Notes: Seajay Seen in London; New Library in Baltimore
There may have been some astounding rights deals taking place at the London Book Fair yesterday, but for us the most astounding moment was bumping into and catching up with Carol Seajay, the editor and publisher of the late Feminist Bookstore News, one of the best publications that ever covered bookselling. After FBN, Carol set up Books to Watch Out For, a monthly subscription e-mail service about feminist, lesbian and gay books that she continues to head. Last September, Carol made another major change, moving to England to become director--that is president and CEO--of Mslexia, a quarterly magazine for women in the U.K. who write. Naturally for a Seajay publication, it's a friendly, informative journal with many articles about writing, writing in progress, book reviews, information about literary prizes, competitions, retreats, workshops and more. Mslexia has 11,000 paid subscribers. Her many fans should know that Carol seems very happy--and is still amazed that a headhunter recruited her for the job.
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If the first library to open in Baltimore, Md., in 35 years reminds you of a contemporary bookstore, there's a good reason. Community volunteer Jacqueline Watts told the the Baltimore Examiner that the genesis of the 27,000-sq.-ft., $11 million Enoch Pratt Southeast Anchor Library was an awareness of changing consumer tastes: "When [Free Library executive director] Carla Hayden arrived in 1993, she said the new concept for super bookstores was that they copied ideas from libraries and created lounge areas. . . . Dr. Hayden said it was time for us to start stealing from them." The library, which opens May 14, will feature an 80,000-volume collection, computer lab, self-checkout, drive-through window for book pick-ups and a café.
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Nicki
Leone, who among other things develops marketing and outreach programs
for the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance and tends to SIBA's
list serve, has a lovely column on BiblioBuffet called A Room Full of Books
that will resonate with all book lovers: it's about her dream library,
which she recently created in her home. As she put it, "You can take
the girl out of the bookstore, but you can't take the bookstore out of
the girl!"
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Senator John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry, co-authors of This Moment on Earth, made headlines during their whirlwind western book tour over the weekend.
The Denver Post reported that on Sunday the couple appeared at the LoDo Tattered Cover bookstore, where "about 250 people" attended a speech and book signing that "kicked off the LoDo Earth Action Festival, a series of environmentally conscious events leading up to Earth Day."
On Saturday Kerry signed books for a crowd of 350 at a Borders bookstore in Santa Fe, N.M. According to the Sante Fe New Mexican, Teresa Heinz Kerry arrived late for the event, but was able to sign some copies. Also in attendance were U.S. Representative Tom Udall (D-N.M.) as well as three New Mexico ranchers featured in the book--Gilbert Armenta, Tweeti Blancett and Linn Blancett.
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Christopher Stoddard wrote a poignant tribute to Kurt Vonnegut for the Orlando Sentinel in which he recalled "rushing into the Borders bookstore on Main Street in Ann Arbor, Mich., in the fall of 1973 to get a copy of Breakfast of Champions." Stoddard and a friend had made a pact to support living writers they loved by purchasing their works in hardcover. This group included Vonnegut, who "spoke to us like a crazy old uncle." At the cash register, the cash-strapped Stoddard was reduced to searching desperately through his pockets for change when he found himself a dime short of the purchase price. The bookseller, however, recognizing a kindred reading soul, offered to make up the difference because "He's my favorite author, too," she said. So it went.
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