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Boswell Book Company

2559 North Downer Avenue at Webster Place

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211

(414) 332-1181, www.facebook.com/boswellbooks

Our Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 am to 9 pm, Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm

and we're always open at boswellbooks.com!

Boswell Book Company Newsletter               September 12, 2016, day 2720

Sit back and relax - it's Boswell time! We wanted to remind you that this is your last chance to purchase an "early pickup" ticket to Ann Patchett's event on October 19 at Boswell, where she'll be in conversation with Jane Hamilton. Mike Fischer wrote a glowing review of Commonwealth in the Journal Sentinel, following an equally enthusiastic piece from Jennifer Senior in The New York Times. Or perhaps these blog posts about Commonwealth and her bookstore, Parnassus, will convince you.

If you want to come to Patchett's event and pick up the book from Boswell beforehand, you must purchase your ticket today. After that, you'll have to wait for the event to pick up your book. And don't wait too long - we're already halfway to sellout and the event is not for five weeks. 

Speaking of ticketed events, our event with Jennifer Keishin Armstrong tonight for Seinfeldia has sold out. We've still got spaces for our kids events with Miss Cupcake and Pizza Man. And though foodless, we also have ticketed events coming up with Jennifer Weiner and Jon Meacham
An Event for Dog Lovers - Mel Miskimen and Seamus on Wednesday, September 14, 7 pm, at Boswell

WUWM contributor and award-winning author Mel Miskimen offers a new book that will warm the hearts and tickle the funny bones of dog lovers and anyone seeking a way to connect with those they've lost in  Sit Stay Heal: How an Underachieving Labrador Won Our Hearts and Brought Us Together.

When Mel Miskimen's mother dies, her tough, retired-cop father withdraws into his sadness, and his broken grief is more than Mel can handle on her own. Enter Seamus: a rowdy, hapless Labrador devoted to chaos. In a spark of inspiration, Mel ropes her father into training the wayward hound for a local contest. As the seasons change, Mel finds herself connecting with her last surviving parent more than she'd ever dreamed. The unexpected result of their endeavor might just heal them all.

Mel Miskimen's event  is cosponsored by Waterdog Specialties, a Waukesha organization that specializes in AKC Labrador retriever breeding and training. Miskimen will be attending this event with Seamus, and yes, well-behaved dogs are welcome to join us on Wednesday, September 14, 7 pm, at Boswell. 
Welcome Back Milwaukee-Raised Lawrence Kessenich for his Milwaukee-Set Novel, Thursday, September 15, 7 pm, at Boswell

Lawrence Kessenich is a fiction writer, poet, essayist, and editor who's been featured on the NPR program This I Believe, as well as the print spinoff, This I Believe: On Love. His short plays have produced around the country and he's now the editor of the literary magazine Ibbetson Street. Now he's drawn on his Milwaukee memories to create the novel Cinnamon Girl, published by North Star Press of St. Cloud.

It's Milwaukee, 1969. After nearly getting his head bashed in at a demonstration at Water Tower Park, John Meyer crashes down a hillside with fellow student Tony Russo. It looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship, until John meets Tony's wife, Claire, and from then on things get complicated in a very 60s way when they decide to share a house together. T hen, the bombing of Cambodia leads to a national student strike and the shooting deaths of four students at Kent State. Over Claire's protests, John becomes involved in the strike. Then Tony's brother is wounded in Vietnam, bringing the war right into their living room and throwing everything up in the air.

Much of Cinnamon Girl takes place right outside Boswell's doorstep, from Brady Street to the park around the Water Tower, the setting for a standoff protest. Kessenich will highlight some of the Milwaukee landmarks when he reads and speaks at Boswell on Thursday, September 15, 7 pm.
I Love Middle Grade and Miss Cupcake Presents Brian Farrey and Kelly Barnhill at Boswell, Friday, September 16, at an After-School Special Time of 4 pm.

