Baby Got Books

BGB contributor Russ Marshalek moderated a discussion about publishing, social media, and the future at last week’s 140 Characters Conference (#140Conf). Really! And we have the video to prove it. The new media/old media dream team assembled includes Richard Nash (formerly of Soft Skull Press/current literary folk hero) and Ryan Chapman and Ami Grecko (Macmillan). Check it out if only to hear Nash’s controversial opening statements.

(via Galley Cat)

Last night my wife and I ran over to Decatur for the press preview of the 2009 Decatur Book Festival.  Due to a house full of guys fixing things that have broken in my house all at the same time, I missed most of the festivities.  The event was held at Eddie’s Attic, and it was packed when we eventually rolled in.  Here’s what I can tell you:

The book fest is Labor Day weekend, September 4-6.  The very cool poster looks like this:

The list of authors that will be appearing at this year’s fest can be found here.

If you’d like to volunteer for this year’s fest, check in with the DBF here.

Much more info about all things book fest will be coming as the event gets closer. Stay tuned.

Russ Marshalek, our man in the field, brings us the news via a running diary from Day 4 of Book Expo America in NYC. If you’re just joining us, you can check out Russ’s previous missives –  Day 1 – Day 2 — Day 3.  An according to the LA Times’ book blog, Russ’s BEA tweetup party was the place to be.  Here are Russ’s texts from the very last day of the Expo:

• 8:33 last day of bea. Kinda want to say ohthankgod but this has actually been a great, great weird set of days. Rushing to get to javits for a session on the google book search and archive and what it means for publishing (rights, etc), the 11 am session is beyond full so a 9am one opened. Probably not going to make it in time. If I do, it will mean sacrificing coffee, and dear reader I will not.  I’m going to have to miss one of the big things I wanted to do this weekend: luis urrea reading from his amazing into the beautiful north at kgb bar tonight.  I can’t sing the praises of that book enough. Another gorgeous day in new york, another battled hangover, and it does feel like the last day of school: you know you’ll see some of these people again. Some of them you’ve no desire to ever again talk to. Some of them have become real friends but now disperse across the country. Someone should be playing “don’t you forget about me”
• 8:54 dammit not going to make it to the most controversial session here
• 8:57 ah well. Going to miss session. Getting coffee and reading catching fire instead. Can I call it catching fireyah?
• 9:25 feel better. No one could find session. Want to make joke about google archiving rights, but can’t think of one. The exhibit hall is full of books being thrown at attendees. No one wants to lug anything back to polatka.
• 9:38 google session is hot secret ticket. Going to bumrush the 11am session
• 10:16 stephenie meyer doesn’t believe in fun
• 10:24 discussing splitting up neil gaiman and amanda palmer. Can’t tweet about that.
• 10:31 bumrushing the 11am google session. Rumor of food.
• 10:33 ppl lining up at 10:30 for a noon nicholas sparks signing? We know where the housewives are (ed: zing!)
• 12:04 google session had to compete w nicholas sparks signing next door. Was fascinating and overwhelming. I don’t mean sparks
• 12:07 basically, w google archiving content, new distribution methods mean new and added value for titles if rights can be worked out
• 12:57 never gonna pay 10 bucks for rice and beans again
• 1:26 final missive. Big top closing. Don’t don’t don’t you forget about me bea, ill always remember you. Stay sweet have a good summer.

Closing remarks:

Here was the thing with my first BEA ever-it was incredible. I know folks felt like this was a lesser/off year, but maybe it was the sheer childlike magic that is the inexplicable “social networking” , but I found myself surrounded, on the whole, with really, really good people. You know that obnoxious Kerouac quote about “the only people for me are the mad ones”? Yeah, Javits was, since Thursday, filled with those people-the mad ones. The ones mad for books and literature and in love with the written word in many forms, driven by fear and by need but also by desire and by love. This is a generalization, of course, but it’s true enough with those I encountered, either randomly or purposefully, that everyone wants to not just save publishing but revolutionize it, everyone has an idea, everyone’s so hungry for change, for improvement, for more.

I never, at all, heard anyone utter the phrase “I hate my job” and mean any more than “I hate having to go back to the hotel to get my wallet”. I challenge any industry to top that.

It’s weird-I’m so tired. SO tired. Tired to the point where last night, in a cab back from Brooklyn, I had an utter breakdown to 2 trusted compadres. About life, the universe, everything. And as we crossed the bridge, and I saw the city lights, I realized exactly how full of life the past few days have been. The hunger, the love, the joy that was in that stupid “Catching Fire” line, the publisher of SoHo press, the oldest and also sharpest human being in the Google Book Search discussion session, laying on the table for everyone exactly who we need to realize is dictating the online content pricing rules-it’s all been a whirlwind haze.

