It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The Christmas music says so. The store is plugging along, thanks to your generous support. There are peppermint candies and candy canes and lots of festive touches, and my own personal crusade to get my own cards and packages out with a little time to sleep, eat and do laundry added in. It would be perfect if I didn’t find myself giving in to the fear of 2009. It would be perfect, if the situation that we Michigan folks find ourselves in didn’t look like doom and gloom all around.
But even so, I feel like the luckiest person on the retail block. I get to listen to parents and grandparents describe little kids to me: some they know well and some not as well-known. I get to describe books to these givers of gifts and try to find that exact thing they are requesting. I get to absorb the good-heartedness and a little bit of hometown pride that goes with the buy local mentality. And boy, does it ever help. It’s easy to forget that you have a place in the community.
And I get to watch little kids come in with eyes as big as saucers looking over the merchandise and getting excited about the coming holiday. I even got to be the storyteller on the American Legion train for Hometown Holiday. I apologize to the parents who had to help me with the lyrics of some carols, but I really had fun. I promise, I will never sing the Twelve Days of Christmas again without props or cue cards to help me.
In my own childhood, Christmas dinner generally ended with molded ice cream in Santa, reindeer, wreath and tree shapes, provided by Iglers Rexall Drugs in “downtown” Glendale Ohio. Iglers was a drugstore that frequented as a boy. He could describe their “nectar” concoction many decades after last tasting one. He was happy to continue the yummy tradition with ice cream molds. (I usually tried to get Santa, I confess.) Iglers is long-gone, of course. But I loved that little ending to every Christmas meal.
Whatever your family’s tradition is, I hope it makes your season memorable. You don’t need a fancy decorating scheme or a lavish tree. You might want to take this opportunity to make some new traditions. Maybe a bird friendly outdoor tree or a fireside story reading session with young ones. It doesn’t have to cost that much.
I have been amazed at the generosity of the community in providing Christmas items for families in trouble. Two groups I belong to were waitlisted for adopted families because so many have offered to help; we finally got information this week and pledged to fill a list of needs and wants. That’s why Michigan survives; the whole community works together. Even in the coldest, darkest night, we can be counted on. And that for me is the real meaning of Christmas. So thanks for supporting Cranesbill and happiest of Christmas, Hannukah, or Kwanzaa to you all.
December 13, 2008
November 12, 2008
Michigan Fiction: A Reading List for Kids of All Ages
Okay, let me start by saying that in my reading life I’ve specialized in reading about Michigan. I was obsessed with the beauty of the tip of the mitt and while I only got to be there for three months a year, it was where my heart lived year-round. Where Michigan books are concerned, I’m a bit obsessed.
My latest favorite is not exactly fiction, but instead a wonderful memoir written by local author Ray Schairer, who has just published Barefoot Boy: A Year in the Life of a 1930s Farm Boy. Mr. Schairer, who is known more in the area for his musical pursuits as a craftsman and practitioner of musical bones, has written a straightforward account of his upbringing on his family’s farm at Parker and Jackson Roads. Without too much self-consciousness, and with a light touch on tough times, gives us a clear picture of life in these parts seven decades ago, when agriculture was the main occupation and he could travel into Chelsea on a train. I should mention that Mr. Schairer will be in our store on Saturday, November 22 at 2 pm, and that his visit will be a rare opportunity for those lucky enough to be there to learn more about local history and for those who were not here to experience it, a view into the past. The book is suitable for young readers, and it could be a time machine for anyone who partakes in the telling of these memories of a world that has nearly disappeared in our day.
One of the wonderful things about our state is that it lends itself to historical storytelling, especially for kids. From the voyageurs to the lumbermen to the rural farming communities, there are narratives from unforgettable characters. Of course, Hemingway’s Nick Adams Stories are some of the earliest examples. But there have been many volumes published over the years that cover our state’s past. These are chapter books that make history palpable for grade schoolers, and could even become the basis of a future trip to the northern part of the state. A perfect example is Christopher Paul Curtis, whose Bud, Not Buddy, the story of a young aspiring jazz musician, garnered him national attention. Most of his other books are set in Flint. Curtis’s most recent effort, Elijah of Buxton, is already winning accolades, including a Newbery Honor Award and the 2008 Great Lakes Book Award. In fact all of Curtis's books are set in Flint, and his imaginative mind makes each one a terrific read.
Other wonderful kids books related to Michigan are not hard to find. The Adventures of Pachelot is a series of books written by Wendy Caszatt-Allen, with two entries: The Last Voyage of the Griffon and the recently published Fort Brokenheart, from Mackinaw Island Press. And speaking of the place, Kim Delmar Cory’s Home to Mackinac, which was published several years ago by the Mackinac State Historic Parks, is also a great yarn, in which the hero goes to Mackinac Island to find out about his missing father and learns much as he works for the army as a bugler.
Harder to find than these books are those by Gloria Whelan, including the Island series, set during the War of 1812, when the British occupy Mackinac Island, and the Oriole Series, set in the days in which land north of Detroit (near Pontiac) is settled. More recently, Whelan also has published two other Michigan titles for slightly younger readers, Mackinac Bridge: The Story of A Five Mile Poem and Friend on Freedom River, both from Sleeping Bear Press. Her 2007 young adult novel, Summer of the War, won a New York Public Library award.
Another fine series is not exactly set in Michigan, but Louise Erdrich’s fine series, based on family history and set on Madeline Island (the largest of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior) give readers an accurate representation of the lives of Native Americans in the nineteenth century; The Birchbark House and The Game of Silence bring Omakayas and her Ojibwa tribe’s way of life into sharp focus, not shying away from the problems brought to the far north by European settlers. Erdrich is one of my favorite writers of adult fiction, but this kind of writing is the way all kids should get to learn history in a totally perfect world.
Well, I still have to cover adult fiction, but for now I will leave you with the thought that no matter how tough our times may be, we tough Michiganders have always had a knack for survival. I hope that some of the above books will make excellent reading for your entire family. I’ll have to write a part two to cover the rest of my territory.
My latest favorite is not exactly fiction, but instead a wonderful memoir written by local author Ray Schairer, who has just published Barefoot Boy: A Year in the Life of a 1930s Farm Boy. Mr. Schairer, who is known more in the area for his musical pursuits as a craftsman and practitioner of musical bones, has written a straightforward account of his upbringing on his family’s farm at Parker and Jackson Roads. Without too much self-consciousness, and with a light touch on tough times, gives us a clear picture of life in these parts seven decades ago, when agriculture was the main occupation and he could travel into Chelsea on a train. I should mention that Mr. Schairer will be in our store on Saturday, November 22 at 2 pm, and that his visit will be a rare opportunity for those lucky enough to be there to learn more about local history and for those who were not here to experience it, a view into the past. The book is suitable for young readers, and it could be a time machine for anyone who partakes in the telling of these memories of a world that has nearly disappeared in our day.
One of the wonderful things about our state is that it lends itself to historical storytelling, especially for kids. From the voyageurs to the lumbermen to the rural farming communities, there are narratives from unforgettable characters. Of course, Hemingway’s Nick Adams Stories are some of the earliest examples. But there have been many volumes published over the years that cover our state’s past. These are chapter books that make history palpable for grade schoolers, and could even become the basis of a future trip to the northern part of the state. A perfect example is Christopher Paul Curtis, whose Bud, Not Buddy, the story of a young aspiring jazz musician, garnered him national attention. Most of his other books are set in Flint. Curtis’s most recent effort, Elijah of Buxton, is already winning accolades, including a Newbery Honor Award and the 2008 Great Lakes Book Award. In fact all of Curtis's books are set in Flint, and his imaginative mind makes each one a terrific read.
Other wonderful kids books related to Michigan are not hard to find. The Adventures of Pachelot is a series of books written by Wendy Caszatt-Allen, with two entries: The Last Voyage of the Griffon and the recently published Fort Brokenheart, from Mackinaw Island Press. And speaking of the place, Kim Delmar Cory’s Home to Mackinac, which was published several years ago by the Mackinac State Historic Parks, is also a great yarn, in which the hero goes to Mackinac Island to find out about his missing father and learns much as he works for the army as a bugler.
