer the outdoor offering but bad weather can be problem. There are even ‘play & stay’ packages available.

The schedule for the 2008 season at Spring Green ends on October 5 but it may be possible to get tickets for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” or “Henry IV: The making of a King”. You might want to bookmark http://www.playinthewoods.org/ and see what they are offering next season. I’ve already tagged it.

Shakespeare. Not everyone does it but everyone should. (Adapted from George Michael)

It's Taffeta Time!

The Taffeta sisters are coming to town. They will be playing at the UW campus on December 4-7. Here they are working hard on those challenging four-part harmonies. From left to right we have Kaye, Cheryl, Peggy and Donna. Believe me, these sisters have pipes. Their sister, Betty, will be on hand to play piano. If you saw their first show, or happend to catch "The Honky Tonk Angels," you'll remember Rick and Kathy. They're back, too!

"A Taffeta Christmas" features many holiday medleys, as well as memorable tunes from the 50's. They promise some gentle humor between songs, some surprise audience dignitaries, and as always, that charming hometown, Taffeta sentimentality. Watch the HTR, and this blog for more details.

**********

Lesley Kagan, who is scheduled for a signing here on Nov. 22, shows off her ability to write local color and multi-dimensional characters in Land of a Hundred Wonders. Gibby, a twenty something, Kentucky woman, was in a car accident that killed both her parents, and left her slightly brain damaged. Her dream is to do something that will make her late mother proud, and she gets that chance when she stumbles across the mutilated body of a local politician on the beach. She is determined to find the killer, and in the course of her investigation, uncovers evidence of racism, and plenty of secrets in her small home town. Gibby suffers many indignities at the hands of unscrupulous locals who take advantage of her lack of judgement. Kagan injects just the right amount of humor, primarily though Gibby's malaprops, to keep the novel from becoming too weighty. Lesley Kagen is one of many authors who will be at the trade show I'm attending on Friday and Saturday.

**********

Trade shows provide booksellers an opportunity to see what's new for the upcoming season, to meet other booksellers, and to attend educational seminars. I am attending a regional show, covering a five state area. The show organizers plan a number of events that allow us to meet with authors, and share casual conversation. There's a children's author breakfast, and a lunch event called "A Moveable Feast." Thirty-four authors are participating in the "Feast" this year. While we have lunch, authors move from table to table. Lots of laughs, schmoozing, and book and bookstore promoting takes place . On Friday night, there is a big fancy-pants, formal author dinner with speakers, tablecloths, waiters in black and white, and manners! I will not be attending that. Instead, I am going to grab dinner in Minneapolis with Glen and Pam, fellow booksellers from Cedarburg, Tom Maltman (The Night Birds) and Bill Meissner (Spirits in the Grass). Before dinner on Friday, there is a cocktail recpetion where approximately forty authors will be available for formal book signings.

The exhibit hall is open all day Saturday. Over five-hundred exhibits are planned. There are major publishers along with several regional houses, and some self-published authors. This is my once a year chance to catch up with Manitowoc native, Mark Knickelbine, who is working for a regional publisher called Big Earth. They specialize in Wisconsin history and nature titles. Authors spend time at their publisher's booth throughout the day, so you never know who will turn up.

Here is a partial list of authors scheduled throughout the weekend: Nancy Horan (Loving Frank), Mildred Armstrong (Little Heathens), Kate Di Camillo (Because of Winn Dixie, Tale of Despereaux), Jody Feldman (The Gollywhopper Games), Tim Dorsey (Nuclear Jellyfish, Atomic Lobster) Tony Bender ( If Every Month Were June), Jerry Apps (Old Farm), Sara Rath (Night Sisters), Ted Kooser (Valentine Poems)....more, more, more.......

Mike Perry isn't scheduled, which works out better. He lives so close to Minneapolis, that he sometimes just pops in, and since he has no show obliogations, he just wanders, and visits with everyone.

I'll try to take lots of pictures for you.

An Extra Special Customer and Friend

A conversation yesterday with one of our senior customers got me thinking about one of our special, all-time favorite friends here at LaDeDa. If you're reading this and thinking, "Hey, they shouldn't be snitching on their customers," you are so right. We have a firm policy about not discussing our customers, or their buying habits. It's in our staff handbook, just as a reminder to all of us. But really, I don't think there's any harm in sharing a few flattering stories about friends. So, on to Madge - which is NOT her real name... not even close to her real name, and don't try to pry it out of me, either!

