We've heard the rumors for a while now so it should be no surprise to learn that Starbucks is adding books to their other crapaphenalia available to you when you get your latte. But instead of wasting their time on up-and-coming artists like they did when they first got into the music biz, they've gone directly to the bottom of the decanter for book number one, having chosen Mitch Albom's new made-for-TV-movie book:
The promotional effort for Albom's new book will include a Starbucks Book Break on Oct. 26, in which 25 stores in major cities will be "encouraging meaningful conversations about this literary work," executives of Seattle-based Starbucks said in a statement.
The company also will schedule in-store book signings by Albom in selected markets, as well as an original video conversation with the author to be played in stores and online.
Which part of the phrase that I've highlighted do you find most laughable? By the way, my local Starbies is offering a classic children's book at the counter. I've seen it a dozen times now while waiting for my Venti Americano with room, but I can't remember which book it is. Shows that I'm not the target audience for their other merchandise. I just want my highly caffeinated beverage to go.
Mark Opsanick has written a book about the time Jim Morrison spent as a teenager in Alexandria, Virginia. While I'm sure it's a wonderful read for those interested in Morrison or Alexandria, I do have one question based on this profile in the local newspaper: how much weed do you have to smoke to make this sort of connection:
Opsasnick makes some bold connections between Morrison’s life in Alexandria and the course of his life in later years, but none more bold than his contention that Morrison used beat generation author Jack Kerouac’s first published novel “The Town and the City” as a blueprint for his own life.
“There’s a character in there, Francis Martin, and when you read it, it’s eerie,” said Opsasnick. “He was a loner, he was detached, his family members thought he was strange. He would sit down in his bedroom and devour literature by people like Nietzsche that Morrison was into. Later in life, Francis Martin cut off ties with his parents and moved to Paris, France. It was Jim Morrison to a tee.”
I've been meaning to link to this NPR story about the importance of the front porch for over a week now mainly because I'm a big fan of porch sitting. It's my opinion--shared by countless others, I'm sure--that the porch and kitchen table have done more to inspire Southern writers than Shakespeare ever did. Anyway, you have to love this:
American porch culture isn't what it used to be. Claude Stephens is trying to change that. By day, he's education director at an arboretum in Louisville, Ky. By evening, he's known as Crow Hollister, his "porch-sitting alias." Stephens is founder of the Professional Porch Sitters Union Local 1339. The group doesn't have a motto, just a suggestion: "Sit down a spell. That can wait."
Speaking of Southern writers, Dan Wickett alerts us to the fact that a new storySouth is up.
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