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Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: independent bookstore, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 18 of 18
1. Love a Good Mystery?











It was a dark and stormy night when... two very good old friends of mine decided to chuck it all and move to Vermont. To do what, you inquire? Why, no mystery here-- to open a new bookstore. Yes, a new independent bookstore! (Oh, how much fun to write that!)

So if mysteries make your blood curdle, check it out-- it's called Mystery on Main Street, and it's located at 119 Main Street in Brattleboro. They've started a blog, too.

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2. Thanks L Magazine! We love Scrabble too.


We had a great listing in the L Magazine for our first monthly game night which happened last night.

Check it out here.

And from the turnout, obviously other Greenpointers like games too. Here are some pics from our packed Scrabble night. Each third Tuesday of the month at 7:30pm we will have some fun game thing going on, as always with free booze. We’re thinking Taboo for next month, what do you all think?

scrabble 1

scrabble 2

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3. Greenpoint’s literati


I just finished the new novel by Greenpoints’ own Kate Christensen called The Great Man. I realized half-way through that I was pretty wrapped up in it when I actually thought a customer in the store could have been Teddy, a character in the book. The book takes place in Greenpoint and the writing is so good, it’s hard not to picture these characters roaming the streets around WORD. I definitely recommend reading this one, especially if you’re a Greenpointer.

Yesterday I read an article about another Greenpoint writer, Anna Godberson, whose young adult book The Luxe is getting great reviews. I was happy to recognize her name as a customer here at WORD. I just ordered her book in and will check it out soon.

Watch your back Park Slope! Greenpoint’s writers are ready for a fight.

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4. Biro Drawing

Biro Drawing is the site of artist James Mylne, who uses Biro pens to create beautiful illustrations. Mylne also has a blog.
Take a sec to view his amazing work.

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5. Post-holiday wrap-up


Whew. What a great holiday season. You needed gifts? We sold them. You wanted boozy hot chocolate? We served it. You supported us in our first holiday season here at WORD and we thank you for it. We’re trying to get back into the swing of things, after several days sitting on the couch playing Guitar Hero. But we couldn’t let the holidays wither away without sharing our holiday card with you, it was sent to all our nearest and dearest and proclaimed the two things we were most thankful for in 2007: WORD and Wii. Enjoy!

xmas

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6. I just can’t help myself!


Remember a few days ago when I posted about the National Book Critics Circle blog, and the WOMAN (yes, she’s a woman, as am I, and there’s no reason I can’t call her that, it’s not sexist, just a fact) who called my store not independent because I carried books published by big publishers?

Well, our war of words has continued, and I just can’t stop myself from reading her posts and getting involved. Now another blogger has witnessed our war and taken my side. I will repost it here for effect:

“This post about the NBCC’s Best Recommended list debuting at bookstores is interesting, but the comments on the post really caught my attention. I’m sure to call down the wrath of the internet for even commenting on it, but I have to defend the independents from the first commenter Fran. I get that you’re upset to not have been published, but if this is how you talk to the local indies in your neighborhood, no wonder they won’t carry your book! I’d love to see her open her idea of an “independent” bookstore and see how long it lasts. Besides, is it really a crime to carry the books of Michael Chabon and Denis Johnson? Isn’t that throwing out the baby with the bath to suggest that all books from larger publishers are inherently bad? Maybe your books aren’t picked up because they’re no good! And I’ve got another statement that’s going to piss folks off: Far too many people think that they’re great writers these days. Anyone who’s stubbed their toe thinks they should write a memoir about it. It’s fine to write, go for it, but everyone shouldn’t expect to get published. There’s just no way. Rant over.”

Thanks Book Dwarf! I don’t know you but I can tell you are sane and reasonable, and not a literary asshole in the least bit.

Oh, and to make this story even better (if it can possibly get better) an adorable couple I met playing Bingo at Black Rabbit this past Sunday night have also become obsessed with my nemesis and have added their own comments the fray.

Here they are sharing a copy of George Saunder’s Braindead Megaphone in between Bingo games:

bingo

It’s all too good. And boy, it’s wasting WAY too much of my time.

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7. Customers who stick with me for life


As you know, I owned a small, half-used, half-new bookstore in Northport, Long Island for six years prior to moving to Brooklyn. Some of my best and most loyal customers still order from me on a regular basis, emailing or calling when they need something shipped to them.

