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Long time, no things! We're excited to dive into the random topics on our minds lately, from shows we're watching, movie news, the celebrity quiz we're positive you didn't see coming, and more! Becca's Things Casual Viewing Content (inspired by this N+1 Article), specifically The Night Agent and Running Point Applying body lotion (Olivia thinks the Necessaire Body Serum is worth a try!) Are you a Bird or a Potato? Olivia's Things Project Hail Mary Movie News at Cinemacon Your Favorite Bookstores! (Becca's - McNally Jackson, Books are Magic, East City Bookshop, Beacon Hill Books, Trident Booksellers, Powell's, Back Cove Books | Olivia - Buxton Village Books, Daunt Books, Rare Birds Books, Kinderhook Books, McNally Jackson, Tombolo Books) Pinterest Feed Tours Obsessions Olivia - Pen Pals Podcast Becca - Learning French (on Duolingo) What we read this week Becca - Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall, Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (Out April 22), Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley Olivia - This Month's Book Club Pick - Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call in at 843-405-3157 or email us a voice memo at badonpaperpodcast@gmail.com) Sponsors Quince - Go to Quince.com/bop for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order. Wayfair - Shop the best selection of home improvement online at Wayfair.com Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more! Buy our Merch! Join our Geneva! Order Olivia's Book, Such a Bad Influence! Subscribe to Olivia's Newsletter! Order Becca's Book, The Christmas Orphans Club! Subscribe to Becca's Newsletter! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Olivia on Instagram @oliviamuenter and Becca @beccamfreeman.
SUBCRIBE TO READING THE CITYOrder Tyler Wetherall's novel AmphibianAbout Reading the City "Reading the City" is a weekly newsletter of bookish events in and around NYC, a weekly diary of upcoming New York literary life on a need-to-know basis. No long blurbs, no reviews, just book events of all stripes. "Reading the City" links to the author's books, website, or social pages when possible. Tyler Wetherall, the founder and editor, is a believer in the power of the literary community to raise each other up, champion one another, and help make the site an inclusive and welcoming space for all writers and readers. Tyler Wetherall is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and teacher, and the author of No Way Home: A Memoir of Life on the Run (St. Martin's Press) and Amphibian (forthcoming from Virago). She arrived in New York from London in 2014, knowing just three people. She carried with her a manuscript she had written alone in a Victorian outhouse at the end of her mother's garden in Devon. Her entire experience of the writerly life thus far was solitary—and pretty cold. She found herself in a very special place called the Oracle Club (RIP) in Long Island City, and there she met real life authors for the first time. After staying up late and talking craft, drinking gin, and playing records, or reading poetry and howling into the night, she had found her community, and through that community the practical and intellectual resources she needed to become an author myself. Photo credit: Sammy DeighElizabeth Howard, Producer and Host of the Short Fuse Podcast Elizabeth Howard is the producer and host of the Short Fuse Podcast, conversations with artists, writers, musicians, and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change. Her articles related to communication and marketing have appeared in European Communications, Investor Relations, Law Firm Marketing & Profit Report, Communication World, The Strategist, and the New York Law Journal, among others. Her books include Queen Anne's Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David Godine, 2015) and Ned O'Gorman: A Glance Back (Easton Studio Press, 2016). She leads reading groups at the Center for Fiction in Brooklyn, New York. @elizh24 on InstagramThe Arts Fuse The Arts Fuse was established in June, 2007 as a curated, independent online arts magazine dedicated to publishing in-depth criticism, along with high quality previews, interviews, and commentaries. The publication's over 70 freelance critics (many of them with decades of experience) cover dance, film, food, literature, music, television, theater, video games, and visual arts. There is a robust readership for arts coverage that believes that culture matters.The goal of The Arts Fuse is to treat the arts seriously, to write about them in the same way that other publications cover politics, sports, and business — with professionalism, thoughtfulness, and considerable attitude. The magazine's motto, from Jonathan Swift, sums up our editorial stance: “Use the point of your pen … not the feather.” The Arts Fuse has published over 7,000 articles and receives 60,000+ visits a month. This year they are celebrating their 5th birthday, a milestone for a small, independent magazine dedicated to covering the arts.Why The Arts Fuse? Its birth was a reaction to the declining arts coverage in newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. When the number of news pages shrink in the mainstream media, attention is paid. But the continual whittling down of arts coverage has been passed over in silence. Editor-in-Chief Bill Marx started the magazine to preserve the craft of professional arts criticism online, while also looking at new and innovative ways to evolve the cultural conversation and bring together critics, readers, and artists.Serious criticism, by talking about the strengths, weaknesses, and contributions of the arts, plays an indispensable role in the cultural ecology. Smaller, newer organizations need a response. When they are ignored as they are by the mainstream media, they fail to gain an audience. And without an audience, they fold, further weakening the entire ecosystem.Assist The Arts Fuse in their mission: to keep arts and culture hale and hearty through dialogue rather than marketing.SUBSCRIBE to the weekly e-newsletterLIKE The Arts Fuse on Facebook, FOLLOW on TwitterHELP The Arts Fuse thrive by providing underwriting for the magazine. Even better — make a tax deductible donation.
In this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Niobe Way about her new book, Rebels with a Cause, which expands on her earlier work about boys and friendships. Niobe explores "boy culture," a term she uses to describe the privileging of stereotypically masculine qualities over feminine ones. As she discusses, this creates a crisis of connection for everyone, not just boys and men. Niobe further emphasizes that "hard" and "soft" skills are equally important for being a full human, and should stop being gendered. She also discusses how this cultural imbalance regarding skills affects parenting, research, and societal issues. She encourages parents to foster emotional sensitivity and perspective-taking in their children and to model self-reflection and curiosity. Additionally, Niobe emphasizes the importance of prioritizing relationships and listening to others. Please join Dr. Way for her book launch of Rebels with a Cause on July 9th at McNally Jackson, Seaport, 4 Fulton Street, New York, NY at 6:30pm. RSVP
We're heading back to our time in New York, and bringing you an episode of Poppin' Off with New York City bookseller, Dog Pack subscriber, friend of Rachel, the incredible Pedro Ramirez. Pedro brings wonderful insight to the book world of New York and offers fantastic reading recommendations. Bubbles were popped, and laughs were had. Thank you to Pedro and Lindsay for joining us on this special Bubbles & Books episode. In this episode, Pedro mentions a poem called "Sporting Life" from Adrian Matejka's poetry collection, "The Big Smoke". You can find the poem online here. Check out what Pedro had to say about this book as one of his staff picks at McNally Jackson here. You can find Pedro on Instagram at @prettymuchbooks Please make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE. Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com
Anna Biller @msannabiller became a hero with The Love Witch a few years ago. @reunion has the pleasure of celebrating her follow up on Tuesday with a launch party for her debut novel Bluebeard's Castle. It came about as a pseudo happy accident, when pandemic stalled film development, but as Anna explains, the novel form allowed her to represent the characters' internal feelings in ways her films never allowed. The book, like Love Witch, is beyond camp. Her work is pretty peerless. We tried to find comps out there, but her mission is tall order. Lots of people do kitsch. Lots do social commentary. Lots do throwbacks. Not sure who combines these (and many more) formal influences and pursuits, in a way that entirely lands. Anna's one of my favorite thinkers period, so it's a pleasure to talk to her, and I can't wait for Tuesday. Come join us at Maxwell Social cohosted by McNally Jackson and Verso Books. https://reunionannabiller101023.splashthat.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teawithsg/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teawithsg/support
Notes and Links to Ursula Villarreal-Moura's Work For Episode 207, Pete welcomes Ursula Villarreal-Moura, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early San Antonio Spurs' education, her omnivorous reading habits, particularly in her childhood, a formative writing contest and reading event, her transitioning from poetry to short stories and flash fiction, and salient themes addressed in her collection, including mental health issues, trauma, delusion, ideas of identity and self-perception, and imagination and story. Ursula Villarreal-Moura is the author of Math for the Self-Crippling (2022), selected by Zinzi Clemmons as the Gold Line Press fiction contest winner, and Like Happiness (Celadon Books, 2024). A graduate of Middlebury College, she received her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and was a VONA/Voices fellow. Her stories, essays, and reviews have appeared in numerous magazines including Tin House, Catapult, Prairie Schooner, Midnight Breakfast, Washington Square, Story, Bennington Review, Wigleaf Top 50, and Gulf Coast. She contributed to Forward: 21st Century Flash Fiction, a flash anthology by writers of color, and in 2012, she won the CutBank Big Fish Flash Fiction/Prose Poetry Contest. Her writing has been nominated for Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions, a Pushcart Prize, and longlisted for Best American Short Stories 2015. Ursula Villarreal-Moura's Website Buy Math for the Self-Crippling Interview in Tri-Quarterly At about 2:20, Ursula shares her love of the Spurs and the ways in which the Spurs culture was infused in her schooling At about 5:00, Ursula talks about the ways in which she became an omnivorous reader, and how a Judy Blume book really flipped the reading switch At about 7:10, Ursula describes her first writing as “exotic,” including stories set in boarding schools At about 10:00, Ursula describes being “receptive” and maybe not as “expressive” in Spanish, and ideas of representations, including as an “Ursula” At about 13:30, Ursula talks about the “beautiful readings” she witnessed from Sandra Cisneros and the big impact At about 15:30, Ursula talks about the beginnings of her writing and writing career, including a memorable writing contest that she placed well in at a young age At about 20:55, Ursula responds to Pete's questions about genre and how Ursula sees her work in terms of flash fiction, short stories, poetry, etc. At about 23:45, Ursula describes short stories, including from Denis Johnson, Roberto Bolaño, Jeffrey Eugenides, Sandra Cisneros, Donald Barthelme, Tobias Wolff, and Amy Bloom that inspired her At about 26:00, Ursula At about 27:00, Ursula speaks to the idea that her work, like that of many women, is more likely assumed to be autobiographical At about 27:50, Ursula answers Pete's questions about the chronology of her book, and she describes how much of it was written in the library At about 29:35, Pete cites the collection's first story in asking Ursula about ideas of truth in storytelling and imagination At about 31:00, Ursula and Pete shout out past guest Oscar Hokeah's Calling for a Blanket Dance and an example of things being “true but unreal” At about 32:35, Pete cites an example of a story having to do with self-discovery and personas, and Ursula expands upon these ideas At about 33:55, The two reflect on the power of a story about mental health and Sophia Loren At about 36:20, Ursula reflects on meanings for the book's title, and Pete cites a Cherry Valance example from The Outsiders in connection to ruminations on seemingly life-changing experiences At about 39:30, Ursula reflects on the narrator's disappointment and despair after a nonchalant comment from a possible boyfriend At about 41:50, Ursula describes the ways in which therapy is featured in the book and differing ways in which it can be delivered in the real world At about 43:00, Ursula expands on items of “totems” At about 45:00, Pete highlights an important quote about “the power of suggestion” and Ursula describes how real-life events and ideas of “delusion” inspired a story in her collection At about 45:52-Ursula's cat makes an appearance! At about 47:10, Ideas of trauma affecting adult experiences and relationships is discussed At about 50:55, The two reflect on ideas of observers and how Ursula skillfully uses second and third-person At about 52:25, Ursula shares exciting new projects At about 54:50, Ursula gives out contact info and social media info and recommends Bookshop.org, Powell's, and McNally-Jackson as places to buy her book You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode. Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form. The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com. Please tune in for Episode 208 with Sowmya Krishnamurthy, a music journalist and pop culture expert whose work can be found in publications like Rolling Stone, Billboard, XXL, and Time. Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion comes out on October 10, which is the date the book will be published! Also, look out for a late October/early November print conversation with me and Sowmya that will be in Chicago Review of Books. Again, this episode will air on October 10.