I am known for over-emotionalism. (It’s a word, deal with it). But what I saw at BEA 09 was a lot of hope. that may be, I concede, because I don’t surround myself with those who are afraid of the future, but with those who seek to embrace it. I know for a fact that doesn’t include everyone in publishing, but I’ve met enough now where I feel like, should we need to form an army, we could do it.

Now I have to get these books home. All four bags of them.

Our intrepid reporter Russ Marshalek continues to send missives by text message from the floor of the Javits Convention Center in New York City. Will he survive another day of Book Expo America, the publishing world’s biggest to-do?  Will he have to check in to rehab?  Here’s Russ:

• 6:41 ohmygod im still alive. Keys? Debit card? Phone? Oh, thank god, all here-so utter success. The BEA tweetup last night was amazing and insane and awesome, full of loudness and vodka and I am still not sure at all how I got home….or what that pounding in my head is. Is someone playing drum and bass? Ohwaitno that’s from the vodka on an empty stomach. Dinner of champions! I am up early to get to javis for the early bird promotion publisher little, brown is doing. Ohgodthatmeansihavetomove.
• 7:33 shower. Shave. Feel a little better. Want a bagel sandwich. Know this will not , in fact, happen. Coffee would be nice. Waiting to see if anyone wakes up to walk to javits w/ me or if it is me with the new Phoenix album on my ipod to let “1901″ put a spring in my step.
• 7:41 oh and while I am thinking about it: been trying to read marlon james “book of night women”. Can’t get into it, which I know is blasphemy to the book community. Further blasphemy? A cocktail at the tweetup was called the michiko kakutini.
• 7:54 hit the pavement as phoenix kicked in to find a gorgeous ny day. Having a really happy moment.
• 8:17 ppl lined up to get into exhibit hall. Like this is a day after xmas sale.
• 8:33 me, to person in line next to me: you waiting for the littlebrown giveaway? Person next to me: no, julie andrews. Me: oooooooooooooooooh.
• 8:36 oh f@ck. Realizing the awesome littlebrown promo is for a james patterson book.
• 8:49 still can’t get over this great awesome campaign is for a james f@cking patterson book…and I bought into it. Ughhhhhhh I need a drink.
• 9:09 got my damn patterson book. Tshirt too.
• 9:25 trying to find scholastic booth to get a copy of catching fire. Found waffles instead
• 9:40 line for catching fire wraps around the  booth. Was asked by girl in front of me if everything here is this obnoxious.
• 9:49 we are still waiting. We are not amused.
• 10:02 got catching fire. Yessssssssssssssssssss
• 10:07 pondering going to a session on YA books. It advertises having “live teens” though. That sounds like another conference entirely.
• 10:12 stopped in at akashic booth. Thinking about bagels. These two things? Not related
• 10:15 hey atlanta?  Don’t worry. Ppl go batshit nuts over karen slaughter up here too
• 10:22 to go to the 11am session on teen marketing or not…
• 10:30 11am is an NBCC session on the future of book reviews, w 2 rooms reserved. Thinking it will be a madhouse
• 10:33 hi laurel k hamilton, nice black and gold bodysuit  w matching cape
• 10:37 was wondering what author was signing and creating a madhouse in the lobby. It was actually just the line for starbucks.
• 10:46 at book reviews future session. Tempted to start reading catching fire
• 10:54 hot topics at bea 2009 apparently, if this sessions attendance means anything: twitter. Book reviews. Free stuff.
• 11:02 capacity crowd for book review future panel
• 11:04 going to wait to summarize
• 11:11 this panel is totally in the bag for goodreads and so am i
• 11:12 twitter said once!
• 11:23 panel is essentially saying that the future of book reviews is evolving constantly, and reviewers must evolve or die. Also twitter. Af@ckinggain.
• 11:41 thinking about food
• 11:47 moral of story is that book world is still afraid of user generated content
• 11:52 shit. Need phone charger. Brb yall
• 1:04 getting food before heading back to bea. Um…thatsaboutityall
• 1:38 why can’t I get a f@cking smoothie
• 2:01 headed back to javits. Missed the live teens on stage. Damn
• 2:19 there are fights at random house for alan furst!!!
• 2:30 may need some champagne
• 2:31 hey lilbrown yr galley closet is open
• 2:47 how to make mad cash at bea: sell power outlet space.
• 4:02 blogginslowly. Need coffee
• 4:45 the marvel comics booth has an open bar. Best thing evvvvvvvvver
• 5:09 bea shutting down. One more day yall. One. More. Day. A story of love loss and triumph

BGB’s man-in-the-field reports from Book Expo America, the book industry’s largest US convention, armed only with a venti mochachino and his wits. Missives from the field:

• 7:54 curious as to how it is that, despite last night being my birthday, all of my own drinks were bought on my own tab. That is, at least, until I ended up at the American Bookseller Association party, which had an open bar and which also offered some of the best conversation and friendliest folk I’d seen all day yesterday. Today is the first day the exhibit hall is open, meaning publishing houses and book technology companies shilling wares, also meaning…free books.   FREE.  BOOKS.  I am imagining a scene akin to the film “Jingle All The Way”, but we will see. Recession and all that, y’all.
• 9:48 there are 2 kinds of publishers on the exhibit floor: those handing stuff out like my grandparents w candy, and those hiding them like they were parents of a virgin on prom night. More in a bit, must explore and have a meeting at firebrand booth in ten min.
• 9:55 Algonquin Books booth makes me feel overwhelmingly happy. Love them like a sister.
• 10:23 I just need to find a place to sit I just need to find a place to sit I just need…
• 10:47 Overwhelmed and inundated w/ books. Forced to grab shabby tote bag so as not to kill my back like a glue factory race horse. Jonathan Lethem is signing galleys at 1, may cry on  him
• 11:12 dammit the new Dean Koontz is a book about his dog
• 11:23 lil brown is doing a crazysmart marketing campaign creating a sense of urgency for a surprise book tmrw. I need lunch
• 11:43 omg food today at Javits doesn’t suck
• 11:51 highly satisfying lunchymunchies. Girl at other table is reading new Kate DiCamillo and sniffling into it, makes me feel like high school
• 12:12 just accosted by author. Won’t say where. Feel gross. Trying to sweet talk book off of shelf, waiting for Jonathan the awesomesauce Lethem to show up
• 12:29 first in line for Jonathan Lethem. Need to pee rl bad tho.
• 1:05 where the f@ck is the coffee, bea
• 1:14 do I dare and do I dare keep walking? Almost fell over Richard Nash. I am the worst stalker ever. Also worst walker ever.
• 1:22 the randomhouse booth is a madhouse. Suffice to say the new lethem book is going to make mad noise
• 1:25 omg the empress of the atl book world, esther levine, is here. Tim find and link to that ajc article on her plssssss (Tim says:  it’s the AJC we’re talking about – that link is long broken and good luck with the “archives” – but here is a link to BGB’s shout out to Esther)
• 1:30 neil gaiman is here. Whoopeedoo.
• 1:50 finally a coffee recharge. Carrying two bags of books, under the steamy press of underpaid publishing pros, I smell like woodpulp and desperation
• 1:55 f@ck it yall, sitting on the floor. You know how we do.
• 2:08 if signage is to be believed, the new Elizabeth Kostova (The Historian, great damn book) novel, in jan 2010, involves vampire swans. Sweeeet.
• 2:20 I just figured out blues clues. They say keep caffinating.
• 2:59 need hotel break. Taking one
• 358 wish i knew how to disconap like the old folks do. as it is, i need a diet mountain dew, some shoe insoles and a bagel sandwich. going to recoup before heading to the Adaptive Blue panel, and then to the bea tweetup.
  SHAMELESS BEATWEETUP PLUG!
• 4:11 oh damn. Back to javits for the only panel w an open bar
• 4:34 late for 430 open bar. Worried all booze in the world is gone
• 4:52 the line for this open bar is longer than the line for neil gaiman
• 4:59 ready for a drink. Then going to have to go back to hotel
• 5:17 reflecting on what inspires me in publishing on walk back
• 6pm signing off dear readers. Parties to prep for. Recaps in the am.

Our intrepid field reporter, Russ Marshalek, tried valiantly to live blog reports from the first day of Book Expo America, the book industry’s mega confab.  Unfortunately we ran into a few snags along the way, most notably – no wi-fi at the convention center.   Follow that up with my being on the road most of today, and our up to the minute updates are now a little dated.  No problems.  Below are Russ’s hastily typed missives as they appeared in my inbox:

• Weds 8am Too  much sake last nigth. Far too much. And with that, so begins my first-ever Book Expo America adventure. I am threatened not just by the slight pounding in the back of my head but also by the looming threat that the conference center  doesn’t have wi-fi, which would definitely put a damper on any liveblogging attempts. Doesn’t matter, though-like love, debt, disease and the circus, nothing stops a blog.For me, this has already begun to feel like a weird publishing world summer camp. The book world, despite its many outlandish, teeth-grinding flaws is one that I have loved and continue to love forever, so I am like a kid in a big obnoxious candy store.Right now I need coffee like a horse needs water. Clearly.
• 8:54 almost left bag on the subway w everything in it. Obv need more coffee. Dammit bea have coffee
• 9:14 um this place, the javitz center, is like an airport but scarier bc it is full of angry awake too early publishing ppl.
• 9:40 the title of this “day of education” session is “yes we can;what the obama campaign can teach us about viral marketing”. By us I guess the title means publishing, but it may also mean ALL OF HUMANITY. We will see. Here super early.
• 2:56 PM the last few hours have encompassed an epic fail of a session attempting to encompass the Obama campaign, social media, and publishing. Basically it was some dude trying to play a will I am video and refusing to acknowledge that the javits center doesn’t have wifi. The video would chop and stop every 1.45 secs, and he’d then attempt to contextualize the half a frame we’d seen. Finally, after 20 minutes of this, a hand was raised to inform him to, um….stop.Every BEA session on social media thus far today has been in the most laymen of terms, despite the fact that I know many, like former soft skull publisher richard nash, have quality sessions to come. In fact, after the single worst lunch ever, I am skipping richards session to….write this. I also stole a chris anderson galley.
• 3:41 BEA vs russ: bea 1, russ 0. After not getting into the two sessions I wanted, I arrive back at the hotel sore, beaten and hungry. Tomorrow is the mad galley grab, happy birthday to me or something.(Side:I got to watch someone almost push who I think is patricia cornwell down the escalator)

