The Written Nerd

Time for one o' them book reviews. ON CHESIL BEACH by Ian McEwan (Nan A. Talese, June 2007) I'm embarassed to say that I initially registered my opinions on this book before I'd really read it. My bookstore is signed up to be the New York City host of Powell's Out Of The Book project , a 23-minute documentary on McEwan and On Chesil Beach created by Powell's that will be shown at indie bookstores around the country in June and accompanied by panels, music, dramatic readings, and other shenanigans. That sneaky Dave Weich of Powell'swas in town filming some bits for the film at the Random House offices, and asked me if I'd like to be involved; being the ham I am (why do you think I host events??), I agreed. I neglected to mention that I was only halfway through the book, had never read any McEwan before, and that my sole experience with this literary celebrity was an interview he did with Zadie Smith in The Believer (and if she likes him, I thought, he can...

Off to a NAIBA meeting this morning, so may I just quickly direct your attention to: - BTW's listings of the schedule for ALL regional fall shows (including what I like to call NAIBA-Con, the show we'll be planning today). Find out when your region is meeting and get involved! - the Litblog Co-Op , which will be announcing the Spring 2007 Read This! title sometime today! We'll be discussing all three titles over the next several weeks -- stay tuned. - this piece in the Guardian (thanks to my London operative Sue Harris for the link) about a NEW indie bookstore making good in the land of amazon.uk and Waterstones. If they can do it... Man, the circus was a treat! Did you think of good literary circus references over the weekend? Thanks to David for reminding me of Lemony Snicket's CARNIVOROUS CARNIVAL -- I didn't see the Baudelaire's at Madision Square Garden, though. I realized recent Booksense bestseller WATER FOR ELEPHANTS would certainly fit. Would lo...

Friday is going to be a catch-all day on the blog: some weeks I may use it for longer musings, or for reviews, or for links if lots have accumulated since Monday. Today I can't stop thinking about the author event we had last night with Noah Lukeman's book A Dash Of Style , and his suggestion that your use of punctuation reveals something about you as a writer. Does my excessive use of dashes mean I'm a scattered thinker (or just a quick connection maker)? Does my reliance on exclamation marks in email mean I'm a teen drama queen or hungry for attention (or just passionate)? Does my obsession with parentheses mean that I feel I need to spell it out for the reader, or that I'm secretive, or just that there's a lot that needs to be fit into every sentence? Then again, almost anything can make me question myself... but only for a minute. More importantly, sharp-eyed reader and good friend to bookstores Miraida Morales has drawn my attention to an article in Ch...

Rest in peace, Mr. Vonnegut.

I'm going to try to make Wednesday book reviewing day around here. Even if I only get to talk about one book a week, that should more or less keep pace with my reading. I've got a bit of a backlog now, however, and only brief moments on Wednesday morning for blogging, so it may take me a little while to catch up. And today's book deserves a post all to itself. THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN'S UNION By Michael Chabon (HarperCollins, May 2007) I was one of the recipients of a kind and clever push to bloggers of this book by literary dean Chabon (whose book blurbs I always agree with, but whose AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND CLAY I admit I have never read, though it sounds like exactly the kind of book I would dig). I was a latecomer to the game and only got a signed bookplate, rather than a personalized book autograph -- still, it's nice of Mr. Chabon and his publisher to notice me. And it's nice of him to write the first great book I've read this year. Michae...

Here ya go -- weekly linkage. * Hey, here's a new twist on the doom-and-gloom indie bookstore closing story: Gothamist had a link to this story in the New York Post, confirming the rumors I'd been hearing that a Manhattan Barnes & Noble is actually closing (thanks to David for the tip). The end of the Astor Place branch will actually be a real loss to the New York bookstore scene; the store had an interesting and eclectic mix of books, including what several folks have told me was the largest and best poetry section of any B&N. And the comments on Gothamist indicate that it was a favorite haunt for impoverished NYU and Cooper Union students. Several factors are involved in its demise, of course, the most prominent of which is insanely rising NYC rents, the bane of any business trying to have a long life in this overpriced city. But I wonder if B&N's emphasis on volume and discounting rather than customer service contributed to this store's role as a pla...

Happy Easter! Here's the (quite literate) Easter sermon from my church, Old First in Brooklyn. ( Check out what our Rev has to say on the Atlantic Yards ; it's as close as he gets to fire and brimstone.) And here's a poem from one of my favorite poets - perfect for the month and for the day. Enjoy your eggs, family feasts, or just a day off Easter Communion Pure fasted faces draw unto this feast: God comes all sweetness to your Lenten lips. You striped in secret with breath-taking whips, Those crooked rough-scored chequers may be pieced To crosses meant for Jesu's; you whom the East With draught of thin and pursuant cold so nips Breathe Easter now; you serged fellowships, You vigil-keepers with low flames decreased, God shall o'er-brim the measures you have spent With oil of gladness, for sackcloth and frieze And the ever-fretting shirt of punishment Give myrrhy-threaded golden folds of ease. Your scarce-sheathed bones are weary of being bent: Lo, God shall...