Harder to find than these books are those by Gloria Whelan, including the Island series, set during the War of 1812, when the British occupy Mackinac Island, and the Oriole Series, set in the days in which land north of Detroit (near Pontiac) is settled. More recently, Whelan also has published two other Michigan titles for slightly younger readers, Mackinac Bridge: The Story of A Five Mile Poem and Friend on Freedom River, both from Sleeping Bear Press. Her 2007 young adult novel, Summer of the War, won a New York Public Library award.
Another fine series is not exactly set in Michigan, but Louise Erdrich’s fine series, based on family history and set on Madeline Island (the largest of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior) give readers an accurate representation of the lives of Native Americans in the nineteenth century; The Birchbark House and The Game of Silence bring Omakayas and her Ojibwa tribe’s way of life into sharp focus, not shying away from the problems brought to the far north by European settlers. Erdrich is one of my favorite writers of adult fiction, but this kind of writing is the way all kids should get to learn history in a totally perfect world.
Well, I still have to cover adult fiction, but for now I will leave you with the thought that no matter how tough our times may be, we tough Michiganders have always had a knack for survival. I hope that some of the above books will make excellent reading for your entire family. I’ll have to write a part two to cover the rest of my territory.
September 17, 2008
Never Too Late for Summer Reading
This blog was originally titled “Late Summer Reading Part II” but obviously, I’m a bit late getting this one posted. After I wrote the first summer reading blog, I have taken book reviewing seriously and I have been reading as though I owed my English teacher back-to-school book reports. But hey, it’s still summer until next week, even if the beach in the rainy September weather just isn’t the same.
It’s certainly good to be expert at something, but when you are self-conscious about spouting off it’s good to have some background. I did get an M.A. in English from Wayne State University, but that was a while ago. In fact, since recovering from grad school, historical fiction has been my favorite flavor. And from recent reading, here are three great books that I can absolutely recommend:
The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies (available in paperback)
This brilliant novel is set in the mountainous Snowdonia region of northern Wales at the end of WWII. There are overlapping characters and plots: first, the story of Esther, the Welsh Girl for whom the book is named; second, the story of Rotheram, a military investigator who is assigned to interview the high profile prisoner of war Rudolph Hess; and finally, Karsten, the German prisoner of war whose love of the Welsh landscape includes Esther. Author Davies, it should be noted, is a local: he directs the Creative Writing program at U of M. The novel weaves the three characters’ story lines and points of view together, but also adds a sense of how their overlapping paths and worlds are themselves a force: having evolved at the end of the war, this relatively isolated place is changed permanently. Davies makes these changes quite clear, breathing life into small-town existence, where the outside world reaches in to rewrite local history. At the end of the novel, the outcomes are neither unexpected nor totally predictable in Davies’ deft hands.
The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard by Erin McGraw
This novel came to me as a galley that I snatched up at a booksellers’ conference last January, but it has only been released in the last month. At the turn of the twentieth century, Nell Plat is the wife of a Kansas farmer and the mother of two children who walks away from the monotony of all she has ever known to ply her trade in the already glamorous world of Hollywood. This is not the Hollywood of the thirties and forties, but Tinseltown in its infancy, when movies are just beginning to become a legitimate pastime and many moths are drawn to its flame. Nell reinvents herself as Madame Annelle, modiste, and her steps to success, while halting at times, give us ample room to understand the lot one women one hundred years ago, when any form of entertainment was of dubious virtue and value., and when actors and actresses were widely understood to be outside the bounds of Victorian propriety. This ability to summon a past that has been lost under layers of more familiar Hollywood history is the author’s finest achievement: I believe that this novel will become popular over time because of her deft ability to make Nell’s struggles seem somehow modern despite their vintage.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
This is a book that defies a lot of expectations. The title sounds cute and maybe a little silly, but the story is actually a=2 0war story about the German occupation of the Isle of Guernsey during World War II, covering lots of terrible ground. The novel is epistolary: it’s told entirely in letters, a form of storytelling that is not always easy to read. The large cast of characters is rather eccentric, but they become even more complex as the story progresses. As a young journalist puts together a book proposal, she interviews the surviving members of the GLPPPS, who continually complicate and confuse our view of the past as their recollections unfold. The exuberance of those who have survived the war is muted and tinged with the unfinished business of missing characters. But like The Welsh Girl, the novel gives a close view of the home front of that war as seen by those who live too close for comfort to its horror. Let me recommend this book as an uplifting read despite these would-be depression-inducing features. At the end of the book, I marveled at the way in which the authors craft this story, making everything that is askew seem ultimately perfect. There are few books that combine past and present as well as this current bestseller, which will be a great read for book groups and anyone who enjoys a cast of odd characters and an interesting plot.
It’s certainly good to be expert at something, but when you are self-conscious about spouting off it’s good to have some background. I did get an M.A. in English from Wayne State University, but that was a while ago. In fact, since recovering from grad school, historical fiction has been my favorite flavor. And from recent reading, here are three great books that I can absolutely recommend:
The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies (available in paperback)
This brilliant novel is set in the mountainous Snowdonia region of northern Wales at the end of WWII. There are overlapping characters and plots: first, the story of Esther, the Welsh Girl for whom the book is named; second, the story of Rotheram, a military investigator who is assigned to interview the high profile prisoner of war Rudolph Hess; and finally, Karsten, the German prisoner of war whose love of the Welsh landscape includes Esther. Author Davies, it should be noted, is a local: he directs the Creative Writing program at U of M. The novel weaves the three characters’ story lines and points of view together, but also adds a sense of how their overlapping paths and worlds are themselves a force: having evolved at the end of the war, this relatively isolated place is changed permanently. Davies makes these changes quite clear, breathing life into small-town existence, where the outside world reaches in to rewrite local history. At the end of the novel, the outcomes are neither unexpected nor totally predictable in Davies’ deft hands.
The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard by Erin McGraw
This novel came to me as a galley that I snatched up at a booksellers’ conference last January, but it has only been released in the last month. At the turn of the twentieth century, Nell Plat is the wife of a Kansas farmer and the mother of two children who walks away from the monotony of all she has ever known to ply her trade in the already glamorous world of Hollywood. This is not the Hollywood of the thirties and forties, but Tinseltown in its infancy, when movies are just beginning to become a legitimate pastime and many moths are drawn to its flame. Nell reinvents herself as Madame Annelle, modiste, and her steps to success, while halting at times, give us ample room to understand the lot one women one hundred years ago, when any form of entertainment was of dubious virtue and value., and when actors and actresses were widely understood to be outside the bounds of Victorian propriety. This ability to summon a past that has been lost under layers of more familiar Hollywood history is the author’s finest achievement: I believe that this novel will become popular over time because of her deft ability to make Nell’s struggles seem somehow modern despite their vintage.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
This is a book that defies a lot of expectations. The title sounds cute and maybe a little silly, but the story is actually a=2 0war story about the German occupation of the Isle of Guernsey during World War II, covering lots of terrible ground. The novel is epistolary: it’s told entirely in letters, a form of storytelling that is not always easy to read. The large cast of characters is rather eccentric, but they become even more complex as the story progresses. As a young journalist puts together a book proposal, she interviews the surviving members of the GLPPPS, who continually complicate and confuse our view of the past as their recollections unfold. The exuberance of those who have survived the war is muted and tinged with the unfinished business of missing characters. But like The Welsh Girl, the novel gives a close view of the home front of that war as seen by those who live too close for comfort to its horror. Let me recommend this book as an uplifting read despite these would-be depression-inducing features. At the end of the book, I marveled at the way in which the authors craft this story, making everything that is askew seem ultimately perfect. There are few books that combine past and present as well as this current bestseller, which will be a great read for book groups and anyone who enjoys a cast of odd characters and an interesting plot.
August 1, 2008
Mitch Ryder Makes My Summer
Blog # 7
July 28, 2008
Mitch Ryder Makes My Summer,
One That's Slipping By Too Quickly
Okay, it’s true. I couldn’t think of a clever name for this blog entry. Meanwhile, the summertime is sneaking past me far too quickly. And it’s hard to stay focused on summer when August is the month when the back-to-school and Christmas seasons begin in earnest for the store. Buyers come in; we stock up; the summer seems to fade. So much for long vacations, wished-for meetings with friends, joining people at the local watering hole or concert venue, and having a perfect garden. I’ll settle for less because I don’t have a whole lot of time to contemplate what I’m missing.