Check back tomorrow for Day 2

Atlantans: Aleksandar Hemon will be at the Decatur Library tomorrow night at 7:15 to read from his new collection of short stories Love and Obstacles. Hemon also wrote the spectacular novel The Lazarus Project, which was a Finalist for the National Book Award. (I really liked it, too.)

Hey!  Don’t forget that tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day.  Your local comic book vendor, if they’re worth their salt, will be dispensing free comic books all day long.  Woot! – as the kids say. A complete listing of what’s available can be found here.

Atlantans, this means you need to get over to Criminal Records with a quickness.  As usual, they have a full slate of free activities lined up, in addition to the free stuff.  Here’s the haps (via Criminal):

• 1 pm Nathan Edmondson – Writer for the upcoming comic Olympus will be discussing mythology in comic books.
• 2 pm Jason Flowers – Featured artist in Arcana’s Velvet Rope and artist of the upcoming comic Ripped will be speaking about his first experience getting published and about his upcoming comic.
• 2:30 pm Angela Pratt – Will be talking about and signing people up for a new comic creator’s network, the Atlanta Cartoonists Group.
• 3 pm Nathan Edmondson – Writer of the upcoming comic Olympus will be discussing how to get into comics.
• 6 pm Sass Parilla the Singing Gorilla – Do you really need a description? I think the name says it all. A singing gorilla, what more do you need? Yes, he has his own comic.

My daughter and I will be there waiting for the doors to open.

And today! is International Buy Indie Day. What you need to do:  “On May 1, 2009, please buy one book — paperback, hardcover, audiobook — at an independent bookstore near you.”  That’s it.  Govern yourself accordingly.

Update: Wanda just sent a note that her Free Book Stimulus Plan for indie book sellers will send you two (2) free books with a May 1 receipt. Get shopping!

So you say that you just don’t want to attend your “average”, “every-day” book reading (yet you’d pay 30 bucks to see Amy Hempel and Chuck Palahniuk talk about sneakers)? You say you want entertainment and awesomeness and…and…Decatur’s favorite gay acoustic indie-pop folk singer Wayne Fishell, all as a part of your literary evening?

Well, by gosh by jingle, I have something for you!

As you had better know by now (because otherwise as a publicist I suck), Zachary Steele’s debut novel Anointed: The Passion of Timmy Christ, CEO is both funny AND has a very wordy title. But did you also know that he will be “in conversation” (not about sneakers) with one Wayne Fishell TONIGHT (April 23) at Bound To Be Read Books in East Atlanta?

From the write-up on the event’s Facebook page, which I wrote and is therefore brilliant promotional copy:

Zachary Steele’s book event at East Atlanta Village’s Bound To Be Read bookstore on April 23rd at 7:30 PM will find him in conversation with a fellow reader, fellow ponderer/questioner and fellow animal-lover who also happens to be a beloved, brilliant local award-winning folk-singer- Wayne Fishell, of the wayne fishell experiment. Their topics of conversation will range from Anointed’s deep, controversial and far-reaching themes of the corporation modern religious practice has become, how to market a book and what it’s like being a first-time novelist to, in fact, the best sorts of cheeses to pair with other foods. It will, indeed, be a night of a round table. Possibly incorporating an actual round table.

Both Wayne and Zachary are hilarious, offensive, witty and opinionated on their own, so this evening is certain to be informative and incendiary for anyone interested in writing, religion, or, of course, cheese. They might even duet on a rousing rendition of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, so bring your rotten tomatoes, your communion wine and your ukuleles.

Go on. You know that little part of you that KNOWS what kind of a freak show this is going to be really, really wants to be up front and center and ask Zach things like “your character names…REALLY? Chipper? Do you ever think of things not cheese or baseball related?”

