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Click here for our events calendar to preview upcoming events through the end of October.
Members always save 20% on author event books and titles included in other special promotions. Click here to register!
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Thursday, September 1
7 p.m. Amy Waldman
The Submission: A Novel (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $26)
Friday, September - Monday, September 5
Labor Day Weekend - No Events
Tuesday, September 6
7 p.m. Hisham Matar
Anatomy of a Disappearance: A Novel (Dial, $22)
Wednesday, September 7
7 p.m. Dana Priest and William M. Arkin
Top Secret America: The Rise of the New American Security State (Little, Brown, $27.99)
Thursday, September 8
7 p.m. Tom Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum
That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $28)
at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
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Friday, September 9
7 p.m. Jim Woodring
Congress of the Animals (Fantagraphics, $19.99)
Saturday, September 10
1 p.m. David W. Blight
American Oracle: The Civil War in the Civil Rights Era (Belknap, $27.95)
6 p.m. Eric Schmitt & Thom Shanker
Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda (Times, $27)
Sunday, September 11
1 p.m. Charles Kurzman
The Missing Martyrs: Why There Are So Few Muslim Terrorists (Oxford Univ., $24.95)
5 p.m. Charles C. Mann
1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created (Knopf, $30.50)
Mark your calendars:
Friday, September 16 - Sunday, September 18
Fall Storewide Member Sale
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The Scoop from Brad & Lissa
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The Tenth Anniversary of September 11
As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11, memorials, remembrances, and commentaries about the tragic events a decade ago are bound to dominate our airwaves and occupy our thoughts. At Politics & Prose, we hope to contribute to a wider discussion, not so much by remembering the day itself (there will be plenty of opportunity for that elsewhere), but through a shared examination of how 9/11 has reshaped our lives, communities, and world.
We are excited to host two events connected to 9/11 and encourage all of you to join in these conversations:
This evening, September 1, former New York Times reporter Amy Waldman comes to P&P for a reading from her new novel, The Submission (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $26). The literary treatment of historical events – especially one so indelibly etched in our collective memory – is tricky to say the least. But Waldman’s fictional account of the public and private controversy over the selection of an architect and design for the 9/11 Memorial in New York deftly explores the social, cultural, and political fault lines of the post-9/11 era. What could have been a predictable read is, in Waldman’s able hands, an interesting, provocative, and well-crafted novel.
On September 13, P&P will partner with British literary and political periodical Granta for a panel discussion about the ways in which 9/11 has altered lives and attitudes around the globe. Granta 116: Ten Years Later (Grove/Granta, $16.99) looks at a cataclysmic event in world history through the individual prisms of a street vendor in Tunisia, a signals operator on a North Korean fishing vessel, a U.S. soldier returning home, and others from Somalia to Afghanistan. Please join us for a discussion with Robin Wright (Rock the Casbah (Simon & Schuster, $26.99), Dreams and Shadows (Penguin, $17)), Steve Coll (Ghost Wars, The Bin Ladens (Penguin, $18)), Olga Grushin (The Dream Life of Sukhanov, The Line (Penguin, $14/$16)), and Elliott Woods (VQR contributor). Copies of the new issue of Granta, as well as books by our panelists, will be available.
Extraordinary authors in September
Beyond these two 9/11 events, we have an extraordinary series of readings in September. It is shaping up to be one of our busiest months at P&P, with authors including Sebastian Barry, Michael Beschloss, Thomas Friedman, Alexandra Fuller, Amitay Ghosh, Michael Kazin, Caroline Kennedy, Jim Lehrer, Charles Mann, Sylvia Nasar, George Pelecanos, Dana Priest, Ron Suskind, Calvin Trillin, and Daniel Yergin. Check our website and our calendar for days and times.
Brad and Lissa
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Book Notes
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10 Questions with Bonnie Jo Campbell
Our bookseller, Angela Maria Williams, recently had the opportunity to correspond with Bonnie Jo Campbell about her most recently published book, Once Upon a River (W.W. Norton, $25.95)
AMW: Hi, Bonnie Jo, I read Once Upon a River this summer and it was wonderful, so I've been recommending it like crazy.
