Rhythm and Books

Mountains in the Flatlands

Two first-rate novelists descend on Mississippi this week, and we've managed to secure them both for a special event at Turnrow Books on Friday evening, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Authors Ron Rash and Robert Olmstead, two Turnrow favorites, will speak about their work, perhaps treat us to a sample reading, and there will be musical entertainment as well. If you've been putting off coming to an event this season at Turnrow, this is the one you'll want to attend.

Ron Rash, since his 2002 debut novel One Foot in Eden, has become of the South's most popular writers. One Foot in Eden and his last novel, Serena, are perennial favorites and bestsellers here, and we're proud to have him back to talk about his latest novel, The Cove.

Laurel Shelton is the heroine of Rash's new novel. She lives as an outcast in an isolated, cursed territory in the Appalachians known as "the Cove." She lives with her brother, just back from overseas after World War I and planning to marry. The future looks lonely for Laurel until she finds a mute man, ravaged by yellow jacket stings, while walking in the woods, and she brings him home to nurse back to health. She grows fond of the man, a musician on his way to New York, and when he stays on to help her brother whip the homestead into shape, a romance takes root. But the stranger is harboring a secret, one that may not sit well with the superstitious locals. It all leads to a tense and moving climax.

Rash has found popularity among readers and critics alike, and it may be that he knows how to tell a broadly appealing story in a rich, focused prose that rarely misses a beat. In The Cove, he has crafted an aching love story accessible enough for anyone who wants to step up from Nicholas Sparks to a gothic drama worthy of devoted Cormac McCarthy readers.

Robert Olmstead wrote one of our favorites from the last several years, Coal Black Horse, a quiet and savage novel about a boy sent to retrieve his father from the battlefield at Gettysburg. Similarly, in The Coldest Night, Olmstead has conjured his poetic might to tell the story of a teen-aged stable boy who falls in love with a rich girl who comes to ride horses. They engage in a scandalous affair and skip town before her father intervenes, and after the reality of their circumstances comes to bear on the romance, the young man sets off for the war in Korea. The book's mid-section depicts his staggering ordeal and we ultimately follow him home to a life of irrevocable change.

Olmstead's prose is hypnotic, spare and muscular, rippled with layers of meaning and wisdom. There's a beautiful balance of lightness and weight that reminds one of Hemingway, or even a literary version of a Terrence Malick film. It's an experience not to be taken lightly and something essential for anyone who appreciates the power of an impeccably crafted sentence.

To temper the evening with the sounds of the mountain, we've invited Cecil Abels, who never fails to entertain, and his new study, Alanna Mosely, to perform some highland folk and bluegrass. We hope you can make it out. A signing and reception for the writer begins at 5:30 p.m. with the readings, remarks and music to start at 6. Hit the links above to reserve signed copies if you can't make it.

A Word About Short Stories, Two New Collections Specifically

We hear it all the time from people who walk through Turnrow, their eyes wide with all the books they would like to take home — "How does anyone find time to read?"

How does anyone find time to bathe or make love or go to church or call loved ones on the telephone? We carve out time in life to do the things that improve us, that fill a need within. A good book can do that just as well as any of those other things. Maybe it's not the act of reading which intrudes upon one's time but the risk involved — that with all the books flooding the market every season, you might choose a bad one.

This is one reason we started the Turnrow 20, to consolidate the best books of the moment and to improve your odds of taking home a great book and making your sliver of reading time worthwhile, not simply some disappointed reaction to a crass act of commercial exploitation.

And we've often said that there may be no better form of literature for time-starved Americans than the short story. There are enough great artists in the field that you have plenty of collections to choose from, writers with the ability to deliver the power of a novel in the time-span of a magazine article. Already in 2012 we have two remarkable short story collections on our 20 list that will be remembered, at least by us, for years and years to come.

The first book we found for the new list — and its inclusion was assured as soon as we finished the first story, "The Bees" — is Dan Chaon's Stay Awake. We are long-time admirers of Chaon's work (notably his novel Await Your Reply), and for years we've looked forward to new stories. But how, we wondered, would he ever top his incredible collection Among the Missing? We delved into the new collection with measured expectations, but we were astounded to find that he had, improbably, published a new batch that was as good if not better than the last.

These are stories of parents, siblings, mothers, fathers and spouses suffering various forms of love and loss, but the writer is not trying to manipulate or depress you. The prose is simple, plainly elegant, grounded in reality, and yet there is something remarkable, even supernatural, going on within, something none of us were quite capable of explaining yet completely and wholly in awe of. Finishing each story is like coming up for air. It's not grief, though it's equally as powerful. Perhaps it's something more like dread or wonder, something achieved through the author's voice, which walks the spindle-thin line between humor and misery. The overall effect may be the finest evocation of the strange, surreal beauty that can be glimpsed through the haze of sadness. 

