New nonfiction

In today's Miami Herald I have a review of a new book by David Grann, author of last year's excellent The Lost City of Z. This one, called, The Devil and Sherlock Holmes, is a compilation of his magazine work and it is really good. Some of them I had read, fairly recently even, in The New Yorker (because for awhile there I was about six months behind in New Yorker reading until I finally decided to give up and admit that I was not going to read every single avant-garde artist profile and Afghanistan takeout all the way through. I feel bad about it, though). Anyway Grann's work is good. Really, really good. Calvin Trillin/Tony Horwitz good. So read it and support good nonfiction! Speaking of good nonfiction, if Wordpress and/or my wireless cooperate -- I don't want to be paranoid but it seems that since I reduced our landline service our internet has ... slowed ... way ... down -- I'm adding a new link on the blogroll -- Hank Stuever's blog, Tonsil. It's a great chatty blog about Stuever's doings and readings and thoughts in general. He's been one I've been keeping an eye on since I reviewed his book Offramp for Solares Hill back in 2003 or so (and even better, got blurbed in the paperback! Woo hoo!). I'm ashamed to say I haven't read his new book, Tinsel, about the weird ways Americans celebrate Christmas but I just downloaded it to the Kindle so I hope to get to it soon.

One Island One Book

Ever been curious about Big Read type programs, where a whole community reads the same book then gathers for discussions, etc.? We're giving it a try at the Key West Library in a program called One Island One Book -- and our choice for this inaugural year is "To Have and Have Not" by Ernest Hemingway. It's not considered one of Hemingway's best works -- but it was written here, it's set here and it takes place in the 1930s, a time that has special resonance for us in these uncertain economic times. The events take place during the first two weeks of March -- you can pick up a schedule at the Key West Library, check out our blog or join the One Island One Book group on Facebook. There will be movie screenings (including the film of the same name starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall), documentaries about Hemingway and the Federal Writers Project and talks about the book and the WPA in Key West. The grand finale will be Sunday, March 14, at 2 p.m. when the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum is dedicated as a Literary Landmark. Writer Les Standiford will speak. Please join us for any and all events.

Lucky eight times

[gallery] These are images of six of the eight works of art that will be won by entrants in the Lucky Street Gallery's Lucky Eight Raffle to benefit Partners In Health -- the artists are Rebecca Bennett, Deb Goldman, Roberta Marks, John Martini, Carol Munder, AD Tinkham and Rick Worth. Tickets cost $10 and can be found at Lucky Street Gallery or with a bunch of folks including me (Nan). If you are having trouble finding them, email me at nklingener (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll find you. Thanks everyone and hope to see you Sunday -- 6 p.m. at The Studios of Key West, where we'll hear from Madison Smartt Bell and have the chance to bid on a lot more art and some great signed books.

Buy Art (And Books!), Save Lives

It turns out that Madison Smartt Bell, of all people, is in Key West this week for a residency at The Studios of Key West. When my husband Mark heard that he immediately launched plans for a fundraiser benefiting Partners in Health. Bell is the author of a trilogy of novels on the Haitian Revolution -- All Souls Rising, Master of the Crossroads and The Stone That the Builder Refused -- and a biography of Haitian Revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture. He also had a piece in Sunday's New York Times, introducing different writers on Haiti.

The fundraiser is on: It's this Sunday, Jan. 24, at The Studios, 600 White Street, starting at 6 p.m. Bell will speak and it will feature a silent auction of donated works of art and signed books by writers including Annie Dillard, Robert Richardson, Judy Blume, Meg Cabot, Robert Stone, James Gleick, Valerie Martin, Margaret Atwood and Stuart Woods.  For more information email soulsnotlost@gmail.com.

Helping Haiti

This post has nothing to do with books or libraries or the Red Sox or any of my usual obsessions. This post is merely my personal appeal, on the chance anyone stumbles across this blog while looking for something else. If you want to help Haiti, please consider sending money to Partners in Health. You can find them, and their special earthquake relief effort, at Stand With Haiti. Partners in Health has been working on the ground in Haiti for 20 years -- and is, in effect, a Haitian organization. You can be sure your money will go directly to Haiti and will do good. I know many people who are collecting goods with the best of intentions and I pray that those goods reach people who need them in a timely manner. But I think it is faster and more effective to support those who already work in this country and who have a proven track record of making a real difference. I can't imagine how they can contend with the current situation. But I want to support them any way I can, which at the moment is with money. I lied: There is a book angle to this. If you are interested in learning more about Partners in Health, check out Tracy Kidder's excellent book about Paul Farmer, Mountains Beyond Mountains.

Kidder today wrote a blog post on the Stand With Haiti site. Here's an excerpt:

Many people have been writing to ask what they can do. Paul reports, “I just talked to some of my Haitian coworkers who are in Port-au-Prince in the general hospital, and they’ve reported to work. [But] they don't have electricity yet. They don't have the supplies that they need. But there's a lot of Haitian health professionals, doctors, nurses, aides who would like to [do their job], but to do that you need the supplies. You have to have the basics. Gauze, plaster, or other casts. You have to have the equipment that you need. Anesthesia, pain medications, antibiotics. And that's what some of my medical colleagues are asking us for, supplies."

PIH is purchasing and procuring donated supplies around the clock. To aid in these efforts, please consider making a donation to their efforts today.

- Tracy Kidder

What he said. Thanks for reading this.

Nan