NBF Spring Programming Lineup

 

The National Book Foundation has announced its spring NBF Presents lineup of 12 events taking place through June 2021, continuing the programming made possible by a multi-year, $900,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. NBF Presents, which includes all of the Foundation’s public programs, represents the National Book Foundation’s continued commitment to providing widespread access to high-caliber, topical literary programming for readers everywhere. All announced programming for this season will be held exclusively online and at no cost to viewers.

Children's Book Week is May 2-8, 2011

Since 1919, Children's Book Week has been celebrated countrywide with author & illustrator appearances, parties, storytelling, and other book-related events in schools, libraries, bookstores, clubs -- anywhere where kids and books connect.

How can you celebrate Children's Book Week?

• Visit your local library -- story times, programs with special guests, games to play, movie showings, and LOTS of books and other great stuff you can check out are among the things kids (& their adults) will find at their public library.
• Visit your local bookstore -- or take a field trip to a store you haven't visited before. Check out our list of NH Booksellers for inspiration.
• Visit the Library of Congress's Read.gov Kids Page where you will find lots of info about books for kids and the latest installment of The Exquisite Corpse. Not a kid? Visit the Teens Page or the Adults Page instead.
• Monday, May 2 is the last day to vote in several NH book awards so if you haven't done so yet, get to the library and cast your vote for The Isinglass Award, The Flume Award, or the Great Stone Face Award (depending on your age).
• Pick up a book and read it with a child. Or have a child read a book to you. No children around? Really? Nieces, Nephews, Neighbors, Nobody? OK, read a children's book yourself and remember how much fun reading can be.

Clippings from the Blogosphere

• The 2011 Pulitzer Prize winners have been announced.
• What libraries are all about, according to Happiness by Theodore Zeldin
• Robert Darnton on Five Myths About 'The Information Age' from the Chronicle of Higher Education
• E-Books Rank as #1 Format among All Trade Categories for the Month according to the Association of American Publishers.  I'd be curious to know how many of the people who are "buying the full backlist of an author" are actually reading it. This article reminded me of the old Cathy cartoon about the thrill of getting organized ceasing the moment she ran out of things to buy. Perhaps I'm feeling overly cynical this afternoon.
• 
  Books Everyone Should Read as a tag cloud. Interesting presentation of the analysis this blogger did. New Hampshire readers are ahead of the curve as both of our state-wide Big Read titles are here.
• Help for the casual book hoarder from The New Yorker.
• American Booksellers Association has announced it's 2011 Award winners
• It was a book, now the U.S. Government Manual is online.
• Why do people collect first editions? 

Margaret Atwood on "The Publishing Pie: An Author's View"

This talk is both thought provoking and funny. Well worth watching.

Book-of-the-Week Widget

The first book-of-the-week for 2011 was published today so it was time to update the Book of the Week widget. If you have the widget on your website or blog it should be all set automatically (the date at the top is now 2011).

If you don't have it on your site you can add it by visiting http://nhbookcenter.blogspot.com and clicking on the "get widget" link at the bottom of the widget itself (located at the bottom of the right hand panel of the blog).

How Paperbacks Changed Literature

An interesting article from Smithsonian about a change in format that revolutionized reading.

Have you read these books?

As You Wish by Jackson Pearce
Deep in the Heart of High School by Veronica Goldbach
The Devouring by Simon Holt
Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin
Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
Halo The Cole Protocol by Tobias S. Buckell
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
Nathan Fox Dangerous Times by L.Brittney
Seven Deadly Sins by Robin Wasserman

The Flume Award committee is looking for feedback on these titles. If you have read these titles and want to share your opinion, or to check out what else is nominated for this teen book award, visit the Flume Award Wiki.

No More Ads on Our Book of the Week Widget

Several months ago I created a widget that you could include on your blog or website to display the Center's book of the week. Many of you added it to your sites which was wonderful.
Today I heard from the Whipple Free Library in New Boston that they were getting pop-up ads on our widget and wanted to know why. I was unaware of this and looked into it right away.