Show Notes: Jane's local bookstore: McNally Jackson, Seaport location May release: On Fire Island On Fire Island Spotify playlist Her first book was translated in ten languages Sold first screenplay (optioned three times; never made the film) Fired from own idea (reworked it 10 times) Eliza Starts A Rumor optioned by NBC (someone else is writing T.V. show) Nine Women One Dress (novels get made into movies faster than screenplays do); has been optioned twice. On Fire Island was a script first and then novel. "Novice" = when you write a screenplay and add descriptions of place and characters; that's some else's job. Phoebe Cates (Kevin Kline's wife) is first reader Wants to try write stage play. One book a year, so it'll have to wait. Writing books is best thing to do during a writer's strike. "Chat GPT didn't go to fat camp." (Favorite picket sign.) Crafting the perfect sentence feels really good. It's fun to write a metaphor. It's my own, as opposed to the screenplay which isn't yours anymore. Chaos creates a distraction lets me think. Write first rough with noise. Editing needs quiet. (For the polish.) Start early morning (no minutia) can do for hours. Use the clear mind. Map out the story on notecards but then don't look at them again. Woman's life falls apart trope (Seven Summer Weekends takes place back on Fire Island.) Map out the story on notecards but then don't look at them again. Woman's life falls apart trope (Seven Summer Weekends takes place back on Fire Island.)
Si es tu primera vez aquí. O si ya has estado, pero como si lo fuera. Te mando esta postal sonora de Nueva York desde el SoHo. A los neoyorquinos les encanta inventar palabras acortando un puñado de ellas: TriBeCa es Triangle Below Canal (el triángulo que forman las calles debajo de Canal Street), Dumbo es Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass (la parte de Brooklyn que está debajo del Puente de Manhattan), NoLiTa es North of Little Italy (el barrio al norte de la Pequeña Italia) y SoHo es South Houston (al sur de la calle Houston). Pero lo curioso de este barrio no es el acrónimo, sino la manera que tienen aquí de pronunciar la ciudad más poblada del estado de Texas. En cualquier contexto sería «Jiuston» pero, cuando esa palabra está asociada a la calle neoyorquina es «Jauston». Así que Houston Street no es «Jiuston Street», sino «Jauston Street». Ir a la deriva de sus calles un domingo por la mañana te puede traer a tierra firme o llevarte mar adentro. Esta vez la playa en la que encallo es McNally Jackson, una de mis librerías favoritas. Pero el SoHo es algo más que un acrónimo. El SoHo es esa ex que se lleva un libro y nunca te lo devuelve. No sabes a quién reclamar. Ni siquiera sabes si hay derecho a reclamar. Tienes dos opciones: o tirar de estoicismo y comprarte otro o tirar de estoicismo y no comprarte otro. El SoHo es cuestión de estoicismo cuando te pierdes por sus intrincadas calles de un barrio en el que parece que te has salido de Nueva York. Solo cuando te asomas a Broadway puedes recordar que sigues en esta ciudad. El resto es un panal de adoquines en el suelo, ladrillo visto en las paredes y escaleras de incendio en las fachadas de los edificios coronados por depósitos de agua. Al SoHo vienes a encontrarte, pero terminas perdiéndote. Gracias por escucharme. Un abrazo desde Nueva York.
This week we speak with Sarah McNally, founder of McNally Jackson bookstores, about the new shop in the Rockefeller Center. Plus Eurovision connoisseur William Lee Adams tells us about his new memoir and we chat to Richard Hoechner, founder of Zürich-based ‘Republik'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Happy National Poetry Month! We kick off this episode with Emily reading Lucille Clifton's poem, “Climbing,” and end with an in-depth conversation with poet Shuly Cawood about her poem, “Starter Marriage.” [The full text of Shuly's poem is at the end of this description if you'd like to read it before or while listening to the episode.] Both of us have Writing and Creativity on our minds. Emily started Julia Cameron's THE ARTIST'S WAY, and Chris is listening to WRITING FOR IMPACT by Bill Birchard. And we have some reading/writing synchronicity going on with Natalie Goldberg. Emily is reading & listening to her classic, WRITING DOWN THE BONES, and when visiting McNally Jackson at Rockefeller Center in NYC Chris picked up WRITING DOWN THE BONES DECK. More recently read books include WHY AM I SO ANXIOUS by Tracey Marks, MY DEAREST DARLING by Lisa Franco, BOOKSELLING IN AMERICA AND THE WORLD, ed. by Charles B. Anderson. And thanks to listener Colleen's birthday book club tradition, we revisited a childhood favorite, Judy Blume's ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET. There's another #buddyread on our horizon: TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY IN SEARCH OF AMERICA. We're reading this for the Vintage Book Club which is sponsored by Book Club on the Go and will meet on Thursday, April 20, 1 pm at the Wood Memorial Library and Museum in South Windsor, CT. All are welcome. We had a fantastic biblioadventure together in Boston. After spending the day working in Simmons University's Beatley Library, we visited the amazing independent bookstore, Brookline Booksmith. Emily is going to be moderating two author sessions at the Newburyport Literary Festival, April 28-30: — The Other Family Doctor: A Veterinarian Explores What Animals Can Teach Us about Love, Life, and Mortality by Karen Fine, DVM —Three Roads Back: How Emerson, Thoreau, and William James Responded to the Greatest Losses of Their Lives by Robert D. Richardson with a foreword by Megan Marshall (Emily's conversation will be with Megan). Chris is bummed that she won't be able to attend the Newburyport Literary Festival or either of the two Willa Cather conferences this June. She is, however, planning to attend a series of four virtual events with author Benjamin Taylor that the National Willa Cather Center is offering beginning on April 27th. Taylor's new book, CHASING BRIGHT MEDUSAS: A LIFE OF WILLA CATHER, is to be published in November. Visit the episode show notes for more details and links to the books, places, and events listed above.https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2023/episode179 Happy Reading! Chris & Emily ______ Starter Marriage by Shuly Cawood after Erin Adair-Hodges* First there was the word and the word was trying. Trying the apartment with white walls, popcorn ceilings, footsteps heavy above, thudding over our days. Trying the job I took filing papers into squeaking cabinets, the one you took answering phones for dentists. Trying the brown bag lunches with limp sandwiches and sliced cheese, the softening apple, the room-temperature soda. Consuming it all on church steps, hunched below the overhang as it rained. Trying the cold pool after work with dead insects needing to be netted. Unraveling towels, TJ Maxx suits, the walk back on the no-car driveway. All heat evaporated. Empty stomachs. No one wanted what the other craved. Trying the red Chevrolet with the bad battery, no parking without pay, the bus rides to and from work, your stop, my stop, the sun hitting hard, us squinting at the sky. Your last day, the blue electric toothbrush they gave you as goodbye. Buzzing in your mouth with all those trapped words. Trying the new queen mattress we could not afford but bought anyway. Trying the laundry we toted to the next building, plastic hampers in our arms full of every day's dirt. Coffee but no creamer, bread but no toaster, sugar hardened in the bag. Day-old everything bagels, buy-one, get-one veggie burritos, dollar theater on Sundays. New job but less pay, new boss but no promotion. Saving for tickets for never vacations. Trying the places we gave up for each other: city salted by an ocean, all those fish and ferry rides; town with three stoplights, two policemen, a forest to get lost in. Your dreams, my dreams, weeds by the parking lot. Trying your face a broken banister, my hands an unused map. *The first nine words are borrowed from “Portrait of Mother: 1985” by Erin Adair-Hodges ______
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2023/03/29/south-street-seaport-museum-in-partnership-with-mcnally-jackson-books-seaport-announces-the-april-book-club/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/citylifeorg/support
It's that time of year: the unveiling of the best gift guide in the podcast multiverse (we like to think). Part 1 stars your most charming—and trickiest—partners, parents, and grandparents. Next week, tune in for part 2, and, in the meantime, dig into the ol' present-paralysis back catalogue. For the full episode recap—with ALL THE LINKS!—head to the A Thing or Two site. Get the ecomm support you need with Shopify. Get a free 14-day trial with our link. Shop our favorite MoMA Design Store finds—so many holiday crowd-pleasers! Feel your best in Honeylove and get 20% off with the code ATHINGORTWO. Book that doctor's appointment already by downloading the free Zocdoc app. Husbands and Boyfriends! 42-year-old male. Recently started dating. Lawyer. Dad. World traveler. Cyclist. Just bought a new house. Moved back to the area (Philly) from upstate new york. photographer. reader. avid home cook. knows a Parisian knot. loves a good meal out. linen shirt wearer. loafers/boat shoes with shorts kind of guy. Enjoys wine and cocktails. catholic raised. city dweller. nerdy and thoughtful. Linoto linen boxers Artemis loafers Stranger's Guide Fellow Travelers Club Arabica coffee plant Photodom photography-themed Croc Jibbitz (Or really anything from Photodom—they have a cute gift guide on their site.) Ghiaia cashmere La Salumina Amatriciana kit Rapha cycling backpack Tiptop cocktails Depths of Wikipedia tickets—NYC live show on 12/14 or Pittsburgh show on 12/16—or mug Donation to TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image's teen photo program in Philly Husband who thinks he's outdoorsy but hasn't been camping in decades. Bluefeel Kruca camping fan Gramicci gadget shorts or pants Battenwear bouldering pants 1733 duffle An actual camping weekend for next summer for him—a lot of places book a year or 9 months in advance. Recs: Hither Hills State Park and Assateague Island. Getaway House gift certificate Wildsam National Parks or Road Trip guides Donation to a local preservation organization, like, say, Save the Boundary Waters in MN REI outdoor skills classes Husband who owns a ceramics company and has an eye for design. Courier mag subscription Dusen Dusen for MoMA Subu slippers Quark pegboard for his office or studio Carson Converse small-format quilts Glass-blowing or leather-working class Sight Unseen book How to Live With Objects Donation to People's Pottery Project Wives and Girlfriends! Chronically ill wife with long-covid 2.5 years, doesn't like surprises, and in bed most days. loves sports, her friends, sitting in the park, and a great deal. Nocs Provisions binoculars—they did a cool collab with the Native artist Amelia Winger-Bearskin that includes a strap Cliq portable chairs Vintage Masters golf gear, like this eighties ringer tee or this nineties hat) WNBA custom jersey Offhours home coat Grandparents! My 90-year-old grandma who refuses hearing aides because we don't visit enough and lives off of chipotle and chips. Liberty London 2-in-1 game set - ludo and backgammon Quilted Snakes & Ladders set Frontera Grill carnitas taco kit Fancy chip clips + chips & salsa of the month club subscription My mostly home-bound grandma. Loves her tomato plants, vitamins, and Bob Barker. Flamingo Estate roma heirloom tomato candle Nonna's Grocer tomato famiglia candle set Bordallo Pinheiro tomate apertifs plate—or lamp! If you have kids who she can share it with: Tomatoes for Neela by Padma Lakshmi 1986 Price Is Right board game Come on Down sweatshirt Chronically Chic pill organizer for her vitamins Moms, Stepmoms, and Mothers-In-Law! My mom is my white whale: needs nothing, no guilt