In Memoriam

Just briefly, we just want to remember two persons who passed yesterday.  They were both influential in developing Downtown Dixon. 

One was former Mayor James Burke.  As a life long resident and real estate agent he was a tireless supporter of Dixon and when he first ran for and was elected to office in 1999, many said that he just wanted to sell more real estate.  And our response, "And that's a bad thing?"  And, he was always trying to improve himself by reading and by discussing things with people around him.  Read about him on Sauk Valley News's website.

The other was Som Yindeeroop, who for years had been the chief chef and patriarch of the Touch of Thai here on First Street in Dixon.  Along with his wife, sons and daughter-in-law, Som worked hard to overcome people's apprehension of too-spicy food and raw fish.  He was key in having the Consul of Thailand who was based in Chicago and had a son attending Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, come visit and support a Thai Festival on this street in this town (Jim Burke was Mayor at the time).  He even showed others that a Thai cuisine restaurant with a sushi bar could be successful, resulting in the entry of a competitor coming to Dixon -- Bangkok Gardens on Galena Avenue.

We will miss both greatly.

Where's Waldo? Too

We are gearing up for our second annual Where's Waldo? challenge.  Twenty-five (25) businesses throughout Dixon, mostly in Downtown like Salamandra's Mexican Restaurant and Waterfront Gifts, but also including Distinctive Gardens on Lowell Park Road, will participate by hiding a miniature Waldo on their premises for children to find.  We thank you in advance for allowing people to tramp in and out of your establishment and hope these same people will take the time to look around and see what a great place you (and we!) have.  The "challenge" will be throughout the month of July and culminate in a party right here at Books on First on 31 July, with door prizes and real prizes for winners of a drawing of those participants who have found twenty or more Waldo standees.

We also are stocked up with all sorts of Where's Waldo books.  And, the first 100 kids who find and come in with proof (stamped passport) at least 10 of the 25 Waldos will receive a Waldo sticker and $1 coupon good for a Where's Waldo book at Books on First.  How can any kid aged 12 and under miss out on the fun?

To Respond to Readers' Comments

Thank you, Christopher G Moore, for taking the time to write!  And it looks to be a great 2011 for you.
We look forward to seeing the film debut and hope you'll be happy with the end result being a good reflection of your vision.  And, we will be sure to have Spirit House (as well as other Vincent Calvino) in stock.  Keep the action up (and almost needless to say, keep the allusions to past books down).

We also feel great about helping Steve Cousins find something on the internet and we thank him for taking the time to write and let us know.  We at Books on First try our darndest to share what we know and what we discover as we pursue those little curious paths of inquiry.

I have had many people personally thank us for the "kind words" we post.  We are happy to showcase all the wonderful features of Dixon which make it a great place to visit if not stay -- Books on First, of course, but also Second Saturdays, Reagan Days, Heritage Crossing Riverfront Plaza, Lowell Park, White Pines State Park, Crystal Cork, Touch of Thai, Distinctive Garden, and the list continues.  When I was younger, the State of Indiana had "Wander Indiana" on its license plates.  I always thought that it was a county in Indiana.  A classmate at Boston College (now Carroll) Graduate School of Business who is from Indiana clarified that this was a slogan thought up by a tourism bureau.  She said it would be changing to "Linger Indiana," to shift the thinking from driving aimlessly through Indiana to staying awhile in Indiana.  I don't know if she had been pulling my leg, but whether you wander into, linger in or just plain make this a destination sometime, Dixon is someplace you should consider.

Some of you may have noticed that these posts have become "fast breaks," as I consider them.  Yes, I am learning again to write better faster, just like when I was on the school newspaper in West Babylon.  One fortunate change that computers have wrought is the capability to change the article after publishing.  Why don't we learn and know more about who created the internet and the first word processing programs, like we (well, some of us oldsters) learned about Gutenberg and the invention of the movable press which changed the world from the 15th century onward.

Third Second Saturday

Unbelievably, it is already May.  The old saying that Chicago has only two seasons, Winter and Construction, applies to Dixon, IL, also.  Our side road, Hennepin Avenue, from Second Street is now one-way going north (how strange to say "north," when we would physically be going downhill towards the river), and will be that way almost until the end of the summer, while we get new drainage and lighting.  Later, when all is done, we will have new trees planted.  Those regularly coming downtown are not used to the change or inconvenience, but I hope they will be tempted with all that we have to offer, from great restaurants (the sushi bar at Touch of Thai is now open again! and Salamandra has more seating) to Second Saturdays to a wonderful riverfront park to (of course) Books on First for great coffee, conversation and pass-the-hat live entertainment.

