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 Dear Friends of A Novel Experience, Flags fly over nooks and hamlets, mailboxes, farm fences all over the country throughout July. Whether heavy-duty sailcloth, gold trimmed, and flying on a sturdy pole or cardboard and child-drawn replicas pasted onto a flimsy front door, they identify us as one people, regardless of background or belief. Flags fly over this home town bookstore as well, in several ways! First, visit us and feast your eyes on "Visions of Old Glory," this month's gallery exhibit that represents the work of a group of photographers, some local. Second, A Novel Experience celebrates veterans! We have pledged our portion of the show's proceeds to the Wounded Warrior Project, which aids wounded soldiers through both physical rehabilitation and mental counseling. Their motto, "The greatest tragedy is being forgotten," inspires us. Join us from 6 to 9 pm Saturday, 10th July for a gala reception and to benefit this worthy cause. Visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org for more information. Finally, the flag we fly in our window each year once covered the casket of Charlie O'Neill, a WWII Battle of the Bulge veteran--and an insatiable reader!
In conjunction with the theme of Americana, we're hosting Brian Settles, a Vietnam veteran, who will sign copies of his memoir from 6:30 to 8 pm on Saturday, 17th July. We anticipate discussions of war and its aftermath-- life after combat. For Brian, that would include his early career as a pilot with Eastern Air Lines, as well as his current work as an adjunct instructor at Mercer University. Come, enjoy his full story, and perhaps add some tidbits about your own "long strange road"! Memoirs turn us inward. Perhaps Captain Settles' experiences will inspire you to record your own?
Speaking of July, don't let all that extra summer light in the evening go to waste! Take advantage of our used (and inexpensive) stock,as well as our supply of overruns or "remainders" (new books we buy at discounts, which we pass on to customers). Find a hammock or a porch swing and visit other worlds. Want someone to discuss your reading with? Join one of our clubs! Find below a list of times and dates, and additional information you might need.
"What I say is, a town isn't a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it's got a bookstore, it knows it's not fooling a soul." So asserts Hinzelmann, a character in Neil Gaiman's American Gods (252). While this quote offers not a hint of the power and allure of this novel, it certainly offers me (Karen) a convenient quotation, both for vaunting the bookstore and for promoting this book outside of our book clubs! Chris discovered it online--Lots of folks are blogging about it. Let's get together to discuss it! Do let me know if you've read it, or plan to: I cannot put it down!
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Visions of Old Glory
The first annual invitational photography exhibition of the American flag by thirty five fine art photographers
Red, white and blue are the colors that adorn the walls of A Novel Experience during the month of July. Come see our first to-be-annual invitational exhibit of 35 photographer's unique and personal visions of the American flag. We are indebted to Paul Conlan, Cynthia Pavey, and Vicki Hunt who got together and organized and curated this show.
On Saturday, July 10, we will celebrate at a reception from 6:30 to 9:00 pm--come and meet the photographers, see the work and enjoy hot dogs, chips and a special birthday cake created by Karen, who moonlights as a cake baker extraordinaire.
We are very proud to be an official event of The Wounded Warrior Project. 20% of all sales of photographs will be donated to this fine organization that provides stateside resources for disabled soldiers who served in Iran and Afghanistan.
RECEPTION: Visions of Old Glory
Saturday, July 10 6 to 9 pm
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Wednesday Brown Bag Book group meets every third Wednesday at noon
Our first meeting on June 16 at high noon brought together a great group of day-time book enthusiasts who dug right in with a seasoned discussion of Pat Conroy's newest, South of Broad. We pledged to start at noon on the dot so members who were on lunch hour could enjoy the discussion to the fullest.
Join us on July 21 with your brown bag lunch or take-out (we'll provide the drink) to discuss a jewel of a story that takes you on an unforgettable journey from Australia to the Cornwall coast as two generations of woman seek to uncover their family's secret past. It's one of those novels you can sink into like a easy chair and be entertained until the very last page.
