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We are so excited about tomorrow night’s launch party for Emily St. John Mandel’s new book, her second novel – THE SINGER’S GUN. Emily’s first novel, LAST NIGHT IN MONTREAL is now out in paperback and we have copies of both books for sale.
Here’s what our manager Stephanie had to say about the new book: “Mandel’s new novel, like LAST NIGHT IN MONTREAL, is practically bashful about how clever and well-constructed it is. So let me tell you. It has a subtle grace, marvelous characters, and places that are just as alive as the people. And like MONTREAL, there are many scenes and images from it that are still with me. I think I will never pass an glass-windowed office building without thinking about this book.”
And here’s what Emily herself has to say about Greenpoint, where she used to live and write:
I came upon Greenpoint by accident, at the beginning of 2003. I’d just come down from Montreal with two or three suitcases, not much money, no job, and no social security number—I was prone to impractical international migrations in my early twenties—and my sublet was only for two weeks. I needed an apartment.
On my third or fourth night in the city, I was talking to the waitresses at a certain Irish bar near the river—I knew most of them from the five months I’d lived in Manhattan during the previous year—on the theory that waitresses, perhaps especially waitresses who also happen to be illegal aliens, generally have need of cheap real estate and might have some tips on cheap-yet-not-unbelievably-dangerous neighborhoods. They suggested Williamsburg.
The next day I took the L Train to Brooklyn and wandered the unfamiliar stretch of Bedford Avenue in the February sunlight, looking for roommate-wanted flyers. I called the cheapest one, which turned out to not be in Williamsburg at all, but on a quiet corner in the northernmost part of Greenpoint. I moved in a week later. I could see Queens from my bedroom window.
I lived in Greenpoint for ten months, with a series of roommates and then with my boyfriend. I was working on my first novel—Last Night in Montreal was started in Canada, but Greenpoint was where I began working more seriously on completing a first draft. I liked the isolation of Greenpoint, the way the Manhattan skyline is visible at the end of certain streets. Years after moving away from the neighborhood, I find I’m back there all the time—I live in Park Slope now, but I visit WORD more often than any other bookstore.
Pretty fantastic, huh? Come meet Emily and hear her read from her wonderful new novel. There will be passports for all guests, and if you visit the right country…you might just win a prize. We’ll have wine and cupcakes too, hope you can join us to celebrate with this fine author and friend of WORD. (Facebook RSVP)
We definitely have something for everyone on our May events schedule. Seriously. Take a look! We’ve got scheduled appearances by 45 writers/illustrators/musicians over the next 30 days, including 13 author events (with representation by at least 12 indie presses) plus five running group sessions, four Gym Park storytimes, a three-pm Bananagrams tourney, two book club meetings and one fantastic opportunity to drink gin and whiskey with Daniel Handler/Lemony Snicket! (pictured above)
Here’s a brief rundown of the schedule, but be sure to check our complete May calendar with links to detailed individual web pages for each event:
Sunday, May 2, 6 pm: MOMMA SAID: Lies Our Mothers Told Us (And Some We Wish They Had) Get a head start on Mother’s Day with a laugh-out-loud lineup of funny folks, including Doree Shafirir, Jessica Grose, Piper Weiss, Gabe Delahaye, Julie Klausner + more great guests talking @ mom!
*The first full week of May is Emily Week at WORD with book launch parties for two Emily authors we love:
Tuesday, May 4, 7:30 pm: Launch Party for THE SINGER’S GUN with Emily St. John Mandel – Emily will read from her new book, answer questions, sign copies and give away some prizes too. Plus wine! No need to bring your passport, we’ll provide you with one on arrival…
Thursday, May 6, 7:30 pm: Launch Party for AND THE HEART SAYS WHATEVER with Emily Gould – We’ll celebrate with seriously fun drinks from Pernod (absinthe!) plus Perrier and probably beer too. Toast Emily as she reads from her new memoir and discusses the book with Matthew Perpetua of Fluxblog.
Saturday, May 8, 7:30 pm: Vol. 1 Brooklyn Reading Series at WORD – Featuring Chris Leo, RM O’Brien, Eric Paul and Jillian Weise. Hosted by Jason Diamond of Vol. 1 Brooklyn, a culture blog for the literary-minded.
Sunday, May 9, 4 pm: The Office of Blame Accountability-A Compendium of American Finger Pointing presented by Loudmouth
As the WORD basketball league prepares for their second season, we thought we’d share the infamous literary quiz that all players had to pass in order to play. Shouldn’t be too hard for you book nerds.
(And before anyone emails or comments to ask: no, sorry, we are closed to new players at this point. Keep an eye out for next year’s league!)
1. Name one Kurt Vonnegut novel.
2. Who wrote Great Expectations?
3. The Odyssey is a sequel to what?
4. Name a poet. Any poet.
5. What is your favorite bookstore?
Players were given instructions that there was more than one answer to the fifth question, even though they were sitting in WORD’s basement when they took the quiz. As such, the list of bookstores named reads like a Who’s Who of great bookstores. We thought we’d share it here in case anyone needed a list of bookstores to visit.
Thankfully, WORD got many votes. (We love you too!) Coming in second was The Strand. Third was a tie between Idlewild Books and Spoonbill & Sugartown.