One customer has used me as her personal shopper for the last several years, providing me with a list of her nieces and nephews, their ages and interests, and I come up with gift ideas for all of them. She would usually pick up the boatload of books on Christmas Eve when she traveled home to be with her family, but she moved to London this year so she won’t be home for Christmas. However, she still emailed me her ever-growing list and I have been wrapping and shipping books to her various family members all weekend. This is the kind of loyalty that really touches me, and makes me feel like all my hard work does often pay off.

PS: Sure, I’ll be your personal shopper too, just ask. That’s what I’m here for.

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8. A Day in the Life of Jonathan Lethem


We liked this piece in NY Magazine, we thought you might like it too.

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9. A recommended list that reflects our tastes…

I find that the New York Times bestseller list often does not accurately reflect the books we sell here at WORD, so I was happy to see today that the National Book Critics Circle just launched their Most Recommended List, a monthly list of book recommendations compiled from votes cast by NBCC members as well as famous writers and critics. It seems more up our alley, so I will try to post it each month in the WHAT WE’RE READING section of this site. Check it out when you’re looking for recommendations for something new and exciting.

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10. Sondre Lerche

We saw him again last night.

sondre

We love him. You should too.

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11. Someone in Williamsburg loves us

2graf

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12. Our Halloween display gets some attention

I hope most of you saw our fun Halloween window display where we got to poke fun at some conservative windbags, namely Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage and Bill O’Reilly.  One of our loyal customers seemed to have liked it, and posted on his blog about it.
Since the timing was right, we had David Rees sign all the books (with fun comments in each) and we’re raffling them off for $1 to be donated to David’s favorite Adopt-a-Minefield charity. Come in now to enter the raffle!

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13. Regional book conference

Last weekend was the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association’s annual conference, so Vinnie and I spent the weekend (our 12th wedding anniversary!) in Baltimore.

As with any independent bookseller meeting, the morale boost is the best part of it all for me. I leave there with lots of hope and great ideas of how to improve my store, and I just hope now I’ll be able to find the time to implement them all. As always, please feel free to pass on your suggestions of things you would like to see here at WORD.

It was our first visit to Baltimore and even though we didn’t have time to see much of the city, we had a delicious dinner at a tapas restaurant called Pazo and really enjoyed visiting some local bookstores. One store that made us green with envy was Atomic Books, be sure to check it out if you get to Baltimore one day. They specialize in graphic books and comics, but have a great selection of lit mags and toys and just expanded to a second store around the corner called Atomic Pop. They are way cool and so is their website, and we hope one day we will be able to sell our stock online as they do. So much time, so little to do….

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14. Define-a-Thon

A brave group of 15 contestants participated in our first WORD Define-a-Thon last night, and everyone seemed to have a blast. Free beer was flowing to calm the nerves, and our grand prize winner of a $25 WORD Gift Certificate was Brianna McGurran. We’ll definitely make this a regular event here, so start brushing up on your definitions!

Our brave participants:

define1

Sipping and thinking…

define2

Our winner!

define3

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15. I’ve missed you!

To the THRONGS of people who read this blog, I’m sorry I’ve been so elusive lately. I’ve been seriously busy getting the store ready for all its October fabulousness, including five–count ‘em, FIVE!–book clubs, three amazing events (Mo Willems, the American Heritage Define-a-Thon and David Rees) and a major renovation of the store’s shelves and layout. Moleskines have finally arrived (whew, no more disappointed Moleskine fanatics!) and believe it or not, calendars and holiday cards are being received into inventory and waiting in the wings to be displayed. It’s crazy.

Last weekend we went to the Brooklyn Book Festival and had a great time meeting people and watching authors read and discuss their books. It was a book-lover’s paradise. We also watched a Define-a-Thon in action which was a total blast, and met the authors behind Brooklynites, another great event we will be hosting here at WORD on November 6th.  I will post pics from the festival as well as some photos of the store’s new look on my flickr site.

Hope you can stop in for a visit soon and check out all we’ve got going on!

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16. Huffington Post article

A friend just sent me this article on independent bookstores and I thought it was worth sharing. For the record, I totally would have known she was talking about Ian McEwan.

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17. Proyecto Latina, Tianguis, and Women Who Love Words



Tianguis books|libros 2003 S. Damen Chicago, IL 60608 www.tianguis.biz


Continuing with this month's focus on Chicago Latino literary life, this week's column will take a look at Proyecto Latina, one of its constituent groups , Tianguis, and one of its organizers, Irasema Gonzales.

About Proyecto Latina

Proyecto Latina is a collaborative between Teatro Luna, Tianguis, and Mariposa Atomica Ink. We are excited about showcasing Latina talent and are always seeking outgoing Latina poets and performers for our monthly open mic series. Proyecto Latina takes place the third Monday of every month. Its an open mic so everything's game: Poetry, spoken word, music, monologues, shorts y en el idioma que prefieras. And if you're too shy to get on stage come and be one of the lucky spectators.

