The Bookstore

Last book events of the year coming up. After that, you’re on your own.

Two local authors, two profound books

EZRA: A Mother’s Portrait

If you know the painter Stella Elliston then you probably know the mother Stella Elliston.  Now meet the author Stella Elliston who has taken up the memoir brush to paint a portrait of her son Ezra.

Bottom’s Dream from Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream is as close as I can come to tell you about this book, this story, this family here amongst us in Berkshire County, late 20^th century, early 21^st.

“…The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man’s hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report, what my dream was. . . “

In other words, don’t listen to me try to describe this most rare volume, a mother’s portrait of her lost son.  Come and hear her read from and talk about her first published literary work this coming Thursday evening, Dec 15 at 5:30 pm right here at The Bookstore.

If the first and last word about writing is ‘write what you know’, Stella Elliston gets an A+.  she’s turned a life into art, and in so doing has recreated that life again. “Ezra: A Mother’s Portrait” is as head-on a literary experience as you are likely to get in your lifetime.

SECRET WOUNDS

Rich Berlin is a medical doctor turned psychiatrist turned poet.

His latest collection, “Secret Wounds”, won the 2010 John Ciardi Poetry Prize from the University of Missouri – Kansas City and just last month was selected as best poetry book of the year by USA Today newspaper.  His poems have an immediacy dictated by the subject matter and are as timeless as the profession they illuminate.

Rich’s first collection of poems “How JFK Killed My Father” won the Pearl Poetry Prize, the money from which he used to establish a creative writing prize for medical students at Umass Medical School.  We also held quite a publication party for that one, here at The Bookstore, I remember!

He also edited “Poets on Prozac: Mental Illness, Treatment, and the Creative Process”, a collection of essays by sixteen contemporary poets who write about how their psychiatric treatment influenced their creativity.

Both earlier books are still in print and available.

Please join us for a reading from “Secret Wounds” on Friday Dec 16 at 7 pm.

Two events: Stella Elliston this Thursday at 5:30 and Rich Berlin on Friday at 7.

December 2011 All events at The Bookstore unless otherwise noted.

Friday December 2  Susan Hartung  @ 6 pm

Susan Hartung’s poetry takes me by surprise, but then again I find such familiararity in some of the lines I’m amazed nobody else ever said these things in the way that she does.  I think they call that ‘the shock of recognition’.
Susan will start our month off right this coming Friday night December 2nd at 6 pm, reading from her just published book “Inclusion”. Here are poems that invite you in, take you aback, make you laugh or nod your head. Susan is a cancer survivor and some of her poems can be a little dark.  But all of them do what poems want to do, in her own phrase, “burn through to what remains of love.”
As much as December 2 is going to be about Susan and her book, it is also about another friend of ours, and quite possibly a friend of yours as well, Denise Kaley.
For those who knew her, the mention of her name always brings a smile.
Oh, man, whenever she walked around the corner, or up the street, or into your doorway she brought you that smile. Even now, just writing her name, I can’t get away from it.
Kaley was not a survivor.  She died in March 2010, at age 44, of lung cancer.  A few months before her death she established a fund:  to help support the needs of women in the Berkshires who would follow her on what she called “the cancer journey”.
She herself had a large and loving family, not to mention her legion of adoring friends.  But she was also aware of women who had to fight their illnesses alone, or with very limited resources.
The Denise Kaley fund is for them.  Go to www.berkshiretaconic.org and search Denise’s name for more information.
What we’re doing is taking this opportunity, at Susan Hartung’s request, to tell you about it. We’re not going to be asking for donations.  This is just a poetry reading, a special one without a doubt, but that’s all that it is.
It’ll be an open bar, snacks too.  Lots of laughter and good times.  The Bookstore may be mine, but nights like this it belongs to all of you as well.
Susan Hartung, Friday night December 2 at 6 pm at The Bookstore.  “Inclusions” is published by Elephant Tree House books.  See you there

Sunday December 4  Mo Willems at The Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield @ 2 pm

Friday December 9  Peter Bergman  @ 7 pm& Saturday December 10  Gladys Montgomery @ 4 pm

Keeping in the holiday spirit we’ve got two more author appearances for you this coming weekend, J. Peter Bergman on Friday night and Gladys Montgomery on Saturday afternoon.

Peter Bergman spends his days these last few years with a favorite poet of mine, Edna St. Vincent Millay!  He is executive director of the Millay Society in Austerlitz, New York.

He has been a published author since 1961, when his first theater reviews appeared in The Nine Times, in Queens, NY.  He is currently theater critic for The Advocate here in the Berkshires, the Chatham Courier in Columbia County, NY and Berkshirebrightfocus.com.  His book of short stories “Counterpoints” won a Charles Dickens award in 2002.  His poetry, fiction and non fiction have appeared in the New York Times, Berkshire Review, Artful Mind and The Independent.

His newest work, “Small Ironies”,his sixth published book, is his first published novel.  In it Max Draper finds the difficulty of growing up in a hightly functional, supportive family and finding his way after a journey filled with the ironies of wanting to leave but ultimately coming back.