But hey, there are still more than a few weeks of summer to go: if you count the first three weeks of September (and I do) it’s nearly two months to go. So let’s get to the heart of the matter: I’ve already had a great music experience this summer, and I want to savor it: I was lucky, I got to hear Mitch Ryder.
Now understand that I was one of the teenyboppers that his music was aimed at. That said, even though I’m a fan, I didn’t want to act like one. I have had cases of pre-concert buildup followed by a lower level of post-concert satisfaction too many times in recent years. However, Mitch Ryder gave a great show on Thursday night. Every element was there: the turbocharged rhythm section, great guitar work, the wildly exciting energy that they put out into the crowd and then, of course, Ryder’s voice, which sounded brand new.
Let me just put in my standard plug for Detroit here: I think Detroit is arguably the most important location for both R&B and rock, and in the sixties, the distinction between those two was really slim. Using the frantic voice of R&B and Gospel over a flawless band, Mitch Ryder has always been the poster child for the perfect blend of rock and soul music. And that’s only one part of what Detroit contributes to the history of American music, but that blend was alive and well and dancing through the crowd on Thursday night.
So I’m grateful that while summer is coming apart, I got time transported to my younger days, which is worth a lot. If I am not mistaken, there were lots of us there that perfect summer evening, and three cheers for that opportunity!
July 28, 2008
Mitch Ryder Makes My Summer,
One That's Slipping By Too Quickly
Okay, it’s true. I couldn’t think of a clever name for this blog entry. Meanwhile, the summertime is sneaking past me far too quickly. And it’s hard to stay focused on summer when August is the month when the back-to-school and Christmas seasons begin in earnest for the store. Buyers come in; we stock up; the summer seems to fade. So much for long vacations, wished-for meetings with friends, joining people at the local watering hole or concert venue, and having a perfect garden. I’ll settle for less because I don’t have a whole lot of time to contemplate what I’m missing.
But hey, there are still more than a few weeks of summer to go: if you count the first three weeks of September (and I do) it’s nearly two months to go. So let’s get to the heart of the matter: I’ve already had a great music experience this summer, and I want to savor it: I was lucky, I got to hear Mitch Ryder.
Now understand that I was one of the teenyboppers that his music was aimed at. That said, even though I’m a fan, I didn’t want to act like one. I have had cases of pre-concert buildup followed by a lower level of post-concert satisfaction too many times in recent years. However, Mitch Ryder gave a great show on Thursday night. Every element was there: the turbocharged rhythm section, great guitar work, the wildly exciting energy that they put out into the crowd and then, of course, Ryder’s voice, which sounded brand new.
Let me just put in my standard plug for Detroit here: I think Detroit is arguably the most important location for both R&B and rock, and in the sixties, the distinction between those two was really slim. Using the frantic voice of R&B and Gospel over a flawless band, Mitch Ryder has always been the poster child for the perfect blend of rock and soul music. And that’s only one part of what Detroit contributes to the history of American music, but that blend was alive and well and dancing through the crowd on Thursday night.
So I’m grateful that while summer is coming apart, I got time transported to my younger days, which is worth a lot. If I am not mistaken, there were lots of us there that perfect summer evening, and three cheers for that opportunity!
June 27, 2008
Summer Reading, Part One
Summer Reading
In my school, you had a summer reading list. There was no question that you were expected to keep up over the summer, and as I got older, more and more reading was to be chosen from the listings and then consumed. The favorite reads were easy to tackle, but there was always that one book that I dreaded. Which titles, you ask? Anything by Sir Walter Scott, but other than that, I can't remember now. I did try to avoid the books that I was pretty sure I wouldn't like. War stories, or fantasies didn't appeal; they were books that sounded as though they would not draw me in. But others could be counted on: Nancy Drew was a favorite and I probably read every one of them that the local library had.
So now it's the beginning of summer, and I am trying to get a list of recommended reads assembled for you. Here's the problem: my reading list is narrower than it should be and won't appeal to everyone. So in the next week or so, the other booksellers and I will be suggesting books and you will find them on the books page of our website.
Some of the books I am listing below are on the list of books I have read in the past year, ones that strike me as ones I can recommend. I would like to read ten hours a day, but alas, I can't, so I am always looking at a pile of reading that I haven't got around to reading. So I will suggest a few other books that I have not gone unnoticed and will hope to file reviews of for your sake later on in the summer.
Let me just add that the internet has become a bigger and bigger part of Cranesbill's day-to-day operations. We are finally, after several years, about to get online ordering, and our inventory will be constantly updated and will include just about everything, with the exception of very small items and a few other things that would seem silly to ship anywhere. This ability to offer online ordering has involved an ordeal in the background: a team of tech-savvy types (managers and web masters who deal with the store's computer systems more directly)have spent months truly trying to decode why the internet is still so clunky and full of glitches. We know that you would appreciate the convenience of online ordering, but nothing's simple to fix. My personal thanks to Leslie, Al, Catherine, Marianne, and Mike for their valiant team efforts. Soon their labors will bear fruit, perhaps as soon as next week. We'll keep you posted by email…
My Summer Reading List
Maria Doria Russell
Dreamers of the Day:
Released this spring, this is the story of spinster schoolteacher Agnes Shanklin, a drab Midwestern woman whose life is suddenly upended by the death of her family during the flu epidemic of 1918. She suddenly finds herself in a lot of money and decides to travel to Egypt, where she finds herself in the midst of a historic crowd, including Winston Churchill and T.E. Lawrence (“Lawrence of Arabia”). The growth of the woman is what keeps you riveted, but in strong second place is the geo-political backdrop of the Middle East as it emerges from World War I. The political, the personal and the personalities converge, not always very believably. making the book clearly relevant to the present. Still in hardcover only, but worth every penny.
A Touch of Grace:
Set in Europe at the tag end of World War II, the story follows the Blum family, exiles who are trying to survive while the Nazi army continues to attack and occupy Europe after the fall of Mussolini. What Claudia Blum sees is the mutual support of the exiles, the resistance in Italy, and the Catholic Church in trying to foil the Third Reich's final, self-deluded push to dominate all Europeans. The result is another Russell potion of history, fine portraits of personalities and exquisite writing skill - the marriage of craft with careful research.
The Sparrow is on my to be read pile, and it has received raves from many corners.
Kris Radish
Dancing Naked At The Edge of Dawn:
This is a fantasy novel, but one that will appeal specifically to women of a certain age who still feel that they should follow dreams, if only it were possible. The heroine, Meg, finds herself in a lifeless marriage, confirmed by the fact that her husband has found a mistress. From that point in the story, magic happens in her life: she finds out about the real life of her beloved and recently deceased Aunt Marcia. She travels to Mexico to take in both her aunt's history and what that history augurs for her future.
Like other Radish characters, she is surrounded by women friends, and her road starts getting more and more exciting, until by the end of the book, she discovers her own strength and grows into the new life with great ease.
This is not the case for most divorcing women, but the ideal world that Meg finds herself heir to provides a great escape, and the issues involved are quite serious and universally personal. The ritual that ends the book, a reverse wedding shower, is a joy, something that will stick with me for a long time.
Annie Freedman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral:
Annie Freedman has died and has gathered friends together to take a trip to scatter her ashes everywhere that was important to her. The trip is haphazard, but as the late Ms. Freedman has clearly intended, each friend gets some new direction along the way that will in part replenish her life.
Not the heaviest reading, but reading that will relieve the stress of ordinary life and put the reader's problems in perspective.
Lauren Groff
The Monsters of Templeton:
This is a debut novel, but as debut novels go, it's a remarkable one. In this case, I found about it from a January booksellers' meeting. So many books emerge at any given time that it becomes necessary to figure out which you might really enjoy. The publisher's rep spoke eloquently and I responded.
Templeton is Cooperstown, and the Monsters of Templeton- including a aquatic monster that surfaces and an assortment of descendents of Marmaduke Temple (James Fenimore Cooper), who are revealed as less than wonderful. Like Cooperstown, Templeton has a Baseball Hall of Fame, but baseball and sea serpents are the least of the weirdness, although they do enhance the scenery.
