Longfellow Books

Email 07.15.09: An Incredible True Story

2009-07-15T09:40:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

"Down in the lowest deck of the ship, where the fire room was, no one knew what had happened, but
Fireman Frank Fauteux feared the worst. Fauteux... had survived the torpedoing of his destroyer in the Mediterranean during World War II, as well as the
explosion of the SS Grandcamp in 1947... and believed his luck had finally run out. Moments later, Chief Engineer Sybert came running into the fire room. 'The
ship has split in half!' he hollered." - The Finest Hours

Friday, July 17th at 7:00 pm
CASEY SHERMAN
author of
The
Finest Hours:
The True Story of the US Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue

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Join us when Casey Sherman will be here to talk about and read from
his new book, The Finest Hours, the incredible true story of a daring Coast Guard rescue mission.

"Wallace Quirey... had seen plenty in his twenty-five years at sea, but he had never seen or felt
anything like this. 'I got to the stern and the waves must have been fifty-five feet high... they swept the boat deck, the highest deck, and came five feet
away from breaking right at the top of the mast.' "

The fearsome power of the sea can be difficult to even imagine, especially during a storm. In February of 1952, a massive nor'easter hit the coast of
Massachusetts, and two ill-fated oil tankers were caught off shore. Remnants from WW2, the two ships were in need of service and the towering seas proved too
much. Both ships were broken in two, leaving four splintered wrecks to flounder in the storm, crews and all.

"Brown was stung by blasts of freezing sea spray as he stood with the other men, stunned at the sight
of the ship's bow floating away and disappearing into the driving snow. At the time of the break, Captain Fitzgerald and several of his officers were in the
forward bridge house. Now they were gone."

The Finest Hours tells the remarkable story of the simultaneous rescue attempts, including the heroic effort by a small
Coast Guard lifeboat that braved terrifying seas and lost equipment to save dozens of crew members from the icy waters. Casey Sherman, along with co-author
Michael Tougias, relates this intense and action-packed tale of courage and survival, complete with first person accounts from survivors.

"The violent wave shattered the boat's windshield, sending sharp shards of glass into Webber's face
and hair as he fell backwards... As he tried to get his bearings, he glanced down to where the boat's compass should have been. The compass--the sole means of
navigation--was gone, torn from its mount... Webber managed to get the lifeboat back under control. Then, despite the crashing of the ocean, each man realized
one sound was missing. The motor had died, and the next wave was bearing down on them."

Sherman and Tougias tell an unbelievable story -- oil tankers snapping in half? Fifty-foot seas? -- that is a gripping testament to the courage and
bravery of a few dedicated men. We hope to see you on Friday; it should be an exciting night.

Last week we told you about Ron Currie, Jr., a writer from Waterville whose first two books have garnered awards, rave reviews, and our admiration. We
had him here for a reading, which was a big success, and now we believe in him more than ever.

We're offering a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE on both of Ron's books -- his first collection
of stories, God Is Dead, or his new novel, Everything Matters! We think you should read them, we
think you'll enjoy them, and if we're wrong, we'll refund your money. Come in soon and you may be able to snag an autographed copy!

For more info on Ron or his work, check out our website.

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 07.07.09: Everything Matters!

2009-07-07T09:39:00.000-04:00

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Thursday,
July 9th at 7:00 pm
RON CURRIE, JR
author of
Everything
Matters!

Greetings Dear Readers,

We use that greeting a lot, and we mean it. If you're getting our emails then chances are you're a reader, a customer, and someone to whom books
matter. As booksellers, our most satisfying moments come when we can put a book in your hands that will excite you, that will ruffle your literary feathers,
that will make your gray matter tingle. While our readers are as varied as the many, many books published each year, we occasionally discover an author who we
want to introduce to all of you.

Ron Currie, Jr. is a young man from Waterville, Maine who has written two books. The first, a collection of connected stories called God
Is Dead, is simply terrific. I've lost count of the number of conversations it has generated, the number people I've heard speak with surprise
and pleasure about its humor, its scope, its willingness to talk about BIG issues and BIG problems, its maturity and skill. All this from a local kid's debut
work.

In Currie's first book, God is killed when He comes to Earth in the form of a Dinka refugee, and the rest of the world is forced to suffer the
reverberations from God's untimely demise. God Is Dead was awarded the New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award in
2008. In a starred review, Kirkus called the debut, "Abrasively funny... inventive and absorbing... Kurt Vonnegut laced with Louis-Ferdinand Celine."

In his new novel, Everything Matters!, the world is faced with its own cataclysmic end. As an infant, Junior Thibodeaux
is presented with some unfortunate news: a comet is going to annihilate all life on Earth in thirty-six years. He alone carries the burden of this secret, and,
given the pending doom, wrestles with a new-found existential dilemma: Does anything he does matter?

Despite the inauspicious beginning, Everything Matters! "is gleefully free-spirited," and Currie's
"thoughts on cosmic doom somehow take the form of a joyride," says Janet Maslin in The New York Times. She continues: "Mr.
Currie is a startlingly talented writer... He survives the inevitable, apt comparisons to Kurt Vonnegut and writes in a tenderly mordant voice all his own. He
seems equipped to succeed at almost anything..."

"Everything Matters! is staggeringly ambitious and pulls off nearly everything it sets
out to do."

--Jim Shepard, author of Like You'd Understand, Anyway and Love and Hydrogen

"If you're going to write about Doom you'd better be funny and if you're going to write about Global Doom you'd
better be damn funny. Currie accomplishes one of the rarest feats in literature-- he makes you dread turning each page at the same time you can't help turning
each page. He leads you toward The End with wisdom and honesty, pointing out the beautiful sights along the way but never shielding your eyes from the fires
ahead."

--David Benioff, author of City of Thieves and The 25th Hour

"Throughout the story there is the sheer delight of Mr. Currie's fresh, joltingly funny imagery... The excitement
that drives the reader from page to page is... about seeing what Mr. Currie will try next."

--Janet Maslin, The New York Times

Now, it's too early to say that Ron is the next Kurt Vonnegut, or some other literary pillar. But after the release of his second book, what we
can say is this: he is no fluke. Ron Currie, Jr. is an immensely talented writer. We feel privileged to welcome him to our store.

Ron will be here this Thursday evening to read from Everything Matters!, to discuss his work and to meet our readers.
Come, if you can.

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 06.17.09: Books, Dads, & Hausfraus

2009-06-17T16:08:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends,

This coming Sunday is Father's Day and we wish all of your dads a most happy and enjoyable day. We have books here for any kind of father, tall or short, hairy or not, grumpy or not. We truly enjoy advising you on the perfect book for your father or grandfather or father-in-law. So come on by the shop and we will be delighted to assist you in making your poppa smile.

Don't Forget!

Thursday, June 18th at 7 pm: Finding Father: A Father's Day poetry reading featuring local poets Michael Macklin, Betsy Sholl, Martin Steingesser and Judy Tierney. Click here for more information!

Friday, June 19th at 7 pm: A launch party for Nicole Chaisson and her new book, The Passion of the Hausfrau: Motherhood, Illuminated. Click here for more information!

Thursday, June 25th at 7 pm: A reading and signing with James Hayman for his new thriller set here in Portland, The Cutting. Click here for more information!

In Private

The morning sun
adorned your grave in gold.
The nearby roadway
carries cars full of people
who do not know.
They cannot see
your Model T carrying you
courting through the countryside.
Railway tracks now gone
called out to you
to wander the Great Depression.
They did not see you
brawling at political rallies
fighting for the poor,
they wouldn't know of
your self nursed ribs
caved by a stallion's hoof.
A hunter's sharp eyes are closed,
your long stride gone from the hills.
Gray clouds frame our gloom
as you enter the ground.
A bright autodidactic star,
a house built at seventeen,
a rheumatic arrow
to your young heart,
yet with dark eyes flashing
you lived as a super man.
Your heart burst far too soon
but ah, how it did beat
to see a man walk on the moon.

For my father
Foster Riker Pierson
October 28, 1969

Excerpted from When My Feet Quit Dancing: Poetry on the Personal Side
By Duane Pierson (Gravitas, $10.95)

Books!

Satchel

by Larry Tye (Random House, $26.00)

In 1965, at age 59 or 60 (his birthday seems to be a moving target), Satchel Paige took the mound against the Kansas City Athletics and threw three shutout innings. It was a fitting end for a pitching career that spanned fives decades. Denied entrance into the major leagues until 1948 at the tender age of 42, Paige is still considered to be the best pitcher to ever take the hill. He was among the peerless Negro Leaguers who beat the white big leaguers more than 60% of the time.

Few reliable records or news reports survive about players in the Negro Leagues. Through dogged detective work, award-winning author and journalist Larry Tye has tracked down the truth about this majestic and enigmatic pitcher, interviewing more than two hundred Negro Leaguers and Major Leaguers, talking to family and friends who had never told their stories before, and retracing Paige's steps across the continent. Here is the stirring account of the child born to an Alabama washerwoman with twelve young mouths to feed, the boy who earned the nickname "Satchel" from his enterprising work as a railroad porter, the young man who took up baseball in the streets and in reform school, inventing his trademark hesitation pitch while throwing bricks at rival gang members.

Tye shows Paige barnstorming across America and growing into the superstar hurler of the Negro Leagues, a marvel who set records so eye-popping they seemed like misprints, spent as much money as he made, and left tickets for "Mrs. Paige" that were picked up by a different woman at each game. In unprecedented detail, Tye reveals how Paige, hurt and angry when Jackie Robinson beat him to the Majors, emerged at the age of forty-two to help propel the Cleveland Indians to the World Series.

Pleasures and Sorrows of Work by Alain de Botton" align=left width=113 height=150 />

The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work

by Alain de Botton (Pantheon, $26.00)

Alain de Botton is the author of the bestselling books, The Architecture of Happiness and The Art of Travel.

Unfortunately we spend most of our waking hours at work in occupations chosen by our (sometimes) unthinking younger selves. And we complain, worry, celebrate and even rejoice in our work. We bring it home, we leave it at the desk and we sometimes even hunger for more. Without it, we are at peril: our sanity, our security and perhaps our identity. And yet, we rarely ask ourselves how did we get here, what are we truly doing and why, on a daily basis, do we exhaust ourselves and our planet?

Alain de Botton trains his philosophical mind on an eclectic range of occupations from Rocket Science to Biscuit Manufacturing as he leads the reader on a journey in search of what makes work either fulfilling or soul-crushing.

In the author's own words:

"In the pre-modern age, it was assumed that no one could try to be in love and married: marriage was something one did for purely commercial reasons. Things were going well if you maintained a tepid friendship with your spouse. Meanwhile, love was something you did with your mistress, with pleasure untied to the responsibilities of child-rearing. Yet the new philosophers of love argued that one might actually aim to marry the person one was in love with rather than just have an affair. To this unusual idea was added the even more peculiar notion that one might work both for money and to realize one's dreams, an idea that replaced the previous assumption that the day job took care of the rent and anything more ambitious had to happen in one's spare time.
We are the heirs of these two very ambitious beliefs: that you can be in love and married, and in a job and having a good time. It has become as impossible for us to think that you could be out of work and happy as it had once seemed impossible for Aristotle to think that you could be employed and human. Thus is born The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work."
- Alain de Botton

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Sharp Objects

by Gillian Flynn (Three Rivers, $14.00)

Some men live for the thrill of the hunt or the discovery of a new species; some strange folks get joy from discovering new writers. Stuart and I have stumbled across Gillian Flynn. Her books Sharp Objects and Dark Places are riveting, life devouring, and guilty escapist pleasures. Each novel is addicting and you want only to be left alone, with your book and your new found love.

Dad deserves a break. Give him this ridiculously addictive mystery, a cold beverage or two and let him go. I guarantee he'll devour this book and ask for another, cold drink or book by Gillian, probably both.

Fresh from her stay at a psych hospital, Camille Preaker's first assignment at her daily paper takes her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two pre-teen girls. As she works to uncover the truth, Camille finds herself identifying with the victims. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive.

"To say this is a terrific debut novel is really too mild... I found myself dreading the last thirty pages or so but was helpless to stop turning them. Then, after the lights were out, the story just stayed there in my head, coiled and hissing, like a snake in a cave. An admirably nasty piece of work, elevated by sharp writing and sharper insights."
- Stephen King

Summer World: A Season of Bounty

by Bernd Heinrich (Ecco, $26.99)

In Summer World: A Season of Bounty, Bernd Heinrich brings us the same bottomless reserve of wonder and reverence for the teeming animal life of backwoods New England that he brought us in Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival. Now he is focusing on the animal kingdom in the extremes of the warmer months, with all its feeding, nesting, fighting, and mating.

Whether presenting disquisitions on ant wars, the predatory characteristics of wasps, the mating rituals of woodpeckers, or describing an encounter with a road full of wood frogs, Summer World never stops observing the beautifully complex interactions of animals and plants with nature, giving extraordinary depth to the relationships between habitat and the warming of the earth. How can cicadas survive--and thrive--at temperatures pushing 115°F? Do hummingbirds know what they're up against before they migrate over the Gulf of Mexico? Why do some trees stop growing taller even when three months of warm weather remain? With awe and unmatched expertise, Heinrich explores hundreds of questions like these.

Exquisitely illustrated with dozens of the author's own drawings, Summer World is Bernd Heinrich's most engaging book to date, a fascinating work from one of our very best science writers.

"This lovely book, meticulously etched and based on impassioned but exacting scientific research, illustrates why Bernd Heinrich is generally regarded as the most truly Thoreauvian of modern natural history writers."
- Edward O. Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of On Human Nature

"It is possible there is a better guide to the world around us than Bernd Heinrich, but I've not come across him. This is the book that will get you out the door into the season!"
- Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and Deep Economy

Forever War by Dexter Filkins" align=left width=113 height=150 />

The Forever War

by Dexter Filkins (Vintage, $15.00) (Now in paperback)

Winner of the National Book Critics Award for Nonfiction!

An instant classic of war reporting, The Forever War is the definitive account of America's conflict with Islamic fundamentalism and a searing exploration of its human costs. Through the eyes of Filkins, a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, we witness the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, the aftermath of the attack on New York on September 11th, and the American wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Filkins is the only American journalist to have reported on all these events, and his experiences are conveyed in a riveting narrative filled with unforgettable characters and astonishing scenes.

Brilliant and fearless, The Forever War is not just about America's wars after 9/11, but about the nature of war itself.

"Filkins makes us see, with almost hallucinogenic immediacy, the true human meaning and consequences of the 'War on Terror.' "
- The New York Times

"Dexter Filkins's The Forever War is the best piece of war journalism I've ever read. He paints a portrait of war that is so nuanced, so filled with absurdities and heartbreak and unexpected heroes and villains, that it makes most of what we see and hear about Iraq and Afghanistan seem shrill and two-dimensional by comparison. And yet, as tragic as the events he describes are, the book manages to be a thing of towering beauty."
- Dave Eggers, Guardian Best Books of the Year

Trail by Bob Duchesne" align=left width=113 height=150 />

Maine Birding Trail

by Bob Duchesne (Down East Books, $15.95)

The Maine Birding Trail Official Guide details over 260 sites, many of them off the beaten track and away from crowds. The guide features over 100 new maps, secrets for finding sought-after species, and advice on trip-planning. It includes bonus chapters on two nearby Canadian islands: Campobello and Grand Manan. As new public lands and private trusts have become available to birders over the last decade, this guide brings site descriptions of Maine birding into the 21st century.

Written by Maine State Representative, Bob Duchesne, this book will be a valuable tool for anyone interested in experiencing the breadth and diversity of Maine's feathered residents.

For more information on the Maine Birding Trail or to download a field checklist for your daddy, the amateur ornithologist, go to: www.mainebirdingtrail.com

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Island Journal: Waypoints 1984-2009

(Island Institute, $24.95)

As a publication and an institution, the Island Journal and The Island Institute are top notch. We Mainers have reason to be proud and to celebrate the work and publication that our friends up in Rockland having been doing for the past quarter century.

The 25th-anniversary edition of Island Journal, the Island Institute's celebrated yearly magazine of island life, contains a tribute to Andrew Wyeth, "a man who loved islands" and an extraordinary folio of his island work. This year's expanded edition, entitled Island Journal: Waypoints 1984-2009, also includes a folio of Frenchboro paintings by Russian-born artist Daud Akhriev, new essays, and a retrospective of articles, poems and photographs that map the progress of the Institute's programs over the past 25 years.

Yours in Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 06.10.09: Father's Day is Coming!

2009-06-10T16:05:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

My Papa's Waltz

The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.

- Theodore Roethke

Read on for news of books
your old man might like to read.
If you see some that look
good, he'll be thankful indeed.

Events!

from our friends at First Parish Church:

Tuesday, June 16th at 7:00 pm
*** at First Parish Church, 425 Congress St. ***

Out of the Shadow of Torture:

How to Move our Nation Forward with Accountability

a panel discussion featuring:

Matthew Alexander, former interrogator and author of How to Break A Terrorist

George Hunsinger, Princeton Seminary Theologian, author of Torture is a Moral Issue

Ben Wizner, staff attorney for the National Security Project at the ACLU

Tom Parker, policy director for Terrorism, Counterterrorism and Human Rights at Amnesty International

Richard Killmer, executive director, National Religious Campaign Against Torture

The discussion is being presented by The Greater Portland chapter of Amnesty International, the Maine Council of Churches, the Maine Civil Liberties
Union, and the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.

And Don't Miss!

Thursday, June 18th at 7 pm: Finding Father: A Father's Day poetry reading featuring local poets
Michael Macklin, Betsy Sholl, Martin Steingesser and Judy Tierney.

Friday, June 19th at 7 pm: A launch party for Nicole Chaisson and her new book, The Passion of the Hausfrau:
Motherhood, Illuminated.

Thursday, June 25th at 7 pm: A reading and signing with James Hayman for his new thriller set here in Portland,
The Cutting.

Books for Dad!

by Michael Lewis" align=left width=113 height=150 />

Home Game

by Michael Lewis (Norton, $23.95)

One of the funniest and most honest portrayals of fatherhood that this reader has ever experienced. Michael Lewis, the bestselling author of
Moneyball and Blindside, is at the top of his game as he explores the reality of being a dad, one mistake at a time.

Here's an excerpt:

"I inherited from my father a peculiar form of indolence--not outright laziness so much as a gift for avoiding unpleasant
chores without attracting public notice. My father took it almost as a matter of principle that most problems, if ignored, simply went away. And that his
children were, more or less, among those problems. 'I didn't even talk to you until you went away to college,' he once said to me, as he watched me attempt to
dress a six month old. 'Your mother did all the dirty work.'

Richard Wolfe" align=left width=113 height=150 />

Renegade

by Richard Wolfe (Crown, $26.00)

Before the White House and Air Force One, before the TV ads and the enormous rallies, there was the real Barack Obama: a man wrestling with the
momentous decision to run for the presidency, feeling torn about leaving a young family behind and figuring out how to win the biggest prize in politics.

This book is the previously untold and epic story of how a political newcomer with no money and an alien name grew into the world's most powerful
leader. It is also a uniquely intimate portrait of the person behind the iconic posters and the Secret Service code name Renegade.

"If you really want to know what happened inside the Obama campaign, this is the one book that will take you there. My jaw
dropped time and time again reading details that, despite the coverage, were never revealed in the long campaign. A clear-eyed, up-close look at the campaign,
Renegade is the one Obama book that should not be missed."
- Michele Norris, NPR, All Things
Considered

"This is an insightful, unusually moving, fully observed portrait of the improbable candidate and complicated man who would be
president. If Jefferson started the exalted but flawed exercise and Lincoln enlarged it, then with Richard Wolfe's wonderful new book--graced as it is with a
journalist's eye and a historian's breadth and command--we are granted access to the second skinny lawyer form Illinois who would save our country.
Marvelous."
- Ken Burns, filmmaker

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Shop Class as Soulcraft

by Matthew B. Crawford (Penguin, $25.95)

“Every once in a great while, a book will come along that's brilliant and true and perfect for its time. Matthew B. Crawford's
Shop Class as Soulcraft is that kind of book, a prophetic and searching examination of what we've lost by ceasing to work with our
hands--and how we can get it back. During this time of cultural anxiety and reckoning, when the conventional wisdom that has long driven our wealthy,
sophisticated culture is floundering amid an economic and spiritual tempest, Crawford's liberating volume appears like a lifeboat on the
horizon."
- Rod Dreher, author of Crunchy Cons: The New Conservative Counterculture and Its Return to
Roots

"Philosopher and motorcycle mechanic Crawford presents a fascinating, important analysis of the value of hard work and
manufacturing. He reminds readers that in the 1990s vocational education (shop class) started to become a thing of the past as U.S. educators prepared students
for the "knowledge revolution." Thus, an entire generation of American "thinkers" cannot, he says, "do" anything, and this is a
threat to manufacturing, the fundamental backbone of economic development. His philosophical background is evident as he muses on how to live a pragmatic,
concrete life in today's ever more abstract world and issues a clarion call for reviving trade and skill development classes in American preparatory schools.
The result is inspired social criticism and deep personal exploration."
- Library Journal

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The Scarecrow

by Michael Connelly (Little Brown, $27.99)

"Connelly comments on the plight of print journalism in a nail-biting thriller featuring reporter Jack McEvoy, last seen in
2004's The Narrows. When Jack is laid off from the L.A. Times with 14 days' notice to tie up loose ends, he decides
to go out with a bang. What starts as a story about the wrongful arrest of a young gangbanger for the brutal rape and murder of an exotic dancer turns out to
be just the tip of an iceberg that takes McEvoy from the Nevada desert to a futuristic data-hosting facility in Arizona. FBI agent Rachel Walling, with whom he
worked on a serial killer case in 1996's The Poet, soon joins the hunt, but as the pair uncover more about the killer and his unsettling
predilections, they realize that they too are being hunted. With every switch between McEvoy's voice and the villain's, Connelly ratchets up the tension. This
magnificent effort is a reminder of why Connelly is one of today's top crime authors."
-
Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Even confirmed Harry Bosch fans will have to admit that this Harry-less novel is one of Connelly's very best."
-
Booklist, starred review

Bill Russell" align=left width=113 height=150 />

Red and Me

by Bill Russell (Harper, $24.99)

"A must read for hoop fans--after all, Russell and Auerbach are two of the biggest figures in the history of the game. But this
is much more than a book about basketball. It's a book about Russell the man and the unique roles Red played in his life: coach, mentor, life-long friend. Two
fascinating characters that make for a thoroughly enjoyable read."
- Matt Swanson, Senior Bookseller and Hoop-head

"Red Auerbach and I were friends our whole adult lives--almost fifty years--but we never talked about it. That was part of why
the friendship worked. He always knew he was one of the few people I cared a great deal about and I knew I was one of the few people he cared a great deal
about. It didn't have to be said."
- Bill Russell

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Gone Tomorrow

by Lee Child (Delacorte, $27.00)

Jack Reacher is back. It's 2:00 a.m. on a New York city subway car and something is just not right. Jack makes a choice that sets off a chain of
events that take the reader through the dark warrens of New York.

"All good thriller writers know how to build suspense and keep the pages turning, but only better ones deliver tight plots as
well, and only the best allow the reader to match wits with both the hero and the author. Bestseller Child does all of that in spades in his 13th Jack Reacher
adventure (after Nothing to Lose). Early one morning on a nearly empty Manhattan subway car, the former army MP notices a woman passenger
he suspects is a suicide bomber. The deadly result of his confronting her puts him on a trail leading back to the Soviet war in Afghanistan in the 1980s and
forward to the war on terrorism. Reacher finds a bit of help among the authorities demanding answers from him, like the NYPD and the FBI, as well as threats
and intimidation. And then there are the real bad guys that the old pro must track down and eliminate. Child sets things up subtly and ingeniously, then lets
Reacher use both strength and guile to find his way to the exciting
climax."
- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 06.03.09: Templar Knights in Maine & 6 Books We Love

2009-06-03T15:51:00.001-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

Secret societies, ancient conspiracies, lost treasures, and a life or death struggle--right in our own backyard. This Friday, bestselling author David Brody will be here to read from his new book, Cabal of the Westford Knight. It follows the legend of a 14th century Templar Knight who came to (what was later) the New England Coast, and the thrilling present-day struggle to uncover the truth.

For more on David's new book, as well as six other books you won't want to miss, read on.

Friday, June 5th at 7 pm
DAVID BRODY
author of
Cabal of the Westford Knight

Nearly one hundred years before Columbus landed in the New World, a group of Scottish explorers touched down in Massachusetts, leaving behind a number of mysterious fragments scattered around New England that serve as clues to their expedition over 600 years ago.

Or so goes the theory: in 1398, Scottish Prince Henry Sinclair and his men landed on the coast of what would later be Massachusetts. Who Sinclair was and just what he was doing there is the subject of a new book by David Brody, Cabal of the Westford Knight. The Ohio Record-Courier calls it "an absolutely first-class, jaw-dropping, blue-ribbon, brass-band winner." Whew.

The Westford Knight is a stone carving found in Westford, Ma. that depicts a knight holding a sword and shield. It is thought to be a marker left in tribute to a fallen comrade, one in their party who died along the way. Other artifacts add to the mystery, including a medieval-style stone tower in Newport, and a set of stones with runic engravings found in Maine and elsewhere.

Brody's new historical thriller explores the legend of Sinclair, purported to be one of the Knights Templar. A present day attorney gets caught up in a violent struggle to keep the truth under wraps, as a centuries old plot emerges. He finds himself in a race against a secret society that will stop at nothing to prevent him from uncovering ancient secrets about the Catholic Church, vast treasures, and the members of Jesus’ bloodline. Cabal of the Westford Knight combines history and suspense in a novel that transfixes readers. Publishers Weekly calls it “extremely well-researched,” and says Brody “does a terrific job of wrapping his research in a fast-paced thrill ride.” For more information about David Brody, his research and his other works, visit www.davidbrodybooks.com.

Books!

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey
by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. (Plume, $15.00) Now in Paperback

"Every brain has a story and this is mine. Ten years ago, I was at Harvard Medical School performing research and teaching young professionals about the human brain. But on December 10, 1996, I was given a lesson of my own. That morning, I experienced a rare form of stroke in the left hemisphere of my brain. A major hemorrhage, due to an undiagnosed congenital malformation of blood vessels in my head, erupted unexpectedly. Within four brief hours, through the eyes of a curious brain anatomist, I watched my mind completely deteriorate in its ability to process information. By the end of that morning, I could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of my life. Curled up into a little fetal ball, I felt my spirirt surrender to my death, and it certainly never dawned on me that I would ever be capable of sharing my story with anyone.
My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey is a chronological documentation of the journey I took into the formless abyss of a silent mind, where the essence of my being became enfolded in a deep inner peace. This book is a weaving of my academic training with personal experience and insight. As far as I am aware, this is the first documented account of a neuroanatomist who has completely recovered from a severe brain hemorrhage. I am thrilled that these words will finally go out into the world where they might do the most good."
- from the Introduction

"Taylor's description of the onset and progression of the stroke... is gripping. Taylor's bravery and resilience are formidable and help to dispel the simplistic notion of disability as a disaster. This book is a valuable addition to the narratives of stroke."
- The New England Journal of Medicine

Horse Soldiers
by Doug Stanton (Scribner, $28.00)

Horse Soldiers is the dramatic account of a small band of Special Forces soldiers who secretly entered Afghanistan following 9/11 and rode to war on horseback against the Taliban. Outnumbered forty to one, they pursued the enemy across mountainous terrain and captured the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, which was strategically essential if they were to defeat the Taliban. These horse soldiers combined ancient strategies of cavalry warfare with twenty-first-century aerial bombardment technology to perform a seemingly impossible feat. Their careful effort to win the hearts of local townspeople and avoid civilian casualties proved a valuable lesson for America's ongoing efforts in Afghanistan.

