Literary World at a Glance: 11/18/20

By Hannah Paige

News:

The Authors League Fund is accepting applications for writers who have been impacted by Covid to receive grant funds.

“Since 1917, the Authors League Fund has helped professional authors, journalists, poets, and dramatists who find themselves in financial need because of medical or health-related problems, temporary loss of income, or other misfortune.

Most of those we help suffer severe health problems but have inadequate insurance; some face eviction; many are older writers whose income has ceased through no fault of their own.

The Fund exists to help professional writers continue their careers with dignity by providing no-strings-attached “loans” to pay for pressing expenses. Repayment of this emergency support is not required.”

https://authorsleaguefund.org/

#BoxedOut Campaign still going strong

The campaign against Amazon to support and strengthen independent booksellers was launched in October. For more information on how to participate in the campaign, you can visit the American Booksellers Association website.

The New York Times also published a piece on the relevancy of this movement and why it’s important to keep this effort moving.

WordTech Communications LLC is holding a reading period for full-length poetry manuscripts.

Dates: November 1–December 31 (e-mail submission). Recent authors: Arlene Biala, Judith Brice, Rhina Espaillat, Charles Brice, Lee Herrick, George Keithley, Lehua Taitano. Publication in 2022. Guidelines: www.wordtechcommunications.com/deadline-list.htm.

Meet Me at 5 a.m. (A rotating list of resources for the dedicated writers)

One of the most important lessons for writers to learn in their study of the craft and their path to becoming a published author is to trust the work. The terrible sentence had to be written in order for you to write the one that makes you sit back in your chair, sip your coffee and say to yourself, “Wow, so that’s what it is to write. This is the magic of words.” Anne Lamott’s famous essay “Shitty First Drafts” is widely read by writers everywhere for a reason; its message is imperative to embrace.

In this week’s segment of Meet Me at 5 a.m., we look to a fantastic article in Poets & Writers about trusting the work. It is especially relevant during these times, when those of us in the creative fields can feel discouraged and unproductive. The guilt surrounding the unproductivity of artists during stressful times is abounding in conversations. I encourage my fellow writers to turn to pieces such as these, to be reminded to trust the work, and to have faith in themselves as creative people.

Literary World at a Glance: 10/28/20

By Hannah Paige

News

The New England Review’s Vermont Reading Series was held on October 10th. It featured four new poets: Sarah Wolfson, Sara London, Rahat Huda, and Emily Arnason Casey. The NER hosts many different reading series throughout the year and is proud to showcase new and established writers alike. Portions of the readings can be seen on their YouTube channel.

NER Announces their 2020 Award Winners

https://www.nereview.com/best-american-pushcart-and-more/

The Sun Journal recently released this interview with one of their authors: https://thesunmagazine.org/news/best-thing-about-fiction-john-holman

It is a celebration of fiction.

They are also open to submissions, so send this New England journal your work for consideration!

Meet Me at 5 a.m. (A rotating list of resources for the dedicated writers)

This week we’re introducing a new section to The Literary World at a Glance just for writers. No, you do not have to write at 5 a.m. to read this section, but being a writer is about being disciplined. Anyone can say they want to write a (insert here your chosen genre i.e novel, chapbook, book of essays, the next great Blockbuster screenplay, etc.) but to be a writer takes dedication. It takes drive and a willingness to work, constantly, and to learn always. You must come to the page every day. You must always be aware of the world around you. You must be adapting to the creative industry, and that means developing the kinds of skills that will help you along in your career as a writer. This new section aims to guide you (yes, you, the 5 a.m. writer, the 9 p.m. while your children sleep writer, the I-have-twenty-minutes-between-clients-writer) in becoming the best writer you can be. There will be technical resources and creative resources, articles, videos, prompts; as is always the rule with creating—nothing is off limits.

https://www.writermag.com/improve-your-writing/fiction/front-lines-emotional-white-space/

This fantastic essay featured recently in Writer’s Magazine emphasizes an age-old lesson of writers: an oldie but a goodie. Just because you’ve heard the “show don’t tell” advice for writing better fiction doesn’t mean it’s not something writers should always be aware of working on their craft.

Need some inspiration in hitting the page every day? Playing with writing prompts is a great way to flex those creative muscles. Poets & Writers posts new prompts regularly.

Here are their latest fiction and nonfiction prompts to get you back to the page:

Fiction

 “[Dad] pronounced the word ‘nudity’ as though a fruit fly had just flown into his mouth—he spat as he said it. The word mainly made me think of the potatoes whose jackets my mother peeled off every evening before she dropped them into the water,” writes Marieke Lucas Rijneveld in her debut novel, The Discomfort of Evening, translated from the Dutch by Michele Hutchison, which won the 2020 International Booker Prize.

The observations of the young narrator couple a unique perspective, one that actively accrues knowledge, with the power of setting the tone for and foreshadowing the novel’s eventual tragedy, threading through it a wire of tension and grief. As a character study, write a chapter through the eyes of a child. What is most urgent to this young mind, and how can the reader sense through the subtext what is to come?

