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Make Poetry Your New Year's Resolution
Schwartz Live at Alverno Presents: Rafe Esquith, Michael
Pollan, and Jodi Picoult
50% Off 2008 Calendars!
Brett Favre Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year
Jane & Kidd's Book Club Presents: Kate Jacobs, author of The
Friday Night Knitting Club
Lunch with the Author: Rick Tramonto
Patrick McDonnell Event Rescheduled: February 13th
Live at Schwartz
Schwartz Select: Nonfiction
Schwartz Select: Fiction
Great Books at Bargain Prices
There's a lot of talk about organizing, dieting, and starting a retirement
account in January, and those are all worthwhile endeavors. But what about improving
the inner you? I offer poetry as the all-encompassing, stress-relieving, mind-stimulating,
grace-bringing solution.
One of the most talked-about volumes this year is Time and Materials, from former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Haas. Mr. Haas explores the ancient world with a cycle of poems about Lucretius, and ruminates on the modern world, contemplating our impact on planet Earth. This collection was awarded the National Book Award in 2007, and is on the National Book Critic Circle's recommended reading list, as well as being on the must-have lists of several of our booksellers, including Joe at Shorewood and Bayard at Downer Avenue.
On a lighter note, I was recently working in our Mequon shop with Sharry, who was delighted to see the lovely Best of Ogden Nash, the first collection we've seen in years from the poet who charmed generations. Sharry couldn't resist reading a few aloud, and of course her enthusiasm is contagious. There are the silly couplets that Nash is most remembered for, as well as many longer poems, some serious, some fun. I can't imagine a family gathering that wouldn't perk up with this book's arrival.
But of course, when selecting poetry, nothing seems to work better than an anthology. One of our favorites is John Lithgow's Poets' Corner . As one advance reviewer astutely summed up, "There are plenty of chestnuts, to be sure, but what chestnuts!" William Blake, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe, and Dylan Thomas are just some of the poets included.
Our Mequon book club coordinator Jane Glaser and I were discussing how reading a poem aloud at the beginning of a book club meeting could really invigorate the group. And better than that, Jane actually suggests pairing up the appropriate poem with the book being discussed for that session. Here are a few examples..
--T. S. Eliot's "Rhapsody on a Windy Night" with titles relating to memory, such as Monica Wood's Any Bitter Thing.
--Emily Dickinson's "There is no frigate like a boat" with a cross-cultural title, like Thrity Umrigar's The Space Between us
-- Percy Bysshe Shelley's "To a Skylark" paired with Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love.
Jane comments: "I can't begin to tell you how often, when I used to give Book Club talks, groups wanted to try reading poetry, but were afraid they were not qualified. Lithgow has given me the answer to this inquiry and I am going to incorporate poetry into future book suggestions."
I can't think of a better time to start. For more suggestions, contact Jane at mequonbookclubs@schwartzbooks.com.
And finally, because I always love a good list, I offer our bestselling poetry titles of 2007. Not all titles are available at all our shops, but if we are out, we can easily get you a copy, or you can order one on our website, schwartzbooks.com.
1. The
Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
2. Milwaukee
Does Strange Things to People by Susan Firer
3. The
Trouble with Poetry by Billy Collins
4. Bloodroot
by Sally Tolan
5. One
Season Behind by Sarah Rosenblatt
6. Good
Poems by Garrison Keillor
7. The
McSweeney's Book of Poets Picking Poets edited by Dominic Luxford
8. The
Unreasonable Slug by Matt Cook
9. The
Essential Rumi by Jalalu'l-Din Rumi
10. Thirst
by Mary Oliver
--Daniel Goldin
dgoldin@schwartzbooks.com
Rafe Esquith, author of Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire
Thursday, January 10, 7 p.m.
The kids in room 56, Rafe Esquith's fifth grade L.A. classroom, score high on
tests, and go on to be high achievers despite obstacles like living in a violent
neighborhood and having English as their second language. They also learn how
to be thoughtful people engaged with their world. He'll discuss his methods
and some of his students will perform a series of Shakespearean sketches set
to music.
Tickets are $20 and include a copy of Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire.
Order now.
Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food
Monday, January 14, 7 p.m.