"In the spirit of Black Hawk Down and Flags of Our Fathers, Doug Stanton plunges into the heart of a single mission and returns with a stark understanding not only of what happened but what was truly at stake. Through precise reportage and hauntingly rendered battle scenes, Stanton shows that we may ignore this 'forgotten' theater only at our own peril."
- Hampton Sides, author of Ghost Soldiers and Blood and Thunder

The Coast of Maine
by Carl
Heilman (Rizzoli, $17.95)

One of the most stunning books on Maine that we have seen in a long time. It's only 278 miles from Kittery to West Quoddy Head Light, but Maine's circuitous coast contains 3,500 miles of shoreline, and Carl Heilman's new book of photography reminds us of the incredible natural beauty to be found around every bend. From sunrise over Back Cove to the puffins Down East to ice-covered cliffs on Mount Desert Island, The Coast of Maine makes you see again the beauty of our home state. Hundreds of photographs, all in a book slightly larger than a piece of toast. Rizolli is considered one of the preeminent art and photography publishers in the world, so it seems our coast has finally arrived since being inhabited some 12,000 years ago.

Losing Mum and Pup
by Christopher Buckley (Hachette, $24.99)

In twelve months between 2007 and 2008, Christopher Buckley endured the passing of his father, William F. Buckley, the father of the modern conservative movement, and his mother, Patricia Taylor Buckley, one of New York's most glamorous and colorful socialites. As Buckley tells the story of their final year together, he takes readers on a surprisingly entertaining tour through hospitals, funeral homes, and memorial services, capturing the heartbreaking and disorienting feeling of becoming a 55-year-old orphan. Buckley maintains his sense of humor by recalling the words of Oscar Wilde: "To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both looks like carelessness."

"Whether or not your parents are Pat and William F. Buckley, it's wrenching to say goodbye... Losing Mum and Pup is emphatically as billed: occasionally about family life but mostly a sad, intermittently angry and ambivalent chronicle of illness, decline and bereavement... wonderful detail... This was not the book Christopher Buckley was meant to write. But it's the one he had to, and that gives it great punch."
- Town and Country

Hubert's Freaks
by Gregory
Gibson (Mariner, $14.95)

From the moment Bob Langmuir, a down-and-out rare book dealer, spies some intriguing photographs in the archive of a midcentury Times Square freak show, he knows he's on to something. It turns out he's made the find of a lifetime--never-before-seen prints by the legendary Diane Arbus. Furthermore, he begins to suspect that what he's found may add a pivotal chapter to what is now known about Arbus, as well as what Greil Marcus called the "old weird America."

Bob's ensuing adventure--a roller-coaster ride filled with bizarre characters and coincidences--takes him from the fringes of the rare book business to Sotheby's Auction House, and from the exhibits of a run-down Times Square freak show to the curator's office of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Will the photos be authenticated? How will Arbus's notoriously protective daughter react? Most importantly, can Bob, who always manages to screw up his most promising deals, finally make just one big score?

Forest Trees of Maine

by The Maine Forest Service ($15.00)

To commemorate the 100-year anniversary of Forest Trees of Maine, the Maine Forest Service recently released an expanded 14th edition. It offers a wealth of information about trees and woody shrubs that grow in the state (and in much of the Northeast and the Maritime Provinces of Canada.) The book discusses 78 types of woody plants, from well-known and commercially important trees like red oak and balsam fir to relatively rare species such as mountain laurel and black tupelo. For the first time, readers can see Maine's woody plants not only in traditional, black-and-white line drawings, but in full-color photographs. The new edition offers a number of other improvements, including range maps, a winter key, historic photos and an illustrated glossary.

Forest Trees of Maine is no less a classic of Maine writing than Come Spring or We Took to the Woods. The unheralded state employees who wrote and revised the pocket-sized volume over the last century achieved what most authors only dream about: a publication that is as comfortable on a coffee table at camp as it is in a seventh-grade classroom or in the personal library of a forest industry executive, and one that remains readable decades after it was written. It is remarkably well done.

If you would like to open your doors to a student from China or Spain for a few weeks this summer, please contact: lgbowe@gmail.com

Yours in Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 05.27.09: The Power of Books

2009-05-27T15:49:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

O, the power of books! Tomorrow night's reading with Steve Mumford features not only a riveting true story, but a tribute to the written word, and its ability to keep our stories alive long after we've passed on.

Thursday, May 28th at 7 pm
STEVE
MUMFORD
presents
Trek:
An American Woman, Two Small Children, and Survival in WW2 Germany

Trek is Mary Hunt Jentsch's firsthand account of her family's escape from Germany during World War II.

Mary Hunt met German-born Gerhard Jentsch in 1921 while he studied at Harvard. They married and moved to Geneva, where Gerhard found work and the couple had two children. All was well, but not for long.

The young Jentsch family moves to Berlin in early 1940, and soon finds themselves in the midst of a raging world war. Separated from her husband, Mary and her two children are left to fend for themselves. The nights are full of the sounds of allied bombing, entire neighborhoods left smoldering. The family finds temporary refuge in a countryside village, but as Russian tanks approach, they go on the run once more, in a desperate trek towards safety.

Mary passed away in 1972, but her story lives on in her writing. Steve Mumford, Mary's grandson, provides further history, context and insight in the foreward and epilogue he wrote for Trek, as well as maps of the journey and vintage photographs of the family.

Steve, a renowned painter, has had his own share of wartime experiences, spending considerable time in Baghdad as an embedded artist documenting the Iraq War.
Steve will be here Thursday night to present the book and talk about his grandmother's extraordinary life.

Books For a Rainy Week!

New in paperback, here are a few books to help pass the rainy days ahead:

My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.

(Penguin, $15)

The remarkable story of a neurologist who suffers a debilitating stroke, and her road to recovery.

Fathers & Sons & Sports

(ESPN, $15)

A collection of true stories about fathers and sons, and the role of sports in their relationships, featuring the work of Buzz Bissinger, Donald Hall, Dan Shaughnessy, Norman Maclean and others.

The Billionaire's Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace

(Three Rivers Press, $14.95)

The incredible true story of a 1787 bottle of wine and the cast of thieves, con men and eccentrics--even Thomas Jefferson--whose lives intersect around it.

The Likeness by Tana French

(Penguin, $15)

A riveting new psycological thriller from the Edgar Award-winning author of In the Woods.

A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy by Charlotte Grieg

(Other Press, $14.95)

A moving and earnest tale of a college student--struggling with life, relationships and an unplanned pregnancy--who finds unexpected comfort in the works of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and others.

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 05.19.09: The Fight Against Hunger

2009-05-19T15:47:00.001-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

It's always a thrill to connect an eager reader with a new book, or help herald a new author. But sometimes we get a special opportunity, a chance to raise awareness for an important issue that concerns us all. With that in mind, we hope you'll come by to see Joel Berg this Thursday night.

Thursday, May 21st at 7 pm
JOEL BERG
author of
All You Can Eat:
How Hungry is America?

It may not get the same coverage as other issues in this country, but there's no denying it: hunger is still a major problem facing America today. Bureaucrats don't even want to use the word 'hunger'--these days they say 'food insecure,' hardly a comforting change for the more than 36 million Americans who struggle to get adequate food on a daily basis.

At the forefront of the fight to end hunger in America is Joel Berg. He served for eight years in the Clinton Administration working towards food security, before becoming Executive Director of the NYC Coalition Against Hunger. A tireless advocate, he has found time to write a book on the problem of hunger called All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America? Joel will be at Longfellow Books on May 21st to talk about his book, his work, and the ongoing fight against hunger.

"Joel Berg packs all his years of thinking and working into a powerful series of essays," says Robert Egger, Founder of the DC Central Kitchen, "[It] is guaranteed to challenge your perceptions about the history of hunger and poverty, while also providing 21st century solutions. Joel is, flat out, one of the boldest thinkers in the fight [against hunger], and All You Can Eat will prove it."

Berg details not only the history of hunger in this country, but the ongoing political battles waged around it. His well-articulated arguments are backed up by a wealth of data. Perhaps most importantly, what follows his examination of the problem is a clearly defined plan for bringing an end to hunger in America. The book challenges the new President to make hunger eradication a top priority--and offers him a simple and affordable plan to end it for good. What kind of funding would it take to eradicate hunger? Less than 2% of the recent Wall Street bailout.

Joel is hopeful for the future, and in the meantime, continues to fight for real change. His reading will be a fundraiser for the Preble Street. We'll be donating a portion of the day's sales to their cause. We also hope that you'll consider making a donation as well. Our first thought was to hold a food drive, until we learned more about Preble Street--that as a non-profit they have far more buying power than the average consumer, that as the lone source of food for many they serve, great care is taken to provide complete nutrition. The best thing you can do is help provide them with the funding they need to do their work and continue to serve the greater Portland community. For more about Preble Street and the work they do, visit www.preblestreet.org.

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 05.07.09: Mom's Day!

2009-05-07T15:44:00.001-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

Mother's Day is coming up (May 10th, this Sunday!). Whether you've already finished planning an elaborate celebratory spectacle, or are scrambling to find the perfect gift (we won't tell), here are a few last-minute considerations. And don't forget we have a wide selection of cards and always offer free gift
wrapping.

Or maybe you just need something for yourself (you deserve a little something special, after all)--take a look at what's recently hit the shelves.

BOOKS!

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Bad Mother

by Ayelet Waldman (Doubleday, $24.95)

A book for mothers everywhere. Waldman is tired of trying in vain to live up to unrealistic expectations of motherhood, and her book is a tribute to every mother who lives up to a more reasonable ideal: "One who loves her kids and does her level best not to damage them in any permanent way."

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The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories, 2009

edited by Laura Furman (Anchor, $15)

The PEN/O. Henry Prize stories represent the very best short fiction being written today. The cream of the crop, chosen by A.S. Byatt, Anthony Doerr and Tim O'Brien. I'm reading it right now, and it's a treat to be introduced to great writers you might otherwise have missed.

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Olive Kitteridge

by Elizabeth Strout (Random House, $14) Winner of the Pulitzer Prize!

Extra! Extra! Local Girl Makes Good! Maine's own Elizabeth Strout just won the Pulitzer Prize for her latest book of short stories. Set in a fictional Maine town on the coast, the linked stories center around an aging schoolteacher, Olive Kitteridge.

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Pygmy

by Chuck Palaniuk (Doubleday, $24.95)

Another crazy book by the crazy and prolific author of Fight Club. The title character in Pygmy is a young spy sent to infiltrate American society. As usual, Chuck is dark, startling and hilarious.

by Douglas Blackmon" align=left width=113 height=150 />

Slavery by Another Name

by Douglas Blackmon (Anchor, $16.95) Winner of the Pulitzer Prize!

Blackmon casts a critical eye on America between the Civil War and World War II, and the plight of Black Americans. This is the kind of history that should be required reading.

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American Lion

by Jon Meacham (Random House, $18) Winner of the Pulitzer Prize!

Sure, you see him whenever you go to the ATM, but how much do you really know about Andrew Jackson? Meacham's award-winning biography tells his story.

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Not Becoming My Mother

by Ruth Reichl (Penguin, $19.95)

In her new book, Reichl investigates her own mother's life--pieced togther from diaries and other fragments--to find out who she really was. What she uncovers is the story of a young woman, full of hope, and the many sacrifices she made for her family.

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows (Dial, $14)

I can't tell you how many people have come in wondering, "Do you have that book... something about cows and potato soup?" Well, we do have it, it's great (as the masses can attest) and now it's out in paperback. An epistolary novel about a mysterious society in the occupied Channel islands. A fun read.

by Michael Gross" align=left width=113 height=150 />

Rogues' Gallery

by Michael Gross (Broadway, $29.95)

An inside look at the story of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As Gross says, "Behind almost every painting is a fortune and behind that a sin or a crime." Behind the museum? A lot of sin, and a lot of crime.

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Netherland

by Joseph O'Neill (Vintage, $14.95)

If it's good enough for our President, it's good enough for us. The latest book on Obama's reading list, O'Neill's PEN/Faulkner award-winning novel will be released in paperback today.

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Requiem for a Paper Bag

edited by Davy Rothbart (Fireside, $15.99)

Davy Rothbart, creator of Found Magazine, asked his friends to write about the best, worst and strangest things they've ever found. The all-star cast of contributors includes Dave Eggers, Sarah Vowell, Heidi Julavits, Tom Robbins, Paulo Coehlo, Jonathan Lethem, Chuck Klosterman and many others.

...and we've also recently gotten in a shipment of boxed cards, journals, and those moleskine academic year planners that always seem to sell out in about a hour. Check 'em out next time you're in!

And check out our new neighbor downstairs!

COMPOSITIONS, located at 13 Free Street, is a new store specializing in jewelry, floral design and accents.

Stop by here and get a coupon for this wonderful new shop.

Yours in Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 04.30.09: Give Peace a Chance

2009-04-30T15:13:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

We hope you'll join us tomorrow night during the Art Walk. We'll be at Arabica Coffee for a special book launch party with local author and illustrator Anne Sibley O'Brien and her son, and co-author, Perry.

** at Arabica Coffee, 2 Free Street **

Friday, May 1st at 5 pm to 8 pm
ANNE SIBLEY O'BRIEN &
PERRY EDMOND O'BRIEN
illustrator & author of
After Gandhi:
One Hundred Years of Nonviolent Resistance

For forty years Mahatma Gandhi led the people of India in a nonviolent uprising against the powerful British empire. Using nothing but their bodies, their minds, and their wills, Gandhi and his followers challenged a well-armed military force that had occupied their country for three hundred years. The world had never seen anything like it.

A new book by mother-and-son team Anne Sibley O'Brien and Perry Edmond O'Brien chronicles the men and women who have followed in Gandhi's footsteps. After Gandhi: 100 Years of Nonviolent Resistance is a beautifully illustrated book for young adults that profiles these heroes of nonviolent change, and a tool for inspiring activists of all ages.

The event is a fundraiser for A2U2's Social Action Committee. For more information about their work, check out their website at www.a2u2.org.

So stop by! You can meet Anne and Perry, talk to them about their work, and see Anne's original illustrations which will be on display at the event. And bring your address book: if you help participate in their postcard writing campaign, you'll get a free print of Anne's work!

For more information about the book, including interviews with the authors, check out www.aftergandhi.com. And see what people are saying about After Gandhi:

"...an invaluable resource for peace studies and young peace lovers."
- Boston Globe

"This beautifully crafted book leads the reader through the last one hundred years of nonviolent resistance in the world... Informative and inspiring, After Gandhi speaks to young readers in a simple, compelling, and greatly needed voice."
- Uma Krishnaswami, author of Monsoon and Bringing Asha Home

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 04.22.09: Earth Day!

2009-04-22T15:08:00.000-04:00

Fellow Travelers,

Today is Earth Day. Try to do something nice for the planet. Shop locally. Recycle. Think before you eat. Hug a tree. Attend a poetry reading at your locally owned and operated independent bookstore by a local poet.

Thursday, April 23rd at 7:00 pm
Maine's Poet Laureate
BETSY SHOLL
author of
Rough Cradle

Maine's Poet Laureate has just released a new book, and that is reason to celebrate. Listen:

From The Sea Itself:

For years I told this story all wrong.

Even now, my words are just a net

holding fish, while the sea itself slides trough,

From Childhood:

Plant matter to coal, coal

to diamond-things pressed down long enough

turn hard, then somebody finds them precious

and snarls or hisses when you get close.

From Begonia:

Each evening I believe in the everlasting, and fear

by dawn blight will have crept into the garden.

Do not miss this chance to hear the word spoken by one of the best poets writing anywhere in the world today.

And on a somber note: we at Longfellows, as booksellers and as members of this community, are saddened by the closing of Books Etc. on Exchange Street. We have always considered the good people of Books Etc. colleagues and brethren and we will miss them. The passing of another independent bookstore diminishes all of us left in this trade. We wish them Godspeed and much success at their Falmouth location.

NEW BOOKS!

Planet Walker by John Francis
(National Geographic, $16.95) Now in paperback!

In 1971, an oil spill in San Francisco changed John Francis's life forever. John was so wounded by the damage done to the bay that he decided to make amends to the earth in a profound and personal way. He walked for 22 years. 17 of those years, he walked in complete silence. He walked completely across America. He hiked through Cuba and Brazil. He also managed to earn a Ph.D. in land resources. So what are you gonna do for Earth Day? Better get your boots on.

Ecological Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
(Broadway, $26.00)

Daniel Goleman is the author of Emotional Intelligence, Working with Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence.
In his new book, Goleman reveals the hidden environmental consequences of what we make and buy and how, with that knowledge, we can drive the essential changes we all must make to save our planet and ourselves.

"Our civilization faces a sobering, momentous challenge, one of the most profound in its history; the ominous possibility of ecological collapse. Goleman makes a powerful and compelling case that how we answer this challenge will determine not just our fate but the fate of our children and even life on this planet. This book should be required reading for every politician, policy maker and citizen."
- Michio Kaku, professor of theoretical physics and author of Physics of the Impossible

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
(Penguin, $15.00)

The latest book by the author of The Omnivore's Dilemma is finally in paperback. In Defense of Food has been on our Staff Recommends table since it was published in hardcover over 15 months ago. Matt, our senior bookseller, writes in his recommend: "Reading this book will change the way you think about food, meals, shopping, nutrition, diet, health, agriculture, science, our government and the rest of the world." Matt is not one to give himself over to hyperbole. Think before you eat.

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith
(Pantheon, $23.95)

The 10th installment in the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Patience Ramatzwe rocks!

How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globilzation and the End of the War on Terror by Reza Aslan
(Random House, $26.00)

The author of No god But God returns with another important book. His thesis: How does America win a Cosmic War--the war against Jihadism? By refusing to fight in one. Aslan maintains that the Jihadists have no earthly agenda because they are fighting a theological war.

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 04.16.09: You're the Best

2009-04-16T15:07:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

First and foremost, we'd like to extend a big back-cracking bear-hug of a thank-you to you, our wonderful customers. You've named us the Best Bookstore in Portland once again, and the size of our smiles only hints at our gratitude. You have our vote for the Best Customers in Portland category.

Second, one of our favorite local writers has a new book, and he'll be here on Friday night to celebrate. If you know Alex Irvine, then you know you ought to stop by. If you don't know Alex Irvine, then know that you ought to stop by. A good time will be had by all.

We have Maine Poet Laureate Betsy Sholl coming this month as well (details below). And if you're the type who appreciates a fine independent business (and we know you are), then go to www.portlandbuylocal.org to nominate local businesses for the Second Annual Indie Biz Awards.

Events!

** TOMORROW NIGHT **

Friday, April 17th at 7 pm
ALEX IRVINE
author of
Buyout

Celebrated author Alex Irvine will be here Friday night for the release of his latest book, Buyout. Alex has been a prolific writer for years, with 13 books and countless short stories to his credit. Quite frankly, we don't know how he does it. He still finds time to be a father and teach at UMaine in Orono--leading us to believe he might be some sort of futuristic cyborg who forgoes sleep. Robot or not, he's a great writer and we're delighted to have him.

Buyout takes place in the near future, at the onset of a new cost cutting strategy for the nation's wildly overcrowded prison system: life-term buyouts. Murderers facing life without parole can opt for a one-time lump sum, paid at their discretion, in exchange for taking the death penalty. The condemned get a chance to make amends, the prison system saves money and space. It's a win-win, right?

Maybe not. The question of life and death isn't so simple, and neither is Buyout. Personal vendettas, unsolved murders and political intrigue make this a thrilling read with a big, tough question in the middle: how can you put a price on human life?

We hope to see you Friday night, when we'll have food and drink and a world-class author for your enjoyment.

Thursday, April 23rd at 7 pm
BETSY SHOLL
author of
Rough Cradle

We are delighted to host Maine's Poet Laureate, Betsy Sholl. Her latest collection, Rough Cradle, has been published by Alice James Books in Farmington, ME, to rave reviews. Remember that April is National Poetry Month, and poetry is good for you.

"Sholl's work has such fiery momentum and narrative drive that her poems seize her readers' attention and never let go."
- Mark Doty

"Betsy Sholl's Rough Cradle is a marvelous, intricate book of contraries. Ruin and healing, beauty and blight, the just and the unjust are at war, not just out there in our politics and our histories, but in here, daily, hourly, in the human soul. I love Sholl's unyielding honesty, the great heart and deep intelligence of her vision."
-Nancy Eimers

Yours in Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 04.06.09: Your Attention, Please

2009-04-06T15:06:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

We have a number of time-sensitive, book-related, not-to-be-missed announcements for you. Take a moment to ready your pens and planners, then proceed!

Tonight! Tonight! note the early start time!

Monday, April 6th at 6 pm
PAT NYHAN
author of
New Mainers:
Portraits of Our Immigrant Neighbors

Tonight we have two special guests at the store to talk about an extraordinary new book: Pat Nyhan, author of New Mainers, and Reza Jalali, who wrote the book's foreword. The book profiles more than two dozen recent immigrants, and shares their stories of leaving home, and creating a new life here in Maine.

Who are these Mainers and why have they come here? They are from war-torn countries such as Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Cambodia; from poor Latin American nations; and from economically vibrant places like Hong Kong, India, and Europe - in other words, from across the global spectrum. They came to Maine for a job or to reunite with their family or because they fell in love or to attend college here or to flee persecution in their homelands.

Although the twenty-five immigrants who tell their stories had widely varying reasons for coming to Maine, many have made remarkable contributions to the state. Some contribute high-level skills in medicine, engineering, academia, law, public-school education, hotel management, and social services. Others have enriched the state's arts and sports worlds. Several are used to going back and forth across borders, either as transnational professionals or as migrant workers. About one-third of these immigrants are successful entrepreneurs.

As you will find out, the journeys of these immigrants have not been easy, but all of them are glad they wound up in this state and are proud of their new identities as Mainers.

David Sedaris Touched These Books!

...and he signed them, too. We have autographed copies of all his books, from Barrel Fever to Me Talk Pretty One Day, Naked to his latest When You Are Engulfed In Flames. And they can be yours, for 20% off! Stock is limited; reserve yours today!

The Passion of the Hausfrau!

** at Portland Stage Company... **

March 19th through April 11th
THE PASSION OF THE HAUSFRAU
a solo comedy

by Bess Welden, Annette Jolles & Nicole Chaison

A new solo comedy that follows the adventures of a Portland mom and would-be writer who discovers her own creative power by embarking on a hilarious and heartfelt journey of mythic proportions. Adapted from Portland's own Hausfrau muthah-zine, a self-published quarterly that chronicles the passion that is parenting, written and cartooned by Nicole Chaison. This weekend is your last chance to see the show! Don't miss it!

The Play:

"Comedic genius!" - The Portland Phoenix

"The Passion of the Hausfrau has something for every viewer." - The Journal Tribune

"It's a great show: hilarious, moving, true in the best sense." - Gibson Fay-Leblanc, Exec. Director of The Telling Room

For more information or to purchase tickets, call (207)774-0465 or visit www.portlandstage.com.

The Book:

The Passion of the Hausfrau will be published in June. Buy your copy before 6/1 and you'll save 20%!

"Nicole Chaison is a brave, soulful, and side-splittingly funny voice of modern motherhood. In The Passion of the Hausfrau, she manages to tell the deep truth about parenting with a spirit that keeps even the most jaded moms laughing." - Ariel Gore, author of The Mother Trip and creator of Hip Mama Magazine

"Step aside, Hercules. Nicole Chaison reveals the hero's journey for what it is: a pale, envious imitation of the magical exploits performed every day by ordinary mothers everywhere. The Hausfrau's most impressive feat, however, is that she has the energy and brain cells left to tell the tale." - Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

In the meantime, check out Nicole's totally sweet website.

Yours in Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 04.01.09: April is the Cruellest Month

2009-04-01T15:00:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain.

- T.S. Eliot

April is National Poetry Month so we thought we'd give you a little something from Mr. Eliot. Here at Longfellow Books we are hoping for gentle rain, warm sun and the company of great writers and new books. Our event schedule is really jam packed and we'd love to see you here. Happy Spring!

UPCOMING EVENTS!

**at The Irish Heritage Center**

Thursday, April 2nd at 6:30 pm
ANDREW MCNABB
author of
The Body of This

Come hoist a glass of Guinness with Warren Machine Company to celebrate the launch of The Body of This, by Andrew McNabb, at the Irish Heritage Center in Portland.

We are thrilled to introduce you to Andrew McNabb and to invite you to the launch of his book, The Body of This, a collection of short, sharp, and spiritual stories about the complex architecture of people's lives, their bodies, and the worlds they inhabit. Andrew has been widely published in such diverse outlets as the Missouri Review and Not Safe But Good: Best Christian Short Stories 2007. He lives in Portland with his wife and four young children.

Brett Lott, author of Oprah's Book Club pick, Jewel, calls Andrew "a brave story teller," and The Body of This "a tough little bundle of shards, that can easily make you bleed as it can reflect the one true light." And Joseph Pearce, best-selling author of The Quest for Shakespeare, calls Andrew's stories "thought-jabbing vignettes" that can be "as radically transforming as viniculture, turning the water of everyday experiences into the wine of life."

We look forward to seeing you at 6:30pm on April 2nd at The Maine Irish Heritage Center (right on the corner of State St and Gray St) for the launch of The Body of This. For more information about the book, the author, or Warren Machine Company, check out www.thebodyofthis.com and www.warren-machine.com.

**at Portland Stage Company**

Sunday, April 5th at 7 pm
An Evening with LEWIS ROBINSON
author of
Water Dogs

The Portland Stage Company Affiliate Artists present another in their series of Longfellow’s Shorts events on Sunday, April 5 at 7:00 PM on the mainstage at Portland Stage. Join the Affiliate Artists and author Lewis Robinson for a night of readings from his best-selling novel, Water Dogs. An open discussion and book-signing with Robinson will follow the actors’ readings.

Tickets for the event are pay-what-you-can, a suggested donation of $5.00.

For more information, call Portland Stage Company at 774-1043 ext. 105.

Monday, April 6th at 6 pm
PAT NYHAN
author of
New Mainers:
Portraits of Our Immigrant Neighbors

Join us when Pat Nyhan, author of New Mainers, and Reza Jalali, who wrote the book's foreword, will be at the store for a reading. The new book profiles more than two dozen recent immigrants, and shares their stories of leaving home and creating a new life here in Maine.

As you will find out, the journeys of these immigrants have not been easy, but all of them are glad they wound up in this state and are proud of their new identities as Mainers.

Also that evening: representatives from Educational Homestay Programs (EHP) will be here to provide information on their upcoming exchange programs. EHP is a non-profit organization that helps bring foreign exchange students to the US and Canada. They're looking for people to host Chinese and French students for 3-4 weeks this Summer. Those that sign up will be entered to win a $50 gift certificate to Longfellow Books! For more information, visit www.efhomestay.org, or contact Lisa at lgbowe@gmail.com.

NEW BOOKS!

Bonk by Mary Roach

(Norton, $14.95)

Few science writers today can match the unceasing curiosity and highly readable style of Mary Roach. After tackling the dead in Stiff and the afterlife in Spook, Roach pits science versus sex in a battle to understand humanity's most intimate moments. Plenty of absurd historical anecdotes, and reports from the trenches as the battle rages on to answer some of our most puzzling questions--consider that science still doesn't understand something as fundamental as the physiology of arousal and orgasm. Funny and fascinating, as always. Now in paperback.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

(Quirk, $12.95)

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies features the original text of Jane Austen's beloved novel with all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie action. As our story opens a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Illustrated!

Though it doesn't go on sale until 4/7, the first print run of this catastrophic classic has already sold out. If you want a copy, call or email to reserve one today!

Happens Every Day by Isabel Gillies

(Scribner, $25)

Best known for her recurring role on Law & Order: SVU, Gillies displays her flair for drama in print. Her debut memoir is nearly impossible to put down. Isabel Gillies had a wonderful life -- a handsome, intelligent, loving husband; two glorious toddlers. Suddenly, that life was over. Her husband, Josiah, announced that he was leaving her and their two young sons.

"Isabel Gillies tells the story of the breakup of her 'perfect' marriage with astonishing honesty, sharp humor, and not a shred of self-pity. This is a memoir that reads like a gripping mystery and a moving coming-of-age tale."
-- David Auburn, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Proof

Far from a self-pitying diatribe, Happens Every Day reads like an intimate conversation between friends. Gillies has written a dizzyingly candid, compulsively readable, ultimately redemptive story about love, marriage, family, heartbreak, and the unexpected turns of a life. On the one hand, reading this book is like watching a train wreck. On the other hand, as Gillies herself says, it is about trying to light a candle instead of cursing the darkness, and loving your life even if it has slipped away. Hers is a remarkable new voice -- instinctive, funny, and irresistible.

