Life in Verse

For the last two weeks, I have been in book-lover's heaven. The Open Book was lucky enough to be asked to be the bookseller for the Southampton Writers Conference. Jessica and I carted a ton of books to the Stony Brook - Southampton campus and set up a little satellite bookstore stocked with books by the faculty of the conference.

As we took turns taking care of the mini-bookstore we saw some talented and amazing authors wander through: Elizabeth Strout, Colson Whitehead, Meg Wolitzer, Melissa Bank, Julie Sheehan, Roger Rosenblatt, Peter Hedges, Elena Gorokhova, Helen Simonson, Justin Kramon, Ursula Hegi and Jules Feiffer just to name a few. Oh, I know I

am name dropping but I was totally star struck by these people who have given me many happy hours with their books. I tried not to stammer as I sold books to people who put their hearts into the books that I sell. The conference participants, aspiring writers and poets, were full of creative energy - interesting and friendly. I cannot wait to sell their work.

One of the highlights of the conference for me was the chance to hear Billy Collins speak and read from his work. I love poetry and I love Billy Collin's poetry especially. Some of his poems make you laugh out loud and others bring a fuzzy nostalgia for love long past. It was a special treat during a busy summer.

Of Graduations and Butterflies

I have been to several graduation ceremonies in the last few days. The speeches were heartfelt and touched on the themes so common to this rite of passage: following your dreams, reaching for the stars, remembering your roots. But my favorite quote of all came from the valedictorian of the high school who cited Joseph Campbell's "follow your bliss".

It seems like a simple concept at first and so similar to the other statements about goals for your life. But, I think that Campbell;s direction may be a bit more complicated. It may mean different things at different times in your life. As a young person it might inspire you to take a backpack and tour Europe or learn to make pottery. Now that I am older, it strikes me that "bliss" can sometimes encompass pain or difficulty. In pursuing your bliss you may have to give up some things of value. Bliss does not always come with regular hours or high pay. Pursuing your bliss may cause people to sometimes question your sanity.

Which brings me around again to The Open Book. The one thing I know for sure (as Oprah would say) is that the most important thing in my life is my family. But my "Bliss" is my love of books and the joy of sharing that love with others. I have done that through many years at the bookstore and more recently, as a librarian. It is the nerdiest bliss that you can imagine, really, but I feel a shot of pure joy when I connect someone with a book that I think will touch them.

This year we have moved and we are now faced with a fancy new store down the block. There are moments when my concern about location and sales and competition seem to take over. Then one of my customers who I have watched grow from a young kid to a man bound for college asks me to find a book that will touch his emotions. Another asks for a book that will change his life. A tired woman says to find her something that will make her laugh.....she justs wants to laugh a little. And my bliss calls to me. I lose myself in the hunt for that book that just might make one cry, another think and another chuckle out loud. Despite that fact that sometime it is not easy....I count myself lucky to do what I do.

A few years ago there was a new musical called "The Story of My Life". It was about a writer and a bookstore owner. One of the songs from that show is one that I think fits the theme of graduation and of following your bliss. If you have a few minutes, listen to this song sung by Will Chase and think of your bliss and the journey of the butterfly.

Is It Too Graphic?

I have always been a bit of a snob about graphic novels. I mean really, aren't they just fancy comic books masquerading as literature? Well, I guess it is time to admit that I can be wrong. ( I hear the sound of my children gasping in the background.....)

Stitches by David Small is a powerful memoir told partially with words and partially with images. Mr. Small has told the story of his very dysfunctional family and his painful childhood by using the simple and elegant drawings that illustrate the children's books that may be more familiar to his readers. He illuminates the starkness and lack of emotion of his mother and the distance of his father. He tells the story of a child who is not told of the cancer that has ravaged his body because it is not something that he needs to know. He tells of finding that person who will hear him and see him, for the first time in his life.

This is a powerful and affecting story told with pictures and words. I cannot imagine it being told in any other way.

Because Oprah Told Me To.....

Like many booksellers, I owe a debt of gratitude to Oprah Winfrey. When I started selling books in 1999, Oprah's Book Club was in its heyday and I anxiously awaited the announcement of her next book. Even in the bleakest February, I was sure to sell some books if Oprah said that book was what should be read. Oprah has made authors famous and taught non-readers to love to read. Oprah is the patron saint of booksellers.

I have a confession to make. I have not always loved the books that Oprah has chosen for her Book Club. Many of them, while very well written, are dark and depressing. The recurring themes of dysfunctional families, violence against women and children and struggles against poverty are sometimes overwhelming. Call me shallow, but I often choose to turn to mystery, fantasy and lighter fare when choosing pleasure reading.

Recently, Oprah has been talking about a book called Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth. Immediately, I decided there were two strikes against this book.....1) Oprah says I must read it and 2) it is a self-help book. But somehow, its tidy little blue/gray cover with its beckoning landscape called to me and I took this book home. And I have to admit it, Oprah was kind of right.

