Greensboro Daily Photo

Jill Van Horn

Jill Van Horn, a local author of mystery and love stories, is the perfect person to feature for Valentine's Day. She also happens to be wearing Valentine's Day red. Originally from Pennsylvania, Jill lived in Texas and California, before finding her home in Guilford County. She is multitalented; not only a published author, but also a family physician. Jill loves to cook and eat a healthy, balanced diet. She has a cooking channel on YouTube called the Doctored Chef. where she combines her love of cooking with her expertise as a health care professional. We suggest starting with Episode 1, a recipe for parmesan-crusted salmon and learn how the meal helps with depression and anxiety.

It would be wonderful if the Greensboro City Library system would purchase a set of Dr. Jill's books for book clubs to check out. In the meantime, you can purchase her books at Gibsonville Antiques (where we met her on Saturday) or, directly from her website. We should be calling her Dr. Jill, especially now that we know she is returning to practicing medicine, focusing on eldercare. If you are looking for a good beach book, start with "Fit for Love". The setting is Myrtle Beach. If you like a little magic, time travel, and Christmas, start with "A Stagecoach Christmas" or "A Christmas Carousel." We are so lucky to have Dr. Jill in our community!

Happy Tuesday! Happy reading!

Beth Sheffield and Local Author Event

Today, the Central Library is hosting a local author fair and two workshops for authors and aspiring authors. Beth Sheffield will present a workshop on "Selling your Book in Three Minutes or Less." Beth will share some clear examples of how to prepare and rehearse your "elevator speech" in case you get a chance to pitch your book to someone- planned or unplanned. Sometimes, when least expected, there is an opportunity to tell someone about your book; you've got to be ready. In the above photo, Beth is showing a couple of her go-to books for aspiring authors. You may recognize Beth, as she works in the Greensboro Central Library with major programming and book clubs. It is easy to remember someone with a smile that heartfelt.

There will also be an opportunity to meet sixteen local authors, purchase their books, and get books autographed. Two books that are getting a lot of press lately, are Diya Abdo's book, "American Refugee: True Stories of the American Refugee Experience" and Virginia Summer's book, "Redefining Activism: Judge Elreta Alexander-Ralston." Both authors will be in attendance today. The library has several fabulous events scheduled for 2023. To keep up with their offerings, follow the GSO Library on Facebook, or check gsolibrary.org for updates. In the meantime, hope to see you at the Central Library between 1-4pm today. Other than the workshops, the rest of the event is drop-in-anytime to meet these local authors. See yesterday's GDP post HERE for more details. There are other events going on downtown today. If the parking deck attendant knows you are going to the event at the public library, you should be able to park for free. 

Writers' Event at the Central Library, Tomorrow

Greensboro's City Library system is an invaluable community resource. Truly, it is one of the few places open to everyone; with computers, books, clean restrooms, meeting rooms, and special events. Tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 10th), they are hosting the "Local Author Celebration Festival."  The event will be held from 1-4 pm at the Central Library at 219 N. Church Street. From 1:30- 2:30, local writer Quinn Dalton will hold a workshop for writers at all stages of their careers, "Jumpstart Your Writing Practice with Quinn Dalton." From 3:00- 3:45 pm, Beth Sheffield  will lead a workshop, "Selling Your Book in three Minutes or Less." Registration is required for the workshops. You can register with Ronald Headen at 336-412-6199 or ronald.headen@greensboro-nc.gov. 

The following local authors will be available for a meet and greet: Angela Parks, Anette Pearson, Diya Abdo, Edward Di Gangi, Haven Turner, Jennifer Orth Veillon, Joe Madera, Lakisha Tucker, Lee Zacharias, Matthew Armstrong, Michael Gaspeny, Quinn Dalton, Samuel Harrison, Sandra Bartell, Victoria Sparks, and Virginia Summer. Their books will be available for purchase and you will have an opportunity to get books signed. With this great group, there is a genre for everyone. We know this is a busy time of year, but the local author celebration will be so much fun. Also, it will help you start a reading list for 2023. If you are in a bookclub, you will get great ideas for books to read, and, who knows, you just might be able to arrange for a local author to visit your bookclub. We got Mary Flynn to speak at ours, before she moved to Wilmington.

Happy Friday!

Banned Book Week with Liz Seymour

September 18- 24, 2022 is Banned (and Challenged) Book Week.  This annual awareness campaign is promoted by the American Library Association and also Amnesty International.  The above photo features Liz Seymour, who is hosting banned and challenged books in the Little Free Library box on Lexington Avenue in the Glenwood neighborhood of Greensboro. This little box, on the Florida Street side of Lexington, is filled exclusively with books that have been banned or challenged. Some of the titles may surprise you: The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald); The Catcher in the Rye (JD Salinger); The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck); To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee); The Color Purple (Alice Walker); Beloved (Toni Morrison); Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain) and the list goes on and on and on. Most of these just-mentioned classics are in the above box, to take for free (at least they were there at the time of our visit). Liz also has more contemporary selections like the graphic novel "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Koabe (2019).  All of the books in the Little Free Library are in terrific shape. Sharing banned and challenged books is a way to voice censorship concerns and celebrate free expression.

