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Friday, July 10, 2009

Events

This Week's Events at
Malaprop's Bookstore/Café
55 Haywood St., Asheville, NC 28801
828-254-6734 or 1-800-441-9829

Friday, July 10 at 7PM:
Lucy Spelman, veterinarian and author of The Rhino with Glue-On Shoes, will discuss her work. Her book, a favorite of our staff and customers, offers an amazing behind-the-scenes look at exotic animals and the people who care for them. Whether it is a root canal for a 3000-pound hippo or an anorexic moray eel, these stories vividly portray the lives of zoological veterinarians and provide insights into the bonds that humans can forge with animals.

Saturday, July 11 at 7PM:
Gin Phillips presents her novel, The Well and the Mine, the story of two sisters in a small Alabama coal-mining town whose investigation into an act of surprising violence unearths powerful family secrets. Fannie Flagg praises, "When you close the book, you'll miss these characters. But The Well and the Mine doesn't just give you characters who'll stay with you; it gives you a whole world."

Monday, July 13 at 7PM:
Stitch-n-Bitch. Join host Stacey Budge-Kamison at our monthly stitch-n-bitch. Bring your current knitting or crochet projects, settle down with a cup of coffee or tea, and talk shop with some fabulous people. Crafters of all levels are welcome, and selected craft books are discounted for the evening.

Tuesday, July 14 at 7PM:
Malaprop's Bookclub with host Mary Park Ford meets to discuss The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta.

Wednesday, July 15 at 7PM:
Literary Trivia Night. Booker Prize-winner John Banville has authored books under what pseudonym? Which recent NYT bestseller combines the refined sensibilities of Jane Austen with the horrific comedy of the undead? Find out these answers and more at Malaprop's Literary Trivia Night, hosted by Lauren Harr. Come on your own or bring friends to form a team. Great prizes awarded to winners.

Thursday, July 16 at 5:30PM:
Women on Words. New members are always welcome to our poetry circle for women. Members critique and inspire the presented poems.

Friday, July 17 at 7PM:
Steven P. Miller will discuss his book, Billy Graham and the Rise of the Republican South. Grant Wacker says of this work, "Miller offers a vision of Billy Graham, race, and the South that will make us all better students of the American experience."

And coming on Saturday, July 18 at 7PM:
Matthew Fox discusses healthy male spirituality as he challenges men, and the women who love them, to open their minds to a deeper understanding of the healthy masculine than we receive from our media, culture, and religions. Following the talk, Mr. Fox will sign copies of his new book, Hidden Spirituality of Men. This event is free and open to the public, and will likely be very well-attended. Come early to get a good seat.

Other News:
These days, when I'm not at work, I'm out in the garden or in the kitchen dealing with a near-biblical abundance of blueberries. I've made two batches of wine, canned jars and jars of preserves, frozen gallons in ziplock bags, and still the bushes are heavy with ripe blueberries. As I make my way up the hill to pick more blueberries, I realize that the cabbages are ready, the broccoli and cauliflower heads are forming, and I won't even begin to discuss what's going on with the green beans....The weekend ahead will certainly include more canning, and preparation of the first batches of sauerkraut.

I always plant a huge garden. And I love to shop for food! My husband believes I was a quartermaster in a former life. I believe my desire for an abundance of food in the house comes from growing up in a large family and experiencing a number of years when our food choices were grim. The years of Carnation instant milk, government cheese, meatloaf heavily breaded with Ritz crackers, and generic food. Does anyone else remember eating generic food in the late 70s and 80s? Food packaged with no name brand, just giant barcodes on the side? The gastronomic horrors of those years instilled in me the need to purchase the best quality food I can afford, and to have at least a month's supply of food in the house just in case hard times happen, in whatever way they can.

