Recycled

We're busy today, so I'm going just quote the original post from gizmodo.com, entitled "Some Germans Built This Outdoor Library Out Of Beer Crates."

"Designed by a group called KARO, the library started out as an art installation consisting of beer crates stacked up in an abandoned district center in Magdeburg, Germany. Now sheltered seating areas and extra cozy nooks constructed out of wood from an old warehouse have been added to complete this crazy design. I've got no clue how they keep books dry when it rains, but I definitely wanna snuggle up with a novel in one of those corners."

There are more photos here.--David E

Carl's Big Red Dream Book

Carl Jung's recently rediscovered Red Book records his visions of his own subconscious mind. The Swiss psychoanalyst never published it, perhaps out of a fear that he would be thought mad. A few years ago, a draft manuscript version of the book surfaced, and the work was eventually translated and is at last available to the public. (Read more about this story here and here.)

The BBC has posted more images from the book. You can see them here.

The Red Book has been a surprising hit--surprising not least because at $195.00 it's hardly an impulse purchase. The publisher is currently sold out and demand is strong. If you want a copy, call us and we'll order one for you when they become available again.--David E

Just Drawn that Way

The New York Times' ArtsBeat blog reports that director Jonathan Demme is planning a film adaptation of Dave Eggers' book Zeitoun. The book tells the story of a man who stayed behind Katrina-ravaged New Orleans to save his home. Demme is skirting the obvious difficulty of filming a flood by making an animated version of the story.

The Times reports that Demme was inspired not only by the book but also by it's cover. "'I was staring at the book,' Mr. Demme said in a telephone interview, 'and there’s this wonderful line drawing on the cover, the character of Zeitoun in his canoe, paddling through a submerged neighborhood. And I suddenly imagined, What if we could do an animated film and visualize the experiences of the Zeitoun family and all of New Orleans?'"

Details are here.--David E

Hurry Down, Reader

Times Literary Supplement columnist Michael Greenberg follows his acclaimed debut memoir--2008's Hurry Down Sunshine--with a collection of essays about the writer's life. He will read from Beg, Borrow, Steal Thursday, November 5, at 7:30pm, at Magers & Quinn Booksellers.

“In its detail, depth, richness, and sheer intelligence, Hurry Down Sunshine will be recognized as a classic of its kind, along with the memoirs of Kay Redfield Jamison and John Custance.”--Oliver Sacks, The New York Review of Books

Details are here.--David E

Flash Fiction by Kristin Swanson

Kristin Swason's short story "In the Event that I am not Paranoid" is this week's winner in our flash fiction competition miniStories. miniStories is a part of mnLIT, which is presented by Magers and Quinn Booksellers and mnartists.org.

All the winning stories, as well as the poems from our What Light contest will be published on magersandquinn.com and mnartists.org in the months to come. So come back soon!

Click here to read Kristin's story and to learn more about the mnLIT contest.--Jay P

Halloween Treat

The blog A Journey Round My Skull--which is a compendium of "Unhealthy book fetishism from a reader, collector, and amateur historian of forgotten literature"--has posted a fantastic series of aquatints by Alexander Alexeieff which accompanied an edition of Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher printed in Maastricht, Holland by Halcyon Press in 1930. Emjoy them all here.--David E

Writing It Down

Hella Buchheim will discuss her book Remembering: Life Story Triggers at Magers & Quinn Booksellers--Tuesday, November 3, at 7:30pm.

Minneapolis author and personal historian Hella Buchheim has helped people remember and record the stories of their lives for the last five years. Her new book Remembering: Life Story Triggers and Memory Essays is a step-by-step guide to help people write a life memoir or story.

Buchheim originally designed a monthly newsletter which included her own childhood memories to stimulate thoughts and writing opportunities for others. Those essays have now been compiled into this book. Each story and list of triggers helps elicit memories of events not thought of in years. The book includes reflective questions and practical tips to help guide the writer from conception to idea gathering to printing.

Details are here.--David E

Ghost Stories

Halloween isn't over on the 31st. At 7:30pm, Monday, November 2, Annie Wilder will read from Spirits Out of Time, her collection of truly strange tales spanning generations of her sprawling yet close-knit Irish-American family.