in buying herself things she wants. Hates Christmas but derives joy from getting to complain about it. Good cook with a global palette (has all the gadgets she approves of and a long list of gadgets she does not endorse), news junkie, reads a lot. 61, both of my parents are retired, lives in the Pacific Northwest. Has taste but no style, hates clutter. Buys her clothes at Costco. Drinks nice wine that she also buys at Costco. Thinks art is stupid (I am an artist). She's very funny but she really leans into her brand of "antisocial curmudgeon." Successful gifts in the past were an NYtimes subscription and a fancy amaryllis bulb that she can text me about and shame it for blooming the wrong time of year. I try to veer towards consumables. She can also appreciate a handmade ceramic (functional, not decorative). Masienda tortilla starter kit (with Dona Rosa tortilla press) and the companion Masa cookbook Diaspora Co. chai kit Talbott and Arding cheese club subscription Yun Hai dried fruit—there's a gift set Omsom IYKYK shaker set NYT Spelling Bee hat Hadley & Bennett apron Roz Chast books, like What I Hate from A to Z, or Roz Chast wall art Rachael Pots functional ceramics Ikebana bowl & bulb from Utility Objects (could pair with fancy Japanese floral scissors) My mom: She always asks for electronics and then ends up not being able to figure them out - or just doesn't use them. Want to get her something meaningful she will use. 1Password membership Lomi composter M0de electric toothbrush Aarke water purifier Stepmother-in-law who is a spiritual counselor in Colorado. Obviously vegan. Vegan JapanEasy by Tim Anderson, with Moromi soy sauces Rebel Cheese club membership Yellow Leaf hammock Esalen Institute merch or gift cert Nora McInerny books Esker gift sets Mother In Law - has more clothes than Nordstrom. Lives alone but her party line is always ringing. Bitossi set of 6 wineglasses Gohar World bottle apron Casa Velasquez bolero apron Gossamer Happy Hour hemp pre-rolls Conserva Culture tinned fish gift set Snacks for Dinner: Small Bites, Full Plates, Can't Lose by Lukas Volger McNally Jackson seminar Custom sweater mending from Repair Shop “Come Over” hat from Big Night Dress for Success donation This one is for my five-foot-tall Italian American mother in law who has the thickest New York accent I've ever heard and could be described as "a tiny tank" in both stature and personality. she lives on Long Island and has access to everything; also tends to buy herself whatever she wants. so she's extremely hard to gift for. Whatever we give should probably be a physical gift vs. an experience. she is very judgmental and critical and not warm and fuzzy - but she has also had the difficult task of being a single parent to two kids, one of whom, my SIL, is living at home with significant physical and intellectual disabilities and who my MIL devotes all her time to - my SIL is so well taken care of. Looking for a gift that somehow recognizes/responds to all of this. Unspun gift kit Ipsa, depending on part of Long Island House cleaning from We Can Do It! – Si Se Puede Women's Cooperative (only operates in the five boroughs) Missoni Home blanket Roscioli Italian wine club Marcella's favorites gift set from Gustiamo Mom and her husband just bought a boat. So something nautical or for small space living. Year of Knots by Windy Chien Malaika hand-printed beach towels Personalized life saver buoy (U.S. Coast Guard-approved!) Salty Home tide clock Framed nautical flags Haptic Lab sailing ship kite Petit Kouraj x SVNR tote fishnet seashell tote Issimo inflatable mini terrycloth pillow Ingredients for a session dark ‘n stormy Donation to The Ocean Cleanup Mother-in-law who is the solo living grandparent to our 4-year-old and Buddhist priest who wants nothing but time with us. However, she is always a generous and thoughtful gift-giver so I can't just give her time. She is a tea lover but you can imagine how much tea I've already given her. She has a dog, loves the color periwinkle, and spends a lot of time on Zoom with her Sangha. She's forever 'writing a book' and loves getting on board with a system (for writing, for organizing, whatever). Help! Joyoung soy milk machine Daruma doll holding a dog Dog ball launcher MQuan Bell Rice xax candles for meditation Mountain Valley Seed Company seed starter kit medicinal & herbal tea Books to read with the grandkid: Jon J. Muth's The Three Questions and Zen Shorts and Thich Nat Hanh's Where is the Buddha? and A Handful of Quiet Lena Corwin peace towel + matching kid-size one for the grandkid Scrivener subscription Dads, Step-Dads, and Fathers-in-Law! My dad, who is a retired chef (he still has knives from 40 years ago that he painstakingly cares for and finds most home kitchens to be very pretentious), can build/fix anything, loves to read non-fiction, and was suspended from Twitter frequently for tweeting insults at Donald Trump The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow Peeko oysters Sitka Salmon Share Cabi original trio Vintage RAADVAD bread slicer Manufacture de Digoin vinegar jar to make his own vinegar Milk Street Turkish közmatik Donation to his local food bank Mid 60's Frenchman who lives in Alsace with his wife and they travel a lot in their RV. they are also coming to the states next spring on a cross-country RV trip so I really think it should revolve around that. but more about him- he doesn't drink or smoke (some Frenchman he is) when we would drive to Florida once a year he would always be so excited to get to put on Latin American music on the radio. last year we got him a record player and records that I am 100% sure he doesn't use. he loves scrabble and card games, and he builds these badass card holders out of wood that he then does wood-burning personalized deco on. he has everything he wants and he wears lee jeans. Neepa Hut food tent Camping chair from Cliq, Woods, or Blue Ridge Chair Works Penco box tote Papier travel journal National Parks pass Personalized leatherbound America: National Parks Atlas (from PBS shop) Dad who enjoys perfecting logistics and explaining credit card point strategy. Scott's Cheap Flights premium membership Timeshifter app Solgaard carry-on closet suitcase (there's a MoMA collab!) “Clipper Club” 1950 Pan Am membership lounge rocks glass Bug-out bag from Judy Portable phone charger iPad keyboard + Valerie Constance monogrammed keyboard case Former CIA and green beret but loves appletinis and bubble baths. Straightaway Cocktails Bathing Culture body wash Sophie Lou Jacobsen martini glasses Esker bath board Avec x Atelier Saucier bundle of cocktail napkins + drink mixers + garnishes + recipes I need help finding a gift for my picky and hard-working lawyer Dad. He loves outdoor adventures, Neil Young, doing puzzles with my Mom, and reading. My parents recently became part-time New Yorkers and keep buying art museum memberships. He loves to do research before purchasing anything and tends to buy whatever he wants. My Mom is a chronic shopper, so he usually has multiples of whatever he confesses to liking - Ugg slippers, Jack Black face wash, William Henry knives. He is a big guy and doesn't fit into standard S-L sizes. He also doesn't drink alcohol or coffee. In the past, he has disliked gifts that involve more labor (i.e. a smoker, a drone). I am not opposed to making a donation in his name, but my family's love language is gifts and I would need to accompany a donation with something for him to unwrap. Per Claire's request for dental records, he lost his front teeth as a kid playing Pee Wee football. He broke his fake set in a fight the day of his junior prom and attended the dance sans front teeth. He is so fun and deserves a great gift. Last year, I got him a Storyworth membership and he loved it (thanks for the recommendation!) I am hoping for a repeat success. Also, he is a January birthday, so I could use multiple ideas. Please help! Birding Bob walk in Central Park, plus a donation or membership to Wild Bird Fund Tickets to a Happy Medium art class Day at the spa at Governor's Island Joyce Gold tour Fancy pajamas from P. Le Moult Todd Snyder x New Era nubby Yankees cap (see also:Dodgers, Cubs, and Red Sox hats) MoMA Design Store has great puzzle selection. Also: this Neil Young jigsaw puzzle and Different Puzzles, which are fun and *challenging* Wisconsin Father in Law who likes sports. End of list. Lambeau Field stadium tours Depending on his teams, gear from a previous stadium—signs and even seats that go up for sale ChamberlainMade keyboard sticker Wisconsin hoodie ornament MLB Validation Pass-Port Wisconsin tri logo tee/sweatshirt Donation to Special Olympics Wisconsin YAY. Produced by Dear Media
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2022/10/12/south-street-seaport-museum-in-partnership-with-mcnally-jackson-books-announces-october-book-club-up-in-the-old-hotel-by-joseph-mitchell-10-24/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/support
This week, we are joined by my dear friend Mikaela Dery to discuss Sally Rooney, the Irish novelist. We talk about the high-brow/low-brow nature of her books, how to make malaise stylish, the power dynamics between bookish girls and jock-y dudes, and how Sally foretold young people's preoccupation with Catholicism. Discussed: "What's Really Driving the Sally Rooney Obsession?" Katie Roiphe in WSJ "Normal Novels," Becca Rothfeld in The Point Follow Mikaela on Twitter and Instagram Coming events at McNally Jackson
Eleanor “Concealed Carry” Roosevelt (Live in NYC)Lesbians rejoice! We muff-dive into bi icon Eleanor Roosevelt's deeply LGBTQ memoir at our sold-out live show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The former First Lady invents The Wing, marries her cousin, hates water and carries concealed. Remember, well-behaved podcasters seldom make history. PLUS! Cole Escola joins for a saucy game of “high bed or low bed?” Hear the whole ep at Patreon.com/cbcthepodAnd check out our upcoming Literary Trivia Night at McNally Jackson!https://www.mcnallyjackson.com/literary-trivia-night-celebrity-book-club-rsvp See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, whose Broadway show, "American Utopia," wrapped last month, has a new book out, titled, A History of the World (in Dingbats). The book uses text and original drawings to explore modern life. Byrne joins us to talk about it, and he will also be at McNally Jackson this evening.
Ana Margarita Gasteazoro fue una activista, militante, y organizadora durante la Guerra Civil de El Salvador. Cuenta su historia en el libro “Diganle a mi Madre que estoy en el Paraíso.” Falleció en los 90s pero su amiga Judy Blankenship guardó su historia y con la ayuda de MUPI, Tania Primavera, y otros, publicaron su libro en español en 2019 y en inglés en 2022. Hablamos del proceso de publicar el libro y de la importancia de resaltar historias de mujeres en la guerra. Show resources: Museo de la Palabra y de la Imagen Judy Blankenship Blog "Tell Other I'm in Paradise" at independent bookstores "Tell Mother I'm in Paradise" in at McNally Jackson in NY "Tell Mother I'm in Paradise" at Powell's Books in Oregon "Tell Mother I'm in Paradise" at Broadway Books in Oregon "Tell Mother I'm in Paradise" at Alabama Press McNally Jackon - Indie bookstore in NY Music: "Detengan la Guerra" by Los Tachos
Join us as we discuss Life Among the Savages, and Raising Demons, by Shirley Jackson; Tunneling to the Center of the Earth and Nothing to See Here, by Kevin Wilson; and Thin Places: Essays from in Between, by Jordan KisnerTo learn more about the books or to purchase - click below!https://bookshop.org/shop/youvegottoreadthisVisit us on our Instagram Page - Click below!https://www.instagram.com/youvegottoreadthispodcast/Visit us on our Facebook Page - Click below!https://www.facebook.com/Youve-Got-to-Read-This-100997165428924Please note - we receive a percentage of each purchase you make on our Bookshop page that goes to support the production of our podcast.