—Poets & Writers

Nonfiction

In Ten Meter Tower, a short film by Maximilien Van Aertryck and Axel Danielson featured in the New York Times, participants climb a ladder to a ten-meter-high diving board at a public pool, calculating their risks and fears before they decide to jump into the water or head back down to safety. The tight shot of the diving board, the self-motivating monologues, and the slow-motion recordings of the jumps are captivating.

“Our objective in making this film was something of a psychology experiment: We sought to capture people facing a difficult situation, to make a portrait of humans in doubt,” say the filmmakers.

Write a poem that imagines what thoughts and feelings would run through your head (and body) before and after a leap from the board into the water.”

—Poets & Writers

Hit the Road (Literary Travel Spots)

What better way to celebrate the Halloween season than taking a literary road trip to a place of particular inspiration for one of literature’s favorite spooky authors?

Salem, MA is perhaps the best city in the United States to celebrate this season of falling leaves, crisp days and supernatural stories. Nathanial Hawthorne is a leading writer in all-things-spooky, championing the kind of literature that was made for this time of year. He lived and worked in Salem, MA. The House of the Seven Gables, though never a home for Hawthorne himself, was frequented by him when he came to the house to visit his cousin. The home would come to be the inspiration and backdrop for his acclaimed novel The House of the Seven Gables. The site is still in existence today and is appreciated by Halloween and literature enthusiasts alike.

The Gables, as it’s fondly referred to, was built in 1668. Over the years, it has been owned by several different families, operating as a home, varying businesses, a school, and a home for immigrant education, inspired by Jane Addams’s Hull House. Now, the Gables has been converted into a well-known museum and seaside gardens. Throughout the year, it hosts events, lectures, and school programs.

The Gables can be visited virtually or in-person, as long as you purchase your tickets in advance.

https://7gables.org/visit/plan-your-visit/

There are plenty of other literary sites in Salem to see while you’re there. The city is teeming with bookshops and history. Stop in at one of the historic independent bookstores while you’re there! This editorial assistant is a fan of Colum McCann, in case anyone was wondering.

Independent Bookstores of New England Are Facing the Pandemic Head-On

By Tori Merkle

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected our world in innumerable ways, and independent bookstores have not been spared. On one hand, more people are staying in and reading. But closing doors for a few months has not been easy for all independent bookstores, many of which were already struggling to compete with major retailers.

Unfortunately, some treasured bookstores in New England have joined the large sum of small businesses that haven’t made it through. Sherman’s of Camden is among them, though they are relieved to leave behind another thriving bookstore, Owl & Turtle, which we have featured on Brilliant Light Publishing.

“Some of the towns, if we close, we would feel really bad because we believe in how important those bookstores are to the downtowns, and to the towns generally.” - Jeff Curtis, owner of Sherman’s Books & Stationary, on Penobscot Bay Pilot

We have also lost I AM Books, an Italian bookstore in Boston; Nubble Books in Biddeford, Maine; Book Outlet in North Hampton, New Hampshire; Annie’s Book Stop in Plainville, Massachusetts; and That Book Store in Wethersfield, Connecticut.

Though these closures are saddening, there have been some success stories. Frugal Bookstore, a black-owned bookstore in Boston, recovered from halted business thanks to a GoFundMe. Indie bookstores are also steadily fighting to stay in business, many of them now open with necessary adjustments and finding creative ways to operate in the era of Covid-19.

Many bookstores, for example, have created or amped up systems for remote orders. One such system is Bookshop, an online bookstore that supports indie bookstores by donating profits and enabling them to have their own online space. Along with increased online shopping comes increased online presence, and stores have taken that to heart, as well. They are becoming more active on social media and using newsletters like this one at Bartleby’s Wilmington and this one on at Bear Pond Books to provide regular updates and stay engaged with customers.

Author readings and book launches, too, have been altered to fit into our new reality. Independent bookstores are hosting these events online, and enabling online registration via Eventbrite, Crowdcast, Zoom, and other services. While these events won’t feel the same as seeing an author at your local bookstore, they do enable readers and fans to tune in from anywhere. Many virtual readings and talks are free to attend, and feature bestselling authors and exciting new indie books alike. These changes may actually boost event attendance, a win-win-win for authors, bookstores, and the readers that love them.  

Check out our Events page for some great options, or go to your favorite bookstore’s website and see what they have scheduled.

In addition to expanding their online presences, stores have instituted curbside pickup, shopping by appointment, and delivery to stay in business and help customers acquire much-needed quarantine reads. The upside to that? When you schedule a shopping appointment, you may have your favorite bookstore all to yourself for your allotted time. Even without appointments, limited store capacities offer a quiet, intimate atmosphere for you to browse and find your next read.

Stores have also recognized that the situation is a moving target: depending on how the pandemic evolves in their locale, stores have had to adjust their strategies. For example, Bear Pond Books in Montpelier, Vermont instituted backdoor pickup, local delivery, and free shipping as needed. For a time, pickup orders were the best tactic, but as case numbers increased, delivery became the safer alternative. Throughout the entire process, stores like Bear Pond have been excellent at remaining adaptive and figuring out how to serve their communities of booklovers.

See this post here.

