Reading During Spring Break

I am not expecting crowds of spring breakers to be waiting at the doors of Paragraphs each morning next week, but on Monday the blog, The Elegant Variation had this entry:

Sisyphus chuckling: Trying to get college students to read over spring break.

The link is to an article appearing by Chris Pellegrini, arts and entertainment editor for The Stentor, titled Reading Over Spring Break is Not Blasphemy. He continues:

Spring break beckons and Foresters' thoughts turn towards debauchery. Alas, life does not have to be this way, even with official classes in recess the quest for knowledge can continue. While you sit on the beach, at the pool, or the bar longing for the days of lectures consider throwing a book into the beachbag. In this spirit, The Stentor asked members of the English department for their recommendation and a sales pitch selling their choice.

Anyone out there listening?

Marginalia

Tonight as I watched the Denver Broncos get mauled by the Patriots, I decided to look for a new address book or notebook where I can keep track of my log-in and password information for the numerous social media, publisher, news, and book blog sites I now frequent, as well as maintain basic address information. I realize that we have computers and PDA's which are supposed to fill this need, but I recently lost all my data when my laptop hard drive and Treo died at the same time, and on that day I vowed to return to a paper system as a backup.

So after the 4th interception by the Patriots, I went to the Levenger site, which is always a fun place to window shop for the person who loves all types of accessories for reading and writing. I used to lovingly pour over these catalogs and make lengthy wish lists, although I must admit I rarely actually purchased anything.

Anyway, I found this interesting table of reader marks to help when making notes while reading.


Which brings up the everlasting question:

Do you like to make notes in your books as you read or are you someone who would never think of destroying the pristine page with some personal notations or reflections?

Is This Good News For Me?

This story from Time magazine showed up on Twitter:

Can Reading Help Kids Lose Weight? - TIME

Now, will someone write a book about an overweight bookseller? That would be helpful!

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Now I Understand

For a lot of bibliophiles the idea of owning a corner bookshop is a dream that occasionally flits across the back of ones mind, as witnessed by the popularity of the movie I've Got Mail. My theory is that everyone who loves books could imagine themselves in the role of Meg Ryan.

But, as I began preparing for this adventure, I heard a familiar refrain from many booksellers, "I don't have time to read, anymore." I thought, can that really be true. When one is surrounded by books, galleys, reviews and everything new in the literary world how could one not have time to take advantage of all these treasures.

The truth is, I have fallen victim to the same problem. Where I used to read a couple of books a week while probably working my way through a serious more difficult read at the same time, now I have a stack of books I would like to at least skim and a list of books that sound like good candidates for curling up with, but I never seem to be able to get to any of them.

Instead of reading books, I have been reduced to reading about books. Interesting, yes, but just not the same. And then there is the ubiquitous computer and internet.

To be able to live this daydream, I needed to figure out a way to sell enough books and sidelines to support myself. Yet there are times when I reviewed the mission statement, vision and plans for Paragraphs and felt they read more like something prepared for a non-profit or civic organization. But this is the nature of being a neighborhood bookshop as opposed to a B&N or Half-Price Books.

The part that I hadn't considered, being a relative recluse, is that having a community business means coming out of ones cocoon and socializing, listening, talking, and just plain interacting with others. And in today's world that means spending an awful lot of time behind a computer screen. Answering emails, commenting on blogs and participating in online discussions has replaced huge chunks of my solitary reading time

The web has created an entirely new model for marketing. The advent of social media almost requires one, if she wants to be recognized, respected, and ultimately have another spend money in her physical shop or online store, to establish an on-line identity. As I review the stories of successful booksellers, many have a full-time internet guru specifically in charge of social networking.

Gone are the days of a single website, even with an attached e-commerce capability. Now one needs to consider Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and blogging platforms, not to mention Del-ici-ous, Stumble, Technorati and Digg.

And what has just occurred to me is that if it takes the bookseller this much time to interact with others via this cornucopia of networks, when do the people I am communicating with, have the time to read?