BJC: Thank you very much, Angela! You are most kind!
AMW: Your narrative flows so well and the story is very engaging but what struck me the most was Margo Crane herself. This is a character with an extremely rich interior life and I'm utterly fascinated by her. So much so that I wanted to pick your brain about how you developed Margo's character.
BJC: My pleasure!
AMW: So where did this character germinate? Have you been waiting to develop Margo for a while or did she come to you more recently?
BJC: Margo has been creeping up on me for years. Many years! There is a piece of my novel that came from one of the first stories I wrote, in my first real writing class. The story was called “The Fishing Dog” and the year was 1995 (And the teacher was Jaimy Gordon, National Book Award winner in Fiction 2010). This story is in my collection Women & Other Animals (Scribner, $14), and the gal’s name was Gwen. The second time Margo appeared was as the mother of the protagonist in my novel, Q Road (Scribner, $15). And when I was out promoting that first novel, I would often encounter someone who would ask me to tell more about Margo Crane, who made only a brief appearance in the novel, as a beautiful woman who skinned animals and lived on a houseboat. Still, I thought I was finished with her. A few years later I wrote another story called “Family Reunion,” which appears in my collection, American Salvage (W.W.Norton, $13.95), in which a girl is molested by her uncle and after a year discovers the way to revenge his violation. So you might say that I’ve been living with Margo Crane for a while. And I enjoyed living with her the whole four years I was writing this novel.
Click here to read the rest of this interview.
Google eBooks Petting Zoo & Information Session
Thursday, September 15, 5-9 p.m.
Less formal than the last session, this time we will have the assistance of representatives from the Google eBooks team. Stop by at your convenience; Google representatives and P&P booksellers will be ready to assist you in trying various devices and learning how to download eBooks from politics-prose.com. Google calls this a "petting zoo" because they provide a table or "pig pen" full of gadgets for people to pick up and use to read pre-loaded Google eBooks. This way you can try reading on a wide variety of devices -- tablets, smartphones, e-readers, laptops, etc.
You can also use a laptop or tablet to learn how to buy Google eBooks from the store website. It's not hard to sign up for an account while you're here, and we can help you through the steps. Once your account is set up, you can store all your ebooks in the cloud on your own personal bookshelf which you can access whenever and wherever you log into politics-prose.com.
Click here to read more about buying Google eBooks from Politics & Prose.
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Staff Recommendation of the Week
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The Art of Fielding (Little, Brown, $25.99)
By Chad Harbach
I loved The Art of Fielding. The characters are original and memorable, the setting is brilliantly realized, andthe story ismagical. Harbach really knows baseball, and, more than that, he really knows relationships - whether they’re friendships, romances, or families. It deserves a wide audience and will surely find it. Mark LaFramboise
The most assured debut I've read this year. The Art of Fielding is a must read not only for baseball fans, but fans of great literature, period. Sarah Baline
Reading this book is like watching your favorite team play in the World Series; it's about much more than the game, the players can make your heart soar or tear it apart, and the action will keep you on the edge of your seat because you know it ain't over 'til it's over. Wendy Brown
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Small Press Expo 2011
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September 10 - 11, 2011
Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center
5701 Marinelli Road.
North Bethesda, MD
In its fifteenth year, SPX now serves as the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comic books and the discovery of new creative talent; SPX brings together over 400 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, distributors, and each other. Click on the image above for more information.
In conjunction with SPX, we are pleased to welcome Jim Woodring to the store on Friday, September 9, 7 p.m. for an event with his newest book Congress of the Animals (Fantagraphics, $19.99).
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Discounted tickets to Fahrenheit 451 at Round House Theatre
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Round House Theatre Bethesda opens its season with Ray Bradbury’s stage adaptation of his sci-fi masterpiece Fahrenheit 451. This multimedia production is directed by legendary theatre director Sharon Ott and runs September 7 – October 9, 2011.
Round House has a special deal for patrons of Politics & Prose. Order tickets for performances between Sept. 7 – 16 or Oct. 6 – 9 and save $10 per seat when ordering full priced tickets in the center orchestra or center balcony sections. Call Round House at 240-644-1100 and mention the “Politics & Prose Special”. Click here for info about the play.