Other NYC bookstores making the list:
(Might have been easier just to link to the list on the IBNYC’s website.)
Owing to the peripatetic nature of NYC residents, the list for bookstores outside NYC is even longer:
This week we got a delightful email about the travels of one of our canvas WORD bags, and we just have to share. From Melissa:
“HI! I’m Melissa’s WORD bag. She was nice enough to bring me on vacation to Mexico. I didn’t have a passport, so she just smuggled me in her carry-on.
“While in Mexico, I learned how to make floral arrangements on the bed.
“I also sat on the porch and enjoyed the view.
“No, WORD bag! Don’t jump!! Don’t be sad that vacation is over, WORD bag!”
Thanks, Melissa! Want a WORD bag of your very own to take around the world on adventures? You can buy the canvas one here and our new oversized green jute bag here. And then make sure you send in photos of your bag having fun overseas!
That’s right, it’s time for nerds who love basketball to rejoice, because the WORD basketball league has returned! We’re starting the season a bit earlier this year, with pre-season kicking off in April, so the start-up meetings are pretty soon.
As with last year, we will require the following from those who would like to play: 4 out of 5 answers correct on a relatively simple test of your literary knowledge, a self-assessment of your basketball skills, a list of requested teammates (if you have one), and a signed waiver. So you’ll need to come to one of the following meetings to take care of all of that:
Monday, March 15 at 7pm
Wednesday, March 17 at 7pm
Both meetings will be held in the basement of WORD. It is REQUIRED that you attend one of these two meetings if you want to play.
If you’d like to be involved, but have no interest in physical activity, that is fine! We definitely need people to help behind the scenes. In particular, we might need another ref and we definitely need people to help with keeping score and time. Also, one of our employees would like to start a nerd cheerleading squad. So if you’d like to join up without actually playing, just email stephanie at wordbrooklyn dot com.
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In 1762, after Samuel Johnson had already achieved fame, “[his] friend Sir Joshua Reynolds paid a visit of some weeks to his native country, Devonshire, in which he was accompanied by Johnson, who was much pleased with this jaunt…He was entertained at the seats of several noblemen and gentlemen in the West of England…At one of these seats Dr. Amyat, Physician in London…happened to meet him. In order to amuse him till dinner should be ready, he was taken out to walk in the garden. The master of the house, thinking it proper to introduce something scientifick into the conversation, addressed him thus:
‘Are you a botanist, Dr. Johnson?’
‘No, Sir, (answered Johnson,) I am not a botanist; and, should I wish to become a botanist, I must first turn myself into a reptile.’”
In other contexts Johnson did use the word reptile to refer to people who were creepy but it isn’t thought that he had a particular distain for botanists.
You may have seen the portrait of Samuel Johnson peering at a book in his hand. As the painting shows, he was quite nearsighted.
What Johnson meant was that with his shortsightedness he’d have to creep along the ground on all fours to be able to see those things that it is necessary for a botanist to see.
In so saying Samuel Johnson expressed the ancient etymology of the word reptile.
Although Samuel Johnson was celebrated for his dictionary published in 1755, he didn’t have a great reputation as an etymologist.
seems to have understood reptile though.
The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots tells us that rep meant to “creep” or “slink.” This root made it into Latin as repere meaning “to creep” then through French to English by 1393 as reptile, originally meaning any creeping or crawling animal.
Five days a week Charles Hodgson produces
Podictionary – the podcast for word lovers, Thursday episodes here at OUPblog. He’s also the author of several books including his latest
History of Wine Words – An Intoxicating Dictionary of Etymology from the Vineyard, Glass, and Bottle.
Photo by Flickr user Dan_DC.
So, you’ve probably heard by now: the G train isn’t going to be running AT ALL for the next four weekends. From 10:30pm Friday to 5am Monday, starting this weekend, no G going anywhere. Which, if you’re a Greenpointer, effectively strands you here, unless you feel like walking to the L (blegh), taking the brand-new B62 (double blegh) or taking the sure-to-be-on-time shuttle buses that will replace the G.
We know. We were depressed too. But then we just decided to make our little corner of Greenpoint more awesome than usual to compensate! For the next four weekends, we’re going to do something special every Saturday and give you some more good reasons to love spending the weekend in Greenpoint.
This weekend, here’s what we’re featuring:
—Bananagrams tournament Saturday afternoon! Bananagrams in the basement this Saturday, 1/16, starting at 3pm. One of the most loved games in Greenpoint, tournament-style! Come if you’re an expert or if you’ve never played, because it’s easy to learn and there’s enough luck involved that anybody can compete. Or just come for the banana-themed baked goods.
—Bananagrams discount! Saturday 1/16 and Sunday 1/17 only, 10% off your very own Bananagrams. You will not regret it, we promise.
—Stay-at-home book discount! All weekend, we’ll have a table of books worth staying home with: a few great novels, a few DIY and craft books, and so on. All books on the table will be 10% off.
—MetroCard raffle! All weekend, buy raffle tickets for $1 each to win a $20 MetroCard, which you’ll be able to use from your favorite neighborhood again someday, we’re sure. All proceeds from the raffle will go to the Greenpoint Food Pantry.
We’ve got more tricks up our collective sleeve for the next three weekends, but let us know if you have any ideas—we’d love to hear what else you’d like us to do.
