My Panel at the Book Festival (finally!)

I know, I know! I hyped up my panel at the Baltimore Book Festival for weeks, then I wait for over a week to tell you how it went ... shame on me. But I'm finally getting caught up so here goes!

Oh, just one more thing. My wonderful hubby volunteered to come along and video for me. This was an amazing thing for him to since he usually finds these types of events painfully boring and will avoid them at all costs. I have to be honest though - he's not a great videographer. He recorded the entire session on our video camera by sitting it on a chair for the duration. He also used our digital camera to record a few clips for me to post on my blog. Those clips are a bit ... um ... bumpy.... Hopefully none of you come away with a headache!

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The panel was titled Read Street: The Changing Landscape of Book Reviews and Coverage of the Literary Arts. The three panelists were Dave Rosenthal and Nancy Johnston, The Baltimore Sun’s “Read Street” Bloggers, and myself. We were introduced by Gregg Wilhelm, executive director of The CityLit Project (you can read more about this great organization here).

Video 1 begins with Gregg finishing his intro and continues with Dave discussing The Sun's new blog, Read Street. I'm on the far left, Nancy is in the center.



Poor Nancy, her microphone wouldn't stay up. The video ends just as Dave begins explaining the decline of advertising money available to newspapers today. In our Q&A time at the end one audience member brought this subject up again. He wanted to know why publishers weren't pushing for more coverage of their books by purchasing advertising space. Dave's response was (basically) that advertisers go where the return-on-investment is, and they just aren't seeing it in printed media.

The second video begins with Dave introducing me and continues with me speaking about my blog. There is quite a bit of noise in several parts because delivery trucks (aka golf carts) were passing by our tent. The video ends just as Nancy begins to talk - sorry Nancy!



In our Q&A later one man mentioned that he was "not comfortable with all this personal opinion" that blogs seem to be all about; he preferred reading the professional reviews because he feels they are not personally biased. I responded that of course he has that option, it's all a matter of preference. I further explained that as a consistent blog reader I get a feel for each blogger's taste in books and who I can rely on to recommend books that I like. Dave came back to this topic later, saying that getting reviews from blogs is a lot like getting book recommendations from your neighbors - some you just shrug off because they really don't know your taste and others you trust to recommend really great books.

Here's one more video for you - it's me talking about the amazing blogging community and the variety of people who read my blog (you!). I got myself a bit confused though, and I'm going to correct that error here. I mention that I have a reader in South Korea but she does NOT get most of her books from family members. That's another blogger, and I can't for the life of me remember who of you it is ... oops. [Update: Thanks to her comment I now remember that this is the blogger whose family brings her books!]



Again it cuts off just as Nancy starts to talk. You can tell hubby was focused only on what I had to say! The point Nancy was making is that Read Street is all about the community; she and Dave want input from their readers regarding the topics they should be blogging about.

One the whole the panel went very well. There were just two things that I wasn't happy with.

First, the turnout was low and not widely varied. Honestly, I expected a small group simply because the weather was crazy all weekend - most people didn't want to risk the rain (it ended up being a gorgeous morning though). But I had hoped that some more "tech-savvy" people would be there. In my opinion, the title of the panel drew a specific group of people. The majority of the audience were there to hear about the newspaper itself and were unfamiliar with blogging. That made it difficult to connect with them in my opinion. For those of you who have blogs, you know how it is trying to explain what you do to non-bloggers! Although is seemed that most people were open to learning about blogging, I can't tell if they "got it" or not.

Second, there was one audience member who dominated the Q&A with some rather angry remarks. He was adamantly against a newspaper allowing comments on a blog without verifying the identity of those commenting first. Basically he was questioning the integrity of The Baltimore Sun for even allowing comments on their blog. I respect the right of each person to his/her own opinion, but I would have preferred if this particular person had shown some of that respect to the other panelists as well. Another audience member did try to engage this guy in a conversation by making an opposing point, but the helpful guy was basically slammed by the angry guy. Yeah, there will always be ONE person who messes it up for everyone. I thought that Dave and Nancy handled the situation in the best way possible.