Peter will read from, talk about, and sign copies of “Small Ironies” on Friday night December 9 at 7 pm.

Gladys Montgomery of West Stockbridge is author of five books, two of which were published this year and are the ones we’ll be celebrating with her on Saturday Dec 10 at 4 pm.

“Storybook Cottages”, published by Rizzoli, tells the story of America’s Gothic Revival  and the houses trimmed with decorative ‘gingerbread’ scrollwork we call Carpenter Gothic. Also “An Elegant Wilderness: Great Camps and Grand Lodges of the Adirondacks, 1855-1935” a stunningly beautiful coffee-table book was published by Acanthus Press early this last summer.  Acanthus is the architectural press which has also published two editions of “Great Houses of the Berkshires”.  Production quality is outstanding and we are especially proud of promoting their books.

Gladys has a day job, too, with Kinderhook Realty, where she specializes in architecturally distinctive properties, including historic ones here in Berkshire County.  She’s a former Manhattanite as well as a former expatriate from Japan and the Philippines.  She was the founding editor of “Berkshire Living Home + Garden” and has authored more than 200 feature articles, winning awards for her work on architecture, design, and historic preservation.

Saturday December 10 is also the day of the first annual Lenox Caroling festival so if parking may be at a premium, so will be the fun in town all day. Come to town early, stroll around and get over to us by 4.

J. Peter Bergman reading from “Small Ironies” Friday Dec 9 at 7 pm. Gladys Montgomery, author of “Storybook Cottages” and “An Elegant Wilderness” Saturday Dec 10 at 4 pm.

Oh, and we also have all the other books you’ve ever wanted or needed or didn’t even know about. for your holiday hunger. . .

Thursday December 15   Stella Elliston  @ 5:30 pm

Friday December 16   Rich Berlin  @ 7 pm

All events at The Bookstore unless otherwise noted

Weds Oct 19 David Sedaris at The Colonial Theatre. We will be selling the books there that night. 7:30 pm

Thur Nov 3 Ann Beattie 7 pm

Thurs Nov 10 Sandra Beasley 7 pm

Sun Nov 13 Susan Merrill  3 pm

Thurs Nov 17  Bob Shanks  7 pm

Sat Nov 19   Bea Gates  2 pm

Sun Nov 20 Elizabeth Tierney  2 pm

Sat Dec 10    Gladys Montgomery   4 pm

Richard Stevenson aka Dick Lipez visits us this coming Saturday, Oct 1 at 2 pm for a reading and booksigning for his new Donald Strachey P.I. novel, “Red, White, Black and Blue”.  Don’t miss this one, it’s as funny and poignant as any news report of the current political scene, and it’s all made up!  Almost like the stuff you see on TV every night, which you can’t quite believe is not made up!

Good book, friendly author and great food! Saturday, Oct 1 at The Bookstore 2 pm.

Dr. Claudia Gold “Keeping Your Child in Mind” http://claudiamgoldmd.com/Saturday September 24 @ 7 p.m.

Linda Kaye-Moses “Roots, Stems, and Branches: A Recollection” http://www.linkedin.com/pub/linda-kaye-moses/b/803/b1a Sunday September 25 @ 2 pm

Book talk by author Doug Friedman Saturday Sept 17 at 4 pm. thecomedianharmonistsbook.com

Karen Chase’s Jamali-Kamali reading by Danny Osman and Matt Tannenbaum at The Dreamaway Lodge Sunday Sept 18 at 7:30 (6 pm for dinner) thedreamawaylodge.com

Last two events of the summer!

A poetry reading by Gwendolyn Jensen on Monday night Aug 22 and a reading and violin performance by Gerry Elias on Tuesday night Aug 23.  Both events begin at 5 pm.

Gwen Jensen’s work has appeared in many literary journals. Her first collection “Birthright” has just been published in a letterpress edition by Birch Brook Press of Delhi, NY.  The cover illustration for the book as well as interior pages, is provided by Jensen’s sister, local artist Helen Febbo.

Gerry Elias’ new murder mystery “Death and the Maiden” just published this month by St. Martin’s Press, is the third in a series featuring one of the funniest and crankiest fictional characters I have ever come across.

This has been one of the busiest summers we have ever had at The Bookstore.  If I had a nickel for every one of you who have come in and told me how much you enjoy supporting independent bookstores in general and mine here in Lenox specifically, I’d have, well, let’s just say I’d have a lot of nickels!  And I appreciate it, I really do, as does Jane and Michael (hmm, starting to sound like a Mary Poppins novel), as well as Morgan, Alex and Maggie our three young workers this summer.

So come out if you can make it to our last two events for the month of August, Gwen Jensen, poetry, on Monday August 22 and Gerry Elias, fiction and violin performance, on  Tuesday August 23, both beginning at 5 pm.

Matt

keep in mind these three names: Daisy Rockwell, Bill Cutter and Karen Chase.

This coming Sunday August 7 come by and celebrate an exhibit by DAISY ROCKWELL at our SHADE GALLERY which shares quarters with our brand new (to those who haven’t seen it yet) wine bar called GET LIT.

