Nothing (Today or For a Few Centuries) Beats Paper and Ink for Preserving the Written Word

To publicize Andrea Mays's new book on Henry Folger and his obsession with collecting William Shakespeare's first folios (the first printing of one of his plays), NPR's Renee Montagne was able to visit the Folger Library in Washington, DC, and to touch (touch!) a few of the 82 of the surviving first folios.

One of the revelations which Andrea Mays's book highlights and again, in this interview piece, was that only about half of Shakespeare's plays had been published before his death and that if it hadn't been for this printed book (and why is this not considered having been published is a big question), the world after his death would not have known many of the plays which are quintessential Shakespeare (and quintessential English, in Lonnie Cain's perpective).

Let us take a moment to recall World Book Night USA, which had for three years been on 13 April, Shakespeare's birthdate.  The concept began in UK, where writers and publishers donated titles, printers donated paper and print time and readers donated time and nerve to walk up to light and non-readers to share the joy of reading a book. The not-for-profit effort closed down last year due to lack of funds.  We could have used some of Folger's.

23April -- The Birthdate of Will Shakespeare, The Deathdate of Will Shakespeare, The Birthdate of World Book Night, The Deathdate of World Book Night

Alas, poor WBN, we knew ye well.

Spreading the Love of Reading, Person to Person     Dear World Book Night U.S. friend, After three years in which thousands and thousands of you distributed over a million and half specially-printed World Book Night paperbacks across America, we are sad to announce that we are suspending operations. The expenses of running World Book Night U.S., even given the significant financial and time commitment from publishers, writers, booksellers, librarians, printers, distributors, shippers--and you, our amazing givers!--are too high to sustain. This has been a remarkable, passionate undertaking, and it has been a success by all measures, except for one: Outside funding. For three years, the publishing industry and book community have very generously footed the bill and contributed enormous time and effort, and we are so very grateful for all the support. We did receive some funds via individual donations, and we worked very hard to get grants. We did get some, but there are a lot of other worthy causes out there and only so much money available. We can't carry on without significant, sustainable outside funding. From World Book Night U.S. Board Chairman Michael Pietsch: "World Book Night's first three years have been a profound experience for everyone involved. The altruistic spirit of the givers and of industry supporters have reminded us all of the transformative impact books have on people's lives, and of the power of a book as a gift. The World Book Night Board joins me in extending their deep gratitude to all who have taken part." WBN U.S. Exec Director Carl Lennertz added: "Some of you know our names here, but I want to be sure you know these--Laura Peraza and Carolyn Schwartz. They have been here since day one, and they, along with you, are my heroes. Alia Almeida joined us this year and was a creative force. A list of all the booksellers, librarians, authors, and folks in publishing and at Ingram would be too long to include here, but they know who they are and I know they have loved being a part of this beautiful thing we did together." We are staying on hand through the summer without pay to maintain social media contact with you all, to talk good books, and to announce the winner of the giver essay contest. YOU, the givers, made it possible for WBN to reach its full potential. For us here at World Book Night, this experience has been life-changing, as we hope it has been for you and recipients of the books. Our gratitude to you is simply immeasurable. With much love, appreciation, and admiration, thank you! Team WBN U.S

So sad, but We shall rise again. Reading is a life function. Reading is forever.

Just Five More Days to Sign Up for World Book Night 23 April 2013

Walk into Books on First and you will see our display of the 30 books chosen for this year's World Book Night.  The selection is impressive, ranging from newer titles like Tina Fey's Bossypants to classics like Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.  Join thousands of readers in the USA, UK, Ireland and Germany as they generously share their time and love of reading with others who may not be as aware of what reading books can do.  As you, dear reader, probably know, books can enlighten, entertain, engage, express, empower, explain, inform, immerse, inspire, transport, comfort, articulate, apply and do so much more for the reader.

For fun and reference, listen again to David Sedaris reading from his Me Talk Pretty One Day (one of this year's WBN choices) on NPR/APM's This American Life, and see you on the 23rd of April!

(Il)Literacy Continues to Be a Challenge in the USA

As I'm sure I have posted previously, one of the first volunteer activities I wanted to do when I arrived in Chicago, when I felt financially secure and under no obligations beyond the 40-60 hours/week demanded by my employer, was tutoring adults who wanted to learn to read.  I have written about this before: I see adult illiteracy as an affront to our nation and the responsibility of all of us Americans to confront and correct. 