KID'S BOOKS!

The Cat at Night by Dahlov Ipcar

(Islandport, $16.95)

The work of legendary illustrator Dahlov Ipcar can be found in the Whitney Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, as well as in countless volumes of her beloved children's books. Thanks to Islandport Press, many of her older works are coming back in print. In the newly republished The Cat at Night, follow a little cat on his late night adventures, as his keen night vision allows him to see some wonderous sights. A beautiful book.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

(Little, Brown, $8.99)

Sherman Alexie's National Book Award-winning young adult novel is now available in paperback. This contemporary tale chronicles a young native American boy's struggle for identity and community when he leaves the reservation to achieve his dreams. It's been known to induce both laughter and tears.

"A Native American equivalent of Angela's Ashes." - Publishers' Weekly, starred review

CAST YOUR VOTE!

Time is running out!

Make sure you cast your votes for your favorite places in Portland as part of the Portland Phoenix Annual BEST Issue. Follow this link and make your voices heard before it's too late!

Yours In Books

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 03.25.09: Tomorrow Night

2009-03-25T09:47:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

We're excited to welcome a great local writer. Penelope Schwartz Robinson is a Stonecoast graduate and an award-winner, and her collection of personal essays is honest, powerful stuff.

Events!

Thursday, March 26th at 7 pm
PENELOPE ROBINSON
author
of
Slippery Men

Local award-winning author Penelope Schwartz Robinson will be at the store tomorrow night to read from her collection of essays, Slippery Men.

A self proclaimed "late bloomer", Penelope put off her writing impulses for many years. It wasn't until her fifties and sixties that she began to see them fully realized, and received critical acclaim. Based on this first collection of essays, sparkling with honesty and insight, we're glad she didn't wait any longer. Slippery Men recalls the characters of Robinson's formative moments--a father, a student, a lover--and the lasting impressions they've left, years later. Her memories are captivating and vividly rendered.

"Suddenly I smelled the acrid gunpowder. A puff of smoke in the room dissipated in the steely light. Jake was standing by the window, looking down at the buck, the rifle cradled in his right arm.

'Jake!' I cried, pushing through the kids to him. 'Give me that gun.' He looked surprised but handed it over without a word. I remember the heft of that gun. I remember that it was warm, not cold the way I think of guns, because when I've used guns myself, it's been outside, and usually, it's been outside in the fall or winter so the gun is cold, so cold it makes your bare hands hurt. I remember how warm that gun was. An inside gun." - pg.
39

Penelope Schwartz Robinson has been the director of an academic journals publishing company, a blue-water sailor, litigation paralegal, tree farmer, wife, mother, and grandmother. A graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast MFA program, she has taught nonfiction literature and writing at the University of Maine, Farmington and Southern Maine Community College. She is the winner of the Stonecoast Book Prize and recipient of the Maine Individual Artists Fellowship. Penelope lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, with her husband.

"Penelope Schwartz Robinson's 'slippery' men--lovers, preachers, gardeners, swamp-muckers and fathers--are simultaneously
endearing and suspect. In bringing them to life in these lyrical and trenchant pages, she is wise enough to look at her own foibles and complexities, and talented enough to transform her experiences into stories that amuse and instruct. This work is simply superb."
- Barbara Hurd, author of Stirring the Mud

"In Slippery Men, Penelope Schwartz Robinson manages to be both clever and warm, a real trick, and a real storyteller, too. Both women and men will smile at themselves in the mirror she holds up to contemporary life."
- Katha Pollitt, author of Learning to Drive and Other Life Stories

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 03.18.09: Community

2009-03-18T14:51:00.001-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

It's a pleasure to live in a place like Portland; you don't have to go far to find genuinely talented people doing the work that keeps our community and our culture thriving. Read on for details about this week's author events, as well as two books that take a unique look at the people who make up our community. Their stories are not often told, but without them, 'home' just wouldn't be the same.

Contents

- Events -

- New Books -

- Cast Your Vote! -

Events!

Thursday, March 19th at 7 pm
JOHN MANDERINO
author of
Crying at the Movies

We were all set to have one of our favorite local writers, John Manderino, here for a reading last month. Then a last minute snowstorm reared its head and the festivities were postponed. We're happy to say that John will be here this Thursday night, and there is blue sky on the horizon. You won't want to miss it.

In a new memoir reminiscent of John Cheever, local author John Manderino chronicles his life through the movies he watched. Whether it's DeNiro teaching him about courage, or The Birds giving his whole town an unhealthy fear of the local starlings, Crying at Movies is a funny, self-effacing look at growing up.

"We went in and found seats. And I must say, it felt very peculiar sitting in a movie theater next to Dad. He sat straight, his big crooked fingers on his knees, waiting politely for the screen to come to life. I hoped and prayed there wouldn't be any nudity.
The lights went down.
...
But then LaMotta meets the beautiful Vickie and I got worried. Then sure enough, pretty soon they're in bed and she's slowly kissing him all down his stomach.
I didn't know what to do. I wanted to get out of there, pretend I had to use the bathroom, but that wouldn't look good, like I had to go beat off, so I sat there very still, but I didn't want to be sitting there too still, like I was mesmerized, and yet at the same time I didn't want to fidget, like I was getting worked up, although I certainly didn't want to convey indifference, give a big yawn or something. Meanwhile, I had no idea what was going on with Dad, if he was wondering what the hell kind of dirty movie I brought him to, or was he embarrassed like me, or morally outraged, or possibly--who knows?--thoroughly enjoying this, or even possibly feeling rather sad, like he'd missed the boat. I had no idea.
- pg. 142-3

"...a clever twist on the traditional memoir...has quite a few things to say about the way our lives mirror the movies."
--Booklist

Friday, March 20th at 7 pm
PATRICK TRACEY
author of
Stalking Irish Madness

Searching for the Roots of My Family’s Schizophrenia

Patrick Tracey used to ask his grandfather about his schizophrenic grandmother, who lived up in the old asylum. All he ever heard was that his grandmother's side of the family was "away with the fairies," and that if he ever wanted to go back to Ireland to shake the family tree, then, in the parlance of the day, lots of lunatics would fall out. When Tracey's two sisters join his uncle and grandmother in rapidly developing schizophrenia in their early twenties, the author is devastated. Thirty years later, he decides to take his dead grandfather’s advice, and go back to Ireland to stalk the madness that stalks his family.

PEN New England has announced that it will honor writer Patrick Tracey as recipient of the 2009 L.L. Winship/PEN New England Award, given annually to a New England author or a book with a New England setting. Tracey is being honored in the non-fiction category for Stalking Irish Madness: Searching for the Roots of My Family's Schizophrenia. The L.L. Winship/PEN New England Award was established by The Boston Globe in 1975 to honor long-time Boston Globe editor Laurence L. Winship. It has been awarded in the past to E.B. White, Andre Dubus, Tracy Kidder and Mary Oliver, among others.

For Tracey, answers are not easy in coming. To merely mention the word "schizophrenia" down the back lanes of Roscommon is to toss a cat amongst the pigeons--people tend to scatter, but no one pretended not to know what Tracey was asking about. Lots of lunatics do fall out of the pages of Stalking Irish Madness. Ireland comes off as one big open-air lunatic asylum at the hands of the British, who rule savagely from Dublin Castle. In a heartbreaking tale described by one critic as "Jack Kerouac meets Frank McCourt," the author travels the land of his ancestors in a second hand camper, looking for medical clues, historical answers, folk tales, or even some old Druid to draw the veil. In the end he lays blame fair and squarely on the British, letting the wee people off the hook. "The fairies," he writes, "were framed." Tracey offers hope and a glimpse of the daily recovery of schizophrenics through the technique of dialoging with their voices. This, he shows, is working great wonders in Europe. For more information about Peter or his work, visit stalkingirishmadness.com.

** and at Portland Stage Company... **
March 19th through April 11th
THE PASSION OF THE HAUSFRAU
a solo comedy

by Bess Welden, Annette Jolles & Nicole Chaison

For more information or to purchase tickets, call (207)774-0465 or visit www.portlandstage.com.

And stay tuned: The Passion of the Hausfrau will be released later this year as a book, and we'll be hosting a book launch party on June 19th. In the meantime, check out Nicole's website.

New Books!

New Mainers: Portraits of Our Immigrant Neighbors

by Pat Nyhan (Tilbury, $20)

This new volume profiles dozens of immigrants who have made their new homes in Maine. They come from every region of the world, every class and vocation, from poverty and prosperity, and war and peace. They talk about their homelands, the forces that brought them to our state, and the new lives they've created here. Inspiring stories.

And mark your calendars now: on April 6th we'll have Pat Nyhan and Reza Jalali (who wrote New Mainers' introduction) here for a reading! April 6th is a Monday, and the event will be at 6 pm. Stay tuned for further details.

Maine Street: Faces and Stories from a Small Town

by Patrisha McLean (Down East, $24.95)

Through words and photographs, Patrisha McLean gives an honest look at the lives of more than sixty residents of her small hometown of Camden, Maine. These snapshots bring to life the rich characters who make up her community, and paint a picture of the diversity to be found in a small coastal Maine town.

"In this age we're bombarded with carefully manufactured images and impressions, each fitted and polished to market a product or way of life. Reality and the real people who inhabit it are infinitely more interesting. That's why these pictures and stories will strike a chord with anyone who reads them, anywhere."
- David Grima, Editor, Camden Herald

Cast Your Vote!

Time is running out! Only two weeks left to cast your votes for your favorite places in Portland as part of the Portland Phoenix Annual BEST Issue. Follow this link and make your voices heard!

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 03.02.09: Of Note

2009-03-04T15:57:00.000-05:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

In honor of Spring's early arrival here on the coast of Maine, here's a slew of books to celebrate the new season. Gripping novels, fascinating non-fiction, and some great events coming up on the calendar.

Thank goodness it's finally bright and warm and we're not getting pummeled by another winter storm... right?

Oh. Well, in honor of Winter's dogged persistence, then.

Events!

**This Event will be held at The Portland Public Library**

Thursday, March 5th from 4:30 to 7 pm
Portland's Finest read from

The Police Poetry & Photo Calendar

Join us for a very special event at the Portland Public Library, when a group of poets will read from The Police Poetry & Photo Calendar.

The calendar features the work of Portland Police Officers. Poets reading will include Maine's Poet Laureate Betsy Sholl, Portland's Poet Laureate Martin Steingesser and many others, including members of the Police Department.

The event will be held at the Portland Public Library, in Rines Auditorium. The reading will run from 4:30 to 6pm, and a discussion will run from 6 to 7 pm.

For more information, visit artsandequity.us

Friday, March 6th at 7 pm
MAGGIE JACKSON
author of

Distracted:
The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age

In our modern world, distractions are all around us. In this country alone they cost us $588 billion dollars a year and sap nearly one third of our working hours. Less measurable, they rob us of our free time, our focus, even our humanity. In an age of unprecedented connectivity and access to information, of up-to-the-second alerts and unending sound bites, we seem to be falling further and further behind. Maggie Jackson's book, Distracted, details this struggle as she investigates our fractured daily life."Writing powerfully and subversively, Maggie Jackson raises issues that go straight to the core of what it means to be human in the early twenty-first century," says Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy, in the introduction.

In some ways, it's a good thing humans are wired for distraction, explains Jackson. "We are born interrupt-driven--that’s how humans stay tuned to their environment. But if we jump on every e-mail or ping, we'll have trouble pursuing our long-term goals. To make inroads on the deep, messy work of life, we need to stay focused, bringing the spotlight of our attention back again and again to the work at hand.” This lack of focus that is so representative of the modern age threatens to keep us from truly connecting to anything or anyone.

Technology allows you to read these words (or billions of others) from almost anywhere in the world. But if our daily life can't support sustained attention, if we're too inundated by information to focus intently on any one thing, then we lose the ability to create art, promote culture, or form lasting relationships.

It's a crazy world we live in these days, but thankfully Maggie Jackson has some ideas about how we can make sure that despite the endless distractions (did you just get a voicemail? an email? a text?) the things that truly matter don't get left behind.

"This is an important book. I found it to be a harrowing documentation of our modern world's descent into fragmentation, self alienation, and emptiness -- brought on, to a large extent, by communication technologies that distract us, dislocate us, and destroy our inner lives. Others have commented on these issues, but I have never seen them gathered together and documented as completely as Maggie Jackson has done."
-- Alan Lightman, author of Einstein's Dreams

Though she lives in New York, Jackson will be in Portland as the keynote speaker for a fundraiser for Dress For Success (a great non-profit organization, check out their website for details), and we’re happy to have her for a reading.

Maggie is an award-winning columnist and author. Distracted has been featured in Businessweek, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Vanity Fair, Chicago Tribune, The Sunday Times of London, and other media outlets worldwide. Publishers Weekly calls the book "a richly detailed and passionately argued... account of the travails facing an ADD society and how to reinvigorate a 'renaissance of attention.' Jackson is The Boston Globe’s popular "Balancing Acts" columnist and has written for many national publications. A graduate of Yale University and the London School of Economics, she lives in New York City with her family.

Thursday, March 19th at 7 pm
John Manderino
author of
Crying at Movies

"We went in and found seats. And I must say, it felt very peculiar sitting in a movie theater next to Dad. He sat straight, his big crooked fingers on his knees, waiting politely for the screen to come to life. I hoped and prayed there wouldn't be any nudity.
The lights went down.
...
But then LaMotta meets the beautiful Vickie and I got worried. Then sure enough, pretty soon they're in bed and she's slowly kissing him all down the his stomach.
I didn't know what to do. I wanted to get out of there, pretend I had to use the bathroom, but that wouldn't look good, like I had to go beat off, so I sat there very still, but I didn't want to be sitting there too still, like I was mesmerized, and yet at the same time I didn't want to fidget, like I was getting worked up, although I certainly didn't want to convey indifference, give a big yawn or something. Meanwhile, I had no idea what was going on with Dad, if he was wondering what the hell kind of dirty movie I brought him to, or was he embarrassed like me, or morally outraged, or possibly--who knows?--thoroughly enjoying this, or even possibly feeling rather sad, like he'd missed the boat. I had no idea.
- pg. 142-3

"...a clever twist on the traditional memoir...has quite a few things to say about the way our lives mirror the movies."
--Booklist

New Books!

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (Square Fish, $8.99)

One of the best graphic novels of all time. The first to ever be considered for a National Book Award. Three misfits (including the Chinese Monkey King) struggle to accept their heritage. I don't want to give anything else away, but suffice to say, this will be the best $8.99 you spend on a book.

"The stories have a simple, engaging sweep to them, but their weighty subjects--shame, racism, and friendship--receive thoughtful, powerful examination."
- Booklist

Secret Lives of Artists by Elizabeth Lunday (Quirk, $17.95)

Lunday has compiled brief biographies of dozens of history's greatest artists, compiling all the things you never knew you never knew about these memorable figures. You'll find surprises on every page.

"Devastated by guilt, Rossetti blamed himself for spending too much time on his work. And so at her funeral, he placed all his poems into her casket... As Rossetti's guilt receded, he began regretting his decision, and in 1870 he sought permission to exhume Lizzie's coffin. The poems, which had to be disentangled from the corpse's hair, appeared later that year in his first book, House of Life..."
- pg. 89

The Unforgiving Minute:A Soldier's Education by Craig Mullaney (Penguin, $28.95)

Craig Mullaney: Rhodes Scholar, Graduate of West Point, U.S. Army Captain, Veteran of the War in Afghanistan. A bright, articulate, thoughtful man. This is his reflection on years of service, on what it means to face the realities of war. A gripping read.

"Each of us found a way to escape from Afghanistan. Within hours of arrival at Gardez, our tents had been transformed. As I walked down the aisle, these alcoves provided me with glimpses of my soldiers' lives back home and their dreams for the future, often side by side... Crucifixes and Saint Christopher medals balanced the shrines to breasts and chrome. We tacked up inspirational quotes and lucky four-leaf clovers. Next to my bed I propped up a photo album of Meena, the obituary of John Hottell III that Colonel LoFaro had given me at West Point, and a bottle of mouthwash."
- pg. 243

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult (Atria, $27.95)

The latest novel from perennial bestseller Picoult centers around a young girl born with a brittle bone disorder and her impact on the many lives around her.

"I reached into my pocketbook and took out my wallet. Buried in the very bottom, among gum wrappers and pens from pharma companies, was a rubber-banded stack of business cards I had accumulated. I shuffled through them until I found the one I was looking for. Picking up Rob's phone, I dialed the law firm's number.
'Booker, Hood and Coates,' the recpetionist said.
'I'm one of your medical malpractice clients,' I replied. 'And I think I need your help.'"
- pg. 163

The Garden Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft by Ulrich Boser (Collins, $25.99)

Nearly two decades ago, two men broke into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and left with $500 million dollars worth of paintings. To this day, not a single painting has been found. Nearly as incredible is the work of Harold Smith, a tireless detective who worked the case until his death. An unbelievable story full of unbelievable characters. Absolutely true.

"When crooks hear the prices commanded by top paintings and sculptures--and realize how poorly secured they are--art theft becomes a given. A few years after a Leonardo da Vinci codex sold for a record breaking $31 million, two men strolled into Drumlanrig Castle in Scotland. They looked like regular tourists. They wore sensible shoes, thick coats, and baseball hats. Then, about halfway through the tour, one of the men threatened a docent with a knife, while the other pulled da Vinci's painting Madonna with the Yarnwinder from the wall. The men leapt out of a kitchen window and into a waiting VW Golf sedan. The heist took less than ten minutes--and the thieves disappeared with a four-by-six foot piece of canvas valued at more than $200 million. With such a massive return on such little effort, one has to wonder--why do crooks steal anything else?"
- pg. 69

WHAT WE'RE READING...

Chris is reading: The Brothers K by David James Duncan

Stuart is reading: Little Bee by Chris Cleave

Matt is reading: The Rivalry by John Taylor

Meg is reading: The Women by T.C. Boyle

Casey is reading: The End of Faith by Sam Harris

CAST YOUR VOTE!

It's time again to cast your votes for your favorite places in Portland as part of the Portland Phoenix Annual BEST Issue. Follow this link and make your voices heard!

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 02.19.09: Postponed!

2009-02-19T15:35:00.002-05:00

Fellow Travelers,

Due to unforeseen circumstances, tonight's reading by John Manderino (Crying at Movies) has been
postponed.

The reading has been rescheduled for March 19th at 7:00 pm.

We regret any inconvenience this late change might cause, and hope to see you in March, if not before.

Yours in Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 02.12.09: Birthday Love

2009-02-15T14:31:00.001-05:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

Don't forget that master stone craftsman Dan Snow will be here tonight to share his new book, Listening to Stone.
The event will be at 7 pm. Dan has been working with stone for 30 years, and his constructions are jaw-dropping.
For more info about Dan and the book, check out our website.

A happy Valentine's Day to everyone, and in the spirit of love and care we'd like to send out some fond birthday wishes to a few special people:

Charles Darwin AND Abraham Lincoln were both born 200 years ago today--and they don't look a day over 165! Quite an influential day in history, hm? (If you're intrigued by this convergence, Adam Gopnik is a step ahead of you. His new book, Angels & Ages (Knopf, $24.95), takes a look at the lives of both men and their lasting effect on modern life. We've got copies in stock.)

And Sally Wigon's birthday is this Saturday. Sally is the owner and operator of Wigon Office Supply on Free St. The shop has been running since FDR was in the White House, and at this point it's a Portland landmark. If you get the chance, stop by and wish her a happy birthday.

Hopefully we'll see you all tonight!

Yours in Books,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books

Email 02.05.09

2009-02-05T14:25:00.001-05:00

GREETINGS DEAR READERS,

OK,

Everyday there is more bad news about the economy, disappearing jobs and other worrisome, financial calamities. And deep in gray winter's grip, we're all experiencing a touch of cabin fever.

Did you realize that Longfellow Books can help cure those winter blues? That we can help alleviate some of your financial woes? How you might ask? How could that little independent bookstore do so much?

Well here's how: Attend one of our upcoming readings. We serve free drinks and snacks and you will be informed and entertained by a professional at absolutely no cost. Your cabin fever will be cured and your belly will be a little happier. And if you buy a book or two (we will love you endlessly and the author will sleep deeper), you will have made a shrewd financial decision.

Autographed books tend to increase in value over the years--think what a signed Catcher in the Rye is worth. If you're not the collecting kind, you can still spend hours with your book, lend it to a lover or friend and then bring it back to Longfellows for store credit as a used book.

Miracle, magic or cheap night out? You decide. Please attend our readings; your sanity, psyche and financial well-being may depend on it.

EVENTS...

Thursday, February 12th at 7 pm
DAN SNOW
author of
Listening to Stone

In a world increasingly driven by technology, Dan Snow is what the New York Times called "one of the first heroes of... the neo-Neolithic Era," a master of an art that creates extraordinary constructions from the most primitive materials. Snow is an internationally renowned dry stone builder and his new book, Listening to Stone, is full of wisdom garnered from a lifetime spent in close contact with the earth.

Dan's unique environmental art—fences, pillars, arches, grottos and pavilions made entirely of loose rock—combine the natural beauty of raw materials and the splendor of human engineering. Immersing oneself in physical labor can free the mind, says Snow: "Call it daydreaming if you wish, because it does proceed from a freedom of movement of the mind. Or call it meditation, because it also entails a form of focused concentration." His new book aims to bring that same solitary sense of focus and calm to the reader.

Dan is internationally recognized as a master of his field, one of only a few Americans to receive his Master Craftsman Certificate from the Dry Stone Walling Association in Britain. After assisting in the restoration of an Italian castle in 1972, Snow has spent the last three decades working with stone.

Throughout Listening to Stone are extraordinary full-color photographs of Snow's awe-inspiring work, as well as sketches from the planning process. These accompany the artist's reflections on the stone building process, as well as themes of community, nature, home, solitude and endurance. Snow draws much of his inspiration from books: "Reading fiction and history books gets me dreaming and expands my horizons. Fiction tells me that anything’s possible, and history shows me that it's probably already been done... As long as I respect the limits in building with loose natural stone, the possibilities are endless."

Thursday, February 19th at 7 pm
JOHN MANDERINO
author of
Crying at the Movies

"We went in and found seats. And I must say, it felt very peculiar sitting in a movie theater next to Dad. He sat straight, his big crooked fingers on his knees, waiting politely for the screen to come to life. I hoped and prayed there wouldn't be any nudity.
The lights went down.
...
But then LaMotta meets the beautiful Vickie and I got worried. Then sure enough, pretty soon they're in bed and she's slowly kissing him all down the his stomach.
I didn't know what to do. I wanted to get out of there, pretend I had to use the bathroom, but that wouldn't look good, like I had to go beat off, so I sat there very still, but I didn't want to be sitting there too still, like I was mesmerized, and yet at the same time I didn't want to fidget, like I was getting worked up, although I certainly didn't want to convey indifference, give a big yawn or something. Meanwhile, I had no idea what was going on with Dad, if he was wondering what the hell kind of dirty movie I brought him to, or was he embarrassed like me, or morally outraged, or possibly--who knows?--thoroughly enjoying this, or even possibly feeling rather sad, like he'd missed the boat. I had no idea.
- pg. 142-3

"...a clever twist on the traditional memoir...has quite a few things to say about the way our lives mirror the movies."
--Booklist

*** at USM's Glickman Library, Portland ***

Monday, February 23rd at 6:30 pm
PHIL HOOSE
author of
CLAUDETTE COLVIN:
Twice Towards Justice

"When it comes to justice, there is no easy way to get it. You can’t sugarcoat it. You have to take a stand and say, 'This is not right.'"
– Claudette Colvin

On March 2, 1955, an impassioned teenager, fed up with the daily injustices of Jim Crow segregation, refused to give her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Instead of being celebrated as Rosa Parks would be just nine months later, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin found herself shunned by her classmates and dismissed by community leaders. Undaunted, a year later she dared to challenge segregation again as a key plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, the landmark case that struck down the segregation laws of Montgomery and swept away the legal underpinnings of the Jim Crow South.

Based on extensive interviews with Claudette Colvin and many others, Phillip Hoose presents the first in-depth account of an important, yet largely unknown, civil rights figure, skillfully weaving her dramatic story into the fabric of the historic Montgomery bus boycott and court case that would change the course of American history.

Join Phillip Hoose for a talk on Claudette Colvin, an unsung hero of the Civil Rights Movement--and we're pleased to announce that Claudette herself will be in attendance. The talk will be at The Glickman Library, on the Portland campus of USM, with a book signing and refreshments to follow. The event is sponsored by your friendly neighborhood booksellers and the USM History Department.

"This inspiring title shows the incredible difference that a single young person can make."
—Booklist, Starred Review

"Phil Hoose’s profile of the remarkable Claudette Colvin is MUST reading for anyone still imbued with hope. She is a lighthouse in a stormy sea."
—Studs Terkel, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Good War

For directions to the Glickman Library, click here.

NEW BOOKS...

THE YANKEE YEARS by Joe Torre & Tom Verducci (Doubleday, $26.95)

It's not often that we have anything to say about that team from New York (no, not the Mets), but you have to respect Joe Torre. After 17 managers in 18 years, Torre came to a broken franchise and helped bring them back to the very top of the baseball world. In his new book he gives a unique inside perspective on the workings of the legendary clubhouse and their rise and fall. (For Red Sox fans, the storied rivalry between the two teams features rather prominently--and who doesn't want to relive that 2004 ALCS series?)

"Joe Torre was the fourth choice.
The veteran manager was out of work in October of 1995, four months removed from the third firing of his managerial career, when an old friend from his days with the Mets, Arthur Richman, a public relations official and special advisor to Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, called him with a question.
'Are you interested in managing the Yankees?'
Torre Made his interest known without hesitation.
'Hell, yeah,' he said."
- pg. 1

THANKS AND HAVE FUN RUNNING THE COUNTRY: Kids' Letters to President Obama (McSweeneys, $12)

Dear President Obama,
I know you want to save the Earth, but people don't want to clean. My life is to clean up all the world and help you to clean. I always dream of cleaning the world with you. I'll do anything for you because you are the president in this world.
Stephanie Gonzalez, age 7
Los Angeles

Dear Obama Family,
When you move into the White House, turn on the heater so it won't be cold. You could also take hot baths in you new antique bathtubs. Or you could make hot tea and coffee. When I moved to a new house, I helped my dad. He took apart a chair and I carried pieces of it. If I were your helper when you move in, I could move everything! Have a nice day being the first family.
Nazrawit Dessie, age 7
Seattle

I SAW YOU...: Comics Inspired by Real-Life Missed Connections edited by Julia Wertz (Three Rivers, $12.95)

Tragic, funny, crushing, sweet and sentimental. I Saw You takes real stories of loneliness, fleeting attractions and lost loves and brings them to life through the illustrations of dozens of young and talented graphic artists. Full of hope and humor. Compulsively readable.

"M4W: I saw you on Page and Divisadero...
Yesterday was a brisk spring San Francisco morning...
It was particularly groggy for me. I was still recovering from the night before. Barely.
You pulled me out of my fog by taking a red string off my jacket, then smiled. We crossed the street together. You said it was a chilly morning but were sure it would warm up later, and I agreed. I was about to ask your name but... you turned the corner before I could speak again.
I would love to know your name."
- pg. 45

TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA by Shaun Tan (Arthur Levine, $9.99)

Shaun Tan, author of the mesmerizing The Arrival is back. This time he uses both words and pictures to take us on an unforgettable journey through the weirdness of the world. As always, his illustrations are simply incredible. A must-see.

SCAT by Carl Hiasen (Knopf, $16.99)

The latest young adult offering from the author of Hoot and Flush. When a hated biology teacher disappears leaving only a mysterious note, Nick and Marta decide it's up to them to uncover the truth.

"The day before Mrs. Starch vanished, her third-period biology students trudged silently, as always, into the classroom. Their expressions reflected the usual mix of dread and melancholy, for Mrs. Starch was the most feared teacher at the Truman School.
When the bell rang, she unfolded stiffly, like a crane, and rose to her full height of nearly six feet. In one hand she twirled a sharpened Ticonderoga No. 2 pencil, a sure sign of trouble to come."
- pg. 1

NEW IN USED...

