The New York Public Library has released its calendar of events for Fall 2010 and there are two surprising names on it: Keith Richards and Jay-Z. Both musicians are publishing memoirs and will speak (in separate events) at the NYPL to promote their books.

Jay-Z’s memoir, Decoded, is due November 16th. The book was written several years ago, but he has been reluctant to release it because the parts about his family are personal and painful. Decoded details Jay-Z’s rise from teenage drug dealer to hip-hop star, and, unlike a traditional memoir, includes interviews with his family and friends (the book was co-written by Dream Hampton). According to Amazon, the book comes with a hefty retail price of $40 (although they currently have it marked down to $24).

Keith Richards’ memoir, Life, will hit bookstores on October 26, 2010. While most people are interested in what he has to say about Mick Jagger, I want to know if the rumor that he originally wanted to be a librarian is true. He is quoted as saying, “When you are growing up there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which belongs to God, and the public library, which belongs to you. The public library is a great equaliser.” Life is expected to be one of the biggest books of the fall.

The date for Keith Richard’s event at the NYPL is October 29th and Jay-Z is scheduled for November 15th. Check out the NYPL website for ticket information.

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Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse series, held an event at the Hernando Public Library on July 12, 2010. Over 600 fans turned out to hear her speak about her books, the TV show True Blood, and answer questions from the audience. According to USA Today’s PopCandy blog:

“She was very entertaining and stayed until the very last person got an autographed book. It was very cool to hear her talk about her writing process, HBO and the relationships she has made with the True Blood cast. She told the audience that Kristin Bauer (Pam) just got married to a ‘gorgeous’ guy, Rutina Wesley (Tara) is one of the nicest people she’s ever met, Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica) gets even more beautiful up close and a lot of other juicy tidbits.”

I’m a HUGE Charlaine Harris fan and she is on my list of authors that I want to meet, so I would LOVE to be able to attend an event like this. For all you lucky Comic Con attendees, she’ll be making an appearance there next week.

Here’s a short video of Charlaine Harris’ Q&A.

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On January 5, 2010, Jeannette Walls was at the Borders Books & Music in Ann Arbor, Michigan to speak and sign books. She is the author of The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses and is a former gossip columnist. In The Glass Castle, she tells her story of growing up in a family that was at times homeless because of eccentric, neglectful parents. Walls overcame her childhood and went to college, moved to New York, and became a successful journalist. Her parents eventually followed their children to New York, but chose to live on the streets (she has since talked her mother into living with her). Until she wrote The Glass Castle, Walls had kept her background a secret. She says:

I originally did not want to tell my story. I was ashamed of it. I used to be a gossip columnist – that is not the source of shame, perhaps it should be – but there was no doubt in my mind that once people knew the truth about me I was going to be ostracized and shunned. And the irony, some would say the hypocrisy, of pursing other people’s stories while I was hiding my own does not escape me.

Thankfully, this did not happen as the reaction to bestseller The Glass Castle has been incredibly positive. Walls was overwhelmed by the great response and says she was a “knucklehead” for underestimating people’s compassion. She says:

An attractive young woman came up to me at a signing… and said she had read The Glass Castle while her family was vacationing in the Caribbean… and she said “There’s this girl in my class who always wears these ugly out-of-date clothes and me and all the other cheerleaders always make fun of her.” And she said, “Now I understand and I will never make fun of her again.” And I thought the Lord can strike me down with lightning right now because I have done my job on this planet. I have made that one rich kid understand what it’s like and have a little bit of empathy.

Not long after that, my second and more ambitious hope came true. A teacher told me… that a young man who had never read a book cover-to-cover actually started carrying The Glass Castle around. And she said, “I thought you don’t like reading” and he said, “Oh no I don’t.” She said, “I thought you don’t like books” and he said, “Books are for nerds!” She said, “But you like this one. Why’s that?” This young man thinks for a second and he says, “This here’s a fine white trash story!” …I took it as a compliment and, in fact, I think it is the greatest compliment I’ve ever received.

Walls says that at book signings the question she gets asked the most is about her mother and why she would choose to lead the life she did, as opposed to a more normal one. Walls explains:

I would tell them something about my mother’s childhood. About how she was raised on a 180,000 acre ranch where freedom was the most important thing to her. She loved it. She not only knew you could survive without indoor plumbing and without electricity … but for her that was the ideal period in her life and, in my opinion, she’s lead much of her life trying to recreate that freedom.

She started interviewing her mother about her experiences growing up and ended up writing Half Broke Horses about her grandmother, Lily Casey Smith. She was a schoolteacher and lived on a ranch where she worked breaking horses. The book is written in Lily’s voice and is based on Wall’s mother’s stories. They call it fiction because it’s based on family stories and, like most family stories, they might be a bit embellished. Her goal in Half Broke Horses is to tell the story of her interesting grandmother, and to also explain why her mother is the way that she is.