Daisy paints under the takhallus, or alias, Lapata (pronounced ‘láh-puh-táh’), which is Urdu for “missing,” or “absconded,” as in “my luggage is missing,” or “the bandits have absconded.” She posts her paintings regularly to Flickr, and writes for the blog Chapati Mystery and the literary review Bookslut. She has shown her work in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, White River Junction, Vermont and North Adams, Massachusetts

Lapata grew up grew up in a family of artists in western New England. She made a detour into Academia, from which she emerged with a PhD in South Asian literature and a mild case of depression. Nonetheless, she sometimes still teaches Hindi, most recently at Dartmouth.

The name of the show is “Political Animal II”.

Opening reception is this coming Sunday August 7 from 5 – 7 pm.

The following night, Monday Aug 8 RABBI BILL CUTTER comes to read from his new book MIDRASH & MEDICINCE: Healing Body and Soul in the Jewish Interpretive Tradition just published this month by Jewish Lights Publishing House.

He’ll read from and discuss his own essay in the book  “Talking to Doctors about Talking to God”.

This book is Bill’s second anthology from Jewish Lights and the second time we are glad to welcome him reading from and talking about his work.

Over a dozen rabbis and doctors contributed pieces, all inspired by a weekend conference sponsored by the Kalsman Institute on Judaism and Health in Montery, California.

If you know him you know how Bill Cutter loves his work. He’s a terrific speaker and his enthusiasm is catching.  He’ll be here next Monday August 8 from 5 –7 pm.  Copies of his new book are already in stock!

The next Monday after that, August 15  KAREN CHASE comes back for another reading from JAMALI KAMALI.  A piece she wrote about it to celebrate New York’s gay marriage law appeared in The Berkshire Eaglle earlier this week.

In it she writes, “I’m not a man. I’m not gay. I’m not Indian. I’m not Muslim. I’m not a Mughal scholar. I’m not an art historian. I’m a straight white American Jewish 21st century woman. I’ve crossed so many boundaries here — gender, sexual orientation, religion, time, hemisphere. Why did I, of all people, write a story about these two men?

“Here’s what happened. I was in Delhi in 2004. . . “

To find out what happened come to Karen’s reading from Jamali-Kamali on Monday August 15 from 5 – 7 pm

Three new events! Daisy Rockwell, Bill Cutter, Karen Chase. come to one, come to all!

Just about every one of you I’ve seen come in the store this summer seems to be having a pretty good time.  We’re happy to see you, too!

Here’s a quick note to tell you I’m going on the radio tomorrow, Tuesday July 19 on Joe Donahue’s Round Table on W A M C, beginning around 10:05 am. It’s a lot of fun to sit there with a mic in front of me and pretend I’m talking to all of you at once.  And not one of you can talk back, either! It’s also a lot of fun just to pretend  I know what I’m talking about!  Well, tune in tomorrow and find out for sure.

And while I have your attention: we have two readings coming up for you next week, Jonathan Baumbach  on Monday July 25 and Eric Lamet on Tuesday July 26.  Both events begin at 5 pm at Get Lit @ The Bookstore.

Baumbach has written over a dozen novels, was the co-founder of The Fiction Collective back in the 7os, and has been at the fore in experimental fiction writing since the beginning.  Here’s what fellow author Michael Cunningham has to say about him. ” Baumbach has been a hero of mine since I started writing. I was then, and remain today, avid for novelists who push the limits of the novel’s form without sacrificing its traditional human juices.  Baumbach is such a writer.”

Jonathan’s new book “Dreams of Molly”, just published as a paperback original by Dzanc Books, is “a knock at the door of memory, and everything answers . . .”

Eric Lamet was born in Vienna, and grew up in Italy during the Second World War.  His memoir, “A Child at Confino: The True Story of a Jewish Boy and His Mother in Mussolini’s Italy.” Originally published by Syracuse University Preess, it has just been republished by Adams Media Book Group in paperback.

He has been a featured speaker in recent years around Berkshire County, engaging listeners with first hand accounts of a childhood in war time.

So, mark your schedules: Tuesday July 19 in the comfort of your own home at 10:05 on 90.3 fm radio, then next Monday July 25 and Tuesday July 26 two readings at The Bookstore beginning at 5 pm.

Summer’s not summer without writers coming to read from and talk about their books.

This coming Saturday at 5 pm we host Ditta Oliker, PhD whose “HIDE & SEEK: Reclaiming Childhood’s Lost Potential” is one of those books that gets deep praise by those of us lucky enough to find it, more than the wide praise it deserves only because we haven’t told everyone we know about it yet!

Discovering survival systems coming from hidden messages of childhood and taking psychodynamic theory from her theater background, Dr. Oliker has woven together a terrific narrative.  Her friend from theater days in Los Angeles Marge Champion introduced us last month and we came up with the idea of an evening for you.

Probably I’ll introduce Marge and she’ll introduce Ditta.  I love hosting these kinds of events and I hear from you that you love them too.

I know you’re busy these summer days,  (I know, I see some of you every day.)  but make some time to come by for this one,  put it on your schedule if you can.

Dr. Ditta Oliker “HIDE & SEEK, at The Bookstore Saturday July 16 at 5 pm.

Matt