Will you still need me, will you still feed me...

In 1966, three guys had a college band. It did not last. One guy went on to become a lawyer; one became a real estate developer; and one became Taylor Branch, acclaimed historian and author of a majestic series on the American civil rights movement: Parting the Waters, Pillar of Fire, and At Canaan's Edge.

In 2006, the men got together again--under the name Off Our Rocker--and released an album, "OverTime." Following up on that success--according to their website, the first album "went plastic"--they're back with a second album. It's all covers of Beatles tunes, including "Taxman," "You're Gonna Lose That Girl," and even "Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." (Snippets are available here.) Until Toni Morrison releases her long-awaited album of Helen Reddy dance remixes, this is probably the best music by a Pulitzer Prize-winner you're going to find.

A tip of the hat to the Baltimore Sun's "Read Street" blog.--David E

Low, Low, Low-Tech

Finally, an ebook reader I can get behind. (Courtesy of The Bedside Crow.)--David E

Pick Us

The everyman reviewer website LitMob has a page of "Local Picks", on which they have listings for some great indie bookstores. Magers & Quinn wants to join their ranks. It would really help to have some of our dedicated fans would write them in support of our bid.

If you'd be so kind as to drop them a line--maybe with an anecdote about helpful staff or great events or a compelling blogger--we'd really appreciate it.--David E

Heavy Reading

The Italian art publisher FMR doesn't believe there's an economic slowdown. They've announced the publication of Michelangelo: La Dotta Mano ("The Wise Hand"), an enormous photo history of the work of Michelangelo in honor of the 500th anniversary of the start of work on the Sistine Chapel. The book weighs in at 61 pounds because the cover is not just a photo. It's an actual marble sculpture, a reproduction of the Madonna della Scala. Full details are here.

Only 99 copies will be produced. They run $130,000.00 each. The New York Times has posted a slideshow of the book's contents, if you don't have that kind of cash lying around.--David E

No Waiting

From Robert Scoble's Flickr photostream come these photos of the "world's largest bookstore," by volume. It's in Shenzen, China, just north of Hong Kong.

M&Q may not be the world's largest bookstore, but at least we have chairs.--David E

Books on the Desktop

Marquand Books--they design books for museums, galleries, architects, and the like--have put out some desktop images, so hoi polloi like us can get a taste of the high life.

There are six designs here.--David E

Name That Author

Critical Mass, the blog of the National Book Critics Circle, is running a contest for the next week or so. They're posting excerpts of conversations with NBCC Award winners and finalists which have appeared in the Paris Review's "Writers at Work" series. If you can correctly identify, you could win a complete set of the collected interviews, published over the last few years by Picador.

Details and a sample extract to be identified are here.--David E

Drying Out

Once Upon A Crime Mystery Bookstore is stepping forward to help the flood-ravaged Cedar Rapids Public Library. The library was inundated last June, and while FEMA will fund a new building, they will not cover the books themselves.

From Publishers Weekly: "[Cedar Rapids bookstore] Mystery Cat and Once Upon a Crime are soliciting collectible books, manuscripts, and DVDs for sale on eBay, as well as books suitable for library sales. All funds raised will be used to purchase new books for the Cedar Rapids library. ...Books may also be dropped off Mondays through Saturdays, 11 am-5 pm, at Once Upon a Crime, 604 W. 26th St. Minneapolis, or they may be mailed directly to the Cedar Rapids Public Library’s temporary storefront space at Westdale Mall, 2600 Edgewood Rd., S.W., Cedar Rapids, IA 53404."--David E

Little Show on the Prairie

Earlier this week Iowa Public Radio announced that it is canceling the long-running show Live from Prairie Lights, which it coproduced with Iowa City's Prairie Lights bookstore. (The full article is here.) The news prompted an opinion piece in the Iowa City Press-Citizen that could have come right out of The Onion.

In a piece entitled "Some dim bulbs at public radio" Iowa's former poet laureate inveighs against the argument that LfPL's audience was too small: "The interim executive notes that many more people listen to "Morning Edition." This is like saying Iowa City musicians should pack it in because Madonna can draw 100,000. Why televise Iowa basketball when Kobe is on the tube?"

There's no word yet of a reprieve, but I'll keep you posted.--David E

Up and Coming and in Minneapolis

This just in from Publishers Weekly: "Vietnamese-Australian writer Nam Le is the second winner of the biannual Dylan Thomas Book Prize, which awards £60,000 ($100,000) to a writer under 30 and working in English." (The full report is here.) Le won for his book The Boat, whose seven short stories travel the globe almost as much as Le himself has.

