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Click here for our events calendar to preview upcoming events through the end of June.
Members always save 20% on author event books and titles included in other special promotions. Click here to register!
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Thursday, May 19
10:30 a.m. Rob Scotton - Splish, Splash, Splat
7 p.m. Joel Achenbach - A Hole at the Bottom of the Sea: The Race to Kill the BP Oil Gusher
Friday, May 20
7 p.m. Mary Gordon - The Love of My Youth
Saturday, May 21
1 p.m. Helon Habila - Oil on Water and Christie Watson - Tiny Sunbirds Far Away
6 p.m. Tim Harford - Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure
Sunday, May 22
1 p.m. The Veterans Writing Project
5 p.m. St. Albans School - Writers in Residence: Writers Among Us
Monday, May 23
4 p.m. Michael Scott - The Warlock
7 p.m. Roméo Dallaire - They Fight like Soldiers, They Die like Children
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Tuesday, May 24
7 p.m. Arthur Phillips - The Tragedy of Arthur
Wednesday, May 25
7 p.m. Hannah Nordhaus - The Beekeeper's Lament
Thursday, May 26
7 p.m. Ruta Sepetys - Between Shades of Gray
at Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Rd, Bethesda, MD
Francine Prose - My New American Life *CANCELED*
Saturday, May 28
6 p.m. Matthew Algeo - The President is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea . . .
Sunday, May 29 and Monday, May 30
NO EVENTS - MEMORIAL DAY
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LETTER FROM BARBARA |
PHILIP ROTH WINS MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE
In what the New York Times described as a hotly "contentious" decision, Philip Roth was announced as the fourth Man Booker International Prizewinner. He was preceded by Ismail Kadaré, Chinua Achebe and Alice Munro. The chairman of the judging panel, Rick Gekoski, declared, “The range and depth of his work strikes me as utterly remarkable,” but another member of the panel resigned over the decision. Roth has always continued to have a devoted readership here at Politics & Prose, although I recall a recent holiday season when two of our booksellers gave conflicting reviews to a customer in the store looking for a gift. One praised Indignation as a compelling coming-of age-struggle, the other found it disturbing that, at his age, Roth was still writing from such an un-self-critical adolescent perspective; however, neither disputed that his greatest work, Portnoy's Complaint, Goodbye, Columbus, and American Pastoral (all Vintage, $15), was groundbreaking in its time. (The customer thoroughly enjoyed their spontaneous public debate and ended up buying Indignation as well as several others of their suggestions.) I guess as with the Booker committee, Politics & Prose thrives on contention! - Barbara Meade
MEMBER DISCOUNTS ON GARDENING BOOKS
Politics & Prose often will extend a special discount for members on a particular section of the store. As spring is here, we are offering 20% off on all gardening books. Click here for our suggestions! Whether instructional or inspirational, photographic or descriptive, if it's in our gardening section and you are a member, you will save 20%. And mark your calendars, our next storewide member sale is June 3-5!
COLLEGE GRADUATION GIFT BAGS
We are fully in graduation season! Congratulate the graduate in your life! Choose from either a basic or deluxe gift bag filled with practical and entertaining books to help your graduate into their next phase whether that is college, grad school, or career. Each book comes individually gift wrapped in a Politics & Prose canvas tote bag. We’re also happy to ship your gift.
Deluxe Gift Bag:
$155 – nine books plus tote bag (HS: six books, a planner, and a tote bag)
$124 – P&P membership price
Basic Gift Bag:
$105 – six books plus tote bag (HS: four books, a planner, and a tote bag)
$84 – P&P membership price
Click here to see the books included and to order a gift bag. Click here for other recommended books for graduates.
Next week: Father's Day Bags! In the meantime, you can see some suggestions for Dads here.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Politics and Prose is looking for an energetic, dedicated Bookkeeper. This is a full-time position, available immediately.