I have the same hoarding impulse with books. If I was once a quartermaster, I was surely also a librarian, a publisher, or a monk puzzling over manuscripts and letters. I must always have at least 5 books by the bed to choose from, depending on my mood, and I'm always bringing home more as backup! We have an agreement in our house, which I do abide by as our house is very tiny, that no books come in unless an equal number of books go out. So, I bring home my new books, recycle my old books at our sister-store, Downtown Books & News, and keep a couple of piles on my desk at work in a state of limbo or purgatory, depending on my final decision as to what to do with them. The physical presence of books around me- at work, in the library next door, and at home- calms me, like silent friends I can call upon when I'm troubled.

What would I do without books? I don't even want to contemplate it. Not for me, the e-book! I can't rely on such a vulnerable form of the book, dependent on batteries or electricity to find its way to me. I have to have a book I can pull off a shelf, touch, smell, bookmark, and drop by the bed as I settle in to sleep, my reading glasses gently placed on the book's cover in readiness for the next evening's chapter or two.

We'll see what happens in the book industry, as the trade moves to satisfy e-book readers as well as old-fashioned types like me. Most publishers predict the book will continue to be available in both forms for a good while. I certainly hope so! But if it turns out differently, I'll be laying in my supply of books for the years ahead.

This week's poem is by Jody Gladding, from her collection, Rooms And Their Airs, Milkweed Editions, pb., $16.00.

"Rooms and Their Airs (Camere et Aer Ipsius)"

Air out the quilt. Down remembers
The wind.

Remake the bed. Down remembers
Its nest.

Open a window for northerly winds
That have swept across sweet water.

Open a window. Rain falling
On good land is good for melancholy.

Prepare a fish. If the skin's not thick,
It lived in shallows that run among stones.

Eat fish with wine and raisins. Your thirst,
Too, might be derived from grapes.

Conserve the bones. Nothing you do here
Will be forgotten.

Enjoy your weekends!

Linda Barrett Knopp

6:10 PM

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Friday, July 03, 2009

Indie Week Events!

This Week's Events at
Malaprop's Bookstore/Café
55 Haywood St., Asheville, NC 28801
828-254-6734 or 1-800-441-9829
www.malaprops.com

Friday, July 3 at 7PM:
Indie Retailers Forum! A panel of local business owners and managers will speak at Malaprop's about their businesses, their place in the community, and how they envision their future in Asheville. Wine and cheese reception to follow.

Saturday, July 4:
Independence Day = Independents Day! Each customer who purchases a certain amount at Malaprop's, Downtown Books and News, Mast General Store, Bloomin' Art, Laurey's Catering, or Tops for Shoes will receive a free "Declare Your Independence!" t-shirt, printed locally in celebration of this week, and also very cool looking

Sunday, July 5 at 3PM:
Poetrio is Canceled.

Monday, July 6 at 7PM:
Bridging Differences Bookclub. Join the Bridging Differences Bookclub hosted by Patti Digh for a discussion of Between Barack and a Hard Place by Tim Wise.

Other News:
Looking for an inexpensive treat for yourself? What better than a book? We are featuring two different selections of highly-recommended paperback reads in fiction and nonfiction for you. Our "Great Summer Reads" features books recommended by NPR, the Wall Street Journal, and our staff. Our other selection is a collection of "New and Notable" paperbacks praised by independent bookstores across the country, including our staff. Both tables are heaped with award-winning reads, sure to please, educate, entertain, or put you to sleep, depending on your reading preferences and goals. I always make a point of browsing our Staff Favorites section, too, when I'm looking for my next read. Customers enjoy this section most of all, making it the most heavily shopped section in the store, for good reason.

Some customers are surprised to find out that we can order any book in print, and often get next day delivery on orders. Rarely is there any charge beyond the price of the book. You can place your orders in person, over the phone, through email or at www.malaprops.com. You can also order e-books through www.malaprops.com, keeping your local independent bookstore in the picture when you purchase your e-books. Our used bookstore, Downtown Books & News will order any out of print book for you. Email your inquiries to dbnbooks@skyrunner.net, or call them at 253-8654. Both businesses special order books every day and love to perform this service for you. As booksellers, nothing makes us happier than connecting people with books.

This week's poem is by Connie Wanek from her collection, Bonfire, New Rivers Press, pb., $12.95.

