The Happy Booker

If I Only Had an iPod...

Yes, we know it's been a while—a long long while— since we've run our favorite feature around here. But since we're back and blogging with something that looks like regularity, we thought it was high time to add a few new tunes to our iPod playlist.

Today's guest DJ is our old friend Dallas Hudgens, a man who had the honor of programming our very first iPod feature, way back in the day.  Hudgens now returns to add a little music to our Tuesday morning. We're always happy to let the novelist who wrote Drive Like Hell test drive our iPod, at least for a little while.

Season of Gene, Hudgens' second novel, is in stores this week. An October Book Sense notable, Season of Gene is getting lots of attention and well-deserved praise all over the place. Sure, we've read the book and loved it, the critics certainly love it—"Hudgens has scored again." (Booklist) "A nourishing slice of Americana, expletives and all." (Kirkus, starred review)— but we urge you to check it out for yourself with this meaty excerpt now running over at Fanzine.

Locals can hear Hudgens read today at Fall for the Book at noon. Today's festival highlights also include Susan Richards Shreve, Jennifer Egan, and Mitch Albom. Check out the full schedule of events here.

GUEST DJ: DALLAS HUDGENS

Thanks for having me back Wendi.  Looks like your iPod has been stocked with some great stuff since the last time I visited.  I hope you have room for a few more tunes.  I picked five songs that I've been listening to lately and that I like a lot.  I hope you like them, too.  Unless otherwise noted, you can hear all of them on the artists' MySpace pages.

Monday, Monday

Anyone out there catch underground music photographer Pat Graham at Olsson's in Dupont Circle this weekend?  Graham was in town on Sunday promoting Silent Pictures, one of the most the most riveting coffee table book we've seen in a long time.  Modest Mouse, Fugazi, Bikini Kill, Blonde Redhead, and Shellac are just a few of the subjects in Graham's first collection of work. Many of his photographs have shaped the iconography of underground rock over the past two decades and we urge you to take a gander at this beautifully produced book.

We could not be at Graham's event, as we were with the kids under the big top at the Big Apple Circus. One ring, one tent, and one big extravaganza. There were several nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat moments, far more thrilling and spectacular than we ever expected. For those jaded DC-ites used to trekking out to RFK for Cirque, this year's BAC production is worth a trip to the 'burbs for a true circus experience.

Today kicks off the Fall the for Book Festival at George Mason University. You can catch the Happy Booker at noon with fellow alums Scott Berg and poet Betsy Andrews (Grand Tier, Third Floor, Center for the Arts)., Other highlights today include biographer Meryle Secrest, children's author Richard Peck (the only children's book author ever to win the National Humanities Medal), and National Book Award-winning author Alice McDermott. See the full schedule of this week's events here.

Sub Urbia

Tonight actor Brian Hilton stops by the Reston Regional Library to portray George Washington, discussing the life of our first prez from 1732-1760.

This is part of All Fairfax Reads, the library’s “one book, one community” project that encourages residents to read and discuss the same book.

This year, in celebration of Virginia’s history during the 400th anniversary of the founding of America’s first settlement at Jamestown, Fairfax has picked a book that explores the life of America’s first president and famous Virginian, George Washington.

Every adult who lives, works or goes to school in Fairfax County is invited to read His Excellency: George Washington by award-winning historian Joseph J. Ellis. There will be county-wide events held at area libraries,  online discussions, and an appearance by Ellis on Setpember 27th at the Fall for the Book Festival at George Mason University.

                              

Catch Up!

Yes, we're back. Hi, hi and hi.  If you're one of the 658 frantic emails waiting for my attention, you will hear from me. Promise. For now, I am getting back into the swing of daily life, with a full plate of teaching, writing, and, yes, even blogging to keep me busy.

Primo, our eldest, came down with Lyme Disease late this summer.  By the time he was diagnosed, he was pretty sick, leaving us frantic, strung out and exhausted from sleepless nights. The small stuff of daily life—emails, phone calls, and even showers—were put on hold in favor of doctor visits and emergency care situations. 

At the same time Segundo, our youngest, started "big boy school," a full-day program of Japanese immersion and cafeteria lunches, which brought out the worst in our once peaceful and happy child. 

As of today, both kids are in finally back at school, the house is quiet and all is right with the world. 

As for blogging, where do we even begin?  If you missed any of the insightful and provocative chat over at the LBC during our Summer Selections, please go visit. Conversations, podcasts and postings covered two of our favorite books of the year: Triangle and Jamestown.  We urge you to check out the well-deserved excitement over these titles.

Here in the DC area, we're gearing up for the Fall for the Book Festival at George Mason University. The yearly festival, which kicks off next week, brings some of our favorite authors—Jonathon Lethem, Nathan Englander, Jennifer Egan, Mark Strand, Nikki Giovanni and so many others— right here to our own backyard. Color us excited. Look for full festival posting in the days to come. And more blog postings, guest bloggers, photos, literary chit chat, fall books preview and so forth and so on and on and on...