Reflections on the Festival of Books

I know, I know, I haven't posted in ages. That's because my mind has been slowly atrophying due to lack of work. However, I have been reading (head over to the Bibliomania blog for more on that).

In any case, this weekend was the yearly celebration/exploitation of everything literary (or tangentially-related) in Los Angeles, otherwise known as the LA Times Festival of Books. Now in it's 14th year, this thing keeps getting bigger and bigger, though not necessarily better.

Quick history: I've been to this thing so many times, and have actually been a volunteer lead (book signing areas) twice. I love, love, love that LA has one of the largest, most elaborate, most attended and most well-organized book festivals in the country (does SF even have one??). See, we're not all sun-baked airheads in So CA!!

So, a few notes on my weekend of exhaustive book-fetishising:

**Being poor really, really sucks. There won't be anything for me to do about it next weekend in Vegas, but last weekend I was able to get away with two days of entertainment for the cost of parking ($7) and food ($20 for both days). I could have brought food, but there is a balance to be found between being poor and being lazy. Sunday, I brought my own soda and water, so that worked well enough.

**The VAST majority of the authors were only too happy to sign the book I brought, since I knew I wouldn't be able to purchase their books. There were a couple of nonplussed douchebags who sneered and scribbled; with those pricks, I was sorely tempted to ask just how their sales were going and how their throats were feeling after calling out like a carnival barker (yet NO ONE was at their table when I went up). Some of the names now in the book: Susan Patron, Lisa Yee, Mike Farrell, Len Decker, Dave Kellett, the guy who does the "Rubes" comic strip, the poet Hope Anita Smith (who signed the book like a HS yearbook!), Larry Niven, Robert Masello, Cecil Castelucci, one of the designers from "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" (and the creator of "Seaweed"), Andrew Smith, Chip Mosher, Todd Borg and lots of others that I can't recognize. I think authors are used to their signatures being in books that they wrote, so they don't have to write legibly. Or maybe that's why they write books...I dunno.

**The wind picked up something awful on Saturday, which would be why several people got conked by one of the scaffolding signs to the Food Court. Is it a surprise that it was the food court that consisted solely of crap food, a la Panda Express, a coffee house and sweetened almonds? Inquiring minds don't actually care, as it was pretty brutal to see.

**An ENORMOUS crowd showed for the Eric Carle presentation in the kid's area. It was amazing and a little frightening to see so many people packed into such an enclosed outdoor space. Like Woodstock, only without the drugs, the mud, or the music. And with more children. And books. Ok, nothing like Woodstock. Moving on...

**While the crowd was listening to Eric Carle, a ginormous (huh, spell-check knows the word ginormous, I did not know that) branch fell from the trees behind the stage. Keep in mind, this wasn't too far away from or in time after the sign incident, so people were a little skittish. The branch (apprx 15 ft long) fell immediately behind the stage tents, but behind the fence that was a few feet from the tents, on the other side of which was a very busy walkway. That branch fell in the one place where no one would get hurt. It's like a Mother Nature mea culpa, I got your back.

**The guys (and lady) at Boom Studios rock. A bunch of them did a cool little info panel on Saturday (which was what put me over the edge for my now-fading sunburn) and I talked with one of the honchos on Sunday. The honcho, Chip Mosher, not only signed my book, but also gave me one of his for free. That f'ing rocked of him. I so should have asked for a job, but you can only ask for so many handouts at one time. I took the book instead.

**The festival organizers really missed the merchandising boat this year. While I get tradition and always having the Festival shirts/merchandise be similarly structured, the marketing leading up to and plastered all over the event were very cool, Eric-Carle designed slogans.

• Make Books Not War
• Peace Books Understanding (and I would always get Elvis Costello's "Peace Love and Understanding" stuck in my head when I saw this one)
• What Are You Reading
• All You Need Is Books
• I (heart) (open book)
  

I know there were a couple of others. Thing is, these WEREN'T AVAILABLE ON SHIRTS. WTF?? The closest was the LA Times info booths were handing out I (heart) (open book) pins. Slogans are hip, they're fashionable, and they're a hella lot easier to wear for most people than a giant caterpillar. It saddens me when incompetence mars my good time.