Thanks so much to everyone who came out last night! Pictures to come on our Flickr shortly. For now, just imagine our basement full of beautiful people laughing and smiling.
Without further ado, our four winning six-word writing memoir entries:
“Landlady still refuses prose for rent.” — Mikki Halpin
“Erotica: What’s another word for ‘penis?’” — Grace Bello
“Procrastinating on novel? Start a blog!” — Jake Roren
“Write without inhibition, edit rigorously, repeat.” — Erin McInnis
Is one of those entries yours? If so, email [email protected] toot sweet to claim your prize. Thanks to everyone who entered!
We’re starting off the new year with a solid schedule of events! There is a mix of book launches, readings and some special non-author programs too. All the details are on our calendar and here’s a summary of what’s coming up:
Tues. 1/5 at 7:30 pm: Launch Party for IT ALL CHANGED IN AN INSTANT: MORE SIX-WORD MEMOIRS - Hear from contributors to the latest book in the popular series from Smith Magazine, plus we’ll announce the winners of our own 6-WORD contest. All this, and wine too – join us!
Wed. 1/13 at 7:30 pm: Julie Powell will read from and discuss her new book, CLEAVING: A STORY OF MARRIAGE, MEAT AND OBSESSION.
Thurs. 1/14 at 7:30 pm: Witty Women Writers at WORD! Bloggers, performers and writers Sara Barron, Doree Shafrir and Claire Zulkey read from their humorous books.
Sat. 1/16 at 3 pm: Bananagrams in the Basement! We’re obsessed with this fast-paced anagram game – it’s like Scrabble without the board (or those pesky points). Join us for some afternoon Bananagrams WORD play…and some banana-themed edibles. Yum.
Wed. 1/20 at 7:30 pm: Esther Smith demos some of the fantastic crafting projects in her latest book, THE PAPER BRIDE. Great tips for brides-to-be, wedding planners or any crafty spirits.
Thurs. 1/21 at 8 pm: Join us at The Diamond Bar for an 80’s music mixer to celebrate our Between the Covers matchmaking board. All book lovers are invited to mingle (and dance, of course). DJ RUSSCOMM (who loves Bret Easton Ellis and went on two dates as a result of our matchmaking board) will spin the tunes. Drink specials, raffle prizes, and literary love jokes throughout the night.
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By: LaurenA,
on 11/19/2009
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If you haven’t already heard, unfriend is the New Oxford American Dictionary Word of the Year. In honor of this announcement, I surveyed Facebook users across the country about why they would choose to unfriend someone.
1. They’ve turned into a robot.
“People send me Green Patches all the time,” said Jane Kim, a television research assistant in NYC. “It’s annoying. And that’s all I ever get from them. Clearly, they’re not interested in actually being friends.”
That’s because your friends are robots, Jane. Marketing robots. These are the friends you never hear from except when they want you to join a cause, sign a petition, donate money, become a fan of a product, or otherwise promote something. Farmville robots are increasingly becoming problems as well, but are not yet grounds for unfriending.
2. You don’t know who they are.
“A few days ago, Facebook suggested I reconnect with a friend whose name I didn’t recognize,” said Jessica Kay, a lawyer in Kansas City. “She’d recently gotten married, but I hadn’t even known she was engaged. I’ll probably unfriend her later. Along with some random people I met at parties in college.”
“You’re tired of seeing [that mystery name] your newsfeed,” said Jonathan Evans, a contract specialist in Seattle. “You haven’t talked to that person since the random class you took together, and you’ll probably never talk to them again.”
3. They broke your heart.
Jonathan Lethem, author of Chronic City, shared that his number one reason to unfriend someone is “because they just broke up with you on Facebook.”
So, maybe they didn’t break your heart. But if the only reason you were friends on Facebook is because you two were somehow involved, it might be time to play some Beyoncé, crack open the Haagen-Dazs and click “Remove from Friends”.
4. You don’t like them anymore.
In the early years of Facebook, users would friend everyone their dorm, everyone from high school, and every person they had ever shared a sandbox with. But now, many people are finding they no longer like a number of their friends, and spend time creating limited profiles, customizing the newsfeed, and avoiding Facebook chat.
Teresa Hynes, a student at St. John’s University, pointed out that it’s silly to be concerned one of these people might find out you’ve unfriended them and get angry. “You are never going to see them again,” she said. “You don’t want to see them ever again. You hated them in high school. Your mass communications group project is over.”
5. Annoying status updates.
“I don’t want to see ‘So-and-so wishes it was over,’” said Andrew Varhol, a marketing manager in NYC. “Or the cheers of bandwagon sports fans—when suddenly someone’s, ‘Go Yankees! Go Jeter!’ Where were you before October?”
Excessive status updates are one example of Facebook abuse. Amy Labagh of powerHouse Books admits she is irritated by frequent updates. “It’s like they want you to think they’re cool,” she said, “but they’re not.”
A professor at NYU, agreed, and said he finds a number of these frequent updates to be “too bourgie.” “It’ll say something like, ‘So-and-so is drinking whatever in the beautiful scenery of some field.’ I mean, really?!”
