Latham, a bookseller for 35 years, has put together a heady mix of history, philosophy, anecdotes and entertaining factsWhat most people know about the American librarian Melvil Dewey is his phenomenal classification technique, the Dewey decimal system, which is still used in 135 countries. Less well known is how he liked to classify people, too. In a chapter entitled “Dubious Dewey”, Martin Latham describes how the great librarian created groups from A to D, banning all in the D group – Jews, African-Americans, Cubans and the “new rich” – from his Lake Placid resort. He was also a prolific groper of women. Latham speculates that Dewey’s hypocrisy, and his “obsessively domineering persona”, were what caused his lifelong constipation and piles.This is a book that is down on banning, rigidity, abuse of power and all kinds of snobbery, bookish and otherwise. It celebrates stories, scribbling in margins and the collecting, cherishing and even kissing of books – something done with surprising frequency, apparently. Latham, a bookseller for 35 years, currently runs Waterstones Canterbury, where he proudly filed the biggest petty cash claim in the chain’s history to pay for the excavation of a Roman bath house under its floor. But this is not one of those funny “anecdotes from a bookshop” books that have recently been popular – though anecdotes there are aplenty. It is rather a history and celebration of all things bookish, from Alexander the Great’s unusual habit of reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-12-19 09:00:45 UTC ]
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Beth Nguyen left Vietnam and her biological mother when she was a baby. Her memoir “Owner of a Lonely Heart” examines the ripple effect of those departures. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-07-01 09:03:10 UTC ]
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For the past few years, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold line has been the undisputed champion of big flexible phones. But it holds that title almost by default thanks to a lack of real contenders — especially outside of China. But with the Pixel Fold, Google has created a legitimate challenger with an... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-06-26 17:00:03 UTC ]
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With the school year winding down, we spoke with three educators about how they help their students look back on what they've learned—and forward to a summer of possibilities—with special end-of-year celebrations. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The literary magazine will be back in print in August, with a new publishing partner: The Nation. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-06-22 10:10:16 UTC ]
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The lineup for this year’s fall regional booksellers shows is complete, with six shows being held across the country from August to October. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Kenan Orhan’s debut, I Am My Country, feels like much more than just a book of imaginative short stories set in and around the author’s ancestral homeland of Turkey. The powerful collection could be said to comprise a series of real “small rebellions” — enacted by its characters, prose, and the... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2023-06-13 11:01:00 UTC ]
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I’ve always loved art that leans into its medium: literature that resists film or television adaptation, theater that breaks the fourth wall. The economy delights me, no piece out of place, not only structure but form a major pillar of the work. What can one art form do that another cannot? How... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-13 08:52:52 UTC ]
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On pause since 2020, the June 9 event honored LGBTQ+ writers from across the country and celebrated the organization's history and expansion of advocacy efforts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Now in its 35th year, the Lambda Literary Award is one of the most prestigious LGBTQ+ awards, and this year's winners were just announced! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-06-12 15:35:39 UTC ]
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Jenny Erpenbeck’s Kairos, Deborah Levy’s August Blue, and Frieda Hughes’ George: A Magpie Memoir all feature among the Best Reviewed Books of the Week. Brought to you by Book Marks, Lit Hub’s “Rotten Tomatoes for books.” * Fiction 1. Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck (New Directions) 10 Rave • 3... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-09 08:53:52 UTC ]
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Gilbert Cruz, the new editor of the 'Review,' plans to keep experimenting to find the perfect formula for books coverage at the paper of record. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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One of the highlights for those attending the 2023 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago will be the Chicago Public Library’s 150th anniversary festivities, which will kick off with a citywide celebration on June 10 and continue throughout the rest of 2023. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The nearly two-score indie bookstores scattered around the Windy City and its suburbs are succeeding by leaning into their unique qualities and filling distinct niches. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The final day of CI2023 was packed with a mix of educational sessions and author presentations—including a conversation with civil rights icon Ruby Bridges—and closed on an exuberant note with karaoke, bookseller-style. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In the “brutally honest” memoir “Pageboy,” the actor recounts the fears and obstacles to gender transition, and the hard-won happiness that’s followed. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-06-06 09:00:19 UTC ]
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Joyfully eccentric Beat poet Nanao Sakaki would be 100 years old this year, and his idealism lives on in the Nanao Global celebration, with new editions in French and Portuguese and a slim new volume published by booksellers called 'Hi Nanao.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Association of American Publishers is taking legal action in Arkansas and Texas in cases related to banning books in libraries and bookstores. The post Battling Literary Censorship: New Court Action appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-06-02 20:54:15 UTC ]
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With its Paris Book Market opening today, BIEF is observing 150 years of its service to French publishing in the international industry. The post In Paris, BIEF Celebrates Its 150th Year: ‘Open Marketplace’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-06-02 17:27:52 UTC ]
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Decades after “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” an anthology and a novel let readers see periods through the eyes of diverse protagonists. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-06-02 09:00:39 UTC ]
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Yorwerth, who founded Yorthwerth Associates in 2003, is remembered for his advocacy for authors in the self-help and spiritual categories and as a fixture of the London and Frankfurt Book Fairs. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
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