Liz Seymour has been an active community member throughout her decades in Greensboro. She is perhaps best known as the founding director of the Interactive Resource Center (IRC). The IRC is a day center in Greensboro for people who are experiencing homelessness. It opened in 2009 and Liz was at the helm until she retired in 2014. She retired to focus on writing full time. She is a compelling writer; one of her essays, "Inviting Anarchy Into My Home", was published in the New York Times (March 9, 2006). The piece describes her transforming her home from a conventional married-couple household into an anarchist collective with multiple, non-related people learning to live and thrive together.*  Liz has been one to take a stance and take action for what she believes in. The IRC is still going strong today, thirteen years later. While Liz has also moved on from her anarchist collective, people still talk about what a meaningful experience it was to them. Ever willing to push the envelope, Liz is currently sharing banned and challenged books. Whether they house banned books or just a couple of shelves of someone's mystery books they've finished, The Little Free Library is a great place to give and donate a book. There are many around Greensboro. May your weekend be filled with reading, fellowship with friends like Liz Seymour, and some good ole fall fun. 

*link to the original article.

St. Francis Episcopal Church: Pop Up Paperback Book Sale

As you are planning out your weekend, on Saturday, consider heading over to St. Francis Episcopal Church on Lawndale Drive for a pop up book event. The event will be much smaller than their traditional shows. They are making a real effort to be COVID safe. Also, only paperbacks will be offered- two dollars for the larger paperbacks and one dollar for smaller format books. Book sales are a key way for St. Francis to raise funds and, the money they earn, goes right back into the community. As an example, after the last sale, they were able to help Urban Ministries restock their food pantry. Hopefully, this small-in-scale, pop up format will be a success.

 The above photo features the book depository. If you are a regular to the St. Francis book sales, you know when that garage door goes up, you will see floor to ceiling books. It appears that tomorrow's book sale, from 9:00 am- 3:00 pm, will actually be held in the Parish Hall. To be sure, when you drive around back to park, there will be people to guide you to the books. St. Francis, an outgrowth of the Holy Trinity Parish, has been providing people with a spiritual home since 1954. For the last six decades, they've been bringing us great books.

Can you believe this is the last weekend in July. The books you buy tomorrow will be a great addition to your August reading list! Happy Friday! What authors can you recommend for us?

People of Greensboro: Orson Scott Card

Today's photo features science fiction writer Orson Scott Card. Originally from Washington State, Mr. Card has lived in Greensboro for the past thirty years. He is the author of the novel series, Enger's Game. In the above photo, Mr. Card is featured with his hairdresser, Nancy, at The Glen Hampton House on State Street. We were driving down State Street and saw Mr. Card heading into the salon. We dashed in and asked if we could photograph him. He kindly agreed, but didn't want to be photographed alone.  His hairdresser, Nancy, kindly agreed. You can tell by her big smile how nice she is (even though we caught her mid blink)! Same with Mr. Card, that smile revels a kind soul. 

If you are looking for a good book to give for Christmas, consider something from the "Ender's Game" series.  If you need your hair styled, call Nancy. We were grateful to run in to Mr. Card and grateful that he agreed to a photo-- even BEFORE getting a haircut. We love the books he has written. He has inspired so many teens to read (including our own children). To be sure, serendipity is the friend of Greensboro Daily Photo. It is merely by chance that we ran into Orson Scott Card.

Today is Friday! Head out and see what serendipitous something comes your way! 

History Museum Shop & Event Tonight

Today's photo features the Gift Shop at the Greensboro History Museum. What a clever slogan- Bring HISTORY Home. If you want Greensboro's iconic Boar and Castle sauce, you can get it here. If you want something with the state bird on it, get it here. If you are looking for books about Greensboro, get them here! If you need a Wrangle jeans apron, see above! Related to Greensboro and books, there is a very special event tonight from 7-9pm. It it is called, "The Life and Works of O. Henry", with Ben Yagoda and Jim Dodson. The book they will be discussing tonight is an anthology of O. Henry stories. Ben, the editor of the collection, and an accomplished writer himself,  is coming in from Delaware to discuss Greensboro's favorite author. Jim Dodson, of Greensboro, also an accomplished writer, will co-present the event. You may recognize Jim's name from O. Henry magazine; not only does he write for the magazine, he is its founding editor. All of this good local history and lore is brought to us by the Greensboro History Museum, Greensboro Public Library, and Scuppernong Books. While we can't guarantee the museum's shop will be open, you can be sure there will be books available for purchase.

If you plan to attend, please visit the museum's website (HERE) for tickets. Also, you can learn about attending virtually from the comfort of your own home- the new normal. Almost as good as the wonderful event itself is the fact that it is FREE, but do reserve a spot! If you can't head downtown this evening for the event (130 Summit Avenue by Tanger Center), please put The Greensboro History Museum on your to-do list to get by at another time. The single best thing you can do for our community is support our public non-profits.

Little Free Library at Eclectic By Nature

Reading books from the Little Free Libraries around town is so much fun. The above library is in the middle of a lovely garden on State Street at Eclectic by Nature. As stated on the website, "Eclectic By Nature is a woman-owned store that specialized in Spirituality products." They have everything from herbal healing and Reiki to Wicca and Shamanism. The books at a Little Library often reflect the interests of the person who installed it. That pairing doesn't always happen, but you would be more likely to find a book on some type of spirituality here than the libraries in other neighborhoods.

