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 Boswell Book Company 2559 North Downer Avenue at Webster Place Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211 (414) 332-1181, www.facebook.com/boswellbooks Our Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 am to 9 pm, Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm and we're always open at boswellbooks.com! |
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Boswell Book Company Newsletter Day 894, September 14, 2011 |
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Greetings!
Welcome back to the Boswell newsletter after a short hiatus. We've got a great collection of fall events for you, but before we get started, I wanted to catch you up on the new books we've been most excited about.
 All of Southeast Wisconsin is raving about The Art of Fielding (Little, Brown), by Chad Harbach. This Racine native has written a magnum opus centered on Westish College and one baseball that went awry. Critics are recalling John Irving, David Foster Wallace, and even Chaim Potok. The book is out of stock right now, but I advise you to put it on order with us and we'll get it in as fast as the website that doesn't think much of sales tax. Read Jim Higgins's piece in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. And here's the Michiko Kakutani review in the New York Times that sent the book into the stratosphere: "Chad Harbach's book The Art of Fielding is not only a wonderful baseball novel--it zooms immediately into the pantheon of classics...but it's also a magical, melancholy story about friendship and coming of age that marks the debut of an immensely talented writer." Publisher: $25.99, Boswell: $20.79.
 My favorite novel of late is Diana Abu-Jaber's Birds of Paradise (Norton) a novel about a broken family set in Miami during the recent real estate boom. Avis Muir is an architect in the kitchen, who builds acclaimed pastries from flours and fondants and candied decorations. Her husband, Brian, is a lawyer for one of the most respected developers in Miami, who helps create a new international hub of wealth and opulence. So why have they had so much trouble constructing a nuclear family? Abu-Jaber's novel of family dysfunction, cultural adaptation, and human resilience in the face of tragedy ponders the joys and limitations of family, friendship, and career with powerful results. Publisher: $25.95, Boswell: $20.76.
 That's just one of the Indie Next Picks for September, tabulated by the American Booksellers Association. But the #1 pick of September came out this week, and that is The Night Circus (Doubleday), by Erin Morgenstern (Doubleday). Jason, Sharon, and Stacie are all big fans of this debut novel. Here's Stacie's take: "When Celia and Marco are pitted against one another in a magicians' winner-takes-all battle, they are only children. Trained all their lives for something which they don't understand, with unwritten rules and nearly invisible instructors governing their every move, the one thing none of them could be prepared for was the magic of falling in love. This continuous dreamscape of a novel juggles a tale of fated characters with exquisite descriptions of a magical place where ice gardens grow, cloud mazes climb high into the sky, and wishes can come true." Morgenstern will read at Next Chapter on October 4, and at Oconomowoc's Books and Company on October 5. If you're going to one of these events, it's polite to buy it at the host store, but for everyone else... Publisher: $26.95, Boswell: $21.56.
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Lesley Kagen Revisits the O'Malley Sisters of Milwaukee, Tonight at 7 pm.
 Tonight, Wednesday, September 14, 7 pm, Lesley Kagen will read and discuss Good Graces, her novel that takes place the year after her breakthrough, Whistling in the Dark. The story starts with Sally O'Malley and her sister Margaret "Troo", living on the west side of Milwaukee around 1960. They've already been through a lot of t rauma. They moved off the farm to the city. Their dad died, and since Troo was playing peek-a-boo with him while he was driving, there are some guilt issues, and Troo is acting out. Continue reading about Good Graces on our recent blog post.
In addition to her two Milwaukee novels, Kagen has also written Land of a Hundred Wonders and Tomorrow River. Congratulations to Lesley Kagen on her latest success. Come celebrate at tonight's reading, at 7 pm. Bring your book club, or your own version of the Vliet Street gang. Read more about Kagen in this article from OnMilwaukee.com. |
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Wade Rouse is Doggone Funny! Laugh with Us on Thursday, Sept. 15, 7 pm.