Now, as many stores are opening again, bookstores have come up with innovative ways to engage with their visitors safely in person. For example, Brookline Booksmith in Boston, MA has put a lot of effort into making in-person shopping a safe and enjoyable experience. They have created a window for book pickups and reworked the layout of their store to provide more space for their flow of customers. Red arrows on the floor indicate which way shoppers should walk down each aisle, reducing cramped spaces and close passes. Like many stores, the bookshop has also added stickers to designate where customers should stand in the checkout line.

Photo by Tori Merkle

Photo by Tori Merkle

As a successful and beloved independent bookstore in the heart of Coolidge Corner, Brookline Booksmith was fortunate to be able to take these safety precautions further by expanding their space. They acquired the vacated storefront nearby, which used to hold a Verizon store, and set up another wing. The door, on the other side of the Dependable Cleaners, is exit-only, creating a one-way flow of foot traffic through the store. They have moved their registers to the new space to reduce crowding around the store entrance, where the registers used to be. The old registers are now an information desk, where staff members greet customers and tell them about the changes to the store.

Photo by Tori Merkle

Previously the checkout counter, this is now an information counter.

Photo by Tori Merkle

The new wing, including new shelves and registers protected by plexiglass.

Photo by Tori Merkle

Brookline Booksmith expansion, outside view. Original store to the right of the cleaners, new wing to the left.

Though not all independent bookstores have the resources to do as much as this Boston favorite has, it is heartening to see how so many stores have adapted to fit the needs of this new “normal.” Bookstores have really connected with their communities and worked out new ways to stay operational—means of functioning that are now tested, improved upon, and in their toolkit, should there be a second or third wave that demands readjusting.

Literary World at a Glance: 9/23/20

By Hannah Paige

News

The Independent Publishers of New England, together with Brilliant Light Publishing, L3C has concluded the jurying process for its Pandemic Grant. This grant is for writers who have at least one book published, and have financial needs / book services needs during these difficult times. We are happy to announce that the grant met with a very positive reception. Thank you to all across New England who contributed and got the word out to make this program a success.

The New Hampshire Writer’s Project has announced a new grant for struggling writers/independent bookstores affected by Covid. Apply through the link below. https://www.nhwritersproject.org/2020/07/28/a-potential-resource-for-writers-affected-by-covid-19/

The New England Independent Booksellers Association has announced their 2020 Book Award Finalists! Check out their website for the finalists in each category. Those interested can attend the Book Award Final event at the Fall Conference held this week. The annual Fall Conference will be held over Zoom September 21-25, where they will announced the winners.

https://newenglandbooks.org/page/book-awards

In sadder literary news…

I AM BOOKS, a bookstore in Boston’s North End is going out of business due to the pandemic. The toll of the Covid-19 pandemic has been too great for the North End’s Italian bookstore I AM BOOKS. While the bookstore’s website will remain open for ordering, the North End location will be closing its doors. On September 12, the store hosted a “goodbye event” for bibliophiles to pay their respects.

In these difficult times, independent bookstores need your help more than ever! This weekend, take a trip to a local New England bookstore and stock up on some books to enjoy in the fall weather! Support those booksellers so that we can keep reading and writing!

It’s Not Just Stephen King (Latest Releases You Might Not Know About)

Lands End, Gail Mazer

(August 5)

“In this comprehensive volume, Mazur (Forbidden City) demonstrates a remarkable mastery of poetic technique as she depicts human relationships in all of their ambiguities. These poems highlight both the arc of a career and the seamless unity within Mazur’s distinguished body of work.”

—Publishers Weekly

The Caretaker, Doon Arbus

(September 15, New Directions)

“Arbus’s sly debut novel (after Diane Arbus: A Chronology, a coauthored collection of her mother’s diary entries) explores the insular world of the late Dr. Charles Alexander Morgan—collector, chemist, philosopher, philanthropist, and all-around eccentric—whose legacy, consisting of hundreds of items ranging from seashells and coat hangers to a portrait by Albrecht Dürer and Morgan’s seminal masterpiece entitled simply Stuff, is overseen by a devoted and unnamed caretaker. . . Taking cues from tales by Kafka and Robert Walser, Arbus pulls off an unnerving feat of contemporary postmodernism.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Doon Arbus’s debut novel is a kind of mystery—about who we become, what the absent leave us with, and why. Dense, visual, and true, this short book speaks volumes about the theater of the mind, and how the ensuing comedic drama we call life unfolds inside and outside our control. A marvelous new voice.

—Hilton Als

Catch the author event this week! https://www.ndbooks.com/event/doon-arbus-in-conversation-with-hilton-als/#/

Also recently released from New Directions, a new essay collection Angels and Saints from Eliot Weinberger, who The New York Times calls “one of the world’s greatest essayists.”

Hit the Road (Literary Travel Spots)

In Haverhill, MA those interested in learning about the history of the books they have come to so cherish should seek out the Museum of Printing.

“The Museum of Printing is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the graphic arts, printing and typesetting technology, and printing craftsmanship.

In addition to many special collections and small exhibits, the Museum contains hundreds of antique printing, typesetting, and bindery machines, as well as a library of books and printing-related documents.”