Here is a link to the homepage of the Little Free Library with all of the details, in case you would live to install one. If you enter your zip code on the website, it will give you a list of all the libraries that have registered. You could even use this service on vacation. Wouldn't it be fun to make a list of titles of  all of the books you've taken from one of the libraries, as well as the ones you donated. We like to try to return them to the same place we got them. Also, if you ever see a person working in the yard or sitting on the porch of a private residence with one of the libraries, say hello or thank them. We have met some really nice people that way. If they are in front of a business, go inside and meet the keepers of the library. The garden at this one at Eclectic By Nature is absolutely beautiful this time of year, and, last we checked, the book selection was great!

Greensboro Bound Virtual

Yesterday, on GDP, we celebrated Greensboro's public library system. Today's photo is the window of Scupperonong Books, advertising the Greensboro Bound Virtual Literary Festival begins tomorrow; another example of literary goodness in our community. Greensboro Bound is billed as a festival for "readers, writers, students, academics, and volunteers who are passionate about books, writing, and reading". It is a non-profit organization established in 2017 (reference and more information). The festival is the brainchild of  Steve Colyer and Scuppernong Books owners. The annual festival has hosted many writers, many of whom are known internationally. 

Here is a link to see the list of events and RSVP to attend virtually. Many of the topics are timely and something for everybody across genres from young adult fiction to short stories, poems, cookbooks, crime writing, and more. When community partners, businesses, writers, and volunteers come together, in an event celebrating reading and writing, everyone benefits and the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts! Drop into a session and enjoy!

Books for Back to School

August is the month for school openings in Greensboro. Early and middle college classes have already started. With schooling starting remotely this fall, it will be more important than ever for students and teachers to have access to books. One great resource is the Greensboro city library system. Grab and Go service is available at all of the branches; so, it is possible to check out books. Also, it is very easy to download the library's app and to check out books digitally. If you do not yet have a library card, it would be very important to secure one before school starts.

For those who prefer reading a physical copy of a book and owning their copies, Greensboro has some great options. Above is a one; Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Friendly Center. If you are a teacher, you should know that this weekend, B&N is offering a discount of 25% to teachers. This is a very generous sale and great time to add to your personal and professional library. It has been easy to socially distance every time we've been in B&N and everyone was wearing a mask. Can you see this man somewhat hidden in the photo? He is wearing a mask!

Happy reading to all, regardless of where and how you get your books!

Books about Greensboro

Yesterday, we featured Gayle Hicks Fripp, a Greensboro author and historian. Today we feature books she has written, or (in the case of she Schlosser book) that she has edited. In the books, many topics are addressed and key photos of the city abound. There are photos of early homes; stories of impactful people, businesses and businessmen; information about neighborhoods, and more. The book on the top left, "Faith on the Move" details the history of the West Market Street United Methodist Church. While this is a history of the church, West Market Street UMC is almost as old as Greensboro, and so much of its history is connected to the city in so many ways. As Greensboro grew, so did West Market Street UMC.

If you want to know more about the people and places of Greensboro, the above books are a great place to start. Greensboro was established as a city in 1808 and at one time was quite a textile center and was the crossroads for rail commerce throughout the south. You will learn about these topics in these books. One thing we learned in reading the book on neighborhoods (bottom right), is that in the early 20th century,  it was common practice to move houses, as opposed to tearing them down. If you are looking for a little summer reading, most of these books are available, through the local libraries and online. Have a great weekend!

Reading the World with Scuppernong Books

Scuppernong Books in downtown Greensboro is hosting a year-long reading series of contemporary fiction in translation from around the globe. The discussions are held the first July of each month. We are a day late in telling you about the July meeting, which snuck up on us and was held last night (see description, here). They met via Zoom and discussed a book from Israel/Palestine. But, it isn't too late to get the book for the August session. it will be from Morocco and is entitled, "The Butcher of Casablanca" by Abdellah Hadouchi. If you call Scuppernong, they will order the book for you (336-763-1919). Anyone can participate. During these times of self-isolation, we all need to get a little creative in staying connected to the world. An international-themed book club with mostly local folks participating sounds like so much fun.

If you look at the above photo, which was taken on Elm Street mid-day on Tuesday, as you can see, the street is empty. Understandably so, there is not much foot traffic these days. So, doing something like ordering a book, and participating in a Zoom call, could be something fun and educational to anticipate in August. 

Have a happy Thursday and may July be filled with good times and fresh vegetables!

Free Books

As we continue with all but essential businesses closed, disposing of unwanted items has limited options. You can't donate to thrift stores; you can't sell books to used bookstores. You can sell some things online, throw items away, or put them at the street and offer them away for free. Even then, people are reluctant to touch anything that has been in the hands of others.

At any rate, offering books for free is a very nice gesture. The books in this box were very popular, contemporary fiction titles. Someone would love to read them. The books in this spontaneous, "pop up" library were being offered in northeast Greensboro. However, many neighborhoods in Greensboro have Little Free Libraries. If you are interested in setting up a LFL in your neighborhood, read the history and find a map of where they are already located, see here. In the meantime, continue find ways to experience social interaction while maintaining social distance. Happy Wednesday... and today's post is not an April Fool's joke!

DM Pulley

If you have a dynamic,  independent  bookstore in  you community, you will never be  at a loss for things to do.  Last night,  D.M.  Pulley  spoke at  Scuppernong Books  on  Elm Street  downtown. Primarily, she  was in house discussing her  latest  novel, No  One's Home; however, she gave a fantastic presentation  balancing  what led her to  the mystery/thriller  genre, how the  genre is typically constructed,  and the plots of  each  of her books.