We'd be hard-pressed to tell you who has published more affecting short fiction in the realm of this particular American-style melancholia since Raymond Carver.

The second new collection is a superb work entitled What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander. This is the author's third and arguably finest book, a collection of eight staggeringly good stories, deeply rooted in the author's Jewish roots. They echo the great masters — Carver, Singer, Gogol, Roth — but the overall effect is pure Englander. 

We were entranced by the opening title story, an homage to Raymond Carver, in which two couples sit around in loose conversation. It's almost like a stage play in its set-up, deceptively simple and fraught with genuine, subtle tension. After the second story, "Sister Hills," we were blown away. Reading this fable about the settlement of Israel is like listening to a classically trained musician deliver a flawless performance. Story after story, Englander is equally, frighteningly adept at the coming-of-age ("How We Avenged the Blums"), the absurd ("Peep Show"), the darkly comic ("Camp Sunset"), the familial ("Everything I Know About My Family on My Mother's Side"), and the profoundly tragic ("Free Fruit for Young Widows").

This is that rare collection that, like a good album you never tire of hearing, contains no duds, nothing that slips through the cracks. Each tale is distinct, memorable and essential. As you can see, it's difficult to mention just one, or for that matter not to mention one, the last being "The Reader," which was especially dear to us as it tells the story of an accomplished writer on a lackluster book tour who is met at each stop by only one audience member, the same groupie who insists on hearing a reading night after night.

Do yourself a favor and pick up these marvelous works. The time is yours, so make it count.

Calico Joe

We just received signed copies of John Grisham's new book, Calico Joe. In the spirit of Bleachers and Playing for Pizza, Grisham has written a story inspired by his love of baseball. Think ahead and snag a copy or two for Father's Day. We expect these to go as fast as his last thriller, The Litigators.

The story involves a young boy, the major-league rookie he idolizes, and the boy's burn-out big-league dad. After a tragedy on the diamond, years of bitterness and regret present an opportunity for redemption. Here's a morality tale for fathers and sons as well as baseball fans and anyone who loves Grisham's storytelling chops.

Don't put off reading this for too long. Grisham's next book, The Accused, the third in the Theodore Boone series for young readers, is due out May 15. Reserve your signed copy from Turnrow.

A History of the World in 100 Objects (Turnrow 20)

Like all books selected for the Turnrow 20, The History of the World in 100 Objects tells a great story. It is the story of humankind from the beginning of time to the present. Director of the British Museum Neil MacGregor selected 100 objects which he believes defines humankind and demonstrates how humans have evolved throughout time. It is a daunting task to select only 100 objects which define humanity, but MacGregor defends his choices with scholarship and insight. 

This book took four years to research and was originally released as a series for BBC Radio. (These broadcasts are currently available as a free download at iTunes.) While the radio broadcasts are interesting, they are no match for the book, a handsome specimen in itself. It is so well-made and designed that it is a testament to the book as object. Each artifact is accompanied by a quality photograph and short, intriguing essay in which MacGregor explains the inherent value of each article, placing it in the context of our collective history. It makes for great daily reading, like a devotional for higher learning.

There are some obvious selections among the hundred, including the Rosetta Stone and a Hoa Hakananai (Easter Island Head), but there are an equal or greater number of obscure and surprising inclusions. While each object is amazing in its own right, some are simply fascinating like King Den's sandal label (circa 2985 BC), which is the first known instance of political propaganda, or the Warren Cup (circa Rome around 1 AD), a silver cup that depicts the commonality of homosexuality in ancient Rome. Also fascinating is the 1515 woodcut by Albrecht Dürer which depicts a rhinoceros, unique in that Dürer had never actually seen a rhinoceros. Another object is an Akan drum from Africa which was found in the United States, left from the days of slavery. 

Already a customer favorite, this book will be a rare treasure for lovers of art, history and great stories. Think ahead and snag this as a gift for hard-to-please booklover.

 

 

For Billie, Who Kept Us Honest

Turnrow lost a good friend and fixture this weekend, our longest and most loyal customer, Billie Ainsworth. She was one of us, here since day one, logging about as many hours each week on the couch up front as a part-time employee. She had a solid knowledge of the inventory as well as the lives and reading habits of the staff. We ordered with her in mind, and she let us know when we were slacking.

She had a sixth sense for when new stock had arrived and would plant herself on the couch and wait for us to unpack the boxes. She combed the displays, could spot a new spine on the shelf. Anything new that fit her taste she would buy. And her tastes were particular.