(From the MoP website)

When reading, it’s easy to get lost in a good book’s story rather than think about what it took to get that book into your hands. The history of printing and book-making is one with a long lineage, stretching back to long before New England could boast of a rich reading community. Many might attribute the history of book-making to begin with Johansen Gutenberg and his invention of adjustable type mold that fit into the precursor to the modern printing press in the 15th century. But actually, people have been eager to find ways of documenting the world around them long before Gutenberg’s revolutionary change. People had been experimenting with paper making and printing techniques in China, Spain, and Ireland for centuries already. Slowly, word spread of this new technology and other countries began to utilize it. Most of what was printed in these early years of the printing press pertained to religious material, but eventually as the printing revolution progressed, more literature was widely produced.

When the Puritans landed in the New World, they brought with them the first printing press in the United States, introducing the Western idea of what we might consider a book to what would eventually become New England. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the mass paperback was born in England. Called “penny dreadfuls,” these short stories of the Gothic and Crime nature cost a penny and were immensely popular, coming over to the United States with time as what we would call “dime novels.” In comparison, these bear hardly any resemblance to the novels New England readers take pleasure in today, but that doesn’t discount their importance in the history of books and printing.

This is but an abbreviated history and has been condensed almost to sweet-milk status (baking season must be upon us soon.) If you’re interested in learning more about the lineage of printing, go check out the newly re-opened Museum of Printing in MA. More information about touring can be found on their website.

https://www.museumofprinting.org

Literary World at a Glance

By Hannah Paige

Welcome to BLP’s new bi-weekly blog featuring the latest noteworthy books, author news, occasional articles, and/or short published work of interest, literary travel suggestions, and perhaps more. Anything that could be of interest for those who delight in creation, who believe ardently in the written word, and who choose to spend their time learning more about the world they are a part of, can be found here.

If you’ve found your way to this site, you are part of the literary landscape. Perhaps you too are a coffee or tea connoisseur. Perhaps you spend hours reading when you should be doing laundry or cleaning out that closet you’ve allowed to metastasize . . . perhaps you worry it will overtake you one night when you tell yourself “just one more chapter.” Don’t worry, it won’t. Your faithful books will protect you from jealous sweaters, neglected pants and dresses you have been meaning to donate to Goodwill for months but haven’t because your favorite author just came out with a new book that, of course, you had to have. Perhaps you are a budding young writer, a budding old writer, age matters less than what you create with what you have lived. Perhaps you just want to know more about this “literary hub,” this world that seems out of reach for someone working as a nurse or a mechanic or a flight attendant. This isn’t true though. The literary world is not an elitist club, but a conglomeration of observations, a space for people to gather, write, and think about what their lives are in relation to what their world truly is. For lovers of words, this is the only way we know how to understand the world around us. If you are a lover of words, you belong here too.

Claudia Rankine wrote, “Not everything remembered is useful, but it all comes from the world to be stored in you.” Let us store things of substance, words themselves, knowledge of those that create, observations about the world, within ourselves. Let’s keep learning. Let’s create and learn more about those that create alongside us.

Hit the Road (Literary Travel Spots)

Let’s take our bibliophilic passions on the road. This week is featuring a virtual literary road trip. Virtually tour the Emily Dickinson museum/home and immerse yourself in the world of the famous poet herself. The museum is offering various workshops and activities on their website. It hosts events, resources, even a Spotify playlist inspired by Emily Dickinson. You can attend a virtual audio tour as well, while you wait for the museum to resume in-person tours. 

https://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/events-news/virtual-programming/

News

In the latest issue of The New Yorker, Ruth Franklin reviewed Maria Dahvana Headley’s new translation of Beowulf which “infuses the Old English poem with feminism and social-media slang.” The article is a consideration for the applicability of what some readers might consider “outdated” language, restoring a kind of faith in the study of classic works of literature. If Beowulf can be reimagined into a 2018 novel, then there are no bounds to the connections left to be made between contemporary life and the literature of the past. Is there a novel on the brink of existence which imagines Jane Austen’s social critiques as tweets? 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/08/31/a-beowulf-for-our-moment

Vanity Fair released a special issue with guest editor Ta-Nehisi Coates, author of The Beautiful Struggle, We Were Eight Years in Power, and Between the World and Me, as well as, The Water Dancer, a novel. The issue surrounds itself with the current Black Lives Matter movement, racism, and police brutality, uniting some of our time’s most provocative and emphatic writers of color on the subjects. It is a wealth of insight.

 “I have not yet watched George Floyd’s murder in its entirety, but I have seen enough of the genre to know the belief in black people as disaster, as calamity, as a Great Fire upon the city, has not yet waned.”  The issue also includes work from Kiese Laymon, author of the acclaimed memoir Heavy, and Jacqueline Woodson, author of the New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Red at the Bone.

https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2020/08/september-2020-issue-the-great-fire

Brown Bookshelf announced a call to action to publishers and readers alike to prioritize the work of Black authors. This included several suggestions to broaden the literary community and engage in an active push to end the biases against black writers. More information, as well as the Brown Bookshelf’s latest cover reveal for the book Unspeakable, which will debut in February.

