Literary Voyeurism

Our bookshelves say a lot about us. (See this item, for example.) One French politician and member of the European Parliament wishes her literature had just kept quiet.

According to this article in the UK's Daily Mail newspaper, "French former justice minister turned Euro MP Rachida Dati is being ridiculed in France after a TV crew spotted a book called 'Europe for Dummies' on her office bookshelf."

Details are here.--David E

Science and Religion Together Again

This month, The Big Bang Book club is meeting in conjunction with the Science & Religion Roundtable. Their motto is "You don’t have to be a person of faith to participate in the Roundtable, just have an interest in the relationship between religion and science." We'll meet at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Avenue (at Lyndale), in Minneapolis, at 7:00pm on Thursday, January 28.

We'll be discussing Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief by Andrew Newberg. The book explores the complex relationship between spirituality and the brain.This fascinating, eye-opening book examines both the miracle and the biology of our enduring relationship with God.

The Big Bang Book Club is a monthly book club for non-scientists that relishes in folding arts and science into a heady brew. It is sponsored by

• Magers & Quinn Booksellers
• the Center for Science, Technology, and Public Policy, which works to engage the public on science or technology issues to deliver the knowledge and experience of Humphrey Institute experts
• Secrets of the City--the daily digest of Twin Cities culture
• Grumpy's Downtown

The Big Bang Book Club is a monthly book club for non-scientists that relishes in folding arts and science into a heady brew. It is sponsored by Magers & Quinn Booksellers; the Center for Science, Technology, and Public Policy, which works to engage the public on science or technology issues to deliver the knowledge and experience of Humphrey Institute experts; Secrets of the City--the daily digest of Twin Cities culture; and Grumpy's Downtown.

The Other March Madness

The Morning News has announced its sweet sixteen, the competitors in the The 2010 Tournament of Books. Throughout March, a panel of esteemed judges will oversee a series of cage matches. Two books enter the ring, but only one advances, until finally a sole victor stands triumphant.

Obligatory local angle: Among this year's judges is David Gutowski, who runs the music and culture blog Largehearted Boy.

This year's contestants are:

• The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
  
• The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker
  
• Fever Chart by Bill Cotter
  
• Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth by Apostolos Doxiadis
  
• The Book of Night Women by Marlon James
  
• The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
  
• Big Machine by Victor Lavalle
  
• Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
  
• Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
  
• A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
  
• Miles from Nowhere by Nami Mun
  
• That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
  
• Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
  
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
  
• Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower
  
• Lowboy by John Wray

Bonus points if you recognize the St Paul author on that list.

The tournament begins March 9. Get reading.--David E

A mnLIT Original by Ben Weaver

"Eggshells" is a newly commissioned poem by one of our 2009 What Light grand prize-winners, Ben Weaver. Each of these new works is accompanied by a curated selection of work drawn from mnartists.org's vast database of artists. To view a slideshow of those images click here.

You can read more of Ben's poetry (and, while you're there, view his artwork or listen to a song or two) on his very own blog.

What Light is a part of mnLIT, which is presented by Magers and Quinn Booksellers and mnartists.org.

Click here to read Ben's poem and to learn more about the mnLIT contests.--Jay P

Living Green, Simply

If you've ever felt confused by the challenge of living a simpler, more sustainable life, you'll want to come to Magers & Quinn to hear Ellen Sandbeck. The noted author and worm rancher will be in the store on at 7:30pm, Tuesday, January 19, to talk about her new book Green Barbarians.

Ellen’s common sense, no-holds-barred approach will appeal to anyone who feels confused or inundated by the contradictory information about organic and green products now dominating our marketplace. Green Barbarians shows that by mustering a bit of courage, arming ourselves with information, and rejecting the notion that antibacterial hand wipes, organic food, color-preserving laundry detergent and countless other modern day conveniences are always best, we can live happier, safer, more ecologically and economically responsible lives.

This event is co-sponsored by Twin Cities Green (2405 Hennepin Ave S, Minneapolis; 612/374-4581). At TC Green, you'll find a diverse collection items--recycled, reclaimed, natural, organic, sustainable--for your home and life, all deeply researched to provide you with the best guilt-free green products at the most affordable prices. Visit the store at 2405 Hennepin Avenue S, Minneapolis, or shop online at www.twincitiesgreen.com.

Details are here.--David E

Do It Yourself and Die

You rarely hear of books being recalled, but it happened recently. The San Jose Mercury News reports, "Sunset Publishing, was forced to recall six of its titles Friday, after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said consumers who followed some of the wiring instructions in the books risked electrical shocks or could start a fire."