She enjoyed thrillers and novels of family dysfunction. She required that a book win her attention within three pages and preferred them to hook her with the opening sentence. She didn't suffer overly descriptive prose. She liked plenty of dialogue, short chapters. She steered clear of historical novels, non-fiction, short story collections, books over 500 pages. She didn't cotton to "guy books." We loved the challenge of luring her out of these parameters, convincing her to take books she was reluctant to read but ended up loving, like The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and Ford County. (We had a little help from John Grisham on that one.) 

She eagerly awaited new books by Harlan Coben, Lesley Kagan (who once sent Billie chocolate), and Greg Iles, with whom she is photographed above. She didn't care if a book was signed, but she did enjoy meeting writers, even though she wouldn't admit it. She didn't see what all the fuss was about over deckled edges. She didn't want a sack or a receipt, just the occasional bookmark and always credit on her frequent purchaser account. She wanted to know how many stars a book received on Amazon, but she never trusted the reviewers. She despised a Kindle. Occasionally, if we went too long without bringing in a book she wanted, she would visit the bargain bin at Barnes & Noble or Wal-Mart, but she would always confess her transgression. Her favorite book was Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler. She stubbornly refused, to the bitter end, to read The Kite Runner.

We keep in mind her husband Tom, a local State Farm agent and one of the most generous men we know. He always brings us the first tomatoes of the season or a mess of greens, a gift for "putting up with Billie Sue," though he knows we needed her as much as she needed us. He always looked on Billie's obsessive book-buying with a kind patience or a shrug and a laugh where so many other husbands would fuss. They met at a William Faulkner reading, which still amazes us as neither could be bothered to read one of his books.

We'll miss you, Billie. We hope you're looking down and laughing before your big stack of new releases, nothing but good ones.

Bobby Keys Has Really Lived

"Everybody needs his memories. They keep the wolf of insignificance from the door."

— Saul Bellow

Memoirs are tricky. At best, they are credible lies mixed with unique stories that force the reader to realize how much better/cooler/darker/scarier etc. the author's life is from their own. One current Turnrow 20 selection, Townie by Andre Dubus III, fits this category. Dubus' memoir reads like a friend generously sharing with you all the fascinating struggles and triumphs that have defined him. 

At their worst, memoirs are mundane accounts of precious Christmas memories or harrowing tales of a drug-addicted sister-in-law whose father could never take her fishing and whose mother died of a rare toe fungus. (Actually, that might be interesting.) The real trouble with memoirs is that everyone hasn't lived a fascinating life. Stop booing, it's true. Some people, most people, live an average life of little consequence. Bobby Keys is not one of these people. Bobby Keys has really lived.

Bobby Keys has seen and done more as a musician than most, and in his new memoir, Every Night's a Saturday Night.The legendary sax man hilariously recounts his time spent with some of the biggest musicians of the twentieth century. A small sampling of his associations include The Rolling Stones, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Keith Richards, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Delaney & Bonnie, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Warren Zevon, Joe Ely, Sheryl Crow, John Lennon, Leon Russell, Plastic Ono Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Harry Nilsson.

The book is more than a simple account of road tales. It provides insight into the inner workings of some of the largest acts of the 1970s. It also demonstrates how Keys approached the music he created. It is a pretty amazing story to imagine that a saxophone playing kid who lived down the street from Buddy Holly could end up touring with the biggest band in the world, the Rolling Stones, or hanging out with Eric Clapton and George Harrison trying to complete albums with both. 

We can't believe our good fortune to have such an vibrant and accomplished musician — a rock-n-roll legend — appearing at the bookstore. Make time on Sunday afternoon (this March 25) at 3 p.m. to hear him speak and get a book signed.

After his talk, Bobby will sit in with a local legend, Sid Herring, frontman for the Gants. We've enjoyed getting to know Sid since the release of his recent solo album, Music for Friends, and we knew he'd be a good fit to play with Keys. Coincidentally, they'd recently met and shared the stage in Nashville. Their history may extend even further.

"As The Gants we once recorded in Muscle Shoals right behind the Rolling  Stones," Sid recently recalled. "While we were in town recording we all went to the movie there and were told that the Stones had just left the theater right before us. Then the Gants played at a club called The Phone Booth in New York with The Young Rascals opening for us in 1965 and two of the Stones were in the audience. Now we are playing with the Stones sax man, Bobby Keys, in Greenwood, Mississippi, at Turnrow Books. After all of these path-crossings we are making some music together. It will be a long-awaited big time. Which stands to show that if you never give up your dreams, you never know what might happen."

Show up early, around 2 p.m., to hear Sid and his band warm up with songs from Music for Friends. You can order the CD at our website, as well as signed copies of Bobby Keys' Every Night is a Saturday Night.

Greenwood, Mississippi

How in the world did we miss this ... and can it be our new theme song?

