We’ve gotten two outstanding blurbs so far for Louise Steinman’s THE CROOKED MIRROR: A Memoir of Polish-Jewish Reconcilation, which Beacon Press is publishing this November. Alexandra Fuller, author of Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, praised it as “heroic in all the old senses of the word: a journey of a literal sort; a journey into the terrible past; and a journey into her own soul. Unblinking, scrupulous and enduring.” Jonathan Kirsch, author of The Short, Strange Life of Herschel Grynszpan and so many other books of Jewish interest, called it “both provocative and ultimately redemptive, a book that will appeal to a wide audience of readers who care about history, genealogy, and the possibility of peace between estranged peoples.”
Praise for LEAVING TINKERTOWN
Tanya Ward Goodman’s father painted carnival signs for a living and raised his family in Tinkertown Museum, a roadside attraction in rural New Mexico whose walls were made of beer bottles. When he was diagnosed in his 50s with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, Goodman gave up her writing career and a new love in Los Angeles to move back home, only to become more and more unmoored as her father’s memory grew hazy. Being her father’s daughter was what she did best; when he inevitably forgot her name, who would she be? Her memoir, LEAVING TINKERTOWN (forthcoming from the University of New Mexico Press), is an account both humorous and heart-wrenching of the ways that loss reshaped her eccentric family and propelled her to realize that her place in the world lay outside “the museum.” We’ve received some marvelous blurbs for it, including these from novelists Michelle Huneven and David Ebershoff:
“Tanya Ward Goodman, writing with a big heart, clear eyes, and a light touch, allows us a privileged glimpse into the shabby, enchanted world of traveling carnivals, roadside attractions, and a beloved, eccentric father’s descent into Alzheimers. Just as her dad animated the handcarved, miniature western world of Tinkertown from coat hangers, inner tubes and old sewing machine motors, Tanya Ward Goodman has fashioned her complex and often hilarious memories into a beguiling, wry, and moving work of art.” —Michelle Huneven, author of Blame
“A moving story about a father and daughter, both artists who created something special out of imagination and love. Ross Ward left us his magical world of Tinkertown. And Tanya Ward Goodman has given us this beautiful book.” — David Ebershoff, author of The 19th Wife
NAACP Image Award nomination for THE GOOD FOOD REVOLUTION
THE GOOD FOOD REVOLUTION by urban farmer Will Allen (with Charles Wilson) was just nominated for an NAACP Image Award for best biography/autobiography. The book is also on the 800-CEO-READ Business Book Awards shortlist in the Small Biz/Entrepreneurship category. Go Will!
Some love from CasaSugar for Kishani Perera and Kyle Schuneman
Here’s a best-of-2012 list that makes me feel all holiday spirit-y: CasaSugar’s “Best Coffee Table Tomes of 2012,” which features books by two clients: Kishani Perera’s VINTAGE REMIX (Abrams) and Kyle Schuneman’s THE FIRST APARTMENT BOOK: COOL DESIGN FOR SMALL SPACES (Clarkson Potter). Congrats to both!
COMET’S TALE goes back to press
“We’re reprinting” are the words that every author and agent hope to hear. We learned yesterday that Algonquin is rushing to reprint Steve Wolf’s wonderful account of his life with his beloved greyhound, Comet. On top of that, Hudson News has selected Comet’s Tale for their Best of 2012 list, which means it will be displayed up front in all its stores. USA TODAY recently featured the book in a roundup of books for dog and cat lovers. The newsletter Reading Group Choices has also recommended it. I’m just scratching the surface here!
Kyle Schuneman to appear on CBS’s The Talk
It’s almost impossible to keep up with the flood of publicity for THE FIRST APARTMENT BOOK: Cool Design for Small Spaces by Kyle Schuneman with Heather Summerville and with photographs by Joe Schmelzer (Clarkson Potter). As Kyle said at the New York launch, “Not overlooking your life because your living space is temporary is what the book is all about.” (Thanks to Apartment Therapy, which covered the launch, for the quote.) You can see Kyle on CBS’s The Talk on October 12. Or you can read about him in Dwell, House Beautiful, Redbook, the Los Angeles Times, and on tons of online media (including Curbed, Decorista, Home Design with Kevin Sharkey on marthastewart.com and Desire to Inspire). Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Couch Magazine, Dabble Magazine, HGTV Magazine, and many other places are also slated to cover him. The book is available at Urban Outfitters and Lowes. Is Kyle taking over the world? I think so.
17th printing!
Congratulations to Diana Wells, whose 100 FLOWERS AND HOW THEY GOT THEIR NAMES was just reprinted for the 17th time by Algonquin. The book currently has 142,000 copies in print. I do believe it will sell forever!
Rave Kirkus review for COMET’S TALE
The advance reviews are starting to come in for Steven Wolf’s memoir COMET’S TALE: How the Dog I Rescued Saved My Life, which Algonquin is publishing in October. Here’s what Kirkus had to say:
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The close bond between man and dog is only part of this absorbing tale of love, family and dealing with disability.
At 43, Wolf, a successful attorney, appeared to be at the top of his game when his spine gave way. Only gradually do we learn that his physical problems began when he was 16 and required a spinal fusion. In the years since his surgery, he had pushed himself to the limit. His condition was considered inoperable, and he was forced to retire—and spend the winter in Arizona while his family remained in Omaha. Depressed and suffering agonizing pain despite heavy medication, he struggled to maintain his independence. An encounter with foster greyhounds led him to adopt Comet, an abandoned greyhound who had been trained to race. Comet was not only an affectionate companion; he was also protective and sensitive to his owner’s increasing disability. The author began to rely on Comet to help him navigate simple tasks such as getting out of bed or opening doors, and ultimately he trained him to become a service dog who could accompany him everywhere. With the assistance of Padwa (Quick, Answer Me Before I Forget the Question: Everything You Need to Know About Turning 50, 2007, etc.), Wolf offers a wealth of fascinating detail about Comet’s socialization and about the breed, who are valued for their keen intelligence, speed and agility. After several years, Wolf found an orthopedic surgeon who was able to partially reconstruct his spine, increase his mobility and reduce his pain. The author admits to becoming manic and refusing to recognize that he was still fundamentally disabled. In his obsessive drive to resume his former life, he alienated his wife, who could not accept his self-destructive behavior. Only then was he able to come to terms with his previously flawed view of manliness and independence, rebuild his marriage and treasure each day.
A heartwarming story that will hold appeal far beyond just animal lovers.
Ten best books for thinking parents
Parenting.com just named Eileen Kennedy-Moore and Mark Lowenthal’s SMART PARENTING FOR SMART KIDS one of the ten best books for thinking parents. As Melissa Taylor wrote here, “This book is exceptionally helpful! It talks about tempering perfectionism and tells us parents to resist giving pointers to our kids (aka. shut up and listen, in my words.) I loved the chapters on temperament, sensitivity, cooperation, joy, and . . . heck, it’s all good.”
Recognition for Kim Boyce
Kate Krader, Food & Wine‘s restaurant editor, recently compiled a list of 10 must-visit new bakeries in the U.S. Kim Boyce’s Bakeshop is on it. Kim is the author of the Beard Award-winning baking book, GOOD TO THE GRAIN: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours, which Kate hails as “fantastic.” Check the article out here.