At turns heartwarming and heart-pounding, Spirits Out of Time combines family oral history, memoir, and vintage photographs to chronicle the strange, spooky and sometimes even mystical stories of an otherwise down-to-earth Midwestern family. From her great-grandfather outsmarting the “death coach” coming for his daughter Maggie, to her great-grandmother seeing a falling star each time one of her children died, these personal vignettes illuminate the mysteries of the spirit world in ways that will touch anyone who has ever lost a loved one.

Details are on our events page.--David E

A Good Book Burning

Paster Marc Grizzard of Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, NC, is bringing the community together this month for a "Halloween Book Burning." And it's not just any book that they're going to roast. It's the Bible itself. You see, the only true Bible is the King James translation. The other versions are just God's kindling.

If you're in the area, stop by and help out. No worries if you work up an appetite. According to the church's website, "We will be serving Bar-b-Que Chicken, fried chicken, and all the sides."

Last but not least, here's something you won't read much on this blog: Thanks to Fox News for the catch.--David E

Stocking Stuffer

Dylan Meconis' Grammar Nerd Corrective Label Pack lets you "dole out frontier-style grammar justice." Just affix the stickers to offending verbiage to instantly transform any error into a teaching moment.

Buy yours at the Temple of Commerce.--David E

We're Number 61!

Magers & Quinn is number sixty-one on a recent list of Twittering bookstores, ranked by the number of people following them. Granted there are some cults out there with ten thousand followers, but we're not aiming for world domination or anything. We're just getting out the word about events and spreading the word on some of the quirky things going on in the book world.

Follow us on Twitter here.--David E

Tote that Bale... or Book

The new crop of Magers & Quinn totebags is in--and they're blue this time. Get them while they last. They're a bargain at $2.99.--David E

Who Loves You, Baby?

Saved: Rescued Animals and the Lives They Transform is a collection of 28 true stories from coast to coast about people healing the damage done to animals and how animals heal suffering humans--with outstanding and moving photographs by Judy Olausen. Dr. Jane Goodall calls it "inspired"; author Jim Harrison calls it "an extraordinarily poignant book… a road map for our possible redemption;" and New York Times-bestselling writer Susan Richards hails it as "an homage to the profound power of mutual healing. A definitive and compassionate book and essential reading for the new century."

Author and Twin Cities journalist Karin Winegar will be at Magers & Quinn to discuss her new book on Friday, October 30, at 7:30pm. Details are here.--David E

Local Man

You Can't Do That: Marv Davidov, Non-violent Revolutionary follows the career of Marv Davidov from his years in the Army (He received an honorable discharge "for the good of the army"), living among the Beats on the U of M campus, participating in the Freedom Rides that helped bring racial integration to the American South, and on to rallies, conferences, and demonstrations in Minnesota serving to raise public awareness of locally manufactured bombs and weapons designed to kill and maim. “I write good letters from prison,” says Davidov, who has been arrested over 50 times for acts of civil disobedience.

Marv will be discussing his new memoir Thursday, October 29, at 7:30pm, at Magers & Quinn. Details are here.--David E

Bring Your Appetite

Four hungry brothers. Three ravenous sons. A husband who loves to eat. Lucinda Scala Quinn has spent much of her life feeding the men and boys in her life and teaching them how to feed themselves. Now Scala Quinn--chef, television personality, and Martha Stewart Omnimedia's resident food guru--shares winning strategies for how to sate the seemingly insatiable, trade food for talk, and get men to manage in the kitchen.

Along with her cooking techniques and survival strategies ("Never be caught without bacon"), Mad Hungry includes Quinn's musings about life in a predominantly male household and provides empowering advice to feed guys' spirits as well as fill their bellies. With her help, homemade meals become second nature, nourishing both diner and cook.

Lucinda Scala Quinn will be at Magers & Quinn at 7:30pm on Wednesday, October 28. Details are on our events page.--David E

Read Todd Pederson's winning poem "Flatiron: On Market Sunday"

Todd Pederson's poem "Flatiron: On Market Sunday" was selected by poet Dobby Gibson (author of Skirmish)as this week's winner in our What Light Poetry Contest.

All the winning stories, as well as the poems from our What Light contest will be published on magersandquinn.com and mnartists.org in the months to come. So come back soon!

