Thursday, April 2 6:30 pm
Sumner School, 17th & M St., NW

Nelson George: City Kid from Nelson George on Vimeo.
Really, you should not miss this. Good book, good writer.

Update: If you missed Nelson’s event, check out his NY Times essay and a related blog post with Vimeo slideshow. Signed books available in the store.

The Washington City Paper’s compilation of staff and readers’ pick provides a nice guide to metro DC. And, we are in it this year.

Number 1? Who cares about Number 1? The real strivers are those riding shotgun in the number 2 slot. Yeah, America loves a winner–but then they’re bored. We’re not bored.

I know, I know. . .literature should not be a competition. Philip Roth does not start a novel thinking, "I’m gonna take it to the hoop against Updike with this baby" (or maybe he does?). But awards do serve a purpose besides stroking the egos of certain authors, and on occasion fattening their wallets. They can alert readers to writers they may have never heard of, gaining little-known authors wider exposure. They can even alert booksellers (such as yours truly) to new authors.

The National Book Critics Circle Awards recently were awarded, and one of the fiction nominees was a book titled The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart, by first-time author M. Glenn Taylor and published by West Virginia University Press. I immediately ordered it for the store, and it certainly looks promising. It’s earned a place on my bedside table stack of books to be read, leaping past my living room table stack, dining room radiator stack, and back room at the bookstore stack(s).

In more author competition news, the nominees for the Man Booker International Prize were just announced, and it’s a pretty interesting group:
Peter Carey (Australia)
Evan S. Connell (USA)
Mahasweta Devi (India)
E.L. Doctorow (USA)
James Kelman (UK)
Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)
Arnošt Lustig (Czechoslovakia)
Alice Munro (Canada)
V.S. Naipaul (Trinidad/India)
Joyce Carol Oates (USA)
Antonio Tabucchi (Italy)
Ngugi Wa Thiong’O (Kenya)
Dubravka Ugresic (Croatia)
Ludmila Ulitskaya (Russia)

Tabucchi’s Pereira Declares, a novel concerning Salazar’s Portugal, is one of my favorite books ever. Peter Carey is one of those writers whose every book seems a wholesale departure from what he’s done before, and everything I’ve read has been excellent, particularly Jack Maggs and My Life as a Fake. And it’s nice to see Arnost Lustig on the list, who was a long-time professor at American University. And on a somewhat silly note during this month of March Madness, check out the Tournament of Books. Personally, I’d like to see what sparks fly if Matthiessen’s Shadow Country goes up against Bolano’s 2666.

We knew you couldn’t resist Vincent Price…neither could we. Come in and check out this and other classic horror movies. Now on our sale table for just $6.98.

 
Some of you have long bought our book buyer’s recommendations (a.k.a. Todd’s picks). It is is rare that he expresses unabashed admiration for a publisher’s full list. But he has long been a fan of New York Review Books. He has said lovely things about their books for adults and children. Their titles are especially gift-worthy due to fine design and careful craftsmanship. But you may feel the need to buy one or two yourself–these are books you’ll want to hang onto.

If you share our admiration, we’re offering free buttons, bookmarks and a chance to win one of their nifty totes filled with galleys. Just purchase one or more of their great titles to enter. Enter by 12/22/08, winners will be notified shortly thereafter.

I sat down with WAMU guest host Sam Litzinger this afternoon for a chat about books. We were joined by Barbara Hoffert of the Library Journal and Megan Graves of Hooray For Books in Alexandria VA. If you missed the Kojo Nnamdi Show today, here’s my abbreviated list of recommendations for the season (list with blurbs here). You can listen to the show in Real Audio or Windows Media. Stop in soon, we have lots more suggestions. (more…)

or PTA Moms (& Dads) Night Out
Thursday, December 4 7 pm

Our book buyer now believes that all authors should have liquor sponsors. That’s because Sandra Tsing Loh does and we’ll be raffling off fine sipping vodka from Modern Spirits during her visit on Thursday, December 4. Sandra is swinging by to discuss parenting and public school life and we hope you’ll join us.

Sometimes, you are too close to something to fully articulate your feelings. That may be the case with Vertigo Books. So let’s jump to Alex Beckstead, maker of Paperback Dreams, talking with SFist.

"Because faster and cheaper isn’t always better, and because diversity of thought and ownership are both critical to innovation and the vibrancy of local culture and an informed citizenry. One of Cody’s past employees once drew an analogy between the value of independent bookstores and the Slow Food Movement. As much as I love the internet, I think we’re overdue for a Slow Culture Movement. I mean, movies replaced books to some degree, and then TV replaced movies and now 3 minute You Tube clips are replacing TV. There’s a lot of value in the way culture is speeding up, connecting, and democratizing. But there’s also a richness and a value that can only come from the experience of being alone with 500 well written pages. Breadth is great, but so is depth. I believe in the value of a liberal education, and I admire people who aspire to informed generalism. That’s independent booksellers in a nutshell. (more…)

Save 20% on select literature in translation through August 3. If gas prices are keeping you home, do some armchair traveling this summer.

Since Vertigo opened in 1991 we’ve carried a strong selection of international literature in translation. So, we were on board right away when a small group of publishers and booksellers came together four years ago to jointly promote literature in translation. Luckily, the reading world has started to take notice. This past year was especially strong and we have a tempting display of books for you. Stop in soon.

As a bookseller, one whose house is overflowing with books both read and (mostly) unread, I know I should stop acquiring even more reading material. Indeed, I sometimes wonder if I should radically downsize my collection. I read somewhere years ago (can’t remember where) that there are two kinds of personal libraries: those that show where one has been, and those that show where one aspires to go. I definitely fall into the latter category.

I have done a rough calculation, and figured at my current reading rate there is no way I will read all the books I have filled my house with over the years. I admit this gives me pause when I bring home another four coals to Newcastle. But recently I plucked one off the shelf–Cloudstreet, by Tim Winton. It had been sitting there, staring at me, for something like 17 years (the publicist’s letter still tucked inside). I packed it in my suitcase with other books for a recent vacation. And when I read it–wow, what a book. It was an amazing reading experience, one of my favorite books of the past few years. How can I get rid of my books now? Who knows what other gems are waiting to be discovered?

Check out this great video of next week’s author, Ta-Nehisi Coates, then join us at the event. Cuz truth be told, he is a splendid writer. Perhaps it’s OK that bookselling thing was temporary (although Vertigo did experience an up tick in sales of Franz Fanon titles when Ta-Nehisi was working at the store). Ta-Nehisi’s father is W. Paul Coates of Black Classic Press.