As regular readers know, Boswell loves bringing authors to area schools. And while many authors and illustrators do school events only (such as James Ponti, Eric Comstock, and Salina Yoon), the nice thing about public events is that we can spread the word about great new books. 

Brian Farrey, author of the critically-acclaimed Vengekeep Prophecies series returns with a mesmerizing middle-grade adventure,  The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse. This thrilling modern fantasy turns the fairy tale trope on its head, featuring two female leads, diverse characters, and a fresh perspective on "happily ever after." Of his newest, Kirkus Reviews writes: "Heart-rending and genuine, this magical coming-of-age story is not to be missed." And we should note that Farrey won a Stonewall Award for one of his YA novels. 

Kelly Barnhill delivers her most spellbinding tale yet: The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Like The Witch's Boy, this multilayered saga blends a mix of fantasy, epic adventure, and gorgeous prose. The result is a tale that's even more epic, yet also more intimate. Barnhill draws readers into an enchanted new realm, populated by a poetic swamp monster, a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, a prowling Sorrow Eater with a tiger's heart, flocks of dangerous paper birds, and oh, so much more. The Twin Cities Pioneer Press's Mary Ann Grossman writes: "If your kids have already read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and they can't get enough of Neil Gaiman, they're going to love Kelly Barnhill's new fantasy, The Girl Who Drank the Moon.

Registration is requested but not required for this event on Friday, September 16, 4 pm. We're working with the always delicious Miss Cupcake on Oakland Avenue to supply you with Black Forest and Magic Moon Vanilla cupcakes and we want to make sure we have enough. 
Ronald H. Balson Discusses His Latest Historical Novel About the Legacy of the Holocaust, on Monday, September 19, 7 pm, at the JCC.

The Harold and Rose Samson Family Junior Community Center and the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center present Ronald H. Balson, Chicago trial Attorney and beloved author of Once We Were Brothers and Saving Sophie. Though each story is self-contained, the novels each feature the investigating team of Chicago private eye Liam Taggart and his attorney wife, Catherine Lockhart. Booklist's starred review noted that folks who loved Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale will be enthralled by his new novel, Karolina's Twins.

Inspired by true events, Karolina's Twins is the story of a Holocaust survivor's quest to fulfill a promise she made to a friend long ago - to return to Poland and find two sisters lost during the war. Lena Woodward enlists the help of lawyer Catherine Lockhart and her private investigator husband, Liam Taggart, in order to complete the mission, harkening back to her harrowing past in Nazi-occupied Poland. jcc logoShe recounts her mysterious yet fearless bond shared with her childhood friend, Karolina, in their darkest hours. But there is something about the story that is unfinished, and Lena must now come to terms with a secret spanning several decades.

The Jewish Community Center is located at 6255 N Santa Monica Boulevard in Whitefish Bay. Come to this free event on Monday, September 19, 7 pm.
Milwaukee Reads Presents Gayle Forman at the Lynden Sculpture Garden, Tuesday, September 20, 7 pm Reception, 7:30 Talk.

Gayle Forman is a bestselling, award-winning author of young adult novels. Leave Me is her first novel for adults, and what a book it is. Listen to this great interview with Forman on NPR's Here and Now with Robin Young. We've already had three reads at Boswell, including one from Sharon K. Nagel, who called it "outstanding." We're so pleased to be cosponsoring this ticketed event, produced by Milwaukee Reads.

For every woman who has ever fantasized about driving past her exit on the highway instead of going home to make dinner, and every woman who has ever dreamed of boarding a train to a place where no one needs constant attention - meet Maribeth Klein. She's a harried working mother who's so busy taking care of her husband and twins that she doesn't even realize she's had a heart attack.  Surprised to discover that her recuperation seems to be an imposition on those who rely on her, Maribeth does the unthinkable: she packs a bag and leaves. But, as is often the case, once we get where we're going, we see our lives from a different perspective. 