Pulley spoke of how her training to become  a structural  engineer scaffolded her understanding of how buildings have secrets  and  that you can dissect them,  not unlike how doctors perform autopsies.  She mentioned that  analyzing old layers of paint may reveal spattered  blood-  evidence of  a  crime, evidence of fire damage, and other interesting facts about the building.  It is so  wonderful that we have these events,  free and open  to the public.  

Stop by  Scuppernong  books tonight  when Holly George-Warren,  a  North Carolina native, discusses her  biography about Janis Joplin at  7:00 pm.  Live music  will be provided. Hope to see you there!

Book Club Book Sets Available from GSO Public Library

Did you know that the Greensboro Public Library System maintains sets of books that local book clubs can borrow? Usually each title has 10-15 books available. One person from the book club checks out the entire set, is responsible for distributing the books to members and getting them returned.* I learned about this program while at the Central Library interviewing Beth Sheffield about the "One City, One Book" kick-off event to be held this Saturday (August 24) at 6:30 p.m. in the Greensboro History Museum. By the way, the library has several sets of Trevor Noah's "Born a Crime" available to loan to local book clubs! 

Beth (photographed on the right) oversees book clubs and programming for adults for the Greensboro Public Library. If there is a literary event happening in the downtown parks, a public library, or the community in general, chances are, you will see Beth there, either facilitating the event or in the audience. Come to the "One City, One Book" kick-off event to hear Osha Gray Davidson talk about his book "Best of Enemies" and race relations in North Carolina. Davidson's session is a way to discuss racism, a theme from Noah's book, within a local context.

*read more about the Book Club program and search titles, here.

(photo credit: Karen Garraputa- who happened to walk by and, serendipitously, is in my bookclub)!

One City, One Book

The first of more than eighty events for the One City, One Book initiative is happening this Saturday, August 24th, at 6:30 pm at the Greensboro Historical Museum. The above photo features Beth Sheffield holding a copy of the selection for this year, Trevor Noah's "Born a Crime." Beth is the coordinator of adult programming and book clubs for the Greensboro City Library. As Beth explained, events related to One City, One Book incorporate themes of the book that will be of interest and relevant to people of Greensboro.

The Saturday event, features a visit by Osha Gray Davidson who wrote "Best of Enemies." This book from the 1970's is about the relationship between Ann Atwater, a Civil Rights Activist, and C.P. Ellis, Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan. The book tells of how the diametrically opposed pair work together to find some common ground and to understand the other's perspective on race. So much of what Davidson writes in his book is relevant today with the binary political divide we are experience in the United States. The Saturday event will also allow time for dialog and questions. Greensboro is so lucky Davidson will be here for the event; and, this is only the first of many events to come- from Zulu dancing to a visit from Carla Hall, soul food cookbook author. Beth says her hope is to get Trevor Noah himself to come discuss "Born a Crime." If you have insight into helping this happen, contact Beth at Beth.Sheffield@greensboro-nc.gov. Follow the Greensboro Public Library on Facebook for events related to the book! See you Saturday!

Keith Monroe

This smiling man is Keith Monroe, standing among a few of his favorite books. Originally from Berea, Ohio, Keith has lived in Greensboro since his graduate school days. He obtained a Ph.D. in English from UNCG, fell in love with a woman from Greensboro, married, and decided to stay. Keith, who has a great sense of humor, refers to Greensboro as the Sargasso Sea, a place you enter and never leave. He and his family have built a great life here. He loves the small-town feel of Greensboro and his Sunset Hills neighborhood. He even enjoys the Christmas season with all of the decorating and the "Running of the Balls" event through the neighborhood.

Keith is retired from a career in journalism. He wrote editorials for the Winston-Salem Journal and was editor of the editorial page at the Virginian-Pilot. Since retirement, Keith stays busy reading, writing, eating good food, traveling with his wife, and exploring museums.  He is a member of an all-male book club and maintains a blog,  He especially loves reading about current events and politics, and editorializing about them. Keith's editorials can be found on his blog, Podunk Pundit, In true retirement fashion, he is his own boss, sets his own deadlines, and loves going to work. The commute is short; upstairs in his home, precisely where this photo was taken.

 

Greensboro Bound Literary Festival

These puppets in the window of Scuppernong Books are there reminding us that the Greensboro Bound Literary Festival begins tomorrow. This second annual event is sure to have something for everybody. The opening event will be a reception, a presentation about an interactive art project and a film screening at the Weatherspoon Art Museum at the corner of Spring Garden and Tate Streets.

There are so many great offerings. To name a few, author Wiley Cash will speak, There will be a response to Hillbilly Elegy. There will be a session on contemporary Muslim writing, spoken word, and a concert by Ani Defranco with Rhiannon Giddens. We predict that some of these events may grow so large in the future that they will be held in the Tanger Center for the Performing Arts. This is a fabulous, diverse event for the Gate City! You owe it to yourself to attend at least one session. While all events are free and open to the public, many have already distributed all of the tickets.

To learn more about the festival and to see the schedule, see, here and  here.

Brian Jones at Scuppernong Books

On Saturday, Brian Jones spoke at Scuppernong books. He is the Associate Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York. He spoke about the radical legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.  About one of the best things someone can do to understand fully what was happening at the time while Dr. King was alive is to listen to his speeches and to read his 1967 book, "Where Do We Go From Here?".

