Words Take Wing

I missed this bit of public art when it was installed last year in San Francisco. "Language of Birds" by Brian Goggin (with Dorka Keehn) consists of 23 polycarbonate books suspended above the corner of Broadway and Columbus avenues. The solar panels that power the sculpture are atop City Lights Bookstore, half a block away.

Details are here. (Photo above via Steve Rhodes/Flickr. Thanks to the Book Bench for the tip.)--David E

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Football fans won't want to miss Wednesday, September 9. That evening at 7:30pm, Magers & Quinn Booksellers will be hosting not one, but two great football minds--Al Papas Jr. and Armand Peterson.

“Gophers Illustrated [by Al Papas Jr.] is the ultimate book on University of Minnesota football. It takes you through all the history and tradition of our program from the 1800’s right up to the stars of today. This book is a must for anyone who loves Gopher football.” --Tony Dungy

Armand Peterson’s Vikings Reader is the fascinating, yard-by-yard chronicle of fifty years of Vikings football from the perspective of the sportswriters and other commentators who were there as the stories unfolded. Through a wide range of regional articles, national columns, and book excerpts—all framed by Peterson’s own insightful narrative—this impressionistic history invites readers to relive the team's defining moments.

Details are here.--David E

This week's mnLIT Winner is Eric Vrooman's "Performance Review"

Eric Vrooman's "Performance Review" 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. Eric's story was chosen by memoirist Diana Joseph, one of our talented judges.

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 Eric's story.

Staff Picks

Two of our favorite books come out in paperback editions today. We've got big stacks of them in the store.

Roberto Bolano's magnum opus 2666 was published in paperback already, it's true. But the new edition is smaller, more manageable, and--let's be frank--cheaper. Now you have no excuse not to read the 2008 National Book Critics Circle's Best Book of the Year. Jonathan Lethem called it "a landmark in what’s possible for the novel as a form" (NYT).

Marilyn Robinson's novel Home was another NBCC nominee last year. Her story of a prodigal son's return also won the Orange Prize (2009) and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. It was named "Best Book of the Year" by the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Washington Post It's available in paperback today.--David E

A Book and a Beer Chaser

The next meeting of the Twin Cities' most unusual and interesting book club is Tuesday, September 8. Books & Bars meets at Bryant-Lake Bowl, 810 W Lake Street, in Minneapolis. Doors open at 6:00pm; the discussion begins at 7:00pm.

September's book is The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy. The novel tells the adventures of an American in 1950s Paris, determined to live life. “I had to tell someone how much I enjoyed The Dud Avocado. It made me laugh, scream, and guffaw (which, incidentally, is a great name for a law firm).”-–Groucho Marx

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.

A Party Hearty

Magers & Quinn celebrated 15 years of operation with a big party last night. Thanks to all who attended and wished us well. Below are some pictures. Click on any of the photos below to see a larger version or view the whole lot on our Facebook page.--David E

Louisville is Back

Earlier, I told you about flooding at the Louisville Public Library. Today, I'm happy to report that the city's main branch has opened, only 23 days after it was inundated and a full ten days ahead of schedule.

Details are here.--David E

Collector's Edition

We recently acquired a collector's edition of JK Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard. This limited edition copy is quite the presentation. To quote the publisher's blurb, "Tucked in its own case disguised as a wizarding textbook found in the Hogwarts library, the Collector's Edition includes an exclusive reproduction of J.K. Rowling's handwritten introduction, as well as 10 additional illustrations not found in the Standard Edition or the original. Opening the case reveals a velvet bag embroidered with J.K. Rowling’s signature, in which sits the piece de resistance: your very own copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, complete with metal skull, corners, and clasp; replica gemstones; and emerald ribbon. As a special gift for fans, the Collector's edition also includes a set of 10 ready-for-framing prints of J.K. Rowling's illustrations, enclosed in a velvet-lined pocket in the lid of the outer case."

They're not making these any longer, so if this tickles your fancy, act quickly. Quantities are limited--to one. Details are here.--David E

Backstage Pass

Oh, to be a fly on the backstage wall Wednesday, November 18. That's when Talking Volumes hosts not one, but two authors on the same evening. And it's quite the combo: dark master Stephen King and Audrey The Time Traveler's Wife Niffenegger.

The event is sold out, but if anyone is in the green room, please tell us what the preshow chatter is about.--David E

Norah Labiner at Magers & Quinn

Minneapolis' own Norah Labiner will be at Magers & Quinn Booksellers on Thursday, September 3, at 7:30pm, to read from her latest novel German for Travelers

Alternating between the great doctor’s household, the mysterious case of his patient Elsa Z., the rise of Nazi Germany, mid-century Detroit, and modern-day Berlin, this is a story about a girl whose dreams reveal the future, a family beset by ghosts, and the place that haunts them all.

Acclaimed for her ability to write “heartbreaking and vastly original tale[s] of literary intrigue” (Time Out New York), Norah Labiner is the author of three novels including German for Travelers, Our Sometime Sister, a finalist for the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award, and Miniatures, an American Library Association Notable Book, a Minnesota Book Award winner, and a selection for both the Minnesota Monthly and Utne Reader bookclubs. She lives in Minneapolis.