"Day Lillies"

If these yellow day lilies
Made the sound suggested by their anatomy
We couldn't have them in the garden
Great gold horns
On stems that would support them,
Like some stage mother, on a world tour.
But they're rooted here in the red clay,
Noisy only by virtue of their color
And posture, that desperate leaning away
From the leaves, that sun hunger.

Perhaps they know they have only one day.
One cool morning, a wind off the lake,
And one noon under a sun
That returns the most ardent affection.
One evening watching the shadows
Of the porch spindles lengthen without tangling
And the day is done. A day
That might have been worse or better,
That never was ours alone
Though it seemed so.

Enjoy your weekends!

Linda Barrett Knopp

lbarrettknopp@malaprops.com

5:57 PM

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Friday, June 26, 2009

Independents Day is Coming Up!

This Week’s Events at the

Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café

55 Haywood Street,
Asheville, NC 28801

828-254-6734 or 1-800-441-9829

www.malaprops.com

Friday, June 26 at 7PM: McSweeney’s Event!

Join the folks from McSweeney’s for a presentation of James Hannaham’s novel, God Says No. Hannaham’s debut work explores the conflicted world of Gary Gray, whose personal longings are increasingly at odds with his marriage and religion. Steve Martin calls this work, “A tender, funny tour of a mind struggling to do the right thing. A revelatory and sympathetic guide to a misunderstood world.”

Saturday, June 27 at 7PM: bell hooks with special guest, Majora Carter!

Author and activist bell hooks comes to Malaprop’s to read and present her book, Belonging: A Culture of Place, in which this noted social critic examines the ideas of land ownership, home, and community by exploring her own past as well as the history of gender and racial politics. This event is free and open to the public. We expect a huge crowd, so come early to get a good seat!

Monday, June 29 at 7PM: What If…? Malaprop’s Speculative Fiction Bookclub

Join host Rich Rennicks and the Speculative Fiction bookclub for a discussion of Isaac Asimov’s The Gods Themselves.

Tuesday, June 30 at 7PM: ..Blue Ridge.. Bicycle Club Event!

Archer Yates and Janet Zusi of the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club will discuss bicycling in the ....Asheville.... area. The club’s mission is to work to provide opportunities for safer cycling in WNC and to expand public awareness of cycling through educational programs and maintenance of pathways and trails. They’ll discuss cycling opportunities, distribute maps, and offer information on bicycle fitness and safety.

Celebrate Independents from July 1^st through July 4^th! Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, Downtown Books & News, Bloomin’ Art, Laurey’s Catering and Gourmet-to-Go, Mast General Store, and Tops for Shoes have joined together this week through an effort initiated and organized by our very own children’s book buyer and community events coordinator, Caroline Green. We six independent, locally-owned businesses are hosting raffles, t-shirt giveaways (the t-shirt graphic is so fun and indie-celebrating that several of us have purchased them for ourselves), and an informational panel featuring speakers from each business. Please visit www.malaprops.com to read more about the debut of Asheville Celebrates Independents Day. Here’s a quick overview of next week’s activities: July 1 is T-Shirt Day. Wear a t-shirt promoting any of the participating businesses and receive a free gift from these retailers! July 2 is Raffle Day. Purchase a certain amount from any of the participating businesses and you get your name in a raffle with the winners to be announced at Malaprop’s at 7PM. Prizes include gift certificates, products, and t-shirts! July 3 at 7PM: Local Business Panel. Local business owners and managers from each participating business will be part of a panel discussion at Malaprop’s. They’ll talk about what they bring to the community and how they see their future in ....Asheville..... Wine and cheese reception to follow. Saturday, July 4: Independents Day! Customers at participating businesses who purchase a certain amount will receive a free “Declare your ....Independence....!” t-shirt. This is the very cool t-shirt I spoke about earlier. You’ll want one: trust me.

Downtown Books & News turns 20 on July 1^st! Congratulations to our sister-store, the finest used bookstore and newsstand in WNC!

This week’s poem is by Wayne Miller, from his collection The Book of Props, Milkweed Editions, pb., $16.00.

