is the book dead?

(via McNally Jackson Bookmongers)

A Look at Maira's Studio

Hey look! The Paris Review visits Maira Kalman's studio and chats with her.

"My work is all narrative, and it’s always word based, and speaks, really, to literature. This is my way of writing. I’m very connected to the feeling that I get from reading books, and the information I get from reading books, and the hopefulness I get from reading books—the text and handwriting, word becoming image."

We love her!

--Anna M.

The Garden Show

Every year we get excited about our participation in the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. It is a week surrounded by green: book covers and spines in all different shades of green, display gardens with elaborate landscaping and unique plants, or a whole hall full of house plants and seeds and bulbs. We gather energy in the months leading up to the show by picking out the newest and best garden books and remembering the old classics that we love to put in people's hands. The energy continues as we set up our booth, putting books on shelves, displaying gift items in pretty places, all around building a mini-University Book Store inside the Washington State Convention Center. But the real fun is when the show starts and crowds of people buzz around our booth, flipping through books and chatting and asking questions and sharing stories.

This year we are particularly hyped up for the show because we love the theme: "Once Upon a Time...Spectacular Gardens with Stories to Tell". The whole show is based off of gardens in literature! Display gardens will be inspired by classics like A Wrinkle in Time, Alice in Wonderland, Rapunzel, and the Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe. Even seminars will stick to literary themes. I personally can't wait for Colston Burrell's seminar called "Cultivating the Written Word: Books That Changed the Way We Garden." As a gardener and a book lover, I'm eager to hear what's on Colston's list. There will even be a "Sprout Stage" for little ones to get a start on their gardening skills and where you can find a selection of our favorite children garden books.

We hope you'll join us at the Garden Show this year, February 23-27 at the Washington State Convention Center. Come say hi in our booth, at the Sprout Stage or during the Book Signings outside of the seminar rooms.

--Anna, Events

The EBM on Writing it Real

It has been quite some time since we've updated you about our Espresso Book Machine. Despite our silence, you can rest easy knowing that Tera, Queen of all things Print-On-Demand, has been busy busy these past few months keeping up with our growing publishing capabilities. She's been designing book covers for authors publishing through the EBM, educating customers about our new printing technology, and hunting down out-of-print books to bring back to life.

She has also taken the time to interview with Sheila Bender's Writing it Real. Sheila interviewed Tera about the Espresso Book Machine in much detail. I just spent the past few minutes reading it, and I can tell you that I have much more in-depth knowledge of publishing, options for self-published authors, and the future of small publishing.

Click over to the interview, it will be a few minutes well spent.

Our Cookbook Section Can Help With Your Thanksgiving!

Still gathering your last minute thanksgiving recipes? Looking for something traditional, but just a bit different this year? Not to worry, here are some of the best recipes from our favorite cookbooks to help you decide what to make  for the holiday.

Kim O'Donnel's Dino Mash from The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook. I made this over the weekend and I won't make any other mash again. It's a wonderful mixture of roasted garlic, creamy potatoes and kale. That's right, kale! Sure, mashed potatoes are near perfect on their own, but trust me, the deep green of kale weaving through an otherwise clumpy white mess is just stunning. It adds the perfect visual oompf and the kale provides a wonderful chewy and hearty texture to the potatoes. (Hey! Check out Kim talking about these potatoes in the Huff Po's Meatless Monday Thanksgiving Project)

The Apple Galette from In My Green Kitchen. This rustic tart is perfect for a small Thanksgiving gathering. It calls for less apples than a pie, so you can forget spending hours chopping and peeling, but it is absolutely beautiful. You lay out the apples in a concentric circle on a buttery pie dough, then fold the dough over the edge of the fruit. Voila! Always a show stopper.

Ina Garten's Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. I always think a starter salad on Thanksgiving is a wonderful way to begin the big, heavy meal and this salad keeps to theme with squash, cranberries, walnuts and maple syrup. This squashy dish would also be a great stand in for the sweet potatoes, but if you are a sweet potato lover, you should try the Sweet Potato Lover's Cookbook.