The talk was sponsored by the Greensboro Socialists and approximately 40 people were in attendance. Regardless of political beliefs, it was so informative.  Greensboro has many interesting guest speakers, through the Bryan series, the presentations at all the local universities, and the speakers of special interest groups and organizations. Check in with Scuppernong often as they are always hosting informative events.

Snowy Day

With yesterday's nearly record high temperature in the mid-70's, it is hard to believe that Greensboro was recently in a deep freeze and, before that, under near record snows. The window of Scuppernong Bookstore on South Elm Street is decorated to remind us of the fun of a snowy winter day. The above photo features their display of Ezra Jack Keats' 1962 children's picture book, The Snowy Day.

Regardless of what the weather brings over the next month or so, it is nice to know that days are getting longer and the sunshine a little more sustained. Regardless of the weather, it is always nice to find a bookstore, order a warm beverage, and begin the process of finding something great to read.

O. Henry Magazine

It is the beginning of the month, which means we are entering the final quarter of the year. Fall is upon us, before you know it, Greensboro's church lawns will be brimming with pumpkins and gourds for sale. It also means that it is time for the latest edition of O. Henry Magazine, a Greensboro staple since 2012. The magazine is widely available throughout the city, especially at Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, and the Red Collection. If you ever have a hard time finding a copy, you can stop by their headquarters at 1848 Banking Street, behind the Lawndale Plaza in Irving Park.

If you have ideas for an article, the staff is open for ideas. The editors and contributors write exceptionally well, ask great questions, and do an excellent job of focusing on the positive in our great city. The last page is "An O. Henry Ending," which is open for community members to contribute something, especially if it has one of those twists at the end, the hallmark of the stories of one of Greensboro's greatest authors. Here is the contact information for the magazine, and here is a great article about founding editor, Jim Dodson. It seems like the O. Henry Magazine has been around forever. It is hard to believe that it is only six years old.

 

On Happiness & Art at The People's Perk

After a long day at work, what could do more to perk one up than to sit at a coffee shop, sip coffee, chat with friends- either well established friends or new ones? Joy is in abundance at The People's Perk coffee shop on South Mendenhall Street. Karen, the ebullient proprietor is always on hand to brighten your day. Works of art adorn the walls, the coffee is great, and there is this fabulous sketch book where customers share their thoughts. 

Today's coffee shop philosophy is brought to us by a generous, anonymous (Greensboro?) artist. The stylized fonts read "WITH freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, WHO COULD NOT BE happy? As you enter the weekend, whether totally stressed & worried, totally content, or somewhere in between, ponder freedom, books, flowers, the moon and other things that make you happy. What would you write if you stumbled on this book and a pack of colored pencils? Happy Friday!

Edward McKay Bookstore

According to their website, McKay Books was founded in 1974. This was way back in the pre-computer, pre-Internet era. The owners had the vision that knowledge was empowering and people needed a place to go to purchase books that were reasonably priced and a way to sell them back when their owner no longer needed them. In Greensboro, the store is known as Edward McKay and it has diverged and reemerged with the parent company that has branches in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, Greensboro, and Winston Salem.

The above photo features the Greensboro store, located at 1607 Battleground Avenue. As you can see, it is a busy place. If you haven't been in a while, you need to go see the recently remodeled store. Be prepared to be overwhelmed. In addition to books, they have DVDs, games, game figures, action figures, albums, and so much more. It is heartwarming to know that a place based on reading and knowledge is staying so busy. Empire Books on Spring Garden Street has recently closed. It is nice that Barnes & Noble, Scuppernong Books, and Edward McKay are still here for our reading pleasure. What are you reading at the moment?

Boomerang Bookshop: Nomad

The Boomerang Bookshop Nomad is on site for at Corner Farmer's Market in Lindley Park on Saturdays. The mobile bookmobile is also in Glenwood on Thursdays.  YES! Weekly referred to it as the "food truck of books." Diarra Crkt Leggett and his wife Elizabeth own and operate the mobile bookshop. Leggett is not new to books. He has sold books locally for nearly 16 years and worked as a library assistant in Kernersville. He comes by his passion for books honestly as his mother was a librarian in Winston-Salem for thirty years. In the YES! Weekly article about Leggett and his mobile bookshop, Leggett speaks of how happy it makes him when a customer finds the exact book they were looking for.*

In this era when social media is making anything longer than 140 characters something we mark as tl;dr ('too long; didn't read'), it is nice to learn of a mobile book store, offering new and used books, and opportunities to buy, sell, and trade, right there alongside the produce stand at the farmer's market. Even if you don't think you want a book, go meet Leggett and start talking literature. Likely, after searching his well culled inventory, you will find something you just have to read. Leggett is living the 21st century American dream. He has his own business, he is not tied down to brick and mortar, and when he goes to work, he is doing something he loves. It doesn't get better than that.                                    

*for reference and for more information, read Ian Mcdowell's article, here.