While listening to Jeannette Walls speak, I was struck by how positive she is about her childhood. She called herself “lucky” to have a weird childhood and doesn’t seem to feel sorry for herself at all (which she has every right to if you ask me). She’s a resilient woman and it was pleasure to hear her speak. I’d like to pass on a great piece of advice she gave the crowd:

Secrets are like vampires. They suck the life out of you, but can exist only in the darkness. Once they are exposed to the light, there’s a moment of horror, but then, poof, they lose their power.

John Hodgman is probably best known as PC in the Apple commercials or as a correspondent for “The Daily Show With John Stewart.” You may not know that he’s also a former literary agent and author of several books. His latest book, More Information Than You Require, is a follow-up to The Areas of My Expertise. They’re filled with humorous fake facts and trivia and he calls them “two compendia of complete world knowledge.” He was at the Borders Books & Music in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on November 11, 2009 to discuss and sign More Information Than You Require. He ended up speaking for an hour and a half and he had the crowd laughing the entire time. During the event, he also gave a live interview to Len Peralta, host of the Jawbone Radio Show podcast. Audio of his interview is available on their website.

Hodgman began by describing More Information Than You Require:

It is once again more fascinating historical oddities and amazing true stories made up by me on such subjects as: the past (as there is always more of it) and the future (as there is still some left), the mole-men and their capital city of Molemansylvania, gambling – the sport of the asthmatic man, how to cook an owl, how to buy a computer from a street vendor, how to write books of complete world knowledge, how to become a famous minor television personality, and most other subjects except for sports because who cares?

More Information Than You Require has a list of 700 mole-man names, which is a riff on the 700 hobo nicknames from The Areas of My Expertise. Here’s Hodgman’s explanation:

When I published my first book… I gave a brief history of the hobos of the Great Depression. And I also decided to give a little bit of information about hobo nicknames. All hobos had nicknames – they reflected where they were from like Tennessee Slim or Philadelphia Roderick, or whatever. Their particular skills – like Frypan Jack… I guess fried things a lot. Or Giant Leathery Wings Roland – who had giant batwings, naturally. And I thought I would give a number of hobo nicknames in my book… and that number was 700. That was all intended to be a kind of literary sight gag. You were not intended to read it. You were supposed to simply say ‘Oh, 700 hobo nicknames. That is a joke of superfluity.’

He joked that some “unbalanced” people did read them all and began drawing pictures of each hobo. When asked if he will do another list of 700 names in a future book, he says only if he thinks of such a good idea that he just has to do it. If possible, he will try to avoid it.

So after talking about hobos in the first book, people have been sending him hobo themed items. One actual product that he has discovered is Dick Van Patten’s Hobo Chili For Dogs. Besides the hobo chili, there are other ethnic varieties such as “Irish Stew” and “Chinese Take-Out.” The label on each can of dog food features Van Patten and a dog called “Chef Woofgang” in ethnically appropriate outfits. He says:

Now normally I would cheer such a sublimely unlikely product except for the fact that this was all true. Absolutely none of this was made up. And since you and I are friends, and you know what I do for a living, which is make up crazy fake trivia like – ‘What if Dick Van Patten is making dog food suddenly? And what if he went insane and started making ethnically and vagrantly themed dog food? And what if this was his new life? Wouldn’t that be an amusing joke? Yes it would be an amusing joke, UNLESS IT WERE TRUE! In which case, it’s an affront to my very living. It is as though Dick Van Patten is literally stealing food from my children’s mouths… and feeding it to ethnic dogs.

He also took questions from the audience and someone asked him about the time he accidentally twittered his personal cell phone number. One of his followers was kind enough to immediately text message him to tell him of his error so that he could delete the tweet, but his number is still out there. In fact, he still has the same phone number. To demonstrate this, he pulled out his phone (an iPhone, if you’re curious) and asked the audience if anyone had the number. Sure enough, his phone started ringing.

Another member of the audience asked if in real life he’s a Mac or a PC. He’s a Mac user (duh) and says that he has been since the 1980s. I think he’s so good at playing PC that people just get confused and forget he works for Apple.

If you can’t tell, I enjoyed this book signing immensely. It was truly one of the best bookstore events I’ve ever attended. I still can’t believe he spent an hour and a half talking with us. John was really generous with his time and he seems like a genuinely nice guy. And the best part? It was free! Seriously, check out Border’s website for events in your area. Where else can you spend an evening being entertained for free? It doesn’t get better than that.