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A few other things to note ...

• Throughout the weekend I gave my card (with my blog name) to each of the authors I met, letting them know that I'd be posting video from their talk on my blog. They were all grateful for the extra publicity.
  
  
• After giving my card to one author, I was approached by the woman in charge of that particular tent. She wanted a card as well and wanted to talk further about my blog. She's the head of a literary organization here in Maryland and may want me to speak at her tent at next year's festival; the panel topic would be new ways for authors to promote their work. We'll see if she contacts me.
  

• After our panel, Dave met someone from the Baltimore Chapter of the Maryland Writers Alliance who asked the three of us (Dave, Nancy, and I) to speak at their meeting later this month. Nancy's job at the newspaper is an evening thing so she can't make it, but Dave and I will be there. It's set for Oct. 27th and the topic is basically the same as at the book festival - declining in-print reviews and the growth of blogging.

I had such a great time doing this panel. A big THANK YOU to Dave for asking me to be a part of it, to Gregg at CityLit for telling Dave about my book club a few months back, and for my book club gal Carrie for telling her friend Gregg about the amazing book club we're in together. That's how I ended up on this panel ... go figure!

My Mother, the Crazy African

I'm not a short story reader. The whole "short" part bothers me. I don't want it to be "short", I want to learn about the characters, follow them in their lives, have adventures with them. That means "long" not "short".

Why am I telling you this? Because this blogger just convinced me to read a short story ... and it was fantastic.

My Mother, the Crazy African is an immigrant experience tale. With only 6 pages of "story" it definitely qualifies as "short" but it is also one of those stories that will stick with me for a long time. The author, Chimamanda N. Adichie (aka Amanda N. Adichie) wrote this when she was in college.

Take just 10 minutes of your time and go read this story online - then come back and tell me what you think, ok?

Fonts, Fonts, I love Fonts

Is is just me, or do you love Fonts too? I mean, when I make signs or handouts (for yard sales, book club meetings, etc.) I spend more time choosing the perfect font than I do writing up the actual text. When I read a book I want the text to fit the story. It can't be too big or too small, too fancy or too plain. I know I'm not alone in this, right? Anyone?! Hmmm, maybe I am a bit weird after all ...

A while back I heard about a documentary film focusing on one font, Helvetica. Now I love fonts, but I couldn't figure out what could be interesting enough about one particular font to justify making a documentary about it. I was intrigued though.

So I looked it up online and found out that it actually does sound quite fascinating. According to the website,

Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which celebrated its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.

Now THAT sounds interesting! Think about a city that you visited recently ... if you picture it in your mind, you'll see signs/type/fonts/words everywhere. I never really thought about it that way.

Check out this clip and let me know if I'm the only one excited about this ...



How true! The way you first see a message DOES often define the way you react to that message.

Being the entrepreneurial gal that I am (NOT!) I posted a comment on The Baltimore Sun newspaper's blog asking if the film could be shown at The Baltimore Book Festival. Good idea, huh? I think the Book Fest folks were intrigued by the idea, but it didn't quite work out. However, The CityLit Project WAS able to schedule a FREE showing in October.*

The film is scheduled for Sunday, October 19 at 6pm at the Historic Charles Theater in Baltimore. (If you have never been to the Charles, it's worth seeing the film just to check out the theater! The Charles is 108 years old and decorated beautifully.)

Here's the official trailer for Helvetica ...



After the film there will be a discussion with Jed Dietz (Director of the Maryland Film Festival and President of the Producer’s Club of Maryland), Ed Gold (Director, Ampersand Institute for Words and Images and Director, MFA in Integrated Design, University of Baltimore), Gregg Wilhelm (Executive Director, CityLit Project and Publisher, CityLit Press), and moderated by Aaron Henkin (“The Signal,” WYPR).

* For more info about the wonderful programs put on by CityLit, check out their website. They have a whole series of Free Fall Baltimore events, as well as writing workshops and much more.

Would any of my local readers be interested in attending with me? And for those not local, is this something you'd want to see? Am I totally strange to be excited about this film? I'd love to hear your thoughts - am I nuts or are you with me here?!

