Book Club

Author Peter Ferry @ Book Club Meeting

2009-11-09T16:22:17Z

Tonight's Book Club meeting is a special one--author Peter Ferry will join us to discuss his meta-fictional book Travel Writing. Whether you loved the book, want to challenge the work or simply want to hear Ferry talk about the art of merging fiction and fact, the meeting promises to be an engaging and lively one. As always, 7:30pm at the Book Cellar, 4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave. We look forward to seeing many of you there.

Do You Like Free Books?

2009-11-06T19:48:47Z

Yeah, of course you do. The University of Chicago Press has just announced that they will begin offering one free e-book each month, starting today. This month's book of choice is the 2,000-some-year-old The Birthday Book by Roman scholar Censorinus. As described by the London Review of Books, The Birthday Book "distills the wisdom of several strains of philosophy, extracting whatever seems to have any bearing on births, days and birthdays: theories of the origin of the human species, the formation of the individual foetus, the principles of astrology, the ages of man, the nature of time, eons, centuries, years, months, days and hours." In other words, a nice, light read for your daily commute. (Oh, come on. This is the U of C. Did you really think it would be something you can buy at the airport?) Check back in December to see which gem of academia will be offered up gratis next.

The 2010 Book List

2009-11-06T04:22:26Z

The Gapers Block Book Club is ready for another year. For the 2010 book list, Veronica and I not only considered some of the most current reading suggestions from the group, but we also looked back at previous book suggestions that had not yet been selected. Once again, we thank everyone for their input.

And, the 11 finalists are:

January
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (Picador USA, 2002; 576 p.)
As she loses her husband to Parkinson's disease, Enid Lambert is determined to bring her adult children together for "one last Christmas." The Corrections is a winner of the National Book Award. (Born in Chicago.)

February
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields (Penguin, 1995; 361 p.)
This epic novel details the life of Daisy Goodwill from her birth in Manitoba in 1905 to her death nearly a century later. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. (Oak Park native.)

March
Red Azalea by Anchee Min (Anchor, 2006; 306 p.)
Red Azalea is Min's critically acclaimed memoir of growing up in the last years of Mao's China, ending with her emigration to the U.S. in 1984. (Earned MFA at the Art Institute of Chicago.)

April
Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh (Penguin, 2009; 302 p.)
Gang Leader for a Day is the powerful story of how a graduate sociology student at the University of Chicago befriended a leader of the Black Kings and gained unprecedented access to the inner working of Chicago's street gang and drug-dealing operations.

May
The Order of Odd-Fish by James Kennedy (Laurel Leaf Library, 2010; 416 p.)
Thirteen-year-old Jo lives with her Aunt Lily in California, but Jo and her aunt are taken to the fantastic world of Eldritch City, where Jo must discover who she is and fulfill her destiny. (Chicago resident.)

June
Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware (Pantheon, 2003; 380 p.)
At age 36, Jimmy Corrigan meets his father for the first time in this acclaimed first graphic novel by cartoonist Chris Ware. (Oak Park resident.)

July
The Wild Things by Dave Eggers (McSweeney's, 2009; 288 p.)
Novelization based on the children's book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and Spike Jonze's screenplay for the film based on the same. (Former Lake Forest resident.)

August
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan (Ballantine, 2008; 377 p.)
Fictional account of the true story of Mamah Borthwick Cheney and her love affair with architect Frank Lloyd Wright. (Oak Park native.)

September
Young Lonigan by James T. Farrell (Penguin, 2003; 224 p.)
Originally published in 1932, this is part one of the classic Studs Lonigan trilogy, which covers five months of Lonigan's life in 1916, when he is sixteen years old. (Chicago native.)

October
Chicago: A Novel by Alaa Al Aswany (Harper Perennial, 2009; 352 p.)
An ambitious story following a short period in the lives of several students and faculty at the University of Illinois in post-9/11 Chicago. (Former Chicago resident.)

November
The Cradle by Patrick Somerville (Little Brown, 2009; 203 p.)
Matthew Bishop leaves on an impossible quest to recover an antique cradle once belonging to his wife Marissa, who is pregnant with their first child, but his fool's errand becomes a journey of self-discovery as mysteries unfold and long-held secrets are revealed. (Chicago resident.)