“We, Black creators of books for young readers, urge the children’s literature community to imagine a new way of doing business, and abandon anti-Black and racist practices that perpetuate a system that marginalizes our work.”

https://thebrownbookshelf.com/2020/08/24/call-to-action/

It’s Not Just Stephen King (Latest Releases You Might Not Know About)

Nonfiction:

Original Politics: Making America Sacred Again, Glenn Aparicio Parry (June 16)

“From Parry’s perspective, Native American politics represent a sacred America, or a politics of the heart, syncing human needs with those of nature. . . There’s much to digest within this book, which links the ideals of early Native Americans to movements within American history, pinpointing Native peoples’ stamp of influence from the outset. Breaking with past tendencies, Original Politics revises approaches to history to center Native American traditions within it.” (So so so relevant now!!)

-Foreword Reviews

Poetry:

My Name is Immigrant, Wang Ping

Fiction:

Cuttle, Chelsea Britain (Sep 1)

"Poetic, captivating...a romance steeped in a vibrant personality's introspective genius" 

-Midwest Book Review

The Parasol Flower, Karen Quevillon (Aug 14)

The Runaways, Fatima Bhutto (Aug 18)

NEW Featured Poet and Independent Bookstore

We hope everyone is continuing to stay safe and well!

We’re happy to be sharing a new “Featured Poet” and “Featured Independent Bookstore.”

The beautiful coastal town of Camden, Maine is home to poet/naturalist Kristen Lindquist. Her poems are filled with images of the natural world and her community. Three collections of her poetry have been published, and she continues to write daily haiku poems, shared on her blog site — Book of Days.

Her most recent book, Tourists in the Known World: New and Selected Poems is available from Owl & Turtle Bookshop Cafe, also located in Camden, Maine.

Despite the current pandemic and social distancing challenges, Owl & Turtle are safely continuing to offer their friendly customer service and great selection of books. Sadly, you’ll have to provide your own coffee and baked goods — the cafe and bookstore doors are currently closed (look to their Facebook page for updates) but you can call or email to place your book order today!

Help Save Independent Bookstores

© The American Booksellers Association

© The American Booksellers Association

© The Book Industry Charitable Foundation

Online donations are now being accepted

#SaveIndieBookstores

Virtual Author and Poetry Events from New England Writers

Vermont Public Radio will be hosting four Vermont poets for a (virtual) evening of poetry.

Join host, Mitch Wertlieb, on Friday, April 24 at 6:00 p.m. when he’ll interview poets Didi Jackson, Major Jackson, Kerrin McCadden, and Elizabeth Powell about their work. You can tune-in for the live stream via Facebook by registering ahead of time for this event. Visit the Vermont Public Radio website for more information.

Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont (also located in Saratoga Springs, NY) will be hosting weekly virtual events using ZOOM. These password-protected live meet-ups will be hosted by event managers Rachel Person and Dafydd Wood, every Thursday at 5pm. A different author will speak each week and participants will have the chance to interact with the authors and each other. Visit the Northshire Bookstore website for details.

Still North Books & Bar and Literary North will be having their very first virtual Open-Mic, this Sunday April 26th from 4 – 5:30 pm, also using ZOOM. 

Featured poets include April Ossmann, Laura Jean Binkley, Vievee Francis, Kristin Maffei, and Rena J. Mosteirin.

To participate as either a reader or a listener, you’ll need to visit the Literary North website to pre-register. The first 15 to sign up will be guaranteed a place in the line-up. Be prepared to read one, (non-epic length) poem.

Gibson’s Bookstore in Hanover, New Hampshire will be hosting a virtual event on Wednesday, April 29th at 6pm EST. The bookstore will be posting a link to a special video reading given by Maine author, Wesley McNair. The video was created by the author especially for Gibson’s (rural and unreliable Internet service prohibits using ZOOM for a live reading).

His latest book, Dwellers in the House of the Lord, is a book-length poem:

“Wesley McNair, one of today's finest storytellers in poetry or prose, attests to patience and perseverance, and an unwavering belief in compassion and reconciliation, even amidst the ugly politics of our time.”

 Questions can be submitted for Wesley ahead of the event via Gibson’s website.

How Does Your Local Bookstore Stay In Business During The Pandemic?

The Norwich Bookstore in Vermont Offering Book Order Pick Ups

© The Norwich Bookstore

COVID-19 has disrupted just about everything and adjusting to a new normal has been challenging for everyone. Some independent bookstores have come up with creative ways to stay in business during these “difficult times,” although their hours of operation may be limited.

Across New England, some stores are able to continue business via mail order and leaving their local customer purchases outside their door for pick-up. And some can deliver to their local customers. An online presence and the ability of staff to locate books for their customers has kept things moving.

Owl & Turtle in Camden, ME offer book home delivery service, media mail shipping, and curbside pick-up, waiving fees wherever possible.

© Owl & Turtle Bookshop Cafe

Until social distancing has been lifted in our communities, make use of your local bookstore’s website (and Indiebound.org) to place book orders. Be sure to check your bookstore’s website or Facebook page for their updates before calling.

Annual Newburyport Literary Festival

streaming live on April 25th and May 3rd

With the situation changing daily, author events and other social gatherings have been cancelled, but some authors and writing teachers are holding their events virtually. The Annual Newburyport Literary Festival will be held via the Internet, streaming live on April 25th and May 3rd.