You know you want to. And you need to. Because I won’t be there to heckle him

For a variety of reasons, the Atlanta area has been deemed by relief agencies as an ideal place to resettle refugees from war torn areas around the world. Clarkston, Georgia is a small town just outside of Atlanta (at the end of the East-West Marta line) that found itself transformed after becoming a designated refugee relocation center in the 1990s.  Suddenly little Clarkston had one of the most diverse high schools in the United States with kids from over 50 countries.  Another immigrant, Luma Mufleh, decided to start a youth soccer program called the Fugees to help the kids adjust to life in the United States.  The Fugees road to success was anything but simple.

The story of immigrant kids battling City Hall to play soccer was first brought to the national prominence in an article for the New York Times by reporter Warren St. John that begins: “Early last summer the mayor of this small town east of Atlanta issued a decree: no more soccer in the town park.”  The riveting article explored how something so simple, hard luck kids wanting to play soccer, brought out the worst – and the best – in people.  It was an engaging story that was soon picked up by the national media. Stories ran on NPR, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, etc.  The story became too big to be ignored.

In the two years since St. John’s article first ran, the Fugees soccer team has become a national phenomenon.  They now enjoy support from Nike, have expanded their programs, and have a place of their own to play soccer. Check out their web site for evidence  of how far the Fugees program has come in two years.  It’s a very American story – both the good and the bad.  The movie rights have been sold and should one day be a heartwarming movie at your local cineplex.  

St. John has expanded his earlier coverage in the new book Outcasts United. The author will be reading tomorrow night at The Carter Center’s Presidential Library & Museum at 7 PM. Admission is $10 a seat (or free with purchase of the book from Acapella) with a portion of the proceeds go to  the Fugees Family program.  It should be a great night, and I expect that some of the folks from the book will be present.

Also: BGB’s Dr J had good things to say about the author’s previous book, Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer.

As Daren Wang notes on the Verb blog, the “institutional” Atlanta book world is crumbling – bookstores are closing, then the AJC fired their book editor, eliminated Phil Kloer’s book blog, and now can’t be bothered to update the weekly book calendar because…well, it’s not clear why they can’t fulfill the obligations anymore. Not to fear, the local book community is stepping in to fill the gaps, and by all accounts, the Atlanta scene seems to be doing better than ever.  From this point forward, Daren’s calendar is THE place to find out what’s happening in Atlanta.  

Here’s a bit of what’s happening this weekend in the ATL:

On Friday, Little Shop of Stories’ bookseller extraordinaire Terra Elan  Mcvoy celebrates the release of her new novel Pure at the Little Shop at 7:30. Cupcakes, champagne, and live music. ALL the cool kids will be there. You should, too.  

Record Store Day will be celebrated all day long Saturday at Criminal Records – the best record store in the Southeast. (Says me.)  There will be plenty of free stuff and live music. Here’s the sched:

11AM – Death on Two Wheels
12PM – Thy Mighty Contract
1PM – Carolina Chocolate Drops
2PM – Mike Farris & the Roseland Rhythm Revue
3PM – Ocha La Rocha
4PM – Noot d’Noot
5PM – Player/Kommander
6PM – Carnivores
7PM – Selmanaires
8PM – Manchester Orchestra
9PM – Judi Chicago

Be there, too.

On Satuday night, writers Jamie Iredell and Blake Butler host a reading series at the Beep Beep Gallery in Midtown. The evening will feature readings by Mark Leidner, Lara Glenum, and Sandy Florian.  Download the flier (pdf) so you’ll have all the info at your fingertips.

Sunday you’re free to check out the Dogwood Festival in Piedmont Park or check out the Sweetwater 420 Festival in Candler Park.

As author and recent Atlanta visitor Ben Tanzer recently remarked in a blog post:

…it was good times all-around which made us wonder, what’s up with Atlanta anyway? Why is everybody so cool and friendly there?

Exactly.

The Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society (New Orleans) is hosting a Meet the Authors Event this Friday night, March 13, in conjunction with the Louisiana State Museum.  The evening will feature readings by Tim Gautreaux(GO-trow) and Andre Codrescu. Gautreaux will be reading from his new novel The Missing and Codrescu will be reading from a bound sheaf of papers called The Posthuman Dada Guide: Tzara and Lenin Play Chess.  The latter is described as:

…a Dadaist chop suey showcasing the astonishing intellectual range of English professor and NPR commentator Codrescu, is arranged alphabetically and topically, which permits one to dip in or to read it all. The occasionally outrageous encyclopedic juxtapositions of entries give a firsthand experience similar to the effect of Dada cutups and collages.

Okayyyyy… I’d actually like to check out Gautreaux.  I’ve always meant to read his books, and people routinely assume that I have.  I’ve meant to, really.  Added bonus: the event is being helf at The Cabildo, which is where the Lousiana Purchase was signed.   If you’re within driving distance, check it out.

In the immortal words of the beloved Irish poet Bono: Hello Hello hola hola. I’m elated to join the illustrious ranks of the bloggers no no scratch that out I mean writers no no cross that out too I mean bloggers…bliters?, no that doesn’t work…bloggers. I’ll stick with bloggers.