 In this new collection, I'm Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship, critically acclaimed memoirist Wade Rouse has gathered some of America's best known humorists--authors, comedians, and actors--to offer biting commentary on what it means to share a life, and a heart, with a dog. This collection features uncanny insight and witty prose from Jen Lancaster, Rita Mae Brown, Laurie Notaro, W. Bruce  Cameron, and many others, including a foreword by Chelsea Handler's dog, Chunk. Sharon offers this praise: "Anyone who has ever adopted an animal, and found his furniture destroyed, while the newest member of the family worms his way into his heart, not to mention his bed, will enjoy this entertaining assortment of stories." A portion of the author's sales are being donated to the Humane Society of the United States.
Oh, and Stacie just told me that Wade's partner Gary will be dressed in a dog costume, collecting Wisconsin Humane Society donations. to be freed from his pen.
Don't forget, we have a few slots left in Wade's special writing workshop, taking place in the Boswell book discussion area on Friday evening, September 15, and continuing on Saturday, September 16. Wade Rouse will give you tips for giving yourself permission to find your writer's voice, share insider secrets of the publishing world and best of all, time to write! So what are you waiting for? Take that leap and move forward with your passion! $165 includes two days of class, refreshments, and a light lunch on Saturday. Call us at 414-332-1181 or email Stacie to reserve your slot. |
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We're Off to the Franklin Public Library on Monday, September 19, 5:30 pm, with Margaret Peterson Haddix.
 Margaret Peterson Haddix is the author of many critically acclaimed and popular YA and middle-grade novels, including The Missing series and the Shadow Children series. She's coming to the Franklin Public Library (9151 West Loomis Road) in conjunction with the publication of Torn, the 4th book in The Missing.
 Still reeling from their experiences in Roanoke in 1600, Jonah and Katherine arrive in 1611 only moments before a mutiny on Henry Hudson's ship in the icy waters of James Bay. But things are messed up: they've lost the real John Hudson (Henry's son), and they find what seems to be the fabled Northwest Passage--even though they are pretty sure that that route doesn't actually exist. Will this new version of history replace the real past? Is this the end of time as we know it? With more at stake than ever before, Jonah and Katherine struggle to unravel the mysteries of 1611 and the Hudson Passage...before everything they know is lost.
All our library events are free and open to the public. If you haven't been to the Franklin Public Library, it's close to Highway 100. For more information, call (414) 425-8214. Read more about our other kids events on this blog post. |
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Sophie Hannah Ponders the Curious Case of Three Women Accused of Killing their Children, on Monday, September 19, 7 pm.
In The Cradle in the Grave,  Fliss Benson, a TV producer, is slated to take the reins on a documentary about crib-death mothers wrongly accused of murder. The work done so far has exonerated three of the women, and the doctor who did her best to send them to prison for life, child protection zealot Dr Judith Duffy, is under investigation for misconduct. But, when one of the mothers is found dead and additional mysterious clues arise, the cases begin to hit a little too close to home.
 It's not often that British authors do regular book tours of the United States, particularly in the heartland, but Penguin has made regular events with fans part of their game plan for Sophie Hannah's success. We've had three reads of The Cradle in the Grave (Anne, Sharon, and myself) and all of us are looking forward to her visit. And like many of our authors (Christopher Buehlman is the most recent), Hannah first found success as a poet--her collection, Pessimism for Beginners, was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. I've ordered in a few of her books from Carcanet and have asked her to open and close her talk with some of her previous work.
In this blog post, I dissect The Cradle in the Grave, and show how like Kate Atkinson and Tana French, Hannah is trying to stretch the novel part of the mystery novel by playing with the roles of detectives and protagonists. On the following day, I contemplate why four of her five novels have been renamed as they moved from the British to the American market. Read her tweeted reply here. |
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Glimpses: Past--Present--Future. Poets Suzanne Rosenblatt, Bill Murtaugh, and Lucille Rosenberg on Wednesday, September 21, 7 pm.