Hope these suggestions help fill in some of your Thanksgiving day recipe blanks. Enjoy! (And be careful out there in the snow.)

--Anna, Events

Don't Miss Bilocal!

This year we are participating in a brand-new series called Bilocal, the first presentation of Essential Arts, a new arts organization founded by one of Seattle's literary arts greats, Bob Redmond. Essential Arts's mission is to develop creative work for the common good, with an eye on social impact.

Sitting here at my desk, going over our participation in the event, looking at the list of writers and drooling over the top notch chefs, I can already tell that Bilocal will fulfill Essential Art's mission perfectly. Every aspect of the evening, from the list of musicians to the graphic design gallery touches upon aspects of what "art" and "community" mean, and what those ideas mean to a diverse group of people.

Bilocal is two consecutive evenings (this fall in Seattle and next April in New Orleans) that draw together writers, filmmakers, chefs, musicians and visual artists from Seattle and New Orleans to celebrate and discuss the idea of community. Some of the writers on the line up include Jonathan Evison, Molly Wizenberg, David Rutledge, Dedra Johnson and Megan Kelso. Look for us there, representing the authors with their books.

Bilocal will be a unique and vibrant event, an important moment in Seattle's arts scene and an important "geographical mashup" with New Orleans. Proceeds from the event will benefit The Lens, promoting investigative journalism in the Gulf.

Come join us November 12th or 13th at Town Hall Seattle! (tickets here).

--Anna, Events

Ivan Doig

 

A classic came into our store the other day. No, it wasn't published by Penguin and it wasn't an beloved used copy of Great Expectations. It was Ivan Doig. 

There is no better reminder of the heart & soul of fiction writing than a man who writes his novels in longhand, reads them aloud with passion and character, builds relationships with the bookstores who sell his book and continues to draw captivated crowds and dedicated fans.

Thanks for a great event, Ivan!

A Poetry Break

So, you heard that W.S. Merwin was named the U.S. poet laureate, right? I'm pretty excited about this because it is so very well deserved. Every time I pick up his Pulitzer Prize winner, The Shadow of Sirius, while I'm hanging around the poetry section I read a different poem and with every poem, I am floored. I am not a poetry person. I love the idea of it, I love pretending I know who is who in poetry and what they are all about. But poetry is hard for me. It takes a lot of concentration and focus. It requires me to think real hard, outside of the box, and imagine.

All of this is to say that I connect with Merwin's poems and that surprises me and makes me happy. I think that you might be able to, as well.

Can we just sit and read one together?
**
**
Note

Remember how the naked soul
comes to language and at once knows
loss and distance and believing

then for a time it will not
run with its old freedom
like a light innocent of measure
but will hearken to how
one story becomes another
and will try to tell where
they have emerged from
and where they are heading
as though they were its own legend
running before the words and beyond them
naked and never looking back

through the noise of questions

--W.S. Merwin, Shadow of Sirius
**
**

Any interpretations of this poem are welcome in the comments.

--Anna, Events

What Books Do You Buy? (Part Two)

A little while ago I posted about the question of what books booksellers buy. More specifically, what books our staff can't help but own, books that are truly worth our precious, finite, at-home shelf space. You can read the first installment here, and the series continues below.

Interview #2 – Pam (Manager, New & Used Books)

A: [After pitching this whole blog post idea] So, what books do you have to buy?

P: Books that are going out of print.

A: So if you know you won't have another chance...

P: Exactly. And art books.

A: Books about artists, or books about making art?

P: Making art. Books I can take home and use. Actually, I do buy books about art. What I'm buying today are all books that are just so beautiful I can't say no. They're full of beautiful, beautiful art. I like to have books around that inspire me.

#3 – Jason (Used Books Buyer)

A: All right, so what books can you not help yourself around?

J: Roman History! That's my weak spot. Even new, even in hardcover, if I see something on Roman History I have to buy it.

A: Anything?

J: Actually, literally, pretty much anything.

A: That's really specific. Dude, how do I not know that about you? Is there anything else?

J: Well, I work at the used desk, so I buy a LOT of used books. I do get first look at a lot of what comes through here.