Take two:

I’m elated to join the illustrious ranks of the bloggers for Baby Got Books. As you may or may not know, for full disclosure’s sake, since we’re all journalists around here and value intergrity, in my former role as Marketing/PR director for Wordsmiths Books, I collaborated with the BGB folks often, so this feels like a natural fit.

This week sees the launch of Wordsmiths’ Zach Steele’s first novel, Anointed: The Passion of Timmy Christ, CEO, published by Sandy Springs, GA’s own Mercury Retrograde Press. It’s a religious satire/comedy/labeled “speculative fiction” by the publisher/labeled “sci-fi/fantasy” by the Publishers Weekly review, concerning itself with the big business of religion. If you like Terry Pratchett or Christopher Moore, Anointed is your cup of tea/coffee/rum. The book officially hits your local Hudson News airport bookstore on March 3, but Wordsmiths will be throwing a typical Wordsmiths-y book launch for Anointed this Saturday, Feb 21st. The whole shebang begins around 7/730-ish, but it’s basically going to be a “show up whenever, start drinking once the drinks show up, eat when the food shows up, and pretend to pay attention to Zach as he reads from his book and make sure you laugh in the appropriate places” sort of thing.

Oh, I should mention: in my new capacity doing freelance book PR, I’m the publicist for Anointed.

Oh, I should also mention: I’m quite good friends with the publisher. Her name’s Barbara. I hear tell she makes mean brownies.

Oh, and also: I’m serving as a sort of “project manager” for the book’s massive online marketing campaign.

Oh, and to quote Steve Jobs at the end of every MacWorld other than this last one: one last thing. I’m the one who brought Anointed to said publisher’s attention. So I kinda acted as the agent? Only, you know, without making a lot of money on the deal and saying “ciao” in that Eddie Izzard voice.

To keep the aforementioned journalistic integrity of myself and the credibility of Baby Got Books intact, I, the publicist for Anointed and former employee of Wordsmiths, did a brief interview with Zach about his book for this book blog right here. So when I say “it’s a hilarious romp through the corporate-driven world of religion and you should buy ten copies and read them all simultaneously”, you know I mean it.

A completely non-biased and properly-punctuated interview with Zachary Steele, author-type person of Anointed: The Passion of Timmy Christ, CEO

Baby Got Books: Describe in 5 words the plot of Anointed. In another 5 words, tell me why i should read it again. Then, in 5 more words, tell someone who hasn’t read it why I should read it again.

Zach Steele:Reluctant man becomes corporate Christ.
Because it’s freakin’ funny, man.
You won’t get it anyway.

BGB: Who all would you say you ripped off in writing Anointed? And by ripped off I mean in terms of both intellectual content and money.

ZS:I ripped off a lot from God, you know. He’s pretty much the author of the Bible, right? So, I have to include him. Aside from the that, it was pretty easy pickings with Terry Pratchett, Christopher Moore, Kyle Watson (though you wouldn’t have heard of him) and some finely-detailed intellectual hotness from Marisha Pessl. As far as money, that’s pretty easy. I ripped off my publisher, but she won’t figure that out for a while, and likely all of my readers (once they’ve read it and realize what dreadful crap it is).

BGB: On a scale of 9 through 10, how awesome is Anointed?

ZS:All of my scales go to 11, so that’s pretty much where I’d put it. It completely redefines “awesome”. In fact, the use of “awesome” is now outdated and has been replaced by “Anointed”. As in, “Man, that sure was an Anointed movie, wasn’t it?” I would wager that, when I am old and fading away–or perhaps even dead already–people will still be discussing how Anointed completely altered the methodology of writing and saved the publishing industry. But I’m pretty modest about it all, actually. I’d rather not discuss it any further.

BGB: If you end up on Bill O’Reilly, and he’s all screaming in your face and cutting your microphone’s signal and stuff without listening to you at all, what will you have for dinner after?

ZS:After? How about during? I’ll be sidestepping his questions while waving a fork in the air and taking my time dining while he rants about stuff I surely won’t be listening to anyway. Steak au Poivre with Dijon Cream Sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, a nice Chardonnay, and a bowl of cheese to throw at him when he stops talking. No wait. I wouldn’t do that to cheese. Maybe I could get a soufflé or something instead. After, I might go for an Icee.

BGB: In terms of your writing style, what books would you say influenced your second novel? oh wait you haven’t written it yet.

ZS: Ha! Good one coming from the man who hasn’t even written his first book yet! Look out David Sedaris! This guy’s a riot!

BGB: You solicited quotes about the book, aka “blurbs”, from your Facebook friends. Are you just too lazy to actually hunt down famous people?

ZS:”Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” ~Winnie the Pooh~ There’s a famous quote for you. Happy?

