Week of June 30

Author Events with Josh Ritter, Tyler Cowen, and Justin Martin

HOLIDAY HOURS

Happy Fourth of July! Weekend Store Hours: Friday 9 a.m. – 10 p. m. (No event) Saturday 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. (No event) Sunday 10 a. m. – 8 p. m. (No event) Monday – Independence Day 9 .am. – 4 p.m. (No event)

EVENTS IN BRIEF

Click here for our events calendar to preview upcoming events through the end of August.
Members always save 20% on author event books and titles included in other special promotions. Click here to register!

Thursday, June 30
7 p.m. Josh Ritter - Bright's Passage

Friday, July 1 – Monday, July 4 - Independence Day Weekend –

NO EVENTS

Tuesday, July 5
7 p.m.Bottom of Form Tyler Cowen - The Great Stagnation: How America Ate All the Low-Hanging Fruit of Modern History, Got Sick, and Will (Eventually) Feel Better

Wednesday, July 6Bottom of Form
7 p.m. Justin Martin - Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted

Thursday, July 7
7 p.m. Bob Riesman - I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy

Friday, July 8
7 p.m. Tom Gardner & Louann Lofton - Warren Buffett Invests like a Girl: and Why You Should Too

Saturday, July 9
6 p.m. Daniel Solove - Nothing to Hide: The False Tradeoff between Privacy and Security

Sunday, July 10
5 p.m. Marvin Kalb & Deborah Kalb - Haunting Legacy: Vietnam and the American Presidency from Ford to Obama

Monday, July 11
7 p.m. Sapphire – The Kid

NOTE FROM BRAD & LISSA

MEET AND GREET

We want to thank all of you—our loyal and enthusiastic customers—for your warmth and support as we begin our stewardship of Politics and Prose. Everyone who browses in our aisles, discusses books and ideas with our booksellers, attends our classes and author events— and yes, buys books from us—has helped build P&P into the iconic community institution that it is today.

You are also essential to the store’s future. As new owners dedicated to preserving the special ethos and long-term vitality of P&P, we want to meet you and hear from you. To that end, we are planning several “meet and greets” over the next few months that will give you a chance to chat with us informally. The first of these meet and greets is in July; additional dates will be announced soon.

Informal Meet and Greet With Brad and Lissa
(no sign-up necessary . . . just come along)
Thursday, July 14, 4 – 6 p.m.

CUSTOMER FOCUS GROUPS

Over the coming months, we also will conduct a series of focus groups with customers to elicit ideas and suggestions about any aspect of the store and its operations and to test out some ideas of our own. Each focus group will be limited to 20 people and requires advance sign-up. One session per customer, please. The sessions will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Our first session is in July; other dates will be announced soon.

Customer Focus Groups
(sign-up at Information Desk or by phone at 202-364-1919)
Friday, July 22, 4 – 6 p.m.

We are enjoying seeing many old friends at the store on a regular basis and also making new acquaintances. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to introduce yourselves. We hope you will feel free to say hello any time you are in the store, particularly if you can’t make it to the initial meet and greet or focus group. We look forward to hearing from you in the days and weeks ahead.

- Brad and Lissa

BOOKNOTES

Happy Fourth of July!

Independence Day causes me to reflect on what it means to work for an independent bookstore and on all that we have to celebrate by being part of a dedicated, intellectual and committed community.

The word independence contains a spirit of dedication to a cause, a common purpose and shared identity and values. As a proud employee of an independent business, I am committed to freedom of thought and expression. I feel privileged to work in a job where my input is valued and where I gain a large measure of happiness and personal satisfaction. My colleagues and I choose to work in an environment that supports our interests and goals and where we, in turn, are supported by a community of loyal customers who choose their friendly neighborhood bookstore. Because Politics & Prose is a local business, my employer and my colleagues pay taxes to a local representative government that is held accountable to me and my fellow citizens.

In continued gratitude for your patronage, our second Summer Newsletter will be available after July 4 and is filled with wonderful suggestions for your summer holiday. All Politics & Prose members receive a 20% member discount on the reviewed titles.

As always, we at Politics & Prose express our appreciation and gratitude for the spirit of community independence that helps keep us alive and supports our work. Thank you for helping to make our existence possible by sharing our values and supporting what we do for our neighborhood and the city.

- Andrew Getman

COMING SOON TO YOUR FAVORITE BOOKSTORE

Click here for our events calendar to preview upcoming events through the end of August.
P&P Members always save 20% on author event books and titles included in other special promotions. Click here to register!

Thursday, June 30, 7 p.m.

Josh Ritter - Bright's Passage
In his debut novel, the lauded singer-songwriter brings his gifts of lyricism and magic to the tale of a World War I veteran's time in the trenches and his life upon returning to West Virginia.