The style and type of each update is also important. A number of users agree that song lyrics, poetry, and literary quotations can be extremely annoying. Updates with misspellings or lacking punctuation were also noted. “I once unfriended someone because they updated their statuses in all caps,” said Erin Meehan, a marketing associate in NYC.
6. Obnoxious photo uploads.
Everyone has a different idea about what photos are appropriate to post , but a popular complaint from Facebook users in their 20s concerned wedding and baby photos. “It’s just weird,” said a bartender in Manhattan. “I know that older people are joining now, but if you’re at the stage in your life when most the photos are of your kids, I mean, what are you doing on Facebook?”
“I think makeout photos are worse,” said his coworker. “My sister always posts photos of her and her boyfriend kissing. Sometimes I want to unfriend and unfamily her.”
Across the board, a number of users found partially nude photos, or images of someone flexing their muscles as grounds for unfriending. Another reason, as cited specifically by Margitte Kristjansson, graduate student at UC San Diego, could be if “they upload inappropriate pictures of their stab wounds.”
7. Clashing religious or political views.
“I can’t handle it when someone’s updates are always about Jesus,” said Robert Wilder, a writer in New York.
In the same vein, Phil Lee, lead singer of The Muskies, said he’s extremely irritated by “religious proselytizing and over-enthusiastic praise and Bible quoting. Often in all caps.”
An anonymous Brooklynite shared that he purged his Facebook account after the last Presidential election. “It was a big deal to me,” he said. “I found it hard to be friends with people who didn’t vote for Obama.” After which his friend added, “I voted for McKinney.”
8. “I wanted a free Whopper.”
In January, Burger King launched the Whopper Sacrifice application, which promised each Facebook user a free Whopper if they unfriended 10 people. It sounded simple enough, but if you chose to unfriend someone via the application, it sent a notification to that person, announcing they had been sacrificed for the burger. Burger King disabled the application within the month when the Whopper “proved to be stronger than 233,906 friendships.”
Since Facebook has made the home page much more customizable than it used to be, you might wonder, “Why unfriend when I can hide?” More and more, Facebook users are choosing to use limited profiles and editing their newsfeed so undesirable friends disappear from view. “I find lately I’m friending more people, then blocking them,” said Gary Ferrar, a magician in New York. “That way no one gets mad, no one’s feelings get hurt.”
Do you have another reason? Tell us about it!
By: Rebecca,
on 11/16/2009
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Birds are singing, the sun is shining and I am joyful first thing in the morning without caffeine. Why you ask? Because it is Word of the Year time (or WOTY as we refer to it around the office). Every year the New Oxford American Dictionary prepares for the holidays by making its biggest announcement of the year. This announcement is usually applauded by some and derided by others and the ongoing conversation it sparks is always a lot of fun, so I encourage you to let us know what you think in the comments.
Without further ado, the 2009 Word of the Year is: unfriend.
unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.
As in, “I decided to unfriend my roommate on Facebook after we had a fight.”
“It has both currency and potential longevity,” notes Christine Lindberg, Senior Lexicographer for Oxford’s US dictionary program. “In the online social networking context, its meaning is understood, so its adoption as a modern verb form makes this an interesting choice for Word of the Year. Most “un-” prefixed words are adjectives (unacceptable, unpleasant), and there are certainly some familiar “un-” verbs (uncap, unpack), but “unfriend” is different from the norm. It assumes a verb sense of “friend” that is really not used (at least not since maybe the 17th century!). Unfriend has real lex-appeal.”
Wondering what other new words were considered for the New Oxford American Dictionary 2009 Word of the Year? Check out the list below.
Technology
hashtag – a # [hash] sign added to a word or phrase that enables Twitter users to search for tweets (postings on the Twitter site) that contain similarly tagged items and view thematic sets
intexticated – distracted because texting on a cellphone while driving a vehicle
netbook – a small, very portable laptop computer with limited memory
paywall – a way of blocking access to a part of a website which is only available to paying subscribers
sexting – the sending of sexually explicit texts and pictures by cellphone
Economy
freemium – a business model in which some basic services are provided for free, with the aim of enticing users to pay for additional, premium features or content
funemployed – taking advantage of one’s newly unemployed status to have fun or pursue other interests
zombie bank – a financial institution whose liabilities are greater than its assets, but which continues to operate because of government support
Politics and Current Affairs
Ardi – (Ardipithecus ramidus) oldest known hominid, discovered in Ethiopia during the 1990s and announced to the public in 2009
birther – a conspiracy theorist who challenges President Obama’s birth certificate
choice mom – a person who chooses to be a single mother
death panel – a theoretical body that determines which patients deserve to live, when care is rationed
teabagger -a person, who protests President Obama’s tax policies and stimulus package, often through local demonstrations known as “Tea Party” protests (in allusion to the Boston Tea Party of 1773)
Environment
brown state – a US state that does not have strict environmental regulations
green state – a US state that has strict environmental regulations
ecotown - a town built and run on eco-friendly principles
Novelty Words
deleb – a dead celebrity
tramp stamp – a tattoo on the lower back, usually on a woman
Notable Word Clusters for 2009:
Twitter related:
Tweeps
Tweetup
Twitt
Twitterati
Twitterature
Twitterverse/sphere
Retweet
Twibe
Sweeple
Tweepish
Tweetaholic
Twittermob
Twitterhea |
Obamaisms:
Obamanomics
Obamarama
Obamasty
Obamacons
Obamanos
Obamanation
Obamafication
Obamamessiah
Obamamama
Obamaeur
Obamanator
Obamaland
Obamalicious
Obamacles
Obamania
Obamacracy
Obamanon
Obamalypse |
We know you have things to say. So we’re giving you TWO chances to do so:
Speak out about what you believe OR write about where you love. Or do both! We’ve got two events coming up in the next ten days that require YOUR words. Your voice. Your 2 cents. And you will be rewarded with prizes at both! Here’s the scoop:
It’s Obsolete! Or is it…?
Cursive writing, privacy, blind dates, body hair, getting lost, blackboards, wristwatches, writing letters, video stores and full words — these places, items and ideas are gone or slipping away from us, according to the new book Obsolete: An Encyclopedia of Once-Common Things Passing Us By.
What do you think? Come join our debate about the obsolescence of formerly everyday ideas and objects. Take a stand for or against the obsolescence of a particular item or idea that you are passionate about. Stop by the shop and take a look at the book or check out author Anna Jane Grossman’s OBSOLETE website, and then let us know what you want to speak about (1-2 minutes) at the event, which is this Thursday, November 12 at 7:30 pm.
Faye Penn of Brokelyn will moderate the debate and award the best debater with gift certificates from WORD and Permanent Records. Because books and vinyl aren’t obsolete…right?
Contact us via Facebook (write your debate topic on our wall), via twitter at @wordbrooklyn or via email: [email protected] — we guess you could call us or write to us too…if you still actually use a phone or paper. (That’s 718-383-0096 and 126 Franklin St. Brooklyn NY 11222)
Neighborhood by Neighborhood Essay Contest
Write some love for your favorite part of NYC and win a gift certificate to WORD plus an autographed copy of State by State!
On November 18th at 7:30 pm (during the First Independent Bookstore Week NYC), we’re hosting an event to celebrate the paperback release of State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America, a wonderful collection of essays from acclaimed writers, about the states they love.
We’re sponsoring a contest in the same spirit – called Neighborhood by Neighborhood — write an essay (500-1000 words) about your favorite neighborhood in New York City: from Washington Heights to Vinegar Hill to, of course – Greenpoint! Open to high school students and up. (We will pick student and adult winners in various categories, based on the entries we receive.)
Send submissions to [email protected] by November 12th to be entered. Winners get an autographed copy of the book, a gift certificate to WORD and a chance to read their piece at the event. You don’t need to be present to enter or win – so send your entry even if you can’t make it on Nov. 18th. We’d love to read your essay about your favorite NYC place.
The event will include a discussion about the book and the process of collaborating on the anthology with editor Sean Wilsey and writer Jed Lipinski. Facebook RSVP for this event here.
A funny thing happened when we put this book on the counter.
“Hahaha,” a customer would say, looking at the cover. “Hahahaha, it’s true! Hitchhikers are obsolete. Oh yeah, same thing with lickable stamps. Ha! Yeah, I haven’t gotten lost since I got my iPhone. And also…”
And then, always the same fateful pause.
“Wait!” the same customer would say, voice turning from amused to saddened. “Cursive writing is nor obsolete! I still write in cursive everyday! None of my friends do, but…”
This happened so many times that we lost count. Except insert writing letters, film, smoking, bald spots, books, arcades, and hyphenated last names for cursive writing in that last bit. The book is hilarious! And then, suddenly, not so funny. People feel compelled to defend their favorite obsolete things!
(In particular, we’ve noticed an astonishing number of customers who, under their breath, notify us that phone sex is most certainly NOT obsolete, thank you very much, and in fact it was alive and well in their apartment just two weeks previous. Which, wow, alrighty!)
Anyway, this has been so much fun for us that we decided to make an event out of it. A debating event! You’ll have the chance to defend your rapidly-obsolescing item in front of a crowd, and maybe even save it from extinction.
You can speak out in defense of:
–keeping plans (and making dates)
–niche publications
–photobooths
–thesauruses
–privacy
–dying of old age
–body hair
Or any of the other items in the encyclopedia! Just drop by the store to look through, RSVP on Facebook, or email [email protected] to save your spot (and your item). You can also get inspiration from the tumblr page for the book. See you there…unless maybe really fun book events are already obsolete?
Last night, we hosted author Rebecca Stead and her editor, Wendy Lamb for the latest installment in our YA NOT? series (a literary salon for not-so-young adults). They have the sort of editor-author relationship that makes us feel good about being in the book industry. This business is all about relationships, in many ways—our relationship with our customers, an author’s relationship with hir readers, and so on—but it all starts with the author and the editor. As they discussed quite a bit last night, every editor approaches each author a bit differently. And the approach that Wendy and Rebecca have taken together is, much like Rebecca’s books, magical and impressive.
Some highlights from their conversation last night:
—Rebecca talked about this TED talk with author Elizabeth Gilbert about inspiration, and mentioned an ancient idea that inspiration is a matter of “catching the serpent.” You have to reach up to grab it, and if you get its tail, you can reel it back in and make something with it, but if you miss it, it’s gone forever.