Click here to read Todd's poem and to learn more about the What Light contest.--Jay P

Joni Tevis at the West Bank Social Center

Join me and the crew over at the West Bank Social Center for a reading by Joni Tevis. Joni's book The Wet Collection was one of my favorite books of 2007. She'll be reading from that book as well as excerpts from a forthcoming book about ghost towns and atomic frontiers.

Hope to see you there!--Jay P.

What's Up(stairs)?

We get a lot of questions about our upstairs neighbors. They're a design firm called mono, and they have some pretty snazzy digs. Charlie Lazor--of Flatpak house and Lazor Office--worked with mono co-founder Chris Lange to design the second floor space. You can tour their office--virtually, that is--courtesy of officesnapshots.com and see the results.--David E

Reading Green

Dutch design magazine designboom is back with a rocking chair that powers its own reading light. Says the designer, Rochus Jacob, "Advanced nano-dynamo technology which is built in to the skids of the chair and more efficient light sources such as the newly developed OLED generation makes it possible to build a rocking chair with a reading lamp running on electricity generated from the rocking motion. During daylight the energy gets stored in a battery pack."

Thanks to are Treehugger for the catch.--David E

Straight Up

On Saturday, October 24, Rachel Coyne will be at Magers & Quinn to read from her new novel Whiskey Heart at 7:00pm. Alcohol is the villain in this novel, and Coyne tells her story of grief and redemption in a heightened language that will captivate readers. It’s a literary soap opera that forces its narrator to deal with one predicament after another in a world of anger, denial, and moments of fierce joy. When Rachel Coyne was fifteen, her estranged father entered alcohol rehab after drinking himself into a coma that lasted so long he claims he heard the dead whispering to him.

“Whiskey Heart lays bare the destructive power of family love, and yet Coyne’s voice--as clear and sweet as water--charges the novel with a visionary light. Rich in character, place, and incident, the story moves like fate toward its final chapter.”--Lin Enger

“Coyne understands the human heart--she knows all the dark corners, twisted by the heat and hurt of love, and she knows the odd paths back from ruin. I couldn’t put it down.”--Jonis Agee

Details of this event are here.--David E

Calling All Vampires!!

Get in touch with your inner vampire as Miles Proctor and his vampire posse present The New Vampire’s Handbook: a Guide for the Recently Turned Creature of the Night--Sunay, October 25, at 7:00pm at Magers & Quinn. Prizes for all who come in vampire costume; grand prize for best costume. Decision of the judge is final; complaints will be met with fangs.

In this definitive guide, the newly turned will find

• a head-to-toe look at your vampiric body: how to harness your new powers to dispatch mortal enemies, maintain your fangs, and embrace your vampirosexuality
• methods for luring prey, faking your way through meals, approaching other vampires, and creating a four-hundred-year financial plan
• tips on acting your “age,” behaving appropriately if you see a human you knew decades ago, and dealing with epic vampire feuds
• essential advice for blending in with the masses, from finding a coven to avoiding the media (and mirrors) to staying on top of the latest fashion trends
• the joy of scrapbooking
• as well as helpful online resources, a glyph guide, renovation instructions for emergency lairs, a Ruling Families directory, nightly mantras, and personal anecdotes from the Vampire Miles Proctor’s nearly five hundred years of experience.

See Amelia for free, compliments of Magers and Quinn

We have free passes for an Oct 21st showing of the film Amelia. Stop on by the store to pick up yours.

Start Your Engines

Car nuts and art appreciators, take note: Many of the cars in the book Road Show: Art Cars and the Museum of the Streetswill be on display in the parking lot of First National Bank of the Lakes--at 31st and Hennepin--on Sunday, October 25, starting at 3:00pm. Books will be for sale at Magers & Quinn Booksellers and in the lot (weather permitting).

Rocky Mountain High

I'm jealous that the blogger for Maria's Bookshop in was able to put together a truly awesome post. "25 Things..." tells you more than you'd ever guess about the staff at the Durango, Colorado, book store. For instance, "4) Bookseller Jeanne has reportedly never been photographed without a ladder. She has international calendar model exposure, in fact, perched on said ladder. This is not in any way strange or disturbing."

It's both great indie spirit and a darn good read. The full post is here.--David E

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Laura Kasischke reads from her novel In a Perfect World--Thursday, October 22, at 7:30pm, at Magers & Quinn Booksellers.