Filmmaker Daniel Ott joins the podcast to talk about his path from making movies with friends growing up in Tulsa to working professionally in the film industry in Los Angeles. We cover our time together in college in Chicago, his upcoming short film "Apartment Story", his recent music video for Bellow's "McNally Jackson", and how Secret Movie Club survived COVID.
Rendering Unconscious welcomes Dr. Hannah Zeavin to the podcast! Hannah Zeavin is a Lecturer in the Departments of English and History at the University of California, Berkeley and is on the Executive Committee of the University of California at Berkeley Center for Science, Technology, Medicine, and Society and on the Executive Committee of the Berkeley Center for New Media. Additionally, she is a visiting fellow at the Columbia University Center for the Study of Social Difference. Zeavin's first book, The Distance Cure: A History of Teletherapy is now out from MIT Press, with a Foreword by John Durham Peters. She is at work on her second book, Mother's Little Helpers: Technology in the American Family (MIT Press, 2023). https://www.zeavin.org Upcoming event at McNally Jackson (online) with Dr. Orna Guarlnik this Thursday September 2: https://www.zeavin.org/events/mcnally-jackson-bookstore-in-conversation-with-dr-orna-guarlnik Follow her at Twitter: https://twitter.com/HZeavin Mentioned in this episode: Elizabeth Danto's Freud's Free Clinics: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/freuds-free-clinics/9780231506564 Daniel Gaztambide's A People's History of Psychoanalysis: https://drgpsychotherapy.com/book-announcement-a-peoples-history-of-psychoanalysis-freud-liberation-psychology-social-justice This episode also available at YouTube: https://youtu.be/lp7rSQq8y74 You can support the podcast at our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vanessa23carl Thank you so much for your support! Rendering Unconscious Podcast is hosted by psychoanalyst Dr. Vanessa Sinclair: http://www.drvanessasinclair.net Visit the main website for more information and links to everything: http://www.renderingunconscious.org Rendering Unconscious: Psychoanalytic Perspectives, Politics & Poetry (Trapart 2019): https://store.trapart.net/details/00000 The song at the end of the episode is “These Boots (Just got a brand new pair)” from the album "Conceive ourselves" by Vanessa Sinclair and Pete Murphy. https://vanessasinclairpetemurphy.bandcamp.com/album/this-is-voyeurism Many thanks to Carl Abrahamsson, who created the intro and outro music for Rendering Unconscious podcast. https://www.carlabrahamsson.com Image: The Distance Cure: A History of Teletherapy (MIT Press, 2021): https://www.zeavin.org
Wandering around New York, it's very likely that you will stumble upon or make it your mission to get into one of the fantastic four McNally Jackson bookstores located in Soho, Williamsburg, Downtown Brooklyn or Seaport. Each a well-lit, cleanly-designed literary oasis away from the maddening crowds but with their own flair and ambiance. McNally Jackson became a bookshop in 2004 and it offers a beautiful collection of curated books, highlighting small presses and zines and arranged by the region of the author. Our guest today is Madeline Gressel, a writer and a marketing director at McNally Jackson. Her work has appeared in Virginia Quarterly Review, Brooklyn Rail, and Bookforum, and she is at work on her first novel. Maddie first started working at the original McNally Jackson in Soho as a bookseller and her love of books, readers and the art of bookselling never really waned. We caught up with Maddie while she was in Rome, working away at her first novel. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gotbooks/message
New York is synonymous with the literary world. From book publishing, agents, indie bookshops, and of course, great pizza! I hope you like this episode as much as I enjoyed interviewing my two guests; Sarah McNally, owner of McNally Jackson Books, and Paul La Rosa, author, journalist, and producer. Sarah's openness about being a single, working mother in the business world is honest and touching, so much so that at times her dog wants to break out and join our conversation. Paul discusses growing up in the projects, living through the 70s in New York, being a journalist at the New York Daily News, and his work at CBS News, mostly as a producer for the newsmagazine “48 Hours.”Enjoy! Mandy Here are the links for this week:The Algonquin HotelThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtMcNally Jackson Books Tyll, Daniel Kehlmann Proust Ulysses, James Joyce Paul La Rosa The Power of One, Bruce Courtenay 48 Hours Support the show (https://paypal.me/TheBookshopPodcast?locale.x=en_US)
In dit vierde deel van Voor we met z'n allen uit elkaar vallen vertelt Bart Moeyaert over een vluchtige ontmoeting met een vrouw in boekhandel McNally Jackson, en hoe deze onbekende hem verder aan het denken zette over ‘alleen zijn'. In deze tiendelige serie heeft Bart Moeyaert het aan de hand van persoonlijke herinneringen over de macht van de taal.De muziek is van Richard Galliano.
Join us for a conversation with Paige Lipari, local hero and owner/cook of Archestratus Books + Foods in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Lipari is a Sicilian-American poet, music maker, cartoonist, and cook. Her collection of poems, music, and illustrations, Family of Many Enzos, was published by Augury Books in 2012. She was previously an editor at A Public Space. She worked in many of NYC’s finest bookstores (McNally Jackson, Idlewild, and Housing Works Bookstore to name a few) before opening her own. Lipari is the owner/cook of Archestratus Books + Foods, a food-interest bookshop, Sicilian cafe/grocery, community space, and collaborative durational art project in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She currently lives a few blocks from the shop with her cat Olafi Lorenzo and zooms regularly with her 99 year old Nonna, Oliva.Photo Courtesy of Paige Lipari.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Why Food? by becoming a member!Why Food? is Powered by Simplecast.
This week's episode looks at "Needles and Pins", and the story of the second-greatest band to come out of Liverpool in the sixties, The Searchers. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a sixteen-minute bonus episode available, on "Farmer John" by Don and Dewey. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ ----more---- Resources No Mixcloud this week, as there are too many recordings by the Searchers. My two main resources for this episode have been the autobiographies of members of the group -- Frank Allen's The Searchers and Me and Mike Pender's The Search For Myself. All the Searchers tracks and Tony Jackson or Chris Curtis solo recordings excerpted here, except the live excerpt of "What'd I Say", can be found on this box set, which is out of print as a physical box, but still available digitally. For those who want a good budget alternative, though, this double-CD set contains fifty Searchers tracks, including all their hits, for under three pounds. Patreon This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of my backers on Patreon. Why not join them? Transcript Last week we had a look at the biggest group ever to come out of Liverpool, and indeed the biggest group ever to play rock and roll music. But the Beatles weren't the only influential band on the Merseybeat scene, and while we won't have much chance to look at Merseybeat in general, we should at least briefly touch on the other bands from the scene. So today we're going to look at a band who developed a distinctive sound that would go on to be massively influential, even though they're rarely cited as an influence in the way some of their contemporaries are. We're going to look at The Searchers, and "Needles and Pins": [Excerpt: The Searchers, "Needles and Pins"] The story of the early origins of the Searchers is, like everything about the Searchers, the subject of a great deal of dispute. The two surviving original members of the group, John McNally and Mike Pender, haven't spoken to each other in thirty-six years, and didn't get on for many years before that, and there have been several legal disputes between them over the years. As a result, literally everything about the group's history has become a battlefield in their ongoing arguments. According to a book by Frank Allen, the group's bass player from 1964 on and someone who took McNally's side in the split and subsequent legal problems, McNally formed a skiffle group, which Mike Pender later joined, and was later joined first by Tony Jackson and then by a drummer then known as Chris Crummey, but who changed his name to the more euphonic Chris Curtis. According to Pender, he never liked skiffle, never played skiffle, and "if McNally had a skiffle group, it must have been before I met him". He is very insistent on this point -- he liked country music, and later rock and roll, but never liked skiffle. According to him, he and McNally got together and formed a group that was definitely absolutely not in any way a skiffle group and wasn't led by McNally but was formed by both of them. That group split up, and then Pender became friends with Tony Jackson -- and he's very insistent that he became friends with Jackson during a period when he didn't know McNally -- and the group reformed around the three of them, when McNally and Pender got back in touch. The origin of the group's name is similarly disputed. Everyone agrees that it came from the John Wayne film The Searchers -- the same film which had inspired the group's hero Buddy Holly to write "That'll Be The Day" -- but there is disagreement as to whose idea the name was. Pender claims that it was his idea, while McNally says that the name was coined by a singer named "Big Ron", who sang with the band for a bit before disappearing into obscurity. Big Ron's replacement was a singer named Billy Beck, who at the time he was with the Searchers used the stage name Johnny Sandon (though he later reverted to his birth name). The group performed as Johnny Sandon and The Searchers for two years, before Sandon quit the group to join the Remo Four, a group that was managed by Brian Epstein. Sandon made some records with the Remo Four in 1963, but they went nowhere, but they'll give some idea of how Sandon sounded: [Excerpt: Johnny Sandon and the Remo Four, "Lies"] The Remo Four later moved on to back Tommy Quickly, who we heard last week singing a song the Beatles wrote for him. With Sandon out of the picture, the group had no lead singer or frontman, and were in trouble -- they were known around Liverpool as Johnny Sandon's backing group, not as a group in their own right. They started splitting the lead vocals between themselves, but with Tony Jackson taking most of them. And, in a move which made them stand out, Chris Curtis moved his drum kit to the front line, started playing standing up, and became the group's front-man and second lead singer. Even at this point, though, there seemed to be cracks in the group. The Searchers were the most clean-living of the Liverpool bands -- they were all devout Catholics who would go to Mass every Sunday without fail, and seem to have never indulged in most of the vices that pretty much every other rock star indulged in. But Curtis and Jackson were far less so than Pender and McNally -- Jackson in particular was a very heavy drinker and known to get very aggressive when drunk, while Curtis was known as eccentric in other ways -- he seems to have had some sort of mental illness, though no-one's ever spoken about a diagnosis -- the Beatles apparently referred to him as "Mad Henry". Curtis and Jackson didn't get on with each other, and while Jackson started out as a close friend of Pender's, the two soon drifted apart, and by the time of their first recording sessions they appeared to most people to be a group of three plus one outsider, with Jackson not getting on well with any of the others. There was also a split in the band's musical tastes, but that would be the split that would drive much of their creativity. Pender and McNally were drawn towards softer music -- country and rockabilly, the Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly -- while Jackson preferred harder, stomping, music. But it was Chris Curtis who took charge of the group's repertoire, and who was the group's unofficial leader. While the other band members had fairly mainstream musical tastes, it was Curtis who would seek out obscure R&B B-sides that he thought the group could make their own, by artists like The Clovers and Richie Barrett -- while many Liverpool groups played Barrett's "Some Other Guy", the Searchers would also play the B-side to that, "Tricky Dicky", a song written by Leiber and Stoller. Curtis also liked quite a bit of folk music, and would also get the group to perform songs by Joan Baez and Peter, Paul, and Mary. The result of this combination of material and performers was that the