**I'm still trying to figure out what cleaning products, the lap band, medical charities and a nurses union have to do with books, literacy, publishing or learning. I have a feeling not a damn thing except the willingness to purchase booth space, but that's just not a good enough reason for those people to be there. The Festival is losing integrity, here's hoping it stifles the loss next year.

**Speaking of, favorite booth: Two guys. One sitting there, occasionally meditating, mostly crowd-watching. Other guy sitting with a portable typewriter (missing an N and a C) on his lap (though he did score a little tray table later). Sign says something to the effect of Poetry Booth: Name a Topic, Name a Price. Yep, I bought one for $2, about being an out of work booknerd. They guys were cool and pretty busy, I hope they made enough to hitch a ride back to Oakland!!

So there's a few highlights from a very, very busy weekend. I slept for a ridiculous number of hours last night, so I'm rested and ready to finish my book (People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks, if you're wondering). Oh, and look for a job. That too. :D

Another day, another $100 in books

Now, I don't want to mislead anyone by this post's title. I didn't actually spend $100 on books today. That would be ridiculous. I mean, I'm out of work, I haven't received a paycheck or income (other than book sales) in more than a month, and my savings is damn near depleted...no, I actually spent about $75. Much more reasonable...

Thing is, I justify this buying by selling the books with my Amazon store. That's why the $1 bookstore guy is so used to me (I spend about $30 at a time there), and the guys at my FAVORITE used book place, The Bookman in Orange (they have graphic novels! they have graphic novels!!), are quickly beginning to recognize me. And don't even get me started on the Friends of the Library bookstores (except for the one nearest me, I'm going to volunteer there and I PROMISED not to pilfer their collection).

So I have a pretty decent selection to sell now. Things were picking up for awhile and it took some analysis to figure out why: The fastest selling items were the ones that I bought because I would want to read them. So that's kind of changed how I've been buying books. For one, it makes it much, much more difficult to list the books that I'm trying to sell, since I'm buying books that I want to read. And it's been sort of what spurred on the sister blog that I started, Bibliomania.

So let's take a look at the books I bought today. Of course, these are only the ones I want to read NOW. There are others that look interesting, but I have to practice some restraint. Of course, peruse the store at www.amazon.com/shops/wurdnurd).

First the graphic novels:
The Good Neighbors (book 1: Kin) by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh (aka one of my favorite YA authors and one of my favorite graphic novelists). Like the first taste of peanut butter and chocolate, I just about squealed with delight upon finding this. Actually, I really did squeal. This one, I'm really, really not sure will make it to Amazon. Excuse me, must wipe drooooool.

The Un-Men: Get Your Freak On! by John Whalen and Mike Hawthorne. I really shouldn't buy books based on titles, since they tend to be zombie-sounding (i.e., Eating People Is Wrong, which is actually a very, very dull British satire). This one may sound like the zany adventures of disco-loving undead and mating mutants, but I seriously doubt it...

Across the Universe: The DC Universe Stories of Alan Moore. After finally reading through the various comics I pilfered from BEA (and from Brudder Davey's collection), I'm starting to really appreciate the superhero genre. Yes, I entered into it via the back door (graphic novels THEN comics, as opposed to, you know, the normal way), but I'm slowly feeling my way around. I went into Bookmans hoping to find a copy of the second book from League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and found this as a happy substitute.

And for the books (where I get into mighty more trouble):
Pirate's Passage by William Gilkerson. This is like Under the Black Flag, but for young adults. Oh, and it's fiction. But it has lots of history. Who DOESN'T love pirates (the past-tense swashbuckling type, not the modern-day hijack oil tankers type, of course)?

Howl by Allen Ginsberg. Do I really have to go over this one? And it has an intro by William Carlos Williams, one of my all-time favorite poets.

