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 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!