City Desk » Books

Tom Gjelten, Tim Lewis, and Pamela J. Martin: The Authors City List Missed

Mike Riggs — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:59:39 +0000

Every week, City Paper's City List does its best to tell readers about all the authors destined to come through town pushing their work (as well they should, the publishing industry needs more than prayer). This week, City List found only one reading, and chalked up the dearth to the holiday season--boy were we wrong. How do we know? Our very own Mark Athitakis has a really fine literary blog (check out his entertaining comment scuffle with Rick Moody), and on that blog, he has a page for local DC readings. Because Athitakis is such a great guy, he probably won't complain that City List is piggy-backing on his events gathering skills just this once. Without further ado, the author listings City List missed:

Dec. 12
Michael J. Griffin, Redemption Road (Busboys & Poets 5th & K)
Jonah Lehrer, Proust Was a Neuroscientist (Corcoran Gallery of Art)
Richard Marcinko, Rogue Warrior (Borders Springfield)

Dec. 13
Alan Cheuse (To Catch the Lightning) and Colin Sargent (Museum of Human Beings) (National Museum of the American Indian, 400 7th St. SE)
Pamela Edwards (B&N Reston)
Lynn Johnson, Out of the Flames to Self-Discovery (Borders Silver Spring)
Pamela J. Martin, Saved, Sanctified, and No Love (Borders Bowie)
Daniel Spiro, Moses the Heretic (Borders Silver Spring)
J. Tremble, Naughty Little Angel (Borders Largo)
Stef Williams, Joy Happened (Borders Largo)

Dec. 15
Tim Lewis, The Virginiad (Busboys & Poets Shirlington)

Dec. 16
Mort Gerberg, Last Laughs (DCJCC)

Dec. 17
Tom Gjelten, Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba (Busboys & Poets Shirlington)

Pooh & Lenny Bruce at Vertigo Books

Mike Riggs — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:07:00 +0000

Olsson's is dead and gone, but that doesn't mean DC's meatspace is without some fine used-bookstores. Vertigo Books in College Park has some sweet deals going on right now. (I know, I know, it's not technically in DC, but spare me the geography lessons--it's close enough.)

For yer buyin' pleasure:

The Trials of Lenny Bruce can be had for $6.99, Langston Hughes' The Dream Keeper (illustrated, no less) for $3.99, and The House at Pooh Corner for $4.99. Vertigo is also selling both American Splendor (starring Paul Giamatti) and Cotton Comes to Harlem on DVD for $6.99. Good deals, all.

Check 'em out at 7346 Baltimore Ave., College Park. 301-779-9300.

Mitchell Gold: Send My Book to Wasilla

Angela Valdez — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:38:01 +0000

Living in the snug enclave of the coastal media, it's easy to forget that in some not-so-distant realms, Americans still face a massive cultural stigma against coming out as gay. A reminder of this reality comes from Crisis, a new book published by Mitchell Gold, one half of the high-end furniture retailer Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. The book collects stories about growing up gay written by a few dozen ordinary and prominent Americans. Gold managed to gather an impressive group of contributors, including James McGreevey, Martina Navratilova and Gene Robinson (the first openly gay Episcopal bishop). The stories aren't great examples of memoir--they're simple essays with very personal messages. Candace Gingrich (Newt's sister) writes about the moment when a reporter's discovery of her sexuality thrust her into her own political career. She nudged her brother behind the scenes, while her mother urged her not to drag his name "through the mud." An EMS tech from South Carolina writes about coming out to his family after his step brother was murdered in their hometown because he had been openly gay.

Gold had a party for the book at his 14th Street store last week, and brought out several of the contributors, and a few other notables, like Tipper Gore (beautiful in a blue and green peacock dress). He said he wanted Crisis to change minds, and that the minds in need of changing belonged to good people. "My factory [in North Carolina] is surrounded by those good people," he said. "I don't want anyone to hate them." He told the audience to send the book to Wasilla.