In a Perfect World is critically acclaimed writer Laura Kasischke’s new novel of marriage, motherhood, and the choices we make when we have no choices left. Kasischke tells the story of Jiselle, a young flight attendant who’s just settled into a fairy tale life with her new husband and stepchildren. But as a mysterious new illness spreads rapidly throughout the country, she begins to realize that her marriage, her stepchildren, and their perfect world are all in terrible danger.

Laura Kasischke is the author of Boy Heaven, her first novel for teens, as well as The Life Before Her Eyes, Be Mine, and seven collections of poetry.

Radio Waves Tonight

I only caught the tail end of a segment on "Talk of the Nation" today, but the discussion about marketing, author participation, and the inevitable "Future of Publishing" sounded very interesting. The panel included

• Peter Osnos, Founder of Public Affairs Books and Former Vice President at Random House
• Tina Brown, founder and editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast
• ZZ Packer, author of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

I heard them discussing the changing role of authors--ie, it's not enough to just write a good book--was it ever just enough?.

Details are here. The audio file should be available soon.--David E

"How's that for an erudite critical endorsement?"

The normally grown-up reviewer Maureen Corrigan (heard mostly on NPR's Fresh Air program) has gone crazy over the latest installment of the tween-boy series "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." Of Dog Days she says, "Kinney's books are funny--the kind of funny where you have to stop reading every so often because you're laughing so hard that tears and snot are running down your face, and you feel like maybe you'll even throw up. How's that for an erudite critical endorsement?" Pretty darn good, I'd say.

The full review is here.--David E

Kris Woll is this week's winner of the miniStories contest

Kris Woll's "Furious" is one of the winning pieces in this year's Flash Fiction competition miniStories, which is sponsored by Magers and Quinn and presented by mnartists.org. Her story was selected by Jon Fasman, author of The Geographer's Library and Unpossessed City.

All the winning stories, as well as the poems from our What Light contest will be published on magersandquinn.com and mnartists.org in the months to come. So come back soon!

Click here to read Kris' awesome story.

Meet the Author

The College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota offers "a two-semester curriculum focused on the social, academic, and institutional needs of first-year students." This year the program, called CE+HD Reads, brought together students and faculty to read A Lesson Before Dying. They were also joined by the author, Ernest Gaines, who spoke via videoconference. You can see the entire interview with Gaines here.

Magers & Quinn is pleased to be the bookseller for CE+HD Reads. Whether your school is big or small, we hope you'll contact us when you need books.--David E

Making a Difference

Paul Tough, one of America’s foremost writers on poverty, education, and the achievement gap, spent five years with Geoffrey Canada, following the parents and children who are struggling to better their lives at the Harlem Children’s Zone. Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America (from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) is a tour de force of reporting, a compelling dispatch from this daring and potentially transformative social experiment, and an inspired portrait of the man at its heart. Paul’s reporting originally appeared as a New York Times Magazine cover story; more recently, he wrote a hugely popular piece on Canada’s “Baby College” for This American Life, which premiered last year.

We hope you can join us Sunday, October 18, at 5:00pm, when Paul Tough will read from his book at Magers & Quinn Booksellers. Details are here.--David E

Tiny, Little Stories

I'm usually too overwhelmed by the prodigious output of the blog Galleycat to make much use of its news, but happily this item caught my eye. Arjun Basu writes micro-stories on Twitter--140 characters at a time. An example of his work is above, but he appears to be posting almost hourly, so there's always fresh work available. Check them out.

Now comes word that one of Basu's miniature novels has been made into an ultra-short film, part of the Filminute festival of one-minute movies. Details are here.--David E

Said and Done

James Morrison reads from his story collection Said and Done, Monday, October 19, at 7:30pm, at Magers & Quinn Booksellers.

“An artful, often suspenseful collection of stories by a gifted writer who looks out clearly, and darkly, upon the world.”--David Ebershoff, author of The 19th Wife and The Danish Girl

"You read James Morrison knowing you're in the hands of an extraordinary writer, with a sure sense of musicality, pacing, and description. But the real achievement of Said and Done is not so visible. These characters will possess your imagination long after you've put the book down. How does he do that?"--Paul Lisicky, author of Lawnboy and Famous Builder

Details are here.--David E

A Taste of Duluth in the Twin Cities

Saturday, October 17, is going to be quite a day at Magers & Quinn. At 4:00pm Richard Ojakangas presents Roadside Geology of Minnesota, and his wife Beatrice Ojakangas discusses The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever.