Roth talks about how for many people food is a numbing agent, much like drugs or alcohol. People will use food to distract themselves from dealing with their feelings or facing the world. Roth puts forth her theories with strength and gentle humor. Despite the title, there is no religious agenda. For Roth, "God" refers to whatever spiritual other a person may recognize.
I found this book to be enlightening and interesting. I learned some things and did not feel condescended to or belittled.

Lesson for the day: You should not judge a book by the person that promotes it!

Keep turning those pages.......

Women of Mystery

For some reason, I am on a total mystery bender. All I want is to read about is murder and intrigue and things that go bump in the night. So I decided that I would just give in and wallow in as many mysteries as I wanted. Several of the books in my line up feature female sleuths in exotic places and times. If you want to follow some great women of mystery, I suggest:

River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters. Once again, Amelia Peabody finds herself in dangerous circumstances. Emerson, Ramses and Nefret are determined to keep an inept adventurer from destroying precious archeological finds. This time, the group is not in their beloved Egypt, but instead has travelled to Jerusalem. The cast of characters is familiar, as is Amelia's brisk wit and deadly parasol. Although I would not quite characterize this as a "cozy", it is a fun and relaxing read.


The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear. Maisie Dobbs returns to help an American couple track down the girlfriend of their son, a cartographer, who was killed in the war. Ms. Winspear captures the spirit of postwar England and the changes in society as she tells the tale of an investigation that combines both traditional and unusual techniques.

The God of the Hive by Laurie King. This story picks up from the end of the previous Laurie King book, The Language of Bees. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes must somehow save Holmes' son and granddaughter while trying to locate a missing Mycroft Holmes. There are plenty of twists and turns and enough of Sherlock Holmes' famous deductions to satisfy the Arthur Conan Doyle fan. The aging of both Mycroft and Sherlock add an interesting twist to the story, as does the addition of an intriguing, shellshocked soldier from the Great War.

If you are in a mystery mood, I would recommend any of these good books. Keep turning those pages!

Suprised by Sci Fi

I have never been an avid science fiction reader. When I was growing up, I read Ray Bradbury and all of the Dune books. But in my adult reading years, I very rarely turn to the science fiction genre.

So I approached The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis with a bit of skepticism. Two of my fellow librarians assured me that I would love it. But really, Sci Fi? Wasn’t that for those people who know about science and space and math? Of course, I absolutely loved it and was once again reminded to not judge a book by its cover, or its genre for that matter.

The Doomsday Book takes place in Oxford in the near future when time travel is possible, but not yet a perfect science. Kivrin a bright and adventurous young student wants to travel to the 14th century. James Dunworthy, her professor, is concerned that Kivrin is not completely prepared to travel to this period that has not yet been visited. He is further concerned that “slippage” during the actual time travel will put her in a time and place of danger. Kivrin is granted permission to undertake this adventure but minutes after she is sent off, the technician who facilitated her time travel falls ill with a mysterious virus.

The book switches between Oxford in 2054 and England in the Middle Ages. Nothing goes as expected as illness, quarantines, and miscommunications ensue. This book is filled with interesting characters, some humorous, some extremely annoying. The story flies along as you read faster to find out what happens to both Kivrin and Professor Dunworthy.

This is an older book, written in 1992. It is still available in paperback and at your local library. I encourage you to dip your toes into the science fiction genre with this great read!

Little Shop Around the Corner

Do you remember the movie "You've Got Mail"? For years, people have been coming into The Open Book and saying that it reminds them of that movie. I have always laughed and said that I hoped that I would not have to close my store because a big bookstore is coming into town. Well, it is not Barnes and Noble or Borders, but a new bookstore is coming to Westhampton Beach and it is backed by a former publisher (Jack McKeown of Perseus Book Group) with lots of contacts and resources not available to most.

Westhampton Beach has always been, in my experience, a town where the merchants do their best to support each other. We try not to carry competing lines because we want to offer our summer visitors a variety. Yes, we are in competition for the limited tourist dollar, but in general, we work together so that we all may stay in business and be successful.

We are a small village that at one time supported two bookstores. Things have changed in the bookselling business and in these days of big box stores and ebooks, it is difficult for any independent bookstore to survive. I am not ashamed to admit that I am nervous and feel that my business is being threatened.

I realize that anyone can open a bookstore. I do not have the monopoly on bookselling for the village of Westhampton Beach. I also realize that just because something is legal, it does not necessarily follow that it is right.

So I am asking those of you who have visited us over the years to keep buying your books at The Open Book. Please let people know that we still have the knowledge and enthusiasm about books that have always distinguished us. Please pass the word that we are just around the corner and have every intention of staying there for as long as we can.

As always, thanks for your kindness and support