Friday, July 1 – Monday, July 4 - Independence Day Weekend - No events

Tuesday, July 5, 7 p.m.

Tyler Cowen - The Great Stagnation: How America Ate All the Low-Hanging Fruit of Modern History, Got Sick, and Will (Eventually) Feel Better
For all the excitement of smartphones and social media, are the new intellectual technologies as innovative and productive as those of the past? In this concise, thought-provoking look at recent economic history, the George Mason University professor and blogger argues that the pace of change has stalled. He compares today’s technological advances to those that fueled the Industrial Revolution, and finds that we have failed to keep pace in producing new wealth, jobs, and overall productivity.

Wednesday, July 6, 7 p.m.

Justin Martin - Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted
In his third biography, the author of lives of Ralph Nader and Alan Greenspan turns to Frederick Law Olmsted. Journalist, social reformer, and, after 1863, a master “landscape architect,” Olmsted crafted nature to suit urban needs, creating Central Park, the Emerald Necklace in Boston, the Stanford University grounds, and our own National Zoo.

Thursday, July 7, 7 p.m.

Bob Riesman - I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy
Riesman’s life of Big Bill Broonzy (1903–1958) encompasses the bluesman’s many pivotal roles. From melding the traditional, rural blues of his native Arkansas Delta region with the urban sound in 1930s Chicago, to influencing the resurgence of folk music after World War II and inspiring the blues-rock musicians of the 1960s, Broonzy was a key figure for 20th-century popular music.

Friday, July 8, 7 p.m.

Tom Gardner & Louann Lofton - Warren Buffett Invests like a Girl: and Why You Should Too
Confidence and daring aren’t always a winning proposition when it comes to investments, say Gardner and Lofton, Motley Fool analysts. These qualities, along with compulsion, characterize how men make investments. Women, by contrast, have a more studious approach and their patience and research result in stronger portfolios—more like Warren Buffett’s than like that of the average male investor. This well-researched and witty book shows how you can grow your portfolio, too.

Saturday, July 9, 6 p.m.

Daniel Solove - Nothing to Hide: The False Tradeoff between Privacy and Security
The ongoing war on terrorism seems to demand that we give up privacy to gain security. In his sharply reasoned new book, Solove, the John Marshall Harlan Research Professor of Law at G.W. Law School, argues that this is a false premise. Exploring the history of privacy rights and the challenges of present technology, he shows how regulation and oversight can preserve both security and privacy.

Sunday, July 10, 5 p.m.

Marvin Kalb & Deborah Kalb - Haunting Legacy: Vietnam and the American Presidency from Ford to Obama
Vietnam is the ghost haunting every president since 1975 who faces a decision about going to war. In their deeply researched history of the post-Vietnam era, the authors, veteran journalists, examine how each administration from Ford to Obama has responded to this legacy.

Monday, July 11, 7 p.m.

Sapphire – The Kid
Push introduced the savvy, street-smart, but brutalized and illiterate Precious. In Sapphire’s new novel, the singer and poet tells the story of Precious’s son, Abdul Jones. Opening with his mother’s funeral, the narrative follows Abdul from age nine to young adulthood as he travels from a Mississippi farm to Harlem, from poverty to the life of an artist.

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.

Friday, July 2, 8:30 – 10:15 a.m.

Greater Washington Board of Trade Speaker Series
Key Bridge Marriott

Capital View Ballroom
1401 Lee Highway
Arlington, VA 22209

TOM GARDNER & LOUANN LOFTON
WARREN BUFFETT INVESTS LIKE A GIRL: AND WHY YOU SHOULD, TOO (HarperBusiness, $25.99)
Warren Buffett and all of the women of the world have one thing in common: They are better investors than the average man, a fact proven by psychologists, scientists, and the value of their portfolios. In this well-researched, eye-opening, and wonderfully witty must-have book, the impresarios at The Motley Fool show that women, with their capability for patience and good decision-making, epitomize the Foolish investment philosophy, and the investment practices of the most successful investor in history: Warren Buffett.
For more information and to register, visit www.hooksbookevents.com.
(The authors will also appear at P&P on July 8 at 7 p.m. Click here for details.)

This is Washington, D.C. (Universe, $17.95) shows that D.C. is not only home to dozens of government buildings, but also to some of the country’s most exciting national landmarks. Part of Miroslav Sasek’s famous travel series, this newly reissued book contains a wealth of information about D.C. history, ranging from the creation of the monuments to an explanation of the city’s well-known street grid. Originally published in 1969, this updated edition contains the original text, but features an appendix describing the ways today’s D.C. is different. Tourists and residents alike will delight in the old-fashioned illustrations and descriptions of our favorite city. Ages 8-11. – Amy Kane

JOSH RITTER TONIGHT

Josh Ritter will be in the store tonight, June 30, with his brand new novel, Bright’s Passage. We will also feature his CD, SO RUNS THE WORLD (Pytheas Records, $13.99), for signing.