So unless it is a hobby, I think the days of the curmudgeonly gentleman sitting in the back of a dusty book-filled shop wearing a tweed blazer and smoking his pipe while contemplating the words of a literary giant, have passed into history.

One Book, One Denver

I have not followed Denver politics very closely over the last few years but from a distance I have been impressed with the direction Mayor Hickenlooper has taken the city.

One of my favorite projects of the Mayor's is his citywide book club known as One Book, One Denver. I realize this is not a unique program, but in fact has been implemented in many cities across the country as a means to encourage reading and to promote literacy, but that doesn't lessen my approval of "Hick" in his advocacy for literature in the public forum.

One Book, One Denver was created to build community and encourage people to read. Denver citizens, young and old, are invited to join others in the shared experience of reading the same book and participating in fun activities in September and October.

As an email, announcing the 2008 selection states:

Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone all over our city were reading and talking to one another? One Book One Denver aims to ignite that kind of enthusiasm for books and conversation by inviting all of us in Denver and the metro area to read the same book, and then discuss the book with friends, family and neighbors.

2008 is the fifth year of One Book, One Denver and the Mayor has just announced The Thin Man by American author Dashiell Hammett as this year's selection.

I think this could be a great idea for South Padre Island, and we could advertise it throughout the valley, inviting people from Brownsville, Harlingen, McCallen, as well as the smaller communities to take part. Our neighboring schools and libraries could also be included, encouraging a sense of inclusiveness among our neighbors.

Following is a list of free events offered by the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, as a part of One Book, One Denver, to give you an idea of what is possible.

One Book, Many Films
Enjoy free film screenings of classic and modern hardboiled detective and film noir movies!

The Thin Man Radio Dramas
Join in as an audience member for tapings of an old-fashioned radio drama or download the podcast!

Three Thin Discussions
Join us for exciting discussions about topics from the book, from some of Denver's most engaging experts!

Writing Workshop
Interested in writing a novel, but having a difficult time getting started? This workshop is for you!

Power Read
Join a community read along of The Thin Man... We will start at the beginning and leave no page unturned!

Brown Bag Lunch with Library of Congress Historian John Cole
Bring your lunch and join a discussion about our national Library!

One Book, One Denver Final Celebration
Join Mayor John Hickenlooper for a celebration of this year's One Book, One Denver selection!
Teen Fiction Contest
Are you a young author? We want to see your skills!

Book Club in a Bag
8 copies of The Thin Man, 8 reading guides, 1 tote bag and your book club!

The Thin Man at the Kirkland
Enjoy discounted tickets to the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art

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Great Unread Books

There are numerous lists of must-read books out there. You know, the list of books that one must have read in order to be considered adequately educated, nominally cultured, or at least not to be seen as a complete moron.

Well, the gig is up - in The Telegraph:

Respectable authors made shameful confessions at Ways With Words festival; watch them below. Now it's your turn: which book are you most embarrassed to admit you have never read?

Do you have a must-read that for some reason has never made it off your To be Read list? Is there some book that when the title comes up in conversation you nod and act involved in the discussion out of pure embarrassment because you have never even so much as cracked the cover of the famous tome?

Step up and confess. I bet you aren't alone.

via:
Center for the Study of The Great Ideas: Great Unread Books: Which classic are you ashamed to admit you have never read?

Bookstore Sales Encouraging

This is good news for booksellers, especially after all the discouraging reports about the decline in reading.

Bookstore Sales Post Another Increase in March - 5/13/2008 6:08:00 AM - Publishers Weekly:

-- Publishers Weekly, 5/13/2008 6:08:00 AM

Bookstore sales rose 1.3% in March, to $1.03 billion, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Sales have increased every month so far in 2008 and finished the first quarter up 5.1%, to $4.46 billion. The 1.3% March increase was the smallest gain in 2008.

The sales increase in the bookstore segment was higher than for the entire retail segment, which rose 3.9% in the quarter. March retail sales inched up 0.5%, to $379 billion."

In the Company of Good Books

I have a fundamental belief in the power of good books to change lives, communities, states, nations, and ultimately the world. It seems I have something in common with First Lady Laura Bush.