Searchers ended up with a repertoire rooted in R&B, and a heavy rhythm section, but with strong harmony vocals inspired more by the Everlys than by the soul groups that were inspiring the other groups around Liverpool. Other than the Beatles, the Searchers were the best harmony group in Liverpool, and were the only other one to have multiple strong lead vocalists. Like the Beatles, the Searchers went off to play at the Star Club in Hamburg in 1962. Recordings were made of their performances there, and their live version of Brenda Lee's "Sweet Nothin's" later got released as a single after they became successful: [Excerpt: The Searchers, "Sweet Nothin's"] Even as every talent scout in the country seemed to be turning up in Liverpool, and even bands from nearby Manchester were getting signed up in the hope of repeating the Beatles' success, the Searchers were having no luck getting any attention from the London music industry. In part that was because of one bit of bad luck -- the day that Brian Epstein turned up to see them, with the thought of maybe managing them, Tony Jackson was drunk and fell off the stage, and Epstein decided that he was going to give them a miss. As no talent scouts were coming to see them, they decided that they would record a demo session at the Iron Door, the club they regularly played, and send that out to A&R people. That demo session produced a full short album, which shows them at their stompiest and hardest-driving. Most of the Merseybeat bands sounded much more powerful in their earlier live performances than in the studio, and the Searchers were no exception, and it's interesting to compare the sound of these recordings to the studio ones from only a few months later: [Excerpt: The Searchers, "Let's Stomp"] The group eventually signed to Pye Records. Pye was the third or fourth biggest record label in Britain at the time, but that was a relative matter -- EMI and Decca between them had something like eighty-five percent of the market, and basically *were* the record industry in Britain at the time. Pye was chronically underfunded, and when they signed an artist who managed to have any success, they would tend to push that artist to keep producing as many singles as possible, chasing trends, rather than investing in their long-term career survival. That said, they did have some big acts, most notably Petula Clark -- indeed the company had been formed from the merger of two other companies, one of which had been formed specifically to issue Clark's records. Clark was yet to have her big breakthrough hit in the USA, but she'd had several big hits in the UK, including the number one hit "Sailor": [Excerpt: Petula Clark, "Sailor"] The co-producer on that track had been Tony Hatch, a songwriter and producer who would go on to write and produce almost all of Clark's hit records. Hatch had a track record of hits -- we've heard several songs he was involved in over the course of the series. Most recently, we heard last week how "She Loves You" was inspired by "Forget Him", which Hatch wrote and produced for Bobby Rydell: [Excerpt: Bobby Rydell, "Forget Him"] Hatch heard the group's demo, and was impressed, and offered to sign them. The Searchers' manager at the time agreed, on one condition -- that Hatch also sign another band he managed, The Undertakers. Astonishingly, Hatch agreed, and so the Undertakers also got a record contract, and released several flop singles produced by Hatch, including this cover version of a Coasters tune: [Excerpt: The Undertakers, "What About Us?"] The biggest mark that the Undertakers would make on music would come many years later, when their lead singer Jackie Lomax would release a solo single, "Sour Milk Sea", which George Harrison wrote for him. The Searchers, on the other hand, made their mark immediately. The group's first single was a cover version of a song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, which had been a top twenty hit in the US for the Drifters a couple of years earlier: [Excerpt: The Drifters, "Sweets For My Sweet"] That had become a regular fixture in the Searchers' live set, with Tony Jackson singing lead and Chris Curtis singing the high backing vocal part in falsetto. In much the same way that the Beatles had done with "Twist and Shout", they'd flattened out the original record's Latin cha-cha-cha rhythm into a more straightforward thumping rocker for their live performances, as you can hear on their original demo version from the Iron Door sessions: [Excerpt: The Searchers, "Sweets For My Sweet (live at the Iron Door)"] As you can hear, they'd also misheard a chunk of the lyrics, and so instead of "your tasty kiss", Jackson sang "Your first sweet kiss". In the studio, they slowed the song down very slightly, and brought up the harmony vocal from Pender on the choruses, which on the demo he seems to have been singing off-mic. The result was an obvious hit: [Excerpt: The Searchers, "Sweets For My Sweet"] That went to number one, helped by an endorsement from John Lennon, who said it was the best record to come out of Liverpool, and launched the Searchers into the very top tier of Liverpool groups, their only real competition being the Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers -- and though nobody could have known it at the time, the Pacemakers' career had already peaked at this point. Their first album, Meet The Searchers, featured "Sweets For My Sweet", along with a selection of songs that mixed the standard repertoire of every Merseybeat band -- "Money", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Twist and Shout", "Stand By Me", and the Everly Brothers' "Since You Broke My Heart", with more obscure songs like "Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya", by the then-unknown P.J. Proby, "Farmer John" by Don and Dewey, which hadn't yet become a garage-rock standard (and indeed seems to have become so largely because of the Searchers' version), and a cover of "Love Potion #9", a song that Leiber and Stoller had written for the Clovers, which was not released as a single in the UK, but later became their biggest hit in the US (and a quick content note for this one -- the lyric contains a word for Romani people which many of those people regard as a slur): [Excerpt: The Searchers, "Love Potion #9"] Their second single was an attempt to repeat the "Sweets For My Sweet" formula, and was written by Tony Hatch, although the group didn't know that at the time. Hatch, like many producers of the time, was used to getting his artists to record his own songs, written under pseudonyms so the record label didn't necessarily realise this was what he was doing. In this case he brought the group a song that he claimed had been written by one "Fred Nightingale", and which he thought would be perfect for them. The song in question, "Sugar and Spice", was a blatant rip-off of "Sweets For My Sweet", and recorded in a near-identical arrangement: [Excerpt: The Searchers, "Sugar and Spice"] The group weren't keen on the song, and got very angry later on when they realised that Tony Hatch had lied to them about its origins, but the record was almost as big a hit as the first one, peaking at number two on the charts. But it was their third single that was the group's international breakthrough, and which both established a whole new musical style and caused the first big rift in the group. The song chosen for that third single was one they learned in Hamburg, from Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, a London group who had recorded a few singles with Joe Meek, like "You Got What I Like": [Excerpt: Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, "You Got What I Like"] The Rebel Rousers had picked up on a record by Jackie DeShannon, a singer-songwriter who had started up a writing partnership with Sharon Sheeley, the writer who had been Eddie Cochran's girlfriend and in the fatal car crash with him. The record they'd started covering live, though, was not one that DeShannon was the credited songwriter on. "Needles and Pins" was credited to two other writers, both of them associated with Phil Spector. Sonny Bono was a young songwriter who had written songs at Specialty Records for people like Sam Cooke, Larry Williams, and Don and Dewey, and his most famous song up to this point was "She Said Yeah", the B-side to Williams' "Bad Boy": [Excerpt: Larry Williams, "She Said Yeah"] After working at Specialty, he'd gone on to work as Phil Spector's assistant, doing most of the hands-on work in the studio while Spector sat in the control room. While working with Spector he'd got to know Jack Nitzsche, who did most of the arrangements for Spector, and who had also had hits on his own like "The Lonely Surfer": [Excerpt: Jack Nitzsche, "The Lonely Surfer"] Bono and Nitzsche are the credited writers on "Needles and Pins", but Jackie DeShannon insists that she co-wrote the song with them, but her name was left off the credits. I tend to believe her -- both Nitzsche and Bono were, like their boss, abusive misogynist egomaniacs, and it's easy to see them leaving her name off the credits. Either way, DeShannon recorded the song in early 1963, backed by members of the Wrecking Crew, and it scraped into the lower reaches of the US Hot One Hundred, though it actually made number one in Canada: [Excerpt: Jackie DeShannon, "Needles and Pins"] Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers had been covering that song, and Chris Curtis picked up on it as an obvious hit. The group reshaped the song, and fixed the main flaw with DeShannon's original. There's really only about ninety seconds' worth of actual song in "Needles and Pins", and DeShannon's version ends with a minute or so of vamping -- it sounds like it's still a written lyric, but it's full of placeholders where entire lines are "whoa-oh", the kind of thing that someone like Otis Redding could make sound great, but that didn't really work for her record. The Searchers tightened the song up and altered its dynamics -- instead of the middle eight leading to a long freeform section, they started the song with Mike Pender singing solo, and then on the middle eight they added a high harmony from Curtis, then just repeated the first verse and chorus, in the new key of C sharp, with Curtis harmonising this time: [Excerpt: The Searchers, "Needles and Pins" (middle eight on)] The addition of the harmony gives the song some much-needed dynamic variation not present in DeShannon's version, while repeating the original verse after the key change, and adding in Curtis' high harmony, gives it an obsessive quality. The protagonist here is spiralling – he keeps thinking the same things over and over, at a higher and higher pitch, getting more and more desperate. It's a simple change, but one that improves the song immensely. Incidentally, one thing I should note here because it's not something I normally do -- in these excerpts of the Searchers' version of "Needles and Pins", I'm actually modifying the recording slightly. The mix used for the original single version of the song, which is what I'm excerpting here, is marred by an incredibly squeaky bass pedal on Chris Curtis' drumkit, which isn't particularly audible if you're listening to it on early sixties equipment, which had little dynamic range, but which on modern digital copies of the track overpowers everything else, to the point that the record sounds like that Monty Python sketch where someone plays a tune by hitting mice with hammers. Here's a couple of seconds of the unmodified track, so you can see what I mean: [Excerpt: The Searchers, "Needles and Pins"] Most hits compilations have a stereo mix of the song, and have EQ'd it so that the squeaky bass pedal isn't noticeable, but I try wherever possible to use the mixes that people were actually listening to at the time, so I've compromised and used the mono mix but got rid of the squeaky frequencies, so you can hear the music I'm talking about rather than being distracted by the squeaks. Anyway, leaving the issue of nobody telling Chris Curtis to oil his pedals aside, the change in the structure of the song turned it from something a little baggy and aimless into a tight two-and-a-half minute pop song, but the other major change they made was emphasising the riff, and in doing so they inadvertently invented a whole new genre of music. The riff in DeShannon's version is there, but it's just one element -- an acoustic guitar strumming through the chords. It's a good, simple, play-in-a-day riff -- you basically hold a chord down and then move a single finger at a time and you can get that riff -- and it's the backbone of the song, but there's also a piano, and horns, and the Blossoms singing: [Excerpt: Jackie DeShannon, "Needles and Pins"] But what the Searchers did was to take the riff and play it simultaneously on two electric guitars, and then added reverb. They also played the first part of the song in A, rather than the key of C which DeShannon's version starts in, which allowed the