Publishers Weekly writes: " With humor and pathos, Forman depicts Maribeth's complicated situation and her thoroughly satisfying arc, leaving readers feeling as though they have really accompanied Maribeth on her journey."  Tickets to this event on Tuesday, September 20, 7 pm, are $30 ($25 for members), and include admission, light refreshments, and a copy of Leave Me. The Lynden Sculpture Garden is located at 2145 W Brown Deer Road in River Hills. 
Geoff and Poppy Spencer Return to Milwaukee for Their Fictional Memoir, Tuesday, September 20, 7 pm, at Boswell

Poppy and Geoff Spencer were college sweethearts who initially thought they were destined to spend their lives together-but immaturity and life got in the way. After college, neither of them had the courage, maturity, or communication skills to keep their relationship on solid ground. It took several marriages and life experiences between them to come together 32 years later and build a solid, healthy relationship, all documented in their new book,
1 Billion Seconds: a Fictional Memoir

Today, Geoff and Milwaukee-raised Poppy work as relational coaches, providing practical, goal-oriented guidance to individuals, couples, and families at various levels in their relationship. The Spencers also work with healthy couples and individuals to develop strategies for their relational goals that are achievable and measurable. With the Myers-Briggs Certification, they also help people understand their personality styles and how those styles work together. Hear their story on Tuesday, September 20, 7 pm

Do You Know Any Pigs Who Dream of Swimming the English Channel? We Do, and so Does Lori Degman. Event at Shorewood Public Library on Wednesday, September 21, 4 pm.

Chicago-area children's book writer Lori Degman presents her newest picture book, Norbert's Big Dream, following Cock-a-Doodle-Oops and 1 Zany Zoo. She loves writing rhyming poems and song parodies, and she can even juggle. And yes, she's got family in Shorewood so we're happy to tell folks at her appearance at the Shorewood Public Library.

Here's some more about Norbert's Big Dream, and what a dream it is! It doesn't matter if the other farm animals snicker behind his back, Norbert has always dreamed of swimming the English Channel. He's been preparing and training, and finally, he's ready for the big swim! But where exactly is the English Channel?! Will Norbert have to give up on his dreams, or will his friends come to the rescue after all? A funny story about dreaming big.

Degman's event is on Wednesday, September 21, 4 pm at the Shorewood Public Library, located at 3920 N Murray Ave, just south of Capitol Dr.   
Julie Tarney Chronicles Her Unexpected Parenting Path at Her Boswell Event, Wednesday, September 21, 7 pm.

When longtime Shorewood resident Julie Tarney's only child, Harry, was two years old, he told her, "Inside my head I'm a girl." It was 1992. The Internet was no help, because there was no Internet. And bookstores had no literature for a mom scrambling to raise such an unconventional child. Terms such as transgender, gender nonconforming, and gender creative were rare or nonexistent.

As Tarney recounts in her new memoir, My Son Wears Heels: One Mom's Journey from Clueless to Kickass, Tarney lacked a positive role model of her own, and was fearful of the negative stereotype of an overbearing Jewish mother. But  she embarked on an unexpected parenting path as Harry grew up to be a confident, happy, nonconformist adult. Harry knew who he was all along. Despite some stumbles, Tarney learned that her job was simply to let her child be his authentic self. 

Julie Tarney is a board member for the It Gets Better Project, blogs for the Huffington Post's "Queer Voices" pages, and writes for TheParentsProject.com and the True Colors Fund. She volunteers for the PFLAG Safe Schools Program. She'll be back in Milwaukee at Boswell on Wednesday, September 21, 7 pm.
Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin HOPE Lab Present Sara Goldrick-Rab at Centennial Hall, Thursday, September 22, 6:30 pm.