We're pleased to welcome Michael Pollan, author of the bestsellng The Omnivore's
Dilemma and the forthcoming In Defense of Food in which he affirms
the joy of eating and suggests that if we would pay more for better, well-grown
food, but buy less of it, we'll benefit ourselves, our communities, and the
environment at large.
Tickets are $30 and include a copy of In Defense of Food. Order
now.
Michael Pollan is presented in partnership with Outpost Natural Foods Cooperative
and The Exchange Magazine.
Jodi Picoult, author of Change of Heart
Wednesday, March 12, 7 p.m.
Jodi Picoult returns to our Schwartz Live at Alverno Presents series for her
latest novel, Change of Heart (available March 2008). It is a spellbinding tale
of a mother's tragic loss and a criminal's last chance at gaining salvation.
Once again, Jodi Picoult mesmerizes and enthralls with this story of redemption,
justice and love.
Tickets are $33 and include a copy of Change of Heart. Order
now.
Rafe Esquith will appear at Alverno College's Wehr Hall 4100 W. Morgan Ave. Michael Pollan and Jodi Picoult will appear at Alverno College's Pitman Theatre, 3401 S. 39th St. Milwaukee. There is a $5 handling fee for each order placed (per order, not per ticket). A Schwartz Bookshops gift card may be requested in place of book.
It's not too late to get organized for the new year, and with all calendars on sale 50% off, it couldn't be easier! For a limited time only, all in-stock wall calendars, day-to-day calendars, desk calendars and planners are available for 50% off the original price while supplies last. It's already three days into 2008--don't let the next 362 days go by without a calendar from Schwartz!
Due to unprecedented demand, Sports Illustrated is re-releasing a limited number of copies of the Brett Favre Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year issue. Supplies will not last long. Call your local Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop now to reserve your copy.
Jane
& Kidd's Book Club Presents:
Kate
Jacobs * author of The Friday Night Knitting Club 
Rick
Tramonto
author of Fantastico: Little Italian Plates and Antipasti from Rick Tramonto's
Kitchen
Thursday, January 31 * Noon
Bacchus -- A Bartolotta Restaurant, 925 E. Wells St.
Enjoy a delectable lunch with award-winning chef and author Rick Tramonto. His latest cookbook features the culinary cuisine of his family heritage presented as little plates--tempting tasty dishes that can be mixed and matched and reflect a love of Italy. Tramonto is the executive chef and partner of Osteria di Tramonto, Tramonto's Steak & Seafood, and Tru in Chicago. A menu based on Fantastico! will be prepared by James Beard Award-winning chef Adam Siegel.
$95 per person includes lunch and a signed copy of Fantastico! Call (414) 765-1166
Patrick
McDonnell
author of Hug Time
Wednesday, February 13 * 7 p.m. * Mequon
Hug Time is the newest heartwarming new tale from the creator of the nationally syndicated comic strip Mutts and the bestselling book The Gift of Nothing. Jules the kitten knows that hugs can make the world the better place. So, he makes a "Hug to-do List"--with the endangered species at the top--and travels the globe to show them that someone cares. From Africa, to the North Pole to his own back yard, Jules proves a hug is the simplest--and the kindest--gift we can give. An autographed book makes the perfect valentine gift.
Ralph and DJ Savarese
Reasonable People
Saturday, January 12 * 9:30 a.m. talk * Brookfield
Join the Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin as they welcome Ralph and
DJ Savarese, authors of Reasonable People: A Memoir of Autism and Adoption,
to our Brookfield shop. When Ralph Savarese and his wife adopted DJ, a badly
abused, non-speaking six-year-old from foster care they faced numerous questions
about their decision. Most often, that question was "why?" Part love
story, part political manifesto about "living with conviction in a cynical
time," the memoir traces the development of DJ, a boy written off as profoundly
retarded and now, six years later, earning all A's at a regular school. Neither
a typical saga of autism nor simply a challenge to expert opinion, it is an
illuminating story of one family's journey together.
The Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin serves parents of children with
autism by providing many local programs and services including support groups,
educational workshops, community awareness events and social opportunities for
families touched by autism. For more information about the Autism Society, visit
assew.org.