BGB:Your press materials all begin with “Satan and the Antichrist walk into a bar”. Tell me a good joke about a pope and a rabbi. Or a pope and a rabbit.

ZS:The Pope (not ‘a’, you idiot) walks into a bookstore to look for a book about Catholicism, because he doesn’t understand any of his followers, but before he can make it to the section oddly marked “religion”, he is distracted by a sharp sound from the back of the store. When he goes to investigate, he finds a large cage with a fluffy, bouncy rabbit inside, and a sign atop the cage that reads, “Cadbury Rabbit, Bookstore Bunny”. The Pope smiles and leans to the cage and says to the rabbit, “Hello there, little rabbit. I am the Pope. How are you today?” To which, the rabbit bounds in a quick circle, stomps a foot in a loud thump, stares at the Pope, and says, “Nom, nom.” The end, joke over. A POPE AND A RABBIT? ARE YOU SERIOUS? Do you get paid to come up with these questions or did you pawn it off on an 8-year old?

BGB: How freakin’ awesome is your publicist?

ZS:Question #7 may answer that better than I can. It’s very difficult to answer this question though, now that Anointed has completely redefined what is understood to be “awesome” and taken over its use entirely. I suppose I can say that my publicist is less than Anointed, more Anointed than “awesome” (in its former form), but not as Anointed as my book minus me. Hope that helps.

Anointed: The Passion Of Timmy Christ, CEO is officially available only at the launch party on Saturday, Feb 21st at Wordsmiths Books in Decatur, GA, and will then be available at your local library for free reading on March 3rd. Ask for it by name.

Yesterday I spent what was easily the best four hours EVER in a children’s book store.  The Little Shop of Stories hosted the book release party for Paste Magazine’s An Indie Rock Alphabet Book.  With this book, Paste has cornered the aging hipster/kiddie book demographic in one shot.

The book is written by Caren Kelleher, Kate Kiefer, and Rachael Maddux with artwork by owen the owen.   The book began, so the story goes, as an in-house project for a baby shower.  Once the  original book was finished (the now completed babies were in the audience), someone realized that there might be other people interested in having a book like this.  And here it is.  The huge crowd at the Little Shop says they guessed right.

The party featured Dale’s Pale Ale for the grown-ups and started off with groovy electronic background music by Judi Chicago to set the mood. Eventually the action shifted upstairs to the reading space.  Terra kicked things off with an inspirational reading of Punk Farm.   Two kids then read An Indie Rock Alphabet in its entirety.  Cute!  Book signing followed with two of the authors and owen the owen.   Back downstairs, Judi Chicago played a few hyperactive songs that wowed the crowd and annoyed the squares at the Starbucks two doors down.

Squares, be gone!

Before the party, I ran into Frank (of the awesome and sorely-missed former music blog That Truncheon Thing) who expressed his disappointment that W was for Weezer and not Wilco.  He must not have seen the entry for U:

You can check out the book in its entirety at Paste.  Rachael Maddux has also posted a playlist based on the book.  Listen with your child to build his/her indie street cred.

Check out video of Judi Chicago rocking the Little Shop here and here.

The intrepid explorers from the Wren’s Nest House Museum have begun their cross-country trip (well at least as far as Denver) with the aim to visit as many house museums as possible.  You can read about the trip here.  Be sure to check out the Google map of the planned stops, which includes commentary like this:

Lain promises updates from the road, so keep checking in with the Wren’s Nest blog.

Google let me know that today is René Magritte’s 110th birthday. Cool.

Atlanta Weekend Planner

I’ve already mentioned the excellent Amanda Petrusich music/books extravaganza at Wordsmiths that’s going down tomorrow.  All the cool kids will be there.

Don’t forget to get your picture taken with A**hole Santa at Criminal Records tomorrow which supports PAWS Atlanta (1-6PM).  (See last year’s Flickr set to get the proper feel for the occasion.)  At 6PM The Eagles of Death Metal (Motto: we don’t sound like the Eagles or Death Metal) will be performing live in-store at 6PM for free.

If you plan it right, you’ve got day-long fun tomorrow.  Govern yourself accordingly.

This past weekend Atlanta’s best annual Halloween parade wove its mayhem through Little Five Points on a near perfect autumn afternoon.  In addition to the usual bands of pirates, zombie hordes, Imperial Stormtroopers, and  roller derby girls, there were a few partipants with a literary bent.  The BGB Newsteam was there to get the scoop.  And the candy.

This year’s Grand Marshall was former First Kid and children’s book illustrator, Amy Carter (with son Hugo and mystery guest).

There was even a car load of Madelines.  Unfortunately, they were not in two straight lines. Poo poo.

There was also a group advertising the upcoming annual stage production of David Sedaris’s Santaland Diaries that did not make the highlight reel. Maybe this will be the year that I get around to checking that out.