Responsibilities:
Managing the store’s accounting operations and preparing financial reports. Specific duties include oversight of daily accounting functions; bank account reconciliation; preparation of month-end and year-end reports; supervision of sales tax, licensing, and fee reporting; and participation in the hiring and training of the accounting staff.
Preferred experience:
Bachelor’s degree.
5 years or more of related retail accounting experience.
High level of supervisory, communication and organizational skills.
Proficiency in spreadsheets, word processing and systems operations.
Self-starter with ability to work with senior management.
Experience with Sage ERP Accpac a plus.
Should love books!
Please direct cover letters, resumes, and other correspondence to TFAtwood@politics-prose.com. |
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BOOK NOTES |
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MAY IS SHORT STORY MONTH
May is short story month and our booksellers have created a display of some of their favorite collections.
No more boots stomping above, no more football games turned up too high, and best of all, no more front doors slamming before dawn as they trudge out for their early formation, sneakers on metal stairs, cars starting, shouts to the windows above to thrown down their gloves on cold desert mornings. Babies still cry, telephones ring, Saturday morning cartoons screech, but without the men, there is a sense of muted silence, a sense of muted life.
And so begins YOU KNOW WHEN THE MEN ARE GONE (Amy Einhorn, $23.95), eight stories in which Siobhan Fallon takes us into the world of Fort Hood during wartime: a place where families struggle, wives miss their husbands and children rebel. For most of us, the sacrifice of war is left to others, but in this collection we’re allowed to peek in the windows of the people who give up the most: a wife who hacks her husband’s email overseas searching for clues of infidelity, a wounded soldier returning home, a runaway teenager. Each story is emotionally acute, beautifully written and will leave you haunted and in awe of this world that feels foreign, but is not so far away. - Jennifer Close
Yes, it's absolutely true: T.C. Boyle is a master storyteller. In "Balto," a young girl is asked to lie in court for her alcoholic father; in "Sin Dolor," a young boy living in squalor astonishes a community—including its detached doctor—with his inability to feel physical pain; in the title story, WILD CHILD (Penguin, $16), Boyle chronicles the heartbreaking tale of the Savage of Aveyron, implicitly asking, “who are the real savages?” Boyle frequently works with issues of social and environmental justice. These tales of humanity brought to weakness by the natural world and our own flawed nature prove that Boyle captures human folly and frailty better than any of his contemporaries. - Lacey Dunham
Mailie Maloy's second collection of short stories, BOTH WAYS IS THE ONLY WAY I WANT IT ( Riverhead, $15), is so quiet that many climaxes tiptoe by, only to make themselves felt later, as you turn them over in your mind: You'll be washing dishes or brushing your teeth and realize, suddenly, why the perversely casual relationship between a dead woman's father and her murderer's girlfriend in "The Girlfriend" resonates with so much truth; or why you felt so uncomfortable reading the benign "Travis, B.,” where a lonely young man with a limping gait falls in love with a young lawyer he will never see again. Meloy draws her characters through each story with simple, unfettered prose it is easy to lose yourself in. - Lacey Dunham
So you think Pevear & Volokhonsky's translations have introduced you to Russian literature? Think again, and meet your contemporaries. A WEREWOLF PROBLEM IN CENTRAL RUSSIA: And Other Stories, by Victor Pelevin (New Directions, $13.95) and THERE ONCE LIVED A WOMAN WHO TRIED TO KILL HER NEIGHBOR'S BABY: Scary Fairy Tales, by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya (Penguin, $15) will introduce you to the rough impact on ordinary citizens during the transition at the end of the Soviet period to the failures of the new economy. In classic yet shockingly current Russian style, Pelevin plays with the surreal and absurb; Petrushevskaya explores the realm of strange occurences and fantasy; throughout their stories, there is a relentless hope and longing for a better, more deeply meaningful existence. Aren't these elements what make everyday reality so shockingly brutal and harsh, but also bearable? Because if we can't laugh at bizarre twists of fate and escape into dreams, what else does the world have to offer? - Andrew Getman
Each of Julie Orringer’s short stories in HOW TO BREATHE UNDERWATER (Vintage, $14) features a young woman on the cusp of something—an adolescent on the brink of adult experience, a teenager caught between childhood and independence, a college student hovering nervously on the edge of the "real world." Orringer approaches these thresholds with precision and grace. But each story is also shot through with darkness—an undercurrent of violence that disrupts her characters' coming-of-age. Orringer's debut collection emotionally unsettling and completely, compellingly original. - Liz Sher
Click here to see more.