Richard W. Ojakangas grew up on glacial till in Warba, Minnesota. He taught at the University of Minnesota-Duluth for thirty-eight years and is the author of numerous articles and other publications on geology, including Minnesota’s Geology.

Beatrice Ojakangas has written more than a dozen cookbooks, including Pot Pies, Quick Breads, The Finnish Cookbook, The Great Scandinavian Baking Book, and Scandinavian Feasts. She works as a consultant for Pillsbury and other major food companies, teaches cooking classes, and writes for various food magazines.

Details are here.--David E

Picasso, Monet, Bradbury

I didn't realize that Ray Bradbury is a painter as well as an author. Happily, Jacket Copy is on top of these things. I now know that the painting above will be available in a limited edition of 200 later this month. Details are here.--David E

Hey, Teach!

In this stirring account of a teacher and his twelve students tucked away in the mountains of Vermont, educator Tal Birdsey fervently documents the founding year of his small junior high school with wit and humility. Part memoir, part meditation on the power of art and poetry, and part criticism of standardized education, A Room for Learning evokes a spirit of change, allowing adolescents a hand in their education. With no set curriculum and limited resources, the students delve deep into the poetry of Auden and Bukowski, the music of Coltrane, the emotional landscape of Elie Weisel’s Night. Isolated from mainstream culture and constantly on the brink of apathy, this diverse group of kids created a literary community that celebrated learning, and demonstrated how a classroom can be place of transformative power.

Tal Birdsey will read from his book at 7:00pm, Saturday, October 17, at Magers & Quinn. Details are here.--David E

Settle in with a Good Book

OK, it's not much of a picture, but that's not the point. What you need to know is that we're unpacking a ton (literally) of bargain-priced books. The pick of the litter has to be some nearly new books from the Everyman's Library series. We have The Best of Wodehouse, three novels by Dashiell Hammett, a beautiful edition of Love in the Time of Cholera, and even the new Pevear/Volokhonsky translation of War and Peace that's been in the news so much lately--all at about 40% off the list price.

So when you settle in for your long winter's nap, take a good book with you. Stop by soon, and we'll find you a good one.--David E

"I'm gonna read this new book before I hate it."

When Eoin Colfer was tapped to write the sixth book in Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy (yeah, yeah), he faced a lot of criticism from the series' diehard fans. One of them even told Colfer, "I'm gonna read this new book before I hate it."

Rather than try to beat them, he joined them. In today's Guardian, he writes, "So I joined the campaign to stop me writing H2G2 6, and had a fine time weighing in with my opinions on myself and feeding the bloggers hitherto unknown personal tidbits such as: 'Eoin Colfer once spent an entire summer with a Bay City Rollers scarf tied around his wrist.'"

The whole essay is funny and charming. It bodes well for Colfer's addition to the canon. Judge for yourself; And Another Thing... Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Part Six of Three comes out on Tuesday.--David E

PS: Does anyone know how to say Colfer's first name? I've found about three different pronunciations online, and I have no idea which is correct.

Winnie the Pooh is a Communist

Sure he looks cute, but beneath his roly-poly, honey-guzzling exterior, this beloved children's book character is a communist. Or a socialist. I forget which it is.

The Telegraph newspaper has blown his cover. In an interview with the head of Egmont, the Danish company which has published Milne's beloved bear since 1924, was this bombshell: "The firm is effectively owned by a trust, which has donated more than €235m (£215m) in to numerous social, cultural and health initiatives in Denmark since 1920."

So before you buy a copy of The House at Pooh Corner or Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, remember their secret agenda of kindness and generosity. Read the whole story here.--David E

Tell Me Your Story

The memoir is rapidly becoming the literary form of our time. Hundreds of thousands of people, from teenagers to octogenarians, are seeking out personal narrative. One reason for the memoir’s popularity is our deep need to explore the age-old questions: Who am I? Why am I here? Where can I find meaning in my life?

