I went to a fantastic author event where author David Grann (who wrote Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager) interviewed journalist Ross Halperin about his new true crime book Bear Witness: A Crusade for Justice in a Violent Land.
Ross is the son of Richard E. Halperin, a man who a local library building is named after, so it was pretty special to welcome Ross to the library for this event. The library had a restaurant come in and serve arepas with pork as well as drinks for purchase. They also had an awesome red velvet cake at the end which had a photo of the book cover on it. It was a very fancy after-hours event!
Bear Witness took Ross years to write and countless hours of research and interviews and cold calls, including the one he made to David Grann. The book is about two Christians, Kurt Van der Beek, an American sociologist, and Carlos Hernandez, a Honduran schoolteacher, who raised their families in Nueva Suyapa, a gang-run barrio in the mountains of Honduras. Kurt and Carlos were best friends who dedicated their lives to helping the poor and took matters into their own hands when it came to fighting back against the violence and injustice brought on by gang activity.
I have not yet read Halperin’s account of the events that unfolded, but I anxiously await the chance to do so.
Everything We Thought Was True by Lisa Montanaro is a dual timeline novel which is a heavily fictionalized story of her life. It is told in the 1970s and 80s by Teresa and Frank Antinori, and in 2015 by Lena, their adult daughter, a lawyer who dedicates her career to fighting discrimination.
When she is thirteen, Lena discovers that her father is gay, and that her mother knew. Now, Frank is set to marry his partner Oliver, and wants Lena to plan the wedding.
Ms. Montanaro’s gorgeous writing made my heart ache both for Teresa and Frank in their own ways. The novel is incredibly moving, heartbreaking, and beautiful.
I had the privilege of meeting the author. You can read the post I wrote about the event here. I highly recommend the historic and timely novel Everything We Thought Was True by Lisa Montanaro. Oh, and a word of advice? Bring tissues!
For this event, Joyce spoke about the challenges of being an artist when one has a physical disability, especially in the artist’s older age. She mentioned for example, that one could make adaptations such as using a thicker paintbrush if one needed it. Or, if an artist had Parkinson’s disease and their hands shook, they could create completely different art, and it would come out abstract, instead of how it usually did.
Joyce also spoke about many different artists with physical disabilities and how they were still able to make art.
Lee Krasner Lee had a brain hemorrhage in 1962, and later arthritis. She used the working fingers on her right hand to guide her left hand so she could still paint. She also made collages of her already-made paintings and drawings. She was an “action painter,” meaning she used her entire body when she painted; she even figured out how to do this in her later years.
Edgar Degas Degas was an impressionist painter who had visual impairments. A lot of his subjects were about sight. Artist Mary Cassatt also suffered visual impairment.
Frida Kahlo Kahlo had a bus accident at the age of 18 and as a result, needed a metal rod in her spine. She painted many self-portraits from her bed. This period in her life is actually when she realized her talent and love for art.
ClaudeMonet Monet was an impressionist who painted light and color. He painted the same objects in different light on purpose. He then loses his ability to see color and light because of cataracts. The surgery was very new at the time, so he was afraid to have it done, but later he did have it done in one eye. Before the surgery, the paintings came out more abstract and darker. He also suffered from depression as a result of losing his son and second wife. After the surgery, Monet painted the famous water lilies in his later years.
Chuck Close Chuck Close was famous for creating faces that look realistic from far away. He had an aneurism in hisspine and lost mobility of most of his body. Also, from boyhood, he couldn’t recognize faces.
Matthew Raynor Raynor suffered a horrific diving accident that left him as a quadriplegic and paralyzed from the chest down. He couldn’t move 85% of his body, was in the hospital for 3 months, had to move back in with his mother in his 20s and needed her help to pretty much do everything. After he recovered, he discovered an old hobby – photography – and figured out how to do it with a drone, which gave his life direction and purpose again. You can visit him at www.matthewraynor.com.
Joyce told us about a movie called Imber’s Left Hand, about an artist named Jon Imber who had ALS and had to learn how to paint with his left hand.
I am looking forward to attending next week’s art talk!
Recently I had the privilege of going to an area library, where Lisa Montanaro, who used to live locally but moved to California in 2012, was promoting her novel with a book talk and signing. She was in conversation with Christine Adler, a local lady and former president of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association.
Ms. Montanaro’s book, Everything We Thought Was True, is a family drama, and a highly fictionalized version of her life. It is a dual timeline, being told in 2015 by Lena, the adult daughter of a gay father, and narrated by her parents Teresa and Frank in the 1970s and 80s.
Ms. Montanaro told us that, being first a nonfiction writer, she initially intended for this story to be a memoir, yet as she was interviewing her formerly closeted gay father, she wanted to change many parts of his story. She quickly realized that this project had to be a novel.
Through reading this book, she wants readers—especially young people—to “understand the history of the hard-won rights of the LGBTQ+ community, and anyone who has a secret and is healing from a trauma to realize that embracing the truth will set you free.”