Details--including a list of the faulty titles--are here.--David E

Splendid!

It's a big weekend on Lynn Rosetto Kaspar's show The Splendid Table. First up is Dara Moskowitz, talking about her oenophile how-to tome Drink This: Wine Made Simple. An excerpt on how to pick zinfandels is available here. The complete book is in the store now.

Kaspar also interviews Monica Bhide about her cookbook Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen. We've got copies of that one for only $17.49.

Man Fails to Bite Dog

The headline above a recent KARE-11 news article is alarming: "Independent bookstores in Minn. fighting to stay alive," it says. But don't worry, the story is actually a happy one. Both the Bookcase in Wayzata and Uncle Hugo's/Uncle Edgar's are hanging in there, thank you.



If you'd rather read your TV news, click here.--David E

Hard Times Indeed

Augsburg Fortress, the Minneapolis-based publishing arm of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has unilaterally ended its employee retirement plan. Publishers Weekly reports, "At the end of 2009, retirement obligations totaled $24.2 million. Assets totaled $8.6 million."

In a recent blog posting Beth A. Lewis, President & CEO, said, "This was a very difficult decision.... There were no good choices."

Lewis' blog item is here. PW's article is here.--David E

Stay in Touch

M&Q's monthly email is a handy source of information about all our events, sales, and store news. Stay in touch with all the latest goings-on, right in your inbox. Sign up for the newsletter here, and you won't miss a thing.

You can also get to the archived newsletters from www.magersandquinn.com: look for the "Sign up for our monthly email newsletter" link near the bottom of the left column on any page.--David E

Read Rebecca Dosch-Brown's story The Trousers

We're back with another winning piece from our flash fiction competition miniStories. miniStories is part of mnLIT, which is presented by Magers and Quinn Booksellers and mnartists.org.

This week's winner is "The Trousters" by Rebecca Dosch-Brown. 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!

Rebecca's short story was selected by Lise Erdrich, author of Night Train.

Click here to read Rebecca's story and to learn more about the mnLIT contest and to read the winning poem from the holiday week by Kirsten Dierking.--Jay P

That Thing You Do

The Thumb Thing lets you keep your book open with just a single finger. You can get your own thing here.--David E

Half Asleep by Kirsten Dierking is this week's winning poem

Kirsten Dierking's poem Half Asleep is this week's winner in our What Light Poetry Project. Kirstin has published two books of poetry, one with Spout Press and another with Holy Cow! Press.

What Light is a part of mnLIT, which is presented by Magers and Quinn Booksellers and mnartists.org. All the winning poems, as well as the short stories from our flash fiction competition miniStories will be published on magersandquinn.com and mnartists.org in the months to come. So come back soon!

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

Emergent Poets III

Magers & Quinn Booksellers and Rain Taxi Review of Books are pleased to bring three award-winning poets to the Twin Cities. Each has just published their third book.

Andrew Zawacki is the author of three poetry books—most recently Petals of Zero Petals of One (Talisman House)—and of several chapbooks. His poems have appeared in The New Yorker, The Nation, and numerous other journals and anthologies. A former fellow of the Slovenian Writers’ Association, he edited Afterwards: Slovenian Writing 1945-1995 (White Pine Press) and is co-editor of the literary magazine Verse. He teaches at the University of Georgia.

Christine Hume is the author of three books of poetry--most recently Shot (Counterpath Press)--and a chapbook, Lullaby: Speculations on the First Active Sense (Ugly Duckling Presse). Her work has been included in The Best American Poetry, and she writes reviews and critical essays for a number of journals, including Rain Taxi. She currently coordinates the interdisciplinary Creative Writing Program at Eastern Michigan University.

Julie Carr is the author of three books of poetry--most recently 100 Notes on Violence (Ahsahta Press)--and her National Poetry Series selection Sarah--of Fragments and Lines will be published later next year by Coffee House Press. Her work has been included in The Best American Poetry, and numerous other journals and anthologies. She is co-publisher of the small press Counterpath and teaches at the University of Colorado at Boulder.


Join us Saturday, January 9 at M&Q for a night of great poetry. Details are here.--David E

Citizen Review: Wormwood, Nevada

We continue our occasional series of customer reviews with Aaron Wilson's review of David Oppegaard's recent science fiction novel.

Wormwood, Nevada

It is a Twin Cities’ tradition to support local businesses, farms, and artists. We take great pride in supporting all things Minnesotan. Buying locally allows us to keep our communities, hinterland, and culture vibrant, ensuring a strong economy voting, Minnesota--yes, with our hard-earned dollars. If you still have that special someone, you know whom I mean, that guy or gal, who sits up at night pondering whether we are a lone in the galaxy, on your holiday shopping list, then I have the perfect gift to suggest.

