Most Recent Entries

• The New Morrison Novel: In my hot little hands!
• A New Jersey Moment
• Jackson & Gonzalez @ Newark
• Jersey Journals

Categories

• Book Tour
• Bookshelf
• Cocktails With Writers
• Community Service
• Current Events
• D.C. Diaries
• Guest Bloggers
• Jersey Journals
• Living For The City
• News
• Real Lives, Real Stories
• The Artist's Way
• The Writing Life
• Travels & Rambles
• Writing

Search

This weblog is licensed under a
Creative Commons License

Syndicate this site (XML)

The New Morrison Novel: In my hot little hands!

A couple of days ago I was tootling down Jersey Ave, here in Jersey City, and I stumbled upon the coziest bookstore, Imagine Atrium. I could not believe that I live within 3 blocks of an independent bookstore and didn't even know it. Me, being me, I walked right in and introduced myself to Garrad, the owner. We talked a lot about books and about the importance of supporting local businesses.

On the check out desk was a novel displayed in a little stand. A sign underneath said, "Review This Book For Our Website." I, thinking on my feet said, "Do you have an early copy of the new Toni Morrison novel?" Garrad said, "No, but maybe I could get it." I will spare you the details of me dancing a jig and urging him on. Today, he called me and told me that I could come and pick it up.

Imagine Atrium is part of "Indie Bound" the organization of independent bookstores, formerly known as Booksense. The difference is that Indie Bound is not about just about bookstores. It's about spending your money in your community. It's about fighting the homogenization of our culture. It's about raising awareness and it's about rigor. Indie Bound is about supporting institutions that support you and not handing over all your resources to the big chains that don't really care about readers or writers or citizens in general.

If you are ever in Jersey City, check out his store. He cares about what we care about.

Posted at 06:45 PM | Comments (1)
Category: Jersey Journals

A New Jersey Moment

New Jersey residents are required to move our cars from one side of the street to the other each day in order to accommodate the street sweeper. (I have watched the sweeper several times, and I haven't noticed any difference in the street cleanliness.) Anyway, I was out this morning in an outfit that is more formal that pajamas and less formal than, say, sweatpants. It was 8am and I just needed to get my car to the safe side of the street to avoid a $45 ticket.

Anyway, I noticed cars backed up behind a short yellow school bus. This being Jersey, everyone was honking like they got paid by the decibel. The school bus was parked in front of an apartment building with its stop signs out. Eventually a kind of stocky man wearing an undershirt and pair of drawstring pants came hustling out with a little girl in his arms. His biceps were covered with elaborate tattoos featuring the suffering head of Jesus and assorted pin-ups. He carried the girl carefully; her posture suggested that she was developmentally delayed.

Observing the line of honking cars, the tattooed gentleman covered the girl's eyes and proceed to make a really vulgar hand gesture. (I was clutching at my pearls!) Then, he carried the girl onto the bus. When the door hissed shut, he blew a dozen kisses at the window as the bus drove away. Once he was certain that his sweet girl was out of eye and ear shot, he made the gesture twice more and included the verbal translation, before returning to the apartment.

Welcome to the neighborhood.

Posted at 11:25 AM | Comments (1)
Category: Jersey Journals

Jackson & Gonzalez @ Newark

Last night, poets Major Jackson and Rigoberto Gonzalzes read as part of the Writers at Newark series. As a faculty member, I was part of the organizing and you know how it is when you are on the committee, you worry, worry, worry. Silly me. These two were 100% professional and 200% talented. In short, they rocked the house and it was a challenging house to rock.

The audience included the MFA students, who, of course, were glad to be there. Also in attendance were some of my wonderful undergraduates who were under just the slightest bit of pressure, and (this was such a treat) 16 high school students from St. Benedict's! Only truly gifted poets could give a reading that had everyone enthralled.

Yes, yes, yes I took pictures. And of course I wore new shoes. For Major and Rigoberto, I pulled out all the stops.

Posted at 10:57 AM | Comments (1)
Category: Jersey Journals

Jersey Journals

Since I am pulling up stakes from DC, I thought I should probably start a new category for my observations in my new home-- New Jersey. I'll call it "Jersey Journals."

I am writing this from my new apartment. Boxes are all over the place. (Cardboard recyling isn't until Thursday.) Black Hefty bags stuffed with paper, styrofoam, etc are blocking my way. (Garbage can be taken to the curb only after six p.m. on Mondays.) These are just two early signs that things here in Jersey are different than in any of the NINE places I have lived since 1991.

One of the most striking things about Jersey City is that it is gentrifying. I wrote a bit about Atlanta's "urban renewal" in my second novel, The Untelling. Well, I am here to tell you. You haven't seen urban renewal until you have seen it N.E. style! My friend, Allison, calls it "The Invisible Electric Fence."

Continue reading this entry

Posted at 07:14 AM | Comments (5)
Category: Jersey Journals