(Photo: Courtesy of Kodamakitty on Flickr)

Corn Flakes With John Lennon – Book Signing and Q&A – November 11th, 2009 Vromans Bookstore Pasadena, CA

This past Wednesday, I had the privilege of sitting in on a Q&A session and book signing with Robert Hilburn, author of Corn Flakes with John Lennon in Pasadena, CA. Not familiar with the name? What about Bono, John Lennon, Johnny Cash, or Michael Jackson? These are just some of the big names that Robert Hilburn got to repeatedly interview during his 30+ year career as one of the most respected and influential rock critics in the world. I spent over an hour sitting on the edge of my seat while Hilburn answered question after question on what it was like to be close to some of the biggest names in rock history. I asked Robert how he was able to remember all these events that happened decades ago and if he kept a journal. He said no, he didn’t, and there are certain things he probably has forgotten with time. However, the significant things (like those items in the book), he’ll never forget. It makes sense – who could forget Johnny Cash playing you songs on his acoustic guitar in his living room, or watching cartoons with Michael Jackson in his bedroom? Memories like that tend to stick.

What immediately charmed me about Hilburn is how honest he comes across in talking about his experiences. This isn’t a guy trying to sound like he’s best friends with all the rock stars. He said it best himself when he explained that if Springsteen (whom he talks about in the book at length) was in town he wouldn’t call Hilburn, and Hilburn wouldn’t call him. Their relationship is purely professional. You listen to Hilburn tell you this, whilst at the same time noting that the introduction to the book is written by Bono and you wonder if Hilburn, if anything, isn’t overly modest.

Some of my favorite stories Hilburn shared were about:
- His late night meetings with John Lennon while they talked about Elvis and Lennon indulged in one of his guilty pleasures from room service – corn flakes with milk.
- How he helped Bob Dylan change his set-list for a concert in Jerusalem.
- How Bruce Springsteen peeked at Hilburn’s notes while he was in the bathroom and discovered what letter grade he’d given all the songs and his reaction.
- What it was like being the only journalist to visit Folsom prison during Johnny Cash’s famous recording session and concert.

As somebody who spent about 5 years working in the music industry, I’ve read all kinds of books about rock music. Some were good, while most others were written to make a quick buck. Robert Hilburn doesn’t need me to tell you he’s for real. His career speaks for itself; however, I highly encourage anybody out there who loves music to pick up a copy of this book. For me, reading Corn Flakes With John Lennon, and listening to Robert Hilburn speak, brought back what it feels like to truly love music.

To read my full review of Corn Flakes With John Lennon click here.

I went to Sherrilyn Kenyon’s August 5th book signing at Borders Books & Music in Ann Arbor, Michigan (you can watch a video from the event here). She was there to meet fans and to sign copies of her latest book in the Dark Hunter series, Bad Moon Rising. I’ve never read her books, but I thought I would go and check out the event. I was blown away by the huge number of people who came and by her fan’s intensity. Several people dressed in costumes and there was even a best costume contest before Kenyon arrived. Colored wristbands were handed out in order to prioritize groups for lining up for the book signing, but people seemed to accept that they might have to wait over 3 hours for their turn. A group of women standing near me said that last year they had waited until almost midnight to get their books signed. The long wait time is due partly to the crowds and partly because Kenyon takes pictures and chats with her fans.

While I was at this event I couldn’t help but wonder how does Sherrilyn Kenyon, who isn’t exactly a household name, manage to have such a devoted fan base? One reason is that she’s one of the founding authors of the incredibly popular paranormal romance genre. She talked a little bit about how she initially had a really hard time finding a publisher for her mixed genre books. She proved that there is a huge market for paranormal romance and Bad Moon Rising is currently number one on the New York Times bestseller list. More than that, though, she seems to really connect with her fans on a personal level. When she took questions from the audience it seemed like she was chatting with old friends. People asked about her family and wanted to talk about their own kids with her. Reading up on Kenyon, I was surprised by the obstacles she’s overcome such as child abuse, dyslexia, and being homeless. She truly has an inspirational story.

After attending this event, I was intrigued enough to buy Fantasy Lover, which Amazon lists as the first book in the Dark Hunter series. However, now I see that Sherrilyn Kenyon’s website lists Night Pleasures as the first book. I’ve only read about half of Fantasy Lover and I don’t know if I’ll read the rest because I just couldn’t get into it. I was expecting vampires and vampire slayers, but it’s about a Greek god turned sex slave. Sheesh. I’m guessing I should have started with Night Pleasures instead. Any Sherrilyn Kenyon fans care to clue me in? Do the books get better as the series progresses?

Please leave your comments below!

Daniel Silva’s twelfth book, The Defector, is currently number one on the New York Time’s bestseller list and the author was at Borders Books & Music in Birmingham, Michigan on August 3rd to speak to a packed crowd. The Defector is the ninth book to feature popular character Gabriel Allon, a retired Israeli spy who works as an art restorer. Silva spoke at length about his travels and foreign affairs with the practiced air of a college professor. He also announced his recent appointment to the council of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Silva described The Defector as a love story and said that his inspiration came from his good friend Henry Winkler (Fonzie on Happy Days). Winkler suggested that Gabriel Allon is too cool and detached and he wanted to see him show some emotion. Silva complied with his friend’s request and many critics think it may be his best book yet.