Curtain Up

Even though it doesn't yet have a storefront, Play by Play bookstore has already begun its mission to "build the theatre community in the Twin Cities, and provide a vital gathering place for artists and residents alike." They've just announced the "Table Read Book Club"--Monday, October 12, at 7:00pm (location to be announced). Each month, the club will discuss a play. October's selection is Neal LaBute's Some Girl(s). Members of the Walking Shadow Theatre Company, which will mount a production of the play in November, will attend the club.

There's a lot more in Play by Play's newsletter, including tips for theater administrators and actors and plans for a holiday artists bazaar. Read the whole newsletter here.--David E

Moving Forward

What would you do if your soulmate died, you lost your job, and you found yourself with your three young children depending on you along?

For most, it would be a struggle to survive, let alone "keep it together." Even putting one foot forward every day would become an epic act of bravery. One man defied these very circumstances, and managed to do much more than just survive in the years following his wife's death.

Terry Hitchcock, age 57 at the time, ran 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days. He traveled over 2,000 miles to bring awareness to the financial and emotional hardships faced by single parents and their children--everyday heroes who run quiet, yet extraordinary, daily marathons.

Meet the author and hear his story Wednesday, September 2, 7:30pm, at Magers & Quinn Booksellers.--David E

Readers Anonymous

The owner of the Edmonton Book Store recently discovered one book's previous owner's secret. An inconspicuous book of English poetry had been hollowed out to make room for a bottle of whiskey.

Details are here.--David E

Learn Something

This coming Thursday, August 27, at 7:30pm, Mahmoud El-Kati discusses his book The Hiptionary: A Survey of African American Speech Patterns with a Digest of Key Words and Phrases at Magers & Quinn Booksellers.

“Mahmoud El-Kati’s deep love of Black people is again manifest in his deep inquiry into the Black language--especially the global movement in language called Hip Hop. Don’t miss this book!”--Cornel West, Princeton University

Details are here.--David E

Twin Cities Book Festival Authors Announced

The Twin Cities Book Festival has announced some of the authors who will be reading at this year's event, and it's a list full of big names. Among the attendees will be

• Nicholson Baker (Vox, The Mezzanine)
• Robert Olen Butler (A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain, They Whisper)
• Lorrie Moore (Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?, Birds of America)
• Diane Ackerman (The Zookeeper's Wife, A Natural History of the Senses)
• Ruth Reichl (Not Becoming My Mother, Comfort Me with Apples)
• David Allen Sibley (The Sibley Guide to Birds, The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behaviour)
• Adam Zagajewski (Without End, A Defense of Ardor)
• Christian Bok (Pataphysics, Crystallography)

The TCBF will be Saturday, October 10, from 10:00am to 5:00pm, at the Minneapolis Technical College. It's free and open to the public. Don't miss it. Details are here.--David E

Instant Class

Deborah Bowness makes trompe l'oeil wallpapers. Her photorealistic designs include chairs, lamps, and books, so you can get a library without all that difficult reading. If those are too high falutin' for you, she also does a nifty pattern of filing cabinets.

Thanks to New York Times for the catch.--David E

I Might Actually Buy That

It's a strange day when Yale University Press appears in the New York Times' blog The Moment, which more often chronicles $600 Armani tshirts and other such nonessentials. But that's just what happened today when the blog posted an item about Lived in London: Blue Plaques and The Stories Behind Them. The book, out this week from YUP, is a guidebook--albeit a 10x11", seven-pound guidebook--to the ubiquitous historical markers that can make a stroll down even the lowliest London street into a delightful history lesson.

The full posting is here.--David E

If You Plan to Motor West...

Denver is hoping that fans of the Beat poets will stop by their fair city. To encourage that, they've posted a Beat Poetry Driving Tour. The sights include the hotel where Neal Cassady met his wife and the site of the department store where Cassady and Kerouac spent a summer working. In fact, most of the stops on the tour have to do with Neal Cassady, a Denver native, though Kerouac and Ginsberg make appearances as well.

The full tour is here.--David E

Nerd Alert

I'm probably late to the party with this news, but an announcement for Ken Burns' new book The National Parks: America's Best Idea alerted me to the companion PBS series. Six nights of rangers, parkitechture, and brown signage--what could be better? A coffee table book, that's what. The tome will be available September 8.

A preview of the series is below; more details are here. It starts September 27.--David E

That's Hot

How do you make a hundred-year-old novel appealing to today's readers? Japanese publisher Bunkasha is putting music stars on their covers, and they credit the stars with a ten-fold increase in sales. Natsume Soseki's novel Botchan, about a Tokyo teacher who moves to rural Japan and runs smack into the countryside's oldfashioned sterotypes and prejudices, got the 90210 treatment, complete with a winsome photo of Yuko Oshima of the pop group AKB48 (at right).

The full story is here.--David E