It continues to be a challenge, as highlighted in NPR's current series Front and Center about illiteracy in the USA.  Illiterates are usually not stupid.  In fact, they are probably very smart, surviving in a world in which knowing how to read something as straightforward as a street sign can be a challenge, and that an honest but avoidable mistake could cost.  Do you really want to leave janitorial tasks to someone who might mix ammonia with bleach, because the contents of the jugs as well as the jugs look the same, but there were not giant letters, A and B, on them?  Do we really want someone who is smart enough to have started a business which creates jobs and value in the community to be limited to a day laborer job, because she has dyslexia or another neglected obstacle which prevented her from learning how to read? 

Unfortunately, I no longer believe I have the necessary time to be such a direct influence, but I do feel Books on First does its part and hope it can do more.  We of course provide books and magazines for sale.  There are reading discussions continuously with and among customers.  We allow people to come in and tutor.  We participated in and encouraged customers to participate in World Book Night.  Let me know what else you think we can do to help obliterate illiteracy, today in Sauk Valley, tomorrow in the world.

Aim globally.  Think locally.  Act personally.

The Agile Brain Leaps Among the Evocative Words

In a recent New York Times piece, Annie Murphy Paul, author of Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives, writes of a wonderful confirmation of why people should read, but not (in my mind) only fiction, but also, poetry or true crime or history - anything by a good wordsmith.  Brains crave stimulation, and now we can see what readers have always intuitively known, that hearing words like, "lavender" and "coffee" is almost as good as smelling the real thing, that reading "velvety voice" or "leathery hands" is almost as good as hearing or seeing and reading "kick" and "leap" on a page is about as good as watching the action and maybe even thinking about doing such activities.

Verbal and written language are important.  Words -- the building blocks of a vast communications network -- are important. Descriptive words, the stuff of poetry, fiction and more, allow us readers to experience something more than the moment, whether the evocation of a memory, empathy with the narrator, entertainment alongside or at the expense of the characters, enlightenment, escape, and more (whether it starts with an "e" or not).  In a piece in the same NY Times section this weekend, Jhumpa Lahiri, author of such best-selling titles as The Namesake (a 2011 World Book Night choice) and Interpreter of Maladies, shares how certain written language had affected her and continue to transport her far from the present moment.

Thank you for such exquisite insight on writing, also, Miss Lahiri.  I love the imagery in your description of not being able to leave well (or not) enough alone;

Years later, I can always reach out to smooth a stray hair.

I agree writing is not static.  I leave my pieces to "pickle," returning to scrap whole lines, not knowing whether I have demolished the an essential I-beam of the foundation along with gingerbread that sounded good one day, but not anymore.  Years later, I am still doing so.  Sometimes, the re-writing is so paralyzing, I can't go forward, continuing to re-work the same pages again and again and not remembering where the piece was headed.  I cannot say whether this afflicts every writer and while I can't put myself anywhere near in the same class of talent as Jhumpa Lahiri, I feel affirmed that I am not the only one so determined to present the perfectly polished jewel of a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a thought, a moment, for you the reader.

Book Lovers Wanted - Date for Registration Extended!

To All of Our (unshy) Book Lovers --

Now you can pass along your passion for a book, literally!

On Monday, 23 April 2012, join thousands across the USA, UK, Ireland and Germany in giving away millions of copies of books to non- and light-readers.  Here in the USA, there are thirty titles from which to choose (3 choices) and here in Sauk Valley, there are so many places you can choose to give them away -- at a sports event, at the hospital, at the Y, outside a gathering place just hopping with people not thinking about books (at that moment).

And, now, the deadline for registering has been extended to tomorrow, Monday, 6 February.  With 30 titles (see list at the website (www.us.worldbooknight.org) from which to choose, the problem will be figuring out which ones you feel most passionately about. Or, if you are passionate about reading and have not yet read the English version of Jodi Piccoult's My Sister's Keeper or the Spanish version of Junot Diaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (also available for passing along), make the commitment and then, come in to buy the book.  We will give you a discount of 20%.

Douglas is excited about reading and passing along Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games to children at KSB.  Won't you join him with Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn Dixie?  Someone you know may be standing outside County Market that Monday, passing along Jeannette Walls's The Glass Castle.  Won't you join her, maybe with copies of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner?

Join all of us today!

-Books on First, the Premier Bookseller/Coffeehouse in Sauk Valley 202 W First Street in the Heart of Downtown Dixon, IL 61021 815.285.BOOK (2665) www.booksonfirst.com

World Book Night - Think Globally. Act Locally.