I mention all this because Nam Le gave a reading in our store this past June. I can't promise you that everyone who reads here will be named "the best young writer in the English-speaking world," to quote the folks at the Dylan Thomas Prize, but you never know. Check out our events page, and see who's coming this month.--David E

Man Fails to Bite Dog

Good news. No one showed up to protest a reading by Sherry Jones, author of The Jewel of Medina. The book--which tells the story of A'isha, the youngest of the prophet Muhammad's wives--was originally scheduled to be published in the US by Random House, but the publisher dropped the title from its list after a fire was set outside the book's UK publisher's office in September. The book has since been published in the US by Beaufort Books.

Now the author is on tour, and there's been no trouble, reports the Seattle Times. Moreover, "Nothing strange happened at book signings in the past two weekends in Spokane and Missoula."

The only bad news is that--contrary to the common wisdom that controversy sells--folks at the Seattle reading bought only three copies of The Jewel of Medina.--David E

Looking Up in Lowertown

Dwell magazine has a slideshow of a nifty set of shelves in St Paul. I admit it, I'm jealous.--David E

"Reading Chaucer won't put dinner on the table."

Is reading really such a good idea? Mikita Brottman, who has a PhD in English Literature from Oxford and is the author of Solitary Vice: Against Reading, thinks not. Sitting quietly with a book eats up valuable time, she says, time that could be better spent building relationships.



Brottman spoke to the "Sound of Young America" podcast folks. It's provocative stuff.--David E

Happy Holidays Ahead

Last week, Barnes & Noble CEO Leonard Riggio sent a memo to the chain's employees. It was not happy reading. Riggio is decidedly grinchy about the forthcoming holiday season:

"Never in all of the years I've been in business have I seen a worse outlook for the economy," wrote Mr. Riggio. "And never in all my years as a bookseller have I seen a retail climate as poor as the one we are in. Nothing even close." (The full memo is here, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.)

Interestingly enough, our experience is quite different. Magers & Quinn isn't giving in to pessimism and self-fulfilling prophecies just yet. We're doing pretty well in the current economic climate, and we're looking forward to a good holiday season. Maybe it's because books in general are such great entertainment and information value, and they're an even greater value at our store since we discount everything. We've got a great mix of bestsellers, recently released books, remainders, and old classics that keeps our customers coming in and leaving happy.

So check your depression at the door and stop by Magers & Quinn Booksellers. We'll be here for you.

Book and a Beer Chaser

The next meeting of the Twin Cities' most unusual and interesting book club is Tuesday, November 11. Books & Bars meets at Bryant-Lake Bowl, 810 W Lake Street, in Minneapolis. Doors open at 6:00pm; the discussion begins at 7:00pm.

November's book is The Yiddish Policemen's Union. Michael Chabon's novel about a fanciful Jewish community in Alaska won both the Pulitzer Prize and a Nebula Award for Best Novel from the Science Fiction Writers of America. The Washington Post said, "The pure reach and music and weight of Chabon's imagination are extraordinary, born of brilliant ambition you don't even notice because it is so deeply entertaining."

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.

Developing News

The Star Tribune reports that work has begun on a pilot based on Heather McElhatton's novel Pretty Little Things. The novel--in which readers can choose from various plot twists as the story progresses--was a Books & Bars selection earlier this year. Do any of the group's members care to weigh in on how they think the novel will fare as television? Post your comments below.--David E

Change, More Change

Samuel Delany will give a reading at the Walker Art Center, Saturday, November 15, at 2:00pm. The talk by the acclaimed sci fi/fanasy/lit crit author is part of the WAC's exhibit "Tetsumi Kudo: Garden of Metamorphosis," mirroring Kudo's “new ecology” of humanity and technology.

Delany's lecture is free. Tickets will be available at the Walker starting at 1:00pm.--David E

Garfield Minus Garfield... Now A Book!

Earlier this year, I blogged about the best website ever, garfieldminusgarfield.net, which edits out the eponymous cat to expose "the existential angst of a certain young Mr. Jon Arbuckle."

Now from Random House comes word that the best of the blog will be published as a book, also called Garfield Minus Garfield. Get one before I buy them all as Christmas presents.--David E

PS: The New Yorker's "Cartoon Lounge" published a interesting interview with G-G creator Dan Walsh last month.

796.7--Driving

From my favorite librarian blog Swiss Army Librarian comes word of a push to make “Massachusetts Libraries” license plates available soon. Advance applications for Bay Staters are available on the Central Massachusetts Regional Library website. A portion of the license fee goes to support... you guessed it... libraries.--David E

Everyone Blogs Now

I'm writing this on Wednesday, so I can't vouch for the content, but Danielle Steel, the 61-year-old author of more potboilers than you can shake a stick at, is launching a blog Thursday. It's at www.daniellesteel.net, of course.--David E