Ms. Montanaro told us that Lena was the most difficult character to write as she is the most different from herself, and that Teresa is the heart of the novel. Frank was the easiest because she identified the most with him. She said that “Lena is still grappling with loyalty issues and that she’s still living in the closet that Frank came out of.”
Ms. Montanaro’s father is very proud of her book, and he’s very much like Frank because he’s Italian-American, marries a heterosexual woman. She said it took her 6 years to write the book from start to finish.
The three biggest challenges of writing the book were:
Trying to do justice to the true story but not being defined by it.
Converting the raw data of her personal essays into a novel.
Learning that you have to write the entire book before you send it to a publisher, in the fiction world, which is not so in the nonfiction world, as she’d written in the past.
Ms. Montanaro was asked if she had planned to write both such a historic and timely novel. She said she absolutely did not plan it that way at all.
The audiobook version of Everything We Thought Was True is set to release on May 13 through Tantor Media, and it’s being read by Annalee Scott. Lisa Montanaro is planning on starting her next book in a few months, and I can’t wait to see what it will be all about!
I’ve already finished reading Everything We Thought Was True, and you can read my full thoughts here. Happy reading, all!
Okay, readers! It’s time for part two of my bookish swag! In this post, I’ll show you photos of bookish decor such as the things I hang on the walls of my library, signs, and more. I hope you enjoy perusing them!
Here are two signs on the walls of my home library, which you may have seen in the post I did of my bookshelves.
Here are four plaques that I have on my bookshelves! The quote by Thomas Jefferson is definitely one of my favorites!
These two signs look great on my doorhandles, don’t you think? Shoutout to the Currently Reading Podcast, which I’ve been listening to weekly for the last seven years!
And of course I have a bookish tissue box holder and bookish coasters!
Here is my bookish pillow!
And, last but not least, I have two readerly statues that grace their presence in my library:
I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at all of my bookish decor! Keep a lookout for the last of this trilogy of blog posts, when I post everything else bookish that I own!
I read 16 books in April. I’m looking forward to another great reading month in May!
My favorite books read in April were: I Might Be In Trouble by Daniel Aleman, Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi and How Georgia Became O’Keeffe: Lessons on the Art of Living by Karen Karbo.
These are all the books I read in April. As always, you can click on the linked ones to see my thoughts on the ones I reviewed for Netgalley.
📖 Kate & Frida: A Novel of Friendship, Food & Books by Kim Fay 📖 The Twenty-Something Treatment: A Revolutionary Remedy for An Uncertain Age by Dr. Meg Jay 📖 Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi 📖 The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood 📖 I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang 📖 I Might Be In Trouble by Daniel Aleman 📖 The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker 📖 Huda F. Wants To Know? by Huda Fahmy 📖 The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr 📖/🎧 Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon 📱 Futbolistaby Jonny Garza Villa 📖 How Georgia Became O’Keeffe: Lessons on the Art of Living by Karen Karbo 📖 Let Us Dream: The Path To A Better Future by Pope Francis 📖 Georgia O’Keeffe: Works On Paper by Barbara Haskell 📖 The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum by Harry N. Abrams 📖 Georgia O’Keeffe: Art & Letters by Sarah Greenough
Gabriel Piña (or – Gabi, Gabo, or Pineapple, as he’s sometimes called) is coming to terms with his bisexuality as a Mexican-American goalie on his futbol (soccer) team in college, and his first real relationship with a boy. Not only that, he’s navigating everything in life that comes with it. This heartfelt, passionate and raunchy new-adult romance is very swoon-worthy, and I couldn’t put it down!
Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.
Do you have a favorite bookstore? How about a favorite independent bookstore? I’m located in the New York Metro area, and my favorite indie bookstore is the Strand in Manhattan (NYC), hands down.
In 2013, the last Saturday in April was dubbed “Indie Bookstore Day,” by the ABA (American Booksellers Association). Consumers are invited, and very encouraged, to shop in store and online at their favorite indie bookstores, whether local or adopted, and the businesses have special sales and giveaways that day.
The Strand has locations in the East Village, two blocks south of Union Square (the one I always go to, at 828 Broadway), as well as on the Upper West Side on Columbus Ave., and kiosks in Central Park and in Times Square. There’s also a curated shelf at Moynihan Train Hall.
I’ve been to the Strand many times, either alone or with friends to browse or for book signings in their Rare Book Room on the third floor.
Before each event, a Strand employee explains the history of the bookstore. Opening in 1927, it’s currently 98 years old, independently owned by the Bass family (Nancy Bass Wyden is the current owner – the granddaughter of the original owner Benjamin Bass). The Strand is the last bookstore standing out of 48 bookstores on 4th Ave – what was called “Book Row,” which was established as early as 1890. The other bookstores went by the wayside starting in the 1930s during the Great Depression.
Today, the Strand carries 2.5 million used, new and rare books – or, as they like to say (their tagline) – 18 miles of books!