—Wendy, on how authors are like dogs: “Some authors are work dogs. They just keep working and working and working on a book until you just want to take it away from them before they mess it up. And other authors are like companion dogs. They need you to sit next to them and call them to see how they’re doing.” And Rebecca? Well, Wendy said she’s a lovely combination of the two.
—Rebecca, on why she writes for kids: “I love that children are still at a point where they are thinking about the big questions of life and trying to figure things out. They’re not jaded yet. I don’t think it would be possible for me to write for a jaded reader. I guess I can write for kids and adults having a mid-life crisis: people who are open to thinking about big ideas and wondering about life.”
—The best mail Rebecca has gotten in response to her latest book, When You Reach Me, is regarding a small idea in the book that she didn’t think most people would notice. She discusses the idea of a veil, that we all walk around with this invisible veil in front of our faces and go about our day, but every once in awhile it lifts up, and suddenly we can see the bigger picture, see the connections, and feel some peace about the way things are. ”A surprising number of kids are writing to me to tell me how much they identify with that idea. Which I think is very encouraging!”
Those are just a few snippets from last night’s conversation, which we loved almost (almost!) as much as we adore When You Reach Me and First Light. What about other folks who came out in the blustery rain? What was your favorite part?
Do you get our monthly newsletter? It’s the best way to receive the detailed scoop on what is new at the store each month. Our manager Stephanie puts together an all-around entertaining and very informative bulletin. We can only offer a mini version here at the blog, so to be sure you don’t miss out on the next one, please sign up for our newsletter here.
So, what’s up this month at WORD? We’ll tell you what’s going on at WORD. More events than you can shake a stick at! Go on, shake that stick all you want. The events will still be there. We’re having a cream puff contest and a clothing swap, we’re talking about dead rock stars and the genitalia of famous people, we’re hosting awesome authors like Lev Grossman and Frank Portman. And more. Much more.
The best place to grab details (besides our newsletter) is over at our events page. And another handy listing (with built-in RSVPs) can be found on our Facebook page. And of course we chat about the events often on Twitter. Finally, here’s a super quick, super short summary for our blog readers – beginning with tonight’s event:
-Sept 3: INDIE PRESS NIGHT with DZANC BOOKS five contributors read TONIGHT at 7:30 pm
-Sept 9: GASTRONOMY OF MARRIAGE LAUNCH & Cream Puff Contest! Launch event with debut author Michelle Maisto and Brooklyn Chowder Surfer Ben Sargent
-Sept 10: THE MAGICIANS with Lev Grossman, in conversation with Laura Miller of Salon
-Sept 13: Come visit us at booth #30 at the BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL!
-Sept 15: OPHELIA JOINED THE GROUP MAIDENS WHO DON’T FLOAT – Classic lit signs on to Facebook – Chat with author Sarah Schmelling & Kera Bolonik
-Sept 16: TAXI CONFIDENTIAL LAUNCH event with Greenpoint author Amy Braunschweiger (and cab driver guests!)
-Sept 17: CHEAP THRILLS NIGHT! Book Launch, Clothing Swap & Comedy too! with Lauren Weber, author of IN CHEAP WE TRUST
-Sept 19: YA NOT? with Frank Portman, author of ANDROMEDA KLEIN (4 pm)
-Sept 20: WORD PLAY Family Event! reading with Alastair Reid, author of OUNCE DICE TRICE (3 pm)
-Sept 22: A DEBATE OF HISTORIC PROPORTIONS at THE DIAMOND BAR w/ authors David Farley and Tony Perrottet (7 pm)
-Sept 24: TALK ABOUT ROCK: The Trials, Tribulations, Hardships & Half-truths in Writing about Rock & Roll
All events at 7:30 pm except where noted – We hope to see you at the store soon!
Our biggest announcement this month is that we’re starting a new program here at WORD. From now on, whenever you pre-order and pre-pay for a book before its release date, we’ll give you 10% off the cover price. Big fan of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies? Well, pre-order its follow-up, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, anytime up to a week before the release date on September 15, and get 10% off. (Not sure if you’d like Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters? Check out this hilarious book trailer, it’ll probably change your mind.)
But it’s not just literary mash-ups that you can get the discount on. There are a ton of new books from beloved authors coming out this fall, including:
Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger, author of one of Christine’s all-time favorites, The Time Traveler’s Wife. It comes out September 29, so order it by September 22.
Chronic City, by Jonathan Lethem, who seems to be one of the most beloved authors of WORD customers. Early readers of this book have loved it, saying that it does for Manhattan what Motherless Brooklyn did for our fair borough. Comes out October 13–order by October 6!
The Children’s Book, by A. S. Byatt, author of the obsession-making Possession. If you pre-order it by September 29, it’ll be in your hot little hands October 6.
And this just barely skims the surface of the big names releasing new books this fall; there’s also Margaret Atwood (Year of the Flood, September 22), John Irving (Last Night in Twisted River, October 27), Dave Eggers‘ re-telling of Where the Wild Things Are (The Wild Things, October 1), Lorrie Moore (A Gate at the Stairs, September 1). And, of course, Dan Brown of The DaVinci Code fame will finally release his newest book, The Lost Symbol, September 15.