Cheerful Book Exchange

Does your neighborhood have a book exchange? The above home, located at the corner of Camden Road and West Greenway has one! They have hollowed out a grandfather clock case and filled it with books. The elaborate container, on a raised slab and with tin roof is one of the most elaborate you will see in Greensboro. Those books are protected in all seasons. It would be fun to monitor what books come and go. This container is likely stocked with some very interesting books. Sunset Hills has a very active neighborhood association and residents are generous when it comes to initiatives that help build community. For example, around Thanksgiving, the streets here will fill with light-balls that are hurled high into the mature trees. At night, they fill the sky with colorful light. People come from miles around to see the display.

This in a neighborhood where people know each other by name. It would be in character for residents to leave books in the box that they know their neighbors would enjoy reading. The display of perennials and landscaping help the book box stand out. Do you ever take advantage of one of these little community initiatives? If you stop by this box, consider leaving dropping off a book you know others will enjoy. Today is Friday, a perfect day to start a new book!

U is for Used (Books)

Greensboro has three bookstores that offer used books: Scuppernong on Elm Street; Pages Past on Spring Garden Street; and, Edward McKay on Battleground Avenue (featured above). Like many other brick and mortar businesses, used bookstores have had to either find a niche market or diversify. Scuppernong hosts a lot of community events; Pages Past focuses on rare books; and Edward McKay has DVD's, albums, and buys used textbooks. As people have access to just about anything they want to read via computers and phones and can have Amazon ship items with the click of a button, bookstores need to be destinations and gathering places. Finding a balance between being conducive to hanging out, yet enticing customers to make purchases can be tricky.

Hopefully, these bookstores will remain in Greensboro for a very long time and will depend on the reading habits of this younger generation of digital natives. For those who are committed to reducing waste in the environment, "used" is the new "new", new to the new owner, that is. And, with that trend, books just may be with us for a while longer. If you like to read books on paper, consider stopping by one of our great used bookstores. Today is ABC Wednesday and for Round 20, "U" is for "used."

Tre Stokes

Yesterday, Scuppernong Books was quite a hub of activity. The line wrapped around from the bookstore's entrance on Elm Street to the Biltmore Hotel on West Washington Street. People were waiting to get their copy of "Hidden Figures" signed by the author, Margot Lee Shetterly. The event was so popular that Scuppernong sold out of the book. To the crowd's surprise, just prior to the arrival of Shetterly, Tre Stokes slipped into the store with his mother, Shonia. Tre, a ten-year-old from Greensboro, North Carolina, started as Levi Jackson, Jr. in the movie. In the above photo, he was talking to some of his fans. 

When Tre entered Scuppernong, all of the children in the bookstore wanted to get a photo taken with him. He graciously complied with a pose, a smile and a, afterwards, a big handshake. Tre's cheery personality and radiant smile put everyone at ease. In spite of his busy acting schedule that calls him away from Greensboro, he still calls Greensboro home and is a full time student in the Guilford County Schools. We have a feeling Tre's career will soar, yet he will always remember his local roots.

Greensboro Is First Stop for Author John Hart

Tuesday night, against a backdrop of periodicals, author John Hart spoke at Barnes and Noble Booksellers at Friendly Center in Greensboro.  Tuesday was the first day that his new novel, Redemption Road, was released and Greensboro was the author's first stop on a 65 day book tour. Redemption Road is Mr. Hart's first book in five years. This former Greensboro Resident explained to the local audience of faithful fans how he did not want to submit a book for publication until he was confident it would be worthy of his readers' time. He was 300 pages into an earlier draft when he realized the story was not one he wanted to tell. Regarding Redemption Road, the early comments from the publishing houses and critics, are favorable, with some saying  this is his best book yet.

Not only can Mr. Hart write, he is also a very good public speaker who is personable and connects with his audience. In addition to answering questions from the audience, he took time to say a few kind words to people who waited in line to have copies of the book signed. Most people know Mr. Hart practiced law in Salisbury, NC. However, not many know he was a French literature major at Davidson College in NC. Reading French literature likely contributed to Mr. Hart's ability to tell a good, complex story. Knowing some of the backstory about the writing of the book really contributes to the joy of reading it. We're about 100 pages in and loving it. 

Books Galore

This photo was taken on Friday night at the annual book sale at St. Francis Episcopal Church on Lawndale Drive-- the calm before the storm. Saturday was when items were $10 a grocery bag- as much as you can stuff in the bag and carry. People know their genre and categories. Late Friday night, categories of choice were popular fiction, military history, dog handling, and classics. On Saturday, there were crowds of people trying to gather their year's supply of reading. A Greensboro tradition since the late 1950's, this is the 58th annual book sale.  While in this room, time stands still and shoppers forget that we are living in digital device era.

Today is Theme Day for the City Daily Photo community and the May theme day challenge is to convey the idea of SMELL through a photo. Well, you can imagine the smell of a room full of books. If you love that old book smell, but are totally committed to reading on your Kindle, you can order this unisex perfume "Dead Writers." With prominent notes of clove, vanilla, and tobacco, it smells like old books. Alternatively, you can look for book sales in Greensboro or hang out at one of our fabulous libraries.

Angel Matthews

Angel Matthews, lifelong resident of the Guilford/Randolph County area, writes historical novels. When she promotes her novels, she dresses in period costumes which she makes herself. We saw her on Saturday in Gibsonville promoting her latest book, "Charlotte Confederate Calvary Soldier."  The book is displayed on the table in the foreground. Angel was especially happy to be roaming the halls of Gibsonville Antiques and Collectibles*, because the building, built in 1868,  was formerly the Mineola Plant, part of the Cone Mills Company. The building became part of Cone Mills in 1880 and remained open until 1988. Angel got her first job there and, given her love of history, she was quick to point out that the names written on the walls are signatures of former mill workers.