Here, I’ll share with you some of my experiences and photos of when I’ve gone in the past.
Me & Julissa Arce for her signing of You Sound Like A White Girl (left) and Jessica Knoll & me for her signing of Bright Young Women (right).
Double book signing with Rebecca Serle (One Italian Summer) and Jennifer E. Smith (The Unsinkable Greta James).
Erica Katz & me for her signing of Fake and Sounds Fake But Okay signing with Kayla Kaszyca and Sarah Costello
I hope you’ve enjoyed my photos of me and the authors, and I’ll be sure to post more as they happen in the future!
This was the third in this library program series that I attended with Joyce. She spoke about various famous artists and their work, as well as her own experiences. Next, she educated us about the ways artists make money from selling their work.
First, Joyce repeated her quote: “as we think, we become,” and reminded us that “actions will follow thoughts.” She said that Theo Van Gogh supported his brother Vincent’s art. She mentioned the book Dear Theo by Irving Stone. This also reminded me of when I read the YA book Vincent & Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman. It makes me want to give that one a re-read. It was also apparently made into a movie, upon further research.
The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali
Joyce then spoke about the artist Salvador Dali who loved getting money for his art. One of his famous paintings, which I happen to love, is called The Persistence of Memory” (the one with all the clocks). It’s just so odd and cool to me because they look like they’re melting.
Marc Chagall was a painter who blended this sense of purpose and his spirituality with his art. He made stained glass and murals. I love the quote that Joyce shared from Alexander Calder: “Above all, art should be fun.” I went to this talk, even though I don’t really plan on selling any of my current art. Who knows? Maybe I will in the future.
Joyce told us how Jackson Pollock’s wife, Lee Krasner, promoted his art. Pollock had the highest selling painting at $8,000 which was really great because it was before 1950. Lee Krasner faced sexism, being called “Mrs. Pollock,” and never promoted herself when Pollock was alive. Lee then created the Pollock-Krasner Foundation through Pollock’s estate, and gave back once she could. You can visit it at PKF.org.
Flowers by Yayoi Kusama
Yayoi Kusama was a very interesting artist to me, because she was a Japanese artist who dealt with mental health issues, and saw dots. She then created most of her art with dots. She’s also met with sexism and racism. A male artist copied her and got three times the money and got very famous for it. However, in the 1980s, she was the highest selling female artist at the time. She’s also known for doing a collaboration with Louis Vuitton.
Resurrection by Alma Thomas
Alma Thomas was an African American woman who did the painting “Resurrection” in 1966. She started her career in her late 60s. She has a one-woman show at the Whitney Museum at the age of 81.
Here are some ways for artists to make money from their art: -Have an art rep who can sell your work to collectors -Get public commissions/grants with the state/locality -Ask for help to approach or negotiate with people -Artists have a second job a lot of the time such as being a teacher/professor of art
Marketing -Email list -Website -Social Media -Networking -Word of mouth -Printed materials -Advertising -Art rep -Document/photograph your work -Artist statement -Resume/CV
Agreement With Gallery -Get it in writing -Read it carefully Hire a lawyer when needed -Get it signed!
Two last inspiring quotes from Joyce: “Art can transform great pain into great prosperity.” “You don’t have to be a trained artist to sell art!”
About a year and a half ago, a new Barnes & Noble location opened up near me, and of course I went to the grand opening. I went back in February with a friend and bought so many books! Embarrassingly, I even earned a free tote for spending so much money!
And, unfortunately, on April 20th, a different local location closed. So, naturally I went to their 50% closing sale! Here’s what I got:
AND! Roomhate by Penelope Ward and Pucked by Helena Hunting have sprayed edges, folx! Which I absolutely love, of course! Here they are:
Unfortunately you can’t really see in the photo, but the purple one on the right end is called Bibliotherapy: Books to Guide You Through Every Chapter of Life by Molly Masters. It seems like more of a reference book, but I’m exited to dip into that one as well!
I’m very excited to read all of these books! Actually, It’s Not All Downhill From Here by Terry McMillan I had listened to on audio during the beginning of the pandemic. It was so, so good, so I had to add a copy to my physical shelves!
Hannah Mary McKinnon is one of my favorite authors, and her book The Revenge List was only available on audio from the library, therefore I’ve been dragging my feet to read it. I was so surprised when I happened upon it at Barnes & Noble!
Act Cool by Tobly McSmith has also been on my TBR for a long time, practically since I read the author’s other book, Stay Gold and I’m super excited for this one, too!
The funny thing is, I kind of wish I’d put spine labels on the books before I photographed them because half of the authors’ last names start with “Mc”, and more than half start with “M.” I totally didn’t plan that! Plus, I got them in all different sections – YA, nonfiction, fiction, mystery/thriller and romance.
I had so much fun shopping at Barnes & Noble and I look forward to doing so again, soon!
Michelle’s Bookish Life 