To be sure your local bookstore will still be in business once usual operating hours return, please consider purchasing a store gift certificate or making a donation to a shop that is struggling.

award-winning, woman-owned independent bookstore, located in Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA

One local store in need of funding right now is the award-winning, woman-owned independent bookstore located in the Boston, MA neighborhood of Jamaica Plain – Papercuts JP.

Kate Layte opened Papercuts in 2014 after a decade working in the book industry. Her shop also publishes under their house imprint, Cutlass Press. The recent expansion of the store combined with the pandemic threatens their ability to remain open. Check them out online.

Continue to practice safe social distancing, wear a mask, and wash hands frequently!

Dolly Parton To Read Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney -- “Goodnight with Dolly”

If you have not yet heard, Dolly Parton will be reading bedtime stories to children online, as part of her Imagination Library project . The series, “Goodnight with Dolly” will begin Thursday, at 7pm ET – streaming on YouTube, with the first book in the series, The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper.

The Imagination Library has made over 130 million books available to children, since the project began in 1995 in Tennessee. Any child from birth to 5 years old is eligible to receive books. For school children who have had their school year disrupted by the pandemic, and for their parents coping with their home schedule, these online storybook readings will be a wonderful time of sharing.

Other books in the 10-week series are:

There's a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake by Loren Long

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

I Am a Rainbow by Dolly Parton

Pass It On by Sophy Henn

Stand Tall Molly Lou Mellon by Patty Lovell

Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen

Max & The Tag-Along Moon by Floyd Cooper

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

© Viking Books for Young Readers

Llama Llama Red Pajama was written by Vermont children’s book author, Anna Dewdney. Her popular read-aloud picture books brought joy to pre-school children everywhere, and sold more than 10 million copies. Sadly, Anna passed away in 2016.

Tune in to Dolly Parton’s YouTube stream and enjoy Anna Dewdney’s well-loved bedtime classic!

Best Poetry Book for 2019/2020

Love Poems from Vermont by Jon Meyer (Brilliant Light Publishing) has recently been awarded First Place in Poetry 2019/2020 by Readers Reviews Readers Choice Awards, and a Second Place Award in the Travel/Nature category. Also, Best Regional Book and Best North East Book for 2019/2020. (awards images)

The National Readers Choice Awards Reader Views is highly rated among top awards globally, and for this first collection of poems (soon to be followed by a second volume, Can Love Save the Planet?) we’re pleased to see such a positive reception.

Susan Violante, the Director of Contests had this to say:

“I knew I wanted to read Love Poems From Vermont by Jon Meyer as soon as I saw the book. It is a beautiful collection of pictures and poetry presented to readers in the perfect package.”

“The author did an amazing job expressing an array of different ways we can experience love through short poems, visuals, and insight and inspires readers to reflect their own love experiences while enjoying the beautiful pictures as the words linger within.”

Love Poems from Vermont serves as a treasure map to locate the visual and poetic delights that give Vermont its reputation as a haven for the soul. Like the intensity of fresh love where the lover thinks of the beloved night and day, each short poem will last long after you close the book, and prompt you to pick it up again.

With over 60 poignant poems in all, each is embedded in a color photo image of a beautiful place in Vermont. Jon receives each poem and then begins his search for the perfect photo image, to pair with the words. Love Poems from Vermont is the result of 16 years of attentive and dedicated writing, and much traveling.

Embark on an inspired Vermont road trip and discover a love of your own, either online at the author’s website, Indiebound.org, or at your local independent bookstore.

Maintaining Positive Mental Health During Strange Times

For those of us who are finding self-isolation and social distancing challenging to their mental well-being, we offer even more excellent books written by New England authors:

The Possibility Principle (Sounds True)

by Connecticut author and therapist, Mel Schwartz

Author, practicing psychotherapist, marriage counselor, speaker, corporate leadership and communications consultant, Mel Schwartz’s book, The Possibility Principle has broken new ground in illuminating the path to a more fulfilling life. His practice has embraced the emerging worldview of Quantum Physics, offering readers a revolutionary approach to integrating the core principles of quantum theory – inseparability, potentiality, and uncertainty. His writing and ideas are an accessible and practical method for personal empowerment.

Mel has jumped head first into the uncharted waters of human possibility, and surfaced with comprehensive tools to finding relief from personal suffering. He also has an excellent podcast to accompany his work and findings, and shares more practical and helpful tips. He invites listeners to contact him ahead of time with their challenges, and produces podcast episodes addressing them directly, using the concepts outlined in the book. He often invites a guest speaker as well. His latest episode: Staying Psychologically and Emotionally Resilient throughout This Pandemic is online now.

Forest Bathing Retreat: Find Wholeness in the Company of Trees (Storey Publishing)

by Massachusetts author, Hannah Fries

For those who are able to safely get themselves to the woods and nature, check out the suggestions found in Forest Bathing Retreat by New Hampshire native, (now settled in western Massachusetts) Hannah Fries. Spending time alone in the woods for meditation, inspiration and quiet time is nothing new, but recent scientific studies are finding this practice to have tremendous health benefits.