Madge has been a customer since we first opened. In the late 90's, she was still driving, and could get in and out of our store easily. As the years went on, her mobility lessened. Madge started sending friends in to shop for her, but we missed the small talk that was always a part of her visits. I decided that she needed to know she was missed, and sent her a card. She started calling, "just to chat." Madge is hard of hearing, so when she called there was a whole lot of shouting into the phone on my end.

For the past four or five years, we have been delivering books when Madge needs them. When I get there, she usually has a little job lined up for me. Sometimes I get to bring in the recycling bin, or sweep the snow off her front porch. Most times she has a stack of mail for me to take to the post office, a corner box will never do. While she shuffles off to the bedroom to get her checkbook, I try glancing at her to-do list, which is always on the dining room table, to see if there are other errands I can run.

Now, don't get me wrong, the idea that Madge is taking advantage of me has never entered my mind. In fact, the exact opposite is true. I can't imagine anyone sweeter than this tiny woman. I always call about 15 minutes before making a delivery, giving her time to get pulled together. Madge is from that generation of women who would never be seen with a hair out of place, let alone in a bathrobe. She is always nice and pretty when I get there. All dressed for the day - always in a dress and sensible shoes. She has applied make-up, and fixed her hair. There is always a tiny adornment on her dress, and a splash of "Evening in Paris" perfume in the air.

Madge insists that I come in for a minute and "rest" while she writes a check. The first time I delivered books to her, she gave me a quarter. I felt richly rewarded! Over the years, many other surprises greeted me at Madge's tiny, cottage home. Once, I got a plate of home baked horns, still warm from the oven. I know everything about her family. Not just the current events I see when she shares photos from family trips. I know their history. Often, Madge has a yellowed newspaper article for me to read. The shoebox she gently removes the carefully folded papers from is jam packed, so I know there is much more in there for me to enjoy.

My favorite Madge story took place last winter. A snowstorm was just beginning to get ugly, and I knew I had to get books over to her. Since Terri was working, I decided to rush over with the books around noon. As usual, I was ill-prepared for snow, and was wearing canvas tennis shoes. After slushing through heavy, wet snow, both here and at Madge's, my toes were icy. I needed to get home to change socks and put on appropriate footwear before toes began breaking off. Madge met me at the door saying, "Bev, could you take off your shoes, I just had the carpets shampooed." No problem. What didn't realize was that "just" meant exactly that - "just". I sat down at my usual spot in the dining room, and rested my feet on still very damp carpeting. Great. Madge took an extra long time getting her checkbook that day. My feet were freezing, my teeth were chattering, and I may have been cussing a little in my head. What the heck was taking her so doggone long? Madge was making me a hot dog, and a glass of lemonade for lunch. Frozen toes or not, how can you top that!

You know, there is never any desperation about Madge's invitations. Her whole self exudes the sheer joy of sharing. I don't kid myself into thinking that I am the only one who gets precious glimpses into her life. But even if there were no quarters, family photos, or hotdogs, those little visits with Madge are one of the many intrinsic rewards making bookselling such a great gig!

Words from a New Guest Blogger, Sophia

The Golly-Whopper Games is a fantastic book for ages who enjoy a great reading adventure by Jody Feldman. It is about a 12 year-old young boy named Gill Goodson who enters a contest to win a load of money and a ton of toys since the Gollywhop toy factory sells, of course, toys. But because of something Gill's father was told he did when he worked the factory, the owner won't let him compete in the games. Eventually, Gill enters, but will he win? That's your question to answer!

Pick up The Golly-Whopper Games today available at LaDeDa Book Store in Manitowoc to see if Gill wins the prizes and if Gill's father gets cleared of all of the nasty things he don't even think of doing at all...

Two Books and a Contest

Oh, but I do belong to a book club, and this was our September book! The speaker, Marie, is fighting facing 60, and she journals about it like mad. My first impression was just to get through the darn thing, but it grew on me. Very British! In true British spirit, Marie gives everything equal importance, whether it be a hangnail, or the birth of her grandson, Gene. What began as a flippant little rant about an approaching birthday, grew into a year of discovery and growth. I marveled at all the miracles, large and small, that filled a single year in Marie's life. Of course, she does examine aging, and the imminent death of Hugh, a long time friend, allows ample opportunity for her and others characters to discuss their fears and philosophies about dying.