Visit the May 2nd posting on our Facebook page to see what our customers are recommending.
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TICKETED EVENTS ON SALE NOW
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 Thursday, June 2, 7 p.m.
DAVID McCULLOUGH
THE GREATER JOURNEY: Americans in Paris (Simon & Schuster, $37.50)
at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
One of the most esteemed and honored historians at work (two Pulitzers, two National Book Awards), McCullough combines his biographical and narrative skills to tell the stories of the ambitious Americans who went to Paris between 1830 and 1900. McCullough’s subjects here include Charles Sumner, Elizabeth Blackwell, Samuel Morse, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and many other prominent writers, artists, and thinkers.
This is a ticketed event. Tickets are $12 each in advance of the event ($15 on the day of the event and at the door), or two free admission tickets are provided with each purchase of the book from P&P
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Thursday, June 9, 8 p.m.
Dr. NORMAN E. ROSENTHAL with David Lynch
TRANSCENDENCE: Healing and Transformation Through Transcendental Meditation (Tarcher, $25.95)
at The Avalon Theatre
Rosenthal’s pioneering work on seasonal affective disorder has brought relief to millions of people. In his new book, the internationally recognized psychiatrist explains transcendental meditation, describing what it is, how it works, and letting practitioners, among them David Lynch, recount their own experiences with TM.
This is a ticketed event. Tickets are $8 each in advance of the event ($10 on the day of the event and at the door), or two free admission tickets are provided with each purchase of the book from P&P.
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PODCAST OF THE WEEK
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On Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 7 p.m., Adam Hochschild (King Leopold's Ghost, Bury the Chains) presented his newest book TO END ALL WARS: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $28)
Hochschild’s history of World War I focuses on those who had the courage to speak out against the conflict. Along with setting the social and political context and charting the course of the war, he profiles the pacifists and conscientious objectors who suffered derision, imprisonment, and torture for their convictions.
Click here to listen to the talk.
We record nearly every in-store author event. In addition to posting some on our website, As of May 1, 2011 P&P will store all of these recordings on a public archive. Click here to browse and download more MP3s. Enjoy the free recordings and thanks for supporting our author events!
Politics & Prose also makes CDs of our events for $7.50 plus tax. We ask for a pre-payment for these orders. Please click here to order a CD. If you would like to request a recording from an event which is not already posted, send an email to Wendy Brown.
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COMING SOON TO YOUR FAVORITE BOOKSTORE |
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If you can’t attend a talk, but would like to buy a signed copy or a recorded author presentation, click the title links to reserve your book online.
P&P members save 20% on all of these event titles.
Click www.politics-prose.com/event for our author events calendar through June.
Thursday, May 19
Rob Scotton - Splish, Splash, Splat
10:30 a.m. In his latest adventure, Splat watches while the rest of the class goes swimming. He’s alone on the sidelines—except for Spike, who is also afraid of the water. The two haven’t been friends, but now find they have something in common. Can they bolster each other’s confidence enough to jump in the pool with the others? Ages 3-6.
Joel Achenbach - A Hole at the Bottom of the Sea: The Race to Kill the BP Oil Gusher
7 p.m. The explosion on the Deepwater Horizon last April set in motion an environmental disaster that posed engineering challenges of unprecedented proportions. Achenbach, Washington Post columnist and National Geographic science writer, focuses on the event’s political dimension as well as on the daunting technical aspects of plugging the burst Macondo well that lay a mile below the ocean’s surface.