But why has memoir risen in our time? Why are seven of ten nonfiction paperback bestsellers memoir or autobiography? Memoirist and critic Thomas Larson, author of The Memoir and the Memoirist, examines the causes for memoir’s popularity. On one hand, we are reacting to a society gone crazy with fake personas and instant celebrity. On the other hand, because we live longer and age more healthily, we want to know the emotional truths of our lives and to pass this legacy on to others. The memoir may be the sole written form that brings lasting value to our families and friendships, to our achievements and losses, and to the development of our individuality.

You can hear from Tom Larson, Friday, October 16, 7:30pm, at Magers & Quinn Booksellers.--David E

Literary Immortality--Only $25.00

The St. Louis Public Library Foundation is holding a novel fundraiser. As part of its "Stranger than Fiction" gala, supporters can enter a raffle; winners will get a character named after them in a book by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, Angie Fox, Michael Kahn or Susan McBride. It seems like a better idea than the usual name on a brick in a plaza.

Details are here.--David E

The Local Scene

Many of you have paused near the register and admired our selection of postcards from local artist Adam Turman. They're colorful pictures of local landmarks, including the Midtown Exchange building, the Lake Harriet trolley, and the Varsity Theater.

Adam recently dropped off more postcards, including two new images; one is shown above. See more at adamturman.com and stop into get your postcards soon.--David E

The Top Ten Books to Read with Your Teenaged Son

Claire LaZebnik of the blog Bookstore People has posted an invaluable list of "The Top Ten Books to Read with Your Teenaged Son." On the list are some I already know and love (The Phantom Tollbooth), some I know by reputation (Ender's Game), and a few I don't know at all (Sea of Trolls).

The full list is here. Somebody come ask me for a recommendation now. I'm ready for you.--David E

Mark Your Calendars

Holly Hughes and Ethna McKiernan read from Beyond Forgetting: Poetry And Prose About Alzheimer’s Disease--Thursday, October 15, 7:30pm at Magers & Quinn Booksellers.

Beyond Forgetting is a unique collection of poetry and short prose about Alzheimer's disease written by 100 contemporary writers--doctors, nurses, social workers, hospice workers, daughters, sons, wives, and husbands--whose lives have been touched by the disease. Through the transformative power of poetry, their words enable the reader to move "beyond forgetting," beyond the stereotypical portrayal of Alzheimer's disease to honor and affirm the dignity of those afflicted. With a moving foreword by poet Tess Gallagher, this anthology forms a richly textured, literary portrait encompassing the full range of the experience of caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease.

History... It's Coming

The winner of this year's Man Booker Prize was announced yesterday. It is Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. It's a novel based on the life of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's chief minister from 1532 to 1540. Cromwell was a strong promoter of Henry's divorce from his first wife and the subsequent break with the Catholic church.

By all accounts, it's a real page-turner, but we can't tell you for sure, because Wolf Hall will not be published in the US until October 13. Give us a call (612/822-4611) if you'd like a copy of the book when it arrives next week.--David E

Books Exposed

Among the works by Hans-Peter Feldman currently on display at the 303 Gallery in New York City is this one, entitled "Bookshelves." The gallery's website says it is "a 5-panel, life-size photograph of Feldmann's own bookshelves at his home in Düsseldorf. As an artist renowned for using found and discarded objects of others, 'Bookshelves' is a rare look at the personal world of a voyeur through the looking glass."

I'm not sure I get much of a peeping tom thrill, but it's a nice photograph and a subjet dear to my heart, nonetheless.

A tip of the hat to the Bookshelf blog for the catch.--David E

Mary Butler Harpin is This Week's Winner of our What Light Poetry Contest

Mary Butler Harpin's poem We Walked Five Villages is one of the winning pieces in this year's What Light competition, which is sponsored by Magers and Quinn and presented by mnartists.org. All the winning poems from our What Light contest (as well as the stories from our Flash Fiction contest, miniStories) will be published on magersandquinn.com and mnartists.org in the months to come. So come back soon!

Click here to read Mary's poem, which was selected by our poetry judge.

Happy Anniversary

Thanks to this posting on Eric Hanson's blog A Book of Ages, I now know that today saw is the anniversary of the first letter from Helene Hanff to the Marks & Co. bookstore in London. It was the start of a twenty-year correspondence which was eventually collected in the book 84 Charing Cross Road.

