Sunday, June 14, 2009

Sunday Salon


After an off week, I'm trying to get back in the swing.

It's another rainy day in Boston and I'm curled up with my newly-arrived ARC of David Small's Stitches, a (so far) harrowing graphic-novel memoir of growing up in a dysfunctional, emotionally abusive family and dealing with a serious and disfiguring illness. It's an incredible read but not for the faint of heart. I'll do a full review when I'm finished with it, but for now I'd say if you didn't pick this up at BEA or from another source, run- don't walk- in September to buy this devastating book.

I have to get back writing reviews- I didn't write any last week, not because there were none to be written (I have four or five books done and ready to be reviewed) but because I had a lot going on personally and had a hard time focusing. If this were my job I'd have been fired but thankfully I cannot be fired from my blog! Part of the issue was that the next book up for review, Angel Wagenstein's Isaac's Torah, is a bittersweet, funny-around-the-edges Holocaust novel and after last week's shooting I just couldn't quite bring myself to write about it. I am hesitant to write about the shooting here, because I don't know what I have to say that hasn't been said better somewhere else.

On a lighter note, yesterday was Cambridge's annual Riverfest celebration, and literary Cambridge was well-represented.

The Boston Comics Roundtable had a booth where they sold comics and had one of their artists, Dan Mazur, doing caricatures. That's mine to the left- doesn't it look just like me? I'm actually pretty crazy about it and think it would make a fun business card or something. We'll see.

The Office of The Cambridge Poet Populist was represented in a nice airy tent, publicizing the Cambridge Community Poem, a project any Cambridge resident can contribute to. Forms were on hand for folks to write a few lines, which will be combined into one long poem later this year. Poet Populist Peter Payack and Poet Populist-elect Jean-Dany Joachim were in attendance and answering questions as well as showing samples of their poetry. It's a nice program that helps bring poetry to the attention of the citzenry. I don't know if there are any other communities that have such an office. San Franciscans, anything like that where you are?

Hope everyone is having a great Sunday. You can read more Sunday Salon posts here.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

What fun to get a caricature picture done! I would never have had the nerve!

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

Love your caricature!

I'm trying to remind myself of your comment about blogging, since I've been MIA around my blog lately. "...cannot get fired!"

Frances said...

Love the caricature. Wish I had one of my own.

Understand your feelings about the shooting this past week. There are so many issues and ways to address this. Here in DC, people have been visiting the idea that a black man died in defense of the Holocaust museum.

Happy reading this week!

Eva said...

I've been trying to get back into the swing of writing reviews on my blog too. :) Very jealous of your caricature!

bermudaonion said...

I hope things settle down for you. I've heard a lot about Stitches, but I haven't gotten it.

LorMil said...

I understand your thoughts on reviewing a Holocaust memoir, so close to the shooting.

LOL, no you can't get fired! :)

The caricature is fantastic!

Lorri

gautami tripathy said...

I would like to read Stitches.

And I love that caricature!

TSS: Lets talk about books and related suff

Anonymous said...

I love your caricature! What a great face. I'm behind in reviews myself. Hopefully I'll catch up soon. Have a great week.

Meghan said...

I love your caricature! I'm always afraid of how I will turn out, so I have never had one done.

I am having trouble writing reviews myself. It's hard when there are other things on your mind. I'm very glad no one can fire me from my blog!

- Meghan @ Medieval Bookworm

Anonymous said...

I got Stitches last week in NY and I am really looking forward to reading it. I looked at the first 20 or so pages and was very impressed.

Bonnie said...

I LOVE that caricature of you Marie! It would be great on a business card. I like that it's in color too! I have one of my husband and I from our honeymoon and it's black & white.

I am in a similar position with being behind in reviews. I have two to write up and had similar reasons. Sometimes I dive into writing the reviews and others it can be harder.

It would be a tough time to review and read holocaust related books with the recent tragic shooting. I find them so intense and moving but am drawn to them. Take some time and write when you are ready.

Unknown said...

I had a caricature done once in college and its still hanging on my wall :-)..I just love it!I think yours is great!

Happy reviewing!