Discounts may not be combined or applied to previously purchased tickets. Not valid on $10/$15 tickets for age 30 & under.
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Podcast of the Week
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On August 16, 2011, Jennifer Close read from her book Girls in White Dresses (Knopf, $24.95) at Politics & Prose. Close’s debut fiction chronicles the ups and downs, the heartaches and headaches, of three young women. Getting by with a little help from each other, Isabella, Mary, and Lauren work at jobs they feel ambivalent about and fall in love with men they know they shouldn’t. Funny and warm, this book is a fresh and witty take on romance and friendship.
Click here to listen to the podcast or download the mp3.
Click here to listen to and download more event recordings available from the Politics & Prose archive.
During the month of an author's appearance, an event title is discounted 20% to Politics & Prose members. By registering their commitment to the store, members support us in bringing these fantastic authors to your community.
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P&P Bestsellers
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All Politics & Prose Weekly Hardcover Bestsellers are 20% off for Members.
These are our top two titles. Click to see which other fiction and non-fiction books we are discounting this week.
The Cut, by George Pelecanos (Reagan Arthur, $25.99)
George Pelecanos, author of a host of D.C.-based crime novels, from A Firing Offense to The Way Home, will introduce his new series at Politics & Prose on Monday, September 12, 7 p.m.. Fresh from service in Iraq, Spero Lucas hires on with a defense attorney, for whom he specializes in recovering stolen property. When a big-shot crime boss notices Lucas’s talent, Lucas has to decide what cut—if any—is enough to risk his life for.
Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness, by Alexandra Fuller (Penguin Press, $25.95)
Alexandra Fuller’s first book, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, was an immediate hit and remains a favorite. In this eagerly awaited sequel, Fuller offers a powerful, beautifully written account of her mother’s life. Born on the Isle of Skye and raised in Kenya, Nicola Fuller was passionate about Africa, even as war and troubles hounded her from one country to another. Alexandra Fuller will read at Politics & Prose on Wednesday, September 21 at 7 p.m. Co-sponsored by the 2011 Fall for the Book Festival, www.fallforthebook.org
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Coming Soon to Your Favorite Bookstore
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Click www.politics-prose.com/event for our author events calendar through October.
A complimentary one-day pass to the Small Press Expo 2011 (September 10-11 in Bethesda, MD) will be available with the purchase of Drawing Power on the night of the event. More information about SPX 2011 at www.spxpo.com.
Thursday, September 1, 7 p.m.
Amy Waldman
The Submission: A Novel (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $26)
Ten years after the 9/11 attacks, Waldman's first novel examines questions of memory and healing. A stricken city holds a contest to decide on a memorial to its victims. But when the winning design is found to have been submitted by an Islamic American, the community is torn apart once more.
Friday, September - Monday, September 5
Labor Day Weekend - No Events
Tuesday, September 6, 7 p.m.
Hisham Matar
Anatomy of a Disappearance (Dial, $22)
Nuri el-Alfi's father, Kamal, vanishes in Geneva in 1972 but his family is already familiar with dislocation as they had been exiled from an Arab country where Kamal was advisor to the king. Fourteen year old Nuri begins a desperate search, one that propels him toward the truths of his father's elusive life and the treacherous edge of his own adulthood. The second novel by the Libyan author of In the Country of Men, Matar's novel reveals the heartbreaking reality of a family torn apart by the merging of the personal and the political.
Wednesday, September 7, 7 p.m.
Dana Priest and William M. Arkin
Top Secret America: The Rise of the New American Security State (Little, Brown, $27.99)
Since the war on terrorism began, do the many agencies involved in prosecuting it constitute a new “Fourth Branch” of government? The authors, Washington Post journalists specializing in government and foreign affairs, investigate the scope, size, and cost of the country’s security system.
Thursday, September 8, 7 p.m.
Tom Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum
That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $28)
at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
600 I Street, NW
Citing globalization, the revolution in information technology, chronic deficits, and America’s pattern of energy consumption as the main threats to the country’s power and prosperity, the authors look to American history for guidance. Friedman, columnist and author of The World is Flat, and Mandelbaum, professor and Director of the American Foreign Policy Program at SAIS, examine key turning points in the nation’s past and focus on the values that have seen us through.