I related to her on a couple levels. She tries real hard to be intellectual, but never quite gets there. At one point, Marie applies Jung's theory of the collective unconscious, to mundane passtimes, including working crossword puzzles! She theorizes that it would be wise to wait to do the daily newspaper crossword until the day after the puzzle was published. That way, all the energy from all the people who did it right away would be in the universe, and it would be easier for her to solve. Well, I tried it, and went one step further. I waited two days, allowing all the puzzlers to complete it and check their answers against the correct ones printed the following day. That's twice as much stuff out there to find it way to my unconscious. Despite all the flying info, I still had blank boxes and scratch outs. I do crosswords in pen, don't you?

In general, the book was warmly, but not enthusiastically, received by our group.

Since this book was a short, snappy read, I snuck in The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri this week, also. Way too sad for me. I think many of you have read it, so I'll just say that I know the story belongs to the son, but my heart broke for his mom. She was uprooted at such an early age, settled into a new culture, and her very core beliefs were challenged time after time. I wondered if she ever got to be happy. She really didn't fit in America, but returning to India during the prime of her life was not an option.

ANNOUNCING

our first monthly big, fun but tough, LaDeDa contest.

The first person to email me (bdenor@lsol.net) the correct answers to these questions will win a huge $10.00 gift certificate. All of the answers can be found somewhere in the blog. I got the idea as I was digging through past entries, noting, but not correcting, the spelling errors. Que sarah sarah...or would that be sera sera? I thought, what good can become of all this that I, and others, have written? Of course, a contest! Anyway, here goes

Deadline: Sept 30.

1. Who are Jon and Justin.

2. How did I meet Emily Trask?

3. What movie star occupies my thoughts in a nearly irrational way?

4. What was the theme of Heart-A-Rama 2008?

5. My (mine, not yours)favorite book ever is_____________

6. What does ARC stand for?

7. Who wrote John and Rose?

8. What are cozies?

9. Who is George?

10. Where did Heart-A-Rama move to in 2008?

Have fun digging.

What am I reading? In preparation for Lesley Kagen's Nov. 22nd visit, I started Land of a Hundred Wonders. Once I dug in, I ended up putting most of sunday on hold. Lesley will be at the trade show I'm going to next week, and I can't wiat to talk with her about this book. Great story, facinating characters, tricky plot...more next Monday!

Would the real ... by guest blogger Steve Head

I’ve been asked to solve a LaDeDa Books mystery. Given my extensive history as a reader of mysteries this should not be difficult. The problem is this mystery involves my identity. And how does anyone honestly respond to that one?

I could recite a series of facts although an unnamed governmental agency has indicated some portions may need to be redacted with their chisel edge Sharpie. Not very informative or fun to look at.

Who am I? A starving writer and an overfed bureaucrat. A frequent flirter, reluctant lover, committed bachelor, serial divorcé. A rolling stone that’s never stayed at a job or kept the same address for more than 5 years. And I’ve got a couple 5 year pins with chips of obscure gem stones and a collection of unusable personal check stock to prove it.

While I was not raised by gypsies there were 3 moves and 2 states during my first 12 years. I think this instilled an early and deep sense of relativism that people who grew up in one place rarely get to experience. The fertile lands of the Midwest offset by the sagebrush covered, mineral rich, and water deprived hills and valleys of Wyoming. Happy social Lutherans versus the rugged individualism of cowboys and real-life Indians. What is normal? Is there even such a thing as ‘normal’? Such a question opens a host of possibilities that can be very freeing, or lead to a neurotic search for any sort of absolute.

My residences have been evenly balanced between Midwestern and Western states. My love of the West is one of the reasons I’m drawn to authors like Tony Hillerman, Craig Johnson, James Crumley, Rick Bass, and Ed Abbey. And why I want to check out C.J. Box. My love of the Midwest has more to do with the cycle of seasons than stories and authors, although there is no shortage of either. A good start would be “A Different Plain” edited by Ladette Randolph.