open strings to ring out more. The result came out sounding like an electric twelve-string, and soon both they and the Beatles would be regularly using twelve-string Rickenbackers to get the same sound: [Excerpt: The Searchers, "Needles and Pins"] That record is the root of jangle-pop and folk-rock. That combination of jangling, reverb-heavy, trebly guitars and Everly Brothers inspired harmonies is one that leads directly to the Byrds, Love, Big Star, Tom Petty, REM, the Smiths, and the Bangles, among many others. While the Beatles were overall obviously the more influential group by a long way, "Needles and Pins" has a reasonable claim to be the most influential single track from the Merseybeat era. It went to number one in the UK, and became the group's breakthrough hit in the US, reaching number sixteen. The follow-up, "Don't Throw Your Love Away", a cover of a B-side by the Orlons, again featuring Pender on lead vocals and Curtis on harmonies, also made number one in the UK and the US top twenty, giving them a third number one out of four singles. But the next single, "Someday We're Gonna Love Again", a cover of a Barbara Lewis song, only made number eleven, and caused journalists to worry if the Searchers had lost their touch. There was even some talk in the newspapers that Mike Pender might leave the group and start a solo career, which he denied. As it turned out, one of the group's members was going to leave, but it wasn't Mike Pender. Tony Jackson had sung lead on the first two singles, and on the majority of the tracks on the first album, and he thus regarded himself as the group's lead singer. With Pender taking over the lead on the more recent hit singles, Jackson was being edged aside. By the third album, It's The Searchers, which included "Needles and Pins", Jackson was the only group member not to get a solo lead vocal -- even John McNally got one, while Jackson's only lead was an Everlys style close harmony with Mike Pender. Everything else was being sung by Pender or Curtis. Jackson was also getting involved in personality conflicts with the other band members -- at one point it actually got to the point that he and Pender had a fistfight on stage. Jackson was also not entirely keen on the group's move towards more melodic material. It's important to remember that the Searchers had started out as an aggressive, loud, R&B band, and they still often sounded like that on stage -- listen for example to their performance of "What'd I Say" at the NME poll-winners' party in April 1964, with Chris Curtis on lead vocals clearly showing why he had a reputation for eccentricity: [Excerpt: The Searchers, "What'd I Say (live)"] The combination of these musical differences and his feelings about having his place usurped meant that Jackson was increasingly getting annoyed at the other three band members. Eventually he left the group -- whether he was fired or quit depends on which version of the story you read -- and was replaced by Frank Allen of Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers. Jackson didn't take this replacement well, and publicly went round telling people that he had been pushed out of the band so that Curtis could get his boyfriend into the band, and there are some innuendoes to this effect in Mike Pender's autobiography -- although Allen denies that he and Curtis were in a relationship, and says that he doesn't actually know what Curtis' sexuality was, because they never discussed that kind of thing, and presumably Allen would know better than anyone else whether he was in a relationship with Curtis. Curtis is widely described as having been gay or bi by his contemporaries, but if he was he never came out publicly, possibly due to his strong religious views. There's some suggestion, indeed, that one reason Jackson ended up out of the band was that he blackmailed the band, saying that he would publicly out Curtis if he didn't get more lead vocals. Whatever the truth, Jackson left the group, and his first solo single, "Bye Bye Baby", made number thirty-eight on the charts: [Excerpt: Tony Jackson and the Vibrations, "Bye Bye Baby"] However, his later singles had no success -- he was soon rerecording "Love Potion Number Nine" in the hope that that would be a UK chart success as it had been in the US: [Excerpt: Tony Jackson and the Vibrations, "Love Potion Number Nine"] Meanwhile, Allen was fitting in well with his new group, and it appeared at first that the group's run of hits would carry on uninterrupted without Jackson. The first single by the new lineup, "When You Walk In The Room", was a cover of another Jackie DeShannon song, this time written by DeShannon on her own, and originally released as a B-side: [Excerpt: Jackie DeShannon, "When You Walk In The Room"] The Searchers rearranged that, once again emphasising the riff from DeShannon's original, and by this time playing it on real twelve-strings, and adding extra compression to them. Their version featured a joint lead vocal by Pender and Allen: [Excerpt: The Searchers, "When You Walk In the Room"] Do you think the Byrds might have heard that? That went to number three on the charts. The next single was less successful, only making number thirteen, but was interesting in other ways -- from the start, as well as their R&B covers, Curtis had been adding folk songs to the group's repertoire, and there'd been one or two covers of songs like "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" on their albums, but "What Have They Done to the Rain?" was the first one to become a single. It was written by Malvina Reynolds, who was a socialist activist who only became a songwriter in her early fifties, and who also wrote "Morningtown Ride" and "Little Boxes". "What Have They Done to The Rain?" was a song written to oppose nuclear weapons testing, and Curtis had learned it from a Joan Baez album. Even though it wasn't as big a success as some of their other hits, given how utterly different it was from their normal style, and how controversial the subject was, getting it into the top twenty at all seems quite an achievement. [Excerpt: The Searchers, “What Have They Done To The Rain?”] Their next single, "Goodbye My Love", was their last top ten hit, and the next few singles only made the top forty, even when the Rolling Stones gave them "Take It Or Leave It". The other group members started to get annoyed at Curtis, who they thought had lost his touch at picking songs, and whose behaviour had become increasingly erratic. Eventually, on an Australian tour, they took his supply of uppers and downers, which he had been using as much to self-medicate as for enjoyment as far as I can tell, and flushed them down the toilet. When they got back to the UK, Curtis was out of the group. Their first single after Curtis' departure, "Have You Ever Loved Somebody", was given to them by the Hollies, who had originally written it as an Everly Brothers album track: [Excerpt: The Searchers, "Have You Ever Loved Somebody"] Unfortunately for the Searchers, Chris Curtis had also heard the song, decided it was a likely hit, and had produced a rival version for Paul and Barry Ryan, which got rushed out to compete with it: [Excerpt: Paul and Barry Ryan, "Have You Ever Loved Somebody"] Neither single made the top forty, and the Searchers would never have a hit single again. Nor would Curtis. Curtis only released one solo single, "Aggravation", a cover of a Joe South song: [Excerpt: Chris Curtis, "Aggravation"] The musicians on that included Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Joe Moretti, but it didn't chart. Curtis then tried to form a band, which he named Roundabout, based on the concept that musicians could hop on or hop off at any point, with Curtis as the only constant member. The guitarist and keyboard player quickly decided that it would be more convenient for them if Curtis was the one to hop off, and without Curtis Jon Lord and Richie Blackmore went on to form Deep Purple. The Searchers didn't put out another album for six years after Curtis left. They kept putting out singles on various labels, but nothing came close to charting. Their one album between 1966 and 1979 was a collection of rerecordings of their old hits, in 1972. But then in 1979 Seymour Stein, the owner of Sire Records, a label which was having success with groups like the Ramones, Talking Heads, and the Pretenders, was inspired by the Ramones covering "Needles and Pins" to sign the Searchers to a two-album deal, which produced records that fit perfectly into the late seventies New Wave pop landscape, while still sounding like the Searchers: [Excerpt: The Searchers, "Hearts in Her Eyes"] Apparently during those sessions, Curtis, who had given up music and become a civil servant, would regularly phone the studio threatening to burn it down if he wasn't involved. Unfortunately, while those albums had some critical success, they did nothing commercially, and Sire dropped them. By 1985, the Searchers were at breaking point. They hadn't recorded any new material in several years, and Mike Pender and John McNally weren't getting on at all -- which was a particular problem as the two of them were now the only two members based in Liverpool, and so they had to travel to and from gigs together without the other band members -- the group were so poor that McNally and Pender had one car between the two of them. One of them would drive them both to the gig, the other would drive back to Liverpool and keep the car until the next gig, when they would swap over again. No-one except them knows what conversations they had on those long drives, but apparently they weren't amicable. Pender thought of himself as the star of the group, and he particularly resented that he had to split the money from the band three ways (the drummers the group got in after Curtis were always on a salary rather than full partners in the group). Pender decided that he could make more money by touring on his own but still doing essentially the same show, with hired backing musicians. Pender and the other Searchers eventually reached an agreement that he could tour as "Mike Pender's Searchers", so long as he made sure that all the promotional material put every word at the same size, while the other members would continue as The Searchers with a new singer. A big chunk of the autobiographies of both Pender and Allen are taken up with the ensuing litigation, as there were suits and countersuits over matters of billing which on the outside look incredibly trivial, but which of course mattered greatly to everyone involved -- there were now two groups with near-identical names, playing the same sets, in the same venues, and so any tiny advantage that one had was a threat to the other, to the extent that at one point there was a serious danger of Pender going to prison over their contractual disputes. The group had been earning very little money anyway, comparatively, and there was a real danger that the two groups undercutting each other might lead to everyone going bankrupt. Thankfully, that didn't happen. Pender still tours -- or at least has tour dates booked over the course of the next year -- and McNally and Allen's band continued playing regularly until 2019, and only stopped performing because of McNally's increasing ill health. Having seen both, Pender's was the better show -- McNally and Allen's lineup of the group relied rather too heavily on a rather cheesy sounding synthesiser for my tastes, while Pender stuck closer to a straight guitar/bass/drums sound -- but both kept audiences very happy for decades. Mike Pender was made an MBE in 2020, as a reward for his services to the music industry. Tony Jackson and Chris Curtis both died in the 2000s, and John McNally and Frank Allen are now in well-deserved retirement. While Allen and Pender exchanged pleasantries and handshakes at their former bandmates' funerals, McNally and Pender wouldn't even say hello to each other, and even though McNally and Allen's band has retired, there's still a prominent notice on their website that they own the name "The Searchers" and nobody else is allowed to use it. But every time you hear a jangly twelve-string electric guitar, you're hearing a sound that was originally created by Mike Pender and John McNally playing in unison, a sound that proved to be greater than any of its constituent parts.
Monocle editor in chief Tyler Brûlé asks leading drivers of change what challenges and opportunities lie ahead. In this episode, Sarah McNally, founder of McNally Jackson bookshops, discusses the latest challenge to the publishing industry and why New Yorkers' steely resilience could save independent retail.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monocle editor in chief Tyler Brûlé asks leading drivers of change what challenges and opportunities lie ahead. In this episode, Sarah McNally, founder of McNally Jackson bookshops, discusses the latest challenge to the publishing industry and why New Yorkers’ steely resilience could save independent retail.