One free ticket will be provided with each purchase of the book. Additional tickets are $12 (or $15 the day of the event).
Friday, September 9, 7 p.m.
Jim Woodring
Congress of the Animals (Fantagraphics, $19.99)
For his second graphic novel, the artist of Weathercraft gives Frank, his long-time short-story protagonist, a more expansive arena, chronicling what ensues when Frank leaves The Unifactor. Escaping by way of an amusement park ride, Frank encounters things he’d never imagined.
Saturday, September 10, 1 p.m.
David W. Blight
American Oracle: The Civil War in the Civil Rights Era (Belknap, $27.95)
1963 marked the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation; in the middle of the Cold War and the civil rights struggle, how did the nation view that landmark? In his history, Blight, author of A Slave No More and Race and Reunion, explores the Civil War legacy as four prominent writers viewed it in the sixties and as it is still evolving today, near the 150th anniversary of that war.
Saturday, September 10, 6 p.m.
Eric Schmitt & Thom Shanker
Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda (Times, $27)
National security correspondents for The New York Times, the authors recount the evolution of America’s struggle against Al Qaeda from the initial “war on terror” to a more nuanced approach. Using Cold War deterrence strategy, for instance, military, intelligence, and security analysts have fashioned new ways to restrict the terrorists’ range of operations.
Sunday, September 11, 1 p.m.
Charles Kurzman
The Missing Martyrs: Why There Are So Few Muslim Terrorists (Oxford Univ., $24.95)
Too often figured as angry jihadists eager to do battle with the West, the popular image of Muslims is seriously at odds with reality, Kurzman argues. Using statistics (there are over a billion Muslims in the world today, yet the number of Muslim terrorists is small) and pointing to militants' publications and websites, Kurzman shows that terrorism is in fact marginal in the Muslim world.
Sunday, September 11, 5 p.m.
Charles C. Mann
1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created (Knopf, $30.50)
The author of the best-selling 1491, the story of pre-Colombian America, here looks at the enormous impact of the European arrival in the New World. The ramifications were global: while trade altered the balance of power and wealth among nations, the Colombian Exchange, often unknowingly, transferred species of plants and animals from one place to another, radically changing lives and landscapes.
Mark your calendars:
Friday, September 16 - Sunday, September 18
Fall Storewide Member Sale
All weekend long, Politics & Prose members receive discounts on nearly everything currently in stock. Most books are 20% off, most CDs and DVDs are 15% off. If you are not yet a member, it's a great time to sign up and take advantage of these and other discount opportunities.
The same discount terms will also be applied to shopping completed online when members purchase items currently on our shelves between Friday, September 16, 12:01 a.m. and Sunday, September 18, 11:59 p.m.
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Politics & Prose Membership
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Why shop with us and not a chain store or an online competitor?
We are part of your community. Not only can you meet a friend for an author talk or to have coffee at the store, but we pay taxes to the District of Columbia to support city services. We contribute our time and our money with donations of books and resources to many educational and cultural institutions in the metropolitan area. Your purchase goes much farther when you shop locally, and we thank you for continuing to do so.
Why does the store promote the member program? Membership means loyalty to Politics and Prose. We encourage you to try us first. We offer discounts as benefits. Our hope is that our calendars and emails remind you to attend our excellent author presentations, to rely on our knowledgeable booksellers as a resource, and to shop with us throughout the year.
For $25 a year, $45 for two years, or $100 for five years, members receive:
- Our Monthly Events Calendar mailed to you 10 times a year
- Our weekly email updates with book reviews and calendar of events
- 20% off all books mentioned in the Events Calendar for that month
- 20% off books featured in our Summer and Winter Holiday Newsletters
- 20% off the weekly P&P Hardcover Fiction and Nonfiction Bestsellers
- 15% off selected CDs and DVDs
- Additional monthly promotional discounts on selected sections of the store, such as: audiobooks, travel literature, gardening, etc.