Besides books my interests include film, although the independent and foreign variety are more to my liking than Hollywood blockbusters and re-makes. A lifelong appreciation of art has led to becoming a “maker” through drawings and paintings.

My personal motto for several years has been, “Expect to be lied to!” This narrative is like most stories, a pinch of truth and a dash of the false. What better way to champion my motto than to confess lying to you.

I do not appear at LaDeDa with set regularity but you might catch me there one of these days. But watch out, I might flirt, draw your likeness, or tell you a lie.

A Simple Matter of Anatomy & Spacecraft

It was a hip bone's connected to the thigh bone kind of week. I started by watching

"Factory Girl," which led to watching "Sylvia," followed by re-reading The Bell Jar, and some of Sylvia Plath's poetry. From there I moved on to some Dylan and Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians music, and ended the week with a bits of Ted Hughes' Birthday Letters. Now, if all that sounds a little depressing, it could have been, but both the movies were wonderfully acted, especially Gwyneth Paltrow as Sylvia, and the literature is so rich that it was easy to move past the story of troubled souls to an appreciation of the art that grew out of their personal struggles. What's there to say about Dylan...a classic under any circumstance, and Edie Brickell is just plain fun!

That's Edie Sedwick with Andy Warhol. She's the subject of "Factory Girl." Edie was an east coast debutante with an enormous trust fund, a Harvard degree, and a promising career as a model or actress. Then she met Andy Warhol. Within weeks, the gamine Edie became his muse, and drifted freely though New York's avant-guard art scene. She was a presence at Warhol's "factory" where he oversaw the mass production of art, and produced alternative films...many starring Edie. Bob Dylan wrote "Just Like a Woman" about her, and "Little Miss S." by Edie Brickell (Paul Simon's wife) is also about Sedwick. As these scenarios often go, the promise of a future was snuffed by an undetermined cause when she was only 28. Sedwick herself may not have been a artist, but her spirit inspired many.

As long as I was in this particular zone, I took a look at Sylvia Plath. Unlike Sedwick, Plath was focused on her craft, she was driven to be a poet. To that end, she sought out like minds who would understand the ethos and pathos that consume a poet's life. Plath's first poem was published when she was 8, and she never looked back. She was a Fulbright Scholar, who was forever overshadowed by the work and notoriety of her husband, Ted Hughes. Both Ariel and The Bell Jar are semi-autobiographical works. They chronicle her struggles with societal pressures, and her own personal demons. In many ways, both books mirror her battles with what most experts now agree was bi-polar disorder. She moves easily from anger to wit. The works are gentle and brutal at the same time. Ted Hughes' Birthday Letters is a collection of poems written after Plath's suicide, reflecting on his life with and without Sylvia.

The question of the connection between creativity and mental illness has long been discussed and studied by psychologists. A 2005 clinical study out of Stanford School of Medicine showed that a sampling of children rated as high risk for bi-polar disorder also scored high on creativity index tests. Despite her troubles, I never saw a picture of Sylvia Plath in which she wasn't smiling. Here is one of my favorites, taken with her children Frieda and Nicholas.

So, if you're up for a some artsy and literary exploration, both movies are quite well done, although heavy and troubling. Plath's poetry is well worth the time. Read it as women's issue poetry, read it to get insight into a life too short, or read it simply to relish in the lyrical sound of her words, and the provactive nuances of her thoughts.

Next week - on to lighter thoughts. I'm reading No, I Don't Want to Join a Book Club...and The Namesake is next on the heap.

**********

Last week wasn't all gloom and doom reading, I am happy to say. That kooky character on the left if fellow Heart-A-Rama girl, Lynna, posing proudly after being named Miss Space Debris at Manitowoc's first Sputnikfest. Kudos to the orgnaizers, who obviously put in many overtime, and volunteer hours to make this wing-ding happen. There was something for everyone, and if you didn't go, well, too bad for you! Are there items to iron out for next year? Of course, but for a first year event, this couldn't have been better. For the nay-sayers, who think this may not have hit the right mark, I will remind you that Heart-A-Rama began as a grass roots event thirty-nine years ago. Only two nights of shows were held that first year, and people literally had to be begged to attend. Look at the frenzy HAR causes now! Sputnikfest will gain momentum. Watching it grow and evolve will be half the fun!