Salamandra celebrate Cinco de Mayo tomorrow (Sunday, 2 May).  And, remember, the second Saturday of May is the 8th.

We will miss, but we hope you won't have to, also, miss Sauk Valley Community College's production of Aristophanes's "Lysistrata," a great classic Greek comedic play on war protest, which opened this week and closes tomorrow.  Jim Ferolo tells us that Jason Hedric's production is explicitly bawdy and hilariously done.  He actually said the words: "doubled over" and "falling in the aisle laughing."  If you are interested in reading the play, we have had two different publications of "Lysistrata" go out of print in the years that we have been around.  The version we can offer now is a great volume containing not only four of Aristophanes's most well-known works, as translated by well-regarded translators --William Arrowsmith, Richard Lattimore and Douglas Parker, but also introductions with historical reference.  Besides "Lysistrata," you can read "The Frogs," "The Clouds," and "The Birds."

The Last Weekend Before Christmas

25 Dec falls on Friday this year, less than a week from today.

Wow, has that caught me among many behind the eight-ball! This is supposed to be the busiest (read, most sales) day of the holiday season. Poor East Coast is suffering from a major snowstorm and UPS will not be delivering to businesses on Christmas Eve. Needless to say (but said anyway), Books on First is as prepared as we'd ever be.

Last minute gift ideas:

The Silver Spoon Pasta published by Phaidon Press, one which does a fantastic job of offering beautifully designed and printed books at reasonable prices. And this one is in our Holiday Catalog, ennobling and enabling it with an automatic 20% discount. Here's some of the publisher's marketing:

"The Silver Spoon: Pasta" offers detailed descriptions and cooking tips for both dried and fresh pasta and instruction on the traditional art of combining various pasta shapes with the right sauces. Featuring specially commissioned photographs and illustrations, its simple format makes it both accessible and a pleasure to read and use. Recipes include favorites such as "Spaghetti Carbonara, Bucatini with Fried Bread Crumbs, Three-Color Ricotta Lasagna, Bow Ties with Smoked Pancetta, Tagliatelle with Sage and Tarragon Chicken Sauce, Shells with Gorgonzola and Pistachios" and "Chanterelle and Thyme Ravioli." Whether you are feeding the family, cooking for one, or preparing an elaborate dinner party, "The Silver Spoon: Pasta" has the perfect dish for every day of the year.

Yum!

Changing My Mind by Zadie Smith
The author of White Teeth offers a collection of essays covering a range of experiences and insights.


We look forward to hearing Jeffrey Hamilton play his self-described punk folk tonight in his debut at Books on First, beginning at 7pm. There is nothing like listening to music live. And, at Books on First, one can do holiday shopping at the same time -- multi-tasking at its best.

Time to go to NIA class with Nichole Miller now at Traditional Wellness Center above Touch of Thai. Did you hear that the wonderful sushi bar at Touch of Thai is closing on 4 Jan 2010 for the foreseeable future? Yes, let's go get sushi now.

An Incredibly Busy Saturday Arriving Fast

I meant to remind everyone that Larry has been agonizing over which books to order and bring to offer for sale at Nachusa Grasslands' Autumn on the Prairie, come Saturday, 19 Sep (always on 3rd Saturday of September). It's probably too late at this juncture, but you can put in your 2 cents (don't tweet him -- just call on the telephone or send an e-msg) and if we have something on the shelf, I am sure he'll be happy to oblige.

I and Bri Boyer, our newest employee, will be holding down the fort at Books on First, because there are major bicycle races happening right on the streets of Downtown Dixon, and Larry thinks all these riders and spectators are going to want to quench their thirsts -- for liquid refreshment as well as printed material -- immediately. The course comes north on Hennepin (downhill towards the river) and makes a left turn right in front of our place onto First Street. I am told that professional riders can reach speeds of 30+ miles/hr coming down that hill and at that point, a hairpin, turn. Luckily (but fingers crossed, unnecessarily), Dixon Fire Department and Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital are both nearby. I am still trying to figure out how all these thirsty people are going to be able to cross the street to reach the store, although I am assured that there is ample time between races, so that people can walk and will not need to worry about stray or lagging participants attempting to catch up or at least finish.

Distinctive Gardens is having its chili cook-off.

And, if that weren't enough happening in one day, I will be missing the return of NIA! to Dixon, as Nichole Miller, after a summer break and lots of Sunrise Yoga on the riverfront, starts up Saturday 5:30pm class at the Traditional Wellness Center upstairs from Touch of Thai. But, you don't have to, so be sure to give Nichole and NIA a try and I'll see you there next weekend.