Proyecto Latina -- Recent and upcoming performers/2007 Calendar

January 15th: Diane Herrera
February 19th: Luna Blues Machine
March 19th: Silvia Rivera
April 16th: Sylvia Manrique
May 20th: Paloma Martinez-Cruz
June 18th: Lisa Alvarado.........it's shameless self promotion, forgive me.

...more dates coming soon...

Proyecto Latina's 2006 featured performers were: Belinda Cervantes, Maritza Cervantes, Tanya Saracho, Norbella Peña, Teatro Luna w/ Piece of Ass, Diana Campos, Achy Obejas, Coya Paz, Lupe Martinez, Yolanda Cardenas, Diana Pando, Irasema Gonzalez, Magda Banda, and Alicia Ponce.

WANTED: LATINA TALENT


Know someone we should feature? Is it you? We are always looking for established and emerging talent. Is it your mom, sister, bff, novia or vecina? Drop us a line, send us a sample of your work to: proyectolatina at tianguis dot com. Or sign-up for the open mic and show us what you got.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It's a pleasure to talk to someone who's love of the written word is so deep and who's made a commitment to offer a literary showcase in the heart of the Mexican community here in Chicago. Tell us a little about yourself.

I was born and raised in Chicago. I began getting in trouble in fifth grade for reading books during class. Around the same time, I got the urge to write and began drafting stories in my notebooks. My parents noticed and when I was in 8th grade my dad bought me a typewriter for my birthday. I attended a public grammar school and a Catholic High School. Drama and writing activities at school were always my favorite outlets. In 1995, I entered Columbia College Chicago. Simply getting into college was a miracle since I had minimal guidance from my high school counselor, and as a first generation college student I was for the most part on my own.

I’m still a book lover and writer, and now also a blogger, and merchant. In 2006 I unveiled Tianguis, a cultural shop featuring books and work by Latino writers.

A few months later in January 2007 I helped co-found Proyecto Latina, a monthly open mic featuring emerging and established Latina talent. I meet with my writing group monthly for writing, chisme, and sangria, and in 2007 we published the chapbook, “Afternoon Wine: Vicios, Suenos y confesiones.”

My work also appeared in the anthology, “Between the Heart and the Land: Latina Poets in the Midwest, published by March Abrazo Press, 2000. I live with my wonderful husband and two cats in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. When I grow up I wanna be a mommy, live on a goat farm and get a dog—-and not necessarily in that order.

Irasema--Tell us about Tianguis. Some people would say: "A tea room in a Mexican neighborhood? No way!" What's your response to them?

Well, we are not exactly a tea room. I think the word tearoom carries a certain connotation of formal afternoon teas or elaborate tea ceremonies. I’ve incorporated what I enjoy the most from tea and books into my concept—it was the kind of place I always wanted to frequent.

I am by no means an official spokesperson but tea definitely has its role in Mexican culture. There is Lemongrass or te de limon, manzanilla or chamomile, jamaica or hisbiscus tea is used to make an agua fresca, which is really an ice tea. And I’ve always enjoyed te de canela with a touch of milk.

You also represent one of three groups that came together to found Proyecto Latina. Talk to us about those groups, how they came together, and the purpose and focus of the project.

When I first opened my store last year my friend, Diana Pando came to me with an idea that her and Coya Paz, from Teatro Luna had been talking about.

The idea was to have an open mic that would be by, for and all about Latina talent—we would feature established and emerging talent. I loved the idea and we’ve done it ever since. Every month we pick a Latina and we try to keep the features diverse, we’ve had actresses, musicians, comedians, poets, and writers. There is always eight open mic slots for interested participants. There are no hang-ups on language, the programming is bilingual and we’ve had Spanish, English and Portuguese work featured. Most recently we had a teacher that made a suggestion and ultimately inspired the chisme box.

That has been a really fun element to incorporate—people drop in anonymous chismes and we read them in between participants, the winning chisme gets posted on Proyecto Latina’s myspace account.

Who are the artists so far that have performed? Do you see a thread connecting their work? Is there a a general direction Proyecto Latina is attempting to forge? If so, what would that be, and how does that relate to the Chicago poetry/arts scene, and the Latino writing and arts community here in the city.

All the women that have been featured have such presented phenomenal work, they include emerging and established talent. Some of last years highlights included Achy Obejas, Coya Paz and Teatro Luna ensemble, Diana Campos, Silvia Rivera, the Luna Blues Machine, and Lupe Martinez.