The heroine of the novel, failed grad student Willie Upton, returns home pregnant, having been caught in a romantic triangle with her Anthropology professor and having tried to run over the prof's wife. Now she has to face her past, including her former hippie mom, Vivianne, who sets her the task of figuring out which of Templeton's fine citizens is her father.
This sends Willie into a long investigation of Temple family geneology, which by itself would not hold a reader's interest for long without a mystery and a villain or two. The people on the family tree and their descendents who still inhabit Templeton turn out to be both monstrous and very human, holding the most interest of all. There's the drama of a young woman trying to find herself, and her discoveries that help her figure out her place on the vast Temple family tree. There's the relationship between mother and daughter. There's the nuanced portrait of a town that lives on its past, which should hit home with anyone who has lived in a historical setting that tries to survive in the current day.
Not to give away the solution, it is a very satisfying one, and the novel sticks in your mind for its complexity, its sense of humor, and the persistent and lovable Willie. It won't be out in paperback until February of 2009, but it may be one that will signal the beginning of an illustrious career.
Deb Baker
The Yooper Mysteries: Murder Passes the Buck, Murder Grins and Bears It, Murder Talks Turkey
In mid-May Cranesbill was very fortunate to have Deb Baker visit the store to read from and sign her novels. I had heard of them before, but in anticipation of her visit, I quickly consumed Murder Talks Turkey. By the time Baker appeared, I was already a devotee of her sleuth, Gertie Johnson, and simply loved the whole world she created in the pseudonymous town of Stonely. Since her visit I have finished the other two novels and found that they don't disappoint.
Gertie is the key to Baker's success. She is a 60-odd widow who needs to get a life, and as three murders unfold in Stonely, she dips into each case with equal parts naivete, gutsy investigation, and a certainty that her son, the Sheriff, has no real idea what each of the cases is about. Teaming up with friends Kitty and Cora Mae, she finds the clues that matter, but these stories are not only about solving a crime. They are also about starting life over, about the tilted perspective that life in a small rural community brings to its members, and about the value of persistence in the face of discouraging twists and turns of cases.
Baker told us that these will be the only Yooper Mysteries from her pen, but I hereby announce that I am writing her to beg otherwise, since Gertie is a gem, a one-of-a-kind genius, a Northern Michigan Miss Marple with bright orange hair, with an aversion to fancy clothes and makeup, and a talent for refusing to stay away from cases that should have any easy solution, but don't. There are recipes for pasties and other delicacies as well, but don't confuse these as being cute little cozies because the world of the Upper Peninsula is rendered in all its glory, from the sauna to the bars, to opening day of hunting season for deer, bear, and turkey. There's nothing too slick or superficial about her view of humans, and that knocks back the cutesy factor considerably. Her description of an abandoned hunting trailer in which Gertie is forced to hide out had me rolling on the floor. I should add that she has written another series of Dolly Mysteries, set in the cutthroat world of doll collecting, that I am saving for this fall, since I don't want to run out of Deb Baker's charming voice during the colder months.
Elizabeth Berg
Dream When You're Feeling Blue
Chicago writer Elizabeth Berg has published quite a bit, but after a trade show last fall where I heard her speak, I got my hands on Dream When You're Feeling Blue and gulped it down with gusto. Let me say that I am a nut for World War II and its fashions, the seemingly endless nostalgia it inspires, and even the music. However, her story is about Kitty Heaney, born of a typical Irish Catholic family in Chicago, who becomes one of many defense factory workers,widely known as the iconic Rosie the Riveter. But Kitty is not an old-fashioned girl. Her thoughts and responses to the deprivations and opportunities of wartime are not always predictable. And Berg gives us a description of the homefront that is far more nuanced and interesting than many other fiction accounts of World War II.
The novel ends many years after it begins, but the fates of the characters and how the war shapes them for life are not made simple or convenient or easily predictable. A wonderful glimpse into a time that came before my life span, but one that reminds the reader how much women's lives have changed- and not always for the better. I also was relieved that in place of Berg skimps on the big melodramatic scenes that might be the expected fare for a wartime novel. Her characters and the effort she makes to allow us into each one's thoughts and emotions become the force driving the narrative. As she delves into Kitty Heaney and her family, Berg tells the timeless story of a woman who has to learn to stand for herself.
Her new volume of short stories, The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted, was released in April. The stories therein are all tales of women defying some sort of convention, and is on my bedside bookcase, to be reviewed when completed.
Dorothea Benton Frank
The Land of Mango Sunsets
I first encountered this lively woman at a booksellers' gathering, but from her presentation to bookstore folks from all over the Midwest, I was already hooked. Frank is a great creator of memorable characters, and her character, Mellie, the narrator of the book, is both a by-the-book Southern lady and an urbane sophisticate from the upscale streets of New York City. This story unfolds some years following her divorce, but it also roughly describes the point in her life when she is forced to face the baggage left behind from that failure and to accept her own limits as they really are, without the unnecessary drama that continues because she refuses to move forward. Colorful characters abound, especially her mother, Miss Josie.
A satisfying read not only for the beach or vacation, but also thoughtful and well-crafted.
Other fiction books on my short list to read include:
The Third Angel Alice Hoffman
Loving Frank Nancy Horan
The History of Love Nicole Krauss
The View from Castle Rock Alice Munroadult
The Seamstress of Hollywood Erin McGraw
Gilead Marilynne Robinson
**************
Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars.
(http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007)
In my school, you had a summer reading list. There was no question that you were expected to keep up over the summer, and as I got older, more and more reading was to be chosen from the listings and then consumed. The favorite reads were easy to tackle, but there was always that one book that I dreaded. Which titles, you ask? Anything by Sir Walter Scott, but other than that, I can't remember now. I did try to avoid the books that I was pretty sure I wouldn't like. War stories, or fantasies didn't appeal; they were books that sounded as though they would not draw me in. But others could be counted on: Nancy Drew was a favorite and I probably read every one of them that the local library had.
So now it's the beginning of summer, and I am trying to get a list of recommended reads assembled for you. Here's the problem: my reading list is narrower than it should be and won't appeal to everyone. So in the next week or so, the other booksellers and I will be suggesting books and you will find them on the books page of our website.
Some of the books I am listing below are on the list of books I have read in the past year, ones that strike me as ones I can recommend. I would like to read ten hours a day, but alas, I can't, so I am always looking at a pile of reading that I haven't got around to reading. So I will suggest a few other books that I have not gone unnoticed and will hope to file reviews of for your sake later on in the summer.
Let me just add that the internet has become a bigger and bigger part of Cranesbill's day-to-day operations. We are finally, after several years, about to get online ordering, and our inventory will be constantly updated and will include just about everything, with the exception of very small items and a few other things that would seem silly to ship anywhere. This ability to offer online ordering has involved an ordeal in the background: a team of tech-savvy types (managers and web masters who deal with the store's computer systems more directly)have spent months truly trying to decode why the internet is still so clunky and full of glitches. We know that you would appreciate the convenience of online ordering, but nothing's simple to fix. My personal thanks to Leslie, Al, Catherine, Marianne, and Mike for their valiant team efforts. Soon their labors will bear fruit, perhaps as soon as next week. We'll keep you posted by email…
My Summer Reading List
Maria Doria Russell
Dreamers of the Day:
Released this spring, this is the story of spinster schoolteacher Agnes Shanklin, a drab Midwestern woman whose life is suddenly upended by the death of her family during the flu epidemic of 1918. She suddenly finds herself in a lot of money and decides to travel to Egypt, where she finds herself in the midst of a historic crowd, including Winston Churchill and T.E. Lawrence (“Lawrence of Arabia”). The growth of the woman is what keeps you riveted, but in strong second place is the geo-political backdrop of the Middle East as it emerges from World War I. The political, the personal and the personalities converge, not always very believably. making the book clearly relevant to the present. Still in hardcover only, but worth every penny.
A Touch of Grace:
Set in Europe at the tag end of World War II, the story follows the Blum family, exiles who are trying to survive while the Nazi army continues to attack and occupy Europe after the fall of Mussolini. What Claudia Blum sees is the mutual support of the exiles, the resistance in Italy, and the Catholic Church in trying to foil the Third Reich's final, self-deluded push to dominate all Europeans. The result is another Russell potion of history, fine portraits of personalities and exquisite writing skill - the marriage of craft with careful research.