Give us your tired, your used,

Your once-loved titles yearning to be read once more,

The wretched refuse of a shelf, perused.

Bring these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to our door.

You'll get store credit and they'll be reused!

Snow Glass Apples: A Play for Voices by Neil Gaiman (Biting Dog, 2002) hardcover, with slipcase. Autographed! $250.

Gaiman's play is a retelling of the Snow White fable, imagining Snow White not as the gentle, kind-hearted maiden of Disney fame but instead a ruthless monster. Woodcuts throughout. Signed by all contributors. Condition: Like New.

The Juniper Tree and Other Tales from Grimm illustrated by Maurice Sendak (FSG, 1973) hardcover, two volumes with slipcase, $75.

Twenty-seven of Grimm's classic stories, translated from by Lore Segal and illustrated by the one and only Maurice Sendak. Beautiful. Book Condition: Excellent (slipcase has seen better days).

Jack Kerouac: Angelheaded Hipster by Steve Turner (Viking, 1996) hardcover, $15.

A biography of the Beat legend, full of photographs. Condition: Gently used.

Everything I Want to Do is Illegal: War Stories from the Local Food Front by Joel Salatin (Polyface, 2007) paperback, $8.

Joel Salatin (who you may remember from The Omnivore's Dilemma) talks about running an ecologically-friendly farm and the struggle against government resistance. Condition: Gently used.

The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria (Norton, 2008) hardcover, $7.

An intriguing look at the changing landscape of international politics, and the future of America's role as global superpower. Zakaria is, as always, clear and insightful. Condition: Once read.

How To Stay Alive in the Woods by Bradford Angier (Black Dog, 2001) hardcover, $8.

If you're concerned about wilderness survival in these dire times, then this might be the best eight bucks you ever spend. Originally written back in the 50's, Angier covers everything you can think of, and then some. Condition: Like new.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick, 2006) hardcover, $8.

DiCamillo's wonderful children's book about a china rabbit and an improbably adventure. Condition: Well loved.

WHAT WE'RE READING...

Chris is reading: American Splendor: Another Dollar by Harvey Pekar, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Freedom by Phil Hoose

Stuart is reading: God Is Dead by Ron Currie, Jr., Puccini's Ghosts by Morag Joss

Matt is reading: World Ball Notebook by Sesshu Foster, The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins

Meg is reading: A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire

Casey is reading: The Odyssey by Homer (in GREEK!)

CAST YOUR VOTE!

It's time again to cast your votes for your favorite places in Portland as part of the Portland Phoenix Annual BEST Issue. Follow this link and make your voices heard!

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 01.26.09

2009-01-26T09:48:00.000-05:00

Greetings Dear Readers

Two weeks ago we announced that we're having a publication party for Lewis Robinson, a local writer of whom we're particularly fond. He's just published his debut novel, Water Dogs, and the time is ripe for some celebration. The party is still happening this Thursday, it's still going to be a big deal, and we still hope you and your friends come by and see Lew.

EVENTS...

Thursday, January 29th at 7 pm
LEWIS ROBINSON
author of
Water Dogs

Since we last spoke, the list of Lewis' admirers has only grown. His work has caught the eye of people everywhere, from a recent review in Down East magazine to the pages of (ahem) THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW last sunday. Behold:

"Lewis Robinson's first novel, "Water Dogs," is filled with snow. Open practically any page of this book and crystals will shake out: 'There was a dark blue heaviness to the air,' Robinson writes, 'that made it seem snow was minutes away.'
Or: 'When they walked outside the temperature had dropped but the clouds were still hanging low in the sky, and what was falling now was that light, icy snow that sometimes falls for days at a time.' ....
Perhaps "Water Dogs" feels honest in its insularity because it's wrapped so thickly in snow. Robinson clearly understands how to make a smudge of light glow against a dark background, hot to negotiate winter's tandem essences of threat and beauty. In it's rendering of the complicated, rich, mostly unspoken relationship between a young man and the place he lives, "Water Dogs" is a lovely novel." - Anthony Doerr

And from Down East:

"Robinson, who grew up in Maine and lives in Portland, won both a PEN/Oakland-Josephine Miles Literary Award and a Whiting Writers' Award for Officer Friendly, and that same barbed diction and mordant humor are on display in his novel. Water Dogs is a mystery in the most intimate sense--an inquiry into how well we can ever know the moral landcape of another human being, even our own brother."- Paul Doiron

So this Thursday night, join us in celebration! We'll have refreshments, you'll get to meet Lew and get a signed copy of his new book, and everyone will have a great time. Promise.

Further Praise for Lewis Robinson's Water Dogs:

"Lewis Robinson is a terrific writer, and in Water Dogs he evokes the moods and landscapes of Maine as deftly as he examines the conflicts and alliances within a family. This is a smart, suspenseful, absorbing first novel."- Curtis Sittenfeld

"Lewis Robinson is an irresistable storyteller. I've spent some time in Maine and, well, apologies to all you hockey-playing, urchin-harvesting hard asses up there, it's not my idea of Vacationland. But from the first sentence of Robinson's wry yet headlong prose, I found myself devouring the place. This is a wonderful novel."- Sean Wilsey

"Lewis Robinson writes with authority and grace about the complications of sibling love: jealousies, disappointments, old hurts, and blind devotion. The siblings in Water Dogs, despite their unusual circumstances, are thoroughly convincing, with an underlying sweetness that betrays the author's big beautiful heart."- Monica Wood

"A richly detailed yet elliptical work by an author who trusts readers to fill in the blanks."- Kirkus, Starred Review

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books

Email 01.08.09

2009-01-08T09:40:00.000-05:00

Fellow Citizens,

The year 2009 has arrived and the snow is falling all over the living and the dead. Here's to a year of hope, of good books and neighbors reaching out and taking care of each other. Although the economic news is grim, we are Mainers and we have been in a recession for 200 years. And so it goes.. If we think locally and act locally we will survive and possibly, prosper. Thank you all for supporting us this past year and we promise to keep working hard to be your bookseller, neighbor and fellow traveler.

Think local.

Buy local.

Be local.

Events!

Thursday, January 29th at 7pm
LEWIS ROBINSON
author of
WATER DOGS

We're thrilled to announce a publication party for local wonder Lewis Robinson's debut novel, Water Dogs.

He first wowed us in 2003 with the award-winning story collection Officer Friendly and Other Stories, set in a quirky coastal Maine town full of oddball characters. Now he's back and better than ever. But don't take our word for it (even though, if you press us, we'll gush)--listen to what other people are saying:

People like Curtis Sittenfeld: "Lewis Robinson is a terrific writer, and in Water Dogs he evokes the moods and landscapes of Maine as deftly as he examines the conflicts and alliances within a family. This is a smart, suspenseful, absorbing first novel."

Or Sean Wilsey: "Lewis Robinson is an irresistable storyteller. I've spent some time in Maine and, well, apologies to all you hockey-playing, urchin-harvesting hard asses up there, it's not my idea of Vacationland. But from the first sentence of Robinson's wry yet headlong prose, I found myself devouring the place. This is a wonderful novel."

Or Monica Wood: "Lewis Robinson writes with authority and grace about the complications of sibling love: jealousies, disappointments, old hurts, and blind devotion. The siblings in Water Dogs, despite their unusual circumstances, are thoroughly convincing, with an underlying sweetness that betrays the author's big beautiful heart."

Or a Starred Review from Kirkus: "A richly detailed yet elliptical work by an author who trusts readers to fill in the blanks."

A late-night paintball game in a blizzard goes disasterously awry, leaving Bennie seriously injured, his brother missing, and one of their opponents presumed dead. But the real mystery of Water Dogs isn't what happened that fateful night, but instead the tangled web of Bennie's childhood, the complex relationships among siblings, and the realization that the identity of someone close to us can still remain unknown. Robinson gives us a picture of an unheralded, working-class community with trademark brilliance. A must read by one of our best local authors.

So join us in celebration! We'll have refreshments, you'll get to meet Lew and get a signed copy of his new book, and everyone will have a great time. Promise.

New Books!

Diary of A Wimpy Kid #3: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney (Amulet, $12.95)

The long-awaited third installment in Jeff Kinney's series is finally here. Wimpy kid Greg Heffley is at it again, fending off his brother older brother and the terrors of the eighth grade. When his dad is convinced Greg needs a little "toughening up," he's in for a whole new set of troubles.

"You know how you're supposed to come up with a list of "resolutions" at the beginning of the year to try to make yourself a better person?
Well, the problem is, it's not easy for me to think of ways to improve myself, because I'm already pretty much one of the best people I know.
So this year my resolution is to try and help OTHER people improve. But the thing I'm finding out is that some people don't really appreciate it when you're trying to be helpful."
- Diary entry, New Year's Day.

Firmin by Sam Savage (Delta, $12)

One of our favorite books is thankfully back in print. Firmin, a lovable runt of a mouse, is born in the basement of a Boston bookstore and forced to eat tattered pages for sustenance--only to find himself captivated by literature. Brilliant.

"Sometimes I like to think that the first moments of my struggle toward existence were accompanied, as by a triumphal march, by the shredding of Moby-Dick. That would account for the extreme adventurousness of my nature. At other times, when I am feeling particularly outcast and freakish, I am convinced that Don Quixote is the culprit."
- pg. 7

This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust (Vintage, $15.95)

Named one of the New York Times' 10 Best Books of the Year, and a finalist for the National Book Award, Faust's history of the Civil War goes beyond the names, dates and battles and explores how the deadliest war in American history changed our nation forever.

"Americans North and South would be compelled to confront--and resist--the war's assault on their conceptions of how life should end, an assault that challenged their most fundamental assumptions about life's value and meaning. As they faced horrors that forced them to question their ability to cope, their commitment to the war, even their faith in a righteous God, soldiers and civilians alike struggle to retain their most cherished beliefs, to make them work in the dramatically altered world that war had introduced. Americans had to identify--find, invent, create--the means and mechanisms to manage more than half a million dead: their deaths, their bodies, their loss. How they accomplished this task reshaped their individual lives--and deaths--at the same time that it redefined their nation and their culture. The work of death was Civil War America's most fundamental and most demanding undertaking."
- from the preface

A Life at Work by Thomas Moore (Broadway, $14)

Thomas Moore, author of the bestselling Care of the Soul, helps guide us in thinking about our jobs, and finding our true calling--work that taps into our passions and enriches our lives.

"Spirit moves us into the future, while the soul keeps us tied to the past. Both are rich resources, and in the pages that follow we will see how these two factors, the very deep and the transcendant, give dimension to our quest for a life work. After all, we are not just looking for a job, but rather an activity that will make our lives make sense."
- pg. 45

Backyard Maine by Edgar Allen Beem (Tilbury House, $15)

Drawn from his weekly column in The Forecaster, Beem's new collection of essays is a joy to read. He's the neighbor you wish you had, dropping by for a few minutes at a time to share a brief, articulate observation. His topics range may range widely, but his keen insight never waivers.

The Maine idea is just that common sense, moderation, tolerance, and decency should rule the land. There should be a balance between culture and nature, between the personal and the public, between the corporate and the common good. It's ultimately more important to get along in this world than it is to get ahead.
- pg. 10

The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie (Random House, $14)

Rushdie's latest novel, now in paperback, is a lush adventure about a mysterious, powerful woman who finds herself amidst a titanic clash of East and West during the Renaissance.

"Argalia's little craft bobbed helplessly right in front of the assembled Ottoman navy like a mouse cornered by half a dozen hungry cats. He stood up in the boat and waved to his conquerors and blew the Admiral's foghorn as loudly as he could.
"I surrender," he shouted. "Come and get me, you godless Turkish swine."
- pg. 174

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 12.11.08

2008-12-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

Greetings Dear Reader,

Since there are twelve months in the year, and twelve days of christmas, we thought it best to give you something fitting with the theme. Eggs seemed too fragile, clocks seemed too unwieldy, and all of those drummers drumming were getting out of hand. Books it is!

Here are twelve of our favorite books, six for adults and six for kids.

And while you're shopping, treat yourself (or a loved one) to the gift of touch.

Happy holidays, everyone.

Great Books for the Holidays

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (Riverhead, $14)

There's a special place in heaven for the person who told me to read this book. I was hooked, immediately, on Diaz's electric prose, and finished the book in two (glorious!) days. Then I spent a week moping around the house before I realized what was wrong: I missed Oscar. I missed Lola and Yunior and Beli and everyone else too much. So I read it again.

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (Penguin, $21.95)

His most sage-like advice is right there on the cover: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Pollan has written many fine books on many subjects, but this one is a life-changer. Reading In Defense of Food will change the way you think about food, meals, shopping, nutrition, diet, health, agriculture, science, government, and the rest of the world. As powerful and potent as The Omnivore's Dilemma, but as Pollan himself says, while that was a book about problems, In Defense of Food is a book about solutions.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by Daniel Wroblewski (Ecco, $25.95)

An amazing debut novel. I loved this book so much that as I was nearing the end, I kept finded excuses not to finish--so that I could prolong this read. Edgar is born mute to a happy family that breeds dogs. Overtones of Hamlet arise and Edgar's life is shattered. He goes on the run, accompained by three of his dogs. Powerful, engaging and breathtaking. Known to induce tears.

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith (Grand Central, $24.99)

A thrilling debut novel, shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Hugo Award. A State security agent in the Soviet Union wants to track down a killer on the loose--except that in Stalin's "perfect" society, these murders aren't offically taking place. After spending his life eliminating ideological enemies for Stalin, our hero must risk everything to defy the state and find justice and redemption. The true testament to Child 44's brilliance? It's one of the few books that Chris and Stuart agree on.

2666 by Roberto Bolano (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $30)

O Roberto, it's hard to describe the sorrow I feel when I think about your short literary life. Your brilliant final work, 2666, will serve as a testament to your sloppy genius for many years to come. The book is confusing yet universal, over-written but remarkably subtle; you paint in complex oils what other authors might scribble in cheap watercolors. 2666 is a marvelous whodunit, without the plastic wrap. A dangerous and jagged puzzle of you, another author dead before his time.

Domino: The Book of Decorating by Domino Magazine (Melcher Media, $32)

I've never seen a more lavishly illustrated, thoroughly descriptive, utterly complete book on home design. The fine folks at Domino magazine breakdown every room in the house, offering dozens of styles, suggestions and tips for finishing and furnishing any room. More ideas and inspiration than you can shake a stick at--and it comes with a free year's subscription to the magazine!

And Our Picks for Kids

My Wonderful Christmas Tree by Dahlov Ipcar (Islandport Press, $16.95)

Dahlov is one of Maine's living treasures. Still painting and writing at the farmhouse she has lived in for nearly 70 years, this picture book is a joy to behold and give to children of any age. A holiday classic that will cause children to dream of magical things.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, $17.99)

Sixteen-year-old Katniss poaches food for her widowed mother and little sister from the forest outside the legal perimeter of District 12, the poorest of the dozen districts constituting Panem, the North American state that has replaced the U.S. in the not-too-distant future. Her hunting and tracking skills serve her well when she is then cast into the nation's annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death. District 12's second tribute is Peeta, who has been in love with Katniss since he was five. Each new plot twist ratchets up the tension, moving the story forward and keeping the reader on edge. Populated by three-dimensional characters, this is a superb tale of physical adventure, political suspense, and romance. Great for readers 12 and up.

There Are Cats in This Book by Viviane Schwarz (Candlewick, $16.99)

Open the covers of this extraordinarily inventive, interactive book to find that the cats inside are ready to play--in very surprising ways. There they are, purring under a blanket. But not for long! Three sprightly cats named Tiny, Moonpie, and Andre are eager to involve you in their games, whether it's tossing a ball of yarn, lifting flaps to find them in boxes, or getting caught in a pillow fight. As their antics get wilder still, they'll need a kind soul to blow on the page to dry them off! With an irresistible story that directly engages the reader, this book's clever design and bright, gestural illustrations make for cat-tastic lift-the-flap fun. Purrfect for ages 3 and up.

The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science by Sean Connelly (Workman, $12.95)

What could be more fun for kids than to have the kind of rip-roaring good time that harkens back to pre-video game, pre-computer days? Introducing 64 valuable science experiments that snap, crackle, pop, ooze, crash, boom, and stink! From Marshmallows on Steroids to Home-Made Lightning, the Sandwich Bag Bomb to Giant Air Cannon, The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science awakens kids' curiosity while demonstrating scientific principles like osmosis, air pressure, and Newton's Third Law of Motion. Engages the 9 to 12 year old.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Scholastic, $22.99)

A masterpiece and winner of last year's Caldecott Medal, this is the book that makes children leap with joy. I was working with a customer the other day and she told me that her grandson carried the book around for months. Hugo Cabret is a magical book that will be treasured and remembered well after the rest of the holidays toys have been discarded. For anyone 9 to 109.

L is for Ladybug (flash cards & floor puzzle) by Charlie Harper (Ammo, $14.95)

We love anything by Charley Harper. An American modernist who died in 2007, Harper's influence continues to grow. In a style he called "minimal realism," Charley Harper captured the essence of his subjects with the fewest possible visual elements. When asked to describe his unique visual style, Charley responded:

"When I look at a wildlife or nature subject, I don’t see the feathers in the wings, I just count the wings. I see exciting shapes, color combinations, patterns, textures, fascinating behavior and endless possibilities for making interesting pictures. I regard the picture as an ecosystem in which all the elements are interrelated, interdependent, perfectly balanced, without trimming or unutilized parts; and herein lies the lure of painting; in a world of chaos, the picture is one small rectangle in which the artist can create an ordered universe."

L is for Ladybug will delight children ages 3 to 7, but there's a little Charley Harper for everyone.

The Gift of Touch

Steve Mitchell LMT, massage therapist extraordinaire, will be at Longfellow Books offering 10 minute chair massage sessions for $10. In addition he will be selling Massage Gift Certificates for hour long table massage sessions at his office for $60. Everyone benefits from the gift of touch. For each Gift Certificate purchased Steve will GIVE a FREE 10 minute chair massage! And what's better than getting to enjoy/sample the gift you are about to give!

Steve will be at Longfellow Books:

Friday eves (12th and 19th) 5 - 9pm

Saturday (13th and 20th) 1 - 6pm

Sunday (14th and 21st) 1 - 6pm

If you want to secure your spot, you can call or email Steve at (207)450-0994 or stevenmitchell.lmt@gmail.com.

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 12.10.08

2008-12-10T09:27:00.000-05:00

Greetings Dear Reader,

The New York Times has announced their choices for the Top Ten Books of the Year! Read on for the details.

If you'd like any of this newly annointed titles, let us know and we'll have them gift-wrapped, ready and waiting for you.

The Top Ten Books of the Year!

FICTION

DANGEROUS LAUGHTER: Thirteen Stories By Steven Millhauser (Alfred A. Knopf, $24)

In his first collection in five years, a master fabulist in the tradition of Poe and Nabokov invents spookily plausible parallel universes in which the deepest human emotions and yearnings are transformed into their monstrous opposites. Time and again these parables revive the possibility that "under this world there is another, waiting to be born."

A MERCY by Toni Morrison (Alfred A. Knopf, $23.95)

The fate of a slave child abandoned by her mother animates this novel--part Faulknerian puzzle, part dream-song--about orphaned women who form an eccentric household in late-17th-century America. Morrison's farmers and rum traders, masters and slaves, indentured whites and captive Native Americans live side by side, often in violent conflict, in a lawless, ripe American Eden that is both a haven and a prison.

NETHERLAND by Joseph O'Neill (Pantheon Books, $23.95)

O'Neill's seductive ode to New York--a city that even in bad times stubbornly clings to its belief "in its salvific worth"--is narrated by a Dutch financier whose privileged Manhattan existence is upended by the events of Sept. 11, 2001. When his wife departs for London with their small son, he stays behind, finding camaraderie in the unexpectedly buoyant world of immigrant cricket players.

2666 by Roberto Bolano, translated by Natasha Wimmer (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, cloth and paper, $30)

Bolano, the prodigious Chilean writer who died at age 50 in 2003, has posthumously risen, like a figure in one of his own splendid creations, to the summit of modern fiction. This latest work, first published in Spanish in 2004, is a mega- and meta-detective novel with strong hints of apocalyptic foreboding. It contains five separate narratives, each pursuing a different story with a cast of beguiling characters.

UNACCUSTOMED EARTH by Jhumpa Lahiri (Alfred A. Knopf, $25)

There is much cultural news in these precisely observed studies of modern-day Bengali-Americans--many of them Ivy-league strivers ensconced in prosperous suburbs who can't quite overcome the tug of traditions nurtured in Calcutta. With quiet artistry and tender sympathy, Lahiri creates an impressive range of vivid characters--young and old, male and female, self-knowing and self-deluding--in engrossing stories that replenish the classic themes of domestic realism.

NONFICTION

THE DARK SIDE: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals by Jane Mayer (Doubleday, $27.50)

Mayer's meticulously reported descent into the depths of President Bush's antiterrorist policies peels away the layers of legal and bureaucratic maneuvering that gave us Guantanamo Bay, "extraordinary rendition," "enhanced" interrogation methods, "black sites," warrantless domestic surveillance and all the rest. But Mayer also describes the efforts of unsung heroes, tucked deep inside the administration, who risked their careers in the struggle to balance the rule of law against the need to meet a threat unlike any other in the nation’s history.

THE FOREVER WAR by Dexter Filkins (Alfred A. Knopf, $25)

The New York Times correspondent, whose tours of duty have taken him from Afghanistan in 1998 to Iraq during the American intervention, captures a decade of armed struggle in harrowingly detailed vignettes. Whether interviewing jihadists in Kabul, accompanying marines on risky patrols in Falluja or visiting grieving families in Baghdad, Filkins makes us see, with almost hallucinogenic immediacy, the true human meaning and consequences of the "war on terror."

NOTHING TO BE FRIGHTENED OF by Julian Barnes (Alfred A. Knopf, $24.95)

This absorbing memoir traces Barnes's progress from atheism (at age 20) to agnosticism (at 60) and examines the problem of religion not by rehashing the familiar quarrel between science and mystery, but rather by weighing the timeless questions of mortality and aging. Barnes distills his own experiences--and those of his parents and brother--in polished and wise sentences that recall the writing of Montaigne, Flaubert and the other French masters he includes in his discussion.

THIS REPUBLIC OF SUFFERING: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust (Alfred A. Knopf, $27.95)

In this powerful book, Faust, the president of Harvard, explores the legacy, or legacies, of the "harvest of death" sown and reaped by the Civil War. In the space of four years, 620,000 Americans died in uniform, roughly the same number as those lost in all the nation's combined wars from the Revolution through Korea. This doesn't include the thousands of civilians killed in epidemics, guerrilla raids and draft riots. The collective trauma created "a newly centralized nation-state," Faust writes, but it also established "sacrifice and its memorialization as the ground on which North and South would ultimately reunite."

THE WORLD IS WHAT IT IS: The Authorized Biography of V. S. Naipaul by Patrick French (Alfred A. Knopf, $30)

The most surprising word in this biography is "authorized." Naipaul, the greatest of all postcolonial authors, cooperated fully with French, opening up a huge cache of private letters and diaries and supplementing the revelations they disclosed with remarkably candid interviews. It was a brave, and wise, decision. French, a first-rate biographer, has a novelist's command of story and character, and he patiently connects his subject's brilliant oeuvre with the disturbing facts of an unruly life.

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 12.03.08

2008-12-03T09:24:00.000-05:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

Well, folks, it's that time of year. Now that we've finished off the pies and worked our way through all the conceivable combinations of leftovers, the holidays seem nearly upon us.

As the hunt for that perfect gift begins (or ends, or drags on until the late afternoon hours of the 24th), just remember that your friendly neighborhood booksellers have got your back. We've got a slew of great books for your perusal:

If you'd like a chance to poke a little fun, check out Stuart in his recent television appearance on Maine Public Television.

And please remember to shop local. Help nurture our community this holiday season. You can find the members of the Portland Independent Business & Community Alliance at www.PortlandBuyLocal.org

In the meantime, let me tell you about our next thrilling event happening this First Friday...

EVENTS!

Friday, December 5th from 5 to 9 pm
JOHN B. ROBINSON
author of
A FISTFUL OF DIAMONDS

Local author John Robinson will be here this First Friday to meet and greet and autograph copies of his new book, A Fistful of Diamonds. John will be at the store from 5 until 9, so you can stop in after work or add a stop at Longfellow Books to your First Friday promenade.

We hope you'll come by, have a glass of wine, chat with John and treat yourself, and some folks on your gift list, to A Fistful of Diamonds.

In his first book, The Sapphire Sea, fast-talking gem expert Lonny Cushman survived the lawless jungles of Madagascar. Now he's returned, and danger is once more around the corner.

When a suite of priceless green diamonds surfaces in Central Africa, Lonny Cushman goes after them without regard for the consequences. As cover, he chaperones a young seminarian to Rwanda in search of her missing father. Lonny chases the green diamonds from Rwanda through the killing fields of the Congo. His survival, and that of his naive young charge, depends on negotiating the bloody machinery that benefits from the conflict diamond trade--Islamic jihadis, corrupt army officers, Israeli diamantaires, and Ukrainian arms dealers, and a whole host of con men. Can Lonny save himself, the diamonds, and his young companion?

Stuart loved John's new book: "The suspense is gripping, the characters are engaging and the description of life in Rwanda and the Congo are horrific and important."

John B. Robinson graduated from Harvard and headed straight to Africa to pursue writing. Along the way he worked as a guide on Mount Kilimanjaro; bought, sold and traded rare gems; and taught English in out-of-the-way places. He currently lives in Portland, Maine.

BOOKS!

Annie Leibovitz at Work (Random House, $40)

Legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz gives us an inside look at her most iconic portraits. A beautiful collection of photography in it's own right, Annie Leibovitz at Work also presents the backstory of her most famous images, as she recounts the process and the personalities behind them. A showcase of her work and the journey it took her on.

Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen (Modern Library, $16 paperback, $40 hardcover)

Twenty years and three books after Matthiessen's epic about notorious outlaw E. J. Watson began, the author remained unsatisfied. He spent years re-writing and re-crafting the mammoth work, cutting hundreds of pages and re-writing hundreds more. The result is Shadow Country, a single volume where three perspectives of Watson's life are told, and it seems that Matthiessen's perserverance paid off. The new version of the Watson trilogy won this year's National Book Award for Fiction, and has been getting astounding reviews.

Panic!: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity edited by Michael Lewis (Norton, $27.95)

The financial world is in turmoil, and Michael Lewis is here to help sort things out. Lewis, author of The Blind Side and Moneyball, edits this collection of essays drawn from journalists of the last twenty years. Panic! explores the causes, circumstances, and consequences of the worst financial crises in recent memory.

The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed (Norton, $35)

Winner of the National Book Award for Biography, Gordon-Reed's new book chronicles the all but forgotten story of the Hemings family--the most famous member being Sarah "Sally" Hemings, slave and mistress of Thomas Jefferson and mother of seven of his children. The saga of this extraordinary family stretches through the generations and though the traditional history books might leave them behind, the Hemings are as much a part of our nation's history as Monticello or Jefferson himself.

A Mercy by Toni Morrison (Knopf, $23.95)

Toni Morrison has done more than most writers dream. She's won a Nobel Prize, a Pulitzer Prize, and a National Book Critics Circle Award, and her masterpiece Beloved was named the best book of the last 25 years by the New York Times. In her new book, A Mercy, Morrison revisits the themes of Beloved, this time exploring the facets of slavery through a 17th century farmer who reluctantly accepts a slave girl in repayment of a debt. His life, and the lives of his family, are changed forever. Morrison's brilliant lyricism will grip you immediately.

The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb (Harper, $29.95) Signed First Editions!

Following his bestselling novel, I Know This Much is True, Lamb again looks at the struggles we face tackling life's big questions. A young teacher and his wife move to Littleton, Colorado, where tragedy strikes and she finds herself traumatized after narrowly escaping death during the Columbine shooting. The couple moves back east to his family's home, hoping for relative peace and safety. He discovers a hidden cache of diaries and letters revealing several generations of his ancestors, and bringing to light a history of pain and guilt he had never known. The result is a struggle to find the meaning to carry on in the face of unimaginable tragedy, the struggle to overcome the past and face the future.