“Clarence and Da Vinci”

Da Vinci believed the stars

Could be studied in the surface

Of a still lake—their distances

Collapsed like speech

To a page, their needlelights

Candles in the fingers

Of the drowned. From the shore,

A piece of the sky is there,

But once Clarence rows out,

The lake holds every star

Facing this side of the earth.

--Except those burying

Themselves in the boat,

And he can’t still himself

Enough to stop the sky

From rocking—so clear now—

How wrong they must have been

Who thought it steady.

Enjoy your weekends!

Linda Barrett Knopp

4:32 PM

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Upcoming Events!

This Week’s Events at
Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe
55 Haywood St., Asheville, NC 28801
828-254-6734 or 1-800-441-9829
www.malaprops.com

Monday, June 22 at 7PM:
Asheville author and trauma counselor Dr. Shannon D. South will present her book, Love Wisdom: A Soul’s Journey to Wellness. Dr. South’s first book guides one through meditations and other techniques to free the soul from encumbrance in order to raise awareness and bring about positive change.

Wednesday, June 24 at 7PM: Anne Barnhill Writing Workshop and Book Reading.
Ann Barnhill, author of the short story collection, What You Long For, will give a fiction Writing workshop designed to hone your writing skills and enhance your creativity. Barnhill, who received her MFA in creative writing from UNC-Wilmington, will also read from and sign her books.

Other News:
David Sedaris will be at Malaprop’s on Thursday, June 25 at 7PM to discuss his latest collection of essays, When You are Engulfed in Flames. Although tickets to the reading portion of the program are sold out, we still have tickets to the reception and booksigning. If you would like to obtain a ticket to the wine and cheese reception and booksigning, during which you can meet David Sedaris and get your book signed, please call the store ASAP at 828-254-6734.

Moleskine fans, your 2010 planners have arrived. Come get them!

This week’s poem is by Roberto Bolaño, translated by Laura Healy, from his collection, The Romantic Dogs, New Directions, pb., 15.95.

“Resurrection”

Poetry slips into dreams
Like a diver in a lake.
Poetry, braver than anyone,
Slips in and sinks
Like lead
Through a lake infinite as Loch Ness
Or tragic and turbid as Lake Balatón.
Consider it from below:
A diver
Innocent
Covered in feathers
Of will.
Poetry slips into dreams
Like a diver who’s dead
In the eyes of God.

Enjoy your week!

Linda Barrett Knopp

lbarrettknopp@malaprops.com

9:50 PM

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Friday, June 12, 2009

Great Events Coming to Malaprop's!

This Week’s Events at
Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café
55 Haywood St., Asheville, NC 28801
828-254-6734 or 1-800-441-9829
www.malaprops.com

Friday, June 12 at 7PM:
Doug Elliott, storyteller and naturalist, will read from his newest collection of stories, Swarm Tree: Of Honeybees, Honeymoons and the Tree of Life. This collection blends Elliott’s scientific and cultural knowledge of the Appalachians with humorous insights and heartfelt takes on life. Bring a friend to this event and be delighted by a beloved regional storyteller.

Saturday, June 13 at 7PM:
The Sun Magazine and Anthology Event!
Authors Doug Crandell, Krista Brenner, and Robert McGee will discuss their contributions to The Mysterious Life of the Heart: Writing from The Sun About Passion, Longing, and Love. These works, which originally appeared in The Sun, explore the many facets of relationships, from heartbreak to ethereal crushes to lasting partnerships.

Sunday, June 14 at 3PM:
The North Carolina Birding Trail.
Kendrick Weeks of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission visits Malaprop’s to present The North Carolina Birding Trail: The Mountain Trail Guide. This invaluable book, the third of three regional birding guides from the North Carolina Birding Trail partnership, provides maps and detailed descriptions of 105 premiere birding sites in the western North Carolina mountains. An exciting night for birders!