#4 – Natalie (New & Used Books)

N: You know, when I see a book that's just perfect for someone I know, that's when I just have to get it. Like that old used book we found about becoming a man? I saw it and I just thought of my friend Robert, who's not less of a man but could use some tips. I buy a lot of books for my dad- he knows what he likes, but he doesn't actually get them for himself. I buy tons of books for him.

A: That's sweet. All right, thanks.

N: Oh! And older children's books, for the illustrations.

A: Ha, that's actually what I said. All right, great.

N: [Walks away, then comes running back.] Wait! And used art books. 'Cause you know art books are so expensive? I shouldn't say that maybe, but they are. I just got a book for like $15 that would've been $50 or $75 new.

A: Whose art books have you gotten lately?

N: Richard Larter and Helmut Newton.

The Danger of a Single Story

Hello fiction lovers! Here's a little media for your mid-afternoon break.
Right now I'm reading Chimamanda Mgozi Adichie's The Thing Around Your Neck, which is a strong collection of short stories about men and women from Nigeria and America. Adichie is part of The New Yorker's 20 Under 40 Summer Fiction series and answers some questions here. Also, last year Adichie gave a TED talk called The Danger of a Single Story. A lot of the themes in the speech come up in her stories. Intersting to think about the stories around us...



Enjoy!
Anna, events

It's That Time of Year...

...for Vegetable Gardening! I've got my gloves and trowel out of the old bucket in the garage. The soil is tilled, the seeds are sprouting, the starts have been bought. I'm slowly nurturing my tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants to get used to this Seattle summer. Everything in my garden is going as planned. Of course, I couldn't have done it alone.

Each year, I add something new to my edible gardening repertoire and so, each year I pull out handy gardening books to keep my green thumb active. Here's the books I'll be referencing this year:

Edible Heirlooms by Bill Thorness is the must-have book for gardeners looking for tips on how to grow and find unique edible plants. Bill is a great writer and his book is a call for variety and diversity.

 Mcgee & Stuckey's The Bountiful Container A Container Garden Of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, And Edible Flowers 
is my go-to book for all container related information I may need. Whether you have a small apartment or a big deck, this book will tell  you how to make it work. It's an encyclopedia.

 Growing Your Own Vegetables by Carla Emery & Lorene Forkner is a great introductory book to grab when you have a nagging questions about a certain plant. It is easy to flip through and has basic information on how to grow most vegetables.

For us in the Northwest, Steve Solomon's Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades is a beautiful and resourceful guidebook to organic gardening at home. This 6th edition is up to date on the latest gardening trends and best practices.







Whether you are a seasoned gardener or new to the dirt, there is always a multitude of gardening books that can help you help your plants grow. Any favorites you have?

--Anna, events

A Visual Interlude

I have to admit, a big reason I love books so much is for their aesthetic appeal. Even before I worked in a bookstore, I was obsessed with the way spines lined up together, jagged and worn and colorful and pristine. Most trips I take to new cities include stops at the local bookstores to walk around and explore. At each stop I pick up a unique book, a personal souvenir to mark the memory or smell or emotion that each particular store gave me. It has turned into a very special collection.

Working day in and day out surrounded by books has only heightened my appreciation and love for the book as art. I love walking through the stacks and observing colors and fonts. I love shelving books and feeling the spine slip cozily into its right spot. I love setting up displays, piling books on top of each other. I love the distinctly different look of new books and used books. Here are some of my favorite images that celebrate all this beauty.

 

Bookstore, by Xavier Encinas

paperbacks, by payneandfranklin

 

  my favorite bookshop, by lochaven

  

book nook, by misterbisson

  

three books, by staceyds

  

browsing, by sweet potato anna (me)

 

SCIENCE, by dorkasaurus_rex

--Anna M.

What Better Way to Celebrate a Love of Books?

Images from our smashing event last night, celebrating the 40th Anniversary of 84 Charing Cross Rd. Days before, Pam and Brad took some time for one last practice (pictured above). All their hard work paid off with a huge crowd and teary eyes by the end. The sweet friendship between Helene and Frank was brought to life and the wonder, nostalgia, and connection that books bring was indeed emphasized. What better way to celebrate a love of books?