He was also inspired to write this book by the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, the Russian defector who was poisoned with radioactive material in London. This and other recent events have Silva very concerned about what is happening in Russia. He feels strongly that Vladimir Putin is rolling back democracy and is “engaged in a very systematic effort to whitewash and airbrush away the worst aspects of Russia’s communist past and to play up its successes. It is quite literally, and I mean quite literally, right now rewriting Russia’s history books.” Silva is concerned that history could repeat itself and already sees it starting to happen with recent murders of Russian journalists who had been critical of the current regime.

World politics and terrorism play a large role in Silva’s books and it is a subject he seemed very knowledgeable about. The Defector takes place in various locations around the world, including London, Paris, Lake Como, and Russia. Silva has spent time in each location, including Moscow; although now he doesn’t think he will be allowed back into Russia. It’s his understanding that the Russians were not too happy about his book Moscow Rules and would not give him a visa if he applied for one. The laws there prohibit criticism of the government, so Silva is reluctant to return after writing two books that are deeply critical of the Kremlin.

If you are waiting for a Gabriel Allon movie, don’t hold your breath. Hollywood is definitely interested, but Silva isn’t selling. Producers, directors, and actors have all pitched movie ideas to Silva but there’s always a snag. One producer/director asked Silva if Gabriel Allon really had to be Jewish, to which Silva replied, “Well, he is Israeli… I think that’s one we’re not going to be able to fudge.” He does consider each offer; he just hasn’t found the right one yet. Daniel Day Lewis is who he envisions starring as Allon.

The Defector is in stores now (you can buy it on Amazon) and if you would like to hear more from Daniel Silva check out this interview on Minnesota Public Radio.

With the release of the movie Julie & Julia only weeks away, author Julie Powell is busy promoting her best-selling book of the same name. She spoke to a crowd of about 50 fans who gathered at the Borders Books & Music in Birmingham, Michigan on Tuesday, July 21, and signed books afterwards. Julie & Julia is a memoir about the year Julie Powell cooked all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s famous book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Funny and open, she took questions from the audience about her book, the movie, and her personal life.

The day before the book signing, an article in Publisher’s Weekly kicked up some controversy because Judith Jones, Julia Child’s longtime editor, was quoted as saying Julia Child did not approve of Powell’s project. Jones claims Child said, “I don’t think she’s a serious cook.” When asked about Julia Child’s reaction to her blog, Powell said:

“Of course my first reaction was to be sort of devastated… It was incomprehensible to me I could have dedicated this year of my life and that it would be, what I had done would be read as glib or unserious. Yeah, I absolutely had that first [reaction]… I want to explain myself, if she only understood this is such a tribute… I’m so grateful to her for this year.”

She went on to say that, after thinking about it for a while, she realized that Julia Child touched so many lives, and the result is that everyone has their own inner Julia Child. She prefaced this by admitting that it is somewhat corny, but continued on to say:

“…and the thing is that everybody’s Julia is different. And so sometimes the Julias conflict and then you get in fights with people because people are very protective, people want their Julia… I’ve just decided that my Julia is ok with it.”

If you want to read more, Slashfood has an interview with Judith Jones where she expands upon her original comments. On the flip side, Elissa Altman wrote a piece for the Huffington Post where she argues that Jones needs to realize that Powell’s book is about Julie, not Julia, and in no way tarnishes Child’s work.

Powell also discussed her motivation for starting the project, which she says, at the time, came out of a desire to learn to cook and not being able to afford culinary school. In retrospect, she says that it probably had more to do with being 29 and hating her job as a secretary. As she puts it, her job was “sucking the life out of me day by day” and coming home from work and cooking Julia Child’s recipes was better than coming home “sitting in front of the television, getting drunk, and falling asleep.” It was her husband who suggested she blog about her experiences, and about six months into the blog she received a call about writing a book. She also recounted a funny story about how, after she quit her job, one of her male bosses famously declared that Powell would never make anything of herself. Now her former co-workers are thrilled by her success and throw that in his face as much as possible.

Nora Ephron wrote the screenplay for the Julie & Julia movie and met with Powell to discuss the book, something that she found exciting and intimidating. She’s a fan of Ephron’s work but found her to be very intense in person. Powell described one of her favorite scenes in the movie, a big fight with her husband, only she never told Ephron about the fight. She said Ephron must have figured it out on her own, though it felt like she had somehow gotten into Powell’s brain. She mentioned several scenes from the movie and, overall, she seemed very pleased with it. The movie Julie & Julia comes out on August 7th and Powell’s latest book, Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession, will be released in the fall.

Buy Julie & Julia by Julie Powell on Amazon by clicking here.