The Sparrow is on my to be read pile, and it has received raves from many corners.
Kris Radish
Dancing Naked At The Edge of Dawn:
This is a fantasy novel, but one that will appeal specifically to women of a certain age who still feel that they should follow dreams, if only it were possible. The heroine, Meg, finds herself in a lifeless marriage, confirmed by the fact that her husband has found a mistress. From that point in the story, magic happens in her life: she finds out about the real life of her beloved and recently deceased Aunt Marcia. She travels to Mexico to take in both her aunt's history and what that history augurs for her future.
Like other Radish characters, she is surrounded by women friends, and her road starts getting more and more exciting, until by the end of the book, she discovers her own strength and grows into the new life with great ease.
This is not the case for most divorcing women, but the ideal world that Meg finds herself heir to provides a great escape, and the issues involved are quite serious and universally personal. The ritual that ends the book, a reverse wedding shower, is a joy, something that will stick with me for a long time.
Annie Freedman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral:
Annie Freedman has died and has gathered friends together to take a trip to scatter her ashes everywhere that was important to her. The trip is haphazard, but as the late Ms. Freedman has clearly intended, each friend gets some new direction along the way that will in part replenish her life.
Not the heaviest reading, but reading that will relieve the stress of ordinary life and put the reader's problems in perspective.
Lauren Groff
The Monsters of Templeton:
This is a debut novel, but as debut novels go, it's a remarkable one. In this case, I found about it from a January booksellers' meeting. So many books emerge at any given time that it becomes necessary to figure out which you might really enjoy. The publisher's rep spoke eloquently and I responded.
Templeton is Cooperstown, and the Monsters of Templeton- including a aquatic monster that surfaces and an assortment of descendents of Marmaduke Temple (James Fenimore Cooper), who are revealed as less than wonderful. Like Cooperstown, Templeton has a Baseball Hall of Fame, but baseball and sea serpents are the least of the weirdness, although they do enhance the scenery.
The heroine of the novel, failed grad student Willie Upton, returns home pregnant, having been caught in a romantic triangle with her Anthropology professor and having tried to run over the prof's wife. Now she has to face her past, including her former hippie mom, Vivianne, who sets her the task of figuring out which of Templeton's fine citizens is her father.
This sends Willie into a long investigation of Temple family geneology, which by itself would not hold a reader's interest for long without a mystery and a villain or two. The people on the family tree and their descendents who still inhabit Templeton turn out to be both monstrous and very human, holding the most interest of all. There's the drama of a young woman trying to find herself, and her discoveries that help her figure out her place on the vast Temple family tree. There's the relationship between mother and daughter. There's the nuanced portrait of a town that lives on its past, which should hit home with anyone who has lived in a historical setting that tries to survive in the current day.
Not to give away the solution, it is a very satisfying one, and the novel sticks in your mind for its complexity, its sense of humor, and the persistent and lovable Willie. It won't be out in paperback until February of 2009, but it may be one that will signal the beginning of an illustrious career.
Deb Baker
The Yooper Mysteries: Murder Passes the Buck, Murder Grins and Bears It, Murder Talks Turkey
In mid-May Cranesbill was very fortunate to have Deb Baker visit the store to read from and sign her novels. I had heard of them before, but in anticipation of her visit, I quickly consumed Murder Talks Turkey. By the time Baker appeared, I was already a devotee of her sleuth, Gertie Johnson, and simply loved the whole world she created in the pseudonymous town of Stonely. Since her visit I have finished the other two novels and found that they don't disappoint.
Gertie is the key to Baker's success. She is a 60-odd widow who needs to get a life, and as three murders unfold in Stonely, she dips into each case with equal parts naivete, gutsy investigation, and a certainty that her son, the Sheriff, has no real idea what each of the cases is about. Teaming up with friends Kitty and Cora Mae, she finds the clues that matter, but these stories are not only about solving a crime. They are also about starting life over, about the tilted perspective that life in a small rural community brings to its members, and about the value of persistence in the face of discouraging twists and turns of cases.
Baker told us that these will be the only Yooper Mysteries from her pen, but I hereby announce that I am writing her to beg otherwise, since Gertie is a gem, a one-of-a-kind genius, a Northern Michigan Miss Marple with bright orange hair, with an aversion to fancy clothes and makeup, and a talent for refusing to stay away from cases that should have any easy solution, but don't. There are recipes for pasties and other delicacies as well, but don't confuse these as being cute little cozies because the world of the Upper Peninsula is rendered in all its glory, from the sauna to the bars, to opening day of hunting season for deer, bear, and turkey. There's nothing too slick or superficial about her view of humans, and that knocks back the cutesy factor considerably. Her description of an abandoned hunting trailer in which Gertie is forced to hide out had me rolling on the floor. I should add that she has written another series of Dolly Mysteries, set in the cutthroat world of doll collecting, that I am saving for this fall, since I don't want to run out of Deb Baker's charming voice during the colder months.
Elizabeth Berg
Dream When You're Feeling Blue
Chicago writer Elizabeth Berg has published quite a bit, but after a trade show last fall where I heard her speak, I got my hands on Dream When You're Feeling Blue and gulped it down with gusto. Let me say that I am a nut for World War II and its fashions, the seemingly endless nostalgia it inspires, and even the music. However, her story is about Kitty Heaney, born of a typical Irish Catholic family in Chicago, who becomes one of many defense factory workers,widely known as the iconic Rosie the Riveter. But Kitty is not an old-fashioned girl. Her thoughts and responses to the deprivations and opportunities of wartime are not always predictable. And Berg gives us a description of the homefront that is far more nuanced and interesting than many other fiction accounts of World War II.
The novel ends many years after it begins, but the fates of the characters and how the war shapes them for life are not made simple or convenient or easily predictable. A wonderful glimpse into a time that came before my life span, but one that reminds the reader how much women's lives have changed- and not always for the better. I also was relieved that in place of Berg skimps on the big melodramatic scenes that might be the expected fare for a wartime novel. Her characters and the effort she makes to allow us into each one's thoughts and emotions become the force driving the narrative. As she delves into Kitty Heaney and her family, Berg tells the timeless story of a woman who has to learn to stand for herself.
Her new volume of short stories, The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted, was released in April. The stories therein are all tales of women defying some sort of convention, and is on my bedside bookcase, to be reviewed when completed.
Dorothea Benton Frank
The Land of Mango Sunsets
I first encountered this lively woman at a booksellers' gathering, but from her presentation to bookstore folks from all over the Midwest, I was already hooked. Frank is a great creator of memorable characters, and her character, Mellie, the narrator of the book, is both a by-the-book Southern lady and an urbane sophisticate from the upscale streets of New York City. This story unfolds some years following her divorce, but it also roughly describes the point in her life when she is forced to face the baggage left behind from that failure and to accept her own limits as they really are, without the unnecessary drama that continues because she refuses to move forward. Colorful characters abound, especially her mother, Miss Josie.
A satisfying read not only for the beach or vacation, but also thoughtful and well-crafted.
Other fiction books on my short list to read include:
The Third Angel Alice Hoffman
Loving Frank Nancy Horan
The History of Love Nicole Krauss
The View from Castle Rock Alice Munroadult
The Seamstress of Hollywood Erin McGraw
Gilead Marilynne Robinson
**************
Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars.
(http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007)
June 13, 2008
Whatever Happened To My Blog?
Whatever Happened To My Blog?
It’s been a little more than three months since I wrote my last blog. I feel guilty as I am writing this, and yet, there is a reason, or a cluster of reasons why this space went dark in April and May. If you are reading this now, and are willing to read on, thank you for bearing with me.
The role of a bookstore owner is one that most people think of as ideal. I know this because when I talk to customers, especially those from other places visiting Chelsea, I hear their confessions as they look a little dreamy and a little sad. And in many ways they are right. It’s fun having your own little world to organize and define.
It’s fun reading whatever you want to read, and getting to hear about books that will become regular suggestions in the next year or so. I love talking with customers about books. I love making the ordinary business of the store go forward. And I really care about my community, which happens when you get to the point where even though you will be a newcomer for the next thirty years, you finally reach the point where you are part of the town.