Read the whole story here. Then post a comment and start an epistolary conversation of your own.--David E

Keeping in Touch

First off, we're all sold out of tickets for John Irving's reading next month. They went quickly.

Make sure you get all the latest news from Magers & Quinn. You have plenty of options:

• This blog, of course
• Our monthly newsletter
• Our Facebook page
• The M&Q Twitter feed
• Signs in the store, in the front windows, and on the sidewalk out front.
• M&Q staff--just ask us what's coming up.

However you choose to get your news, we hope you'll be in touch. Tell us what you're reading. What books are you looking forward to? The more we know about our customers, the better job we'll do getting you the great books and events you want.--David E

Video + Book = Vook

Simon & Schuster is rolling out the video/book hybrid--the vook. Read the text on your desktop iPhone and watch the video segments. The formats are mixed together, and both more the action forward.

Four titles are available now. 90 Second Fitness Solution seems like a good match for the new combo--read about the exercise, then watch someone demonstrate it. I'm not so sure about Promises: A Romance Novella by Jude Devereaux.

Decide for yourself. Details are at vook.com.--David E

Why Bookstores Are Better Than Libraries

Normally I love the blog Awful Library Books. It showcases "a collection of public library holdings that we find amusing and maybe questionable for public libraries trying to maintain a current and relevant collection." In other words, it makes fun of out-of-date and otherwise risible books that should be culled.

So you can imagine my surprise when ALB singled out Looking Forward to Being Attacked for expulsion. It's a treasure, a gem of the highest order. Just look at the table of contents (here). "Chapter One: You'll Never Enjoy Being Attacked If You Don't Change Your Attitude." Thought-provoking. "Chapter Four: Life Affords Few Pleasures That Can Equal The Striking Of Vulnerable Areas." How true.

Fortunately, bookstores need not be concerned with relevancy and propriety, and we are therefore free to stock the classics. We've got a copy of LFtBA available right now. Get your copy here.--David E

A Book and a Beer Chaser

The next meeting of the Twin Cities' most unusual and interesting book club is Tuesday, October 13. Books & Bars meets at Bryant-Lake Bowl, 810 W Lake Street, in Minneapolis. Doors open at 6:00pm; the discussion begins at 7:00pm.

October's book is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. It's a tense and taut thriller that uncovers a world of secrets and lies in staid Stockholm.

Books & Bars is not your typical book club. We provide a unique atmosphere for a lively discussion of interesting authors, fun people, good food and drinks. You're welcome even if you haven't read the book.

Two Poets at M&Q

Matvei Yankelevich and William Waltz read from their new poetry, Sunday, October 11, 7:00pm, at Magers & Quinn Booksellers.

Matvei Yankelevich is a founding editor of Ugly Duckling Presse, where he designs books, co-edits 6x6, and edits the Eastern European Poets Series. He is the author of a long poem, The Present Work (Palm Press, 2006). His writing has appeared in various small and tiny literary journals and on-line publications. From 1999 to 2001 he co-edited The Emergency Gazette of Theater Matters, with Yelena Gluzman.

William D. Waltz is the author of Zoo Music. His poems have appeared recently or are forthcoming in Black Warrior Review, Court Green, Denver Quarterly, jubilat, POOL, and Washington Square. He lives in Saint Paul where he edits the magazine Conduit. He’ll be reading from his manuscript Adventures in the Lost Interiors of America.

Details are here.--David E

"To make the alphabet sing"

Roberto De Vicq De Cumptich's classic book Bembo's Zoo is out of print, but it lives on at www.bemboszoo.com (Flash required). Click on a letter of the alphabet, and the name of an animal beginning with that letter appears. Then, those letters move, rotate, multiply, and eventually coalesce to form a picture of that very animal. Visit the zoo here.

And if you like that, come in and check out De Cumptich's latest book, To All Men of Letters & People of Substance in which he makes portraits of literary figures out of type and ornaments.--David E

Two New Authors at M&Q

Two red hens (OK, they're authors from Red Hen Press) will read from their new work, 7:00pm, Saturday, October 10, at Magers & Quinn Booksellers. Erinn Batykefer reads poetry from Allegheny, Monongahela, and Greg Sanders reads from his collection of interrelated stories Motel Girl.

