Read All About It!

We are less than two months away from the Grand Opening of the bookstore and literacy center and we need your help more than ever! This month we’d like to post a special request list specifically for the Grand Opening celebration:

• Catering (passed hors d’oeuvres specifically)
• Bakery to donate cake and cupcakes
• Beer/Wine sponsor
• Florist
• Performers (singers, jugglers, balloon artist, etc.)
• Event supplies (linens, plates, glassware, etc.)
• Helium tank

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!

This month’s 10 questions are answered by Ava Zeligson, Open Books’ new Volunteer Coordinator! Ava will be in charge of recruiting, inspiring and motivating all of our wonderful volunteers. We are so excited to have her on board and as a part of the team. Read on and see what she thinks about Dunkin’ Donuts and Danny DeVito.

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I liken this to asking a mother to pick her favorite child, and also, the mother has hundreds of children. Trick answer: soup! You can put anything in soup!

Have you ever met (or even seen) anyone famous randomly in public? Who?
If not, what famous person would you like to meet?

My first celebrity: Raven Simone. She was working a campaign at a restaurant, encouraging folks to wear their bike helmets. I was thrilled and swore I would never wash my hand again. One time while on vacation, I rode in an elevator with John Witherspoon. The absolute topper: I met Danny DeVito. He has been my favorite actor since I was about 10 (when my favorite TV show was Taxi–I was a unique child). I went to college with his son, so Parents’ Day was an extra special day on campus. I found him standing where I would get my daily bagel and there was no way I could throw away the opportunity to embarrass myself and tell him how I felt. He asked me how school was going and I convinced myself that he really cared. A big day, indeed.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Public whistling/singing. Seriously, people. Come on. Also when people start telling you something and then pull the “Oh, wait, never mind” thing. Come ON.

Do you prefer Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, and why?

Gah! Do not make me give the stereotypical “I support independent coffee shops” answer that I am so drawn towards! I would pick Starbucks, I suppose. I used to go to Dunkin Donuts before I knew how to drink coffee, so I would order it “light and sweet” — that’s what they call it. Now I can’t imagine their coffee as existing in any other way, and that is kind of gross.

What was your first job ever?

I worked at the water park in my town just like every other kid in my town did, because that is all there was and there was a lot of it. We had to wear visors.

If you could instantly be good at any given thing, what talent would you choose to have?

Learning languages! Never read a translation again, talk to whomever I want — what a life! I would also like to be really good at playing both basketball and the harmonica, because I think it would be funny if those things were true about me.

If you were a pattern, what pattern would you be?

Houndstooth, but a part of me wishes I were argyle, and I think I’m drawn to those who are.

Who is your favorite character from a fiction or non-fiction book?

King Bidgood from King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood. That man loves to get his bath on.

If you could ask our president one question, what would you ask him?

Will you go out with me?

Are you a dog person or a cat person?

Dog, no contest. I live with a wonderful dog-friend named Rover and he might be my favorite part of my new life in Chicago.

Tuesday, September 22nd was a very special day at Open Books. We had our first author signing in our new bookstore! We were so honored to have Norb Vonnegut come by and sign copies of his new and first book Top Producer. The bookstore is still under construction but we were able to finally open our doors and invite people in! John Edelman from Edelman Public Relations and his wife Suzanne Krohn, who have been avid supporters of Open Books for some time, graciously arranged for this event to happen.

The event lasted around two hours and included an introduction from John Edelman and how he became acquainted with Open Books. Norb shared a very humorous story from the publicity tour he has been on for his book as well as answered questions from the audience. Becca Keaty, our Director of Marketing, and Stacy Shafer, our Director of Development closed out the event talking about Open Books’ mission and ways you can help.

It was a wonderful evening meeting new friends and being able to share and show off our new bookstore. What a great way to kick off an exciting two months to come until the grand opening in November!

Check out pictures from the event here!

Norb Vonnegut Top Producer Event

Check out more about Top Producer at his website here: Norb Vonnegut.com

Make sure to look at his blog were he writes about some of his first-time writing experiences!

Norb’s book featured on the Today Show!

Norb Today Show

It seems like book lovers are also list lovers, as there are always so many lists of books to be found. We have awards lists, banned lists, short lists, long lists, most read lists, least read lists, most wished-for lists… The list (wordplay completely intentional) goes on and on.

Saturday, September 26th marked the beginning of Banned Books Week in the US. While books are not actually banned in America, due to the First Amendment, there are many that are challenged. Many of those are required reading in junior highs and high schools across the country. Here is a list of the most challenged classics in America.  Two of the most commonly challenged books are The Catcher in the Rye and Of Mice and Men.  But really, any book that is challenged or banned is probably challenging to read and thus worthy of our time and effort.  So perhaps in honor of Banned Books Week, we can all read a book that challenges us and makes us think.  My personal favorite often challenged book is To Kill a Mockingbird.  I have a very literary crush on Atticus Finch.

Another list of books released this week is by The Millions, detailing the best books written in the 21st century (so far).  Coming in at #1 is The Corrections, by Jonathan Franzen.  Granted, our millennium is only 9 years old, but there are so many great books are on that list that it can’t but bode well for the remainder of this century.  And if you’re an alumnus of Open Books’ creative writing program, We Write, then maybe some day soon, your name will be on a list of featured authors!

Another big name in books recently announced her pick for her Book Club.  Oprah, for the first time in her book club’s history, chose a collection of short stories to read, Say You’re One of Them, by Uwem Akpan.  This collection of five short stories focusing on five sets of children facing five difficult scenarios in five different African countries.  For a full list of Oprah’s Book Club picks, click here.

I hope, based on the above, that I’ve managed to pique your interest on some books and perhaps add to your list of books to read.  Maybe jot a few down to look for at the Open Books’ Bookstore grand opening!

Huckleberry Finn. Of Mice and Men. To Kill A Mockingbird. These are titles of some of my – and maybe of your – favorite books. They have made an impact on the world. They have opened our eyes. What else do they have in common? They were all banned. It is so hard for me to believe that these beautiful works of art were once regarded as dangerous, capable of planting harmful ideas in the minds of readers. Sort of scary, really. Now we recognize them as classics; the world we live in would not be the same without them. 

The really scary thing is that there are still books being banned from publication today. That is why we are celebrating Banned Books week. That means we are exercising our rights to read and write books, to express our most provocative ideas. The potential for future classics is too good. 

Pick up a book of the Banned Books list this week and exercise your rights! Here is a list of some banned titles that are necessary for life.

1984 – George Orwell

Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne

Canterbury Tales – Chaucer

Frankenstein – Mary Shelley —> Really?!

Catch-22 – Joseph Heller

Ulysses – James Joyce

Howl – Allen Ginsberg