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The St. Johns
Readers'
Companion |
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| the irregular newsletter of St. Johns Booksellers |
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I'm supposed to slip in a marketing message here, acknowledging the start of the season of mad consumption that swamps our cherished winter festivals. I do not care to sell to you, my neighbors and friends, in the way someone else might sell you fast food. Want some fries with that Shakespeare? Adam and I share a deep dislike for having the cash register define our relationships with the people around us. Yet we must balance a wish to discourage overconsumption with our need to earn a living. And we like Christmas, we do. We like giving and getting presents as much as anybody. So lately I've spent some time really thinking about why I sell books, and why I hope you'll choose to buy some from us this holiday season. My thoughts have been distilled to this: In the terms of the market economy that is causing so many of us to think so carefully about our spending, I really do believe good books, whether kept or given, are an investment.
What is a book worth, really?
I think you can do no better for lasting value than a book. Given as gifts, books represent an investment in the recipient's inner life, and in your relationship, that goes far beyond the moment of unwrapping. The expressions of surprise and pleasure on receiving a gift are so fleeting--but a good book offers many moments of delight in the reading. They can be enjoyed quietly, discussed loudly, quoted passionately, While many gifts acknowledge relationships, I would argue that books do more than any other gifts to deepen relationships. When you give a book to a good friend, a lover or a spouse, you invest in making more of the conversations and shared history that have bound you together. When you give a book to a child, you invest in that child's intellectual and cultural growth. You pass on a belief that words and language and stories matter. You share a worldview in which the the thoughts that are expressed in books are counted as worth more than the combination of materials and time and work that go into making them. Books are a gift beyond measure--they pay dividends for life.
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EVENTS
Saturday, 6 December, 3:00pm: Eileen O'Keeffe McVicker presents Child of
Steens Mountain
Growing up on a homestead in the West made for a "hard, happy girlhood
with layers of riches." Eileen McVickers' memoir of a childhood spent on
the southern slope of Steens Mountain offers a real-life, personal
account of eastern Oregon history. While vividly describing ranch life,
Child of Steens Mountain also explores universal issues of parenting,
making a living, and growing up.
Saturday, 13 December, 3:00pm: Tree-trimming party
Help us decorate our Christmas tree! Bring an ornament you've made or
one that you think will look well on our tree--or make an easy one with
materials we'll have available here. We'll provide popcorn for
stringing, paper for making chains, and tea and cocoa to warm you.
Sunday, 21 December, 5:00pm: Community Carol Sing and Christmas Ships!
Even if you're the kind of caroler who usually just moves his lips, get
together with neighbors here at St. Johns Books for an open carol sing.
We'll provide the words and warm drinks to wet your whistle. At around
5:45, bundle up, grab that warm cup, and sing your way with us down to
Cathedral Park to view the 54th annual Christmas Fleet Parade. These
volunteer mariners will circle their lighted boats under the St. Johns
Bridge from about 6 to 6:30 pm.
Every Tuesday in December, 11:00-11:30am: Storytime for Little Ones
My neighbor Posy and I have learned that the St. Johns Library can't
always accommodate everyone who'd like to attend their weekday
storytimes for small children. So, she and I are stepping up to the
plate together! Every Tuesday at 11:00am, we'll share books and songs
picked out especially to entertain your little ones who are too young
for school. Stories and activities are selected for children from birth to age 4.
Saturdays in December, 5:00pm: Classic and modern holiday stories with
Mark Loring and friends
The holidays can be so hectic that we lose our appreciation of them. So
take a little break on Saturdays this December. Join us for quiet,
family-friendly readings of holiday classics. We'll mix things up with a
few current stories about community, tradition, and simple living.
Settle in with free tea and cocoa...brown-bag a favorite snack...grab an
afghan to snuggle your kids. Enjoy the rich tones of voice-over artist
Mark Loring as he shares classic and modern stories of Christmas and
other winter days. A rotating roster of acoustic musicians add to the
atmosphere. With all the craziness that is coming at us these days, let
us share with you a little bit of peace.