The Soloist by Steve Lopez (Penguin, $15)

The true story of a newspaper reporter, Steve Lopez, who stumbles upon a homeless man, Nathaniel Ayers, playing a broken violin--beautifully. Lopez discovers something even more extraordinary: Ayers was once a prized student at Juilliard with a promising future, until a mental breakdown left his life in shambles. Lopez sets out to help Ayers put his life back together, and as the challenges mount, both men find their lives forever altered.

A Most Wanted Man by John Le Carre (Scribner, $28)

The cruel world of espionage comes crashing down on unsuspecting innocents in present day Germany. A young civil rights lawyer struggles to save a suspicious russian immigrant from deportation--only to incite an international incident and bring covert government agents to their doorstep.

American Lion by Jon Meacham (Random, $30)

Jon Meacham, author of Franklin and Winston and American Gospel, takes us back to the 1820s and brings to life one of American history's most memorable characters and controversial presidents--Andrew Jackson--a man who founded the Democratic Party and redefined the presidency, displaced the indians and faced impeachment, fought the landed elite and changed our country forever.

A Little History of the World by E. H. Gombrich (Yale, $12.95)

Written in 1935 by an umployed student armed with a doctorate in Art History, this little book has been translated into 18 languages. In forty concise and engaging chapters, Gombrich cover human history from the Stone Age to the Atomic Age. Brilliantly illustrated with woodcuts by Clifford Harper this is a perfect gift for anyone with a hunger for knowledge.

And for the kids...

The Box of Delights by John Masefield (New York Review of Books, $17.95)

An incredible holiday story. If you don't know this classic tale, you owe it to yourself to read it. Young Kay Harker is heading home for Christmas when things take a turn for the weird. Wait until you see what happens when you add a Magic Box, a wizard, a witch, a gang of criminals, a squadron of Roman soldiers and a little field mouse to the chaos of the holiday season.

The Way We Work by David Macaulay (Houghton Mifflin, $35)

David Macauley has brought his special insight and illuminating illustrations to many topics: The world of physics in the classic The Way Things Work, engineering in Building Big, demolition in Unbuilding. In his latest book, Macaulay explores one of the most complicated machines in existence: the human body. A must-see.

My Wonderful Christmas Tree by Dahlov Ipcar (Islandport Press, $16.95)

When we found out that My Wonderful Christmas Tree was going to be republished by the local publisher, Islandport, we were thrilled. This book is a timeless Christmas classic. As Mr. John Keats once wrote, "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever." That line of Keats was written, in my opinion, as commentary on the work and legacy of Maine's beloved artist Dahlov Ipcar.

The Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket (Harper, $12.99)

Last but certainly not least, is a wonderful little book from Lemony Snicket. A lump of coal leaves his place among a forgotten bag of charcoal briquets in search of something a little more fulfilling. What he finds is a special young boy and a quite unexpected Christmas miracle. It's silly, it's funny, it's touching, and I think it's the best holiday book I've ever read.

And a bit of nepotism... Stuart's daughter (and the mother of his adorable grand-daughters) offers "kidz stuff from Thailand" at www.MonkeyBeanz.com. Take a look!

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 11.26.08

2008-11-26T09:20:00.000-05:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

At this time of year we pause and gather those we love to celebrate a meal of Thanksgiving. Longfellow Books is truly thankful to this community and our wonderful customers who help keep this local, independent bookshop alive.

So we raise a glass to you and wish you peace, full bellies and a winter of wonderful books. Happy Thanksgiving!

Saturday, November 29th at 3 pm
MAURA MADDEN
author of
Crafternoon:
A Guide to Getting Artsy and Crafty with Your Friends All Year Long

Join us for some arts and crafts time this weekend when Maura Madden will be at the store. Her new book is Crafternoon.

Inspired by her mother--the craftiest person she knows--Maura wanted an excuse to break out her gluesticks now and again. She also wanted a chance to bring her friends together to do the same, even if they're a little craft-phobic. What better way to enjoy each other's company (and make new friends!) than by getting your creative juices flowing? Not to mention the cool stuff you'll have made.

Voila! Crafternoon was born.

A must-have for anyone who wants to get their craft on, this quirky guide offers a twelve-month blue print for a year of connecting with friends old and new, and enjoying a possibly messy, but always fulfilling afternoon. Organized by month and theme, Crafternoon explains how to create and host a fun-filled causal gathering--including recipes for snacks--that celebrates the domestic art of crafting. Inside you'll find projects for every style and every season. Let your imagination run wild!

This Saturday, Maura will be hosting a special ornament-themed crafternoon here at the bookstore! Stop by and get a head start on your decorating or your holiday shopping, and give it that handmade touch.

Thankfully Yours,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books

Email 11.21.08

2008-11-21T09:18:00.000-05:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

If you're reading this, chances are you love a good book. But not everyone is that way. Some are a little tougher to please--only that certain, special title will catch their attention.

Like your pet cat, for instance. Kind of a finicky reader, I think you'll agree.

As booksellers, we know that there's something out there for everyone. Join us this Saturday: local author Kevin Kelly will be here to share his new book--one even your cat will love.

Saturday, November 22nd at 2 pm
KEVIN KELLY
author of
Entertaining Your Indoor Cat:
50 Fun and Inventive Amusements for Your Cat

When was the last time your cat read a good book? Played a round of golf? Rented a movie? Cats don’t entertain themselves the same way we do, and it can be a challenge to keep them satisfied, especially when they spend all day indoors. If your cooped-up kitty seems restless, author Kevin Kelly has just thing for you.

Entertaining Your Indoor Cat, a new book from Sellers Publishing, is your guide to keeping your cat happy and healthy. The book features are more than 50 games, activities, and simple projects that humans will enjoy along with their kitty companions. As Kelly says in the Introduction: “Cats perceive, take pleasure in, and interact with the world in ways we can’t imagine. However, they do love to play…” Entertaining Your Indoor Cat gives you a world of ideas to keep them active, and the opportunity play alongside them.

Each activity is designed to help stimulate curious cats, from the smallest kittens to mature felines. From dangling strings and elusive mice to tunnels and towers, Entertaining Your Indoor Cat is full of fun games, toys and projects you and your cat are sure to love. Instructions and original illustrations help explain the activities, from the simple to the complex—like introducing your indoor cat to a harness and leash and teaching you to accompany the cat in the great outdoors.

The Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland will be at the event as well, with representatives both two- and four-legged. They will be providing information for those interested in adoption and foster care for needy cats.

Kevin Kelly teaches creative writing in Portland, Maine. He is a graduate of Columbia University, and is the author of numerous plays, screenplays, and short stories. Kevin's two feline companions, Forrest and Pie, helped create and enjoy many of the games in this book.

We hope to see you there!

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 11.03.08

2008-11-03T09:14:00.000-05:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

Coming up at Longfellow Books: a USM professor gets to the heart of a divisive issue; a sociologist guides us through the second half of life; a new site builds a guide of the city from the experiences of its residents. Read on for the details!

And... don't forget that we'll be selling Christmas books at the North Pole when the Polar Express comes to Portland!

EVENTS!

TONIGHT!

Thursday, November 6th at 7 pm
Wendy Chapkis
author of
Dying to Get High:
Marijuana as Medicine

A new book by USM Professor Wendy Chapkis and Richard Webb explores the past, present and future of medicinal marijuana in America.

Marijuana as medicine has been a politically charged topic in this country for more than three decades. Despite overwhelming public support (12 states, including Maine, have passed pro medical marijuana laws) and growing scientific evidence of its therapeutic effects (relief of the nausea caused by chemotherapy for cancer and AIDS, control over seizures or spasticity caused by epilepsy or MS, and relief from chronic and acute pain, to name a few), the drug remains illegal under federal law.

In the new book Dying to Get High, noted sociologist Wendy Chapkis and Richard J. Webb investigate one community of seriously-ill patients fighting the federal government for the right to use physician-recommended marijuana. Based in Santa Cruz, California, the Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) is a unique patient-caregiver cooperative providing marijuana free of charge to mostly terminally ill members. For a brief period in 2004, it even operated the only legal non-governmental medical marijuana garden in the country, protected by the federal courts against the DEA.

Using as their stage this fascinating profile of one remarkable organization, Chapkis and Webb tackle the broader, complex history of medical marijuana in America. Through compelling interviews with patients, public officials, law enforcement officers and physicians, Chapkis and Webb ask what distinguishes a legitimate patient from an illegitimate pothead, good drugs from bad, medicinal effects from just getting high. Dying to Get High combines abstract argument and the messier terrain of how people actually live, suffer and die, and offers a moving account of what is at stake in ongoing debates over the legalization of medical marijuana.

Dr. Wendy Chapkis is a Professor of Sociology and Women and Gender Studies at the University of Southern Maine. She is the author of the award winning Live Sex Acts: Women Performing Erotic Labor and Beauty Secrets: Women and the Politics of Appearance.

For more information on Dying to Get High (including interviews and reviews) visit www.wchapkis.com.

Thursday, November 13th at 7 pm
William Sadler
author of
Changing Course:
Navigating Life After 50

Dr. William Sadler will be here to speak about his new book, Changing Course: Navigating Life after 50.

When it comes to aging, the future is not what it used to be. An array of new possibilities for people over fifty provides options previous generations simply did not have. In Changing Course: Navigating Life After 50, William A. Sadler and James H. Krefft present path-breaking discoveries from over twenty years research. With life stories and lessons, they show readers how they too can take charge of their lives to redefine both aging and retirement.

Research has shown that people with a positive self-identity live an average of seven years longer than those with a negative self-image. In Changing Course, renowned sociologist Dr. Sadler shows how you can recast retirement as an age of renewal and growth, not deterioration and decline.

Changing Course illustrates the principles for second growth and provides how-to lessons readers can use to change course. Readers can learn how to:

- Make life after fifty the most fulfilling years yet;

- Replace negative stereotypes of aging with positive images;

- Create a positive third age identity that leads to the person you want to become; and,

- Redefine success in terms of what you find personally fulfilling.

What good is it to know to the penny what financial resources you will need to retire if you have not thought through how you are going to spend your life after fifty? Changing Course is a self-help book for people who want to create a different, better second half of life. Based on twenty years of research tracking innovative individuals, the book provides a positive scenario of new opportunities, as well as challenges that emerge at this time of life.

Write About Portland.

We know you share our dedication to building community through storytelling, writing, and reading, so we know you’ll be excited to hear about Invisible Guides.

Invisible Guides is a user-created guide site devoted to small cities and creative endeavors. Founded by local publisher Ari Meil, Invisible Guides gives readers and writers the chance to share real experiences of where they live and visit, in any form they would like, without restriction.

Invisible Guides also proves its dedication to the arts community by donating money to local creative non-profits every time you write or rate a review on the site.

You can learn more about Invisible Guides at the launch party on First Friday, November 7. Stop by Arabica Coffee (2 Free Street) from 6-9 pm for coffee, wine, food, and – best of all – a chance to write about Portland and support community at the same time. Each review you write that night will earn you a raffle ticket and a chance to win an iPod Nano, a Canon Powershot, and other cool stuff.

This holiday season,
THE POLAR EXPRESS
comes to the
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad
here in Portland!

Come experience the magic of The Polar Express, inspired by the award-winning book by Chris Van Allsburg. Listen along with the story as the train makes its journey to the North Pole. Meet Santa and enjoy caroling, hot chocolate and a cookie. And for those who truly believe, a sleigh bell for each child. Kids are encouraged to wear their pajamas!

The Polar express will be running from November 28 through December 23rd. For a complete schedule, or more information, visit www.MNGRR.org.

For tickets, call (207)842-0809 or visit www.porttix.com. Tickets are $25 for adults and $22 for children. Though the Express will be making several trips this season, it's likely it will sell out--so get your tickets today!

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 10.15.08

2008-10-15T09:12:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Reader,

Two great new anthologies, two topics everyone can relate to, two events you won't want to miss. Read on.

First, a few words about the new folks across the hall...

We have a new next door neighbor! Mousse Cafe & Bakeshop offers an amazing selection of baked goods, delicious homemade ice cream, all day breakfast, a unique variety of lunch options and a casual dining area. They also have prepared meals to take home (while you're at it, they have a nice wine and beer selection) and a delivery service!

The cafe's owners, Yan Quan and Keith Voight, named the restaurant after their mixed breed dog, who was rescued from an animal shelter. Yan, the pastry chef, has been baking for seven years in bistros and tapas bars in southern California. Keith, the chef, grew up in Scarborough and has worked in the Portland area and southern California restaurants for the past 15 years.

You definitely have to visit our new friends, and before you do, swing by the store and ask us for a coupon to get a free cup of joe (locally roasted freaky bean coffee) with any food purchase.

Thursday, October 16th at 7 pm
Readings from

Agreeable Friends: Contemporary Animal Poetry

A Moon Pie Press Anthology

Pets welcome!

"Animals are such agreeable friends--they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." - George Eliot

A new anthology from Moon Pie Press brings together the work of nearly 50 poets, each offering their own take on the animal kingdom. All proceeds from the book go to the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals (MSSPA), a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and rehabilitating animals.

Originally formed in 1872 to protect the horses who pulled Portland’s streetcars, the MSSPA now cares for 90 horses, and other animals suffering from abuse or neglect. The Society recieves no public funding, operating free of charge thanks to membership dues, grants, donations, and fund-raisers--like this poetry collection.

We're pleased to have a few of the featured poets at the store to share their work with us: John McVeigh, Michael Macklin, Ruth & Ted Bookey, Marcia Brown, and Duane Pierson. Bring your friends, whether human or furry, to enjoy an evening of verse and to celebrate a generous and charitable organization. Join us next Thursday night to help support this great cause.

We hope to see you there.

Thursday October 24th at 7 pm
State By State: A Panoramic Portrait of America
A screening of the new film from Powell's Out of the Book Project
at Zero Sation, 222 Andersen St.

State By State: A Panoramic Portrait of America is a collection of original essays by 50 of our country's finest writers reflecting on their home states, raising the discourse above the usual red v. blue. The brainchild of editors Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey, State by State resurrects a project from the 1930s, when the WPA created the Federal Writers' Project, commissioning America's best writers to “describe America to Americans.” The result, writes J.R. Moehringer in the New York Times Book Review, “is a funny, moving, rousing collection, greater than the sum of its excellent parts, a convention of literary superdelegates, each one boisterously nominating his or her piece of the Republic.”

And now, as the latest installment of the Out of the Book film project, State By State makes the jump from page to screen. Created by Powell’s Books, the legendary bookstore in Portland, Oregon, Out of the Book is an ongoing series of short films that explores authors and their work.

The 40-minute feature stars many of the contributors--reading excerpts, discussing their states and their process, describing their own journeys as they uncover the hidden character of their home states--including John Hodgman on Massachusetts, Alison Bechdel on Vermont, and Heidi Julavits on Maine.

In addition to a screening of the film, we'll also be hosting a "State of the State" address by State Representative Herb Adams, and a Maine trivia contest--with prizes!

It's like a cross-country road trip to all fifty states--and you're traveling with Anthony Bourdain, Ricky Moody, Susan Orlean, David Rakoff and more of our best and brightest writers.

Come by and see the real America.

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 10.09.08

2008-10-09T10:28:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

A Brief Reminder: We have two events this week with two uncommonly good authors--and Portlanders to boot! Read on for the details.

And... we'll be selling Christmas Books at the North Pole when the Polar Express comes to Portland!

TONIGHT!
Thursday, October 9th at 7 pm
Chris Korzen
Author of A Nation for All

Chris Korzen and co-author Alexia Kelley think that divisive politics have gone too far: we spend too much time harping on our differences, and we're losing sight of what really matters. Politics should be working for us, not against us.

"What concerned us most about the suppression of authentic Catholic values in 2004 for as much what happened as why it happened. We were told that a silent but strong majority had slowly been building to challenge the excesses of modern society and return our nation to authentic conservative values, which included a stated commitment to faith and family. But in reality, these appealing values were a smokescreen for a secular conservative political agenda of minimal government, an option for the wealthy, reckless foreign policy, and a rejection of the public good--all of which flew in the face of the Catholic tradition."
--from the Introduction

A Nation for All is a call for a new kind of politics: no more smokescreens, no more lying to the masses, no more catering to special interests. Politics driven by the common good.

Chris is Executive Director of Catholics United, a non-profit group dedicated to promoting political discussion and education. He lives in Portland, Maine.

THIS WEEKEND!
Saturday, October 11th at 3 pm
Lincoln Peirce
Creator of Big Nate
Author of I Smell A Pop Quiz!

Syndicated cartoonist Lincoln Peirce will be here on Saturday afternoon. He'll be sharing with us his new collection, I Smell A Pop Quiz!, another chapter in the saga of Nate Wright, the biggest little eleven year old the sixth grade has ever seen. Lincoln will be talking about his life as an artist and even doing a little drawing with the kids. You're never too old to relive those idyllic middle school years, so come on by and join in the fun!

"Lincoln Peirce is one of my cartooning heroes. Year in and year out, 'Big Nate' is among the best comics on the funny page."
--Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of A Wimpy Kid

Born in Ames, Iowa, Peirce grew up in Durham, N.H. As a kid, he began cartooning by copying drawings from his favorite strips, "Peanuts" and "Fred Bassett," and began creating his own strips in the sixth grade. Peirce holds an M.F.A. from Brooklyn College and a B.A. in Art from Colby College, Waterville, Maine. While at Colby, he created a comic feature for the college newspaper, called "Third Floor," about two college roommates. Peirce also studied at the Skowhegan (Maine) School of Painting and Sculpture. Peirce lives in Portland, Maine.

You know where to find us. We hope to see you there.

This holiday season, THE POLAR EXPRESS comes to the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad here in Portland!

For more information about the event, visit www.MNGRR.org.

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 09.28.08

2008-09-28T10:28:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Reader,

The election season is in full swing, and if you can't get enough, you're in luck. Our upcoming events are sure to spark your social and political awareness.

On the other hand, if you're tired of the media circus--or just looking for a distraction from all this rain--then we have two extraordinary books to make you forget about the rest of the world for a while. Read on for the details.

EVENTS!

Monday, September 29th at 7 pm
TOM PERROTTA
author of The Abstinence Teacher
AT PORTLAND STAGE CO.

Longfellow's Shorts is back! As always it features The Affiliate Artists of Portland Stage, and this time they're reading selections from Tom Perrotta's latest work, The Abstinence Teacher. A discussion with the author will follow. Tom is the author of several books including Election and Little Children, both made into feature films. His latest book, The Abstinence Teacher, follows the culture clash between a sex ed teacher and a Evangelical soccer coach at a small suburban school.

"Ruefully humorous and tenderly understanding of human folly: the most mature, accomplished work yet from this deservedly bestselling author."
— Kirkus Reviews (starred)

Thursday, October 2nd from 5 to 7:30 pm
GARY HIRSHBERG
CEO of Stonyfield Farm
and author of Stirring It Up
AT USM's ABROMSON CENTER IN PORTLAND

The Maine League of Conservation Voters is having it's sixth annual Evening for the Environment. This year's speaker is Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield Farm. Gary has been running the company since it had only seven cows back in the early eighties. His book, Stirring it Up: How to Make Money and Save the World, is about corporate responsibility and sustainable business practices. For more information about The Maine League of Conservation Voters, or to register for the event, visit www.mlcv.org.

"It turns out that Americans can change the world one person at a time by doing what we do best: consuming consciously. Stirring It Up is really about how you can force business to behave better, simply by buying with your values, not just your money. And it works!"
-- Howard Dean

"Most 'CEO books' have a single focus: how to make more money. By broadening his goals to include sustainability, Gary Hirshberg is able to make any would-be entrepreneur think more deeply about what success will look like. As the world begins the process of downsizing from corporate gigantism to local economies that reflect the environmental realities of our new century, this book offers some important insight into the next stages on that journey."
-- Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy

Saturday, October 4th at 4 pm
CHARLES BARASCH
author of Dreams of the Presidents

Poet Charles Barasch will be here on Saturday afternoon to share his new collection, Dreams of the Presidents, a catalogue of the inner hopes, fears, and strange logic of all our illustrious leaders, past and present.

Charlie and Stuart were buddies in high school; they haven't seen each other in 40 years.

A linguistics instructor at the University of Vermont and a "Poet in the Schools," Charles Barasch has had poems published in many literary and general-interest magazines, and in the anthology Baseball, I Gave You All the Best Years of My Life. Barasch is a speech-language pathologist working with children from pre-school through high school. His background includes everything from Romano-British archaeology to numismatics, from radio to local politics to crossword puzzle creation for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post.

"That phantasmagoria we designate "U.S. History" is given its imaginative due in these poems. Charles Barasch melds the facts of events with the fancy of the subconscious. The result is enlivening yet humbling--so many presidents, so many harassed visions. To Barasch’s credit not a one--the famous, the infamous and the indifferent--escapes his own beleaguered humanity."
-- Baron Wormser

"Impish and nimble, Barasch backflips through history. Zany but knowing, he caroms."
-- Edward Hoagland

BOOKS!

The Given Day by Dennis Lehane (William Morrow, $27.95)

The year is 1919, and though the war has ended overseas, in Boston it's only beginning: anarchists, union bosses, crooked politicans, organized crime, police strikes, and the Spanish Influenza are rattling the city's foundations. Meanwhile, young cop Danny Coughlin tries to infiltrate a group of radicals while staying true to his family and his convictions, and Luther Lawrence has come halfway across to country to escape his crimes, and must find a way back home to his pregnant wife. Lehane's epic is not only filled with the events of the period but the characters, too: Babe Ruth, Eugene O'Neill, and W.E.B. DuBois among them. This is Lehane's eighth novel--he's also the author of bestsellers Mystic River and Gone, Baby, Gone--and it may be his finest work yet.

"[An] engrossing epic.... This story of fathers and sons, love and betrayal, idealism and injustice, prejudice and brotherly feeling is a dark vision of the brutality inherent in human nature and the dire fate of some who try to live by ethical standards. It's also a vision of redemption and a triumph of the human spirit."
--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski (Ecco, $25.95)

Things had been going all right for Edgar: he was born mute but got along well enough, and he and his family lived and bred dogs on a farm in Wisconsin. All right, that is, until his father died and his estranged uncle returned, insinuating himself into their lives. Edgar's attempt to discover the truth backfires, as it is Edgar, not his uncle, who is forced to flee. Accompanied only by his trusted dog, Almondine, Edgar's travels change the course of his life forever.

"I flat-out loved The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I closed the book with that regret readers feel only after experiencing the best stories: It's over, you think, and I won't read another one this good for a long, long time."
-- Stephen King

"I doubt we'll see a finer literary debut this year than The Story of Edgar Sawtelle."
-- Richard Russo

We like it, Oprah likes it, Stephen and Rick like it, and I still haven't met anyone who read it and didn't gush over it. Trust us. Read it.

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 09.15.08

2008-09-15T10:27:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

It's poetry and politics this week:

Friday, September 19th at 12:15 -- a special lunchtime event!
Rinku Sen & Fekkak Mamdouh
authors of The Accidental American

Immigration is a regular topic of discussion these days, but rarely do we get an immigrant's perspective. Fekkak Mamdouh was a waiter and union leader at a restaurant in the World Trade Center--when it was destroyed, he lost more than his place of work--suddenly he fell victim to a growing wave of suspicion surrounding immigrants in New York and across the country. He helped found the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York (ROC-NY), to help fight for the rights of both native and immigrant workers. The Maine chapter of the ROC is responsible for the authors appearing.

Fekkak Mamdouh and Rinku Sen, an activist and journalist, have written a book that combines two stories: Mamdouh's immigrant experience, especially in the wake of 9/11, and that of our immigration policy. They challenge the notion that immigrants are a force for ill, or a source of terrorism, and they shine a light on the positive contributions that immigrants have made in recent years. The Accidental American is the story of one man's journey, but also a call to reform our immigration policies to reflect a more progressive, more humane, more free society.

Friday, September 19th at 7 pm
Poets Gibson Fay-LeBlanc
& Craig Teicher

You probably know Gibson Fay-LeBlanc from his work as Executive Director of The Telling Room, a non-profit writing center for local kids. But Gibson wears many hats, and next Friday he'll have on his accomplished-poet-published-all-over hat. We're pleased to host his first reading since he's joined the Telling Room. Gibson will be joined by his good friend Craig Teicher, himself an accomplished and award-winning poet, and the two will read from their recent work.

Gibson Fay-LeBlanc’s poems have appeared in magazines including The New Republic, Poetry Northwest, Tin House, and Verse Daily. He has taught writing at Columbia, Fordham, and the University of Southern Maine, as well as secondary schools across the country, and is currently the Executive Director of The Telling Room.

Craig Morgan Teicher is a poet, critic, and freelance writer. His first collection, Brenda Is In The Room And Other Poems, won the 2007 Colorado Prize for Poetry, and his poems have appeared or are forthcoming in many publications, including The Paris Review, The Yale Review, Jubilat, Verse, and Colorado Review. Craig is a contributing editor of Pleiades and works at Publishers Weekly. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son and plays drums in the band The Fourelles.

And remember: if your teeth are tapping at the thought of Chris Paolini's new book, Brisinger, the wait is almost over. We'll be open at midnight on Friday evening (9/19), in anticipation of the book's Saturday release.

If not, it's probably best that you catch up on sleep.

George H.W. Bush’s Dream

I’m flying a mission over the Pacific,

the water still as a summer pond.

With no target in sight,

I do some rolls,

some loop-de-loops.

I feel like I’m fox-trotting

with Barbara, the wind her fingers

in my hair. I guide the plane

just like I lead her, a promenade,

a little twirl and dip.

A biplane is on my tail,

Saddam in the cockpit like he wants

to cut in, and I try a dive,

but he’s still crowding me, so I pull my ‘chute

and drift down over Washington,

past the monuments and the pool,

onto the White House lawn.

A carrier pigeon wings

into the Oval Office and becomes Dan Quayle

with a note from Greenspan to raise taxes.

I scream, “Can’t anyone read my lips?”

and Barbara comes running in

saying something about Georgie

sniffing cocaine again, and I feel

like being somewhere else and hop

back in the plane, pull on the throttle and we’re up

in the air again. I get Saddam

in my sights, but remember “kinder

and gentler” and bring the plane in.

Saddam and I do a hot tango

on the tarmac, and I let him lead.

George H. Bush (1989—1993)

Poet Charles Barasch has a new collection, Dreams of the Presidents, that catalogues the inner hopes, fears, and strange logic of all our illustrious leaders, past and present. Charles will be reading here on October 4th.

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 09.02.08

2008-09-02T10:26:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

September signifies new beginnings. School returns, the days shorten, the harvest beckons and we begin to prepare for Autumn. Perhaps we become more serious, more internal. We spend more time indoors and we can, if we are not careful, become isolated. Longfellow Books is here to help fight off that isolation. We have an incredible line-up of readings in the next few weeks and we are always here for conversation, debate and if prompted, a little discourse on the November election. Portland is a small town at heart, a place where everyone knows their neighbors, so maybe this fall and winter we can reach out a little more. Help one another not only survive but thrive. Remember as your parents told you: we are here to help each other.

EVENTS!

Thursday, September 4th at 7 pm
MICHAEL ERARD
Author of Um...

Join us Thursday evening when author and journalist Michael Erard will be here to explore the hidden truth behind the verbal miscues that litter our everyday speech. His new book, Um...: Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean focuses on what we've learned to overlook. Why are so many of the words we say (about one in ten, in fact) meaningless stammerings--and are they truly meaningless? What can a closer look at these misfluencies tell us about the human brain? Afterwards, you won't listen the same way again.

"An enjoyable tour of linguistic mishaps.... It reveals the dynamic nature of the human mind."
-- The New York Times Book Review

"A lascinating fook at yet another revealing instance of human imperfection."
--Kirkus Reviews (Starred)

Friday September 12th at 7 pm
CTN & WMPG present AMY GOODMAN
Host & Executive Producer of Democracy Now!
Author of Standing Up to the Madness

Amy Goodman is coming to Portland in a joint benefit appearance for WMPG and CTN Channel 4. The Democracy Now! host and executive producer will give a talk on Friday evening, September 12th, at Portland High School Auditorium from 7 to 8 pm; the talk will be followed by a book signing for her new book (with her brother David), Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times.