We asked Angel how she became interested in writing and, specifically, historical novels. She said her 8th grade history teacher was such a great teacher that he sparked her interest in both history and writing. How wonderful to be able to pinpoint the very educator who was pivotal in determining the course of your life. If you are interested in getting a copy of Angel's book or want to read a summary, it is available on Amazon. The book takes place in North Carolina  and includes the themes of love, war, and the Underground Railroad. You can also contact Angel directly on Facebook. It would be fun to read for a book club. Who knows, if you are local, you could quite possible convince Angel to make a guest appearance!

*if you like North Carolina textile mill history, this link is well worth reading (here).

U for Unicorn Press

Unicorn Press is tucked away inside the Glenwood Coffee and Books Co-op at 1310 Glenwood Avenue. As stated on their website, Unicorn Press was founded in 1966 in Santa Barbara, CA and was relocated to Greensboro in 1972. Al Brilliant, one of the three founders, continues to run the press, today. (Reference, here).

Unicorn is especially known for the poetry it publishes as well as its contest to publish a book of poetry for poets who have not previously published one. Greensboro poet Mark Smith-Soto served as the final judge for last year's contest. The submission period for 2015 has just ended and we will know on December 1st who won for this year.

We wish Al had been around the day we were in Glenwood. With fifty years of experience in publishing, Al is known as a preeminent small press publisher and known for publishing high quality works of poetry. By 2004, Al had published the work of six Nobel Prize winning poets* Greensboro is lucky to have such a talented and unassuming publisher in our midst.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Local series, U is for Unicorn Press!

* reference and Al's fascinating background.

57th Annual Book Sale at St. Francis Episcopal Church

Today is Day 1 of the Annual Book Sale at St. Francis Episcopal Church at 3506 Lawndale Avenue. According to their website, they have over 50,000 volumes ranging from "rare/old" to "choice" and everything in between. The entire Parish Hall is filled with books. Proceeds will help several very-worthy causes in the area. This is the main fundraiser of the year for the church. The 200+ volunteers have been setting up for a week now; and, people have been donating all year. The sale starts promptly at 9:00 am today and will be open until 8:00 tonight. Friday's hours are the same. Saturday's sale will be from 9:00- 1:00 and the bargains will be impressive.

For those of us who still love print and paper books, this is a fabulous event. They do not accept books in poor condition; none that have been water-damaged, no smoke, mildew, missing pages, etc. If you want to learn more, here is the website. Hope to see you there! Today!

International Women's Day 2015

International Women's Day was celebrated yesterday at Scuppernong Books on South Elm Street. People of all ages and backgrounds assembled to enjoy a diverse collection of voices: Jaki Shelton Green, Debra Kaufman, Veronica Grossi, Ashley "Milli" Lumpkin, Barbara Kenyon, Trudy Young Taylor, Sheryl Rider, Birgul Tuzlali, and Stephanie Lindley. These nine accomplished writers spoke to a full house in the back of the bookstore. In the above photo, "Milli" is reading some of her emotional, powerful poetry. How nice to have these wonderful literary events in our community. Thank you, Scuppernong's.

In addition to the event at Scuppernong's, down the street, in the Greensboro Coliseum, the women's basketball team of Notre Dame played and beat Florida State, becoming 2015 ACC tournament champions. Yesterday, from having their way with sports to having their way with words, women in Greensboro were being celebrated for living their dreams. To women everywhere, may this be the best year ever!

Charles D. Rodenbough

Charles Rodenbough was one of the featured authors at yesterday's 2nd annual event for authors at the O. Henry Hotel. In the above photo, Mr. Rodenbough is holding one of his books, entitled, "Separated at Birth How I Found my Orthodox Twin... A Protestant's Journey in the World of Orthodoxy." After the fall of communism in Russia, Mr. Rodenbough made several trips from his home in Madison, NC to Russia, often visiting remote villages with orthodox monasteries and churches.  This devout Presbyterian from North Carolina helped the Russian Orthodox Church redefine itself in post-Communist Russia, once religion was again tolerated.

As one example, Mr. Rodenbough worked with the artists of Palekh, who had to cease making religious paintings during Communism. Since they could again paint religious-themed works of art, Mr. Rodenbough helped them navigate the complexities of a free-market economy. He found himself being received by not only religious figures but also mayors of towns and managed to thrive in these situations in spite of the fact that he does not speak Russian. These ventures and adventures are outlined in his book, featured above. Of local interest, Mr. Rodenbough was instrumental in bringing a Russian Orthodox Church to the Triad in 2005,  Holy Cross Orthodox Churc, located on Greensboro Road in High Point.

It was a pleasure getting the chance to talk to Mr. Rodenbough; he was one of twenty local writers at yesterday's "Writers Meet Readers"  event. Hats off to the O. Henry Magazine and O. Henry Hotel for providing this great event, which was free and open to the public. And thank you, Mr. Rodenbough,  for sharing part of your spiritual journey with us. We look forward to reading the book!

*Read a brief biography of Mr. Rodenbough, here.

 

Weekend of Southern Literary Stars

Once again, the O. Henry Hotel will feature a literary event, an entire weekend celebrating North Carolina authors. This is the second annual free and open-to-the-public event in which guests will be able to mingle with local authors. Additionally, the event has been expanded with weekend packages including opportunities to dine with the writers on the weekend of February 21-22. 