Calling All (unshy) Book Lovers!
Only two more days to sign up as a Book Giver for this year's World Book Night on 23 April 2012.  Do it!

http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/

Out of the thirty chosen titles for this inaugural USA event, there must be one that you would like to pass along. If you have yet to read that special book you're giving away, come in to Books on First with your commitment and we will give you 20% off to get you started and ready by Monday, 23 April.

And here's start this year's event with a bang -- a wonderful short from UK's last year World Book Night:  When I saw it at the American Booksellers Association's Winter Institute 7 in New Orleans where Julia Kingsford (?), head of the World Book Night organization in the UK, presented it to us, I was moved beyond words.  I love the editing, especially the finish with Stanley Tucci and Hayley Atwell's recitation of the lyrics of Cole Porter's "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)."  What a kick-off for book lovers:

Traveling with a Printed Bound Book

Traveling has many benefits, as well as complaints. Along the way, we discover that printed bound books trump electronic devices when it comes to traveling facetime. Our great proprietor-manager could read (if he were not busy lamenting our losing the war to terrorists) his printed bound book while standing in the very long security check line. He could hold it open with one hand. He could stuff it in his carry-on bag when he needed to remove his shoes.

On board, he does not have to turn off his printed bound book while the plane taxies towards the proper runway and takes off. And, at O'Hare, "taxiing to the runway" is a good ten-minute ride, time enough to finish a few pages. When the plane begins its descent, along with tray tables up and seat backs returned to their original position, all electronic devices must be turned off. Someone with a printed bound book can continue to read until until the flight attendants prepare for "de-planing," a good twenty-five minutes later.

Booksellers gather in one of our favorite cities, New Orleans. The weather has been great although a cab driver from Chechnya says it's too humid and dreams of moving to San Diego. There are great restaurants patronized by locals and visitors alike, like Herbsainte on St Charles and Arnaud's in the French Quarter.

Beignets and chicory coffee at Cafe du Monde is all about the atmosphere which makes the hot fried dough and 1/2 lb of confectioner's sugar washed down with equally hot purplish-black coffee taste better than ever, even as you feel your arteries clogging.

Ann Patchett gives a keynote speech on the first morning on how she became a bookseller and she charms us all, even me, who has been unwilling to admit her into the ranks of hardworking, long-suffering booksellers.  For all the books Larry has read, he has not read one of the thirty titles chosen for the USA's inaugural World Book Night, on 23 April 2012 (hurry and sign up to be a Book Giver).  I am very surprised.  "Not even Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried?" I ask in wonderment.  He has chosen to read Ann Patchett's Bel Canto, enjoying it, of course.

Jeremy Davenport, a cousin of a good customer here in Dixon, does his thing on weekend nights at his eponymous lounge in the Ritz Carlton.  We go to his 5:30pm Thursday show.  He plays a little trumpet, sings a little, urges on Aaron, his alto saxophonist.  We buy his CD which the waitress gets signed -- the cover, not the CD itself, to Ruby, our granddaughter.  We are disappointed to find that there is not alto sax on the CD.  Aaron's mother sits by us, celebrating her birthday.  We mistaken her for his sister or his girlfriend until Jeremy introduces her.  Let's just say she does not look her age which is somewhere between your truly's and Proprietor-Manager's.

We hear about snowstorms all over the north: Seattle, Iowa, Pennsylvania, all moving east.  We debate about leaving the booksellers' educational conference early.  New Orleans on Friday is a beautiful 75 degrees Fahrenheit.  We come down on the wrong side and find out our flight is cancelled and we are re-routed to Miami.  No worries.  We enjoy grilled oysters on a half-shell at Acme Oyster Bar at the airport, and arrive home to Walton, IL in Lee County at 3:30am.

I am really unprepared for what I should be learning at "WI7," as this conference is called -- everything I can about ebooks -- "NTA" (Nook to Android) cards, Adobe Digital Reader Edition,...My head whirls.  We still have kinks in the selling of gift cards online.  We WILL get this ebook selling down.  Kindle remains off limits, but who cares?  Still people talk about traveling with a dozen books tucked inside an 8lb mobile device, and yet how can one beat a printed bound book which doesn't need to be switched off in the landing approach?  And, if a slightly bumpy patch results in a little OJ spilled on the cover?  Who cares?  Remember, you can't short-circuit wood pulp.