The ads were the result of a change to the terms of the free subscription to widgetbox that I used to create the widget. I have now upgraded our widgetbox account and the ads should be gone. I have the widget installed on the Center for the Book blog and the ads on our widget went away without my doing anything special when I upgraded the account. If you continue to see them on your copy of our widget, please try reinstalling the widget. If that doesn't make the ads go away, please let me know.

If you were feeling inspired to buy stuff when you saw the ads, how about a membership in the Center for the Book at the NHSL?

Notes from my inbox

I've just gotten caught up on my email and discovered that there are some good events coming up, including two TONIGHT:

• New Hampshire author Guntis Goncarovs will be at the Fiske Free Library in Claremont on Thursday, July 9 at 6:00 PM to discuss his novel Convergence of Valor: The Men of the H.L. Hunley. Set in Charleston in 1864, Convergence of Valor is an historical adventure that follows the story of a German spy who becomes embroiled in the American Civil War when he stumbles upon an intriguing Confederate war machine. Books will be available for purchase the night of the program and will be signed by the author. For more information please call the library at 542-7017.
  
• Gibson's Bookstore in Concord will host Staycation Book Night with Chase Binder on Thursday, July 9, at 7 PM "Staying at home this year? No hikes up Kilimanjaro, no scuba diving in the Azores? Oh, well, maybe next year the economy will improve. In the meantime, join Chase Binder, travel writer for the Concord Monitor, as she discusses some of her favorite armchair travel books and travel memoirs. You can travel as far as your imagination can take you--and the trip is free! She will also be recommending the best resources for planning vacations closer to home--here in New Hampshire. The travel books recommended by Ms. Binder will be 20% off during the event."
  
• The email newsletter from WaterStreet Books included the news that Pulitzer-Prize winning author Richard Russo is coming to Exeter this August! Water Street Books will be hosting him at the Exeter Town Hall for an evening of conversation to celebrate the release of his new book, That Old Cape Magic. "Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. Ticket price includes a copy of the book ($25.95), a seat in the audience, and a chance to have the book (and all your other Richard Russo titles) signed by the man himself. A portion of the ticket sales also goes to The Exeter Historical Society, which does good and important work in a town with as much historical significance as Exeter. They need our help and support for their preservation work. Don't need two copies of the book in one family? They are offering a family ticket. If you buy one ticket at the regular price, you can purchase a second ticket at $10 for admission only." The newsletter also mentioned that Dan Brown has a new book coming out in September and that they are "absolutely thrilled" to be the official source for signed copies of The Lost Symbol, due out on September 15th, 2009.
  
• To celebrate the 60th year of the National Book Awards, the National Book Foundation will present a book-a-day blog on the Fiction winners from 1950 to 2008. The blog will run from July 7th to September 21st, starting with Nelson Algren’s The Man With the Golden Arm, ending with Peter Matthiessen’s Shadow Country, and including works by Ralph Ellison, Saul Bellow, Philip Roth, Flannery O’Connor, Eudora Welty, and Alice McDermott. Discover lesser known but equally talented National Book Award Fiction Winners such as Conrad Richter, Wright Morris, and Robb Forman Dew. Then, on September 21st, you will have a chance to select The Best of the National Book Awards Fiction and win two tickets to the 2009 National Book Awards by visiting the Foundation’s web site at www.nationalbook.org, this is the first time in its history the Awards will open to a public vote.

Social Networking & the Center

The Center for the Book at the NHSL has been dabbling in social networking for a while now -- this is post #333 on this blog -- and have recently set up some new ways to connect with New Hampshire's book community.


You can find us on Facebook -- we have a Facebook page that includes info from this blog as well as links, pictures, and an occasional posting unique to Facebook. There is also Center for the Book flair available.