People know you and you know them. Kids grow up and accomplish things and you can pretty much see the pride in their parents’ and grandparents’ eyes. For better or worse, you get involved in local groups, help organize events, give a little support to others, and your best and worst days get added to your file, becoming part of how people see you.
So my reading and writing have suffered. My garden is in full June bloom and I have worked on it pretty tirelessly. The pots in front of the store are also finally planted. I have read a few books.
With great joy, I watched my daughter graduate from a prestigious graduate school, something she was never expected to do, and for which I am in awe of her talent and perseverance. I have made a couple of new friends and have reconnected with a few old ones.
Please try to bear with me, with the store, with our foibles and limitations, and with the problems created by the special Michigan brand of economic distress. Check out the long-awaited changes coming to our website in the next month. And thanks for making us one of your regular stops for good reading.
It’s been a little more than three months since I wrote my last blog. I feel guilty as I am writing this, and yet, there is a reason, or a cluster of reasons why this space went dark in April and May. If you are reading this now, and are willing to read on, thank you for bearing with me.
The role of a bookstore owner is one that most people think of as ideal. I know this because when I talk to customers, especially those from other places visiting Chelsea, I hear their confessions as they look a little dreamy and a little sad. And in many ways they are right. It’s fun having your own little world to organize and define.
It’s fun reading whatever you want to read, and getting to hear about books that will become regular suggestions in the next year or so. I love talking with customers about books. I love making the ordinary business of the store go forward. And I really care about my community, which happens when you get to the point where even though you will be a newcomer for the next thirty years, you finally reach the point where you are part of the town.
People know you and you know them. Kids grow up and accomplish things and you can pretty much see the pride in their parents’ and grandparents’ eyes. For better or worse, you get involved in local groups, help organize events, give a little support to others, and your best and worst days get added to your file, becoming part of how people see you.
So my reading and writing have suffered. My garden is in full June bloom and I have worked on it pretty tirelessly. The pots in front of the store are also finally planted. I have read a few books.
With great joy, I watched my daughter graduate from a prestigious graduate school, something she was never expected to do, and for which I am in awe of her talent and perseverance. I have made a couple of new friends and have reconnected with a few old ones.
Please try to bear with me, with the store, with our foibles and limitations, and with the problems created by the special Michigan brand of economic distress. Check out the long-awaited changes coming to our website in the next month. And thanks for making us one of your regular stops for good reading.
March 9, 2008
Dispatches from the Bookshop
Since the first of the year, I have been running in so many directions at once that I am not meeting my self-imposed blog quota of weekly blurbs. Things change. Change is good. But change is also really exhausting. This time last year, we were just reeling from the news of Pfizer's leaving Ann Arbor. So one year later, the “news” that we are in a recession is hardly worth elevating one's blood pressure for, and the real news seems to be how all of us continue to hang in there, with a calm perspective and as good a sense of humor as possible. In this sense, I feel a bit smug compared to friends and family elsewhere. We have lived with these uncertainties for longer than any other place (except, perhaps, for Louisiana and the Gulf Coast) and we have a sticktuituve medal to show for our economic woes. We know how bad it can get, and we still function as a community, helping out when we can, and hoping and praying for better times.
STORE CHANGES
I have been claiming that we have a better store, but unless you have been in lately, that claim is a bit hard to defend. We still have areas to upgrade. However, our upstairs has been rearranged and furniture added and subtracted; now we have a more comfortable space in which to talk, meet, show films, and celebrate. Some of you probably didn't catch the party invitation on our most recent coupon card, but you missed a great party last weekend, when we celebrated our fourth anniversary in business. Thanks to all who did join us, including the Chelsea All-Stars with guitarist Jake Reichbart, who kept the vibe groovy and to the wonderful help of staff and friends to get the thing going. The gnome party will continue year to year, but the gnome collection (mine, from younger years, when I had time for garage sales) and Lucas, the reading gnome, have been put away until February of '09. My hope is that you will read on, to discover how we are growing our store in order to keep going.
MOM'S NIGHT OUT
Our first Mom's Night Out took place last Thursday, and the turnout was small, but the evening was a blast. How many smart women does it take to make a good MNO? Well, we had three women business owners who were featured, and also a reporter from the Ann Arbor News, with a handful of others. And the three business owners who were present all had good news: Sharon Keggereis's excellent Michigan wine book, From The Vine (Ann Arbor Media Group) has her traveling around the state for book signings this month. Leslie Surel's Surelutions is booming, and since we love her web design of this site, we are not surprised. Laureen Prophett of Graham Henry Design is on her way to Chicago this week to pitch her line of cards to Country Living Magazine, with hopes of getting some national exposure for the cards and calendars that our customers already love. When we say that we have cornered the tacky party theme market, we aren't kidding, The pink flamingos really enhance the normally serious Cranesbill with some happy vibes. In addition, there is a good reason to come to the once-a-month Thursday night bash-a that night only discount coupon for a 25% discount on one of those books or toys or games or CDs that you had been thinking of buying. We are holding the next Mom's Night Out on April 4 with Wendy Chiodo of Eden Garden Design around to talk gardening. Please join us…
ALMOST HERE: ONLINE ORDERING
After two and a half to three years of trying to accomplish online ordering on our website, we have finally chosen Yahoo online services as our provider of online ordering. If you couldn't imagine a process taking such time and effort to reach a conclusion, I completely agree: it should not be so tough to choose a solution. The problem is that none of the simple solutions cover everything that we sell: bookstore software doesn't cover toys, toy site software doesn't cover books, and who knows what we are to do about some items, like the frog prince, the Mr. Bill figures, and the lotus tub stoppers. So we are getting our act together, and you will soon be able to order from us 24/7 at our website www.cranesbillbooks.com. In addition, if you are looking for an out-of-print, used, or hard to find item, we will have links on our website to three very reliable ordering services: Alibris, ABE Books, and Biblio. We hope to hear from you how we can serve you better online once the ordering feature kicks in. And you will still be able to order by calling the store, as we can hold or special order books that you need.
STORE CHANGES
I have been claiming that we have a better store, but unless you have been in lately, that claim is a bit hard to defend. We still have areas to upgrade. However, our upstairs has been rearranged and furniture added and subtracted; now we have a more comfortable space in which to talk, meet, show films, and celebrate. Some of you probably didn't catch the party invitation on our most recent coupon card, but you missed a great party last weekend, when we celebrated our fourth anniversary in business. Thanks to all who did join us, including the Chelsea All-Stars with guitarist Jake Reichbart, who kept the vibe groovy and to the wonderful help of staff and friends to get the thing going. The gnome party will continue year to year, but the gnome collection (mine, from younger years, when I had time for garage sales) and Lucas, the reading gnome, have been put away until February of '09. My hope is that you will read on, to discover how we are growing our store in order to keep going.
MOM'S NIGHT OUT
Our first Mom's Night Out took place last Thursday, and the turnout was small, but the evening was a blast. How many smart women does it take to make a good MNO? Well, we had three women business owners who were featured, and also a reporter from the Ann Arbor News, with a handful of others. And the three business owners who were present all had good news: Sharon Keggereis's excellent Michigan wine book, From The Vine (Ann Arbor Media Group) has her traveling around the state for book signings this month. Leslie Surel's Surelutions is booming, and since we love her web design of this site, we are not surprised. Laureen Prophett of Graham Henry Design is on her way to Chicago this week to pitch her line of cards to Country Living Magazine, with hopes of getting some national exposure for the cards and calendars that our customers already love. When we say that we have cornered the tacky party theme market, we aren't kidding, The pink flamingos really enhance the normally serious Cranesbill with some happy vibes. In addition, there is a good reason to come to the once-a-month Thursday night bash-a that night only discount coupon for a 25% discount on one of those books or toys or games or CDs that you had been thinking of buying. We are holding the next Mom's Night Out on April 4 with Wendy Chiodo of Eden Garden Design around to talk gardening. Please join us…
ALMOST HERE: ONLINE ORDERING
After two and a half to three years of trying to accomplish online ordering on our website, we have finally chosen Yahoo online services as our provider of online ordering. If you couldn't imagine a process taking such time and effort to reach a conclusion, I completely agree: it should not be so tough to choose a solution. The problem is that none of the simple solutions cover everything that we sell: bookstore software doesn't cover toys, toy site software doesn't cover books, and who knows what we are to do about some items, like the frog prince, the Mr. Bill figures, and the lotus tub stoppers. So we are getting our act together, and you will soon be able to order from us 24/7 at our website www.cranesbillbooks.com. In addition, if you are looking for an out-of-print, used, or hard to find item, we will have links on our website to three very reliable ordering services: Alibris, ABE Books, and Biblio. We hope to hear from you how we can serve you better online once the ordering feature kicks in. And you will still be able to order by calling the store, as we can hold or special order books that you need.
