Spooks & Goblins on the Page
October 30, 2011

Friends, please be aware of how dangerous Halloween is for cats, especially black cats. If you own any cats or know people who do please do the cats the favor of their lives and keep them indoors for a few days. They can’t understand the reason but they don’t need to. They just need to be kept safe. (Mine are all black and are always indoors.)

As for me, I will be enjoying on Sunday and Monday nights, along with the cats on my lap, three holiday selections: my annual rereading of H.G. Wells’ original story, The War of the Worlds and Orson Welles’s infamous audio version of the book. They both begin perfectly with that perfect first paragraph guaranteed to bring shivers even today.

No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinised and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinise the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter. It is possible that the infusoria under the microscope do the same. No one gave a thought to the older worlds of space as sources of human danger, or thought of them only to dismiss the idea of life upon them as impossible or improbable. It is curious to recall some of the mental habits of those departed days. At most terrestrial men fancied there might be other men upon Mars, perhaps inferior to themselves and ready to welcome a missionary enterprise. Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us. And early in the twentieth century came the great disillusionment.

Of course, the two men hardly have a lock on Halloween reading in the classical tradition. For true fans of the weird, there are HP Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, and Sheridan LaFanu stories. Dracula and Frankenstein are always excellent choices. Other authors and stories can be found at Classic Horror. 

So . . . what will you be reading?

Upcoming Book Festivals and Fairs:
New York and Texas dominate the book fairs coming up but those in Nevada and Ohio are in for a treat. Let’s have a look.

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Site: Various venues
Festival: Vegas Valley Book Festival
Date: November 3-6
This is one great festival (“A celebration of imagination”) which has three components, each special. First is the four-day main book festival where “100 authors, 100 events and 10,000 readers” gather to share readings, panels, writing workshops, book signings, art exhibits, spoken word performances, storytelling, and other special events that emphasize the Los Vegas region and its history. The comic book festival has, for the first time, Artist Alley, the return of Kirby Krackle, special guests, panels, films, merchandise from local comic shops, and “all sorts of other geek-tastic awesomeness!” The children’s book festival features both national and local authors and illustrators, arts and crafts, theatrical and musical performances, storytellers, free books, costumed characters, and more. And the whole thing is free.

Location: Austin, Texas
Site: JCC Community Hall
Festival: Austin Jewish Community Book Fair
Date: November 3-12
This 28th annual fair begins on Thursday morning with the Book Lovers’ Luncheon where Melissa Fay Greene will be the honored guest. Then on Sunday, November 6, there are two special events: Bagels, Books and News, and Opening Night: Spirituality, Scholars, Secret Agents and ShowBiz. The rest of the week continues with more author-oriented events culminating on Sunday with the Global Day of Jewish Learning. Details on all events will be found at the website.

Location: Rochester, New York
Site: Monroe Community College
Festival: Rochester Children’s Book Festival
Date: November 5
“Books from Tots to Teens” is emblazoned across the home page of this festival’s website, and that’s precisely what it will focus on from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Nearly four dozen authors and illustrators of books for young readers will be there to share their books, their thoughts and all the fun that can be had. Admission and parking are free.

Location: Houston, Texas
Site: Museum of Printing History
Festival: Houston Book Fair
Date: November 5
This event is now in its ninth year, and it has a nice variety of offerings for attendees: two dozen exhibitors with antiquarian and rare books, fine bindings, first editions, Texana, history, Civil War, art books, children’s books, mysteries, illustrated books, classics, historical documents & maps, ephemera, prints and photographs, comics, and book art crafts, open working studios at the museum, free book appraisals from 10:00 to noon, a presentation from the editor of Literary Houston and another from the author of The Trials of Eroy Brown, and more. Admission is free for museum members and $5 for all others.

Location: Wooster, Ohio
Site: Fisher Auditorium
Festival: Buckeye Book Fair
Date: November 5
Nearly 100 Ohio writers and illustrators will be appearing from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm to talk about their books, meet fans, and sign copies. There will also be speakers, special activities for children, and the opportunity to purchase autographed books at discount.

Location: Long Island, New York
Site: Hofstra University Student Center
Festival: Long Island Vintage Book & Ephemera Fair
Date: November 5-6
From 11:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturday and from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday, exhibitors from all over the U.S. will gather to share and sell their collections of rare books, maps, prints, and other ephemera. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for those ages 12-21. Parking is free, and there will also be homemade refreshments plus free book appraisals on Sunday from 1:00-3:00 pm.

The Pub House:
Arundel Publishing is a new independent house that specializes in young adult, nonfiction, mysteries and thrillers. Its mission, besides producing worthwhile literature, is to apply fair business practices to its work and to demonstrate a commitment to philanthropy by donating a portion of each title's proceeds to charity. I have no doubt that with the professional publishing resumes of its staff that this house, despite being new, will succeed. Right now, though, they only have a few books. In the fiction arena is the Eden thriller e-book trilogy, books that “weave history, archeology, and the struggle between good and evil into a mystery of unrelenting suspense and intrigue” with protagonist U.S. Army Chaplain Jaime Richards whose time in the Middle East sets the pace and story for each of the adventures she faces. Also in fiction is These Violent Delights, a contemporary mystery based in the world of film.  Only one book is in the young adult category: Wacko Academy, the story of eighth grader Lily Mason who is kidnapped and brought to the elite Wackerson Academy where in order to outwit the school’s nefarious owner she must team up with his  son in a “funny, harrowing and romantic” tale.

Imaging Books & Reading:
Given that this was taken in Central Park it’s a sure bet that no one is reading in this same spot today. But, oh, what a great reading spot!

Of Interest:
Ten Myths About Bookselling is the title of this post over at the UsedFurniture Review, a new online literary magazine that features all genres of writing and art. Some of the myths you may know—bookselling is not a job that allows you to spend all day reading—but others are new and fun. Enjoy this look at those caring people who come between us and our books with lots of wise advice. Oh, and with the holiday season rapidly approaching, be sure to pay attention to Myth #4.

Until next week, read well, read often and read on!

Lauren