Monday, June 15 at 7PM:
Stitch-n-Bitch.
Join us at Malaprop’s for our monthly Stitch-n-Bitch with host and local yarn maven, Stacey Budge-Kamison. Crafters of all levels are welcome to bring their projects, grab an iced coffee, and stitch away while chatting with other crafters in the community. Stacey will have lots of advice if you are stuck with a project. From what I hear from the booksellers who work during this event, you’ll also enjoy a lot of laughs!

Tuesday, June 16 at 7PM:
Brother Wolf Canine Rescue Awareness Event!
Representatives from Brother Wolf Canine Rescue will be at Malaprop’s to discuss the importance of adopting and fostering dogs. In conjunction with this event, Malaprop’s will be collecting dog toys and canned dog food to donate to this organization.

Wednesday, June 17 at 7PM:
Literary Trivia Night!
Our popular monthly trivia event (known for tricky questions, great prizes, and enthusiastic participants). Who wrote the novel, Juneteenth, which deals with the holiday commemorating the announcement of the abolishment of slavery in the United States? Who is famous for the statement, “Follow your bliss?” Find out the answers to these questions and more. Bring a friend to form a team, or be a team of one. Just come!

Thursday, June 18 at 5:30PM:
Women on Words
New members are always welcome to our poetry group for women. Women on Words is a poetry circle where members inspire and critique the presented poems.

Other News:
Our event with David Sedaris is sold out, but if you would like to still meet him, we are selling tix to the signing portion of the program. Purchase a copy of When You are Engulfed in Flames from our store, and you get a ticket to the signing. If you simply would like a signed copy, please call or email us and we’ll reserve a signed copy for you.

On Wednesday, June 24 at 7PM, The Wine Guy returns!
Steve Nelson of local wine-seller, The Wine Guy, will bring tasty summer wines to sample with cheese and crackers. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about summer wines, and to ask questions from the very knowledgeable and entertaining Steve. This is a ticketed event and seating is limited. Tickets are $10. Every time we host The Wine Guy, we sell out of tickets quickly, so if you’re interested, call the store (254-6734) to purchase your tickets.

We embrace many approaches to reading at our store (we sell “Drink, Smoke, Read” bookbags, “Eat, Sleep, Read” and “Peace, Love, Books” t-shirts, and “Books: Cheaper than Therapy” mugs), and believe that everyone is better off with a book in hand and the time and space to read it. I know I am! This time of year many customers are looking for reads to quiet their minds and bring a smile or a bit of ease. Yes, the beach read! We have many beach reads—from light romances and fantasies to noir mysteries—on our Staff Favorites shelves, our Bestsellers shelves, and in our Romantica, Sci-fi and Fantasy, and Mystery sections. Ask a bookseller for some suggestions, or a tour of the store, and we’ll set you up! I just finished The Pig Comes to Dinner, the sequel to The Pig Did It (A Washington Post Book World Best Book of 2008), and am utterly charmed by the books, and by the central pig character! I can’t tell you the name of the final book in this trilogy without giving away what happens to the pig, which is rather shocking, actually. Ron Charles praises, “[This] macabre comedy plays out in sparkling dialogue, including some hilarious speeches that are both incantations of Irish mythology and masterful bits of parody.” Or, as Malachy McCourt says about this book, “You will laugh your arse off!” I highly recommend The Pig Did It for that next trip to the beach or airplane ride.

This week’s poem is by Kelly Cherry from her collection, Hazard and Prospect, Louisiana State University Press, pb., $19.95.

“Reading, Dreaming, Hiding”

You asked me what is the good of reading the Gospels in Greek.

Czeslaw Milosz, “Readings”

You were reading. I was dreaming

The color blue. The wind was hiding

In the trees and rain was streaming

Down the window, full of darkness.

Rain was dreaming in the trees. You

Were full of darkness. The wind was streaming

Down the window, the color blue.

I was reading and hiding.

The wind was full of darkness and rain

Was streaming in the trees and down the window.

The color blue was full of darkness, dreaming

In the wind and trees. I was reading you.

Enjoy your weekends!
Linda Barrett Knopp
lbarrettknopp@malaprops.com

2:20 PM

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Saturday, June 06, 2009

Upcoming Events!