As for a common thread connecting their work I would probably have to say its the seriousness which all the women, including performers and our audiences members take the work. Its great to hear and identify with each others work without there being hang-ups on language or cultural nuances.

As a former writing student that sat in classes where many times, I was the only Latina, its empowering and exciting to see so many of my peers making such wonderful contributions—it’s a monthly reminder that we are in good company. I am one to definitely encourage an artist to create their own opportunities instead of waiting for the mainstream’s approval or permission—I think Proyecto Latina can help encourage that. And perhaps the result of those efforts will mean more visibility, or the initiative of even more creative projects by Latinas in this city.

What's the importance of Latina space for the development and presentation of writing?

A Latina space is very important, it was something that was definitely missing. There are stories, songs, skits, that only we can tell. We hope to nurture and inspire others, and if nothing else at least provide an opportunity for fraternity and networking.

How would you say Proyecto Latina offers something different than the slam/spoken word scene, particularly as it seems that slam is now a pigeonhole for many writers of color?

Most if not all, of our feature performers are working on very exciting projects. I personally am always asking for demo cd’s or encouraging self-publication of chapbooks, or online blogs—anything to get our work out there. We are always making a ton of announcements about other events, we are most definitely a busy crowd. We are writers and artists of color but we’re not letting that hold us back.

Who would be in your dream line-up and why?

Hmmm, that’s a hard one. There is so much to pick from. Would this be a one hour event or a four day festival?

Where do you see Tianguis and Proyecto Latina ten years from now?

Tianguis will hopefully have more bookshelves, cover a lot more square footage, and have the resources stock more books and host more readings by Latino writers. Proyecto Latina will still take place the third Monday of every month, and a new generation of Latinas will be making their contributions.



bookshelf photo credit: Cindy Mosqueda aka Cindylu/www.loteriachicana.net


Irasema Gonzalez
Tianguis
books|libros
2003 S. Damen
Chicago, IL 60608
www.tianguis.biz


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

More news from Teatro Luna

For Immediate Release
May 29, 2007

Coya Paz (773.315.2575/ [email protected])

Teatro Luna and Jane Addams Hull-House Museum collaborate in

OYE - LISTEN!

a new performance series

Teatro Luna and Jane Addams Hull-House Museum join forces to showcase new works by emerging, Chicago-based performing artists. Curated by Teatro Luna’s Co-Artistic Directors/Co-Founders Coya Paz, Tanya Saracho, and Managing Director Carol Ng, this unique series, named OYE- LISTEN!, features 2 to 3 artists or performance groups each month, followed by a half-hour post-show discussion at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum.

This collaboration between Teatro Luna and Jane Addams Hull-House Museum aims to provide women artists of color a space to share personal stories and reflect on contemporary social issues facing their community. OYE- LISTEN! will be an opportunity for both professional and practicing performing artists who show extraordinary talent to share and exchange their work. By remaining true to the lives and experiences of women of color, this series creates bridges among Chicago ethnic communities.

Place: Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Residents’ Dinning Hall (800 S. Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60607)

Date: June 4, July 30, September 24, November 26 (Mondays)

Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm Performance, 8:30pm – 9:00pm Post-show discussion

Performing artists: Lani Montreal, Yolanda Nieves, Sandra Santiago-Posadas, Gesel Mason, Toni Asante Lightfoot, Anida Yoeu Ali, Cristal Sabbagh, Francis Allende-Pellot, and more!

This event is FREE.

Light refreshment will be provided at the event.

Reservations are recommended. Call Jane Addams Hull-House at 312.413.5353

***
About Jane Addams Hull-House Museum:


The Jane Addams Hull-House Museum is part of UIC College of Architecture and the Arts and serves as a dynamic memorial to social reformer and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jane Addams (1860-1935) and other resident social reformers whose work influenced the lives of their immigrant neighbors as well as national and international public policy. The Museum's exhibits and public programs preserves and develops the original Hull-House site for the continuation of the historic settlement house vision, linking research, education, and social engagement.

About Teatro Luna:



Teatro Luna is Chicago’s first and only all-Latina theater company. Founded by Tanya Saracho and Coya Paz in 2000, Teatro Luna is dedicated to expanding the range of Latina/Hispana representation on the Chicago stage and beyond. Previous shows include Generic Latina, Dejame Contarte, Kita y Fernanda, The Maria Chroniclesm Solo Latinas, S-e-x-Oh!, Quita Mitos, and Lunaticas.


Lisa Alvarado

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18. Help Tia Chucha!

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