From Shelf Awareness:

"A nation that does not read for itself cannot think for itself. And a nation that cannot think for itself risks losing both its identity and its freedom. Ray Bradbury was right when he said, 'You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.'

'Both reading and a love of reading are learned behaviors that should be taught at home and in schools. Like many of you in this room, I've spent my life in the company of good books, because my mother taught me to love them, and my teachers taught me to read them, and my library let me take them home free. Those early experiences had a profound impact on my life, and on my career as a public school teacher and librarian, and on my present work in the U.S. and around the world.'--First Lady Laura Bush, speaking yesterday at the AAP annual meeting in New York City."

What Shall I Say?

It's Tuesday afternoon and the official Groundbreaking Ceremony for Paragraphs is just a couple of hours away. In true Padre fashion, I stopped by Captain Alan Stewart's place this morning and he is preparing a sign for the occasion. Toucan Graphics also came through with some business cards on a few hours notice. Finally, a stroll down the aisles at the Blue Marlin--a cooler, wine, beer, a couple bottles of champagne--and we're set.

My problem now is what do I say? For a pathologically shy person, like me, the idea of being the center of attention is something I worry for days about. Add to that, the need to actually give some type of a talk - Oh My!! Two hours away and the terror is setting in. What if no one comes, it will be so-o-o embarrassing.

Now focus Joni. What is important about today?

• A chance to thank the Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring this event.
• Thank those wonderful people who end up taking some of their time to show up.
• Introduce my financial partner who keeps me focused --Thanks, Mom
• Introduce my husband and rock -- Love you, Griffy

• Then there is Dennis Franke - When we couldn't decide whether to build a house in the Shores (it would have been a stretch) or have the store and house for the same money - Dennis encouraged me not to give up on my dream and go for the bookshop. He helped us find and purchase a suitable lot and provided a lot of good advice. Someday, Dennis, that home in the Shores is on the agenda. Well, maybe.

• The design and construction management is in the able hands of John Silar from Harlingen. It took us a while to finally get started - John had preliminary plans for the building a year ago - but his patience has been extraordinary. I appreciate his expertise at getting the best quality for the best price. He also has utilized some "greener" technology which makes me feel good and will also be more energy efficient.

• Garco Construction, the general contracting firm is from San Benito and I am really pleased with this selection. B. J. and Junior are such nice guys and now I understand why John told me that if he was building a new house of his own he would have B. J. handle the general contracting. I am sure I will test their good humor when I start making changes!!

In general though, I feel very lucky to have such a good team. I can go back to Denver and focus on the business end of things and prepare to relocate without any worries about the building construction.

But what about my vision for the store. What will my business add to the town? I believe that literature has so much more to offer us beyond it's entertainment value.

1. A community place where people can come to debate, discuss and share ideas. Reading allows us to examine things outside our own experience and having a dialogue is the second step in taking part in the "Great Conversation" that has been going on for centuries.
2. Work to promote literacy and the love of reading.
3. Be a gathering place for readers and writers alike. Provide an alternative to social networking on-line by giving people a place to engage in real face-to-face conversation.
4. Promote the ideal of life-long learning as an equal partner with exercise and diet as a source of improving our lives.

Ok, I think I have some ideas. Please don't rain!! Guess I better get going.

Mi Educación es la Causa is NACCS Conference Theme

I found information about this conference at RGV Life:

South Texas College plays host to the NACCS Tejas Regional Conference from Thursday, Feb. 28 through Saturday, Mar. 1, 2008 and has recruited prolific and important Mexican-American scholars and authors from across the nation to participate.

In the article, South Texas College history instructor and conference coordinator Victor Gomez says:

“We are so pleased with the response to this event and the willingness of top scholars in this field to come out and, in some cases, back home to the Valley to share their perspectives with our community. This will be an invaluable opportunity for not only local educators and students, but also the community as a whole.”

The story continues:

Participants include professors and authors from New York University, Notre Dame, Rice University, The University of Colorado at Denver, The University of California at Santa Cruz, California State, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University to name a few. Faculty and students from South Texas College, The University of Texas at Brownsville and The University of Texas-Pan American will also participate.

