THE BIG EASY

I just got back from a weekend in New Orleans, where I attended the annual American Library Association conference and went to dinner with a bunch of progressive librarians. What do librarians do at conventions? Well, there's a lot of discussion on the industry -- how will it survive in the age of eBooks? Should they adopt business practices for non-profits? How do you curate and grow a collection? Overwhelmingly, convention goers slant older, which sometimes makes conversation on adopting new policies involving technology difficult (but I suppose this is true in any industry.)

Anyway, the best part of the conference is the exhibition where people try and WOO you with products. And you know, I am easily bought with pretty books and tote bags that read.... "READ" (which I now use for grocery trips.) Some freebies:

I only took four books because I knew I'd have to carry them back in my duffel bag, which was full of... more books, and maybe one outfit for the three day stay. Which isn't that bad, I think, except for the fact that Louisiana is hot and humid, and I sweat like a champ. Don't worry! I totally handwashed my clothes in the sink and dried them to wear the following days. 

The best part about the little sliver of New Orleans I explored (Central Business District and the French Quarter) was all the bookstores! I went to three in a 1 mile radius! Pretty crazy right? I love that. Want to know what made me cry and hyperventilate and linger? I went to Faulkner's home!!!! (!!!! 100x). I had specifically looked up the information prior to my trip,  and made the trek to Pirate's Alley. The current owners lease out Faulkner's former living space so that it functions as a used bookstore. I saw them come out to walk their dog -- a poodle mix maybe? I had a difficult time deciding which book to buy, but the cashier made the executive decision for me: "Thinking of Home." These are his letters home as he's trying to figure out his life as a (very) young man - from early to late twenties (1918-1925). It's funny - he refers to himself as Billie (aw), writes almost daily, and separately! to his mother (who he affectionately calls "Lady" and "Momsey") and father, and sometimes together, and is very humorous, which I think is something we see only very slyly and peripherally in his works. This Faulkner is light-hearted, teasing, grateful, and a true Southern gentleman. It makes me love him that much more, and the editor of the collection is spectacular, giving context and anecdotes as needed. If you're in the mood for more writer's journals, I'd highly recommend Steinbeck's journals while he was writing "East of Eden." (Bookstylist posts here and here.)

I also went to the Librarie Bookshop on Chartes Street and bought "Drown" by Junot Diaz. I've read it before, but I was more careful in this go around (no impending library due date!) and I'm more impressed than ever. There is something to be said about writing beautifully about painful, true subjects, and Diaz does it so well. Reading his books is a visceral experience. 

All right, I've got some "Matterhorn" to read, and fruit flies to kill.

currently listening to: 

Dagger Mouth [Explicit]

Swollen Members

xo!

t