Jack Kerouac: King of the Beats, a Portrait by Barry Miles: Yes, I hit the Beats section at Bookmans, and I hit it hard. Would you believe that I don't think I've ever seen a photo of Jack Kerouac? He was kinda hot!

Guerrilla Radio: Rock 'n' Roll Radio and Serbia's Underground Resistance by Matthew Collin: I don't know why, but this sounds like such an awesome topic.

The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break by Steven Sherrill: So there's a minotaur and he now lives in the Southeast, working as a line cook in a diner, and his life falls apart. I shit you not. You can't make this up...well, you and I can't, but Steven Sherrill apparently can.

Letters from Pemberley by Jane Dawkins: I know, I know, I'm SUCH A CHICK!! Screw off, I still want to read it.

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel. Not only does this itty-bitty book have an obscenely long title, but it's written by everyone's favorite science-geek-girl. I wish I could understand science like Dava Sobel, but she writes so cleanly that I don't have to, I can read her books and pretend to be a smarty-two-shoes.

The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir: I'm so sick of wanting to read this book every time I see it in bookstores that I bought it; now I can stare at it longlingly every day until I finally suck it up and read it.

The Vampire of Venice Beach by Jennifer Colt: Um...You know what? I don't have to apologize for my tastes! And the cover rocks, in a Beach Blanket Bingo - cum - Charlie's Angel kind of way.

Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs: Because I can't just keep BUYING his books and NOT reading them. I think I have three (four?); it's ridiculous.

So yeah, them's the new acquisitions. Do you have a preference for what I should read first, last or somewhere in between? Post your suggestions in the comments and I may pay attention. As I finish the books, I'll post the reviews/info on Bibliomania and Shelfari, and the book will likely be available for sale in my Amazon store.

Sci Fi vs Syfy...seriously??

NY Times today (yesterday? last week?) has an article about how the Sci Fi Channel is changing it's name to Syfy.



OMG, rly?

What I love about this article is that it's essentially regurgitating a press release, claiming from ONE viewer that this is a good thing, and otherwise spewing chunks from the mouth of some tv executive's lackey.

My initial reaction to the change: Wow, even the geeks are being dumbed down. Congrats guys! Welcome to the fold!

Clearly, the execs have NO idea who watches Sci Fi. These are the guys who tend to feel superior (intellectually, morally and, um, in other ways) to the rest of humanity. They don't usually appreciate being included as part of the masses and more appreciate turning their nose up to media that is marketed to the everyday consume. I mean, do you think Dwight Schrute would watch "Syfy"?

But, as execs tend to do, they are readily turning their faces away from their core demographic ("Waaaa, we're not just aliens and space travel!! We'll prove it to you!!!") and trying to "hip" up the image. Here's the kicker: "hip" isn't. "Geek" is. I can say for myself that I *like* my enclave of geekdom being just about aliens and space travel, thankyouverymuch. The occasional forays into fantasy still keep with the central geek-theme, so that's welcome too. Quit trying to mess with a good thing!

Oh, hell, if you're going to mess with it, do it right and be obvious. Just change the name to "GeekTV" and you'll be all set.

Time for a random

Let's play a game of 25 Things (for those who don't know, this is where I blather on in an entirely egocentric and exhibitionist way). For the sake of space, patience, and theme, this will be an abbreviated version, so 10 things about me as a wurdnurd.

1) My life revolves around books. It's probably not healthy, to the extent that my obsession goes, but it's there, and it's better than some of the alternatives, so I'll let it stand.

2) Part of the reason I'm still out of work (since Sept...ouch) is because I'm not willing to start another career that's removed from my books. If it's not in a store, library, or otherwise handling books, I don't want to know about it. Sadly, there is ALWAYS someone more qualified than I am for the job. I can't even get a job at Barnes and Noble. It's frustrating and sad that I feel like I'm never good enough to do the only thing I feel I'm qualified to do.

3) Have you ever had someone tell you that they trust your taste in books implicitly and request a suggestion for their next read? I have. It's the most amazing feeling in the world. Really.