- Storewide discounts during four annual weekend-long Member Sales
The P&P membership program helps the store by maintaining a loyal customer base on whom we can depend. The P&P membership program helps you by allowing you to shop at your favorite bookstore and save money on the books that you want to buy.
Do you know someone who loves reading? A Politics and Prose membership makes a great gift.
Click here to become a Politics & Prose Member.
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Ticketed Events
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Thursday, September 8, 7 p.m.
 Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum
That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back
(Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $28)
Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
600 I Street, NW
Metro: Gallery Place/ Chinatown
Citing globalization, the revolution in information technology, chronic deficits, and America’s pattern of energy consumption as the main threats to the country’s power and prosperity, the authors look to American history for guidance. Friedman, columnist and author of The World is Flat, and Mandelbaum, professor and director of the American Foreign Policy Program at SAIS, examine key turning points in the nation’s past and focus on the values that have seen us through.
One free ticket will be provided with each purchase of this book. Additional tickets are $12 (or $15 the day of the event).
Pre-ordered books and tickets will be available for pickup at P&P on September 5, 6, or 7 or at the event at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue on September 8.
Click here to reserve your spot. Prepayment is required to secure reservations.
Monday, September 26, 7 p.m.
 Caroline Kennedy and Michael Beschloss
Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy (Hyperion, $60)
GW Lisner Auditorium
21st & H Streets, NW
Metro: Foggy Bottom/GWU
In March 1964 Jacqueline Kennedy sat down with Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., and the two recorded a series of interviews, which were then sealed and deposited in the JFK Library. The eight-and-a-half hours of intimate conversation about John F. Kennedy’s life and work are now available on CD and in printed transcript. To mark this special occasion, Caroline Kennedy, historian Michael Beschloss, and others will participate in a panel discussion on the JFK legacy, presented in conjunction with The George Washington University.
Two free tickets will be provided with each purchase of the book from Politics & Prose. Additional tickets are $15 (or $20 the day of the event). Books and tickets may be picked up at P&P after September 14 or at the event at GW Lisner Auditorium on September 26.
Click here to reserve your spot. Prepayment is required to secure reservations.
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P&P Customers Are Also Invited To . . .
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Politics & Prose sells books at 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.
Monday, September 12, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
 Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center Amphitheater
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Metro Accessible: Metro Center and Federal Triangle
Dr. Paul Farmer
Haiti after the Earthquake (PublicAffairs, $27.99)
On January 12, 2010, a massive earthquake laid waste to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, killing hundreds of thousands of people. In this vivid narrative, Farmer describes the incredible suffering--and resilience--that he encountered in Haiti. Having worked in the country for nearly thirty years, he skillfully explores the profound economic and social injustices that made Haiti so vulnerable to the earthquake--the very issues that make it an "unnatural disaster".
Co-founder of Partners in Health, Dr. Farmer, with his colleagues, has pioneered novel, community-based treatment strategies that demonstrate the delivery of high-quality health care in resource-poor settings. He has written extensively on health, human rights, and the consequences of social inequality.
Click here to listen to Partners in Health Summer Reading Series focused on Haiti after the Earthquake.
Click here for tickets ($50/$30/$22.50) and more information.
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From the Children and Teens' Department
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Children's Book of the Week
 (20% off through September 6)
Nigerian-born author Atinuke first caught our attention with the Anna Hibiscus chapter books. Now, she and illustrator Lauren Tobia welcome younger readers to the same enchanting world in Anna Hibiscus’ Song (Kane/Miller, $15.99). Surrounded by her family in their beautiful home, Anna Hibiscus is so happy that she doesn’t know how to express her joy. She asks all of her relatives—parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins—what she can do. Each of them has a different way of being glad, and Anna Hibiscus tries them all. Finally, she discovers what she can do when she is happy: sing! Ages 3-6. Janet Minichiello
For more recommendations, you can browse our catalog of Children's Department Summer Favorites in .pdf format by clicking here. The printed catalogs are available in the store.
Read about - and buy - more of our favorite books for children and teens by clicking here.
Join the Teen Book Group!
 Sunday, September 25 at 3:30 p.m.