Obama Honors Young Chicago Authors

2009-11-05T15:19:53Z

The Young Chicago Authors program will soon travel to Washington, D.C. to receive the 2009 Coming Up Taller Award, to be bestowed on them by Michelle Obama. The Coming Up Taller Award is a project of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities that recognizes and supports after-school and extra-curricular arts and humanities programs for children, honoring "programs that offer exceptional learning experiences in the arts and the humanities and that have a tangible effect on the lives of young people as evidenced through improved academic scores, enhanced life skills, and positive relationships with peers and adults." As written in their mission statement, YCA "encourages self-expression and literacy through creative writing, performance and publication," with programs geared toward ages 13-19 that feature, among other things, poetry slams, a female-oriented webzine called "GirlSpeak" and the opportunity to be published in their own print magazine "Say What." Says Dr. Robert Boone, founder of YCA, in a press release, "Young Chicago Authors is deeply honored to accept this award on behalf of all of the young people and teachers who have made creative writing a living part of Chicago." Congratulations to everyone who has put their time and hard work into the program--the award is undoubtedly well-deserved.

Adam Langer Good for Book Clubs

2009-11-03T15:38:23Z

Adam Langer, author of our own July 2005 selection Crossing California, gets some love in Booklist's Book Group blog where Neil Hollands calls him an author "who more people should be reading." Hollands gives a brief description of each of Langer's novels and his recent father-focused memoir, saying that his work is "easy to access, full of laughter, but worthy of careful examination as well." Having included Langer's work in our own Book Club, I wholeheartedly agree.

Great Books, Great Stories

2009-11-03T14:51:43Z

The Great Books Foundation, headquartered in Chicago, is holding its first annual Short Story Prize through The Common Review, their quarterly magazine of books and ideas. The first prize winner will take home $400 and have their story published; second prize will win $200 and third prize will be awarded $150. Judges include local author Achy Obejas, former Poetry magazine editor Joe Parisi and local journalist Danny Postel. Your story must be postmarked by January 31, 2010 to be considered for the contest and they are not accepting electronic submissions. Email tcr[at]greatbooks[dot]org or call 800-222-5870 for questions and information.

NaNoWriMo in the Chi

2009-11-02T18:38:21Z

National Novel Writing Month is upon us again and ChiWriMo, the Chicago chapter of the month-long novel writing spree, has got you covered with write-ins scheduled throughout the city every day of the month. If you can't make it to the write-ins in person, fret not as the website's online forums provide plenty of support at your convenience and their resources give much needed direction for the gigantic task. At the end of the month, head over to the Open Books space at 213 W. Institute Pl. for a 14 hour writing frenzy, complete with baked goods. Good luck to all of our local aspiring novelists this month!

Become a Part of Open Books

2009-11-02T18:18:51Z

Almost literally. Open Books's grand opening for the used bookstore and literacy center is just a few weeks away, but you can still get in on any of their numerous ways to become a part of their store. Dedicate a fireplace tile to a book or a person you love, buy a bookshelf in honor of a fabulous reader in your life, or make a donation by becoming an official Open Books member and get a load of goodies, including a nifty T-shirt and discounts on store merchandise. Then come to the store on November 21-22 for a rousing weekend of literary events to help celebrate the store's opening. Stay tuned for details on who and what will be going on that weekend.

Dave Eggers on The Wild Things, an Excerpt & a Review

2009-10-28T14:09:34Z

Over at the Guardian, Dave Eggers talks about novelizing a children's classic, how his version of The Wild Things diverges from the film adaptation and his love for Maurice Sendak:

So the book, I thought, would be a place where I could explore these and other ideas, and where I could bend the story toward my own interests a bit (the movie is much more Spike's than mine). Along the way the novel diverged significantly from the movie, and from Maurice's book, but all three share a basic outline - boy is confused about a home and world out of control, boy acts out, boy leaves home and becomes king of a herd of sentient beasts. And all three benefit from the pure, uncompromised vision of childhood that Maurice Sendak espoused and put on paper, again and again, in a stunning body of work that becomes more impressive and singular with every passing decade. He is the greatest living writer and illustrator of books for or about children, period, bar none, end of discussion. He also has a dog named Herman.

Continue reading the article for an excerpt from Eggers's novel and go here for the Guardian's analytical and thought-provoking review of the book.