The Lost Saints of Tennessee (Turnrow 20)

The good reviews continue to pile up for debut novelist Amy Franklin-Willis, who will be here Monday (3/19) to sign and read from The Lost Saints of Tennessee.

We selected it for our latest Turnrow 20 list because we were hooked immediately by the voice of down-and-out Zeke Cooper. As the novel opens, he can't summon the stuff to climb out of his pick-up truck and attend his twenty-fifth high school reunion. His good-looking ex-wife will be there with her new husband, along with plenty more he can't face. If you're worried this may be another sweltering, woe-is-me story of how the past is not dead, wait until he packs up his truck and dog and drives off to Pigeon Forge where he plans to check into a motel, swallow a bunch of pills and end it all. It's an unexpected comic twist that made us instant fans.

Needless to say, Zeke survives his ordeal and drives on to Virginia, where years earlier he lived with childless relatives on their orchard while attending college. He returns to get his head right, to deal with the death of his twin brother and his various shortcomings as a husband and father. The reader is given the flipside of the story in a long section narrated by Zeke's mother, who must confront her own ghosts.

It's familiar territory, but Franklin-Willis doesn't get tangled up in big Southern mood and myth. She finds a cool, native ease to relate this story of a working-class family splintered by tragedy, who are able to good-naturedly muddle past age-old mistakes. The author easily bridges the unlikely gap between the fiction of Larry Brown and Anne Rivers Siddons and gives us a good story with grit and emotion.

We look forward to meeting Ms. Franklin-Willis, who based the novel on her father's upbringing in Tennessee. In addition to signed first editions, we'll have copies of the album The Lost Saints of Tennessee by California singer-songwriter Andrew Castro, who composed songs inspired by the novel. The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. 

A Good American (Turnrow 20)

Words like "immigration" and "patriotism" may have become tainted in the ugly political squabbles of recent years, but a fresh new voice can remind us what these words mean and why we should hold them dear. Englishman Alex George, who has lived in the U.S. nearly a decade now, has created three generations of Americans and woven their triumph and tragedy into an engaging novel called A Good American, published by Amy Einhorn, who gave us The Help. It's one of our top picks for the winter/spring of 2012 and we're proud to host the author here this Thursday for a signing and reading.

The saga begins in 1904 as two young lovers in Germany are forced to flee family disapproval over an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. They board a ship for America, marry en route and disembark in New Orleans, a refreshing point of entry on this immigrant experience, before traveling up the Mississippi River. Fate lands them in a small Missouri town where their lives will take root. The husband, Frederick, a boisterous singer and unflagging optimist, begins working at a local bar and learning English, while his wife Jette gives birth and raises a son and daughter.

Years whip by — a new business grows, a war with Germany looms. The family grows. New members arrive while others are lost. The drama of ancestry unfolds, time-lapse lives rise and fall briskly. George never gets bogged down in the details of these lives but gives us enough of their passions and formative experiences to make us love them.

A Good American is quite a performance. It reminded us of last season's The Art of Fielding in its ability to snatch our attention and keep us reading in long, luxurious jags. It's not hard to get invested in this family, whose story may remind you of your own family's. It's the story of how circumstance can bind people together, how family often grows beyond the confines of blood, and the things we share and hide from one another.

It's a big bounding epic that's full of life and music and history, the kind of book just about anyone who enjoys a good story can appreciate. 

Come meet the author this Thursday and toast his new U.S. citizenship, not even a month old yet. We'll save a signed first edition for you if you're too far. 

 

A Healing Visit

Mississippi native Jonathan Odell paid us a visit today. He was in the state touring his new novel, The Healing, which is receiving great acclaim from readers and critics. The story spans a generation of lives on a Delta plantation, from pre-Civil War to Jim Crow days. It begins in the 1930s with a former slave woman, a healer, who has been put in charge of a sick young girl. To heal her, she'll have to revisit her own past at the same plantation in the early 1860s. As a baby, she was claimed by the plantation's mistress in a fit of madness after losing her own daughter in a cholera outbreak. The mistress' claim on the slave baby upsets the balance of the plantation and calls into play a mystical slave healer, a fantastic character who causes further unrest.

Pat Conroy praised the book, "Like The Help, that showstopping work by Kathryn Stockett, The Healingis another Mississippi-born work of art, and Odell's Polly Shine is a character for the ages."

Odell grew up in Laurel, Mississippi, and lives in Minnesota today. He told us that he based his fictional county after our own Leflore and Carroll Counties, and his town of Delphi bears a striking resemblance to nearby Carrollton. He has published one earlier novel set in this locale, The View From Delphi, but this book is soaring.

We're pleased to offer signed first editions for a limited time. Enjoy!