Many colorful forest photos are included in the book (and can be used as part of your quiet time if no woods are available to you) along with the author’s observations and guided mindfulness exercises. A curated selection of inspirational and cross-cultural writings round out a beautiful book offering the Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) as an invitation to you, to find fresh insights, inspiration, and well-being in the forest.

Hannah Fries is also an award-winning poet and editor and can be found online at, www.hannahfries.com.

Healing the Divide: Poems of Kindness and Connection (Green Writers Press)

edited by James Crews, Preface by Ted Kooser

Continuing to shelter in place and self-isolate with Healing the Divide: Poems of Kindness and Connection, edited by Vermont poet, James Crews, will keep you in a positive state of mind. This anthology was produced in order to move us past differences and closer to a united community: “what Dr. Martin Luther King called the “beloved community,” a place where we see each other as the neighbors we already are.”

Our current situation calls for honest heart-to-heart communication. Delivered in direct language from a poet’s pen, reading a poem or two daily from this collection will help calm the worry, and bring the focus back to humanity as family. Find inspiration and gratitude within the pages of this wonderful collection, as we ride this wave together. May we find relief in perpetual kindness!

New Book Recommendations -- Pages of History

We hope all are keeping well and making time to stay connected to family and friends. Here are a few recent updates to our lists of Recommended Authors; these are especially for those who are interested in history. We’re pleased to be including these excellent writers and recommending their new books!

Freedom Calling and The Edge of Freedom

by Dana Vacca

Rhode Island author, Dana Vacca, has recently published the second novel in her Freedom Calling Series, set in the American Civil War. The first book, Freedom Calling, is an inspiring story of two escaped slaves overcoming and prevailing in the face of adversity. Their determination to leave the war-torn South is felt in this page-turner filled with suspense, danger, forbidden romance, and a voyage at sea.

The sequel, The Edge of Freedom, continues their story with authentic, accurate history — a tale of violent loss and strong bonds of love that plumb the depths of heart and soul.

When the Irish Invaded Canada

by Christopher Klein

Massachusetts author Christopher Klein’s latest book, When the Irish Invaded Canada, is the untold story of Irish-American revolutionaries who, shortly after the American Civil War organized what sounds like a whiskey-inspired dream: to hold the British province of Canada hostage and ransom it for Ireland’s independence! Read to find that they were very serious, indeed…

Christopher is the author of four books and frequently contributes to History.com and many history-related magazines. He also gives informative talks, many of which can be found online.

Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project

by Jack Mayer

From Vermont, author Jack Mayer’s Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project is more than a Holocaust history. The book documents a group of young women -- students from Kansas who, upon learning the incredible and nearly forgotten story of Irena Sendler, write and perform a play re-enacting her heroism and compassion toward the children of the Warsaw ghetto.

The students later learn that Irena Sendler survived the war and is still alive. They contact her, begin a friendship, and go on to inspire and instill hope for future generations. After performing their play in Poland, Irena Sendler is brought to the attention of the Polish government, proclaimed a national hero, and nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Sixty percent of the royalties from the sale of Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project by Jack Mayer are donated to the Irena Sendler/Life in a Jar Foundation. The foundation promotes Irena Sendler’s legacy and encourages educators and students to emulate the project by focusing on unsung heroes in history to teach respect and understanding among all people, regardless of race, religion, or creed.

Skiing with Henry Knox: A Personal Journey Along Vermont’s Catamount Trail

Sam Brakeley

Vermont author and trail builder, Sam Brakeley’s Skiing with Henry Knox is the result of a personal crossroads in his relationship with his girlfriend. In completing the Catamount Trail, a 330-mile long ski trail running across Vermont from the Massachusetts border to Canada, he reached his decision, and shares his story.

In 1775, Knox undertook a similar winter journey, while retrieving dozens of artillery pieces from the recently captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain and dragging them 300 miles through snow and cold to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to help George Washington drive the entrenched British army from Boston.

Knox faced his own challenges in love, leaving behind a young pregnant wife. By exploring Knox's eighteenth-century physical and emotional journey while undertaking his own twenty-first-century trip on the Catamount Trail, Brakeley reminds us that history has many lessons to offer the living.

Please locate and order these books from your local bookstore or online via Indiebound.org.

Self-Isolate with a Good Book!

This is no joke. As the corona virus disrupts our towns and cities, voluntarily limiting our social interactions and self-isolation are the responsible thing to do. Protecting others, as well as ourselves from the virus is key to “flattening the curve” and not overwhelming medical resources.

In the last few weeks, many business and sports and entertainment events have been canceled, including poetry and author events. In its place, we suggest the company of an excellent book or collection of poetry written by a New England author!

New Hampshire author and mountain adventurer, Mark Synnott shares the incredible story of his fellow rock climbing friend, Alex Honnold, in his book The Impossible Climb (now in paperback from Dutton Publishing). The story centers around Alex’s astonishing free solo ascent of El Capitan's 3,000 feet of sheer granite:

“Synnott's personal history of his own obsession with climbing since he was a teenager--through professional climbing triumphs and defeats, and the dilemmas they render--makes this a deeply reported, enchanting revelation about living life to the fullest.”

Extremely risky, yet skillfully present, Alex’s astounding climbing accomplishment might serve as inspiration for challenging times ahead. Mark’s account of the events and emotions involved in such an ambitious climb will take your mind off of current events, and hopefully inspire us all to make the most of the moment.