Friday, May 20
Mary Gordon - The Love of My Youth
7 p.m. Adam and Miranda seemed made for each other when they were teenagers during the sixties. Then their passions turned to careers and they went their separate ways. Meeting again after 30 years, they walk around Rome and gradually relive the past. A veteran novelist, Gordon skillfully evokes her characters through a subtle range of emotions.
Saturday, May 21
Helon Habila - Oil on Water and Christie Watson - Tiny Sunbirds Far Away
1 p.m. Join us for two new novels by Nigerian writers, both set in the oil-rich and environmentally-devastated Niger Delta region. Habila won the 2003 Commonwealth Prize, and his third novel is the story of a pair of journalists investigating the disappearance of the wife of an oil executive. Watson’s debut recounts the experiences of a mother and two children who leave Lagos for a rural village where they must do without electricity and running water, but where they find strength in some of the traditional values.
Tim Harford - Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure
6 p.m. Whether the problem at hand is personal, business-related, or on the order of new global challenges, Harford, The Undercover Economist, says that the old ways won’t cut it. Instead, we need to use adaptive trial-and-error methods, and Harford draws on recent thinking in psychology, economics, and evolutionary biology to illustrate how adapting can foster innovation.
Sunday, May 22
The Veterans Writing Project
1 p.m. The Veterans Writing Project is a Washington DC-based non-profit that provides no cost writing seminars and workshops for veterans. In honor of Memorial Day, VWP staff members and seminar participants, all veterans, will read fiction, non-fiction and poetry from and about service in World War II, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Readings by:
Kelly Kennedy, U.S. Army, Gulf War and Somalia
Jim Mathews, U.S. Air Force, Iraq
Jeff Stein, U.S. Army, Vietnam
Bob Johnson, U.S. Army, Iraq
Dario DiBattista, U.S. Marine Corps, Iraq
Steve Scuba, U.S. Army, Iraq
St. Albans School - Writers in Residence: Writers Among Us
5 p.m. Since 1983 the St. Albans Writer in Residence program has brought poets, essayists, and fiction writers to teach and continue their writing at the school. This anthology contains work from all the visiting writers; join us to hear some of the contributors read and talk about their experiences at St. Albans. See more about this book here.
Monday, May 23
Michael Scott - The Warlock
4 p.m. In the fifth of the six-part Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series, Sophie and Josh are separated, and Sophie must find an immortal to teach her Earth Magic. But Nicholas and Perenelle are growing weaker....Scott, an authority on world mythology and folklore, has created a sophisticated fantasy that interweaves historical, mythic, and fictional characters into a thrilling plot. Ages 12-15.
There will be no signing line tickets; however, The Warlock must have been purchased from us in order to be signed. Customers may bring one additional book from this series to be signed along with The Warlock.
Roméo Dallaire - They Fight like Soldiers, They Die like Children
7 p.m. In 1994, then Lieutenant-General Dallaire led U.N. peace-keeping forces in Rwanda. He was horrified at the use of children as soldiers, and his outrage has fueled this urgent call to action to end the practice—which has grown more extensive since the 1990s.
Tuesday, May 24
Arthur Phillips - The Tragedy of Arthur
7 p.m. In his fifth novel, the author of Prague and The Song is You channels Shakespeare. Or is the newly-discovered work by the Bard in fact the latest forgery by the father of a writer named Arthur Phillips? An ingenious literary romp, the story is also an exploration of love and family ties.
Wednesday, May 25
Hannah Nordhaus - The Beekeeper's Lament
7 p.m. Like an apian version of Johnny Appleseed, John Miller travels the country with his bees, bringing hives of pollinators to farmers who have none. Nordhaus’s book profiles Miller and examines the challenges he and other beekeepers face as the still unexplained Colony Collapse Disorder continues to decimate the population of these essential insects.