Here's the list for the rest of the year:
August: Velva Jean Learns to Drive by Jennifer Niven
September: American Rust by Phillip Meyer
October: In the Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White
November: Small Island by Andrea Levy
December: The Love Ceiling by Jean Davies Okimoto
P.S. P.S. Remember to ask for your 15% discount on the selected book as a member of our newest book group!
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The Novel Poets Society
Our poetry group's extraordinary and much-lauded performance at last month's Poetry Night, during which we hosted a visit from Mercer University's Regeneration Poets, highlighted the group's need for a name. Now we have one that connects the group to the store as it plays with words! We thank all the members who shared their suggestions, and look forward to next month's poetry. Look for postings of TNPS original poetry on the bookstore's website, www.anovelexperience.org. (May take a week or so!)
For August, come share the results of this exercise: Choose an object to substitute for "poem" in the first line of Archibald MacLeish's Ars Poetica, and continue from there to create your own poem, imitating as closely as possible MacLeish's style. In addition, we'll consider a poem, "The Drunk in the Furnace," by W.S. Merwin, our newly-ordained poet laureate!
Come revel in words with us!
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Foreign Film Group - Friday, 9 July
On tap this month: Nights of Cabiria, a film by Fellini that should provide ample fodder for discussion afterwards. I defy anyone to forget Cabiria, an Italian prostitute who'll haunt your psyche and trouble your heart forevermore. We gather at 7 pm for the luxury of losing ourselves!
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A Novel Experience: July Calendar
We've double-checked the dates!
1 July - 7 pm No-Guilt Drop-in Book Group: Belong to Me
2 July - 7 pm Poetry Group
10 July - 6.00 pm - 9:00 pm - Reception for Visions of Old Glory, this month's gallery show
9 July - Foreign Film: Nights of Cabiria (To die for!--K)
17 July - Booksigning with Brian Settles (Veterans, pilots, teachers take note!)
21 July - 12 noon - Brown Bag Book Group (The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton)
30 July - 6:30 - 8:30 pm - Knitting Group
31 July - 6:30 - 8:30 pm - Classics Group: William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying (OK, grim humor, but oh, such fun! After Light in August, my favorite Faulkner--K)
5 August - 7 pm No-Guilt Drop-in Book Club: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society (Charming!--K)
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ANE welcomes our summer intern, Cody McLaughlin
What a fortuitous twist of fate led Cody to the doors of A Novel Experience! We had almost given up on online social networking, achieving a blog rate of once every four months. Cody's arrival for the summer signals a new beginning, as we are now tweeting, blogging, and exploring Facebook's arcane landscape. Meanwhile Cody is shelving books, which translates tackling a few non-standard (e.g., confusing) alphabetizing systems we have inadvertently evolved over the past four years.
Stay tuned for information on book projects that Cody will be developing throughout the summer--he has already introduced us to some great young adult titles.
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Military History Club begins next month at A Novel Experience with Booksigning by Russell S. Bonds
We are thrilled to welcome author Russell S. Bonds who will be joining us on Saturday, August 7th between 5 and 7 p.m. to talk about his two bestselling books about the Civil War. Stealing the General examines the Great Locomotive Chase and the circumstances behind the first Medal of Honor. War like the ThunderBOLT addresses the battle and burning of Atlanta.
Keep watching for news on this latest "novel experience" on the Square and share some of your ideas for future programs with Todd and our staff.
BOOKSIGNING AND DISCUSSION WITH RUSSELL S. BONDS
Saturday, August 7 from 5 to 7 p.m.
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A post script that we've been thinking about: We will be exploring venues for offering ebooks for sale to our customers who are adding this new platform to their reading lives. We think that many folks are using a variety of options, and we want to be your favorite bookstore whether your choice of reading pleasure occurs on paper or on the growing list of devices. We do appreciate your support of our independent bookstore and thank you for allowing us to serve you and our community.
All of us at A Novel Experience | | |