If you are a young person, and you work hard enough, you can get a college degree and set yourself on the path to a good life, right? Not necessarily, says Sara Goldrick-Rab, and with her new book, Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream, she shows in damning detail exactly why. Quite simply, college is far too expensive for many people today, and the confusing mix of federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid leaves countless students without the resources they need to pay for their education.

Drawing on an unprecedented study of 3,000 young adults who entered public colleges and universities in Wisconsin in 2008 with the support of federal aid and Pell Grants, Goldrick-Rab reveals the devastating effect of these shortfalls. Half the students in the study left college without a degree, while less than 20 percent finished within five years. The cause of their problems, time and again, was lack of money. Goldrick-Rab offers a range of possible solutions, from technical improvements to the financial aid application process, to a bold, public sector-focused first degree free program

Goldrick-Rab, founder of Wisconsin HOPE Lab, is now professor of higher education policy and sociology at Temple University. She'll be appearing at Milwaukee Public Library's Centennial Hall, located at 733 N Eighth St, on Thursday, September 22, 6:30 pm.
Are Uke Coming to Our Event with Lil' Rev? He'll Be at Boswell on Thursday, September 22, 7 pm.

Lil RevGrowing up in the shadows of American Motors Corp, Briggs and Stratton, and A.O. Smith, Lil' Rev was inspired by the sights and sounds of an industrial powerhouse in flux. While Lil' Rev is well known for his ukulele and harmonica stylings, he is also a seasoned multi-instrumentalist equally adept at old time banjo, flat-pick guitar, and blues mandolin.

Lil' Rev's new album, Claw and Hammer, features songs for claw-hammer ukulele. Featured are such classics as "Cotton Eyed Joe," "Old Joe Clark," "Angeline the Baker," and "Portland County Jail."  His fascination with all things ukulele and harmonica keep him busy teaching and performing all across North America, but he's back in Milwaukee for a celebration of Claw and Hammer's release. Our free talk and mini-concert at Boswell is on Thursday, September 22, 7 pm. 
Christine Sneed and Gina Frangello Together at Boswell on Friday, September 23, 7 pm.

Two of our favorite authors, who've each come to Boswell multiple times, are together for the first time when Christine Sneed reads from the stories of The Virginity of Famous Men, and Gina Frangello returns for her new novel, Every Kind of Wanting.

In The Virginity of Famous Men, award-winning story writer Christine Sneed probes human condition, featuring protagonists attempting to make peace with the paths they have taken thus far. And Gina Frangello in Every Kind of Wanting explores the complex intersection of three unique families and their bustling efforts to have a Community Baby. The readings will be followed by a conversation between the authors and the audience. 

Christine Sneed has published the novels Paris, He Said and Little Known Facts, and the story collection Portraits of a Few of the People I've Made Cry. She received the Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction, Ploughshare's Zacharis Prize, the Chicago Writers Association's Book of the Year Award, and the Society of Midland Authors Award for Best Adult Fiction of 2013. 

Gina Frangello is the author of the Target Emerging Authors selection, A Life in Men, which was also a book club selection. She is also the author of two other books of fiction: Slut Lullabies, a Foreword Magazine Best Book of the Year finalist, and My Sister's Continent.

Both authors will join us at Boswell on Friday, September 23, 7 pm. And here's an interesting aside. We put the two of them together because we thought their work would play off each other. When we contacted them, it turned out that while they had not yet read together, Frangello had published Sneed when she edited a literary magazine. It was meant to be. 
More Upcoming Events - See Below for Kids Events

Tuesday, September 27, 7 pm, at Boswell: Christopher Hebert, author of Angels in Detroit, in conversation with UWM's Valerie Laken

Wednesday, September 28, 2 pm, at Boswell: A preview of and discussion about The Milwaukee Rep production of Man of La Mancha, inspired by the classic Don Quixote. The show runs through October 30. 

Wednesday, September 28, 6:30 pm, at the Kenosha Public Library, Northside branch , located at 1500 27th Ave, 53140: Jennifer Chiaverini, author of Fates and Traitors: a Novel of John Wilkes Booth, cosponsored by WGTD/Gateway Technical College.