Tickets are $15, or $10 for students, and are available online, at the door, or here at the store.

For donations of $100 or more, there will be a private reception with Amy before the event, which will include a copy of the book and reserved seating at the lecture.

For Tickets call 1-800-833-3006 event #41272, or visit www.BrownPaperTickets.com

BOOKS!

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfield (Random House, $26.00)

A fictional peek into the windows of the White House and its current President and First Lady. Impossible to put down or ignore.

"Curtis Sittenfeld is an amazing writer, and American Wife is a brave and moving novel about the intersection of private and public life in America. Ambitious and humble at the same time, Sittenfeld refuses to trivialize or simplify people, whether real or imagined."

--Richard Russo

Nothing to be Frightened Of by Julian Barnes ( Random House, $24.95)

Two years after the bestselling Arthur & George, Barnes presents an essay on mortality that touches on faith, science, and family, as well as a rich array of exemplary figures who have confronted the most basic fact of life: its inevitable extinction.

"Entertaining, intriguing, absorbing and so expansive that I was startled, on finishing, to note its brevity...Irresistible reading."
--Penelope Lively, Financial Times

NOW IN PAPERBACK!

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz ( Riverhead, $14.00)

One of our favorites and the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2007.

Oscar is a sweet but disastrously overweight ghetto nerd who--from the New Jersey home he shares with his old world mother and rebellious sister--dreams of becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien and, most of all, finding love. But Oscar may never get what he wants. Blame the fuku--a curse that has haunted Oscar’s family for generations, following them on their epic journey from Santo Domingo to the USA.

"Genius...a story of the American experience that is giddily glorious and hauntingly horrific... That Díaz’s novel is also full of ideas, that [the narrator’s] brilliant talking rivals the monologues of Roth’s Zuckerman--in short, that what he has produced is a kick-ass (and truly, that is the just word for it) work of modern fiction--all make The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao something exceedingly rare: a book in which a new America can recognize itself, but so can everyone else."
--Oscar Villalon, San Francisco Chronicle

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman (Picador, $15.00)

One of our favorite and best-selling nonfiction books in years.

"Fascinating, mordant, deeply intelligent, and beautifully written, The World Without Us depicts the spectacle of humanity's impact on the planet Earth in tragically poignant terms that go far beyond the dry dictates of science. This is a very important book for a species playing games with its own destiny."
--James Howard Kunstler, author of The Long Emergency

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 08.18.08

2008-08-18T10:25:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

What do one-night stands, verbal slips, politics, prayer, and abstinence all have in common? You can find them all here at Longfellow Books. Stay tuned.

Thursday, August 21st at 7 pm
MARY POLS
author of Accidentally on Purpose

Let's face it. We all make mistakes. We leave the oven on, lose our keys, forget so-and-so's name. Silly neglectful things from which we're quick to recover.

But sometimes we make big mistakes. Mistakes that, for better or worse, change our lives forever. And even the biggest mistakes can start small and innocuous. For Mary Pols, it began with forgetting a condom during a one-night stand. Suddenly, at 39, she was about to have a child with a man ten years younger... and lacking many of the qualities one would hope for in a husband and a father. Things seem desperate.

Soon her unborn son seems the least of her worries: How will she pay the bills? How will she tell her family? When will her life ever feel normal again? Yet this is her chance for motherhood, come what may, and Mary takes the plunge. In the end, despite the hardships, Mary realizes something quite unexpected: those big mistakes? Sometimes they turn out to be the best decisions we ever make.

"Herwriting is mesmerizing and lyrical. I laughed and cried and shook my head at some of her choices, but I rooted for her and her son the whole way."
— Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Sharp, witty and slightly self-deprecating, she alternates clever, camera-ready one-liners with intense self-revelations about parents, children, love and family...
— San Francisco Chronicle

"Astutely witty...will grip you to the very last page."
— Heidi Julavits, author of The Uses of Enchantment

A native of Maine, Mary Pols lives with her son, Dolan, in Northern California. A former staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, the Seattle Times, and the Los Angeles Daily News, she was the film critic for the Contra-Costa Times for nearly a decade. She has taught at the University of California-Berkeley and was a Knight Fellow at Stanford. She is working on her second book.

Mark Your Calendars!

The next month is full of great book events. Here are the whos, wheres and whens (pens at the ready!). You can expect more about the whats and whys in the next few weeks.

Thursday, September 4th at 7:00 pm: Michael Erard, author of Um...
at Longfellow Books
Friday, September 12th at 7:00: Community Television Network and WMPG present Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now! and author of Standing Up to the Madness
at Portland High School
Tuesday, September 23rd at 7:00: The Telling Room presents Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love
at Merrill Auditorium

Monday, September 29th at 7:00 pm: Portland Stage Co. presents Tom Perrotta, author of Abstinence Teacher
at Portland Stage

We'll talk soon.

Yours in Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 07.28.08

2008-07-28T10:24:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

A reminder: John Brandon--debut novelist--will be reading at our store tomorrow night, and to protect you from the inevitably dull, regret-stricken evening you might otherwise have, I strongly encourage your attendance. In years to come, his will be a name you hear again and again.

EVENTS!

Thursday, July 31st at 7 pm
JOHN BRANDON
author of Arkansas

John Brandon will be here to read from his debut novel, Arkansas.

"He couldn't believe people crammed their lives into belittling routines just for steady money. What was the big deal about getting money steadily? Was that so enticing, getting a tiny check made tinier by taxes every two weeks for the rest of your life, continually voicing the same stale complaints that working stiffs have been voicing for centuries, that the people in Kyle's apartment complex voiced each evening? Alarm clocks, layoffs, cigarette breaks, backaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, company parties, and always the steady little checks."

Kyle and Swin, though bright, young and capable, can't hack it on the lawful path, and find themselves drawn into the ranks of a mysterious criminal organization. Only after this wayward step do they find the peace they're searching for--faking their way through cover jobs as Arkansas park rangers. But while hope seems ever-present, their new lives full of promise and satisfaction, they can't shake the lingering feeling that everything they've come to know is spiraling out of control. And it is this keen balance that makes Brandon's work so compelling: between hope and inevitability, between calm moments and chilling violence, between appearances and reality.

Pick up Brandon's debut novel, and by the end of the first page, you're already knee-deep in Swin Ruiz's descent from model student to swindler. But buoyed by Brandon's subtle wit and Swin's easy optimism, each tragic turn becomes a mere stepping stone, an opportunity for reinvention and adventure. A few pages more and even before you've met the other characters, you're committed--there's too much charisma bubbling off the page not to find out where this story ends.

"Brandon lays down a backstory for each character that blisters with such creepy, suffocatingly real particulars, a reader feels stricken to recognize them. He brilliantly evokes the trailer-trash, time-biding cultures of the Southern states: bland, stagnant cities; towns stuffed with plastic, Wal-Mart junk and gimcracks; and the shuffling, dim lives lining the road to hell, along which our anti-heroes speed. Why? Because the alternative--straight life--is worse than death.... Arkansas rants against the Machine, in a voice combining Raymond Chandler's side-of-the-mouth noir with Quentin Tarantino's gleeful-psychopath wit and Mark Twain's episodic romance of the journey.... Open Arkansas anywhere: Sentences lock together; paragraphs are drum tight. Misfits carry out misdeeds in prose so pitilessly and hilariously accurate you have to look twice.... Arkansas is a whopping debut."
- San Francisco Chronicle

"John Brandon is a prose marksman--half Denis Johnson, half Elmore Leonard. It's been years since I read a book with such dark humor and fierce intelligence. Arkansas is relentless."
- Davy Rothbart

John Brandon's work has appeared in McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, The Believer, Mississippi Review, Subtropics, The Duck & Herring Warm Weather Field Guide, and Words & Images. He was raised on the Gulf Coast of Florida. During the writing of Arkansas, he worked at a lumber mill, a windshield warehouse, a Coca-cola distributor, and several small factories producing goods made of rubber and plastic. His favorite recreational activity is watching college football. Arkansas is his first book.

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 07.01.08

2008-07-01T10:24:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

One is set in New York's Chinatown in the 1970's, the other in present-day Arkansas. One stars a cop who wants more out of life, the other two fledgling criminals who'd like a little less. What the two books do have in common is a revealing honesty that makes these characters truly memorable. And both authors are coming to the store this month for readings.

Continue on for the details, as well as an announcement from our friends at Left Bank Books in Searsport.

EVENTS!

Thursday, July 17th at 7 pm
ED LIN
author of This Is A Bust

Ed Lin, author of Waylaid, will be at the store to read from his new novel, This is a Bust.

This is a Bust is not your typical murder mystery. Our protagonist, Robert Chow is a hard drinking, Chinese- American cop working the beat in New York's Chinatown during the 1970s. He aspires to become a detective but the City's brass wants him to be the "Chinese Face" of the NYPD. Struggling with his alcoholism, lonelieness and his boring beat, Chow becomes increasingly embittered. When an elderly women is murdered in Chinatown, Chow fianlly gets his chance to act as a detective. A riveting homage to the 70s and a dark shout to the struggles within, This is a Bust, is a novel that does not disappoint.

"Lin follows his smashing debut, Waylaid (2002), with a murder mystery, sorta. There's a murder in it, and the narrator-protagonist, NYPD foot patrolman Robert Chow, figures out whodunit. But if that's why you finish the novel, you're a strange one. This is a brilliant, economical character, setting, and period piece. Part New York neighborhood portrait a la American-theater staples Street Scene and Dead End, part hard knocks but optimistic little-guy's story a la Edward Dahlberg's novel Bottom Dogs (1929), Lin's juicy, dialogue-heavy sophomore effort is rich, flavorful, and humane."
- Booklist (Starred Review)

Ed Lin was born in Queens, N.Y. Several years later, his family moved to New Jersey and operated a small motel, which became the basis of his first novel, Waylaid, published in 2002 to critical acclaim. Lin studied Mining Engineering, and later Journalism, at Columbia University. An assortment of jobs rose and fell along with the internet bubble. When he's not writing, he works as a financial journalist. He has a terrific sense of humor.

For more info about Ed Lin, check out his website: www.EdLinforpresident.com.

Thursday, July 31st at 7 pm
JOHN BRANDON
author of Arkansas

John Brandon will be here to read from his debut novel, Arkansas.

"Brandon lays down a backstory for each character that blisters with such creepy, suffocatingly real particulars, a reader feels stricken to recognize them. He brilliantly evokes the trailer-trash, time-biding cultures of the Southern states: bland, stagnant cities; towns stuffed with plastic, Wal-Mart junk and gimcracks; and the shuffling, dim lives lining the road to hell, along which our anti-heroes speed. Why? Because the alternative--straight life--is worse than death.... Arkansas rants against the Machine, in a voice combining Raymond Chandler's side-of-the-mouth noir with Quentin Tarantino's gleeful-psychopath wit and Mark Twain's episodic romance of the journey.... Open Arkansas anywhere: Sentences lock together; paragraphs are drum tight. Misfits carry out misdeeds in prose so pitilessly and hilariously accurate you have to look twice.... Arkansas is a whopping debut."
- San Francisco Chronicle

"John Brandon is a prose marksman--half Denis Johnson, half Elmore Leonard. It's been years since I read a book with such dark humor and fierce intelligence. Arkansas is relentless."
- Davy Rothbart

From our friends at Left Bank Books in Searsport, a special event:

Master Meditation Teacher
and Author Jack Kornfield
at Left Bank Books

Renowned author, psychologist and Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield will talk about and sign his newest book, The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology, at Left Bank Books in Searsport on Thursday, July 24 from 3 to 5 pm. The event is free and the entire community is welcome.

Known internationally as a leader in introducing Buddhist practices to the West, Kornfield has been praised by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh as a "wonderful storyteller and a great teacher" and by author Anne Lamott as "gentle, brilliant and incisive." A Dartmouth graduate, he served in the Peace Corps and earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology before completing his spiritual studies in Thailand, Burma and India. He is co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts and of the Spirit Rock Center in northern California.

The Wise Heart (Bantam Books, $26.00) is Kornfield's seventh book, following such best-selling classics as A Path With Heart, Seeking the Heart of Wisdom, and After the Ecstasy, the Laundry. Combining stories from his psychotherapy practice with portraits of remarkable teachers, it is based on his first-hand experience with the power of Buddhist teachings, from their emphasis on the nobility of the human spirit to their techniques for training, healing, and transforming heart and mind.

"Enlightenment does exist," Kornfield assures us; "unbounded freedom and joy, a sense of oneness with the divine ...these experiences are more common than you know and not that far away." In The Wise Heart he suggests both a path toward fulfillment, and the sheer joy of the journey, in a style that will touch all readers seeking peace and wholeness, Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, as well as meditators, mental health professionals and students of religion.

Early reviews have called The Wise Heart the masterpiece of Kornfield's life's work and "the most accessible and illuminating guide to Buddhism’s transformational psychology ever published in the West." Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence, has written that: "The Wise Heart offers more than remedies – it points the way to a life of flourishing." And Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple, has said: "The Wise Heart is one of those books... that encourages our bravery to meet whatever confronts us in life with a caring and tranquil heart. It is a transformative gift from one of the great spiritual teachers of our time."

All of Kornfield's titles will be available at Thursday's signing. For more information about the event, or to reserve The Wise Heart or any of his other books in advance, please just call the shop at 548.6400. Left Bank Books is located at 21 East Main Street in downtown Searsport and is open seven days a week.

www.leftbankbookshop.com

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 06.30.08: A Tribute to Lady Liberty

2008-06-30T11:50:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

We've got a special mid-day event this Wednesday with an extraordinary artist. Read on!

Events!

Wednesday, July 2nd from 11 am to 1 pm
Matt Tavares
Illustrator of Lady Liberty

Award-winning illustrator Matt Tavares will be here signing copies of his new book, Lady Liberty: A Biography.

Tavares has used his talents to bring numerous books to life, including Iron Hans, Zachary's Ball and Mudball. His new book, Lady Liberty, is absolutely stunning. We've kept a stack by the register since it's release, and you can always tell someone has picked it up by the oohs and aahs you hear. It's been garnering rave reviews from critics everywhere (including starred reviews in Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, School Library Journal, and Horn Book Magazine) and our money is on him to win the Caldecott Medal this year. We're thrilled to have him. What better way to celebrate Independance Day than with a tribute to one of our country's most striking symbols?

"Tributes to the Statue of Liberty abound, but this one stands out for its unusual approach and powerful illustrations…. Generally viewed from low angles, all of the solid, serious human figures in Tavares's three-quarter-spread paintings bulk larger than life, and lead up to a spectacular climactic foldout view of the monument towering into cloudy skies on the rainy day of her unveiling. Closing with heartfelt comments from several immigrants or their children, this adds up to a stirring reminder of what Lady Liberty stands for."
- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Large in scale and monumental in effect, the watercolor, ink, and pencil illustrations, including a dramatic vertical fold-out page showing Lady Liberty at her unveiling, offer often beautiful views of her many-faceted story."
- Booklist (starred review)

"This handsome, thoroughly researched picture book tells the story of the statue from conception to dedication from the points of view of many different players in Liberty's dramatic life... Tavares's evocative paintings bring each perspective to life, from images of an immigrant's outstretched arms to the countless workers measuring, building, and digging. A beautiful, innovative volume."
- School Library Journal (starred review)

"Tavares's watercolor, pencil, and ink images complement each account precisely, emphasizing the intimacy of Rappaport's vignettes with either dramatic close-ups of the speaking characters or representations of smaller scenes from the text."
- Horn Book Magazine (starred review)

We hope to see you there.

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 06.19.08: tonight! TONIGHT! tonight!

2008-06-22T12:06:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

A special treat tonight for fans of fiction. Very, very short fiction.

Rose Metal Press held their first annual short short chapbook contest--collections of very short stories, 1000 words or less. The top four entries then had their work published in a new volume: A Peculiar Feeling of Restlessness. The unique short-short story form distills the complexities of life into the smallest fragments: a passing thought, a image, a overheard phrase. The best (and this collection is full of them) are powerful, intense and haunting, and they linger long after you've finished. Like a scent on the wind, it comes and goes and leaves you wondering why it seemed so familiar and real, if only for a moment. It leaves you with, well, a peculiar feeling of restlessness.

We're lucky enough to have Amy Clark here tonight for a reading from her work, Wanting, one of the four included in the new collection.

Amy L Clark is an assistant professor of college composition at Pine Manor College, where she is honored to teach all sorts of young women about reading and writing. She has had fiction published in literary journals including Juked, Quick Fiction, 42Opus and McSweeney's Internet Tendency, and her work appears in the anthology Brevity and Echo. Amy is still hoping to become an astronaut when she grows up.

See you tonight.

Yours in Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 06.09.08: Father's Day.

2008-06-11T15:39:00.002-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

Father's Day is right around the corner (This Sunday!), but as always, we've got you covered. Books, cards, even free giftwrapping. Read on for some of our special Father's Day picks.

Afterwards, get out your calendars--we'll give you the scoop on some upcoming events you won't want to miss.

FATHER'S DAY PICKS!

When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris (Little Brown, $25.99)

Who could resist the latest collection from Sedaris? Another set of essays suffused with brain-tingling wit, another few hours spent laughing uncontrollably to oneself. Not recommended for people with weak bladders, recent stitches or abdominal injuries. Be advised, this stuff is funny. Maybe too funny.

"Older, wiser, smarter and meaner, Sedaris...defies the odds once again by delivering an intelligent take on the banalities of an absurd life."
-- Kirkus Reviews

"This latest collection proves that not only does Sedaris still have it, but he's also getting better....Sedaris's best stuff will still--after all this time--move, surprise, and entertain."
-- Booklist

The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria (Norton, $25.95)

The world would be a better place if everyone read this book. Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International and all-around brilliant guy, has written a clear, insightful examination of international politics and the world at-large. He argues that the "rise of the rest"--the rapid growth and expansion of China and India, along with Brazil, Mexico, Russia and others--is ushering in a new era in international politics. The game is changing, and while America is and will continue to be a dominant player, she must learn to adapt.

"This is a relentlessly intelligent book that eschews simple-minded projections from crisis to collapse...Zakaria's is not another exercise in declinism."
--NYT Review of Books

The Last Fish Tale by Mark Kurlansky (Ballantine, $25)

The bestselling author of Salt and Cod continues with what he does best: illuminating the larger world by carefully examining a small piece. In The Last Fish Tale, Kurlansky delivers the history of Gloucester, a fishing community that dates back to Viking settlements in 1004. Over time it has risen and fallen as technology has changed, but ultimately pollution and over-fishing have decimated a once vibrant ecosystem. According to Kurlansky, "each culture, each way of life that vanishes, diminishes the richness of civilization." Amen.

The Road Washes Out in Spring by Baron Wormser (UPNE, $15.95) Now in Paperback

No electricity. No running water. For more than twenty years, this is how former Maine Poet Laureate Baron Wormser lived with his family--reading by lamplight, growing their own food, carrying their own water. Wormser's much-lauded memoir tells the story of his life spent surrounded by nature. Throughout, the reader is treated again and again to the kinds of elegant reflections that could only come from the mind of such a brilliant poet.

"Its scope is narrow, but its reach is vast. Its short but wide-ranging essays seem like the dozens of jars of canned tomatoes Wormser and his wife put up each year to provide the base of their winter meals, each one carefully, thoughtfully, and lovingly prepared. As such, the book asks to be read slowly, savored, because, as Wormser says of the entire enterprise of living off-grid, ‘There was no sum. Only infinite entries.’"
-- Boston Globe

A Freewheelin' Time by Suze Rotolo (Broadway, $22.95)

An inside look at Greenwich Village of the early 1960s. Rotolo tells of growing up as the daughter of Italian immigrants, of meeting the young Bob Dylan in 1961, of falling in and eventually out of love, and along the way bearing witness to a now legendary time and place.

"Suze Rotolo digs hard and deep. Then she strolls, frets, and paints a gorgeous picture of a singular place and a time that was simpler but all tangled up. Best of all, she’s a natural writer who puts the beguiling voice, skeptical brow, shining eyes, and conductor’s hands I know right before you on the printed page. What’s her secret?"
-- Sean Wilentz

EVENTS!

Wednesday, June 11th from 11 am to 1 pm
Julia Spencer-Fleming
author of I Shall Not Want

Stop by the store this Wednesday lunch break. The Farmer's Market will be buzzing up the block, and we'll have our own to-do here at the store: local legend Julia Spencer-Fleming will be here to celebrate the release of her latest book, which hits the shelves on the 10th.

Her beloved series of thrilling mysteries starring Claire Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne continues with the newly released I Shall Not Want. Meet Julia and get a signed copy of the brand new book!

What the critics are saying about this latest volume:

"A suspected serial killer in the town of Millers Kill in Upstate New York takes a backseat to the simmering relationship between Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne and Episcopal priest Clare Fergusson in the sixth entry in this tantalizing series... Action ratchets up in a deadly shoot-out... and just when resolution seems within reach, there’s a final twist. Keenly moving and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, this is a tour de force."
--Booklist (starred review)

"Clare and Russ’s complex romantic dance is as compelling as ever. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment..."
–– Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Thursday, June 12th at 7 pm
Mary Lee Coe Fowler
author of Full Fathom Five: A Daughter's Search

Mary Lee Coe Fowler will be here to read from her book, Full Fathom Five: A Daughter's Search.

Mary Lee Coe Fowler was a posthumous child, born after her father, a submarine skipper in the Pacific, was lost at sea in 1943. Her mother quickly remarried into a difficult and troubled relationship, and Mary Lee's biological father was never mentioned. It was not until her mother died and Mary Lee was a middle-aged adult that she set out to learn not only who her father was, but what happened to him and his crew, and why—and also to confront why she had shied away from asking these questions until it was nearly too late.

Fowler searched through old ships' logs, letters, and naval communiques; visited submarine museums and the Naval Academy; interviewed old friends and crew members who knew her dad; and slowly reconstructed the world in which they lived. Beautifully written, Fowler's memoir reveals what she eventually learned: of the perils and harships of submarine service in wartime, of the tragic irony of how her father's sub was probably lost, and of the long-term damage experienced by the families of those who do not come home from war.

"In her very personal quest to find a father she never knew, Ms. Fowler breathes life into those men who volunteered and served aboard the diesel boats. She wisely allows the people who were there to tell their experiences.... This is a romance, an intensely personal search for family roots, a war story, and a compelling examination of aspects of World War II."

--Don Keith, coauthor of Gallant Lady: A Biography of the USS Archerfish

Mary Lee Coe Fowler is a writer and teacher of English and ESL living in Maine. Author of Growing with Community Gardening, her work has appeared in Other Voices, Mother Earth News, and Bloomsbury Review.

Thursday, June 19th at 7 pm
Amy Clark, Elizabeth Ellen, Kathy Fish and Claudia Smith
authors of A Peculiar Feeling of Restlessness

Amy Clark, Elizabeth Ellen, Kathy Fish and Claudia Smith will be here to share their new book, A Peculiar Feeling of Restlessness: Four Chapbooks of Short Short Fiction by Four Women.

"The four brilliant chapbooks that make up A Peculiar Feeling of Restlessness are disarmingly, unabashedly intimate collections by women who know how to tell a story and aren’t afraid to drag the unspoken out into the light of day."
—Pia Z. Ehrhardt

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 06.05.08: An Important Message

2008-06-05T15:38:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

Here is an important message from our friend, Lee Urban:

Jonathan Eig has written a powerful book, Luckiest Man: the Life and Death of Lou Gehrig. It describes a man we baseball fans would have cared for even more if there had not been a certain teammate of his on the Yankee teams of the 1920's and 30's--Babe Ruth. Despite Ruth's shadow, Gehrig was one of the greatest players of all time. He had no interest in flamboyance or being the center of attention like Ruth. He was a hard worker, not a carouser, who just wanted to play baseball. Gehrig played a lot of baseball, from June 2, 1925 until April 30, 1939--2,130 consecutive games, a record that stood for 56 years. He was the "Iron Horse".

But on May 2, Lou benched himself, and his streak ended. The Iron Horse was succumbing to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS. On July 4, 1939, the New York Yankees and the City of New York honored Lou with a Lou Gehrig Appreciation day. It was on that day, in Yankee Stadium filled with thousand of fans, and despite all that he was going through, fighting that incurable disease, he said: "Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." He was surrounded by friends and supporters. "...I have an awful lot to live for." he concluded.

On June 2, 1941, he died.

Today, over 30,000 Americans have ALS, commonly known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease". Although officially discovered almost 150 years ago, there still is no cure for this devastating disease that robs its victims of the ability to walk, talk, and ultimately to breath. ALS is a cruel disease.

The hope is that a cure will someday be found; and that is why on June 19, the anniversary of Lou's birthday in 1903, the Portland Sea Dogs and the ALS Association are holding an ALS Awareness Day during a Sea Dogs game. We need to be more aware of this disease so more attention will be paid to finding a cure. Until then, we need to help those who are living with ALS and those who are caring for them. Lou considered himself to be "the luckiest man" because he had such support.

Learn about the courageous Lou Gehrig, on the baseball field and off, by reading Jonathan Eig's book about the Iron Man. And then help us find a cure for ALS by generously donating to on-going research efforts. On May 11, 2007, my wife, Nan, was diagnosed as having ALS. Nan, I, our four children, and the more than 30,000 other Americans living with ALS, their families, friends, and caregivers will be most appreciative of your efforts.

-- Lee Urban

In support of the ALS Association, we're holding a raffle here in the store. Tickets are only a dollar, and two winners will be drawn. One will win a Portland Sea Dogs jersey, signed by all the players, and one will win an autographed hardcover copy of Eig's book, The Luckiest Man. All of the proceeds go the ALS Association.

To learn more about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, the ALS Association and their research efforts, or to find out how you can help, visit www.alsa.org.

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books

Email 06.02.08: Wicked Good Wednesdays

2008-06-02T15:37:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

Looking for a little mental stimulation to get you through the middle of your week? This Wednesday and next we've got special events to keep your brain happy and well-fed. On the evening of the 4th, poets Henry Braun and Norman Minnick will be here for readings from their new collections. And next week Julia Spencer-Fleming will be here for a mid-day signing in celebration of her latest mystery.

Read on for the details...

Events!

Wednesday June 4th at 7:00 pm
Henry Braun & Norman Minnick

Join us for readings from Henry Braun (Loyalty: New & Selected Poems) and Norman Minnick (To Taste the Water).

Henry Braun was born in Olean, New York in 1930 and grew up in Buffalo. After graduating from Brandeis University, he spent a year in France on a Fulbright, and then went to Boston University, where he participated in Robert Lowell's workshop. In the 1960s he organized poetry read-ins against the war in Vietnam and was convicted in a Federal court of tax evasion. His war tax dollars were donated to a veterans hospital and to public schools in Philadelphia. As an organizer of a draft card turn-in at the Justice Department he was an unindicted co-conspirator at the Boston 5 trial.

Most of his career as a teacher of literature and creative writing was at Temple University, including a year at Temple’s branch campus in Japan. He has served as coordinator and host of the Poetry Center of the YM-YWHA in Philadelphia. In 1968 his first book of poems, The Vergil Woods, was published by Atheneum. His work has appeared in many magazines, including Poetry, The Nation, and the American Poetry Review, where he is presently a Contributing Editor. He and his wife live off the grid in Weld, Maine.

"It's an extraordinary lifetime that we feel in this book....What tremendous tact [his] poems all show, never a word too much, nothing insisted on, a light touch that looks easy, but, I think, takes tremendous art to achieve."
--Kate Barnes, former Maine Poet Laureate

a selection from Loyalty:

Growing Lettuce

I have broken soil
and run a line in the blackness with my finger
and dropped the flea-like seeds in
too thickly.

Even so, even so,
the lettuce comes, standing room only,
as a favor to a first try
and is a shy green.