BIG BILL BROONZY NEXT THURSDAY

Next Thursday, July 7, at 7 p.m., author Bob Riesman will talk about his new book, I FEEL SO GOOD: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy. We will also feature some of Big Bill’s greatest recordings from his early period, YOUNG BIG BILL BROONZY, 1928-1935 and DO THAT GUITAR RAG (each,Yazoo Records, $17.98) and from his later period, TROUBLE IN MIND (Smithsonian Folkways, $16.98).

There was an excellent piece about Riesman’s book and Broonzy’s music last Saturday on NPR’s Weekend Edition.
 

NEW

RED HOT AND RIO 2 (Entertainment 1 Music, 2 CDs, $19.98) – Almost two-and-a-half hours of great Brazilian sounds, Red Hot and Rio 2 is the summer album of 2011. It’s a tribute to Tropicalia, the late 1960s art movement that included hugely influential musicians, including Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Os Mutantes, and Tom Zé. Red Hot and  Rio 2 features collaborations among some of the original pioneers, newer generations of Brazilian musicians, and plenty of non-Brazilians who’ve been deeply influenced by Tropicalia, including David Byrne and Beck.

Gillian Welch, THE HARROW AND THE HARVEST (Acony, $14.99) – Singer and songwriter Gillian Welch (and her duet partner, David Rawlings) last put out an album way back in 2003. The Harrow and the Harvest was definitely worth the wait: ten great songs, wonderful harmonies, and Rawlings’s amazing non-stop acoustic guitar filigrees and inventions.

Ben Williams, STATE OF ART (Concord, $17.98) – Jazz bass player Ben Williams won the 2009 Thelonious Monk Competition, and his debut release is just out. On State of Art, Mr. Williams has assembled a strong group of young players (among them, Marcus Strickland, Gerald Clayton, and Jamire Williams) for a wide-ranging mix. “Mr. Dynamite” is a tip-of-the-hat to the soul-jazz of Cannonball Adderley. “Moonlight in Vermont” is an electric bass feature and there’s even the rap-biography, “The Lee Morgan Story,” with MC John Robinson and Christian Scott on trumpet.

Mr. Williams and his group, Sound Effect, will be at the Bohemian Caverns Friday and Saturday, July 1-2.

RAVE ON BUDDY HOLLY (Fantasy, $16.98) – Buddy Holly was only 22 when he died in 1959, but he wrote and recorded scores of iconic songs, and created the rock-band template that’s been followed ever since. Nineteen artists pay tribute on Rave On Buddy Holly, and there are many gems. Some are faithful to the originals (“Changing All Those Changes” by Nick Lowe and “True Love Ways” by My Morning Jacket) and some inventively rearrange the songs, including Patti Smith’s tender “Words of Love,” Cee Lo Green’s peppy “[You’re So Square] Baby, I Don’t Care,” and the Black Keys’s stripped-down take on “Dearest.” Also on the compilation: Paul McCartney, Graham Nash, Fiona Apple, Lou Reed, and Justin Townes Earle.

Read the review from NPR’s Fresh Air.

NEXT TO NORMAL & WICKED AT THE KENNEDY CENTER

The Kennedy Center is featuring two great touring musicals, and we’re featuring the original cast albums: NEXT TO NORMAL (Ghostlight, $19.98) includes the Tony Award-winning Alice Ripley in the starring role. Ms Ripley is reprising her role at the Kennedy Center.

WICKED (Decca, $18.98) stars Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, Idina Menzel as Elphaba, and Joel Grey as the Wizard.

Next to Normal runs through July 10; Wicked runs through August 22.

BOOK GROUPS

Thursday, June 30, 7:30 p.m.

Veterans Book Group
Kill or Capture, by Matthew Alexander
July 14 selection: TBA

Monday, July 4

Classics Book Group
No Meeting
August 1 selection: Plautus: 4 Plays edited by David Christenson

Tuesday, July 5, 7 p.m.

Travel Book Group
The Bridge by Geert Mak
August 2 selection: In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin

Wednesday, July 6, 7:30 p.m.

Futurist Book Group
The Next Decade by George Friedman
No meeting August 3.

Thursday, July 7, 7:30 p.m.

Capital James Joyce Book Group
Dante’s Inferno by Dante Alighieri, translated by Mark Musa

Click here to learn more about participating in these or other Politics & Prose book groups.

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Politics & Prose Bookstore
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(202) 364-1919 or
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Fax: (202) 966-7532

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