While you consider which books you can’t live without this fall, don’t forget about the kids’ section! The sequel to Suzanne Collins‘ thrilling The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, comes out September 1. (Have you read The Hunger Games yet? You really should. There was almost a fistfight amongst WORD employees about who would get to read the advance copy of Catching Fire first.) The fabulous Kate DiCamillo is releasing a new book, The Magician’s Elephant, September 8. And to the unbridled glee of boys over the age of 8 everywhere, the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid (color: yellow) arrives October 12.
So make sure there’s one of each waiting for you behind the counter at WORD! Pre-order, pre-pay, and get 10% off. You can order in-store, call us at 718 383 0096 and do it over the phone, or email [email protected].
Actually this is a brain teaser question that was asked to me a few months ago. It just suddenly came out again in my mind and I decided to discuss this to you.
I also asked this question to some of my friends and out of 40, only 2 of my friends got it. They gave a lot of funny answers and when I told them the correct answer, they couldn’t believe that they did not get it. To tell you frankly, I also did not get the correct answer when this question was asked to me.
OK, too much of this experience sharing. I will tell you now the correct answer for this. I hope before you read the answer, you already have an answer too so you would know if you got it right. After the image is the correct answer.
Image via Wikipedia
The only word in English that is always pronounced incorrectly is the word “incorrectly“.
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By:
Christine Onorati,
on 7/18/2009
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We know you love our staff picks in the store (how else can we explain Cloud Atlas’s two-year streak on the WORD bestseller list?), but did you know that sometimes our staff picks go beyond our doors?
Kelly’s, above, is for Hothouse Flower and the Nine Flowers of Desire by Margot Berwin, a book she loved so much that the author is coming to read and sign at our Hot and Wicked Botanical Book Night this Tuesday! You can find this review in July’s Indie Next List in any independent bookstore in the country.
And Stephanie’s blurb for When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead is featured on a cardboard display made by the publisher to go next to the book. Good thing, too, since it’s her choice for the best middle grade novel of the year!
Convinced? Drop by the store to get your copies today! Actually, for Hothouse Flower, wait until Tuesday, that way you can meet the author. We’re so proud of these blurbs that the books will be in stock for quite some time, though in the case of When You Reach Me, the sooner, the better—we have a limited number of signed bookplates for copies purchased here. And as always, if you’re too far away to make it in, just email [email protected] and we’ll be happy to ship either or both out to you!
Have you seen the “Summer Reading” display in our window? It was created by the local collaborative group Hit Factorie, in partnership with the G-Train Salon – a series of emerging artists exhibits showcased near G Train subway stops!
Hit Factorie’s designs are inspired by immediacy, creating one Hit Book in one day. For “Summer Reading”, they produced a visual ode to summer literature, this time using the Hit Book they created to decorate several mannequins with bathing suits and tattoos inspired by reading and books. Here’s a quick look at how “Summer Reading” was created, from start to finish:
More photos of the creation process and finished installation can be seen here and here. (Thanks to Brock Shorno for the pictures!) You can learn more about Hit Factorie and the cool things they do at the G-Train Salon Reception we’ll be hosting at WORD on Thursday, July 23 from 7-9 pm. The Hit Factorie crew will discuss their process and create an inspired “Hit-Object” in collaboration with the audience. There will also be a small display of previous Hit Books that the group has made. You can see an archive here. Hope you can make it out for what is sure to be a fun interactive evening! (Facebook users can RSVP here.)
Finish out your week with a smile—read this delightful missive from Katherine Arathoon, member of The Elements of Style!
“When I first agreed to join a dodgeball team (don’t worry, it’s just a quick tangent), I thought I was signing up for kickball. ‘Sure, that sounds like fun,’ I said, forking over a hefty enrollment fee, and forgot about it. It was only 2 days before our first game that I remembered that dodgeball is actually two teams actively trying to pelt each other in the face with hard rubber balls. In an instant I was transported back to those terror-filled sessions in my elementary school days, and I called my roommate, Sanam, in a panic, shrieking, “I’ve just remembered what dodgeball is! I don’t want to play any more!” Accustomed to my histrionics, Sanam calmly informed me it was too late to get my fee back and I was damned well going to play. So play I did, and it turned out it was actually pretty fun. Teams were more evenly matched, now that everyone’s pituitary glands have for the most part leveled off, and there was beer after every game. Can’t argue with that!
“So, when the Mediabistro blurb popped up recommending Literary Basketball, I was intrigued. Sure, I’d hated basketball in high school gym, but if a girl like me can learn to tolerate dodgeball, she can do anything. Plus, the challenge of answering ‘literary questions’ in order to qualify was irresistible. I answered the questions, a handful of friends joined in as well, and one short introduction meeting later I was on the white team.
“The name picking began. We were team White, so early options included The Eebees, The Mocha Dicks, Charlotte’s Web of Domination, Great White Taupe, The Invisible Jam, and Midnight’s Children But With Basketball. However, several clear winners emerged from the fray, and after pushing Comma Sutra out of the way with deft aplomb, The Elements Of Style reigned supreme as our name of choice. The Strunks became unofficial team nickname, and ‘Sucks to your ass-mar!’ is our (as yet still unused in battle) team slogan.
“It was during this discussion that our noble team captain, Mark, came up with the brilliant plan of creating team t-shirts and using punctuation symbols instead of numbers on the back. There was a furious scramble to claim interrobang, and a question arose that remains unanswered to this day: does a dollar sign count as a punctuation mark? (In the end, cool factor won out over questionable verisimilitude on that particular issue.)