Showcasing Your Banned Book Reviews (plus some controversy)

Reviews of Banned and/or Challenged Books
... submitted by my readers ...

... and some controversy to discuss (at the very end) ...

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Thank you to everyone who submitted a review for this post! If I missed yours, or if you have more, feel free to post links in the comment section.

And now, on to your reviews ...

1. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - reviewed by Maw Books,
2. A Separate Peace - reviewed by Care's Online Book Club,
3. Ask Alice - reviewed by Maw Books,
4. Beloved - reviewed by Things Mean A Lot,
5. Bridge to Terabithia - reviewed by Things Mean A Lot,
6. The Catcher in the Rye - reviewed by It's All About Books,
7. The Chocolate War - reviewed by Just a (Reading) Fool,
8. The Color Purple - reviewed by Things Mean A Lot,
9. Fahrenheit 451 - reviewed by Things Mean A Lot,
10. The Giver - reviewed by Maw Books, Things Mean A Lot, Books Worth Reading, Just a (Reading) Fool,
    
11. The Grapes of Wrath - reviewed by Devourer of Books,
    
12. The Handmaids Tale - reviewed by It's All About Books, Things Mean A Lot, Devourer of Books,
13. In Cold Blood - reviewed by Devourer of Books,
    
14. James and the Giant Peach - reviewed by Maw Books,
15. Just Listen - reviewed by Out of the Blue,
16. Kaffir Boy - reviewed by Devourer of Books,
    
17. Lolita - reviewed by Things Me A Lot,
18. Looking for Alaska - reviewed by Out of the Blue,
19. Lord of the Flies - reviewed by Devourer of Books,
    
20. The Lovely Bones - reviewed by Out of the Blue,
21. Of Mice and Men - reviewed by Maw Books,
22. Native Son - reviewed by Devourer of Books,
    
23. The Outsiders - reviewed by Just a (Reading) Fool,
24. Night In The Kitchen - reviewed by Books Worth Reading, Just A (Reading) Fool,
25. Slaughterhouse 5 - reviewed by Just a (Reading) Fool, Things Mean A Lot,
26. To Kill A Mockingbird - reviewed by Maw Books, Things Mean A Lot, Devourer of Books,
    
27. What My Mother Doesn't Know - reviewed by Out of the Blue,
28. A Wrinkle In Time - reviewed by Things Mean A Lot, Devourer of Books,
    

Of the above list, I read the following books in the pre-blog days:

• The Catcher In the Rye (hated it in high school)
• Are You There God? It's Me Margaret (honestly, I can't remember what I thought of it)
• Bridge to Terabithia (great story, hated the ending in middle school)
• A Wrinkle In Time (one of my childhood favorites)
• The Outsiders (loved, loved, loved this in high school)
• The Grapes of Wrath (the part with the old man still sticks in my head)
  
• Lord of the Flies (this book has stayed with me as well)
  
• Native Son (I remember disliking this one very much)
  

Regardless of what I thought of these books I'm grateful for the privilege of reading each one!

Currently on my TBR list are:

• The Handmaid's Tale
• The Giver
• Of Mice and Men
• To Kill A Mockingbird (this is hubby's favorite book)
• The Color Purple

Are any of the books in this post on your TBR list? Please share!

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And now for the controversy ...

I came across this post and it definitely got my attention. Regardless of whether or not I agree with the authors personal/religious/social/etc. views, I have to admit (and I think you will to) that she does raise a valid point: librarians by necessity have to choose which books of the millions available will appear in their libraries.

The reason so many of us support Banned Books Week is that we cherish our freedom to decide for ourselves (and our own children) what to read. I don't know the criteria for any library's selection process, but I certainly hope that it is a fair one.

I make it a point NOT to be political on this blog and I plan to continue that way. I know this could end up as a very controversial post merely based on the content of the post I linked to. My hope is that my readers will share their honest opinions (kindly!) - I really do want to hear what you have to say after reading and considering that post.