February 29, 2008
Caring from a distance
It was just a few days after Valentines Day when I saw the news on WDIV. Webster School in Livonia had been destroyed by a suspicious fire. I thought about what that would mean for the kids and teachers and parents who would have to salvage the last few months of school. I also thought about the time when a fire killed the family of a boy in kindergarten at my school, and about how for months afterward, I refused to look at the charred house, how it haunted me to the point of phobia. The power of destruction and loss was very concrete to a five year-old.
It was only a few days ago when I found out that story, which seemed so remote, had a personal connection. One of the teachers affected was Laurel Green; her grandmother, my friend, was worried about how she would be able to meet the needs of her twelve developmentally disabled students. They come from all over Western Wayne County, and function at a toddler level.
Since the classroom was totally destroyed, and since insurance takes a while, replacing learning materials was an immediate problem. The students began last week in a new school, and the PTO was working hard to solicit new or used items. Immediately, I was on the site where her needed materials were listed, getting ready to supply what I could immediately find on Cranesbill's shelves.
Now you may ask why I would write about this, given that our community is thirty miles away and that at this moment, many of our families are in their own troubled waters. But when bad things happen to others far away, I think about them and want to help. In part it's my family's training: always to think of others less fortunate. Also, it's my belief that we need to think of children as a highly important resource, no matter what their limitations. And in part, the connection that I had to the particulars prompted me to act.
These days, we want to distinguish ourselves from each other in so many ways. There are religious differences, economic and educational differences, dietary differences, and even different attitudes toward the technological and cultural changes of our day. Some in our community would tell me that to be charitable toward a group of kids that lived in suburban Detroit was nice, but didn't matter since the whole area is a disaster. Others might suggest classroom needs closer to home. They have arrested the arsonist, but the problem is still not totally solved. Mrs. Green makes do with what she has, but is a long way from replacing the materials she lost.
In many ways, we should worry that we find ourselves in a world where we are separated by distance and difference. We Americans have always been known for our charitable nature, our willingness to pitch in. Kids are kids, and no matter when they were born and what abilities they have, they deserve a chance. So if you know that you might be able to help out with a few small items, you can visit Mrs. Green's Primary 2 Wish List.
Whatever anyone says, the kids are the ones who need our help, no matter that they are from a different place than ours.
It was only a few days ago when I found out that story, which seemed so remote, had a personal connection. One of the teachers affected was Laurel Green; her grandmother, my friend, was worried about how she would be able to meet the needs of her twelve developmentally disabled students. They come from all over Western Wayne County, and function at a toddler level.
Since the classroom was totally destroyed, and since insurance takes a while, replacing learning materials was an immediate problem. The students began last week in a new school, and the PTO was working hard to solicit new or used items. Immediately, I was on the site where her needed materials were listed, getting ready to supply what I could immediately find on Cranesbill's shelves.
Now you may ask why I would write about this, given that our community is thirty miles away and that at this moment, many of our families are in their own troubled waters. But when bad things happen to others far away, I think about them and want to help. In part it's my family's training: always to think of others less fortunate. Also, it's my belief that we need to think of children as a highly important resource, no matter what their limitations. And in part, the connection that I had to the particulars prompted me to act.
These days, we want to distinguish ourselves from each other in so many ways. There are religious differences, economic and educational differences, dietary differences, and even different attitudes toward the technological and cultural changes of our day. Some in our community would tell me that to be charitable toward a group of kids that lived in suburban Detroit was nice, but didn't matter since the whole area is a disaster. Others might suggest classroom needs closer to home. They have arrested the arsonist, but the problem is still not totally solved. Mrs. Green makes do with what she has, but is a long way from replacing the materials she lost.
In many ways, we should worry that we find ourselves in a world where we are separated by distance and difference. We Americans have always been known for our charitable nature, our willingness to pitch in. Kids are kids, and no matter when they were born and what abilities they have, they deserve a chance. So if you know that you might be able to help out with a few small items, you can visit Mrs. Green's Primary 2 Wish List.
Whatever anyone says, the kids are the ones who need our help, no matter that they are from a different place than ours.
February 18, 2008
Four Years and Counting
If you must know, when we opened Cranesbill Books as a holiday store in October of 2003, we were taking on one of the biggest and most demanding jobs that I had ever attempted. And I was now the owner, a job that was so complex that I was completely terrified of getting it right, especially because all of it was new to me. I had never been in business before, and I knew nothing of the nuts-and-bolts of keeping a retail store running smoothly.
There was nothing on the second floor except bare floors and a ceiling that had collapsed, leaving piles of old cellulose insulation that induced wheezing in the brave ones who ventured up there. Nonetheless, we had to fix all the problems, which were daunting all by themselves. In January 2004, the old store closed and we methodically packed up the old stock and actually moved on the 21st. We were barely ready to put thousands of books onto shelves which we had recently purchased, we had to make decisions about where categories were going to be located.
After running what was our "holiday store" in the first sixty feet of 108 E. Middle Street from October to January, we were going to be the new kid on the block and we wanted to look sharp. Even so, before we re-opened on February 28, 2004, we had to put in carpet, an elevator, and a whole lot of books, as well as designing the areas to make the place as welcoming as we could. Chelsea Woodworking and its mastermind, Charles Shiver, did a terrific job of working with our tall order. Our landlords, H.K. Leonard and Greg Raye, helped us decide what to do and to get the bills paid for all that we did.
From that transition time, I remember just working as hard as I could each day and coming home exhausted each evening. But little by little, the place took shape. One thing I wanted was what I called a storyteller chair for the kids section, and, after weeks of checking out Treasure Mart and Garage Sale Gallery, I finally found one at a large retailer. Big plans often turn into long lists of details, and Charlie, who made the store look as good as it does, was probably pretty sick of getting new problems to solve. We never finished painting the staircase because we were drowning in details, but the wallpaper (a pattern called "Cranesbill Tapestry") was hung, the upstairs was carpeted and fitted out with walls to keep the customers from falling down the stairs, and the books were neatly arranged and ready to be sold. Signs were made and hung for each category, the floors were scrubbed, and every shelf dusted in triplicate (before stocking the books, after stocking, and once again before opening, since book dust tends to be a continual problem). The whole venture ran on nothing except our enthusiasm for getting settled and moving forward, not to mention the occasional pizza.
As time has told, the opening was a textbook extravaganza. Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe impersonators greeted guests. There was a seven piece band— part of the II-V-I Orchestra. There is videotape of that evening, but what I remember is that it was a time of great hope. The construction was finished on Main Street and businesses were not worrying about the future. At that time, there were fewer stores in Chelsea's downtown than there are now, but Cranesbill added a little something to the mix. At the end of the evening, I told everyone that we were glad to be there, and I hope I didn't dwell on the problems that we had overcome, because they were lurking in my mind. But thank heavens I did not know what was ahead: a new president, a war, a busted economy, the struggle for any small independent bookshop to stay afloat and keep paddling.
In four years, we have come a long way, not always gracefully, but always with my core belief in the value of a bookstore for a town. I have been a bookstore junkie all my life: I can describe stores that have not existed in decades but that I trolled for interesting reading when I was still a schoolgirl. Not everyone gets the chance to live out their dreams, and I continue to be grateful that I have been so lucky, even though the years have provided more chills and thrills than I would have knowingly taken on. I think of it as my real college education.