6 December, 5:00pm: Christmas in the Big Woods
13 December, 5:00pm: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
20 December, 5:00pm: Sun Bread and "The Cratchits' Christmas Dinner"
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James John School PTA wraps gifts for you, Saturday, 13 December 10am-8pm
The PTA and librarian of our neighborhood elementary school will wrap gifts in the store for one day only. We suggest a donation of $1 per item wrapped, and encourage you to bring in gifts purchased elsewhere. We will suspend our usual free giftwrap service for the day. We hope you'll take this easy opportunity to support the school that is part of the heart of our little downtown. PTA funds support field trips, student activities, and media equipment purchases for the school.
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Sale Books are here!
Come check out our selection of remaindered children's books and cookbooks for gift-giving. Remainders are publisher overstock, new books sold for pennies on the dollar--and we pass the savings on to you! You'll find D. B. Johnson's Henry picture books, anecdotes from Thoreau retold for children; entrancing diagrams of a medieval castle by Stephen Biesty; an inspiring collection of potato recipes to warm any winter table; fascinating explanations of the chemistry and physics of cooking; and much more.
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Don't see it? Order it!
We're a small shop, so we don't have everything all the time. But we can get it! Most books can be in the store within 2-7 days of your request, with no charge for shipping. If a we expect a book to take longer for any reason, we'll let you know, and offer options for rush ordering. THE LAST DAY TO ORDER FOR CHRISTMAS EVE PICKUP IS TUESDAY, 23 DECEMBER, BY 11:30AM.
For your out-of-town dear ones, try our Direct-To-Home service! With access to warehouses in Indiana, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania, we can have books giftwrapped and delivered anywhere in the continental US.
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Nena's gift recommendations for adults
Yes, I know, these are all nature and outdoors books. I suppose spending so much time in a bookstore makes me appreciate what's outside.
1. Wild Beauty: Photographs of the Columbia Gorge, 1867-1957 Just magical--a look at the landscape that entranced our pioneer ancestors, and a visual log of the changes wrought by settlement and time.
2. Mr. Marshal's Flower Book
Selections from a 17th-century album of botanical illustrations that captures the wildness of carnation petals, the extravagant, buxom lushness of cabbage roses, and all the most beloved qualities of flowers without ever sacrificing a naturalist's precision. Lovers of English literature will find many of the pastoral poets' favorites pictured here.
3. Portland City Walks
A new selection of 20 rambles around town by the author of Portland Hill Walks. SPECIAL OFFER: Buy any two Timber Press walking guides and get one FREE!
4. Birds of the Willamette Valley
A truly pocket-sized field guide to the birds of this region, with full-page illustrations. As much as Adam and I love our Sibley guide, this area-specific book is the one we most often grab up when someone new flutters into our yard. It's just the right size for a stocking!
5. Charles Harper's Birds & Words
I just can't stop recommending this beautiful album of bird illustrations. Not only are the pictures stunning, but the author's dry humor and passionate love of nature come chuckling through in every caption.
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Fra Giovanni's letter (1513)
Thank you for being a part of St. Johns Booksellers. Before the work of the retail season begins in earnest, I would share with you one of my favorite Christmas texts. It was written almost 500 years ago by an Italian friar, and is still the best Christmas greeting I know:
I salute you.
There is nothing I can give you which you have not,
but there is much that while I cannot give,
you can take.
No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today.
Take heaven.
No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present instant.
Take peace.
The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy.
Take joy.
And so at this Christmastime,
I greet you,
with the prayer
that for you,
now and forever,
the day breaks
and the shadows
flee away. |
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Buy 1 used book, get 1 free!
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You read all the way to the bottom! You get a coupon!
For each used book you buy, pick up another of equal or lesser value. One for you, one for a friend, one for you, one for your mom...you get it.
No limit on quantity. Good for one purchase only. Feel free to forward and share. Coupon must be presented at time of purchase.
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| Offer Expires: 12/31/2008 |
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