Sara Paretsky
Bleeding Kansas
Monday, January 14 * 7:00 p.m. reading * Mequon
The author of the popular V.I. Warshawski crime series mines the Kaw River Valley
of her Kansas youth in her latest novel that centers on two families who have
been farming--and feuding--in the valley for over 150 years. The rift comes
to a disastrous head when a confrontation leads one family's young son to join
the army where he is stationed in Iraq.
Christopher Paul Curtis
The Watsons go to Birmingham - 1963
Thursday, January 17 * 7:00 p.m. talk * Shorewood
Help First Stage Children's Theater kick off their production of The Watsons
Go to Birmingham-1963 with Christopher Paul Curtis, author of the Newbery
Honor-winning book on which the play is based, when he appears at our Shorewood
shop. Ten-year-old Kenny chronicles the events of a fateful summer for the Watson
family of Flint, Michigan. There's Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta and brother
Byron who can't seem to stay out of trouble. Concerned about the budding juvenile
delinquent in their family, his parents decide it's time for a lengthy stay
with Grandma in Birmingham, Alabama. The family heads south and toward a moment
in American history where the world seems to change before their eyes. First
Stage Children's Theater's production of The Watsons go to Birmingham-1963
will run from Friday, January 18 through Friday, February 15. For more information
and to purchase tickets to the play visit firststage.org
Paula McLain
A Ticket to Ride
Monday, January 21 * 7:00 p.m. reading * Brookfield
Remember that impossibly cool girl who taught you how to blow smoke rings, cut
school and sneak out of the house? Remember how you turned yourself inside out
trying to be just like her--and then she broke your heart? For Jamie, that girl
is her cousin Fawn. Unfortunately, Jamie realizes too late how dangerous Fawn
really is. Paula McLain explores the darker sides of love and loyalty during
the summer of 1973 in her lyrical debut novel.
Geraldine Brooks
People of the Book
Tuesday, January 22 * 7:00 p.m. presentation * Mequon
Meet the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March and her latest, People
of the Book, a sweeping historical novel. Inspired by a true story, it
traces a rare illuminated manuscript--the famed Sarajevo Haggadah--through centuries
of exile and war. Hanna Heath, a rare-book expert, is tasked with analysis and
conservation of the book. As she unlocks its secrets she is plunged into a world
of forgers and fanatics that tests her belief in herself and the man she has
come to love.
Philip A. Nero
Twice Upon a Time
Thursday, January 24 * 7:00 p.m. reading * Shorewood
Former Milwaukee Journal reporter Philip A. Nero takes you on an adventure through
time in his new novel. It is just days after the president declares an end to
major fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom. With images of a new war rekindling
nightmares from an old one, Colonel Ellis finds himself caught in a freakish
thunderstorm that unleashes bizarre forces launching him on a 30-year tumble
through time. Nero is also the author, with PGA professional Don Peterson, of
The Original Baseball Golf Swing Method.
James Conroyd Martin
Against a Crimson Sky
Thursday, January 24 * 7:00 p.m. reading * Brookfield
You were swept away into the romance and turbulence of the 18th century with
his epic debut, Push Not the River. Now, James Conroyd Martin continues
the story of Countess Anna Maria Berezowska with Against a Crimson Sky.
Anna has married her true love, but in the aftermath of the dissolution of Poland
in 1794 life is far from ideal. Tales of intrigue, love and betrayal are entwined
in this vibrant historical novel that follows a proud nation and a strong family
in their struggle for unity. Paperback
Pauline W. Chen
Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality
Monday, January 28 * 7:00 p.m. talk * Shorewood
When Pauline Chen began her career in medicine she was stunned to learn that
a profession premised on caring for the ill also depersonalizes dying--and set
out to do something about it. In Final Exam, Chen writes with both
clinical expertise and heartfelt compassion about her experiences, beginning
in med. school and continuing through practice.
Steve Berry
The Venetian Betrayel
Wednesday, January 30 * 7:00 p.m. Reading * Brookfield
The bestselling author of The Alexandria Link is back with a gripping
international thriller that sends Cotton Malone on a perilous quest for the
truth about Alexander the Great. Treasure hunters scour the globe in search
of Alexander's final resting place, unaware that the discovery will unlock a
modern mystery and save the lives of millions. Cotton is about to find out,
but he won't be alone.