Monocle editor in chief Tyler Brûlé asks leading drivers of change what challenges and opportunities lie ahead. In this episode, Sarah McNally, founder of McNally Jackson bookshops, discusses the latest challenge to the publishing industry and why New Yorkers’ steely resilience could save independent retail. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
The Depression-era novel Miss Lonelyhearts, by Nathanael West, has been called "the purest expression of despair that American literature has produced, in any era." As WNYC's Sara Fishko tells us in this Fishko Files, 80 years after the author's death, the book - about the descent into darkness of an advice columnist - still rings true. Miss Lonelyhearts is available to order online. Jonathan Lethem's upcoming novel, The Arrest, will be published this November. You can find more Lethem on West in "The American Vicarious" (The Believer, 2009). For more on Lowell Liebermann, visit his website. Thanks to Rex Doane for lending his voice to our excerpts from Miss Lonelyhearts. Fishko Files with Sara Fishko Assistant Producer: Olivia BrileyMix Engineer: Wayne ShulmisterEditor: Karen Frillmann
Jeff and Rebecca try to wrap their heads around how Covid-19 is affecting the world of books and reading. This episode is sponsored by: Sisters in Crime by Eleanor Taylor Bland Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations Links discussed in this episode: Book Riot's on-going Covid-19 Coverage Barnes & Noble implies layoffs inevitable McNally Jackson & Powell’s layoffs Print: A Bookstore in Portland, Maine
Episode Ninety Six Show Notes KEY: CW = Chris Wolak and EF = Emily Fine– Currently Reading –The End of Your Life Book Club – Will Schwalbe (CW)From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home – Tembi Locke (EF)The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires: A Novel – Grady Hendrix (CW) release date April 7, 2020A Good Marriage: A Novel – Kimberly McCreight (EF) release date May 5, 2020– Just Read –Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know – Malcolm Gladwell (EF) (audio)The Sun Down Motel – Simone St. James (CW) Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed – Lori Gottlieb (CW)My Name is Lucy Barton – Elizabeth Strouth (CW)Chris DNF’d: River – Esther Kinsky, Iain Galbraith (translator) Blood Countess (A Ldy Slayers Novel) – Lana Popovic– Biblio Adventures –We went on a joint jaunt to see the Broadway production of My Name is Lucy Barton based on the book by Elizabeth Strout.Chris visited the New York Public Library and worked in the Dewitt Wallace Periodical Room before the play and also visited Books KinokuniyaEmily took Aunt Ellen and the Gentleman Caller to McNally Jackson where she purchased two books:Black is the Body: Stories of My Grandmother’s Time, My Mother’s Time, and My Time – Emily BernardNight Theater – Vikram Paralkar– Upcoming Jaunts –May 1-2 – Booktopia 2020 at Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, VT– Conversation with Dafydd Wood from Northshire Bookstore –Here is the newsletter that shares everything you need to know about Booktopia 2020. Or, you can see the list of books and authors that will be featured on the website HERE.Note: You need to purchase tickets before you can receive the 20% discount.Facebook Fans of Booktopia pageDafydd also mentions:The Guest Book: A Novel – Sarah BlakeWho is Vera Kelly? – Rosalie Knecht– 12th Readalong discussion– Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead – Olga Tokarczuk, Antonia Lloyd-Jones (Translator)The Goodreads discussion thread can be found HERE. Sloan Croasley NY Times reviewNew Yorker profile on Olga by author Ruth FranklinWilliam Blake poem Proverbs of HellThe book has been made into a film titled: Pokot (Spoor)– Also Mentioned –Bryan at Still an Unfinished Person BlogAmerican Dirt – Jeanine CumminsThe Street – Ann PetryPassing – Nella LarsenPhillis WheatleyAttica LockeSee more about Kimberly McCreight’s novels HERERevisionist History podcastSee more about Elizabeth Strout’s novels HERE Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder – Caroline FraserReading Envy podcastPurchase Book Cougars Swag on Zazzle! We are an affiliate of Bank Square Books and Savoy Bookstore & Café. Please purchase books from them and support us at the same time. Click HERE to start shopping.If you’d like to help financially support the Book Cougars, please consider becoming a Patreon member. You can DONATE HERE. If you would prefer to donate directly to us, please email bookcougars@gmail.com for instructions.Join our Goodreads Group!We have a BookTube Channel – please check it out here, and be sure to subscribe!Please subscribe to our email newsletter here.
McNally Jackson Books is an independent bookstore based in New York City owned and operated by Sarah McNally, a former editor at Basic Books and the daughter of Holly and Paul McNally, founders of McNally Robinson Booksellers based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Sarah opened her first of seven stores in 2004 as a branch of McNally Robinson. In August 2008 she established McNally Jackson as an independent company. In October 2019 she met me. We consorted in the basement of her flagship store. Two thirds of the way through our conversation we were jointed by Jeff Deutsch, Director of Chicago's Seminary Co-op Bookstore. Among other things, our discussion covers chocolate bars, delegation, Sunday emails, rents & real estate, the procreation of bookstores, Sarah's stationery, aversion to irrational travel rules, reading not changing the world, smugness, Trevor Noah's book, mutual respect, civic missions, retail in Paris, mobs of tourists, visuals, the importance of cover designs, the retreat of criticism, Instagram, bugs, Bison Books, offices, seminary students, lines on the floor, browsing, tables and buying-energy, matcha and mouldy mugs.
简介: 这几年,实体书店在经历了一波经营困难而不得不关门的困境之后,似乎又迎来了一轮复兴热潮,各种「最美书店」频繁出现在公众视野。怎么看待这些「网红」书店?一个好的书店应该具备哪些因素?国内外有哪些做得不错的书店呢?我们邀请到刚刚完成书店设计的「不也工作室」两位主理人姜伯源和郭宇辰,从书店聊起,然后一路从「书的容器」聊到「人的容器」,甚至还展望了下一次的工业技术革命对建筑行业的影响。 聊到的东西很多,以下是不含时间的时间轴摘要: 每个人心目中怎么样算是一个好的书店; 书是否讲究「当下性」:McNally v.s. Strand; 实体书店复兴热潮; 怎么样算「网红书店」? 书店的复合功能:书、文创、咖啡、活动、展览; Open House用书店做了一个Food Court; 建筑师做书店很想做成图书馆? 网红和postmodern; 戏剧化的场景营造; 城市是否要回归小尺度的街道空间; 不同年代的人如何解决这个时代的孤独感; Urban Fabric: Community的不同形成方式,不是地理based,而是兴趣based; 新零售; 下一次的工业技术革命对建筑行业的影响的猜想; Cyber的革命有什么Material的可能性; 再讲到反乌托邦; 对人physical身体的信仰。 人物: 璟璐、姜伯源、老郭(郭宇辰) 相关链接: 姜伯源/郭宇辰的设计事务所:「不也工作室」 (https://s-nor.com/) 两位嘉宾设计的绿瓦体育书店 (http://wenhui.whb.cn/zhuzhanapp/jqp/20191212/308358.html?state=123×tamp=1576332117696&from=groupmessage&isappinstalled=0) 纽约的 McNally Jackson 书店 (https://www.mcnallyjackson.com/) 纽约的 Strand 书店 (http://www.strandbooks.com/) 伦敦的 Shakespears 书店 (https://shakespeareandcompany.com/) 上海的半层书店 (http://sh.eastday.com/pdzt/bookstore/n1011261/n1011270/index.html) 哥伦比亚大学建筑系前院长 Mark Wigley (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Wigley) 电影《Ready Player One (头号玩家)》 (https://movie.douban.com/subject/4920389/) 电影《I, Robot (我,机器人)》 (https://movie.douban.com/subject/1308843/) 电影《Mortal Engines (掠食城市)》 (https://movie.douban.com/subject/4221462//) 艺术与工艺运动 / 工艺美术运动 Arts and Crafts Movement (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arts_and_Crafts_movement) The International Congresses of Modern Architecture (CIAM) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congr%C3%A8s_Internationaux_d%27Architecture_Moderne) 阿兰·德波顿发起的「Living Architecture」项目(注:阿兰·德波顿曾出版《幸福的建筑》一书) (https://www.living-architecture.co.uk/our-story.asp) 建筑师、建筑理论家 Adolf Loos (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Loos) 另注:口头提到的po-mo是postmodern的简称 收听方式: 推荐在泛用性播客客户端中搜索「所建所闻」订阅之后收听。 苹果手机推荐使用Overcast、Pocket Casts、Castro 安卓手机推荐使用AntennaPod、Pocket Casts、Castbox 此外还可以在喜马拉雅、网易云音乐、Spotify上收听。 联系方式: 网站:architalk.xyz 邮箱:hi@architalk.xyz 新浪微博:所建所闻 (https://m.weibo.cn/profile/6895347942) Twitter:ArchiTalkXYZ (https://twitter.com/ArchiTalkXYZ) Instagram:architalk.xyz (https://www.instagram.com/architalk.xyz/)
In Episode 24, Grace Atwood and Becca Freeman (Co-Hosts of the Bad on Paper Podcast) join me to talk New York City books and bookstores and share their experience as Book of the Month judges. This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Highlights How Grace and Becca first met (and if they initially liked each other). The original premise (and name) of the Bad on Paper Podcast. Their first ever book club pick for the podcast’s book club. Grace and Becca’s reading Venn Diagram. The Bad on Paper Book Club. The book I had a totally different opinion about than Becca and Grace. Grace and Becca’s favorite book club episode ever. The underrated gem Grace and Becca both think everyone should be reading. Speculation on how publishers distribute marketing dollars among their book list. Grace and Becca’s favorite NYC bookstores (McNally Jackson, The Strand). Rumors about how books make it onto the front tables in bookstores. Grace and Becca’s favorite NYC books. Grace’s and Becca’s experiences as a Book of the Month judges (including whether they got paid and how they determined which books they’d be recommending). Sarah’s track record with Pulitzer prize-winning books. Grace and Becca’s Book Recommendations Two OLD Books They Love Grace: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson | Buy from Amazon [27:34] Becca: The Magicians Series by Lev Grossman | Buy from Amazon [28:48] Two NEW Books They Love Grace: Necessary Peopleby Anna Pitoniak | Buy from Amazon [30:50] Becca: American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson | Buy from Amazon [33:07] Two Books They Didn’t Love Grace: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [35:45] Becca: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (My Review) | Buy from Amazon[37:10] Two New Releases They’re Excited About Grace: That’s What Frenemies Are Forby Sophie Littlefield and Lauren Gershell (July 30) | Buy from Amazon [39:09] Becca: American Royals by Katharine McGee (September 3) | Buy from Amazon[40:24] Other Books Mentioned The Selection Series by Kiera Cass | Buy from Amazon [3:33] Otherwise Engaged by Lindsey J. Palmer (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [4:46] Normal People by Sally Rooney (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [7:37] The Idea of You by Robinne Lee | Buy from Amazon [8:53] American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson | Buy from Amazon [9:43] Circe by Madeline Miller (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [10:12] Verity by Colleen Hoover | Buy from Amazon [12:39] Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West | Buy from Amazon [13:39] Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win by Jo Piazza (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [14:26] A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood | Buy from Amazon [15:11] A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [19:06] Rules of Civility by Amor Towles | Buy from Amazon [20:06] Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen | Buy from Amazon [20:50] Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [21:38] The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis | Buy from Amazon [22:34] The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis | Buy from Amazon [22:51] The Thousandth Floor Series by Katharine McGee | Buy from Amazon [23:03] Normal People by Sally Rooney (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [24:27] Three Women by Lisa Taddeo | Buy from Amazon [25:46] Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling | Buy from Amazon [28:54] The Futures by Anna Pitoniak (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [32:19] Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [32:28] The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [41:03] Other Links The Stripe (Grace’s blog) reading lists Podcast Ep. 7 with Ashley Spivey Bad on Paper Podcast’s Normal People book club episode Bad on Paper Podcast’s Book Club #SpiveysClub Facebook Group Sarah’s All-Time Favorite Books List The Bad on Paper Podcast Podcast Website | Instagram | Facebook Group About Grace The Stripe blog | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter Grace Atwood is the founder + voice behind The Stripe. She is also the co-host of podcast, Bad on Paper. Currently based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; Grace grew up on Cape Cod, which she credits for her love of the ocean (and probably a nautical stripe or two). The blog began in January of 2010 (originally Stripes & Sequins), born out of a love of fashion, beauty, and making. Prior to running this site full time, Grace was the director of social media for BaubleBar. Before that, she worked in marketing for Procter & Gamble and Coty. She has spoken about social media and blogging at panels for Internet Week, ShopStyle, General Assembly, and IFB. She’s been featured in Glamour, The Coveteur, StyleWatch, Apartment Therapy and more. In 2019 she was named one of The Daily Front Row‘s 50 names to know right now. Outside of work, Grace’s passions include food, wine, art, yoga, reading, her Persian cat Tyrion and exploring everything New York and Brooklyn have to offer. About Becca Instagram | Facebook Becca is a freelance marketing consultant in NYC. Previously, she was the Head of Marketing at LOLA. When not working, reading, or podcasting, Becca loves plane tickets, red wine, and 30 Rock reruns and has never met a dog in a costume she hasn’t liked. Support the Podcast Share - If you like the podcast, I’d love for you to share it with your reader friends…in real life and on social media (there’s easy share buttons at the bottom of this post!). Subscribe...wherever you listen to podcasts, so new episodes will appear in your feed as soon as they’re released. Rate and Review - Search for “Sarah’s Book Shelves” in Apple Podcasts…or wherever you listen to podcasts! Feedback - I want this podcast to fit what you’re looking for, so I truly do want your feedback! Please tell me (email me at sarahsbookshelves@gmail.com or DM me on social media) what you like, don’t like, want more of, want less of, etc. I’d also love to hear topics you’d like me to cover and guests you’d like to hear from.