The photo above is Greensboro author Fred Chappell, former poet laureate and UNCG professor of creative writing emeritus. View our photo of last year's literary event here to get an idea of how many people came out to support our authors. With 2 universities and several colleges colleges in the area, Greensboro has access to many great writers and we love to support them. The O. Henry Hotel has a European flair and, likely, tea will be served. Mark your calendar and don your Downton Abbey best. Doing your homework and reading beforehand makes the event even more meaningful. Hope to see you there!

Meet Greensboro Author Mary Flinn

Continuing on yesterday's theme of the people of Greensboro, today, we present Greensboro author, Mary Flinn.*  Our book club just finished reading one of her most recent novels, The Nest, and Mary was nice enough to come to our book club meeting and join in on the discussion. As we sat in the private event room at Vida Pour Tea, sipping everything from Earl Gray, roasted chestnut, and silver needle jasmine tea to an apple pie herbal infusion, Mary explained her writing and publishing processes to the group. Additionally, she shared the inspiration for her characters. Mary's chapters read like you are talking to a friend at lunch; the writing flows and the storylines unfold in a comfortable, realistic way.  Our book club loved the fact that Greensboro is the setting for the Nest. One of the characters even worked at Natty Greene's Pub and another started a seafood stand, modeled after the one at the corner of Highways 150 and 220. 

Mary is starting to have quite a social media presence and is getting public recognition and media coverage.**  In addition to a Fox 8 segment, this past fall, she had a book release party at Scuppernong Books for her latest novel, Breaking Out. Mary's books are available locally, as well as through Amazon, Nook, and Kindle. As for us, we're glad she still has time to make a few guest appearances. Sitting in a tea shop on State Street, talking to a Greensboro author, well, it doesn't get any more local than that. Our only dilemma is trying to figure out which of her books to read next. 

* see her website, here.

** see a Fox 8 feature on Mary, here.

Merry Reading and a Happy Good Book

This photo was taken at Edward McKay Used Books on Battleground Avenue. We were so struck with how much the young girl was enjoying reading. It was as if all the adventures in the world were encapsulated on those small pages. Enjoyment of reading ranges from passionate to complete disinterest. It is hard to imagine that there are those who will never know the joy of reading a good book. As we we enter the season of gift giving, consider buying a book for a special someone in your life. 

According to Neil Gaiman, "A book is a dream you hold in your hand." From the looks of things in the above photo, this young person was having a great dream. In the frenzy of holiday shopping this weekend, consider going to a bookstore or one of Greensboro's great public libraries and escaping to bookland. Next on our plate is a book by local writer, Mary Flynn, hopefully, we'll be as enthralled as the young girl above.

Merry Reading and a Happy Good Book!

Bill Morris Was Back In Town

Bill Moris spoke at Scuppernong Bookstore last night, delighting the crowd by reading experpts from his latest novel, "Motor City Burning." Bill's book, set in Detroit, is one that gets at the complexities of the city at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The main character is an African American male who leaves the South for a "better life" in the north. Between reading passages, Morris treated the audience to music clips from the era. From the Temptations and that Motown sound to Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man," the music fit seamlessly with the book. Or, was it the other way around? The audience was delighted and bought up all 25 copies of the book before the end of the presentation.

While Bill grew up in Detroit, he has lived many places, including Greensboro where he wrote for the News & Record. Bill now lives in New York. We're not sure how long he's been away, but it is as if he never left. The names of locals, former colleagues, and townspeople about whom he likely wrote columns, flowed from his tongue as if he'd just seen them yesterday.

It might be fun to read Motor City Burning for the One City, One Book program. 

Free Books

At the corner of Regent's Park and Lake Brandt Road is the little "Free Book" stand featured above. It is an outgrowth of the book sale at St. Francis Episcopal Church's annual book sale. There are books that didn't sell or that they can't use and this church member has set up a free bookshelf in her neighborhood. Additionally, she takes books to people in need and children in crisis. 

St. Francis will hold their 57th annual sale on April 23-25, 2015. Whether you have something you want to donate or you want to attend one of the greatest booksales in Greensboro, remember that date. In the meantime, stop at the above shelf to "give one or get one" to read, today! And, as you see, giving to one's community can be as simple as setting up something at the sidewalk in front of your house.

Talkin' Tarheel: Walt Wofram & Jeffrey Reaser

The above photo features Walt Wofram and Jeffrey Reaser at Scuppernong Books, last month, promoting their new book "Talkin' Tarheel: How Our Voices Tell the Story of North Carolina." They also spoke at Barnes and Noble yesterday. The NC State professors have documented the North Carolina dialects and languages throughout the state:  from Murphy to Manteo. They also include QR codes in their book so, when they talk about the way someone speaks or a dialect sounds, you can use your smart phone, scan the QR code, and hear what they are talking about. That is about as close to a talking book as you can get. 

We are so lucky that their dialect research has been going on for over twenty years and that they have recorded the special people and sounds of North Carolina while speech groups remain distinct. It is nice to see dialect approached in an informative, yet entertaining way. While neither professor is from NC, they sure have captured the essence of the way we speak. What Cecil Sharp did for collecting folksongs in North Carolina, they have done for language. North Carolina is lucky.