Friday Finds 10/03/08 - The Book Fest Edition

I'm doing two posts for Friday Finds this week because I have so much to share. This edition is dedicated to the books I found at the Baltimore Book Festival but that weren't featured on a panel (if you missed my first several posts click here to check them out).

The Maya Earth Trilogy by Margaret Evans

"When two archaeologists discover Mayan hieroglyphics in California, they become entangled in a dangerous race against time to save the Maya and the earth itself." Books 1 and 2 are complete, book 3 comes out in '09. I really want to read this series! The author was very pleasant to speak with and the idea of the book is fascinating to me. Click here to read the entire first chapter.






His Will My Wants by Dawn Reid

The story of two women in love with the same man, and all three are struggling with what God wants for their lives.






The Chesapeake Book of the Dead: Tombstones, Epitaphs, Histories, Reflections, and Oddments of the Region by Helen Chappell
"From ... one of the very best writers in the region, comes observation and musing about dead people, graveyards, tombstones, funerals, burials, and grieving customs around the Chesapeake Bay." Does this no sound strangley fascinating? And is it just me, or does it make those of us who live near this lovely bay sound like some exotic tribe somewhere?




And finally, the book that had hubby and I both were extremely excited about, the one that we bought as soon as we read the cover ...

Food Allergy Survival Guide: Living Well Without Dairy, Eggs, Fish, Gluten, Peanuts, Shellfish, Soy, Tree Nuts, Wheat, Yeast, and More by V. Melina, J. Stepaniak, and D. Aronson

Yes, I know, this likely doesn't sound that exciting to you but WOW is it ever great for us! I've talked before about kiddos allergies and how hard it is to find a variety of healthy, enjoyable, and affordable foods for him to eat. This is the first cook book we've ever found that gives recipes for meals excluding all the things he's actually allergic to. The first half of the book explains allergies and the nutritional problems they can cause, as well as ways to avoid those problems. The second half is chock full of recipes that kiddo can actually eat. And the meals sound really good too ... banana bread, broccoli bisque (kiddo loves broccoli), blueberry buckle, quiche (!!!), chick pea crepes, juice muffins, lemon pound cake, noodles and snow peas, pad-thai, and much, much more. All my allergy family readers get why I'm so excited over this I know.

So those are the books I found at the Baltimore Book Festival. Do any appeal to you?

Click here to check out my other, regular Friday Finds post.

Friday Finds 10/03/08

Welcome to Friday Finds! I'm doing two posts today - one is my regular finds post and the other is all about the books I found at the Baltimore Book Festival this week. I hope you enjoy both posts!

(And if you're in Google Reader, you'll have to click over to my actual blog because the pictures aren't showing up, and this post makes no sense without them.)

Just 5 books made it to my TBR list in the traditional manner this week ...

This graphic novel features the true stories of seven women at various points in history who disguised their gender in order to get what they wanted/needed. Sounds fascinating, no?

Can you honestly believe that I've never read this classic? I just couldn't get into the idea of the book, but then I read Nymeth's review and I was convinced - I'm gonna love this book!

I heard about this through the DearReader.com Fiction Book of the Week email. Here's the summary from the email:

Amateur naturalist Thomas Edgar is offered the chance of a lifetime: to travel to the Amazon as part of a scientific exploration. Hoping to discover the mythical butterfly of which he has long dreamed--his "Papilio sophia"--he eagerly accepts. Yet when he returns, the optimistic young Edwardian gentleman is gone, replaced by a weak, nearly mute shadow of the man.

Unable to break through Thomas's silence, his beloved wife, Sophie, is forced to take drastic measures to discover what has happened. But as she gleans what she can from Thomas's diaries and boxes of exquisite butterflies, she learns as much about herself and their marriage as about the secrets he harbors.

Written in rich, sensuous prose and taking the reader from the demure gentility of turn-of-the-twentieth-century England to the lush, dangerous jungles of Brazil, "The Sound of Butterflies" is a breathtaking and compelling debut.

Sounds good, huh?