Her
Last Death
A Memoir
Susanna Sonnenberg
"Her Last Death is an emotional thriller. It is a manual for men and
smart, searching individuals of any age or economic levels. For most of the
book it is a disturbing story, yet at the end you might feel like cheering.
It is a beautiful, beautiful book and I plan to give it to my nearest and dearest."--
Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes
$24.00
How
Not to Be Afraid of Your Own Life
Opening Your Heart to Confidence, Intimacy, and Joy
Susan Piver
In this inspirational and practical guide to conquering fear and embracing joy,
Susan Piver gives you the tools you need to break down the barriers that are
holding you back from joyful relationships, a meaningful career, and unshakeable
self-confidence.With a direct, warm, and playful approach to ancient practices,
Susan Piver teaches you how to incorporate principles of Buddhism and mindfulness
into everyday life. These common-sense ideas and practices can help you to find
contentment in every situation and bring love to those around you. Most important,
you will find the courage to live the life you were meant to--no holds barred.
$12.95
Paperback
Jane
Boleyn
The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford
Julia Fox
"This electric account of the life of Jane Boleyn brings us face-to-face with
the glittering but brutal world of Henry VIII's court. For centuries the infamous
Lady Rochford was accused of betraying her husband to his death on charges of
incest with Anne Boleyn. Julia Fox's immaculate detective work and vivid storytelling
bring to life one woman's struggle to survive at the apex of a society where
success brought untold riches and a king's anger cost you your life."--Leanda
de Lisle, author of After Elizabeth
$26.95
Nerds
Who They Are and Why We Need More of Them
David Anderegg
Psychology professor David Anderegg examines why science and engineering have
become socially poisonous disciplines, why adults wink at the derision of "nerdy"
kids, and what we can do to prepare our children to succeed in an increasingly
high-tech world.
$24.95
The
Show It Love Workout
Kacy Duke with Selene Yeager
For years, Hollywood's elite have followed Kacy Duke's unique workout plan combining
weights and cardio with dancing. Now Kacy offers her once-exclusive fun and
empowering fitness plan to women who want to achieve the lean, strong bodies
they've always desired.
$24.95
Dancing
to "Almendra"
Mayra Montero
Havana, 1957. On the same day that the Mafia capo Umberto Anastasia is assassinated
in a barber's chair in New York, a hippopotamus escapes from the zoo and is
shot and killed by its pursuers. Assigned to cover the zoo story, Joaquin Porrata,
a young Cuban journalist, finds himself embroiled in the mysterious connections
between the hippo's death and the mafioso's in this intoxicating story of murder,
mobsters, and, finally, love.
$14.00
Paperback
An
Ordinary Spy
Joseph Weisberg
"Most so-called spy fiction out there today is so far from reality that we pros
don't read it. Joe Weisberg is a notable exception. He nails it. An Ordinary
Spy captures perfectly the spy world I lived in my whole career, how we
talk, how we think, and how we operate." --James M. Olson, former chief of CIA
counterintelligence and the author of Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying
$23.95
Stark
Edward Bunker
Introduction by James Ellroy
Stark is a rat and a con-artist. Nobody's friend. The kind of guy author Eddie
Bunker met in San Quentin. Stark thinks he can beat the suckers and outsmart
the cops. When a big score comes his way, he's lucky to escape with his life.
Four others are not so lucky. Stark, Bunker's first novel, written
in the early '60s though never published in his lifetime, serves as a harbinger
of the influential crime novels Bunker wrote including Little Boy Blue
and No Beast So Fierce.
$23.95
This is a sampling of the terrific deals we have on good books. Stop in to any of our shops to pick up any of these titles or browse our bargain section.
Big Book of Boy Stuff
Bart King and Chris Sabatino
Publisher $19.95
SCHWARTZ: $9.99
Dog Years:
A Memoir
Mark Doty
Publisher $23.95
SCHWARTZ: $7.99
The Bastard of Istanbul
Elif Shafak
Publisher $24.95
SCHWARTZ: $8.99
Jesus:
Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary
Marcus J. Borg
Publisher $24.95
SCHWARTZ: $7.99