Join three local writers and artists in exploring homegrown creativity with an evening of poetry, prose, and art with Glimpses: Past-Present-Future.
Suzanne Rosenblatt writes travel journals, poetry, blogs, and memoirs, performs with the Earth Poets and Musicians, paints sunrises on the beach, does tai chi and yoga, dances, bikes, gardens  organically, and is an environmental and political activist. Her publications include Shorelines and Three Ladies in Their Eighties.
Since William Murtaugh's first book, Autumn Runs to Darkness, he has completed two more volumes of poetry, a play, two screenplays, and a novel. He can be found reading at fashionable  coffee houses, bookstores, and establishments of drinking throughout Milwaukee.
Lucille Rosenberg, reading from her new chapbook Perspectives, is a writer of memoirs and poetry, her worldview formed by her childhood in Fond du Lac during the depression where she lived with her two siblings and immigrant parents in back of their ready-to-wear store. Twelve years ago she retired from her work as a pediatrician and child psychiatrist. She continues to be involved with community agencies dedicated to children and is a major supporter of the arts and social justice in Milwaukee. |
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Lisa McMann at the West Allis Library, Thursday, September 22, 4 pm.
 We're so excited about Lisa McMann's visit to Milwaukee for her new book, The Unwanteds. First of all, she's an ex-bookseller. It's nice to know that we can amount to something! Secondly, both Pam and I are big fans of the book (and it's always nice to host the first book in the series, as you don't have to read three books beforehand to catch up.) Here's Pam's recommendation:
"Thirteen year-olds in the bleak dystopian world of Quill are separated into three catagories: the Wanteds who attend University; the Necessaries who do the work in this world; and the Unwanteds, creative types, who  are destined for the Death Farm to be purged and forgotten. Identical twins Alex and Aaron are separated and Alex discovers that behind the facade of the Death Farm exists the secret magical world of Artime. There, he and his friends are allowed to let their imaginations run free and also learn to use their creativity as a weapon."
Lisa McMann is the bestselling author of The Wake Trilogy and Cryer's Cross. And did I have fun reading The Unwanteds. Read about how McMann was inspired to write her new series by the disappearance of art and music in schools across the country. And don't forget, West Allis Public Library is at 7421 West National Avenue. For more information, call them at (414) 302-8503. |
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The Real Story of Hemingway's First Wife, on Saturday, September 24, 2 pm.
 Noted biographer Gioia Diliberto first published Hadley some years ago. With the success of The Paris Wife, novelist Paula McClain's fictional account of Hadley Richardson, Hemingway's first wife, as well as the runaway Woody Allen film, "Midnight in Paris", it seems 1920s literary Paris is back en vogue. When we found out that Harper was republishing the biography under the new title Paris Without End: The True Story of Hemingway's First Wife, we jumped at the chance to host a talk with this Chicago-based writer.
 Hadley was a fascinating woman who ran Paris's literary circles with her husband as he wrote some of his seminal works of classic literature. Gioia Diliberto's impeccable research skills breathe new life into this haunting account of the young Hemingways. From their passionate courtship and their thrilling, adventurous relationship, to family life in Paris with baby Bumby, to its tragic end, Paris Without End is a riveting story of literary love. Compelling, illuminating, poignant, and deeply insightful, Diliberto provides readers a rare, intimate glimpse of the writer who so fully captured the American imagination, and the remarkable woman who inspired his passion and his art--the only woman Hemingway never stopped loving.
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Children's Author Patrick Carman at the Greenfield Public Library, Tuesday, September 27, 4 pm.
 Consider the multimedia genius that is Patrick Carman. He's appearing in the Milwaukee area, for not one, but two books, and one of them, 3:15 Season One: Things That Go Bump in the Night, is a collection of horror stories that originated as cell phone apps. He's known for the series Skeleton Creek, Trackers, and Land of Elyon. He designs his own videos and websites. And it's not all flash--his new novel, Floors, is a wonderful traditional middle grade story.
 Floors, first in a new series, is a suspenseful, yet fantastically charming tale about the adventures one young man has while living at The Whippet Hotel. Leo, the 10-year-old son of the hotel's maintenance man, spends his days wandering the building's bizarre halls, quirky rooms and encountering its even stranger residents. With the disappearance of one of his friends, Leo discovers clues left for him inside mysterious boxes that reveal hidden floors, cryptic puzzles, and the roots of a threat to the hotel and all those who depend on it. It's up to Leo, with the help of a friend (and a duck!), to save The Whippet.
Don't forget that this event is at the Greenfield Public Library, 5310 West Layton Avenue. For more information, contact the library at (414) 321-9595.
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Traveling Green with Mary Bergin, Wednesday, September 28, 7 pm
 Following up on the success of Sidetracked in Wisconsin, Madison's Itchy Cat Press offers Sidetracked in the Midwest: a Green Guide for Travelers. Mary Bergin, intrepid travel writer, has ferreted out unusual, fun, eccentric, and green nooks and crannies throughout the Midwest. The eclectic mix of content includes low-budget to luxury eco-aware projects in rural areas and cities.
 Bergin examines four categories of ecotourism: food and drink, lodging and retreats, nature and wildlife, and the old and the new. She lists destinations that meet LEED standards, recycle and refurbish old buildings, serve locally grown food, operate off the grid, make selfless choices, and show respect for nature.
Throughout this informative green guide to festivals, parks, lodges, tours, farms, museums, nature centers, factories, wilderness areas, and retreats runs the thread of tourism to destinations that place environment above ego. The guide includes stories, interviews, full color photos, maps, and index.
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Celebrating New and Classic Releases from Milwaukee's Larry Watson, September 29 and October 5.
 We're excited to be helping launch Larry Watson's new novel, American Boy, on Thursday, September 29, at 7 pm. He has returned to Milkweed, the esteemed independent publisher that launched his career, with a wonderful story of growing up in the 1960s. I'll let Carl tell you more about American Boy:
"A true, realistic, and intelligent novel of a teen-aged Minnesota boy in the early 1960s, in which a woman with a gunshot wound captures young Matthew Garth's imagination and continues to hold it in a fierce grip. Young Matthew first encounters Louisa Lindahl in the office of the town doctor, at whose  home he spends much of his time. Along the way, Matthew endeavors to work his way into Louisa's affections, while pursuing typical teenage pursuits with Johnny Dunbar, the doctor's son. While Matthew ultimately finds out the answers to most of the questions he has about this mysterious young woman, many of these answers aren't the ones he wants. Watson does a wonderful job of peering under the masks of these small town folks and helping us see what their real selves are."
 But that's not all. Watson's classic Montana 1948 is the current featured title in the Shorewood Reads program. From what I've heard, the library has been circulating copies like crazy, and we've been selling lots of this wonderful novel, the fictional memoir of David Hayden and the experience that polarized his town when he was 12; I still recall how it transfixed the Schwartz booksellers on its first release.
The Shorewood Public Library is hosting two discussion groups featuring the author, on Wednesday, October 5, one at 3 pm, and again at 7 pm. The Shorewood Public Library is located at 3920 North Murray Avenue. For more information, call (414) 847-2670.
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Martin Hintz on Milwaukee's Boozy Past, Friday, September 30, 7 pm.
 The newest book by Martin Hintz, past president of The Society of American Travel Writers, is A Spirited History of Milwaukee Brews and Booze and you're invited to his talk at Boswell, no RSVP necessary. Discover how Milwaukee's "rum holes" weathered Prohibition and which Jones Island barkeep owned the longest mustaches. Copy down the best recipe involving Sprecher Special Amber, Rainbow Trout and sauerkraut. Sample the rich heritage of Pabst, Schlitz, Gettleman, and Miller: the folk who turned Milwaukee into the Beer Capital of the World. And save some room for the more recent contributions of distillers and craft-brewers that continue to make the city an exciting place for the thoughtful drinker.
 Most recently appearing at Boswell for Forgotten Tales of Wisconsin, Martin Hintz is slowly chronicling just about everything chronicle-able in Milwaukee. What would our local-interest section do without him? Here are just a few of his titles--Irish Milwaukee, Italian Milwaukee, Jewish Milwaukee, Fun with the Family Wisconsin, Hiking Wisconsin, and my favorite, Got Murder: Shocking True Stories of Wisconsin's Notorious Killers. I'm looking foward to hearing what's next.
Alas, we won't be serving any libations, but why not stop for a drink afterwards at any of the watering holes along Downer Avenue (Henry's, Via, Cafe Hollander) or perhaps the corner tap in your neighborhood? |
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October is Authorrific at Boswell--and It All Starts with Sebastian Barry, Saturday, October 1, 3 pm.
 We've sure had a lot of great events at Boswell over the past two years, but I have to say that I can't recall so many great events packed into one month. We start with Sebastian Barry, the Irish writer who has been twice shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize (for A Long, Long Way, and The Secret Scripture), and long-listed for the Prize for his newest novel, On Canaan's Side.
Carl's take: "After her grandson dies by his own hand,a grief-stricken elderly woman chronicles  her life in exile in the U.S. while trying to decide if she can go on. Lily Bere's journal of events and emotions thrillingly carries the reader through the different eras of 20th-century America, with all the accompanying details of style, language, and mores. Amazingly, it manages to do this in a style that's both personal and inclusive. Lily's account also vividly captures her life in Revolutionary Ireland before being forced to flee for her life with her husband. This great novel also seamlessly ties in members of the Dunne family that were featured in Barry's earlier novels. The best book I've read by the gifted Sebastian Barry, which is saying quite a lot."
I'm saving my quotes from Anne and Sharon for later. There's a lot of love for On Canaan's Side at Boswell, and trust us, you're going to love it too. Read an interview with Sebastian Barry here. |
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Celebrate the Opening of the Cleopatra Show at the Milwaukee Public Museum--a Special Talk by Stacy Schiff at Milwaukee Public Library's Centennial Hall on Tuesday, October 4, 7 pm.
 Yes, it's true. The acclaimed author of Cleopatra: a Life, Saint-Exupery, A Great Improvisation, and Vera, will be speaking at Milwaukee Public Library's Centennial Hall, 733 North Eighth Street, on Tuesday, October 4, 7 pm. Now in paperback, Cleopatra has been winning raves from readers and critics alike, including being named one of the top ten books of the year by The New York Times. Here's Kirkus's take: "Successfully dissipating all the perfume, Schiff finds a remarkably complex woman--brutal and loving, dependent and independent, immensely strong but finally vulnerable."
 Schiff's talk is a free unticketed event, so I suggest you get there early. This Pulitzer-Prize winning author is a captivating speaker; you will not be disappointed with this event. Doors will close when we reach capacity (approximately 700). However, if this does happen, we will reopen for a book signing at approximately 8:15 pm. More in our next email.
The Milwaukee Public Museum exhibit opens October 14. Buy your tickets here. And watch this video from the publisher, where folks on the street voice their thoughts (some accurate, some a bit off the mark) about the Egyptian ruler. |
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Just Little Tidbits About More of Our Exciting October Events.
 Thursday, October 6, 7 pm, at the Wisconsin Humane Society, 4500 West Wisconsin Ave.:
Jon Katz, author of Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die.
$5 tickets for this event are available at the Wisconsin Humane Society website.
Monday, October 10, 7 pm, at Boswell:
David M. Kennedy, in conversation with Milwaukee Chief of Police Edward A. Flynn. Kennedy is author of Don't Shoot: One Man, a Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner City America.
 Tuesday, October 11, 6:30 pm, at the North Shore Library, 6800 North Port Washington Road, Glendale:
Lauren Oliver, author of Liesl & Po, Before I Fall, and Delirium.
Wednesday, October 12, 7 pm, at Boswell:
Opera Insights: Turandot, presented by the Florentine Opera
A lecture by Corliss Phillabaum with performances from the Florentine Studio artists.
Thursday, October 13, 4 pm, at the Cudahy Family Library, 3500 Library Drive:
James Howe, author of Addie on the Inside, The Misfits, and Bunnicula.
 Thursday, October 13, 7 pm, at Boswell:
Wendy Call, author of No Word for Welcome: The Mexican Village Faces the Global Economy.
This event will be conducted in both English and Spanish.
Friday, October 14, 7 pm, at Boswell:
Dialogue for Dance: Dracula, presented by the Milwaukee Ballet.
A special lecture by Michael Pink on their upcoming show.
Monday, October 17, 6:30 pm, at the Shorewood Library, 3920 North Murray Ave.
Catherine Gilbert Murdock, author of Wisdom's Kiss and Dairy Queen.
Tuesday, October 18, 7 pm, at Boswell, a get ready for NaNoWriMo event: Rochelle Melander, author of Write-a-thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days (and Live to Tell About it).
Wednesday, October 19, 7 pm, at Discovery World, 500 North Harbor Dr.: Dava Sobel, author of A More Perfect Heaven: How Copernicus Revolutionized the Cosmos, with a dramatic reading by Soulstice Theatre.
$5 tickets are available for this event here.
 Thursday, October 20, 7 pm, at Boswell:
Stuart Nadler, author of The Book of Life.
I love this short story collection!
Sunday, October 23, 12 Noon, at Boswell:
Jeffrey Eugenides, author of The Marriage Plot and Middlesex.
We moved it up and out of the way of a Packers game.
And so much more! Keep posted for details.
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Time to Grab Your Popcorn--It's Film Festival Season.
The Milwaukee Film Festival runs from September 22 to October 2 and is playing at four venues, including the Downer Theatre.
 We're sponsoring "The Woman with Five Elephants", which will be showing twice, first at the Oriental Theatre on Friday, September 30, 4:45 pm, and then again at the North Shore Cinema, Sunday, October 2, 12 Noon. It's a documentary about the pre-eminent Russian-to-German translator coping with the behomoth of translating Dostoevsky. And I quote:
 "Swetlana Geier owns no zoo animals, but her literary impact is as hefty as a pachyderm quintet. Geier's nickname stems from a different herd of elephants, Dostoyevsky's major works, which have been the focus of her 60-plus-year career as the preeminent Russian-to-German translator. Crime and Punishment doubles as her spiritual guide as she travels back to her native Ukraine, where Nazis rescued her as a child from the Stalinist regime after recognizing her linguistic gifts. Director Vadim Jendreyko captures her essence as she finds beauty in unexpected places, even in the dark side of her past that she's still struggling to accept."
In addition, we are hosting a number of after-film book discussions, and one panel discussion.
Friday, September 23, 6:30 pm
Conversation: "Somewhere Between"
Saturday, September 24, 4 pm
Panel Discusion: "Happy"
This discussion on positive psychology is co-sponsored by Hapacus, a local educational organization based on positive psychology principles.
 Saturday, September 24, 7 pm
Convseration: "El Bulli: Cooking in Progress"
Tuesday, September 27, 6:15 pm
Conversation: "Kinshasa Symphony"
Friday, September 30, 6:15 PM
Conversation: "Marathon Boy"
In addition, there will be several other post-film conversations at Via on Downer for later performances.
There are a total of 160 films showing, and the box office is now open. Last year many films sold out. Don't be left pouting on the sidewalk! |
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Thanks for Your Patronage,
Daniel Goldin, with Amie, Anne, Beverly, Carl, Conrad, Greg, Jason, Mark, Pam, Shane, Sharon, and Stacie. |
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