Nymeth got me again this week with her review of The Thirteenth Tale. She says "It’s no wonder that The Thirteenth Tale is so immensely popular among book bloggers. It truly is a book for book lovers." That comment, along with the intriguing storyline, really got my attention.

I've heard of this book a few times now, but Literary Feline had a great review of it this week.

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Nothing to add to kiddo's list this week ...

So, what are YOUR Friday Finds? Post a comment or click here to join in the fun.

The Hearty Boys at the Baltimore Book Festival

If you missed my first posts about the Baltimore Book Festival, you can read them here, here, here, and here.

By Saturday evening the rain had lessened but most festival-goers had already called it quits. The crowd was quite sparse for the last cooking demo of the day, so we were able to sit in the very front row. Good thing we were under the tent because the rain started coming down hard again.

Hubby and I were both excited to see Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh, better known as The Hearty Boys. Several years back they were the winners of season one of Food TV's The Next Food Network Star. They have their own program on Food TV called Party Line with the Hearty Boys.

Dan and Steve may not be as funny as this guy but they know their stuff. They made three recipes for us to sample: a goat cheese tart (not our cup of tea), a sausage and bean chili (yummy), and bread pudding with blueberry cream topping (to die for!).

Speaking of that chili, here's a video of Dan explaining the trick to cooking the beans:

The Hearty Boys shared their thoughts and tips as they cooked. I didn't write everything down but here are a few I found interesting:

• even if you're not cutting down on your salt intake, you should always buy low sodium products (specifically stock/broth) - you want to season things to YOUR taste not to the CAN'S taste
• if a recipe calls for creme fraiche you can substitute sour cream OR you can make your own creme fraiche - here's how: mix equal parts sour cream and heavy cream - cover and leave on counter all night (NOT in fridge) - refrigerate the next day
• in speaking about fun cocktails Steve said "we lost Gin [to vodka] in the 1950s" and if vodka is tasteless, why drink it? - "we lost punch in the 1970s to orange sherbert and Sprite" - but there are so many better kinds of punch to make

Here's another shot of the demo. Don't you love the hanging mirror? It allows you to see what they guys are doing up on the countertop.

In speaking about their cook book Talk with Your Mouth Full: The Hearty Boys Cookbook, Dan and Steve explained that, as caterers, they understand the logistics of having a party. They know how to keep your food looking good even when you have to reheat it, how much ice you need for a 30 person dinner, what kinds of alcohol and how much of each for a 20 person cocktail party. In fact, they shared the secret to being a wonderful host/hostess. Want to know what it is? Lean on in and I'll tell you ... but you have to keep it a secret!

"It's not about busting your butt to throw the perfect party ... it's about giving the appearance that you busted your butt to throw the perfect party."

They guys explained that that secret is what inspired their book. It's meant to be a how-to guide that will make you look great as a host/hostess. Steve went on to say "We want you to break the spine on it, get tomato sauce on it ... we want you to USE IT!"


Hubby bought their cookbook and was VERY impressed. Here are his reasons:

• these are foods we would actually eat on a regular basis
• the ingredients are (usually) simple and standard
• there's an entire section on fun cocktails to serve (yeah!)
• there are TONS of party/hosting tips (what to serve, how to vary the same dish for different events, how much to make, what to prepare in advance and when, and lots more)
  

Of course we got Dan and Steve to sign our new cook book after their demo. That's hubby on the right.

And get this - Dan and Steve are going on a cruise with a ship-full of their fans AND they are planning a food and wine trip to Tuscany that will be open to fans as well. How cool is that?! You can find more info about the cruise here but you'll have to check back at their website in a few months for info on Tuscany as it won't be posted for a while. I think they said the trip would be in June '09 though.

Meet Two Authors in Baltimore on Monday!

I just learned about an exciting panel coming up this Monday night, Oct. 6, in Baltimore featuring the authors of The Toss of a Lemon and The Summer of Naked Swim Parties. The first book is on my TBR list and both have had lots of blog attention lately.