So on Friday, February 29th— leap year— and Saturday, March 1, we celebrate our fourth anniversary with a two-day event. On Friday we will have an evening movie, the first from our new "Cinema Cranesbill" series, Robin and Marian. Then we will have birthday cake at noon on Saturday, a presentation by the Howell Nature Center at 2 pm, and a party from 8-10 pm. Postcards and flyers will be out this week— as ever, we are a bit behind schedule. We hope you will join us no matter what the weather; our customers are the reason we have chalked up another year, despite the economic crunch and whatever else has threatened the small independent bookshop as a species. There's a long list of thanks that belongs here, but to simplify, we could not have survived without many forms of community support. Please accept our thanks for the part you've played and let us know how we can do better.
There was nothing on the second floor except bare floors and a ceiling that had collapsed, leaving piles of old cellulose insulation that induced wheezing in the brave ones who ventured up there. Nonetheless, we had to fix all the problems, which were daunting all by themselves. In January 2004, the old store closed and we methodically packed up the old stock and actually moved on the 21st. We were barely ready to put thousands of books onto shelves which we had recently purchased, we had to make decisions about where categories were going to be located.
After running what was our "holiday store" in the first sixty feet of 108 E. Middle Street from October to January, we were going to be the new kid on the block and we wanted to look sharp. Even so, before we re-opened on February 28, 2004, we had to put in carpet, an elevator, and a whole lot of books, as well as designing the areas to make the place as welcoming as we could. Chelsea Woodworking and its mastermind, Charles Shiver, did a terrific job of working with our tall order. Our landlords, H.K. Leonard and Greg Raye, helped us decide what to do and to get the bills paid for all that we did.
From that transition time, I remember just working as hard as I could each day and coming home exhausted each evening. But little by little, the place took shape. One thing I wanted was what I called a storyteller chair for the kids section, and, after weeks of checking out Treasure Mart and Garage Sale Gallery, I finally found one at a large retailer. Big plans often turn into long lists of details, and Charlie, who made the store look as good as it does, was probably pretty sick of getting new problems to solve. We never finished painting the staircase because we were drowning in details, but the wallpaper (a pattern called "Cranesbill Tapestry") was hung, the upstairs was carpeted and fitted out with walls to keep the customers from falling down the stairs, and the books were neatly arranged and ready to be sold. Signs were made and hung for each category, the floors were scrubbed, and every shelf dusted in triplicate (before stocking the books, after stocking, and once again before opening, since book dust tends to be a continual problem). The whole venture ran on nothing except our enthusiasm for getting settled and moving forward, not to mention the occasional pizza.
As time has told, the opening was a textbook extravaganza. Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe impersonators greeted guests. There was a seven piece band— part of the II-V-I Orchestra. There is videotape of that evening, but what I remember is that it was a time of great hope. The construction was finished on Main Street and businesses were not worrying about the future. At that time, there were fewer stores in Chelsea's downtown than there are now, but Cranesbill added a little something to the mix. At the end of the evening, I told everyone that we were glad to be there, and I hope I didn't dwell on the problems that we had overcome, because they were lurking in my mind. But thank heavens I did not know what was ahead: a new president, a war, a busted economy, the struggle for any small independent bookshop to stay afloat and keep paddling.
In four years, we have come a long way, not always gracefully, but always with my core belief in the value of a bookstore for a town. I have been a bookstore junkie all my life: I can describe stores that have not existed in decades but that I trolled for interesting reading when I was still a schoolgirl. Not everyone gets the chance to live out their dreams, and I continue to be grateful that I have been so lucky, even though the years have provided more chills and thrills than I would have knowingly taken on. I think of it as my real college education.
So on Friday, February 29th— leap year— and Saturday, March 1, we celebrate our fourth anniversary with a two-day event. On Friday we will have an evening movie, the first from our new "Cinema Cranesbill" series, Robin and Marian. Then we will have birthday cake at noon on Saturday, a presentation by the Howell Nature Center at 2 pm, and a party from 8-10 pm. Postcards and flyers will be out this week— as ever, we are a bit behind schedule. We hope you will join us no matter what the weather; our customers are the reason we have chalked up another year, despite the economic crunch and whatever else has threatened the small independent bookshop as a species. There's a long list of thanks that belongs here, but to simplify, we could not have survived without many forms of community support. Please accept our thanks for the part you've played and let us know how we can do better.
February 4, 2008
A New Year Full of Changes
Well, for those of you who have been reading the blog since it began last year, my silence has been for good reason. After four years of being the proprietor of Cranesbill, the beginning of 2008 became a moment of change in direction. As you are reading this, those changes involve a new management team, a revamped second floor, an ambitious schedule of events for the immediate future, and a better store at your service.
First, our new staffers: Chelsea resident Al Scafuri joins us as the store’s General Manager. Jeremy Montange remains on board as Operations Manager, bookseller, and resident dog whisperer. Al comes to us from Motawi Tile Works, where he supervised installations, bringing with him a solid knowledge of books, a willingness to get long needed changes made, and a cheerful willingness to learn the ins and outs of the store and its computer system that have eluded mere mortals like myself. Shelby Scafuri joins the team as Marketing Director, adding her years of advertising and public relations experience to our team. And we also have a new bookseller, Jennifer Kothe, who is also well-known as a talented floral designer for her family’s business, Gigi’s Flowers. Dave Folland and Virginia Drennan remain on board as booksellers. I will also be a bookseller, buyer of toys and children’s books, and website coordinator. The store has always been short on staff, resulting in our taking a collective risk in order to serve our community better and to offer better selection, information, and an environment that we can all enjoy.
In process now is a redesigned second floor, with two separate seating areas and a piano for regular musical amusements. Film screenings will continue, with three separate series on Friday nights, running from February to May, with the support of the Chelsea Film Society. The schedules will be announced soon, but they will be aimed at families (Cinema Cranesbill), movie buffs (Chelsea Film Society), and those concerned with serious issues around environmental and economic concerns (Sustainability Film Group).
Some of the CDs have been taken down in order to accommodate these changes, but we will be keeping a core of great artists —local and national, modern and traditional— to serve those who demand an unusual level of music that comes from every direction: bluegrass, blues, Cajun, Celtic, country, folk, jazz, reggae, rock and world music. Local artists will be featured, as they always have been.
We invite you to join us February 29 and March 1 as we celebrate four years in our current location. Details are still being settled, but we hope you will enjoy our efforts to make our place yours. Meanwhile, please bear with us as we continue our quest to offer you the best in books, music, and playthings, as well as a few surprises to come.
First, our new staffers: Chelsea resident Al Scafuri joins us as the store’s General Manager. Jeremy Montange remains on board as Operations Manager, bookseller, and resident dog whisperer. Al comes to us from Motawi Tile Works, where he supervised installations, bringing with him a solid knowledge of books, a willingness to get long needed changes made, and a cheerful willingness to learn the ins and outs of the store and its computer system that have eluded mere mortals like myself. Shelby Scafuri joins the team as Marketing Director, adding her years of advertising and public relations experience to our team. And we also have a new bookseller, Jennifer Kothe, who is also well-known as a talented floral designer for her family’s business, Gigi’s Flowers. Dave Folland and Virginia Drennan remain on board as booksellers. I will also be a bookseller, buyer of toys and children’s books, and website coordinator. The store has always been short on staff, resulting in our taking a collective risk in order to serve our community better and to offer better selection, information, and an environment that we can all enjoy.
In process now is a redesigned second floor, with two separate seating areas and a piano for regular musical amusements. Film screenings will continue, with three separate series on Friday nights, running from February to May, with the support of the Chelsea Film Society. The schedules will be announced soon, but they will be aimed at families (Cinema Cranesbill), movie buffs (Chelsea Film Society), and those concerned with serious issues around environmental and economic concerns (Sustainability Film Group).
Some of the CDs have been taken down in order to accommodate these changes, but we will be keeping a core of great artists —local and national, modern and traditional— to serve those who demand an unusual level of music that comes from every direction: bluegrass, blues, Cajun, Celtic, country, folk, jazz, reggae, rock and world music. Local artists will be featured, as they always have been.
We invite you to join us February 29 and March 1 as we celebrate four years in our current location. Details are still being settled, but we hope you will enjoy our efforts to make our place yours. Meanwhile, please bear with us as we continue our quest to offer you the best in books, music, and playthings, as well as a few surprises to come.
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