The Teen Book Group, for 7-9 graders, meets on the 4th Sunday of each month at 3:30 p.m. Book group members participate in two activities. They read and review books that haven’t yet been published (Advance Reader’s Copies); and they choose, read, and discuss books as a group.
We'll ring in the new school year with a discussion of Okay for Now (Clarion, $16.99) by Gary D. Schmidt on Sunday, September 25 at 3:30 p.m. in the Remainder Room. Click here to sample the book on our website with Google Preview. Participants save 20% on all book group selections. Mr. Schmidt will also be reading at Politics & Prose on Monday, September 26 at 10:30 a.m.
Interested in joining? Email Dana at dchidiac@politics-prose.com
Wednesday, September 21, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
 Join the Politics & Prose Children and Teens’ Department for an Educators’ Open House
- Learn about new titles and get thoughtful recommendations
- Find out about author events
- Sign up for educator email updates
- Get 20% off all books during the open house (with a 2011/12 school ID)
- Enter a tote-bag raffle
- Enjoy light refreshments
- Receive coupons for special deals at neighboring restaurants.
To receive periodic updates for teachers and librarians, click here to add "Teachers and Librarians' Email" to your P&P subscription!
Story Hour
Story hour will resume in the Children and Teens' Department on Monday, September 12 at 10:30 a.m., with BearSong and his guitar. Please join us each week for storytelling and music for children from birth to 5 years old.
We will also host some special guests for story hour.
On September 19, performers from Isabella and Ferdinand Spanish Language Adventures will perform music from their new CD, Olé and Play ($19.99). This event will be held in Spanish.
On October 3, Grammy Award winning artists Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer will entertain us with a variety of musical instruments as they share their new book, Sing to Your Baby (Community Music, $19.95).
Sign up here to receive email updates about the Politics & Prose story hour. We will inform you of special story hours, changes or cancellations.
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Markdown Books
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In addition to being the mother of two of Picasso’s children, Françoise Gilot was a serious painter and student of painting. The author of several memoirs, including Matisse and Picasso: A Friendship in Art, she was also an excellent writer. Covering the years between 1946 and 1954, when Matisse died, Gilot’s fascinating account records the painters’ conversations, their explorations of color and new media, and their sometimes prickly relationship. There are big names in this narrative, but Gilot is not gossipy; her insider’s account of these two towering figures of modern art is primarily concerned with the work. Available in paperback, $5.98.
Bonnie Jo Campbell’s new novel Once Upon a River (W.W.Norton, $25.95) has been getting a lot of great reviews [Ed: see our interview posted above]. Like many novelists, Campbell started out writing short fiction, and her first collection of stories, Women and Other Animals, won an Associated Writing Programs Award. Like her later narratives, these early stories feature strong women and difficult situations: a widowed farmer undergoes a health crisis, but draws closer to her daughters; a snow-cone vendor at a circus dodges an escaped tiger. Then there are the more usual problems of poverty, families, lovers. Campbell writes with compassion and immediacy; her characters are survivors. Available in paperback, $4.98.
The White Tiger, by Aravind Adiga, won the Man Booker Prize in 2008 for its searing depiction of Balram Halwal, a young Indian born into poverty and determined to claw his way out no matter what. The son of a rickshaw puller, Balram goes to work at an early age, getting his education by watching who gets ahead and how. He gradually abandons his honest, hardworking ways and the novel is in part his effort to show how the greed and corruption he has absorbed led him to an act of violence against his employer. Available in hardcover, $5.98.
Click here to shop for more recently acquired remainders.
• Laurie Greer
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Music News
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Ticket Raffle for Keb’ Mo’ at Strathmore
 Strathmore Music Center is launching their 2011-2012 season with blues singer Keb’ Mo’ on Thursday, September 15. They are giving away three pairs of tickets to Politics & Prose customers.
Keb’ Mo’s latest CD, The Reflection (Yolabelle/Ryko, $15.98), expands his range to include rhythm-and-blues and soul, with a full band and some great guest vocalists like Vince Gill and India.Arie.
To enter the drawing, please email your name and phone number to agoldinger@politics-prose.com , and put Keb’ Mo’ in the subject field.