In collaboration with the NH Writers' Project we have created a GoodReads group called New Hampshire Talks Books. This group provides a space within GoodReads (an online community of readers from all over the world) for discussion about NH books, particularly books that might be candidates for the 2009 NH Literary Awards. It is also the new home of the Granite State Readers Recommend project.

Clippings from the Blogosphere

• NH poet James Hoffert will be reading at the Fiske Free Library on May 4th.
  
• Spring is in the air and the awards announcements are coming fast and furious: Pulitzer Prize winners; Shirley Jackson Award nominees; Nebula Award winners; Orange Prize finalists; Arthur C. Clarke Award Winner; Locus Award finalists; Arts Academy Inductees; and Indies Choice Book Award winners.
  
• A great posting about the value of reading from the Free Range Librarian.
  
• Dan Brown's new novel will be published September 15th. Five million copies are expected.
  
• Happy 5oth to The Elements of Style! The Museum of the City of New York had a party to celebrate.
  
• Storytime with the President.
  
• The Library of Congress announced that Kay Ryan has been appointed to a second term as U.S. Poet Laureate.
  
• The library world recently lost Judith Krug, a crusader for our right to read.
  
• Will the movie be as good as the book? Check out the trailer for Julie & Julia and decide for yourself.

Poem in Your Pocket Day

This is the last day of April, so today's posting was the last NH Poem for this year's celebration.
I hope everyone has enjoyed reading a poem by a NH poet each day this month, I know I have! Today is Poem in your Pocket Day, so you might want to print your favorite of the NH Celebrates Poetry postings and carry it with you for the rest of the day.

Thanks to everyone, especially all the NH poets, who took part in NH Celebrates Poetry 2009!




As we wrap up our National Poetry Month celebration for 2009 I hope you will consider the following:

• poems are a great addition to your day any time of year


• poets always need your support, consider buying a book of poems by a NH poet you discovered (or were reminded about) this month


• the space on your blog or website that has hosted our poetry widget is the perfect place to put the Center for the Book's Book of the Week widget

Celia Thaxter, NH Poet

Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1835, Celia Thaxter grew up on the Isles of Shoals. She "was one of the most popular New England poets of the late nineteenth century, a highly respected writer of prose for adults and children, a talented painter and passionate gardener. It is also fair to say that her image as the enchanting “Island Queen” presiding gracefully and effortlessly over a salon of artistic gentry has persisted for over 100 years, often overshadowing her personal struggles and literary and artistic accomplishments." (Book Notes, Spring 2007)

Many of her poems are available on the web including Three Norwegian Poems, The Sandpiper, The Shag, and Compensation.

Resources for further reading

• SeacoastNH.com has compiled articles and resources about this famous native daughter.
  
• Colby College has a collection of Celia Thaxter materials.
• Digital version of An Island Garden from The Celebration of Women Writers
  
• Materials in NH Libraries ABOUT Celia Thaxter.
• Materials in NH Libraries BY Celia Thaxter.
  

Clippings from the Blogosphere

• "Find your local library with a text message" This is a really cool application! It worked for my zip code, pointed me right to the Manchester City Library. Using it to find your own local library seems a little silly to me, but it will be great when I am in a strange place and want to find the local library.

• In Britain there is an award given annually for the oddest book title.

• Just One More Book! will begin the Rock Stars of Reading video series on March 31. LISNews has a nice overview of what the series is all about.

• Science Fiction and Fantasy book award lists are out and the Nashua Public Library did a nice job of summarizing the 2009 nominees.

• The NY Times reports that Netherland has won the PEN/Faulkner Award.

• If you haven't had enough book awards yet, the Orwell Prize (the pre-eminent British prize for political writing) also announced its shortlist recently.
  
  
• Have you ever sold a book to a used bookstore (or given it away, or returned it to the library) with your bookmark still in it? Well many people have and there is a blog about these Forgotten Bookmarks. My favorite is the poem.
  