As the weeks unfold, it is certain we will be provided with even more opportunities to be supportive of our friends, family, and neighbors. Keeping in mind it is best to keep yourself at a safe distance, and to wash hands after public activities, maintaining a cheerful attitude is a must.

Soon to be published by Rootstock Publishing (May 2020), Vermont author and positive psychology teacher Ginny Sassaman’s new book, Preaching Happiness: Creating a Just and Joyful World arrives just in time:

“Creating thriving, peaceful, and content personal lives, while creating conditions for maximum well-being for all humans, animals, and the planet, requires soul-deep transformation. Through a series of secular sermons on a wide range of happiness skills, this book teaches and encourages that transformation.” 

Ginny Sassaman is a co-founder, past president, and advisory board member of Gross National Happiness USA, and the creator of the Happiness Paradigm. Visit her blog for more of her uplifting and informative reading. Booksellers and libraries can order book copies directly from Rootstock Publishing. 

And why not treat self-isolation at home as a retreat? Some might find this prospect as challenging as Alex’s climb, but Massachusett’s author (by way of Scotland) and playright, Christian McEwen’s book, World Enough & Time: On Creativity and Slowing Down (Bauhan Publishing) suggests that quiet time and slowing down can open doors to sustained creativity. Over a period of ten years, she trained teachers to write their own poems as they passed the craft along to their students, and she continues to lead workshops on leading a slower, more present life:

 “World Enough & Time is aimed at the educated general reader, could be used as a creative primer, and will be of interest to creative writing students and artists in every genre.”

Her latest book, Legal Tender: Women & the Secret Life of Money was published in 2019. Read more on her website. 

For those craving even more adventure, without turning to Netflix, we suggest award-winning poet-naturalist and marine educator Elizabeth Bradfield’s new book, Toward Anarctica:

“documents and queries her work as a guide on ships in Antarctica, offering an incisive insider’s vision that challenges traditional tropes of The Last Continent.  Inspired by haibun, a form the 17th-century poetry Bashō invented to chronicle his journeys in remote Japan, Bradfield uses photographs, compressed prose, and short poems to examine our relationships to remoteness, discovery, expertise, awe, labor, temporary societies, tourism’s service economy, and “pure” landscapes. A complicated love letter, Toward Antarctica offers a unique view of one of the world’s most iconic wild places.”

However you choose to spend your time at home, please continue to take precautions and to take care of yourself in the process. The winter isolation many of us have already been experiencing may extend for at least a few more weeks. The days ahead could get weird, but with a calm mind and the perspective of others, provided through the eyes of a talented New England author and their latest books, you’ll pull through.

We invite you to have a look at even more author and book suggestions, listed in various categories in our “Recommended Poets/Writers” lists!

For a More Rewarding Children's Storytime, Read Aloud From a Physical Book

A new study, recently published in the journal Pediatrics, suggests that children engage with their parents more often when being read to from a physical children’s book, rather than when being read to from an electronic tablet. Although ebooks sell well, are less expensive, and take up less shelf space, the child’s overall experience is different from the physically page-turned, hand-held storybook.

Positive interactions, such as discussing images and content, and pointing to the characters in the story were observed between parents and their children during storytime with a real book. Non-verbal signs of bonding were also observed to have occurred more often than the electronic experience. Distractions that accompany ebook reading such as screen swiping, touching/clicking, and in some instances, sound effects, replaced opportunities where a parent and child might interact directly with each other and the book’s content, during the reading period observed.

According to Dr. Tiffany Munzer, a fellow in development behavioral pediatrics at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, “The print book is a really beautiful object in that each parent and child interacts differently over a print book. Parents know their children well and have to make it come alive for their child to create that magic.”

— from ABC News online: March 25, 2019

Find an engaging and entertaining real, physical children’s book by a New England author. Click on RECOMMENDED POETS/WRITERS: CHILDREN.

New Featured Writer/Poet: Laura C. Stevenson

Laura C. Stevenson is a scholar and writer living in Vermont. An award-winning author for young adults, she has written several books that take up the problem of disability, without compromising literary interest or excellence. Laura’s book review column, "One Minute Reviews" has appeared bi-weekly in Wilmington, Vermont’s Deerfield Valley News. The books reviewed in this series are available through Wilmington's Pettee Memorial Library, the Whitingham Free Public Library, and locally owned Bartleby's Books in Wilmington.

New Featured Writer/Poet: Lauren E. Wolk

Learn more about her writing and artwork by clicking the “Featured Poet/Writer” tab.

Lauren is an award-winning novelist, poet, visual artist, and Associate Director at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod, MA.  She is the author of the novels, Those Who Favor Fire (Random House), Wolf Hollow (Dutton/Penguin Random House) and Beyond the Bright Sea (Dutton/Penguin Random House).

Support For Vermont Public Radio

… comes from www.brilliantlightpublishing.com.

Brilliant Light Publishing receives a mention on Vermont Public Radio, along with our “Featured Independent Bookstore” — The Norwich Bookstore located in Norwich, Vermont. Thank you for supporting local independent booksellers.

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