For more information about this show and a listing of future concerts, click here to go to the Strathmore website.
New CDs
 Miguel Zenón, Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook (Marsalis Music, $16.99)
Alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón has a focused and fiery tone on his horn. He has also released adventurous projects exploring the jazz connections to his native Puerto Rican music; his last two albums were devoted to jíbaro and the plena. His new one focuses on Puerto Rican songwriters such as Pedro Flores, Sylvia Rexach, and Bobby Capo: from 1920s boleros to the feeling movement of the 1950s to 1970s salsa. Some of the most well known songs (“Silencio” and “Perfume de Gardenias”) are given the freshest twists by Zenón’s quartet plus a wind section arranged by composer Guillermo Klein.
You can hear Zenón perform some of this material at this summer’s Newport Jazz Festival here.
Tinariwen, Tassili (Anti-, $15.98)
Tinariwen are a group of Tuareg musicians (and former rebel fighters) from Mali who have led the “desert blues” phenomenon for the last decade. Expanding their mesmerizing guitar drones and loping rhythms, Tinariwen’s latest is a more acoustic affair, with contributions from guitarist Nels Cline of Wilco and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Click to see the review in Tuesday’s Washington Post.
Tinariwen will play the 9:30 Club on November 15.
Michael Gordon: Timber (Cantaloupe Music, $19.99)
Composer Michael Gordon (one of the three co-founders of the Bang On A Can composers/performing collective) wrote a percussion piece for six players for the Dutch group, Slagwerk Den Haag. The piece is played on six pieces of wood (the instruments are called simantras, and were invented by the composer, Iannis Xenakis) which have great resonance and mellow overtones (think of a soft-wood marimba).
The CD is packaged in a beautiful all-wood case (see photo).
Watch an excerpt of Timber here.
Ry Cooder, Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down (Nonesuch, $17.98)
Guitarist Ry Cooder has never lost his deep interest in American music—the local traditions of norteño, blues, Hawaiian slack-key or L.A. garage rock—even as he recorded and collaborated with musicians from Cuba, Mali, or India. And he’s always valued music as social commentary, as heard on his previous albums, Chávez Ravine and My Name is Buddy. Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down is very much in the Woody Guthrie, straight-from-the-headlines traditions, addressing mostly our economic plight. Highlights include “No Banker Left Behind” and “Humpty Dumpty World.”
 John Hiatt, Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns (New West Records, $17.98)
Singer and songwriter John Hiatt is still crafting great songs. Listen to his new one, and then go see him next Tuesday, September 6 at Wolf Trap.
Click here for more 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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P&P's book groups meet monthly and are free and open to the public.
Thursday, September 1, 7:30 p.m.
Capital James Joyce Book Group
Purgatorio (Canto 28) by Dante, Musa translation
Monday, September 5, 7:30 p.m.
Classics Book Group
No Meeting due to Labor Day
October 3 selection: 16 Satires, by Juvenal
Tuesday, September 6, 7 p.m.
Travel Book Group
To Hellholes and Back, by Chuck Thompson
October 4 selection: Enduring Cuba, by Zoe Bran
Wednesday, September 7, 7:30 p.m.
Futurist Book Group
The Innovator's Way, by Peter Denning
October 5 selection: Physics of the Future, by Michio Kaku
Thursday, September 8
6 p.m. Fantasy Book Group
Banewreaker, by Jacqueline Carey
October 13 selection: Drowntide, by Sydney J. Van Scyoc
7:30 p.m. Science Fiction Book Group
Caves of Steel, by Isaac Asimov
October 13 selection: Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula LeGuin
Sunday, September 11, 5:30 p.m.
Memoirs from Africa - Swarthmore Book Group
Introductory Event and Reception
Swarthmore College History Professor Timothy Burke will introduce this year's theme "Memoirs from Africa."
Note: This initial meeting will take place in the Arlington Central Library Auditorium,
1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, VA.
Monday, October 17, 7:30 p.m. selection: Don't Let's Go To the Dogs Tonight, by Alexandra Fuller
Click here to learn more about participating in these or other Politics & Prose book groups.
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