If you missed the event, stay tuned here for a video recording. Or, grab the book and revel in Helene and Frank's letters on your own.


Anna, in Events

A Peek Into our Story Time

Yesterday Les Gamins de Paris, a French immersion pre-school, stopped by our main branch to listen to Caitlin read the best in Kids picture books.  Caitlin livened up a Tuesday morning with transportation noises from Roadwork!, growls and songs from The Story of Growl, alternating train and shark sounds from Shark vs. Train and rhyming tongue-twisters from Bubble Trouble.

Did you know that we host a story time every week? More than that, actually. At our Main branch, we invite young'ns to read with us on Tuesday and Saturday. And at our Bellevue and Mill Creek stores, experienced story-time readers gather their best books and share them aloud with little ones every Thursday.

Come join the fun and bring your best train sounds!

In Remembrance

Yesterday a coworker set a New York Times Magazine article on my desk about the famed photographer Roman Vishniac and the impact he made with his camera in documenting the ‘vanishing world’ of Eastern European Jewish shtetls. The article in itself was fascinating—uncovering new evidence about where and how Vishniac took his photos, but where the article took me is what I want to talk about here. After reading about Vishniac’s photography, I went to the website for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and I found out that this week is Holocaust Remembrance week.

If there is one thing that I am sure Literature is good for, it is to immortalize moments of time through characters, plots and scenes we connect to. What better way to honor Holocaust Remembrance week than to share some of my favorite books that deal with this tragic moment in history?

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon may be more about the birth of comic books in the continuously modernizing United States, but at its core it is a Holocaust survivor novel. It is a novel about escape and rebirth. Remembering, forgetting, the American Dream, Immigration and American Judaism after WWII.

Any book by Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor himself, brings the haunting imagery of concentration camps alive. My favorite would have to be Night, which is also perhaps his most famous.

The moral dilemmas that unravel in Sophie’s Choice by William Styron give a female perspective to the Holocaust. Where is the line of right and wrong amidst such terror and dehumanization?

Finally, I would like to recommend W. G. Sebald’s The Emigrants, a portrait of four Jewish emigrants who live through exile, persecution and dislocation, all haunted by the impact of the Holocaust.

There are so many more Holocaust novels out there—are there particular ones that have touched you?

--Anna in Events

University Book Store and the Farmer's Market

This summer we have a growing series of events and chef demos in partnership with the Neighborhood Farmer’s Market Alliance. Last Saturday kicked it off when actress and cookbook author, Mariel Hemingway gave a cooking demo and signed her new book, Mariel’s Kitchen.





Our events team had a great time selling books outside next to stalls of leeks, lettuce, and peonies. Farmers Market shoppers crowded around the event space to listen to Mariel speak about healthy living and eating. The audience grew and grew as samples of spinach Swedish pancakes and eggs with spring greens were passed around. We are so excited to continue these events and hope you can join us for future ones!





Why not join us for one of the following upcoming events!

Friday • June 19• 4pm
Poppy Tooker
Crescent City Farmers Market
Phinney Ridge Farmer’s Market
67th and Phinney Avenue N

New Orleans cookbook writer and activist, Poppy Tooker will be giving a cooking demo and signing her new cookbook which raises funds for the Crescent City Farmers Market.
Plus Cajun Music by a bookstore staff member!


Sunday • June 28 • 10am – 2pm
10th Anniversary Berry Spectacular
West Seattle Farmer's Market, California Avenue SW & SW Alaska

The NFMA and the Junction association celebrate ten years of a thriving, vibrant farmers market with a huge blowout on market day. Come visit the University Book Store table for great bargains on a wide selection of berry and farmers market books!

Saturday • July 10 • 10am
Matthew Amster-Burton
Hungry Monkey: A Food Loving Father’s Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater
University District Farmer’s Market
University Way & NE 50th

Local food writer and blogger, Matthew Amster-Burton will be giving a cooking demo and signing his new book about raising a child to love food.