Win a Copy of Her Fearful Symmetry

2009-10-26T17:47:28Z

Here's a chance to get your hands on one of the hot new reads for free: Regal Literary, Audrey Niffenegger's literary agency, is giving away 25 hardcover and 10 advanced reader's copies of the author's new book, Her Fearful Symmetry. All you have to do to enter is become a fan of the book on Facebook and send an email to hfs[at]regal-literary[dot]com with the subject line "Facebook Special Offer - I'm a fan!" by November 13. Does it get much better than free books, especially good free books? I think not. (Also, be sure to check out all of the interviews and videos of Audrey discussing her work on the FB page...there's some good information there.)

Event Spotlight: Rick Kogan & Charles Osgood @ Lincoln-Belmont Library

2009-10-26T14:00:47Z

On Thursday, Rick Kogan and Charles Osgood celebrate the release of Sidewalks (Volume II), the second volume of their collected Tribune columns and photographs. This book will be of particular interest to regular Book Club attendees as you might recall, several months ago, finding yourself on the business end of Osgood's exacting lens. No confirmation on whether we made it into the final cut, but regardless the book is sure to be a wonderful compendium of all things Chicago told in Kogan's inimitable voice and accompanied by Osgood's fine photography. Free at 7pm at the Lincoln-Belmont Branch Library, 1659 W. Melrose. Call 312-744-0166 for more information.

Interesting Newberry Donations

2009-10-23T17:39:14Z

Speaking of getting freaky, do you ever stop to wonder just how much those Newberry librarians go through to bring you an awesome book fair each year? What kinds of crazy reads they're forced to sort into one of their numerous categories? And how many of them are sex guides? Here, a librarian describes some favorite donations: "One is still in print, and can be purchased as a book alone, or in a deluxe set with book, video, and tube of massage oil. I have read the book and I have watched the video...[a]nd I can tell you something about sex you may not have known. People who have sex have very large hands, and they always spread them out flat right HERE, at waist level, whether it's a still photo or a scene in the video. Oh, and people having sex always stand, sit, or loll at a side angle to a camera, so their hands can stay just HERE. Sex, apparently, is a matter of getting really close and then holding your hands out flat just HERE." My question is, who's donating these kinds books? And why? Perhaps I don't want to know.

Superfreakonomics Too Freaky?

2009-10-23T17:28:10Z

The Onion AV Club gives Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner's Superfreakonomics a luke warm review, saying that "there's an artfulness missing this time around in their circuitous paths toward obvious conclusions like 'technology isn't always better' and 'men and women are different.' When they don't openly recycle material...it still feels stale..." Meanwhile, another AV Clubber takes issue with the duo's pondering on why more women don't opt to enter the glamorous and profitable career of high-end hooking:"What a stupid f***ing question, writers of Freakanomics. Do you ever consider humans when you're considering economics?...Hmm, maybe most woman don't become prostitutes because there are literally thousands upon thousands of other, less dangerous, more enjoyable, less degrading, more-long-term, less illegal careers they could be doing. Careers where they didn't have to shower 7-8 times a day." I haven't read the book and I can understand why someone would take issue such a question, but I can't help but read that as a tongue-in-cheek thought experiment. These are University of Chicago professors writing this book, after all, and at the U of C, the mind trumps reality any and every day.

New Shel Silverstein Audio Book

2009-10-23T15:29:24Z

Cory Doctorow reports that a new CD of Shel Silverstein poetry and music is being released. His take on the new material? "[T]his is some seriously awesome kids' music, full of Silverstein's flawless, legendary rhyme, his wicked humor, and some damned fine music and playing beneath it. It's fast, witty, and full of jokes that work on levels that can be appreciated by pre-verbal toddlers...by kids, and by adults, who will appreciate the snatches of extremely grown-up jokes woven into the whimsy."

Kanye to Be Third-Time Author

2009-10-22T18:19:56Z

Kanye West is a proud non-reader of books and yet he is about to publish his third. Yeah, I'm scratching my head at that one, too. The new book, Through the Wire, is described as a graphic memoir illustrating twelve of West's songs: "From his decision to drop out of college to pursue his dreams in music, through his days spent folding chinos at The Gap while struggling at night to make a name as a producer, through the pivotal car accident that eventually set him on the course to stardom and the epiphany of realizing exactly who he had become." Hmm...somehow I don't think I'll be lining up at the bookstore to purchase that when it comes out.