....The two keynote speakers will speak at the McAllen Convention Center. Rodolfo F. Acuña, the author of Occupied America: The History of Chicanos, and Martha P. Cotera, the author of Diosa y Hembra: The History and Heritage of Chicanas in the U.S., will discuss their experiences in studying, teaching and writing about the Mexican-American experience. They will share their perspectives on the opportunities for Mexican-Americans in the 21st century and how education has and will continue to be a foundation for the exploration of Mexican-American culture.

Following the keynote addresses, the community is invited to an evening of cultural activities including an author meet and greet with more than 25 Mexican-American scholars signing their books. Participating scholars include: Rodolfo Acuña, Martha Cotera, José Angel Gutiérrez, Guadalupe San Miguel Jr., Norma Cantú, Armando Alonzo, Josephine Méndez-Negrete, among other very important scholars.

This sounds like a prestigious conference. Reading the announcement made me reflect on the common perceptions which many hold about the RGV. Many times since I have been researching the idea of opening a bookstore on South Padre Island I have been warned about the reading habits of the valley population.

I can't even put a number on how many times I have been told - "the valley residents don't read" or "the culture in the valley doesn't value reading" and "the Mexican nationals who visit the island won't be interested in a bookstore". Yet, here we have a conference being held in Harlingen, attended by world class scholars and 25 Mexican-American authors will be signing books.

There seems to be a contradiction here. Does the general public do the valley community an injustice with these kind of over-generalizations? I'm sure I don't know - just a thought.

Children's Book for February

HEY ARNOLD!
by Craig Bartlett and Maggie Groening

Arnold has a Valentine's Day dilemma. First he sends an anonymous valentine to six-grader Ruth, telling her to meet him at Chez Pierre. Then he receives a valentine from his French pen pal, Cecile, who wants him to meet her at Chez Paris! What's he to do? With a little help from Gerald, Arnold comes up with the perfect plan to meet his two valentines -- but will he face a surprise of his own?

---

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Simon Spotlight (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689838174
• ISBN-13: 978-0689838170
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches

Information from Amazon.com

El día de los libros

Any way South Padre Island and Port Isabel can take advantage of this? One of the missions of Paragraphs is to promote literacy in the Rio Grande Valley.


From Shelf Awareness today:

"To support the April 30 celebration of El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day 2008), the AAP and ALA for the first time together have created a recommended reading list of some 24 children's books in both English and Spanish for parents and others who choose books for children. The list includes bilingual picture books, coming-of-age stories and nonfiction, all celebrating Latin culture and Latin American identity, and is available online at getcaughtreading.org.

The list was created by the Publishing for Latino Voices Task Force of the Association of American Publishers and the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) division of the American Library Association. The titles were chosen by the ALSC's Quicklists Consulting Committee.

Calling the list 'food for the brain,' Pat Schroeder, president and CEO of the AAP, said, 'We hope this bibliography will serve as a guide for stocking bookstores, libraries, schools, and family bookshelves in homes nationwide.'"

Children's Book of the Month

I attended my first Board of Aldermen meeting last Wednesday and was excited to see the Mayor's proclamation which demonstrates a community awareness of the importance a love of reading has on literacy levels.

The establishment of the Children's Book of the Month reads:

WHEREAS, The Mayor's Children's Book of the Month Club is an endeavor of the South Padre Island Public Library Reading Room to partner with leaders in its community to stimulate an interest and lifelong love of reading in children: and

WHEREAS, As Mayor, I will assist the library by publicly supporting this initiative and call on all residents to be aware of the Club's significance to the Laguna Madre area and show support and raise the level of awareness about the importance of literacy; and

WHEREAS, I am enthusiastic about the club, as well as an advocate of the library, and will recommend a different book monthly for our children to read.

Congratulations to the Mayor for taking a stand for reading!!

I haven't read much about this initiative in the local press, but I need to check out what programs and activities are available to encourage the community to actually read and discuss the monthly selection.

When Paragraphs is open for business this is the type of community program we are looking forward to supporting.