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January 03, 2007

Micawber Books: A Sad Story

Our old-family book store is leaving town soon and the lovely "architectural details incorporated into Micawber will be bulldozed." Thus points out the owner Logan Fox in today's Arts section of the New York Times.

Can you feel the knots in my stomach growing to the size of Mt. Everest? All independent book stores across the country are suffering with the publishing houses wanting only book celebrities to write "home-runs."

How many Princetonians really want Rachel Ray's Express Lane Meals? I am a foodie, as you read in one of my previous blogs, but thanks very much Rachel. I don't know anyone in Princeton who will rush to buy her cookbook, although there may be some. And when Julie Andrews decides to write a fairy tale, no lesser artist than Gennady Spirin becomes the illustrator. Will he do one for Katie Couric?

Do you sense sarcasm here? I'm just rephrasing today's New York Times article with a bit of my own color. And it's not that the problem rests only with the birth of mega-bookchains and internet venues. Indeed, life has changed and today's young generation is speeding forth forgetting old values.

Family life? Rearing children? Cooking for the family? Cleaning houses? Let's compute. Let's exercise. Let's have fun.

I did last night. I pulled out a Slovak translation of a book I loved as a teenager: James Oliver Curwood's Nomads of the North and read it in one stretch. I loved it just as decades ago and bought the English translation for my grandchildren--if I have any. You see, when my son was little, I tried to buy it, but that was before Amazon and I didn't succeed. I ended up reading it aloud while translating the book back into English. Would a young career woman do that now for her child?

Umm. Let's watch a reality show instead. I joined my own reality show when Maddalena was published and Logan Fox wished me good luck with a tight face. He had already explained that he couldn't do a book signing at Micawbers.
(Here I share another bibliophile's lament in the link.)

I know, I nodded to myself. People would rather order it on Amazon.

Should I say anything else? After all, I'm equally guilty. I ordered the Curwood book on Amazon. I had to. I've no time to walk into town. Too busy blogging so that people would buy Maddalena.

Sad. Isn't it?

Yours truly.

P.S. The real truth is that I ordered my book on Amazon because to date I haven't found the right words of symphathy for Logan, the man who brought so much happiness with his old-fashioned bookstore.

Posted by Eva Siroka at 10:58 AM | Comments (0)

January 01, 2007

And a Happy One It Is

I feel it in my bones -- so long as we all do -- with peace in our hearts and joyous minds.

Let it be an especially good year for all of us!

Happy New Year 2007 from Maddalena!

And her author

Posted by Eva Siroka at 12:26 AM | Comments (0)