This Week's Events at
Malaprop's Bookstore/Café
55 Haywood St., Asheville, NC 28801
828-254-6734 or 1-800-442-9829
www.malaprops.com

Saturday, June 6 at 7PM:
John Hart presents his new book, The Last Child, which tells the story of 13 year-old Johnny Merrimon and his journey to discover the fate of his missing twin sister. Jeffrey Deaver praises this book as "a rare accomplishment...a compelling, fast-paced thriller written with a masterful literary touch. You'll feel this story as much in your heart as in your gut."

Sunday, June 7 at 3PM:
Poetrio: 3 Readings by 3 Poets. Join us for our Poetrio poetry readings, one of our most popular monthly events. This month's featured poets are Joseph Bathanti, Debra Daniel, and Dannye Powell.

Monday, June 8 at 7PM:
Todd Shimoda will present his novel Oh! A Mystery of Mono No Aware, the story of Zack Hara, a young Japanese-American searching for himself in Japan. While in Japan, a professor friend introduces him to the concept of "mono no aware," the sadness in beauty, and assigns him a set of mysterious tasks that uncover dark secrets from the professor's past.

Tuesday, June 9
5:30PM: Bookclub Recommendations Event! Kristin Keith from W.W. Norton & Company Publishers will join us to recommend many fantastic books for you and your bookclub, and to offer a preview of forthcoming titles you won't want to miss. The event includes a wine and cheese reception, so bring your bookclub members and join the fun!

7PM: Malaprop's Bookclub with host Mary Park Ford meets to discuss Dara Horn's The World to Come.

Wednesday, June 10 at 7PM:
David Ebershoff will read from and sign his bestselling novel, The 19th Wife, a fascinating historical murder mystery inspired by Ann Eliza Youngs divorce from her powerful husband, Brigham Young. Ebershoff is the author of the national bestsellers, Pasadena and The Danish Girl.

Thursday, June 11 at 7PM:
Cathy Holton will present her work, Beach Trip, a moving and darkly comedic story of four friends whose reunion on the North Carolina coast forces them to confront the secrets of their shared past. Holton, author of The Secret Lives of the Kudzu Debutantes, has received praise from numerous reviewers for her fluid style, her wit, and her ability to capture perfectly the details of southern life.

In Other News:
Tickets are now on sale for our forthcoming Wine Tasting with The Wine Guy! Steve Nelson from The Wine Guy will be at Malaprop's on June 23 at 6:30pm featuring delicious summer wines. Tickets for these evenings have gone fast, so be sure to pick one up today!

This week's poem is by Andrew Glaze, from his collection, Remembering Thunder, NewSouth Books, $18.00.

Generation

I know my generation is to come
By the few who've arrived so far,
Eyes damp and lidded,
Who get by on lost luggage and wildflowers,
Living with one side bound
In the old flesh
Flapping like wind-starved sails.
They wait to be thrust into life
Untied, unharried and unreduced,
Foretold to be fantastic
The way of a two-headed eagle with fangs.

In my sleep I babble about their coming.
It's a double thought
Of the warlock edge of the mind,
And whatever window I'm not at,
I sense these impossible brothers and sisters
Rushing toward me, hear
Their flyway and wing-thrust, as they
Hover, shutter their pinions,
And clamber invincibly through.

Enjoy your weekends!

Linda Barrett Knopp

4:34 PM

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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

June 1st- Malaprop's Anniversary Sale!

-ON JUNE 1-

from 9am-9pm

MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE/CAFE

celebrates her 27th birthday!

COME BY AND RECEIVE 25% OFF (almost) EVERYTHING!

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Friday, May 22, 2009

Coming Events!