“So now we were named and marked, and ready for action. By this point I’d had enough fun and nerdiness that I scarcely cared about the looming first game. Sanam–now $anam–explained the basic rules to me on subway ride over, and I figured I was prepared enough.
“Two things I hadn’t anticipated:
“1) Basketball requires a lot of running. Like, a LOT of running. Fortunately we had a good showing of teammates that first game, because there was a steady rotation of subbing-out-before-my-heart-explodes. Some of us were a little hung over from the previous night’s adventures; some of us were just woefully out of shape. Safe to say, by game’s end most of us looked like teammate Mike in this picture.
“2) Despite the dramatic amounts of running, basketball is a lot of fun. Who knew? Much to my surprise, I was enjoying myself. And I was occasionally good at defense, which, for a total beginner, was very pleasing indeed.
“Most of all, my teammates proved to be just as awesome on-court as off; encouraging, hilarious, and in some instances enthusiastically clad in short-shorts. From ampersand to ellipses, from asterisk to exclamation point, I couldn’t ask for a better group. Week after week we have thundered up and down the court with great dexterity, generally taking a triumphant second-place in every game we play, and once even winning!
“(Here are two pictures of me with a few of my most magnificent Strunks, wearing the badass t-shirts that Ben made.)
“So, many, many thanks to WORD for organizing such a lovely literary league that has attracted such perspicacious people; I know where I’ll be doing my Christmas book shopping this year. And the basketball experience as a whole has reminded me not just to try out new things, but to re-visit old things as well. After all, if I find I now like dodgeball and love basketball, who knows: maybe it’s time to take another stab at Trigonometry?
Yours truly,
The Em Dash
(Katherine Arathoon)”
Ok folks, here’s the WORD from us today: We are having as awesome event this Thursday night – you should come. Seriously. No excuses.
Here’s the scoop on what we’re calling our night of Sangria, Sorbet & TROUBLE!
Acclaimed author and WORD friend Kate Christensen will be here to read from her new novel TROUBLE, a vibrant story of female friendship and midlife sexual awakening that takes place in NYC and Mexico City — a great summer read! Bonus special guest, literary diva Maud Newton, will join Kate for a discussion about the book. And the very best part? You can listen to the reading and conversation while sipping sangria and sampling a variety of snacks from local vendors – salsa & chips, sangria sorbet and Mexican chocolate cookies. (Local businesses working with us include Dandelion Wine, The Brooklyn Salsa Company & Wine Cellar Sorbets; plus we’re making the cookies from a recipe in Sarah Magid’s new book Organic & Chic – that we had an event for last week)
You can RSVP for the event on our Facebook page. Please do! We hope to see you this Thursday, June 18th - refreshments start at 7:30, reading & conversation begin at 8:00 with book signing to follow. It’s going to be fabulous, we hope you can join us.
Until then, learn a bit more about Kate in this short WORD Interview we did with her. She shares info about her next novel, which just happens to take place in a building located right here in Greenpoint.
1) Do you have a favorite WORD?
An ever-shifting tide of them. This morning’s pet word is LAPIDARY.
2) What WORDS do you live by?
“Let nothing human be foreign to me.”
3) What was the last book you read?
I’m in the middle of G.K. Chesterton’s THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY.
4) Any idea what you’ll read next?
DON QUIXOTE
5) What is the last book you bought someone as a gift?
I bought Julie Klam’s PLEASE EXCUSE MY DAUGHTER for my sister.
6) What are you working on now – anything you can tell share about your next project?
My next novel is called THE ASTRAL — yes, that Astral, the huge red ghetto castle on India Street. It’s about a 57-year-old male poet whose wife of 30 years has booted him out of their Astral apartment for writing love sonnets to imaginary women (she doesn’t buy the imaginary part). Their son is in a mind-control cult and is about to marry the female leader; Harry tries to rescue him in order to win his wife back, but of course nothing goes as planned…
7) We know you live in the neighborhood, do you have a favorite spot in Greenpoint that you can tell us about?
Besides WORD? I love McGolrick Park. It feels like a beautiful old Eastern European park tucked into North Brooklyn.
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We are so excited about tomorrow night’s launch party for Emily St. John Mandel’s new book, her second novel – THE SINGER’S GUN. Emily’s first novel, LAST NIGHT IN MONTREAL is now out in paperback and we have copies of both books for sale.
And here’s what Emily herself has to say about Greenpoint, where she used to live and write:
I lived in Greenpoint for ten months, with a series of roommates and then with my boyfriend. I was working on my first novel—Last Night in Montreal was started in Canada, but Greenpoint was where I began working more seriously on completing a first draft. I liked the isolation of Greenpoint, the way the Manhattan skyline is visible at the end of certain streets. Years after moving away from the neighborhood, I find I’m back there all the time—I live in Park Slope now, but I visit WORD more often than any other bookstore.
0 Comments on January Events at WORD as of 1/1/1900
Such a great event! Rebecca and Wendy have such a great relationship – I could have listened to them all night. Nice work, WORD!
It was terrific to be at WORD. You guys provide a room full of passionate readers/writers — there’s nothing better. Thank you!