Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Forget Black Friday- We Have Small Business Saturday!



Forget "Black Friday"-- we have "Small Business Saturday" (or, for the book version, "Indies First").  

Save your black Friday money for some of our local independent bookstores-- Mac's Backs Books On Coventry, Loganberry Books, Appletree Books, or your favorites around town (and, if you're further away, don't forget Learned Owl in Hudson, Main Street Books in Mansfield, and the Wooster Book Company in Wooster.)

Saturday Nov 26 they will ALL have events going on featuring local writers! And it's a good day to stroll Coventry, or Larchmere, or Cedar-Fairmont (or, why not all of these?) to check out the quirky local stores to get a start on your Christmas list.


Mac's Backs Small Business Saturday:
This year Small Business Saturday is November 26th. Mac's will be featuring specials throughout the day, sweet treats and raffling some cool stuff.
  • Portrait photographer Laura Wimbel will be at Mac's between Noon-1p.m. to sign copies of Faces of Cleveland 
  • Terry Pluto will be signing The Comeback: LeBron, The Cavs and Cleveland (and the rest of his books!) between 1-2 p.m. 
  • Artist Dakarai has just published a book of collages and he will be signing between 5-6 p.m.
Shop Small is a nationwide movement to celebrate small businesses every day and to help communities thrive. While Small Business Saturday is highlighted as a special day when we can show our support as a nation for small business owners and our communities, the Shop Small Movement is a year-round campaign to celebrate and support small businesses every day.

Loganberry Books Indies First:
Larchmere Holiday Stroll Friday, November 25, 2016, 10:00AM—8:00PM
Now in its 45th year, the Larchmere Holiday Stroll is our kick-off to the holiday season!  The dozens of shops on Larchmere represent the gamut from fine antiques to thrift, high style to barber shops, Brazilian fine dining to Michael Symon’s favorite dive --  but not a single store here is a chain store! Browse the boulevard to see what’s new (Ipanema Market, Whiplash Studio, Fasi's Cultural Experience, Poisonberry Bakery, Grey's Pie Shop), and enjoy treats at each (hot mulled cider and cookies at Loganberry).  Traditional horse and buggy can help you traverse the 10 blocks on Friday and Saturday, 12-4pm.  And at Loganberry, enjoy the sweet sounds of guitar maestro Brian Henke, 12-2pm. We’ll be open until 8pm! 

Indies First Saturday, November 26, 2016, 10:00AM—6:00PM 
Now in its 4th year, the national Indies First event celebrates the quirky, bedrock resource that independent bookstores bring to their local communities. Gathering grounds for people to talk to their neighbors, find inspiration and relaxation in books, to explore other viewpoints, historical and international perspectives, and classic children’s lit, independent bookstores are all different and yet all the same.  Greater Cleveland is fortunate to have half a dozen indie bookstores, so check us out on Indies First, and enjoy our special offerings, too.  At Loganberry, we’ll have free tote bags (while supplies last), refreshments, customer appreciation gifts, and local author book signings.  You can ask the authors for book recommendations, too! Here’s the author schedule: 
·         11:00-12:00 Tricia Springstubb, Every Single Second
·         12:00-1:00 Nikki Delamotte, 100 Things to Do in Cleveland Before You Die 
·         1:00-2:00 D.M. Pulley, The Buried Book 
·         2:00-3:00 Laura Wimbels, Faces of Cleveland 
·         3:00-4:00 Joanna Connors, I Will Find You 

Small Business Sunday, November 27, 2016, 12:00PM—5:00PM
 If we still have Shop Small tote bags in stock, we’ll keep on giving them away on Sunday, too, and you get American Express extra points until the end of the year.  Sundays are generally a little quieter, so we scheduled the children’s activity for Sunday.  Join us for a Very Bear Affair with author Dave Cockley (Those Rockin’ Cleveland Kids) at 1:00, and bring your teddy bears if you’re so inspired!  Dave will have many bears, including Benjamin Bear, for games and photo opportunities. 


Appletree books Small Business Saturday:
Support your local favorite independent bookstore and other small businesses as you shop for holiday gifts! Joining us for the day will be:
  • Susan Rich, designer and owner of Hazelmade, creator of notecards, one-of-a-kind greeting cards, calendars, tea towels, and more
  • Marsha Everett, jewelry designer and author of the historical novel, Matthew Brayton, Indian Captive (Windjammer Adventure Publishing).

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Celebrate Cleveland Legend Russell Atkins Nov. 19th

Diane Kendig writes:

Nov. 19th: BE In the Company of Russell Atkins

Book Launch  Party!

Saturday, November 19, 2016, 2:00-3:30 p.m.*

for In the Company of Russell Atkins:  A celebration...

Please join us for some tributes and poems from the book read by Yaseen Assami, John Donoghue, Dawn Lundy-Martin, M A Shaheed, Joan Nicholl, Okantah, P K Saha, Leonard Trawick, Ra Washington and editors Diane Kendig and Bob McDonough and others.


The poet Robert Creeley often pointed to "the company of poets," how it fuels our life and our work, and certainly those of us who have been fueled by the life and work of Russell Atkins-- which includes his work as poet, editor, composer, teacher, colleague, and friend--will want to be there in person or in spirit to salute him in his 90th year. 

The book was the brainchild of two of the "Friends of Atkins," Assami and Shaheed who asked Bob McDonough and myself to edit it. Assisted by Russell himself, we contacted many poets who knew of Russell's work, with a request that they send their thoughts on him and a few of their own poems. Twenty-seven responded, including Russell, who has written a new poem that will be in the book along with others by him. Then, George Bilgere graciously wrote an introduction to the resulting collection, which is being published by Red Giant. It will be available at Mac's Backs in Cleveland Heights and can be ordered by any bookstore and online at Amazon. But don't wait: join us on Saturday and get the first copies there. 

Russell Atkins plans to be there, and there will be time to greet him or meet him, if you never have met him before, to buy and sign books and eat cake in the reception to follow. Long live our company!

1876 S. Green Road, between Mayfield & Cedar Road
South Euclid, OH 44121





Wednesday, November 9, 2016

November is for-- poetry!

Diane Kendig
Diane Kendig has declared November-- notionally the National Novel Writing Month-- to be a month for poetry instead!
She had written thirty poetry prompts for the "Read + Write: 30 Days of Poetry" feature of national poetry month last April... but had been to busy to actually write poems in April. So, now she's doing prompts for November.

Prompts, News, and a Poet Who Did It:
Follow along on Diane Kendig's blog, Home Again.



Cited...

The poet doesn't invent. He listens. ~Jean Cocteau