Clippings from the Blogosphere

These are assorted items I came across in the book/library blogs I looked at this week. They are not generally specific to New Hampshire, but struck me as interesting. Please leave a comment, or send me an email and let me know if you think "Clippings" should become a regular feature on this blog.

• An article from the Chronicle of Higher Education (3/13/09) about the dangers of making writers -- like Virginia Woolfe -- icons.


• The New York Times posted an audio archive of author readings and interviews. The featured authors are mostly modern ones and include Russell Banks and John Irving. If you would rather listen to a President, Kurious Kitty pointed out recently that Roosevelt's fireside chats are available for your listening pleasure via the internet.
  
• Library Journal's 2009 Movers & Shakers List includes Nancy J. Keane of Concord, NH. Congratulations Nancy!
  
• A Dysfunctional Reading Quiz from the Guardian. As anyone who knows my tastes in novels could predict, I did very poorly on this quiz about dysfunctional families in literature.
  
• An article from The Times (of London) about what we are reading in these troubled times. I'm not sure American readers are making all the same choices, but I agree that if you haven't read Fitzgerald recently, you should.
  
• Why good pages are essential to a library.
  
• On March 13th, 2009 the World Wide Web turned 20.
  
• The Morning News and Powell's Books bring you the 5th annual Tournament of Books - a literary alternative (or supplement) to NCAA March Madness. Today's match is Home v. My Revolutions as judged by Witold Riedel.

Book of the Week - the widget

Beginning with today's posting, the Book of the Week from the Center for the Book at the NH State Library is available as a widget that you can put on your own blog, facebook page, website, whatever.
To get the widget visit Book Notes New Hampshire and click on the GetWidget link at the bottom of the 2009 Book of the Week widget (in the right hand panel of the site). Choose the type of site you want to install the widget on. The MORE button takes you to additional options, including Blogger and WordPress. Then follow the prompts to install the Book of the Week on your site.

This is my first experiment with WidgetBox, the site I used to create the widget, so please let me know what you think.

2009: The Year of Readers

If you are looking for a project for 2009 how about reading for a good cause? (Granite State Reads, and the Center for the Book at the NHSL are both worthy causes -- hint, hint)

The Year of Readers is a really simple concept, and a really cool one. From their site:

"In 2009 I want to spread my love of reading throughout the world. The Year
of Readers aims to bring people who enjoy books together to have fun
bringing literature into the lives of others. From the 1st January 2009
until 31st of December 2009 I will be running an international read-a-thon
that will be open to anyone who reads. It doesn’t matter what kind of books
you read or how many you read as long as you’ve got your nose in a book in
2009 you can join in."

Basically the idea is the same as a walk-a-thon but you get to read books instead of walking as a way to raise money for a charity. And even better, it will be a book related charity. The site also includes buttons you can put on your site to direct people to the project (like the one above).

Poetry on the Radio

One day last week Donald Hall and Billy Collins were guests on the Diane Rehm Show. Thanks to modern technology you can listen to it on the web, as I did, even though you missed the original program. The two former U.S. Poets Laureate talk about various aspects of poetry including why studying poetry in school is both essential and an obstacle to its appreciation. Each poet also reads several of his poems in the course of the program. Very interesting and worth a listen. For those of you who cringe at Diane Rehm's incorrect phrase "poet laureates," Billy Collins corrects her early in the show and she uses "poets laureate" from then on.

Add a little poetry to your day

In her Book Notes column this past Fall Pat Fargnoli suggested ten ways to put poetry in your life including that you might use a poetry web site as your computer's home page so that you could read a poem every day. I have found that The Writer's Almanac is a nice source for this as it not only has a poem but also offers some historical/literary info each day. Today's poem is by Jane Kenyon and would be a great start to putting more poetry in your life.

A good use for catalog cards

As a fairly "techie" librarian, I am not a big fan of catalog cards, but here is a cool use of them, or representations of them anyway. Thanks to Jessamyn West for pointing it out.