Bonus Ep: Adam Johnson on Ilhan Omar https://www.patreon.com/posts/24735765 Jeff Halper, no relation, talks about what a one state solution could look like and the influences, besides AIPAC, that get other governments to offer Israel such unwavering support. Jeff is an American-born Israeli anthropologist, works with The One Democratic State Campaign, a Palestinian-Israeli initiative and is the founder of the Israeli Committee Against Housing Demolition. He's the author of several books including 'War Against the People: Israel, the Palestinans and Global Pacification," "Obstacles to Peace: A Reframing of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, ICAHD," "An Israeli in Palestine: Resisting Dispossession, Redeeming Israel." I chatted with him at the bookstore McNally Jackson on February 9th, one day before the Ilhan Omar tweet on AIPAC which was followed by a smear campaign against her. Stand by for a patreon episode with Adam Johnson about the media's framing of her comments.
Here it is, the infamous live recording at McNally Jackson! There was a great turnout to hear Brian, María Christina, and I work our way through our thoughts about Death in Spring, Rodoreda's overall stature, the banning of the color yellow, and much more. We had a great time doing this, and thanks again to McNally Jackson for making it all possible. We might have a special bonus episode in the new year, but stay tuned for details on Two Month Review season four, when we go deep on The Physics of Sorrow by Georgi Gospodinov. Buy a copy now! (Use the code 2MONTH at checkout for 20% off!) And, in case you still don't have them, both Death in Spring and Selected Stories are also available through the Open Letter website. And like with Physics above, if you use 2MONTH at checkout, you'll get 20% off. Feel free to comment on this episode--or on the book in general--either on this post, or at the official GoodReads Group. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for more thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And you can follow María Christina Hall there as well. And you can find all Two Month Review posts by clicking here. The music for this season of Two Month Review is "Montseny" by Els Surfing Sirles. And please rate us on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you get your podcasts) and/or leave a review!
Here it is, the infamous live recording at McNally Jackson! There was a great turnout to hear Brian, María Christina, and I work our way through our thoughts about Death in Spring, Rodoreda's overall stature, the banning of the color yellow, and much more. We had a great time doing this, and thanks again to McNally Jackson for making it all possible. We might have a special bonus episode in the new year, but stay tuned for details on Two Month Review season four, when we go deep on The Physics of Sorrow by Georgi Gospodinov. Buy a copy now! (Use the code 2MONTH at checkout for 20% off!) And, in case you still don't have them, both Death in Spring and Selected Stories are also available through the Open Letter website. And like with Physics above, if you use 2MONTH at checkout, you'll get 20% off. Feel free to comment on this episode--or on the book in general--either on this post, or at the official GoodReads Group. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for more thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And you can follow María Christina Hall there as well. And you can find all Two Month Review posts by clicking here. The music for this season of Two Month Review is "Montseny" by Els Surfing Sirles. And please rate us on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you get your podcasts) and/or leave a review!
Bonus with Adam Johnson is here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/14836515 We speak to art critic and writer Kareem Estefan, co-editor of "Assuming Boycott: Resistance, Agency, and Cultural Production," about Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS), the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and the lessons of the South African boycott. Then we bring you a live reading from Eli Valley, who was our guest last week, of his book "Diaspora Boy: Comics on Crisis in America and Israel," recorded at the McNally Jackson bookstore in NYC.
On the occasion of her autobiography Art Sex Music's American book release, industrial music pioneer and acclaimed performance artist Cosey Fanni Tutti (Throbbing Gristle, Chris and Cosey) sat down with Patti Smith Group's Lenny Kaye to discuss her fascinating life on the margins. Their conversation, which took place at McNally Jackson bookstore in New York, takes in the rise and fall of Throbbing Gristle, transgressive art shows, a hilarious story about Tutti using "Because The Night" during her strip routine, and much more. It begins with a stage-setting reading from Art Sex Music. Many thanks to McNally Jackson and Faber and Faber for allowing Talkhouse to record and release this fantastic conversation. Also, we want to hear from you! Head on over to bit.ly/TalkhouseSurvey to fill out a two-minute survey about you, our audience, so we can hear about how to bring you the best conversations. To sweeten the deal, we’ll be raffling off a Fender Mahogany Acoustic Guitar, a rad nine-LP prize pack courtesy of the great crews at Secretly Group and Dead Oceans, a custom Levi’s jean jacket, and four $25 Amazon gift cards. Good luck! —Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Music Podcast host and producer
Epigraph WORD Bookstore in Jersey City, NJ. Find her on the internet @BookArista. Introduction In Which We Discuss Rainbow Sidewalks, Binge-Reading, Going Broke on July 14th, and Adult Chocolate Milk [1:43] The Ghost Network by Catie Disabato [2:25] Dryland by Sara Jaffe (pubs 1 Sept 2015) [2:38] Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (pubs 15 Sept 2015) [3:13] Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff Emma’s Read-Brag: 5 books in 1 day Lumberjanes Vol 1 by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooke Allen, and Shannon Watters We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie The Golden Compass Graphic Novel by Philip Pullman, adapted by Staephane Melchior-Durand (pubs 22 Sept 2015) All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry The Chronology of Water: A Memoir by Lidia Yuknavitch July New Releases!! [5:10] The Small Backs of Children by Lidia Yuknavitch (pubs 7 July 2015) IRL Bonus! Hang out with Kim at Lidia’s reading at Elliott Bay Book Company on July 14th. NYC-folk can catch Lidia in conversation with Kate Zambreno on July 21st at McNally Jackson. [6:03] Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (pubs 14 July 2015) Also mentioned: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian by E. L. James [6:44] Armada by Ernest Cline (pubs 14 July 2015) Also mentioned: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline [7:05] The Golden Specific by S. E. Grove (pubs 14 July 2015) Also mentioned: The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove [7:30] Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (pubs 14 July 2015) Drink(s) of the Day The Jules Verne (hat tip to Natalie, bartender extraordinaire at Barcade Jersey City): Stumptown Cold Brew with Chocolate w/ Kraken Black Spiced Rum Like Vodka for Chocolate: Vodka (probably from a plastic jug) w/ Yoo-hoo Chapter I In Which Katelyn Sucks at Restaurant-Work and Begins a Career in Bookselling Instead, Your Hosts Discuss Post-Apocalyptic Fiction, and Emma Decides Her Next Tattoo Let’s visit Katelyn’s first bookstore, Bogart’s Books and Cafe in Millville, NJ! Seriously, though, can we talk about their advertising? The Humphrey Bogart dog. Ponderers of meaning. Shiny happy people. I just... I can’t even. It’s so good. Ahem. Moving on to WORD... Join Katelyn’s book group, Much Ado About Classics, at WORD Jersey City or check out one of WORD’s other book groups in Jersey City or Brooklyn. [16:40] Bookseller confession: Katelyn kinda hated A Christmas Carol: And Other Christmas Books by Charles Dickens [20:12] Katelyn’s favorite book of all time: Mort(e) by Robert Repino [21:25] Post-Apocalyptic Fiction: The Dog Stars by Peter Heller Also mentioned: Echo of the Boom by Maxwell Neely-Cohen, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel [23:25] Bats of the Republic: An Illuminated Novel by Zachary Thomas Dodson (pubs 6 Oct 2015) Also mentioned: Featherproof Books [25:48] Katelyn’s Station Eleven Book: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams [27:55] Katelyn’s Wild Book: Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach [28:35] Kim’s Station Eleven/Wild Book: Adrienne Rich’s Poetry and Prose [28:51] Kim’s Desert Island Book: The Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson [29:27] Emma’s Station Eleven: Stranger Things Happen by Kelly Link [29:55] Emma’s Wild Book: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente [30:08] Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente (pubs 20 Oct 2015) Chapter II In Which We Discuss Lying to Customers Handselling Strategies, Grad Gifts, and Rad Italian Women Writers [31:05] Katelyn lied about reading The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. But she remedied the situation, so it’s all good. [32:16] If you liked Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, you’ll love The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Not that Kim has read either. She just knows these things because #bookseller. [32:39] How about a literary horror novel about a plague of insomnia? Read Black Moon by Kenneth Calhoun. [33:18] Or maybe a tough cool broad book? Grab Saint Mazie by Jami Attenberg. [34:11] College grad required reading: Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown [34:58] Katelyn’s epic grad gift Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World by Jane McGonigal We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Mort(e) by Robert Repino [36:45] Katelyn purchased My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante from our friends at The Community Bookstore on Independent Bookstore Day. [37:12] Need more Italian writers? The First True Lie by Marina Mander [38:01] Emma yells at Katelyn because SHE’S NEVER READ HARRY POTTER. WHAT’S THE HOLD UP, KATELYN? [39:41] Mark Z. Danielewski (author of House of Leaves) is writing a ridiculously long 27 volume series, beginning with The Familiar, Volume 1: One Rainy Day in May. We talked about this for a lot longer but - unlike some people - we decided to edit. Chapter III In Which Kim Wonders What People Think of Her, We Get Really Suspicious of Green Things, and Customers Worry About Disappointing Emma [40:55] Kim gets freaked out by being handsold Tampa by Alissa Nutting [41:57] Katelyn’s impossible handsell: The New World by Chris Adrian and Eli Horowitz. Cutting people’s heads off and a story of sad marriages... what’s not to love? [43:01] Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy was released individually as three paperback volumes - Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance - before being released as a gorgeous single-volume hardcover edition, Area X. [44:12] People buy Uprooted by Naomi Novik from Emma, even though it’s in hardcover, to avoid making her cry. Real footage of a passionate bookseller handselling a book: Originally posted by t4lkn3rdyt0m3 Katelyn’s favorite literary media: Book Riot The Podcast, All the Books, Two Book Minimum Epilogue In Which Katelyn Can Be Found In All Ways on the Internets Twitter: @BookArista Tumblr: @BookArista Instagram: @TheBookArista (note the definitive article) Website: www.BookArista.com You can follow Kim on twitter @finaleofseem, but she doesn’t really post much there, so you might as well just follow Emma at @thebibliot and call it a day. Also, read all of Emma’s posts at Book Riot, because she’s a nerd and it’s wonderful.
Jeffrey Sachs argues that many of today's global problems are hangovers from bad, ungenerous decisions at the end of previous conflicts. Professor Sachs is one of the world's leading economists, and amongst the many governments he has advised over 30 years were Poland and Russia at the end of the Cold War. In this very personal talk, recorded at McNally Jackson books in New York City, Professor Sachs describes how a stunned Russian Prime Minister, facing economic calamity and desperate for western support, was told instead by western governments that there would be no help forthcoming. And he argues that decisions like this - similar to those taken by the Entente powers at the end of the First World War which sowed the seeds of today's conflicts in the Middle East - are a large part of the explanation of Russian attitudes today, including in Ukraine. The presenter is Amanda Stern. Producer: Giles Edwards.