Wormwood, Nevada is David Oppegaard’s alien-injected follow-up to his 2008 Bram Stoker Award-nominated novel The Suicide Collectors. Oppegaard is a Twin Cities native who, having grown up in small town of Crystal Lake, MN, went on to earn his M.F.A in Writing from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. He has a twisted and dark sense of humor that imbues all of his characters with tragic and often comedic destines. While reading one of his novels, you can’t help but feel sucked a long with the characters as they do battle with the most human of flaws while trying to collectively escape a lager than live catastrophe.

In Wormwood, Nevada, Oppegaard invites us to share in the lives of Anna and Tyler as they begin their new lives in the dusty sunburned town of Wormwood, Nevada. Tyler was offered a job teaching high school English, including an ever so thankful summer school class, in Wormwood. Tyler admits that he could have found a teaching job elsewhere, but he has a plan that includes staying in his Aunt Bernie’s home for a year while they save up enough money for a place of their own. Meanwhile, Anna, a former Miss Nebraska, still wants the excitement of the big city, and she is very leery about their move to Wormwood.

The town of Wormwood takes on a life of its own. Oppegaard’s writing allows readers to feel the sun-parched, dusty soil, and the refreshing sips of lemonade mixed with vodka that Aunt Bernie refers too when she says, “I figure drinking’s the most popular pastime in Wormwood” (12). Wormwood is one of those places where everyone knows everyone’s name and just enough of each other’s intimate affairs to be just a little bit dangerous, a real ‘these are the people in my neighborhood’ type place that would make Sesame Street proud.

The real reason to finish Oppegaard’s Wormwood, Nevada is that it is clearly a case study in personal and communal trauma. Tyler and Anna struggle with what their relationship looks like now that they’ve moved in with Aunt Bernie in Wormwood. One day, will Anna pack up her things, take the car, and drive west because she has finally had it with Tyler and his nerdy obsessions and Aunt Bernie’s over dramatic dream love affair with Leonard Nimoy, or will she stay? Will Tyler’s fascination with visitors from outer space drive her away? With his head in the sky, will he even notice that she is gone?

And what about the rest of the town, how will Wormwood define itself after the meteorite crashed into downtown? “Will it change” is the question that everyone in town is struggling to answer, as well as, “Can I change”? The problem is that change always follows a traumatic event. Change is a natural response to unnatural or unusual circumstances of which Wormwood, Nevada’s supply is about to overflow.
Aaron M. Wilson lives in Minneapolis with his loving wife and his two cat’s (one good and one bad). He reviews short stories for his blog, The Soulless Machine Review, and is an adjunct instructor of English, Literature, and Environmental Science at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Smile for the Camera

"The Long Hours of Neal Baxter"--a collection of photographs of one of M&Q's tallest and happiest regulars, taken by Matt Newberry--is on display at the Dunn Brothers coffeeshop at 3348 Hennepin Ave S through February 28. You can see a preview of the photos here.--David E

Word Flowers

Visuwords bills itself as "an online graphical dictionary." Enter a word, and the site blossoms with a display of the search term's synonyms, antonyms, meronyms (words that name a part of a larger whole), and even hypernyms (words that are more generic than a given word ).

I'm not sure it's more useful than Roget's, but it's certainly a lot prettier.--David E

Get Happy

Alex Lemon discusses his new book Happy: A Memoir--7:30pm, Thursday, January 7, at Magers & Quinn.

His freshman year at Macalester College, Alex Lemon was supposed to be the star catcher on the baseball team. He was the boy getting every girl, the hard-partying kid who everyone called Happy, often without even knowing his real name. In the spring of 1997, he had his first stroke.

For two years Lemon coped with his deteriorating health by sinking deeper into alcohol and drug abuse. His charming and carefree exterior masked his self-destructive and sometimes cruel behavior as he endured two more brain bleeds and a crippling depression. After undergoing brain surgery, he is nursed back to health by his free-spirited artist mother, who once again teaches him to stand on his own.

Happy is a hypnotic self-portrait of a young man confronting the wreckage of his own body; it is also the deeply moving story of a mother's redemptive and healing powers.

Join us next Thursday for a fascinating evening. Details are here.--David E

Bag It

If a book of yours has outlived its usefulness, you can always make it into a nifty purse. Written instructions are here, or you can watch this video:



A tip of the hat to craftingagreenworld.com for the catch.--David E

Better Late than Never

I'm really irked that I missed this during the actual holiday season. Oh well, here it is now, courtesy of the Bookshelfblog.--David E