Lois Leveen

Blog

May 10, 2012

File under:  Librarians—Partying—Texting—Non-fiction

Not-so-undercover exposé: Partying with librarians! Had drinks with a couple of librarians last night. Loose-lipped, I admitted I'd checked WorldCat earlier in the day to see what libraries already had my book.

"I'm in the Library of Congress!" I kvelled. Even though I, and the librarians, knew this was really not saying much. The LOC pretty much adds every book to its holdings. But still, it sounds so OFFICIAL. Like maybe what has John Boehner weeping this week is some touching scene I wrote.

The partying librarians, however, were all business. "What're your LOC subject headings?" one asked.

"I dunno," I said.

The librarians looked at me in shock, and then shouted in unison, "TEXT A LIBRARIAN!" Which it turns out is a nifty service in which you text message a question and somewhere a librarian toiling in darkest night researches the answer and texts you back. It's just like google but with that touch of civic pride that any library engagement involves.

So here, fresh off the text message, are the Subject Headings for *The Secrets of Mary Bowser*:

Bowser, Mary Elizabeth, ca. 1840- --Fiction.
Freedmen --Fiction.
Women spies --Fiction.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 --Secret service--Fiction.
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May 7, 2012

Don’t Fire Till You See the Whites of Their Wine

Two Civil War action figures in front of boxes of wine
I'm thrilled that The Secrets of Mary Bowser has been chosen as a finalist for the June selection in the Sutter Home Wine book club. Please vote! Tell your friends to vote! http://on.fb.me/IDbrbG
And remember to always drink, and read, responsibly.
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April 23, 2012

World Book Night

It's World Book Night. Or at least English-speaking World Book Night. All over the UK, Ireland, and the US, people are giving away free books. Bestsellers. Classics. Books donated by authors and publishers, to spread the joy of reading.

I paired up with some of the staff at Multnomah County Library to give away Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.

We went to some of the parks downtown, like the rest of the pushers.

The first book is free. After that, you need a library card.

BikeBookMobile
I was particularly pleased to turn my leopard-print bicycle into a minibook mobile. You can ride 3 miles with 20 copies of a bestselling novel onboard.

The highlight of the day was meeting these kids
Kids getting free books
They're from a small town in Washington. They were visiting Portland together because one of them is about to leave for military training.

We gave them 3 books. They're giving a lot more.

They did love the cat ears.
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April 20, 2012

Dangerfield, all too aptly named

Dangerfield Newby. That's the sort of name you can't make up as a novelist. I'll be reading a passage about Newby tomorrow, and I'm afraid I'll choke.

Not over his fantastic name. Over the letters his wife, who was a slave, wrote him, once he was free and trying to save the money to buy her.
Dangerfield Newby photograph
Here's one--real people, real letter.


More...

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April 19, 2012

Remembering Shiloh

Is this a brilliant, touching way to show the horror of war, or a Martha Stewart project gone awry?
http://bit.ly/HUB4yK
On the one hand, it makes visible the thousands who died. On the other hand, it looks like a garden party, albeit a somber one.
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