Norman Minnick was born and grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. He received his B.A. in art from Marian College in Indianapolis and was accepted to the creative writing program at Florida International University in Miami. He earned his M.F.A. in 2001 and was awarded an Academy of American Poets Prize that same year. Minnick returned to Indianapolis, where he lives with his wife and two young children. He teaches at the Writers’ Center of Indiana.

"Norman Minnick's poems take as their task the plumbing of 'unfathomable depths'--not through theoretical pyrotechnics but through deep attention to the image, the moment, the life lived. This first book radiates calm intelligence and uncommon wisdom."
--Campbell McGrath

"There is a rare quiet and seriousness here... He is always looking out, and some dark thing hovers just at the edge of the page."
--Robert Bly

a selection from To Taste The Water:

Her Image

My daughter,
captivated
by her inverse image
in the curve of a spoon,
turns it over and back
and over again,
and back again,
her image
upside down,
right side up,
faster, as if she might
trick the spoon.

Eat, I tell her.

Wednesday June 11th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Julia Spencer-Fleming
author of I Shall Not Want

Stop by the store next Wednesday as we kick off the summer. The Farmer's Market will be buzzing up the block, and we'll have our own to-do here at the store: local legend Julia Spencer-Fleming will be here to celebrate the release of her latest book, which hits the shelves on the 10th.

Her beloved series of thrilling mysteries starring Claire Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne continues with the newly released I Shall Not Want. Meet Julia and get a signed copy of the brand new book!

What the critics are saying about this latest volume:

"A suspected serial killer in the town of Millers Kill in Upstate New York takes a backseat to the simmering relationship between Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne and Episcopal priest Clare Fergusson in the sixth entry in this tantalizing series... Action ratchets up in a deadly shoot-out... and just when resolution seems within reach, there’s a final twist. Keenly moving and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, this is a tour de force."
--Booklist (starred review)

"Clare and Russ’s complex romantic dance is as compelling as ever. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment..."
–– Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 05.23.08: Breaking News & More

2008-05-25T13:30:00.001-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

Big news for fans of fiction: the celebrated, controversial, Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie has a new book--his first in over three years. The Enchantress of Florence, a lush epic where "East meets West with a clash of cymbals and a burst of fireworks" (The Guardian), has already garnered rave reviews. It's great, he's great, everything's great.

And there's more.

We've got a limited number of first editions autographed by the author--but you'll have to act fast, as pickins are slimming as we speak. If you want one of these signed copies, call or email us to reserve one. First come, first serve.

EVENTS!

Wednesday, May 28th at 7 pm
Jeff Shaara
author of The Steel Wave

Jeff Shaara will be here to read from his new book, The Steel Wave. When it comes to historical fiction and American wars, the name Shaara stands alone. His father Michael won a Pulitzer Prize for The Killer Angels, and Jeff continued the Civil War saga with the award winning Gods and Generals. Both were later made into major motion pictures. Jeff has since written about the Revolutionary War, Mexican-American War, and World War I. His most recent books center around World War II.

The first, The Rising Tide, follows America's early involvement in the war, specifically the Allied invasion of Sicily and the war in Northern Africa. The second volume, The Steel Wave focuses on one of the great turning points of the war, the invasion of Normandy. Shaara brings to life the experiences of a cast of characters, from the wars' defining characters to it's unsung soldiers: General Dwight Eisenhower and Commander Erwin Rommel as they lead the American and German troops; Sergeant Jesse Adams, one of thousands of paratroopers landing in the midst of the German forces; Private Tom Thorne an infantry soldier landing at Omaha Beach. Shaara deftly follows these characters as their paths converge at the turning point of the war.

Praise for The Rising Tide, the first book in Shaara's WWII Trilogy:

"Shaara takes on World War II in the wonderful first volume of a planned trilogy. Shaara evokes the agony of desert warfare and the utter chaos of an airborne assault... a sprawling, masterful opening act."
--Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

Thursday, May 29th at 7 pm
Margot Livesey
author of The House on Fortune Street

"Every novel of Margot Livesey’s is, for her readers, a joyous discovery. Her work radiates with compassion and intelligence and always, deliciously, mystery."
— Alice Sebold, author of Lucky and The Lovely Bones

Margot Livesey has done it again. Fans of hers won't be surprised to hear that her new novel, The House on Fortune Street is a carefully crafted, complex story, or that her characters are alive on the page, or that she manages emotional tension and startling insight with ease. If you don't know her work, now's your chance. She'll be here at the store next Thursday.

The House on Fortune Street tells four connected stories: those of Abigail and Dara, two young women who've become close friends, and those of the two men with whom they've recently found love. All is well, until transformative experiences arise: for Abigail, a mysterious letter; for Dara, the resurfacing of a lost father. The story unfolds through the eyes of each of the four characters. You'll find yourself contemplating luck, love and loss, long into the night.

"With empathy and deftness, Margot Livesey brings to life a vivid circle of characters whose lives twist and turn upon each other in a Möbius strip of emotional entanglements. Structurally daring and compulsively readable, The House on Fortune Street illuminates the complexities of love in some of its most difficult guises, and of loss in all of its immensity."
— Geraldine Brooks, author of March and Year of Wonders

Yours in Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 05.16.08: The One & Only

2008-05-16T13:29:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

"When people contemplated the way we lived, the outhouse was what stopped them. Wood heat was bearable; the lack of a refrigerator was a bother but bearable; but an outhouse was not bearable. 'What about January?' people would ask. You could feel the dread in their voices."
– From The Road Washes Out in Spring

May 20th at 7 pm
former Maine Poet Laureate
Baron Wormser

No electricity. No running water. For more than twenty years, this is how former Maine Poet Laureate Baron Wormser lived with his family--reading by lamplight, growing their own food, carrying their own water. Wormser's much-lauded memoir, The Road Washes Out in Spring (UPNE, 2008), tells the story of his life spent surrounded by nature. Throughout his memoir, the reader is treated again and again to the kinds of elegant reflections that could only come from the mind of such a brilliant poet.

The Road Washes Out in Spring is now in paperback, and though it was the first prose work published by the renowned poet, thankfully it's not the last. Wormser is a gifted writer, and his subtle and inspired observations sparkle just as clearly here as they do in his verse. His new collection, The Poetry Life: Ten Stories (CavanKerry, 2008) continues the trend. He takes on a cast of ten unique narrators, from clowns to waitresses to assisted-living aides, each musing over a poet who's affected them. What emerges is a rich portrait of inner lives, and the unexpected reach and power of poetry as it takes hold. As fellow poet Tim Seibles says, Wormser "invites us to reconsider the connection between poetry and our lives, to remember that we really do live hungry for inner vision, for small insights that can save us from the slag heap of goofdom and pointlessness."

And for the uninitiated, a new collection brings together highlights from Wormser's past work as well as never before published new poems: Scattered Chapters: New and Selected Poems (Sarabande, 2008). These works show the former Poet Laureate at his best, attempting (in his words) "to practice balance and imbalance, trace symmetry and asymmetry, toy with words and honor them."

We hope to see you there.

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books

Email 05.08.08: Sunday is Mother's Day.

2008-05-08T13:28:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

Chances are you've been ready for months, and the perfect gift, wrapped with care and precision, has been filed away (who'd ever misplace anything?), waiting only for the proper day to arrive so you can bestow it, along with all the others (equally timely, equally perfect) on the various Moms in your life.

If that's the case, then I ought to tell you that the day in question has nearly arrived.

If that's not the case, don't panic. We've got you covered.

Sunday (May 11th) is Mother's Day, and we’ve got Mother’s Day cards, gift recommendations, and nimble fingers ready to wrap (free!).

For Moms who...

...wouldn't mind a stroll through Paris:

The Flaneur by Edmund White (Bloomsbury, $12.99)

...want to read a real romance novel:

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan (Ballantine, $14)

...could use a little tranquility:

Momma Zen: Walking the Crooked Path of Motherhood by Karen Miller (Trumpeter, $11.95)

...like to read dynamite short fiction:

The O. Henry Prize Stories, 2008 edited by Laura Furman (Anchor, $14.95)

...spend as much time in the garden as they do in the kitchen, or wish they could:

Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables by John Peterson (Gibbs Smith, $29.95)

...want a heartfelt true story of loss and redemption:

Without a Map by Meredith Hall (Beacon, $14)

Full Fathom Five by Mary Lee Coe Fowler (U. of Alabama, $29.95)

...want novels that face the realities of war:

The Sirens of Baghdad by Yasmina Khadra (Anchor, $13.95)

Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian (Shaye Areheart, $25)

...want to make a difference in the world:

Unbowed by Wangari Maathai (Anchor, 14.95)

...are about to become moms (and love to laugh):

Safe Baby Pregnancy Tips by David & Kelly Sopp (Running, $9.95)

...like to rock & roll:

Play: The Nylon Book of Music (Universe, $27.50)

Girls Like Us by Sheila Weller (Atria, $27.95)

...are a little bit punk:

Tank Girl: Armadillo! by Alan Martin (Titan, $9.95)

Punk Pioneers by Jenny Lens (Universe, $29.95)

...are crafty, thrifty, and stylish:

Cool Green Stuff by Dave Evans (Potter, $14.95)

[the nest] Home Design Handbook by Carley Roney (Potter, $22.95)

...take their cooking seriously:

My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals by Melanie Dunea (Bloomsbury, $39.95)

Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose (Potter, $32.50)

...like to... y'know...

Bonk by Mary Roach (Norton, $24.95)

...appreciate fine art:

Louise Bourgeois edited by Frances Morris (Rizzoli, $65)

...care about the food they eat, and where it comes from:

Plenty by Alisa Smith & J.B. MacKinnon (Three Rivers, 13.95)

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper, $14.65)

...like thrills and aren't afraid of a little blood:

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin (Berkley, $15)

Blood Dreams by Kay Hooper (Bantam, $25)

...like to curl up with a book for a few hours:

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (Random, $25)

The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith (Pantheon, $22.95)

Let us help you find that special something for the Moms in your life. Cards, free giftwrap, the works. You don't have to thank us, but she'll thank you.

Yours in Books,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books

Email 05.04.08: Knowledge is Power

2008-05-04T12:34:00.002-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

In the fall of 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested dozens of leading brands of lipstick for the presence of lead. Two thirds of the brands tested positive for lead; one third was well above the FDA's legal limit for lead levels in other products, like candy.

But who goes around munching on lipstick? No big deal, right?

The trouble is, anything we put on our skin finds its way into our bodies. And lead is a neurotoxin that builds up in our bodies over time--this isn't an issue of lipstick making us sick the next day, it's an issue of its cumulative effects over a lifetime.

Fine. No more lipstick. Can I go now?

Not yet. Here's where the bad news gets worse: it's a more systemic problem than lead in lipstick. It's also soap, shampoo, aftershave, deodorant, skin care lotions, and countless other personal care products we use on a daily basis. The industry isn't regulated the same way foods and pharmaceuticals are, and without proper oversight, standards, or legal safeguards, consumers are at risk of using products containing carcinogens, mutagens, and reproductive toxins. And don't expect to see warning labels.

Enough of the doom and gloom already--there's got to be an answer, right?

Knowledge is power, and we're lucky enough to have an expert fighting the good fight for us. And she's coming to town this Wednesday.

EVENTS

Wednesday, May 7th at 7 pm

Stacy Malkan

Author of Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry

Join us this Wednesday when author and activist Stacy Malkan will be here to talk about her new book, Not Just a Pretty Face. Stacy is the communications director of Health Care Without Harm, and in 2002, helped launch the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics after a startling discovery: the presence of industrial chemicals linked to birth defects in 70% of personal products tested (You can read the full report here). She spent a decade as an investigative journalist, and in recent years has been leading the fight to keep dangerous chemicals out of everyday products.

Not Just a Pretty Face is more than just disturbing statistics and unreported dangers. It's also the compelling story of the scientists, politicians, and activists engaged in this ongoing fight, and their struggles and successes. It's even the story of Stacy herself:

"I admit, I was a teenage make-up diva. I had an elaborate morning ritual involving eight types of make-up and multiple hair products, topped off with a generous cloud of Aqua Net Extra Super Hold hair spray. Twenty years later, I learned that my beauty routine was exposing me to 200 chemicals a day, many of them toxic — all before I even left the house to get on the school bus!"

The good news is, all is not lost. Not all companies are using dangerous substances, and thanks to the efforts of people like Stacy Malkan (and some great new resources--check out the Skin Deep Database) consumers can make informed choices about what they put in their bodies. So stop by this Wednesday, and educate yourself. Remember, knowledge is power.

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books

Email 04.27.08: Perfect, Once Again

2008-04-27T15:38:00.002-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

This Tuesday we have a special treat for you, our book-loving public. All the pieces are in place: an award-winning, multi-talented local author (the one and only Phil Hoose), the paperback release of a book to be loved by all ages (A great, true story about adolesence, baseball, and real-life miracles), a swingin' baseball party with musical accompaniment (Chipped Enamel! Baseball songs!), as well as a bunch of other great books hitting the shelves the same day. Whew.

Check out our other events, the aforementioned party and various paperback releases, and a bunch of cool used books below. Happy reading!

CONTENTS

- Events -

- Now in Paperback -

- Used Books -

EVENTS

Tuesday, April 29th at 6 pm

Phil Hoose

author of Perfect, Once Removed

Join us for a baseball party to celebrate the paperback release of Phil Hoose's Perfect Once Removed!

In the winter of 1956, nine-year-old Phil Hoose moved with his family to Speedway, Indiana, home of the Indianapolis 500. By his own description "weak and mouthy," he was the proverbial new kid on the block. Baseball was the one ticket to acceptance at school, but Phil had never played before. His awkward attempts only made life harder. That is until, one day, his parents dropped a bombshell: his cousin, Don Larsen, was a pitcher on the New York Yankees.

Suddenly baseball became his passion; as his cousin helped the Yanks win the pennant, Phil immersed himself in the game, on and off the field. And then, on October 8, 1956, Larsen stunned the world by pitching a perfect game in the World Series--arguably the most unexpected moment in sports history. It also transformed Phil's life.

With a gift for conveying the fears and dreams of a young boy's life, Perfect Once Removed recalls this magical year, when the game of baseball helped him take root in a tough new town. As one reviewer put it, "Disguised as a nostalgic, coming-of-age baseball memoir, this is a sly, spare meditation on the perils of childhood, the power of celebrity, the vagaries of human kindness, and how even tenuous family bonds can have a surprisingly steely impact."

To celebrate its paperback release--and the return of baseball this spring--we'll throw a party that will include baseball music, food and historic footage of Don Larsen's game. Phil Hoose will read from the book. And Phil's band, Chipped Enamel will lead the crowd in singing baseball songs such as "Centerfield" "I'm a Reliever" and "Hey, Big Papi!"

Thursday, May 1st 7-9:00 pm

at the Westbrook Campus of UNE

The Maine Women Writer's Collection presents:

Martha Todd Dudman

author of Black Olives

The Female Conundrum: With or Without a Man: a talk, reading, and discussion.
Please join us this Thursday for the last event in the 2008 Spring Author Series. The author of Augusta, Gone, Martha Tod Dudman explores women's choices in relationship to men, with a reading from her newest novel Black Olives.It promises to be a lively presentation and conversation on mid-life love with Martha Tod Dudman. See you there!

The event is free and open to the public. RSVPs welcome. The series will take place in the Sarton Room of the Maine Women Writers Collection, in the Abplanalp Library at the Westbrook College Campus of the University of New England, at 716 Stevens Avenue in Portland.
For more information or to RSVP, contact the Collection at 221-4324 or cgurley@une.edu and visit www.une.edu/mwwc.

Thursday - Saturday, May 15th-17th, 2008

The Maine Festival of the Book

Downtown Portland in Venues Surrounding Monument Square

A certifiable book bonanza!

Join us for readings, signings, panels, performances and other events featuring more than 50 authors, poets, playwrights and performers including David Baldacci, Brian Wood, Elizabeth Strout, Crystal Zevon, Phil Hoose, Lynn Plourde, Amy Sutherland and many others. Something for every age and interest. With the exception of the Opening Night party (a fundraiser for Maine Reads), all events are free!

The Maine Festival of the Book is produced by Maine Reads in cooperation with community organizations across Maine. For more information go to www.mainereads.org!

NOW IN PAPERBACK

Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (Picador, $14)

Named one of the Ten Best Books of the Year by The New York Times, this meditative novel centers on an old norwegian widower. A chance encounter with the brother of his childhood friend leads him to reconsider his past, and the two narratives reveal a rich portrait of loss and the consequences of youth.

"Out Stealing Horses looks like a charming but modest chamber-piece. In retrospect--and this is a novel that strikes deep and lingers long--it feels more like some shattering literary symphony."
--The Independent

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper, $14.95)

The Kingsolvers moved from Tucson to a family farm in Virginia, and pledged to make a year commitment to eating local--only food they they grew on their farm, or could get from local sources. Everything else was off limits. The experience teaches them to consider the enviromental impact of consumption and to appreciate the unique qualities of local foods and flavors.

"Kingsolver elegantly chronicles a year of back-to-the-land living...Readers will take heart and inspiration here."
--Kirkus Reviews

After Dark by Haruki Murakami (Vintage, $13.95)

In After Dark, something between a novel and a novella, Murakami takes us to a late night diner and the intersecting lives of three customers. Along the way you get lost love, dream worlds, prostitutes, and a healthy serving of the absurdity of fate.

"A bittersweet novel that will satisfy the most demanding literary taste. . . . Murakami's fiction reminds us that the world is broad, that myths are universal--and that while we sleep, the world out there is moving in mysterious and unpredictable ways."
—The San Francisco Chronicle

USED BOOKS

On the Cheap

Selected Letters of James Thurber edited by Helen Thurber & Edward Weeks Paperback, $3.00

A glimpse into the mind and personal work of one of our country's most brillant humorist. Thurber is like everyone's favorite uncle, if everyone had an uncle who was well-read, well-spoken, and armed with a razor sharp wit.

Condition: Very Good

You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train by Howard Zinn Paperback, $7.50

A poignant and powerful memoir from the author of A People's History of the United States. Articulate and eye-opening.

Condition: Good

For the Vaults

The Points of My Compass by E. B. White (Harper & Row, 1962) $25.00

The collected letters of White in his role as foreign correspondent for the New Yorker. According to White: "One obstacle stood in my way, and it was a stubborn one: unlike other correspondents, I seldom went anywhere or did anything. Clearly, if I were to serve a responsible publication, I would have to alter the world itself, and rearrange geography to give me a wider range."

Condition: Tears on dust jacket, binding tight, overall condition, very good

Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Spike, 1999) Signed 1st Edition $150.00

By the award-winning author of the Sandman series, Stardust is a weird, wonderful fairy tale about the lengths one will go to for love. Gaiman fans and collectors take note.

Condition: Pristine

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books

Email 04.17.08: Because We Like You.

2008-04-17T09:27:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

If you: ...like dogs, baseball, or books in general--or all three,

Then you: ...ought to pay attention to the following announcements.

Because we: ...'re letting you know about some upcoming events of ours.

Because we: ...like you.

And we: ...know you like these sorts of things.

And we: ...just want you to be happy.

EVENTS

Saturday, April 19th at 3 pm

Marcie Jan Bronstein

author of I'll Wait in the Car: Dogs Along for the Ride

This event is co-sponsored by Fetch, a local pet care & supply shop voted Portland's best since 2000. Thanks Fetch!

Dog lovers, mark your calendars: Photographer Marcie Jan Bronstein will be here to share her new collection, I'll Wait in the Car. More than fifty photographs show dogs of all breeds showing the utmost loyalty--patiently awaiting their owner's return. Each photograph - from humorous to serene - is accompanied with text that follows the story of waiting and anticipation from each dog's perspective. This collection, spanning over 10 years of observing and documenting, is made up of original images capturing the watchful eye of dogs in cars.

Bronstein has been creating photo-based art for the past 20 years. Her photographs have been exhibited, published, and collected throughout the United States and abroad. In addition, her images can be found on numerous CD and book covers, posters and greeting cards, and in advertisements and editorials.

Tuesday, April 29th at 6 pm

Phil Hoose

author of Perfect, Once Removed

Join us for a baseball party to celebrate the paperback release of Phil Hoose's Perfect Once Removed!

Thursday - Saturday, May 15th-17th, 2008

The Maine Festival of the Book

Downtown Portland in Venues Surrounding Monument Square

A certifiable book bonanza!

The Maine Festival of the Book is produced by Maine Reads in cooperation with community organizations across Maine. For more information go to www.mainereads.org!

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books

Email 04.10.08: Reminders & Sunshine

2008-04-10T09:26:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

This morning, with the sun shining and the crickets chirping and little animated bluebirds a-whistling in our ears, Chris and I rolled out the used book cart, left the door open--open!--and went about our business of bookselling.

First Reminder: I know, I know, tomorrow there'll be snow. But today is a glorious day, so find some time to sneak outside.

Second Reminder: We've got some great events coming up, the kind you'll be sorry you missed. So for your sake, you ought not to. Read on the for the details.

EVENTS

Friday, April 11th at 7 pm

Bruce Spang

Author of To The Promised Land Grocery

Local poet Bruce Spang will be here to read from his latest collection of poetry, To The Promised Land Grocery. He is the author of one previous book of poems, The Knot, as well as two chapbooks, Tip End of Time and Once the First Berries Dissolve. Bruce is the Reviews Editor for the Cafe Review and an associate editor for Hunger Mountain. He teaches creative writing and American literature at Scarborough High School, and lives in Falmouth.

Here's another selection to whet your appetite:

Set Aside

The porcelain toilet in a shed,
its bowl shaped like a holy waterfont,
pure white.

A translucent aura
vibrates through the clapboards
like a blessing.

This may not be God's holy temple.

But how lovely.

Wednesday, April 16th at 7 pm

The Telling Room & Space present:

An Evening of Verse featuring Jeffrey Thomson

at Space Gallery, 538 Congress St.

Barbaric yawps and lyrical whispers will pour out onto Congress Street on Wednesday, April 16th as The Telling Room and SPACE prove, once and for all, that poetry is for everyone. The evening will feature a reading by award-winning poet Jeffrey Thomson and begin with a series of community members reading favorite poems--our very own Christopher Bowe among them.

Jeffrey Thomson is the author of four books of poems, including Renovation (CMU Press 2005) and the forthcoming Birdwatching in Wartime (CMU Press 2009). Also forthcoming is a collection of poems translated from Spanish and an anthology of work by emerging poets. An associate professor of creative writing at the University of Maine Farmington, Thomson has won fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Pennsylvania Arts Commission and is the Maine Art Commission's 2008 Literary Arts Fellow.

Thomson will meet with local high school students in a free craft talk at 4:30 p.m on the 16th. Interested students should call The Telling Room at 774-6064 to reserve a seat. Doors will open at SPACE (538 Congress St.) at 6:30 for the 7 p.m. public reading. Tickets for the reading ($5, free for students) will be available at the door or online at www.space538.org. More information about The Telling Room's events and programs for young writers is available at www.tellingroom.org.

Saturday, April 19th at 3 pm

Marcie Jan Bronstein

author of I'll Wait in the Car: Dogs Along for the Ride

Dog lovers, mark your calendars: Photographer Marcie Jan Bronstein will be here to share her new collection, I'll Wait in the Car. More than fifty photographs show dogs of all breeds showing the utmost loyalty--patiently awaiting their owner's return. Each photograph - from humorous to serene - is accompanied with text that follows the story of waiting and anticipation from each dog’s perspective. This collection, spanning over 10 years of observing and documenting, is made up of original images capturing the watchful eye of dogs in cars.

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books

Email 04.01.08: No Joke

2008-04-01T09:25:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

It's no joke: everywhere you look, the change is unmistakable. Look past the decaying corpses of snowbanks and you see crocuses rearing their heads. Ignore the gnashing teeth of the winter wind and there's a hint of warmth in the air. Listen carefully and instead of the slosh and crunch of snow underfoot, you can hear the crack of bats in the distance. I don't want to jinx anything, but something is coming, something we've been waiting for, and it starts with "S" and rhymes with "zpringtime."

In the meantime? If you're sick of watching the ice melt during these blazing 35 degree days, then stop by your local bookstore. You won't have to look far to see what's new and exciting on the shelves these days--you only have to read on!

CONTENTS

- Events -

- New Books -

- Now in Paperback -

- Kid's Books -

- Used Books -

EVENTS

Friday, April 11th at 7 pm

Bruce Spang

Author of To The Promised Land Grocery

Here's a short selection to whet your appetite:

Take Me

on a nail
a whisky broom and
an old key

like the one that
opened the door
to Wonderland

have been hanging
in the empty house
on a white wall for years

there is a door
and the dust of generations
and light that comes
and goes as it pleases.

Wednesday, April 16th at 7 pm

The Telling Room & Space present:

An Evening of Verse featuring Jeffrey Thomson

at Space Gallery, 538 Congress St.

Saturday, April 19th at 3 pm

Marcie Jan Bronstein

author of I'll Wait in the Car: Dogs Along for the Ride

Dog lovers, mark your calendars: Photographer Marcie Jan Bronstein will be here to share her new collection, I'll Wait in the Car. More than fifty photographs show dogs of all breeds showing the utmost loyalty--patiently awaiting their owner's return. Each photograph - from humorous to serene - is accompanied with text that follows the story of waiting and anticipation from each dog’s perspective. This collection, spanning over 10 years of observing and documenting, is made up of original images capturing the watchful eye of dogs in cars.

NEW BOOKS

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (Random House, $25)

The newest book by Strout, the author of Abide with Me, is a collection of linked stories that center on a small coastal town in Maine. The title character is an old junior high teacher--and as she struggles with memories of the past and the uncertainty of the future, Strout creates an honest and intimate picture of the intertwining lives of a family and community at large.

"A heart-wrenching, penetrating portrait of ordinary coastal Mainers living lives of quiet grief intermingled with flashes of human connection. Easy to read and impossible to forget."
-- Publishers Weekly

The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama by Pico Iyer (Knopf, $24)

A long time friend of his father's, Iyer has known the Dalai Lama for 30 years. He uses this unique perspective to compile a portrait of this singular character, and his many roles: religious and political leader, philosopher, monk, scientist, global icon. Ultimately a firsthand look at one of the world's most important figures.

"Pico Iyer has taken on perhaps the hardest subject in the wholeworld to capture on paper: the story of a spiritual/political leader whose greatness is routinely condensed by media accounts into platitudes, and of a movement for both globalized understanding and the salvation of one very particular sliver of land. His account of the Dalai Lama is an undiluted triumph, a book as subtle and moving as any nonfiction produced in recent decades. The planet and its possibilities will look different to you by its close."
-- Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy

Armageddon In Retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut (Putnam, $24.95)

The first compilation of Vonnegut's unpublished work since his death a year ago, Armageddon in Retrospect collects twelve pieces of fiction and nonfiction on the subject of war and peace. He may be gone, but his social critiques are just as timely and his wit just as devastating as ever before.

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach (Norton, $24.95)

Few science writers today can match the unceasing curiosity and highly readable style of Mary Roach. After tackling the dead in Stiff and the afterlife in Spook, Roach pits science versus sex in a battle to understand humanity's most intimate moments. Plenty of absurd historical anecdotes, and reports from the trenches as the battle rages on to answer some of our most puzzling questions--consider that science still doesn't understand something as fundamental as the physiology of arousal and orgasm. Roach serves her science with a thick slice of humor, and this latest work is no exception.

"The passion to know, in the face of censure and propriety, is what advances our understanding of the world. A lively, hilarious and informative look at science's dirty secrets."
-- Kirkus Reviews

Bush's Law: The Remaking of American Justice by Eric Lichtblau (Pantheon, $26.95)

Lichtblau, a Pulitzer prize winning journalist with The New York Times, examines the radical steps the Bush Administration has taken to remake the American justice system. The War on Terror ushered in an unprecedented set of government powers, at odds with the established legal protections of American civil rights. Lichtblau, who has been covering the Justice Department for the duration of the Bush Administration, presents the authoritative story of a new age in American politics.

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (Knopf, $25)

A new short story collection from the author of Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake explores the identity, exile, and maturation of American-raised children from Indian families.