4) Perfect day: Sitting in the park on the grass when the sun is shining and the bugs are playing elsewhere and reading an engrossing, engaging and hilarious book. That's a little slice of heaven right there.

5) My Shelfari page doesn't even list all of the books I own and haven't read. Some are hidden, even from me, and won't emerge until they are ready to be read. I honestly believe that. It's the only plausible explanation for why I keep finding books in my collection that I either forgot or never knew I had.

6) I've been trying out Twitter and Facebook...I prefer blogging. (and check out the new blog that *only* about reviews and book info!!)

7) Last week, I went out for the night and forgot my wallet. It wasn't too big of a deal, I just had to drive home and get it. Even if I had been pulled over by a cop, I would have been fine, since I had used my license as a bookmark that day, and I never go ANYWHERE without my book. So yeah, I'm more likely to be carrying a book than currency or ID.

8) Yesterday, I was at Disneyland, reading in line for Splash Mountain, when I was accosted by Brer Fox and Brer Bear. Brer Fox was pointing at my book and pretending to close it (good luck with that pal), while Brer Bear kept petting my arm with his big furry paw. I really have no idea what they were getting at, and just went back to my book. Maybe that's the karma that resulted in being doused from head to toe on that ride. Lesson learned: never ignore the characters at Disneyland, they have powers we know not.

9) The next book I'm going to read is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, and I'll finish up an Alphabetical Life sometime this week as well. These will be the 6th and 7th books I've read this month. It's only March 9th.

10) I escape into books because they educate, enlighten and impress me. While I've always preferred reading to writing, it never ceases to amaze me that humans can be so creative and eloquent to convey entire worlds to their readers. I've always been jealous of that ability (much like how I'm jealous of people who can play the piano, dance, act or fix cars), because it's one I've never mastered. The closest I can get to that mastery is the appreciation of it.

Random notes

Last night I had a really great conversation with a couple of poor schmucks (sorry, but conversations I think are great tend to bore the hell out of normal people). Basically, while everyone is in a panty-twist about ebooks right now and are bemoaning (or celebrating, whatever) the demise of the hard copy book, it's really not as dire as all that.
If you can have a fully protected ebook that is shareable and accessible without additional equipment (i.e., Internet, computer, ereader, iPhone), then I would worry. As it is, books are the perfect little portable entertainment systems. You don't need power sources, RAM or screens to access the meat of a book. When you buy a book, you've bought all you need to be entertained for the next 2-8 hours. Kind of like how soccer is the most popular sport in the world because it is so readily accessible (all you need is a ball and space to play), books will continue to exist and thrive, because they are so simple.
So please, everyone, just chill out already!

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Random book of the week that I've sold on Amazon: The Theory of Group and Quantum Mechanics. And, no, it's not chick-lit.

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Something is bothering me: I'm not seeing any entry-level wurndurd positions anywhere. Libraries are only hiring management-level positions, and bookstores aren't hiring at all. The bookstore thing, I get, it's just sad. But libraries...whatever happened to promoting from within and bringing in new talent at the bottom? What happened to fostering loyalty over a career? I know a lot of libraries are worried about succession management, and they should be. For the cost of bringing in a new manager, they could be bringing in two (or more, if we're talking the SF Bay Area) entry-level Librarians. It feels frustrating and terribly backwards that the vast majority of the positions I'm finding are II, III, Supervisory or Directors, especially since those who are brought in at that level will have already superceded others in that system who wanted that job. Not exactly the best way to create a collaborative environment, you know?

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There's a book coming out in May called Smart Girls Marry Money. The romantic in me is crying right now...

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Today is the official first day of the Watchmen movie. I'm not sure I actually want to see it, knowing what ridiculous changes have been made to the story from the original. I understand the need to collapse characters and streamline the story, but to change the ending completely? To change motives and directives? Screenwriters adapting from source material (especially beloved classics like Watchmen) need to remember that the material with which they work IS NOT THEIRS. They may feel ownership because they are adapting the material for a different medium, but the language, characters, action, tone, motivations and development is someone else's.