And after a good workout for mind & body, come to Books on First to welcome classical guitarist Michael Lich who comes to us after many years of a Saturday a.m. larger double shot sugar-free vanilla latte customer, his father, Terry saying, "You gotta hear my son play." I am so excited that we finally will hear him live. And, I hope live music lovers everywhere will come to hear him, too. (Tony Fiorini's Wrong Element, who has been at Books on First, will be at Distinctive Gardens, but while the music is different, the events are not mutually exclusive -- where do you think we're going after we close at 9pm?)

1001 Things to Do Before the Blog Dies

It's just too too much -- updating the website, updating the community calendars, sending out e-mail alerts (besides actually reading the books and booking the live music and other events), writing this blog, Tweeting (follow us once in a great while: @booksonfirst )... all in the name of keeping you in touch with us. Please let us know what a good job we're doing (or not).

First, a disclaimer notice/confession: None of the books, people, websites, merchants, foods, recipes, restaurants, activities, towns, et al that/whom I mention/recommend/discuss have paid me to do so -- except maybe the -.02 cent net profit (technically, a loss) after expenses that we make when we sell the book or toy or the Melissa & Doug plush toy the Company gave us to give away or the wonderful Thai dessert called Red Rubies which Som gave us after a meal last Saturday.
And, my bad, I have not sought permission to do so. To date, I haven't even told them I have mentioned their product or linked to their website or will do so.

But, what's a blog for, if not to share the enthusiasm for our mattress topper and Touch of Thai? Don't answer that.

Okay, on to the real business of this blog -- books!

Recently finished (and just sold to a choir teacher visiting his in-laws here in Dixon): How Shall I Tell the Dog? by the late Miles Kington, a British humorist who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and dealt with it by writing a series of letters to his literary agent. It's got a dark humor which is actually a pretty good way to deal with impending death. And, I laughed and felt poignancy throughout the book.
I don't have a copy of it in front of me, so I can't talk to specific passages. I can mention that I liked his take and takeoff on 1000 Places to See Before You Die as well as his mention of a colleague who was diagnosed with a liver problem and told not to drink alcohol anymore. Seven years later, he was told that was a misdiagnosis but they didn't know what was the true problem and then, a few months after that, he died of what really ailed him!
Tears did not come until after reading the last letter, because the book simply ended. (Well, there was a postscript by wife or his literary agent, but I don't count that.) The abruptness reminded the reader that the writer did indeed die. I was disappointed later to learn (in this postscript/epilogue) that these were not real letters to his literary agent Gill(ian), meaning he didn't in reality send them and then, respond to her responses. He wrote a letter, imagined her response and continued from there. The device was so well done, because the only time I suspected contrivance was when he ended one letter about remembering Geoffrey (he of the no-alcohol liver non-ailment) and then, starting another letter explaining who Geoffrey was.


Economic chaos! Pirates! Angry, stupid investors! Low employee morale! Oy vey! Is this the stuff of the "near-future" which in late 1950s' terms must be NOW?
Ayn Rand is not the easiest writer to read (and at 1065 pages of 6pt type, you do get your money's worth of her sometimes pedantic style and I would not call it an "action thriller," like the publisher does), but I recommend this book if for nothing else then her greatest contribution to the iconic, that is, the answer-seeking question of the indifferent: "Who is John Galt?" In reading it, though, can one not help but feel a sense of interconnectiveness, deja vu as you would, going from front page (or home page) of today's news journals to the adventures of Dagny, Rearden, Francisco d'Anconia and of course, John Galt. Was Ayn Rand correct in predicting how our society would end up after years of people feeling entitled to the fruits of the labors of those more visionary, more risk-taking, more passionate than they? Yet, in 1957, she ends with a sense of hope and perhaps, that's how we in 2009 will see our world.

Downtown Dixon on a Friday Night

What an unseasonably chilly August it has been!
The Dixon Heritage Crossing Riverfront Plaza had a great opening day and night, The actual construction did not take that much time, but it was a long haul to get this going. And, now, if there were only a few more refuse containers... The rumor is that they need donors who would like to apply their gift to the placement of a trash receptacle $800. They are very nice green-painted wrought iron. Think about it!
Tonight, with my sister Connie and our nephew Matthew in town, we will be going to Touch of Thai. Matt does not like Thai food, but he's crazy about sushi. Luckily for us, Touch of Thai also has a great sushi bar. Today for lunch, they and Larry went to Salamandra's, another great Downtown Dixon eatery.