"Lahiri’s enormous gifts as a storyteller are on full display in this collection: the gorgeous, effortless prose; the characters haunted by regret, isolation, loss, and tragedies big and small; and most of all, a quiet, emerging sense of humanity."
-- Khaled Hosseini, author of A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner

NOW IN PAPERBACK

Perfect, Once Removed by Phil Hoose (Walker, $10.95)

Imagine young Phil's surprise when his parents tell him that Don Larsen, THE Don Larsen of the New York Yankees, is Phil's cousin. This has everything you could want in a book about baseball: the fanaticism and love of a young kid, a legendary sports feat (Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series), and genuine excitement that resonates through every age. And it's all true.

"Perfect, Once Removed is about the magic of baseball when the game wraps itself around a boy’s soul."
-- The Boston Globe

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Free Press, $15)

Ali, a Muslim woman born in Somalia, fled to Holland where she became a member of Parliament. Her memoir provides a thrilling account of her life, and a critical examination of Islamic cultures attitudes towards women.

"Ali's autobiography is the winner. She proves herself here a true writer, able to sum up a scene that may be completely foreign to the reader in a way that makes it a living, breathing experience, unforgettably raw and immediate."
-- The Guardian

Without A Map by Meredith Hall (Beacon, $14)

Without a Map is an honest and unsentimental memoir of Hall's turbulent path to adulthood, and the struggle towards solace and peace. A harrowing and unforgettable story.

"Without A Map tells an important and perceptive story about loss, about aloneness and isolation in a time of great need, about a life slowly coming back into focus and the calm that finally emerges. Meredith Hall is a brave new writer who earns our attention."
--Annie Dillard, author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

KID'S BOOKS

Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress by Maria Padian (Knopf, $15.99)

One minute you're a star student and a star athlete, with friends and family you can always count on. What do you do when life lurches upside down, and the world you know starts to slip away? Life, it seems, is a work in progress.

"Forceful and heartwarming, this coming-of-age story examines what happens when old friends are outgrown and loved ones are no longer there to lean on."
--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

Flight Explorer, Vol: 1 edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Villard, $10)

First there was Flight--a series of collections of short graphic fiction, and a showcase for some of the best artists around to tell their stories. Now there's Flight Explorer, which brings the magic of the original collections to a younger generation.

The Big Field by Mike Lupica (Philomel, $17.99)

Mike Lupica, author of Heat and Travel Team, delivers another baseball tale. Hutch has been playing shortstop almost as long as he's been idolizing his dad, a local legend and pro ballplayer. But when Hutch gets displaced by a new hot shot in town (and sees his father making time for the new kid, but not Hutch!), he's forced to learn an important lesson in team work.

"No matter where you grow up, all baseball kids dream about playing on 'the big field.' This is a book not only for baseball fans, it's a story for fathers and sons, too, and about believing in yourself, even in tough times. You're going to root for Hutch in this book as hard as I did."
-- Willie Randolph, manager, New York Mets

The Girls' Book of Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker (Warne, $20)

Part encyclopedia, part storybook, this lush and lavishly illustrated tome details everything you'd want to know about flower fairies: what they look like, where they live, how to find them, details about their lives and culture, even recipes for fairy food and drink! The second half is full of stories, following the fantastic adventures of the flower fairies and their kingdom.

USED BOOKS

The Cheese Book by Vivienne Marquis and Patricia Haskell (Simon & Schuster, 1965) Hardcover, $30.

The only cheese book you ever need, written by obvious cheese lovers--you can practically smell the varieties as they describe them. Includes the history of cheese-making, various famous cheese recipes, and detailed descriptions of the cheeses of the world, organized by taste.
Condition: Excellent

The Countess of Stanlein Restored by Nicholas Delbanco (Verso, 2001) Hardcover, $20.

A history of the Countess of Stanlein Ex Paganini Stradivarius Cello of 1707, one of the best known works of the legendary luthier Antonio Stradivari. The Chicago Tribune calls the author, Delbanco, "as fine a pure prose stylist as any writer living."
Condition: Like New

The Last Night of Earth Poems by Charles Bukowski Paperback, $8.50.

A great, big (400+ pages) collection of Bukowski's poetry. Opening lines: My wrists are rivers/ My fingers are words. Reading through it now reminds me why I ever fell for him in the beginning.
Condition: Good

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books

Email 03.10.08

2008-03-10T09:20:00.000-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

We'd like to bring you a special announcement from our friend Jon at Common Cause Maine. Common Cause is a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting for government accountability. Here's Jon:

Texan activist, author, and commentator Jim Hightower is coming to town! And while he's here, he's helping to support Common Cause Maine!

He’ll amble into Portland on March 16th for two events.

Jim Hightower, a Texan born and bred, is a fiery and funny popular public speaker. Frequently appearing on television and radio programs, Jim brings a hard-hitting populist viewpoint and the credo: "You can fight the gods and still have fun."

You'll have two chances to hear Jim.

Feelin' strapped? Attending his book signing and public talk at 6:30 pm at the Woodfords Congregational Church in Portland will set you back just $15 if you register in advance (plus the cost of a book if you decide to buy one). Register here for the book signing event. Admission will go up to $20 on the day of the event.

Feelin' flush? Then mosey on over to Zero Station Gallery at 5:00 pm for a fundraising reception. There will be food, good company, and a chance to meet and talk with Jim personally. Tickets are $75 which includes a signed copy of the book, Swim Against the Current: Even a Dead Fish Can Go with the Flow. We can't promise Tex-Mex barbecue but there will good food, a bunch of interestin' folk, and Jim of course. Please RSVP for the reception by clicking here.

Also speaking at these events is Common Cause President Bob Edgar. Bob isn't a Texan or a Mainer, but that's ok. Seriously though, Bob comes to us with a long history of leadership and public service that included 12 years in Congress. He was the general secretary of the National Council of the Churches for seven years immediately before becoming Common Cause President. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1974 to represent the seventh congressional district of Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia, Bob was part of the congressional class nicknamed "the Watergate babies," those elected in the wake of the Watergate scandal and who led sweeping reforms of Congress. This man has stories to tell!

While at these events, git down to the alternative-folk band, the Toughcats, from North Haven.

Thanks for all you do, and I hope to see you on March 16th!

Sincerely,

Jon Bartholomew

Common Cause

Us again: if you'd like to know more about Common Cause, check out their website at www.commoncause.org.

Yours in Books,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books

Email 03.07.08

2008-03-07T09:16:00.000-05:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

When the going gets tough, when tense topics arise, when the tough are seen heading for the hills, who are you going to call? Shaft? Ghostbusters? Why, your friendly neighborhood booksellers, of course.

We handle the hard stuff fearlessly. When you have questions, we know just where to lead you. Such is the marvel of books! Books are a vessel for digging down deep into the stuff of life, or exploring and expounding on ideas that call out to be heard. Books are a way to share knowledge, to share opinions, to share understanding of our world and ourselves.

And the tough stuff? No sweat. This time around we're tracing murders, and following murderers searching for salvation. We're peaking inside the Pentagon's "black box" of secrets, with a little help from a friend. We're taking a close look at the wars of future, and the survivors of wars past. Bigger than that, you say? How about a good long look at our planet and where it's headed? Bill McKibben and Alex Steffen have some ideas for you. Bigger still? How about the distant future, not just of our planet but of many planets, not just our future but many futures? I know a certain Mr. Bradbury has a little something to say on the matter.

Such is the limitless scope of literature.

CONTENTS

- New Books -

- Now in Paperback -

- Used Books -

NEW BOOKS

I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have To Be Destroyed By Me by Trevor Paglen (Melville House, $22.95)

A strange and unique book. After years of hunting and petitioning the government via the Freedom of Information Act, Paglen, author of Torture Taxi, has amassed a collection of military patches--emblems that often represent the only available information on so many secret "black world" military projects. Often cryptic (though Paglen does his best to decipher the symbolism where he can), and surprisingly funny. A must see collection.

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult (Atria, $26.95)

Eleven years after being convicted of a double murder, Shay Bourne sits on Death Row aiming for salvation. The sister of his victim needs a heart transplant, and Shay volunteers. Picoult delves deep into complex family dynamics, prisoner's rights, religion and ultimately, life and death.

"No reader can possibly forsee the book's stunning denouement. This is vintage Picoult, expertly crafted, thought-provoking, and compelling." - Entertainment Weekly

McSweeney's Quarterly Concern #26 (McSweeney's, $24)

It's no surprise that McSweeney's latest issue has a little bit of everything. This time, it is a three-part issue on War. Two small collections (New Stories from Overseas, New Stories from Our Shores) done in the style of pocket sized WWII-era Armed Service Editions, and a frightening but well-sourced volume entitled: Where To Invade Next, which provides detailed profiles of the War on Terror's likely future targets. I admit it: reading this one makes me sweat a little.

NOW IN PAPERBACK

WorldChanging: A Users Guide for the 21st Century by Alex Steffen (Abrams, $19.95)

This book is a groundbreaking compendium of the most innovative solutions, ideas and inventions emerging today for building a sustainable, livable, prosperous future. From consumer consciousness to a new vision for industry; non-toxic homes to refugee shelters; microfinance to effective philanthropy; socially responsible investing to starting a green business; citizen media to human rights; ecological economics to climate change, this is the most comprehensive, cutting-edge overview to date of what's possible in the near future -- if we decide to make it so.

"The Whole Earth Catalog retooled for the iPod generation ... [Their book] is a compendium of everything a younger generation of environmental activists has to offer: creativity, digital dexterity, networking ability, an Internet-era optimism about the future, and a deep concern about not only green issues but related questions of human rights, poverty, and social justice. – Bill McKibben, The New York Review of Books

"Reads like a smart, hip mini-encyclopedia of what's new and what's next in green technologies and earth-conscious ideas." – Business Week

Deep Economy by Bill McKibben (Holt, $14.00)

Challenging the prevailing wisdom that the goal of economies should be unlimited growth, McKibben argues that the world doesn't have enough natural resources to sustain endless economic expansion. Rather then promoting accelerated cycles of economic expansion—-a mindset that has brought the world to the brink of environmental disaster—-we should concentrate on creating localized economies: community-scale power systems instead of huge centralized power plants; co-housing communities instead of sprawling suburbs. McKibben's proposals for new, less growth-centered ways of thinking about economics are intriguing, and offer hope that change is possible.

"The cult of growth and globalization has seldom been so effectively challenged as by Bill McKibben in Deep Economy. But this bracing tonic of a book also throws the bright light of McKibben's matchless journalism on the vibrant local economies now springing up like mushrooms in the shadow of globalization. Deep Economy fills you with a hope and a sense of fresh possibility." — Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma

Lost City Radio by Daniel Alarcon (Harper Perennial, $13.95)

In a war-torn and unnamed South American country, a radio broadcast unites the the scattered masses, announcing the names of those who have been lost, and those who have "disappeared". The show's host, Norma, lost her husband Rey a decade previous--thought him lost, that is, until a young boy arrives from a distant village bearing a list of names, and a clue about Rey's fate. Granta named Daniel Alarcon one of the Best American Novelists under 35. Lost City Radio is his first novel.

"Alarcon has mapped a whole nation and given its war-torn history real depth--an impressive feat." - Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

"With images of astonishing originality, Daniel Alarcon creates a universe both menacing and tender, filled with characters imagined with skill and nuance. The scope of the narrative and the sense of urgency in the story make clear that he is one of the most exciting and ambitious writers to emerge in recent years." - Colm Toibin, author of The Master

USED BOOKS

The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs Hardcover, $9.00

The chronicle of Jacobs' attempt to live in strict accordance with all of the rules in the Bible for one year.

Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris Hardcover, $6.00

The second book by the author of The End of Faith is a fiercely reasoned treatise on religion and faith. A potent little book that is sure to challenge.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson Paperback, $7.50

The author of A Walk in the Woods remembers growing up in the 1950s, and his super alter-ego, the Thunderbolt Kid.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Hardcover, $6.00

“Brilliant and hugely ambitious...It’s the kind of book that can be life-changing, because without ever denying the essential amorality and randomness of the natural order, The Book Thief offers us a believable hard-won hope." - The New York Times

World War Z by Max Brooks Paperback, $7.50

Say, do you remember when the world was very nearly overrun by flesh-eating armies of living dead? If your memory is a little fuzzy, Brooks' in-depth oral history will help fill in the blanks for you.

Ray Bradbury! Six assorted paperback volumes, $1.00 each.

Cool old mass market editions of six short story collections: The Toynbee Convector, I Sing the Body Electric!, A Medicine for Melancholy, The October Country, The Golden Apples of the Sun, and R is for Rocket. Bradbury, author of such classics as Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles, is widely regarded as one of the greatest SciFi writers of all time. For a dollar or two, find out why.

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books

Email 02.25.08

2008-02-25T14:31:00.000-05:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

Where would Hollywood be without books? The Oscars were overflowing with films that would not exist without the book. Books like No Country for Old Men, Atonement, Persepolis, Oil! (There Will Be Blood), and Charlie Wilson's War. Hollywood, the golden calf of the entertainment universe, is heavily dependent on books, the orphan step-child of the entertainment world. Authors, books and booksellers play second fiddle to the likes of the Coen Brothers, George Clooney, Johnny Depp and Cate Blanchett!

But wait a minute, the 2008 Oscars were the least watched in history! And I bet I know why; everybody was home reading. Yep, that's right. Families curled up on the couch reading passages aloud from Cormac McCarthy. Mothers, arms holding tightly to little ones as Dad reads entries from Into the Wild. The troubled teens over in the corner gasping over the rich drawings in Persepolis. And on his rocker, Granpa slapping his knee and laughing over the exploits of that crazy sonbitch, Charlie Wilson.

Where would we be without books? Well, we'd be out of work. And you, patrons of the independents, would be lonely and bored with glazed eyes and bespittled lips. How fortunate that you and I are here, eyes bright and minds sharp.

NEW BOOKS

"The Bush Tragedy is political drama, family history, and psychological insight in dazzling combination. If you read one book about George W. Bush and his presidency, this should be it." --Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point and Blink

"This is a terrific piece of political analysis that opens a window into the brain of George W. Bush. Who would have thought the view could be so interesting?" --Michael Lewis, author of The Blind Side

The Bush Tragedy by Jacob Weisberg (Random House, $26)

Jacob Weisberg is the editor in chief of Slate. He previously worked for The New Republic and was a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, a contributing editor to Vanity Fair, and a columnist for the Financial Times. Weisberg is also the inventor of the "Bushisms" series.

"Precisely because he does not think George W. Bush is a joke, Jacob Weisberg has been able to write a very witty and deeply penetrating profile of him." --Christopher Hitchens, author of God Is Not Great

"If you've been scratching your head trying to figure out how we could have gotten into this mess, The Bush Tragedy lays it all out clearly and boldly. Weisberg has written a hell of a book." --Ben Bradlee, vice president at large, The Washington Post

Now in Paperback

Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris (Back Bay, $13.99)

Ferris' debut novel, a finalist for the National Book Award and named one of the Ten Best Books of the Year by The New York Times, is set amidst the cubicled landscape of a Chicago ad agency. A memorable cast of characters fights to stay afloat as the internet bubble slowly deflates around them. Hilarity ensues.

"A truly affecting novel about work, trust, love, and loneliness." --Seattle Times

"Ferris brilliantly captures the fishbowl quality of office life... a masterwork of pitch and tone." --New Yorker

page 109:

Karen leaned forward on the sofa and turned to Larry in his recliner, his eyes hard to see under the arched canopy of his Cubs cap. He was wearing one of his boring flannel shirts. They had a stare-down. Karen and Larry didn't get on because Larry was an Art Director and Karen a Senior Art Director and titles meant everything. Every AD wanted to be a SAD. If you were a SAD you had your eyes on becoming an Acker. Acker was our phonetic translation of Associate Creative Director. Ackers wanted to be Creetors (Creative Directors), and every Creetor envied the Eveeps. You could either be a Creveep (Creative Executive Vice President) or an Ackveep (Account Services Executive Vice President), but both species hoped equally to be invited one day into partnership. What the partners dreamed of was the stuff of Magellan, da Gama, Columbus, et al.
The point was we took this shit very seriously.

This Is A Bust by Ed Lin (Kaya, $14.95) a paperback original

New York City, 1976. Beat cop Robert Chow is being used as the Chinese face of the boys in blue, and though he's desperate to become a detective, the brass has him on a strict regimen of canned appearances at community events. When Chow suspects a murder and no one pays him any mind, he's forced to take matters into his own hands. Part noir tribute, part murder mystery, part historical portrait of a cultural landscape, all awesome.

"Rich with political intrigue and a cultural landscape acutely alive, This Is A Bust takes the reader on a journey few are priviledged to know. With merciless grace and raw insight, Lin conveys the underbelly of Chinatown, New York in the mid 1970s. Dark, beautiful, and humorous and not to be missed." --Debra Magpie Earling, author of Perma Red

page 14:

Bruce Lee was dead.
Vietnam was going to be completely communist. It was just a matter of signing the papers. That situation didn't go over well with the NYPD, either. Apart from having to deal with war protests, a lot of cops and their brothers, fathers, and cousins were walking around carrying gook shrapnel, if they were still walking.
You can imagine what they thought about me. They didn't know that I had fought on their side.
My name is Robert Chow. I had grown up in Chinatown before it became my beat. And it was the last place in the goddamned world I wanted to be.

Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepard (SB, $13.95) a paperback original

Young Adam Shepard, fresh out of college and struggling to find meaning in his life, decides to see for himself if the American Dream still lives. With a sleeping bag, the clothes on his back, and $25 in his pocket, he is dropped off in a random city where he must find and build a new life. This book is one man's answer to Nickel and Dimed. Fascinating and ultimately full of hope, Scratch Beginnings is an excellent examination of work, homelessness and determination.

page 1:

My mom is nervous. My pops seems more excited about it than I am. My brother anxiously awaits my departure so he can take possession of my bed and all of my clothes after I leave.
My friend Sana is stimulated by curiosity, while Matt thinks I may have simply gone mad.
And maybe he is right. I am very frustrated.
I am frustrated with the whining and complaining.
Frustrated with the materialistic individualism that seems to be shaping every thirteen-year-old to be the next teen diva.
Frustrated with the lethargy and lack of drive.

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson (Hyperion, $18.99)

forward by Hank Aaron

I could (and would) sit down and look at this book for hours if it were only Nelson's breathtaking paintings and portraits of old time Negro League players. It's not, of course; it's also a wildly compelling account of the characters and the stories that have survived, recast in We Are The Ship as richly and vibrantly as if time were standing still. This is the real history of baseball, an undeniable slice of the history of our country, and thanks to Kadir Nelson, one we won't soon forget.

"Along with being absolutely riveted by the art, readers will come away with a good picture of the Negro Leaguers' distinctive style of play, as well as an idea of how their excellence challenged the racial attitudes of both their sport and their times." --Kirkus, starred review

"With his glorious paintings of baseball greats and grand ball parks (many no longer standing), [Nelson] makes readers feel as if they are along on a history-making journey. --Shelf Awareness

"We are the ship; all else the sea." --Rube Foster, Founder of the Negro National League

USED BOOKS

On the Cheap

Songbook by Nick Hornby Paperback, $6.50.

Nick Hornby takes on popular music in 31 eloquent, compulsively readable essays on 31 of his favorite songs. Must reads for fans of Hornby, Music, or Writing. Basically everyone, I guess.

International Meat Crisis by Vance Ferrell Paperback, $5.

One of the strangest books I've seen in a while. A short and fact-filled (with copious references!) history of the meat industry. The best part is the slightly pixelated, slightly unnerving background image of ground meat on the cover.

For the Vaults

Songbook by Nick Hornby (McSweeneys, 2002) Hardcover, $150.

This edition is a lot like the one above... except it's hardcover, beautiful, and quite rare. Also, it comes with a CD featuring all the songs Hornby writes about. First Edition.

Condition: Excellent.

God and Man at Yale by William F. Buckley, Jr. (Henry Regnery, 1951) Hardcover, $50.

Before he became the spokesperson for an entire ideology, young Billy Buckley was a standout student at Yale. After graduation he wrote his first book, about the "superstitions of academic freedom". During the writing of this newsletter, Mr. Buckley passed away at the age of 82. You can read his obituary in The New York Times online. First Edition, fifth printing.

Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket: Not So Good.

In Books We Trust,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books

Email 02.15.08

2008-02-15T12:23:00.000-05:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

"The time has come," The Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and
sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have
wings."

EVENTS

Thursday, February 21st at 7 pm
Duane Robert Pierson
Author of Field of Wildflowers with Girl: poetry of love, romance, and related confusion

Join us next Thursday for an evening of verse. Local poet Duane Pierson has just published his fifth volume of poetry, Field of Wildflowers with Girl. The new book is a reflection on Love and its inevitable partner in crime, Confusion. Duane writes from the mind and the heart, and the result is a collection of verse both eloquent and impassioned.

"These carefully crafted poems have a lot of sadness, but also celebrate the many loves long gone. This is a book that will appeal to both young and mature readers who appreciate fine poetry full of feeling." -- Alice Persons, Moon Pie Press

Duane will be accompanied that evening by local actor and playwright Daniel Noel, and the pair will read selections from this and Pierson's other works, including When Young Men Die and On Reviving a Lost Revolution.

And now a sampling from the new book:

In Oblivion

Forgotten romances
lie scattered across the years
like the faded blossoms
seen in old prints
that begot
forgotten fruit.
All that remains
along lakeside walks
on moss covered rocks
are long dried tears.

THE NEW WEIRD

Local artist Mike Libby does incredible things with bugs. Strange, beautiful, slightly unnerving, remarkable things. To see just what I'm talking about, you can check out his website at www.insectlabstudio.com, or stop by the store, where we have several of Mike's mechanical wonders on display.

His work has also been featured in the New York Times, Playboy, PortCityLife and Portland Magazine. Most recently, his creations have been used as the jacket art on a new and equally unique anthology of fiction called The New Weird.

The New Weird edited by Ann & Jeff Vandermeer (Tachyon, $14.95)

So what is the New Weird, exactly? A new genre of fiction, or is it a sub-genre of other fiction? Is it Sci-fi, or Fantasy? Modern Horror, or Cyberpunk? The truth is, New Weird is all of the above...and none of the above. Let's try it again.

Once upon a time there was Jules Verne. I can't remember who begat him, but we've got to start somewhere. Verne begat H.G. Wells, Wells begat H.P. Lovecraft, Lovecraft begat Ray Bradbury, Bradbury begat Philip K. Dick, Dick begat William Gibson, Gibson begat China Mieville, Mieville begat... well, somewhere along the way New Weird was born, small but glorious, similar but distinct from its brethren.

What we do know: this new anthology is full of authors and critics exploring this very question through both fiction and nonfiction. It draws on the traditions of science fiction, fantasy and horror, with a distinctly literary and experimental bent. It's out there on the cutting edge, and perhaps we won't know just where New Weird stands until history can shed some light on it. It's new, it's different, and yeah, it's a little weird.

USED BOOKS!

Give us your tired, your used,
Your once-loved titles yearning to be read once more,
The wretched refuse of a shelf, perused.
Bring these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to our door.
You'll get store credit and they'll be reused!

We've been selling used books for a while now, but it's time we let them share in the email-limelight. First, a reminder that we offer store credit for used books--YOUR used books. So clean off those shelves, and bring in your books by the box or bagful. For more information about what we're looking for, drop us a line at info@longfellowbooks.com, or just reply to this email.

To let our collection of used titles further bask in this electronic glory, here's a few recent additions we'd like to highlight:

On the Cheap:

The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving (Dutton, 1981) Hardcover, $6.
Irving's written many a fine novel, and this one is no exception. If you liked The World According to Garp, or A Prayer for Owen Meany, then try this one: the story of the Berrys, their five children, their pet bear, and the pursuit of a dream.
Book: Excellent. Dust jacket: Excellent.

Among Schoolchildren by Tracy Kidder (Houghton Mifflin, 1989) Hardcover, $5.
Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Kidder's memorable account of one Mrs. Zajac--a fifth grade teacher--and a year among her students. A unique portrayal of American education.
Book: Very Good. Dust jacket: Worn, minor tear.

The Black Death by Philip Ziegler (Sutton, 1991) Hardcover, $7.
An illustrated and in-depth history of the Bubonic Plague, and its spread and effect on 14th Century Europe. Period illustrations and extensive bibliography.

Book: Very Good. Dust Jacket: Slight wear.

For the Vaults:

Charm in Motion: A Collection of Mobiles by Takumi Shinagawa (Japan, 1970) Hardcover, $50.
A pictorial guide to the hanging work of Japanese artist Takumi Shinagawa. He explains how to create and assemble a wide array of intricate mobiles. First Edition.
Book: Very Good. Dust Jacket: Slight wear.

Design Your Own Dress Patterns by Adele P. Margolis (Doubleday, 1971) Hardcover, $50.
An aptly titled book on pattern design for the amateur dressmaker. Clear, concise instructions with step-by-step illustrations.
Book:
Very Good. Dust jacket: Good, price clipped.

Pablo Picasso by Wilhelm Boeck & Jaime Sabartes (Abrams, 1955) Hardcover, $150.
500+ pages, extensive texts detailing the artists life and work, as well as over 600 illustrations, including forty handtipped color plates. A beautiful, beautiful book. First Edition.
Book: Excellent. Dust jacket: Excellent.

Yours In Books,

Chris & Co.
Longfellow Books

Email 02.06.08

2008-02-06T12:22:00.000-05:00

Greetings Dear Readers,

The weather-folk might be calling it a "wintry mix," but I assure you, it is love that's in the air. We can't do much about the weather - believe me, we've tried - but we can provide you with the book, the card, or even the chocolate bar that best expresses those murky feelings called Love. Let your loved ones know just how you feel (and let us do all the work!)

Notable Happenings

Thursday, February 7th at 7pm

Jaed Coffin

author of A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants

Join us Thursday evening as we celebrate the publication of local author Jaed Coffin's debut memoir. He's been a boxer and a Buddhist monk, lived in Brunswick, Maine and Panomsarakram, Thailand, and lucky for us, he's also a hell of a writer. His new book, A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants, tells the story. At age 21, Jaed, a half-Thai American, left his school and his home to travel across the world to his mother's native village in Thailand. In an effort to reconnect with his cultural heritage, he followed in family tradition and was ordained as a Buddhist monk. There he discovered an entirely different way of life, and found himself at a crossroads of identity, forced to choose which path to embrace.

Jaed Coffin is a Brunswick native and a graduate of USM's Stonecoast MFA program. In addition to his time spent as a boxer and a monk (not to mention writer), Jaed has also worked as a sea kayak guide and a lobsterman.

"Jaed Coffin takes us on the eternal quest which Joseph Campbell described as the journey of the hero in search of enlightenment. But A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants is also a touching memoir of growing up in dual cultures with a foot in both First and Third Worlds. Coffin takes us inside those worlds and on that quest with such honesty, skill, humor, and intimacy that we can't help but follow." - Julia Alvarez, author of How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

"Jaed Coffin is not only a writer to watch... he's a writer who has already achieved that rare thing: a singular voice, and one that satisfies the ear with its quiet music, that feeds the eye with image after image of life." - Jay Parini, author of Robert Frost: A Life

From our friends at Portland Stage Co.:

Monday, February 11th at 7pm

Love is All: An Evening of Romance and More

at Portland Stage Company

25a Forest Avenue

What better way is there to get in the mood for Valentine's? Love takes center stage as the PSC Affiliate Artists perform a compilation of short readings, spanning music, literature and theater, all of which celebrate the many faces of love--from the comedic to the beautiful and everything in between!

There is a $5 suggested donation, but admission is pay-what-you-can. For more information about this or any of Portland Stage's upcoming events, you can reach them at 774-1043, or on the web at www.portlandstage.com.

Speaking of love... it's that time of year again, when the Portland Phoenix puts out the call to our city's esteemed citizenry: What ARE the best parts of Portland?

Go online today - Click here to cast your vote! - and give your favorite places the love they deserve. With nearly 100 categories to highlight everything from Best Organic Produce to Best Non-Profit Group to Best Jukebox, there's a spot for every love in your life. You can vote for one category or all the categories, but you only have until February 10th. Spread the love before it's too late.

Yours in Books,

Chris & Co.

Longfellow Books