Below are the details (taken directly from Johns Hopkins University's The Writing Seminar's email):

We are pleased to announce the first event of the Fall Departmental Reading Series: two Writing Seminars fiction alumnae, Jessica Anya Blau ('95) and Padma Viswanathan ('05) will read from their recent work. The time and location are as follows:

Monday, October 6, 2008
6:00 - 7:00 PM
Remsen Hall, Room 101

(A campus map is available here. Remsen Hall is labeled #36.)

More about the authors:

Padma Viswanathan's debut novel, The Toss of a Lemon (Random House Canada, Spring 2008; Harcourt USA, Fall 2008), made a number of bestseller lists upon its Canadian publication; the September U.S. release has already garnered high praise and was named to the October Indie Next List. She is the recipient of the 2007 Boston Review Short Story Prize. Viswanathan received her MFA in 2005 from the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars. She currently lives in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas.

Jessica Anya Blau is the author of the novel The Summer of Naked Swim Parties (Harper Perennial, Spring 2008), recently named a top summer read by New York Magazine, The New York Post, and The Today Show. Her short stories have appeared in The Sun Magazine, The Southern Anthology, The New York Tyrant, and others. In 1995, Blau received her MA from the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, where she currently teaches Introduction to Fiction and Poetry. She is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize nomination and has won scholarships at both the Sewanee Writers' Conference and Breadloaf. She lives in Maryland.

Like all our Reading Series events, Monday's reading is free of charge. Books will be available for purchase on site.

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Furthermore, expect soon to hear more about the rest of our Fall lineup, including:

Josephine Humphreys, Bobbie Ann Mason, and Ellen Bryant Voigt
Friday, October 17 / 6:00 PM / Remsen 1

Richard Kenney
Monday, November 10 / 6:00 PM / Remsen 101

Charles d'Ambrosio
TBA

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Don't miss this inaugural reading of the season! Until then,

Best,


Jeff Colosino

Reading Series Coordinator
The Writing Seminars
Johns Hopkins University
http://jhu.edu/writsem

I don't have the exact address but more info can be found at this website.

Unfortunately I can't make it on Monday. Maybe you can? I'd love to see pictures/videos/blog posts about this sometime next week.

Please let me know if you plan to attend.

Giveaway - Matrimony

In the midst of all the excitement of the Baltimore Book Festival and Banned Books Week I almost forgot that I'm giving away a book this week!

Here's your chance to win a signed paperback copy of Joshua Henkin's Matrimony!

This New York Times Notable book is all over the blogosphere right now. I read and reviewed this a few months back. Although it wasn't a favorite of mine, there were MANY others who loved it (my review links to lots of others so you can get some varied opinions). This is YOUR chance to check it out for yourself and make your OWN decision!

To enter the contest, post a comment on this post letting me know which cover you like better, toothbrushes or shoes. The toothbrushes are the hardcover and the shoes are the paperback. The winner gets the paperback ... I just want to know which cover is more appealing to you.

This contest is open to the entire world so go ahead and enter! I'll draw a winner on Oct. 7 - be sure to get your comment posted before then.

Lovely Links #4: Banned Books Week Edition

Welcome to the midpoint of banned books week! I'm receiving lots of banned/challenged book reviews but there is always room for more. Just post a comment to this post and I'll get you added. Remember, I need the reviews by Friday evening.

Here are some links I've come across recently that deal with the subject of banned books.

• Here is the official website for Banned Books Week.
• Google lets you preview portions of banned books here.
• Book Club Girl has several great links posted, including the MySpace and Facebook pages for BBW. Who knew there was such a thing?!
• The Debutante's Ball, a blog featuring new female authors, has been posting about banned books all week here, here, here, and here. I expect there will be more over the next few days so be sure to head back over there again.
• This post on Rebecca Reads was sparked by a not-so-nice commenter.
  
• And I briefly wrote about this last year on my book club's blog.

UPDATE: I just came across this link from Time Magazine. It highlights several banned/challenged books and gives reasons for the challenge to each one.

Do you have other links to share? Feel free to post them in the comments. (If you're reading this is a blog reader, you may want to click over to check out the comments - I'm sure there will be some great links in there!)

FYI, I'll be back to my book festival posts tomorrow.