Manson.

Having lived through the 60's I remember the awful Charles Manson situation.  Morbid curiosity led me to Bugliosi's book on the crime spree, Helter Skelter.  Now, here we are again.  One the Manson's girls is (was?) up for parole and the story is being told one more in this fictionalized form.  The book is getting plenty of attention. but I haven't read enough to  give an opinion, so.....  

here's what the back of the book teases....

Northern California, during the violent end of the 60's.  At the start of the summer, a lonely and thoughtful teenager, Evie Boyd, sees a group of girls in the park, and is immediately caught by their freedom, their careless dress, their dangerous aura of abandon.  Soon, Evie is in thrall to Suzanne, a mesmerizing older girl, and is drawn into the circle of a soon-to-be infamous cult and the man who is its charismatic leader.  

Hidden in the hills, their sprawling ranch is eerie and run down, but to Evie, it is exotic, thrilling, charged - a place where she feels desperate to be accepted.  As she spends more time away from her mother and the rhythms of her daily life, and as her obsession with Suzanne intensifies, Evie does not realize she is coming closer and closer to unthinkable violence, and to the moment in a girl's life when everything can go horribly wrong.

...razor sharp precision and startling psychological insight....

We'll see...

Thanks for stopping by.
We'll be close next Monday.  Memorial Day.  Thank a Vet, please.

From the Trade show floor

I wish you could have all gone to Book Expo America with me.  This trade show, which is generally held in NYC, moved to Chicago for 2016, and gives publishers, distributors and authors an opportunity to strut their stuff.  Break out sessions throughout the day keep booksellers informed on the latest trends and offer problem solving advice.  Authors present their newest work at formal breakfasts and lunches, and meet informally at their publishers' booths throughout the day. Of course, along with all of this comes the opportunity to place orders from over 2600 exhibitors.

The pictures at the top don't begin to cover the who's who that turned up to celebrate writers, writing and books....John Grisham, Richard Russo, Terry McMillan, Mary Englebreit, Jody Picoult, Kate DiCamillo...so many opportunities to meet and chat.  Truthfully,  you just never know who will sit down at a table with you

or next to you in a lounge area and strike up a conversation.  When my credential arrived in the mail a few weeks back, I was surprised to find that I had been issued a VIP pass - a mistake for sure.  Although I didn't take advantage of that VIPness, it could have gotten me into many ticketed events where I could have spent quality time drinking champagne and eating little fancy things with the hottest writers on the market.  I knew better than to try and pull off fitting into those circles.  Instead, I walked the isles, browsing and bumping.

Plenty of people stood in lines just to have their pictures takes with authors,  That's not my style.  I prefer to capture them smiling and signing.  Kenny Loggins and Kristi Yamaguchi both have children's books releasing in the fall and Kareen Abdul-Jabbar discussed his newest book Writings on the Wall.  The fourth picture gives you a little overview of a portion of the sales floor.  It also proves that I really was there!

Jamie Lee Curtis signed her books as well.  I've been angry with her for many years now - not that she cares.  Once, on the Rosie O'Donnell show, she announced that children should be raised in a realistic world and should know from early on that Santa is not real.  Not good considering that Rosie often included segments on her show that appealed to young kids. 

Why is the picture so blurry?  Well, no one could get close to her without being jostled out of the way by one of her entourage.  She showed up with a full staff of body guards.  Right.  As if a bunch of booksellers were going to hurt her.  I guess it's all about the image. 

I'll be skipping the October regional trade show in Minneapolis this year - one road trip is enough for me.

What am I reading?  Just finished Shotgun Lovesongs.  If you're a native Midwesterner, you will enjoy this book.  I started re-reading an old favorite to see if it has held up over the years...Like Water for Chocolate,  Still good stuff.

Off to a Trade Show

It's trade show time!  This year we get to go to the big one...the whopper...the mother of all trade shows...Book Expo America!  This is an international trade show and is usually in New York.  This year, it's in Chicago.  So....

LaDeDa will be closed

Thursday, May 12

and 

Friday May 13

We'll be back on Saturday at 10:00

Hey Nick Butler....

Shotgun Lovesongs gets everything correct for me.....the tone, style, characters, story arc....all hit a sweet spot on page one and just keep on rolling!  My bleary Heart-A-Rama eyes gave in on page eighty-one, forcing me to walk away from a book that is sure to make my top 10 list.  Setting it down has given me time to mull and appreciate Butler's work more than I might have had I flown through it.

An overwhelming stillness blankets this novel, like those long, deep inhales you take to clear your head - and suddenly the world is right again.  Butler takes us along on a reunion tour of sorts - four life long friends reunited - Lee, the tired rock star, Ronny the marginally brain injured rodeo rider, the obscenely rich boy Kip, and Lee, the farmer. Reuniting in their small town near Eau Clair Wisconsin, the four make heartbreaking discoveries about their past and the fragile bonds of friendship.  

For me, the raw emotion pouring out of Butler's prose hangs about and pops to mind when least expected. In fact, I found one passage so breathtaking that I emailed the author, knowing full well that fan mail passes though a publicist before, if ever, reaching the writer.  But guess what?  He read my note and sent me a FB friend request - not a request through his "personality" page, but through his real page where he keeps in touch with buddies.  Congratulations to me.

Now remember, I am less than one-third through, but at this point, the book continues to remind me of the importance of home and the little things that keep some here and call others back.  In that respect, yes, Thornton Wilder's Our Town comes to mind.  I am also guessing that anyone who has ever moved from home will recognize the fear of disappointment that often accompanies returning.  That universal theme resonates in countless pieces of fiction, but that does not dim the brilliance of Butler's treatment.  

He also explores the nature of male friendship.  How does it differ from female friendship?  Does  it really differ? Made me think of  Art, a play originally written in French by Yasmina Reza.  The friendship of  three men is examined through their reaction to an all white painting.  Incapable of sharing their feelings directly, they weave them in, out and about the painting - subtle at first, but as tensions rise, we see how their differing opinions on this work of  "art" actually represent their multi layered feelings about each other.  Funny and fascinating play.

So, that's all I have about SL at this point.  I also knocked off two plays this weekend in an attempt to find a fall show to direct...The Queen of Bingo and A Couple of White Chicks Sitting Around Talking. Both are comedies but the second one has many poignant moments as well.  I'm looking for a small cast show; Chicks has two characters and Bingo has three.  I keep asking myself if I have the heart to ask two people to memorize a full length script...guess I just have to ambush some folks at moments of vulnerability!  Yup...that's the plan.....

Nick Butler will be at the Manitowoc Public Library 6:00, June 13.  

Thanks for stopping by.

LaDeDa bev