Thursday, May 26
Ruta Sepetys - Between Shades of Gray
at Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Rd, Bethesda, MD
7 p.m. In the summer of 1941 fifteen-year-old Lina and her mother and brother are deported from Lithuania to the Northern part of Siberia, where her father is already confined to a prison camp. Lina's family and her neighbors are victims of Stalin's Baltic Cleansing. Based on the true histories of her family, Ruta Sepetys tells an emotional story that is now a New York Times best seller. Ages 14 and up
Francine Prose - My New American Life *CANCELED*
Unfortunately, Francine Prose had to cancel her event at Politics & Prose. There is no rescheduled date.
Saturday, May 28
6 p.m. Matthew Algeo - The President is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea . . .
Author of the popular Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure, Algeo here reveals how Grover Cleveland spent the Fourth of July in 1893: Cleveland disappeared from public view and had surgery for cancer. When the secret operation was reported, Cleveland denied it and the public believed him. Twenty-four years later, Cleveland’s surgeon admitted the truth—and still no one believed it.
Sunday, May 29 and Monday, May 30
NO EVENTS - MEMORIAL DAY
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P&P CUSTOMERS ARE ALSO INVITED TO . . . |
Politics & Prose supplies books to many book signing parties and events. The events below are open to the public; however, reservations and tickets should be acquired from the hosting organization. Please contact offsite@politics-prose.com if you are planning an event and would like us to supply the books.
Thursday, June 2, 7:30 p.m.
 Friendship Heights Village Center
4433 S. Park Avenue
Chevy Chase, MD
HELEN SIMONSON
MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND (Random House, $15)
Major Pettigrew has been called "the perfect romantic hero for thinking women of a certain age." Major Pettigrew was on the New York Times Bestseller list for 18 weeks and included in a Times "Top Books of 2010" list. Ms. Simonson is a graduate of the London School of Economics and a former travel advertising executive. As a stay-at-home mother with two young children, missing her busy advertising job, she signed up for a writing course at New York's 92nd Street Y and discovered her talent.
Please sign up in advance for this FREE event by calling the Village Center at 301-656-2797.
Wednesday, June 1, 12 noon
Hay-Adams, Top of the Hay
Sixteenth & H Streets, NW
DAVID MCCULLOUGH
THE GREATER JOURNEY: Americans in Paris (Simon & Schuster, $37.50)
This event is presented as part of The Hay-Adams Author Series.
Join the two-time Pulitzer-Prize winning author for a three-course lunch and lively discussion of his latest book (published on May 24th). He tells the sweeping story of three generations of talented young Americans -- artists, writers, architects, doctors, educators, politicians, and inventors -- who traveled to Paris in the 19th century seeking excellence, the ways they were changed, and the ways they changed their country.
The event will be held in the hotel’s new rooftop facility, Top of the Hay, directly across from the White House. It will be co-hosted by Hay-Adams President Kay Enokido and Philip Pillsbury. A book signing will follow.
The event has sold out, but a waiting list is available. For more information, call 202-220-4844.
Bookmark this link for future offsite events.
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FROM THE CHILDREN AND TEENS' DEPARTMENT |
SALE ON CHILDREN'S T-SHIRTS AND ONESIES
All children-sized t-shirts and onesies 20% off to everyone. Limited sizes and colors available. Please visit the store or call to learn more about the selection.
FROM THE CHILDREN AND TEENS’ DEPARTMENT
KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION GIFT BAGS
Reward your favorite kindergartener with a graduation gift bag. We’ve hand-picked some of our favorites for future voracious readers and packed them together in a brightly-colored miniature Politics & Prose tote. We’re also happy to ship your gift.
Click on the titles below to read more about each book.
Kindergarten Graduation – Deluxe Gift Bag includes:
Click here to buy a Kindergarten Graduation – Deluxe Gift Bag:
$93 – four books, one CD plus tote bag
$74 – P&P member price
Kindergarten Graduation – Basic Gift Bag includes:
Click here to buy a Kindergarten Graduation – Basic Gift Bag:
$65 – three books plus tote bag
$52 – P&P member price
 CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK
(20% off through May 25)
Mrs. Crow is distraught. Every afternoon at half past three while she’s out grocery shopping, a rattlesnake steals her eggs right from her nest. Mr. Crow consults Old Man Owl, whose clever plan should make THE CROWS OF PEARBLOSSOM (Abrams, $16.95) very happy. Aldous Huxley’s only children’s story, originally published in 1944, is revived with lively illustrations by Sophie Blackall. Ages 4-8. – Heidi Powell
Read about - and buy - more of our favorite books for children and teens by clicking here.