This Week's Events at

Malaprop's Bookstore/Café
55 Haywood St., Asheville, NC 28801
www.malaprops.com
www.myspace.com/malapropsbookstorecafe
828-254-6734 or 1-800-441-9829

Friday, May 22 at 7pm:
DANNY BERNSTEIN PRESENTATION
Local author and Western North Carolina outdoors expert Danny Bernstein returns to Malaprop's to discuss her latest book, Hiking North Carolina's Blue Ridge Heritage. Bernstein, an outdoors writer who hikes several times a week, year-round, will also present a slide show featuring the beautiful hikes in her book. Her hiking experience ranges from the rugged mountains of the Northeast to New Zealand, and she recently completed the "Smokies 900," a feat involving hiking every trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Saturday, May 23 at 7pm:
TIM JOSEPHS READING
Meet author Tim Josephs as he presents his book, A Camouflaged Fragrance of Decency, a collection of humorous and truthful stories that captures the absurdity of everyday life.
"A pop starlet fresh out of rehab, an insurance company middlemanager with an unhealthy appetite for baked goods, a high school sophomore with spectacular facial hair -- all sorts of American oddballs turn up in Tim Josephs' sly, off -kilter, very funny fiction. To read these short stories (some of them very short indeed) is to enter a strange territory where Raymond Carver meets The Onion. Brevity, soul, and lots of wit." - Jody Rosen, Slate Magazine

Tuesday, May 26 at 7pm:
WHAT IF...? SPECULATIVE FICTION BOOKCLUB
Join host Rich Rennicks and the Malaprop's Speculative Fiction Bookclub for a discussion of Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie.

Wednesday, May 27 at 7pm:
RABBI JEFF ROTH
Meditation teacher Rabbi Jeff Roth of the Awakened Heart Project will join us to discuss his new book, Jewish Meditation Practices, a contemporary and accessible guide to meditation that combines the wisdom of Judaism and Buddhism. Roth's unique approach emphasizes wisdom, compassion, and the ability to learn from life experience.

Thursday, May 28 at 7pm:
PAUL VON WARD READING
Scholar and interdisciplinary cosmologist Paul Von Ward will discuss his book, The Soul Genome: Science and Reincarnation, which applies scientific approaches to the mysteries of reincarnation and its possible effect on human behavior.

Saturday, May 30 at 7pm:
LISE FUNDERBURG READING
Author Lise Funderburg will read from and sign her book, Pig Candy: Taking My Father South, Taking My Father Home: A Memoir. Funderburg's beautiful and often comic story chronicles her visits with her dying father during the last months of his life and often expands to explore race and a fading way of Southern life. Funderburg is the author of the oral history collection Black, White, Other: Biracial Americans Talk About Race and Identity and her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and O, the Oprah Magazine, among others.

Sunday, May 31 at 3pm:
JO MAEDER READING
Author Jo Maeder will present her memoir, When I Married My Mother, the story of her return to North Carolina to care for her ailing, eccentric mother. "This generous book explores the mystery of how doing the right thing can, in the end, become infinitely more."- Tommy Hays, author of The Pleasure Was Mine

Other News: On Thursday, June 25 at 7PM, David Sedaris returns to Malaprop's to present his latest collection of essays, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, forthcoming in paperback. Sedaris, a best-selling author and frequent contributor to NPR, is known for the humor and insight found in his work, which includes the New York Times bestsellers Me Talk Pretty One Day, Naked, and his Grammy-nominated recording, Live at Carnegie Hall. This event is Ticketed. Call the bookstore (do not email!) at 254-6734 for more information on acquiring tickets to this event. Don't delay!

And don't forget to mark your calendar to come by our store on June 1st. We celebrate our 27th anniversary, 27 years of fine, independent bookselling with a storewide sale. 25% off most items!

This week's poem is by Lucille Clifton, from the collection Poem in Your Pocket: 200 Poems to Read and Carry, published by Abrams Image, $14.95.

Cutting Greens

curling them around

i hold their bodies in obscene embrace

thinking of everything but kinship.

collards and kale

strain against each strange other

away from my kissmaking hand and

the iron bedpot.

the pot is black.

the cutting board is black,

my hand,

and just for a minute

the greens roll black under the knife,

and the kitchen twists dark on its spine

and i taste in my natural appetite

the bond of live things everywhere.

Enjoy your weekends!

Linda Barrett Knopp

Malaprop's Bookstore/Café

6:32 PM

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