Of course, the biggest news of the day was that Criminal Records, conveniently located on the parade route, continues to become even more awesome with each passing day.  How do they do it?  I had visited their new location on Euclid Avenue on Friday, and it was spectacular.  But on the very next day, there was a newly hung sign perched above the entrance painted by an artist familiar to all in-town Atlantans, R. Land.  Sweet.

I kicked off this past weekend by attending one of the many cool events hosted by New Yorker magazine as part of their weekend festival. Friday night was Fiction night with an unbelievable line-up of authors. The session I attended was “Where I Come From” – a discussion with Junot Diaz, Shalom Auslander and Sherman Alexie. A Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Foreskin’s Lament and The Absolute Diary of a Part-Time Indian were all amongst my favorite books of the past year so I was pretty psyched.

I had not given much thought to the commonality of these authors since they all come from such different backgrounds – Dominican kid growing up in Jersey, ultra-orthodox kid from a Hasidic community and an Indian kid from the rez. But what made the discussion so interesting was how similar their backgrounds all were. To put it in context – all 3 of these authors are approx our age (this is a generality about the readers of this site but let’s just say that the 80’s were our formative adolescent years) and they were all outsiders growing up. When I say “outsiders” – I can’t stress enough how these 3 guys were completely miserable in high school. Diaz talked about being a Dominican nerd in a black/Puerto Rican school who just wanted to read all the time, whilst Alexie was the token brown kid in all-white right wing school. And even though Auslander was part of the “in” crowd because he wore his “kippah” in the cool way – his inner struggle with God tormented him through his adolescence.

Even more fascinating was that Diaz and Alexie both had the same response to why they wrote the books that they did – “To fill a nothingness and/or silence.” Both of them talked about how there were not any books from their culture about nerds and dorks. Most Latin American and Native American fiction particularly by young male authors were all very macho, aggressive and tough and that books about being a nerd just didn’t exist. They wanted to write a book that appealed to who they were not who they wanted to be. They both seemed surprised at how many people their books touched and spoke to (not to mention the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award that they respectively won).

These authors were as inspiring as readers than as writers. They all spoke extensively about their love of books of all genres. Diaz said that he refers to himself as more of a reader than a writer because he loves to read so much more than write. They were all irreverent, brilliant and open about themselves. I would have loved to just hang out with them at a bar and swap nerdy high-school stories. A classic insight into Alexie was that he described himself in high-school as “all the Breakfast Club characters rolled up into one.”

Shalom Auslander was exactly how I pictured him after reading Foreskin’s Lament. Throughout the book – he describes his torment in growing up in a Hasidic community in which you were controlled fear. He discussed the emphasis placed on the forbiddeness of any type of sexuality particularly masturbation. One of the rabbi’s threats were that if you masturbated you would end up in a giant, boiling pot of sperm for all eternity when you died. Can you imagine???? I digress but I can’t get that story out of my head. This book really haunted me because I couldn’t get over how tormented and angry Auslander was, not to mention that the Judaism he describes is so vastly different from my own. And what struck me after hearing him speak last night is that he is even MORE angry than I thought. This is one angry and bitter dude. Sad.

All in all – a great literary event. And to continue the cultural festivities, Mr. Nitro is attending “Worst Nightmares: Horror Movies with Wes Craven and Hideo Nakata”. If I thought it was a quirky crowd at the author’s discussion, I can’t even imagine the crowd at that event.

Now that it is much closer to the weekend, don’t forget to get your tickets for the Wren’s Nest gala backyard, shindig, concert, taco-fest. See our previous post for details.

The Wren’s Nest, Atlanta’s favorite author house museum and friend of the blog, is hosting a fund raising gala on September 27th. It’s going to be a swell night under the stars, let me tell ya.  First of all, they have Big Mike and Kingsized – and boy do they treat.  I’ve seen Kingsized roughly a million times, and they are always spectacular.  Guaranteed fun.  Food will be provided by Taqueria del Sol.  Which is nice.  I can eat my entry fee in tacos, no problem.  There’s also a cash maguerita bar, and we love the margueritas.

But check this out:  Executive Director guy Lain Shakespeare is throwing in FREE DRINKS for anyone who purchases a table (ten tickets).  Here’s the plan.  I am going.  You’re going.  All we need to do is round out the table and cocktails are free.  You were planning on going, right?  Well now all of our drinks are free.  The catch: the tickets have to be purchased by the 22nd to qualify.  Here’s how to buy tickets: Call The Wren’s Nest (404-753-7735) and say, “I’d like to buy a ticket for the Baby Got Books table, please.”  Say it with authority, and don’t let them give you any jibber jabber either. I’ll see you at our table. It’ll be the one with all the free drinks on it.  (And some portion of the ticket is tax deductible, too.  I don’t know how much.  Ask your accountant, Scrooge McDuck.)

Here are the particulars: