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Adventures in Poetry Reading

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A couple of nights ago, on mostly a whim, I participated in my first ever poetry reading. I’ve done plenty of readings in my day — academic papers, prose pieces here and there, even a sermon once upon a time — but never a poem. (Well, I suppose that’s not entirely true. The sermon‘s centerpiece was a reading of Wallace Stevens’ "The Idea of Order at Key West." Maybe, then, better to say I’ve never publicly read my poetry.)

May Day 2013

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Celebrate May 1st with this piece by Salman Rushdie:

 "It’s a vexing time for those of us who believe in the right of artists, intellectuals and ordinary, affronted citizens to push boundaries and take risks and so, at times, to change the way we see the world. There’s nothing to be done but to go on restating the importance of this kind of courage, and to try to make sure that these oppressed individuals — Ai Weiwei, the members of Pussy Riot, Hamza Kashgari — are seen for what they are: men and women standing on the front line of liberty. How to do this? Sign the petitions against their treatment, join the protests. Speak up. Every little bit counts." Read the article. 

And for the edification of all:

The March Bookseller of the Month

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Our bookseller of the month for March is Mia. Each month, we ask a staff member a few questions about their relationship with books, and reading in general. Below are Mia's responses.

 

1. What kind of reader are you?

I like reading sacred texts, they keep me on the straight and narrow at least for a moment or two. Other than that I'm just drawn to certain books, mostly fiction and memoir.

2. Name three favorite titles that came out in the last three years.

March Madness: The Tournament of Books

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Happy March, everybody. I hope you've been reading hard because it is time, once again, for The Hunger Games! Just kidding, The Tournament of Books!

For those of you who don't know, this is the 9th Annual TMN Tournament of Books, a fight to the death between 16 of the year's best and brightest novels, as decided by a panel of fiction's best and brightest reviewers. May the odds be ever in your favor.

You can follow the tournament HERE

And these are your 2013 champions:

  • "HHhH" by Laurent Binet
  • "The Round House" by Louise Erdrich
  • "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
  • "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
  • "Arcadia" by Lauren Groff
  • "How Should a Person Be?" by Sheila Heti
  • "May We Be Forgiven" by A.M. Homes
  • "The Orphan Master’s Son" by Adam Johnson
  • "Ivyland" by Miles Klee
  • "Bring Up the Bodies" by Hilary Mantel
  • "The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller
  • "Dear Life" by Alice Munro
  • "Where’d You Go Bernadette" by Maria Semple
  • "Beautiful Ruins" by Jess Walter
  • "Building Stories" by Chris Ware
  • And the winner of the play-in round

 

All of these titles are available for purchase online through DIESEL or in any of our three locations! We'll be reporting on the tournament all month and would love to hear your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Three Good Things: In Snow, In Song, In Darkness

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1. When life gives you snowdrifts...

"While the many in the Northeast were sledding and digging out our cars, artist Sarah Cohen made the most out of the abundant snowfall in Boston this past weekend. She explained: 'My books are usually made from ice and melt, referring to the melting icecaps, global warming, and the loss of books through newer technologies like the e-reader. It's all related. And just like ice, the snow books will also disappear over time--representing that permanence is always fleeting and that books may also disappear from contemporary culture.'" Read more

2. A New Opera

"Adapted through the decades for stage, screen and TV, this tale is now an opera, opening March 1 in Berkeley. A co-presentation of San Francisco Opera (which commissioned it) and Cal Performances, it's 'a trip from darkness to light,' says composer Nolan Gasser, also known as architect of the Music Genome Project, the technology behind Pandora, the Internet radio service. 'And by the time you get to the end, we're swimming in a sea of consonance and melody.' The story is 'about as universal as it gets,' he adds. 'That's what has filled me and inspired me. And it's just proven to be such a fantastic source for an opera because, whether you're in China or San Francisco or on the Andromeda galaxy, any intelligent being would be inspired by the nature around them. Because we all come from it.'" Read more. (Big fan of musical adaptations? Here's...something.)

3. The Dark Horse Printz Winner

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