SUMMER STORY TIME
BearSong, the Guitar Man, leads his weekly morning story time, Monday mornings at 10:30 a.m. with stories, songs, finger plays, and more for children from birth to 4 years old and their caregivers. Our last story time before summer break is Monday, May 23 at 10:30 a.m.
We will have special story times with guest musicians during the summer. Regular story time will resume on Monday, September 12.
On Wednesday, June 8 at 4 p.m., Belgian author/illustrator Marie-Isabelle Callier will be here to present two of her books: SARAH ET LE PETIT POIS and BOSSES, CABOSSE ET CARABOSSE. Please join us for this children's event held entirely in French for children between the ages of 5 and 10.
On Monday, June 13th at 10:30 a.m., Politics and Prose will host a Spanish Story Hour with the Spanish language learning program Isabella & Ferdinand. This event will be held entirely in Spanish. The group will be promoting their new exciting and educational new CD: OLÉ AND PLAY: Isabella & Ferdinand Spanish Language Adventures. Their CD is for children 3-11 years old and consists of 13 fun and engaging songs about important artists and historical figures from Spain and Latin America. Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Andres Castro and their own talented music director Fran Revert, the songs are sung by Latin Grammy nominee Adriana Lucia, Emmy nominee Gaby Moreno, Madrid Teen Pop Festival winner Carlos Barroso and many of the wonderful Spanish students at Isabella & Ferdinand.
For upcoming events and more from the Children and Teens’ Department, click here.
Click here to access the teen blog. |
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MARKDOWN BOOKS |
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In her profile of MADAME DE STAEL: The First Modern Woman, Francine du Plessix Gray recounts a life so eventful and multi-faceted, that it might be the story of not one but several women. Madame de Stael was a savvy operator from the first. Daughter of Louis XVI’s finance minister, she later married the Swedish ambassador to France. She lived through the Revolution and the Terror, but repeatedly ran afoul of Napoleon and was forced into exile. However, she returned, kept up a renowned salon, wrote novels and political tracts, and knew everyone. Available in hardcover, $4.98.
It often seems that the world is getting noisier: more airplanes, leaf blowers, music blasting from every passing car. But there’s another side to noise: firecrackers, concerts, hundreds of cheering fans. In THE UNWANTED SOUND OF EVERYTHING WE WANT: A Book About Noise, Garret Keizer explores the ubiquitous sonic dimension of human civilization. Is noise a “pollution,” or a signal of something to celebrate? When is enough noise too much? Does noise stimulate and excite, or merely cause stress and anxiety? What does social class have to do with the decibel level one lives with? As he examines what many either enjoy or simply try to tune out, Keizer offers insights and raises questions about society and its many noisemakers. Available in hardcover, $6.98.
The young Pakistani writer Daniyal Mueenuddin electrified readers with his first book, IN OTHER ROOMS, OTHER WONDERS. In these eight short stories, Mueenuddin gives a top-to-bottom view of today’s Pakistani society, from a wealthy businessman to an itinerant laborer who lives in a mobile shack he’s made out of cardboard. Whatever his or her socio-economic status, these characters are survivors. They do what they must, whether that means working hard or having an affair with someone a few rungs up the ladder. Yet these are not types; Mueenuddin makes each character unique and turns circumstances into compelling tales. Available in hardcover, $6.98.
Click here to shop for more recently acquired remainders.
• Laurie Greer |
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MUSIC NEWS |
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VOICES
Levon Helm, RAMBLE AT THE RYMAN (Vanguard, $17.98) – Levon Helm was the drummer, and the most prominent vocalist in the Band, powering such songs as “The Weight,” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” In the past few years, he’s given concerts at his Woodstock barn, called Rambles, with guest stars dropping by. He took his show to Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium for some great American music—blues, country, and root-sy rock-and-roll. There’s a pumped-up horn section, and guests like Sheryl Crow (on the Carter Family’s “No Depression in Heaven”), mandolinist Sam Bush, and harmonica player Sammy Davis drop by. Originals, some tasty covers, and Band standards like “Rag Mama Rag,” “Ophelia,” and “The Shape I’m In” are played with gusto. This is a great concert album, and Levon is bringing his Rambles to Wolf Trap on Thursday, June 9.
Meredith Monk, SONGS OF ASCENSION (ECM) – Meredith Monk is a pioneer in new music, dance, and performance art. Her vocal music is especially moving, and Songs of Ascension includes Monk and her Vocal Ensemble, and expands her compositional forces to include the voices of M6, the Montclair State University Singers, and the Todd Reynolds String Quartet.
Alex Ross wrote about Monk’s career and the stage version of Songs of Ascension in the New Yorker (http://www.therestisnoise.com/2009/11/meredith-monk-2009.html ).
Tune-Yards, w h o k i l l (4AD Records, $14.98) -- Merrill Garbus is Tune-Yards (or to be more typographically accurate, tUnE-yArDs), and she uses her voice (and imaginative vocal loops), percussion, ukulele, and other sonic embellishments in one of the best CDs of the year. Listen to her set at the recent South by Southwest showcase (http://www.npr.org/2011/04/07/134532458/sxsw-2011-tune-yards-live-in-concert ) to get an idea of her creative combination of styles.
VICTORIA’S 400th ANNIVERSARY
It is the 400th anniversary of the death of Tomás de Victoria (1548-1611), the most famous Spanish composer of the Renaissance. His music has been heard much more often in the last decade, and the Tallis Scholars have led this revival. THE VICTORIA COLLECTION (Gimell, 3 CDs, $19.98) is a box set that collects three albums—Requiem, Lamentations of Jeremiah, and Tenebrae Responsories—for the price of one CD.
And in this year of Victoria, don’t forget one of the most gorgeous albums of the last few years, countertenor Carlos Mena’s VICTORIA: ET JESUM (Harmonia Mundi, $13.98), displayed downstairs, the bottom of the stairs in our mid-price classical section.
FOLLIES AT THE KENNEDY CENTER
A new production of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies (1971) is at the Kennedy Center through June 19, directed by Signature’s Eric Schaeffer, and starring Bernadette Peters.
Listen to the original cast recording of FOLLIES (Angel, $12.98), starring Dorothy Collins, Alexis Smith, John McMartin, and Gene Nelson.
Click here for news and reviews. Please call us at 202-364-1919 or email me at agoldinger@politics-prose.com to order these CDs.
• András Goldinger |
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BOOK GROUPS |
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Politics & Prose currently hosts a variety of book groups in the store each month.
P&P’s book groups meet monthly and are free and open to the public.
These are the selections for the next week. Click the titles to read more about these books.
Thursday, May 19, 7:30 p.m.
Veterans Book Group
The Wrong War, by Bing West
June 16 selection: TBA
Monday, May 23, 7:30 p.m.
Public Affairs Book Group
The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore
June 27 selections: The Big Short, by Michael Lewis and/or The Great Crash, by John Kenneth Galbraith (read one or both!)
Tuesday, May 24, 7:30 p.m.
Poetry Book Group
The April Issue of Poetry Magazine
June 28 selection: Selected Poems of Wallace Stevens
Wednesday, May 25, 7:30 p.m.
Graphic Novel Book Group
The Fixer by Joe Sacco
June 22 selection: Duncan the Wonder Dog, by Adam Hine
Thursday, May 26 & June 23, 7:30 p.m.
Fascinating History Book Group
Truman by David McCullough
Click here to learn more about participating in these or other Politics & Prose book groups.
All of these book-group titles are discounted 20% to participants. Please join us!
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