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PW is reported this morning that Dublin has been declared a Unesco City of Literature. It joins the ranks of Edinburgh, Melbourne, and Iowa City....
There's really nothing else to say, is there...

Mistaken identities

So I recently discovered googlefight.com (thanks to Salam Pax for blogging about it, such fun!!), which eventually led to me discovering that I have a homonymous doppelganger in Internet-land. S/he is also named wurdnurd in various online communities, yet does not appear to actually read anything. S/he is obsessed with David Cook, and I mean OBSESSED (hell, I only just discovered that David Cook and Dane Cook are two different people!).

I'm not going to harp on this person's lack of taste, culture or awareness. Sure, it bothers me when someone fancies themselves to be something they are not (i.e., a wurdnurd who is clearly illiterate...no, I kid...sorta), but I'm not one to really seriously judge another person's taste. A famous quotes for bookworms: never apologize for your reading taste (I believe this is attributed to Betty Rosenburg). In the same vein, never apologize for your taste in music or obsession, but be prepared to be mercilessly ridiculed for them. :D

Actually, what kind of gets me is that people in certain communities think that I'm this other wurdnurd. Clearly, I'm not. I chose the wurdnurd moniker (which is my handle in Myspace, Twitter, Shelfari, the LOL sites, anywhere else I need to log-in with a handle and, of course, my domain) because it reflects my particular obsession, which is books, reading, and the pursuit of knowledge. Hell, yes, I feel posessive of this name, as I felt it to be a unique identifier of my online (and, to be honest, offline) persona. It bothers me that this person is using a name that clearly doesn't correlate with his/her particular interests, and I am suffering the fallout of that, with folks finding, following and/or contacting me online because of the wurdnurd moniker and thinking that I am this someone else.

I know it shouldn't bother me, but it does. It bothers me more than when someone asks if I'm related to a particular jack-hole late night host because we share a last name. It bothers me more than being serenaded with Sarah Smiles, Sara (Fleetwood Mac or, more often, Jefferson Starship) or the Sara Lee jingle. It bothers me more because I did not choose my first or last name, but I did carefully choose my online handle. Back in 2007. Back before this poser decided to coopt my name and start causing me headaches. Back when I though the name was unique and reflective of a bibliovore, a lover of books, a literate consumer, a obsessive reader...not a David Cook fangirl/boy.

Sigh. My mom was right, I should trademark the name and just be done with it...

Ok, rant over. Peace out, Seacrest (d'oh!).

Oy veh, the joys of new toys

As happens to just about EVERYONE at some point, my computer was demolished by an evil, awful, horrible virus on Sunday. Luckily, I was able to load all my necessary files to an external hard drive (thank you safe mode!)...except for the pictures (again!). Moving on.

So the Dell guy has replaced half my laptop. Seriously: mother board, hard drive, memory...he'll be coming back to fix the speakers (wiring was somehow cut...damn gremlins), replace the keyboard, rubber feet and left mouse button. I'm very slowly getting a new laptop. And this is why the extended warrantee is a good deal.

Of course, this also means I have to load ALL my programs back onto the computer. You know, all those little programs that make the Internet a little more friendly, like Firefox, iTunes, Adobe Reader, the .docx converter, Flash, Java...I know I'm forgetting some, and I'll soon realize what it is when I hit that one web page where it makes all the difference.

But the joy of this is that I'm now discovering all the latest and greatest little gadgets that make the Internet a cluttered little app-ville. Like Twitter. And Facebook (don't laugh, I only just joined this week...or last week...whatever). So, yeah, I'm now spewing randomness into the Ether just like everyone else. At least I'm not so delusional as to think that anyone reads this, or the Twitter thing, or even Facebook (except for Jammy, who's my reason d'etre on there anyway).

Does this make me part of the overstimulated, hyperconnected, self-obsessed generation that has the attention span of an overcaffenated gnat? Hm. Yeah, I guess so.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I have to Tweet, throw some beads and make some fake friends...


Look me up on Twitter under wurdnurd!