Using the confluence of rivers in Pittsburgh as a metaphorical lens, Allegheny, Monongahela probes the ruinous misalignment between the external and internal lives of two sisters and their childhood in Western Pennsylvania. Their complex and difficult relationship is the spine of the collection, told obliquely through a series of sonnets and ekphrastic meditations on the paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe.

Motel Girl amounts to an exploration of the contemporary laws of romance, longing and sex, of how the computerized, branded universe is now fully integrated into the fabric of our thought and behavior. Join in the journey, a frenetic and disarming joy ride. Taken as a whole, these stories create a new paradigm for the American short story, an expansion in narrative reach, creative power, and experimentation.

Details on this and all our events are here.--David E

Midnight Dreary, Part 2

I'm pretty sure that the event listing below refers to a reenactment of Edgar Allen Poe's funeral:

Public Viewing of Poe’s Body
October 7, 2009 12:00pm to 11:00pm

Tickets: $5. All ages at the door.

Mr. Poe’s body will lie in state at his former home at 203 North Amity Street from noon to 11:00 p.m. The Poe House will be open for an unprecedented 11 hours to allow people to view Poe’s body. This will be an open casket viewing.

In fact, the "Edgar Allan Poe Baltimore, Maryland Bicentennial Celebration" consists of a full range of somber celebrations, including an all-night vigil for the really die-hard fan. (The full schedule is here.)

So book your tickets to Baltimore now. Edgar Allen Poe won't be dead forever.--David E

Citizen Review: Undrunk

A customer contacted me out of the blue, asking if he could write a review of a book he had purchased recently at Magers & Quinn. He had found the book to be very useful, but was worried that the title might be off-putting to potential readers. Here then is his review; the author's name has been withheld by request.

Undrunk : A Skeptic's Guide to AA

Two things led me to this book, for which I am grateful, neither the title or subtitle but the foresight of the publisher: leading me to the name of the writer of the Foreword [ed.--Mel B.] (who I know and respect) and the sample chapter pages on their website. The title/subtitle at first glimpse caused a reaction that this was going to be a tirade about the failings of the A.A. philosophy (which wouldn't fit well with the publisher that I am familiar with [ed.--Hazelden]) nothing could be further from the content of this book. This is an important book. Part of the fact that it is a short and to the point read is an essential element. The attention span of most people coming off of alcohol is not especially long. While I'm convinced that sponsorship is an essential element of the A.A. program, even with the best possible relationship questions need to be asked and this writer has given the newcomer a well-rounded collection of answers in an intelligent way. There is actually a lot more information than I believe most people in this program understand with much more time in it. Unless we've been to a lot of the same meetings (very unlikely) he has experienced an awful lot of detailed events that are universal occurrences in A.A. in my 30 years in this fellowship and hearing about these things early on helps to take the distraction away from the reason for being there. Magers & Quinn is located in the heart of where A.A. was first practiced in the early 1940s in Minnesota and to its credit had this book in my hands in three days online. Usually when I buy a book I "expect" to learn something that I didn't know about the topic--I figured this would be an exception as the writer had just achieved his first year in A.A. recovery and I have, actually, learned a lot. Generational and cultural perspective that is a distance away from my own are woven into his writing. Aside from the fact that the subject is near and dear, it is an exceptional job of the writing craft. I've read through hundreds of books related to A.A. and its history and know that this will become one of the all time most widely read by those looking for a way out of the hell of alcoholism. It will be a regular acquisition for those that I sponsor and is already in the hands of a few and being passed on.

Upon a Midnight Dreary

Looking for the perfect way to frighten the bibliophiles in your life this Halloween? Look no further than these animated, noise-making books. When the unsuspecting dupe passes by, the books detect his or her motion and spring into scary action, moving forward and generally spreading Halloween cheer.

Buy them here... if you dare. (Hat tip to shoppingblog.com for the catch.)--David E

Be a Light

Join us at Magers & Quinn Booksellers, Thursday, October 8, at 7:30pm, when philosopher, healer, and storyteller Mary Hayes Grieco joins us to discuss her book Be a Light. The book is a perennial inspirational “companion” book for those who are on a journey of hope, self-healing, personal illumination, and purposeful world service.

Details are here.--David E