Thursday, September 29, 7 pm, at Boswell: Thomas Holbrook, UWM's Wilder Crane Professor of Government and author of Altered States: Changing Populations, Changing Parties, and the Transformation of the American Political Landscape.

Friday, September 30, 7 pm, at Boswell: Michael Copperman, author of Teacher: Two Years in the Mississippi Delta. Copperman discusses his experiences in Teach for America.

Saturday, October 1, 12:30 pm, Bradley Beaulieu, author of Of Sand and Malice Made, as part of Discovery Museum's Sci-Fi Family Day. Free with $18 admission to Discovery World. Discounts for kids, students, Veterans, and seniors available.

Monday, October 3, 6:30 pm, at Boswell: Book club discussion of Theodore Dreiser's Sister Carrie, with UWM's Jason Puskar and Amanda Seligman, as well as a representative from the Florentine Opera Company. The Florentine Opera world premiere is Friday, October 7, with a second performance on October 9

Tuesday, October 4, 7 pm, at Boswell: Robert Olen Butler, author of Perfume River and A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain, in conversation with Cardinal Stritch's David Riordan

Wednesday, October 5, 7 pm, at Boswell: Wisconsin Public Radio presents Candice Millard, author of Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill, as well as Destiny of the Republic and River of Doubt. 

Friday, October 7, 7 pm, at Boswell: Margot Livesey, author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy and Mercury, in conversation with UWM's Liam Callanan. Cosponsored by the UWM Creative Writing Program.

and don't forget...

Tuesday, September 13, 7 pm, at Boswell: Jonathan Putnam, author of These Honored Dead: A Lincoln and Speed Mystery, introduced by Tim Hennessy. This event is cosponsored by Crimespree magazine. 

Tuesday, September 13, 7 pm, at University School of Milwaukee, 2100 W Fairy Chasm Rd: Ben Rawlence, author of City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World's Largest Refugee Camp, as part of the Global Scholars Program.
A Week of Amazing Kids Events - Something for Every Age

Friday, September 30, 3:30 pm, at Wauwatosa Public Library, 7635 W North Ave: Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin, author and illustrator of Click, Clack, Surprise, as well as Click, Clack, Moo and Click, Clack, Boo.

Tuesday, October 4, 6:30 pm, at Cudahy Family Library, 3500 Library Drive: Ben Hatke, author of Mighty Jack and Zita the Space Girl

Wednesday, October 5, 6:30 pm, at West Allis Public Library, 7421 W National Ave: Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Chains and Ashes

Thursday, October 6, 7 pm, at Boswell: a pizza party with Jennifer Niven, author of Holding up the Universe and All the Bright Places, and Kathleen Glasgow, author of Girl in Pieces. Pizza provided by Pizza Man. Registration requested but not required.

Friday October 7, 6:30 pm, at Shorewood Public Library, 3920 N Murray Ave: Trenton Lee Stewart of The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Secret Keepers

Ask you daughter if she'd like to go with you to see Gayle Forman at the Lynden Sculpture Garden on September 20. And while this ticketed event is for Leave Me, her newest novel which is targeted to adults, it's perfectly fine to bring in the family's YA backlist like If I Stay to get signed.  
Three Kids Recommendations

Reserve a copy of Gertie's Leap to Greatness, by Kate Beasley, with illustrations by Jillian Tamaki, and you can get a signed copy if you pick it up after October 12, when Beasley will be visiting area schools. This is one of Barbara Katz's picks for fall. She writes: " Gertie Reece Foy is a force to be reckoned with. She is determined to become the best Fifth Grader ever, so her mother will stay in town and appreciate her. Tension builds when a new student, Mary Sue Spivey joins Gertie's class and wants to be superior to Gertie. Filled with humor, expressive language and perfect illustrations, characters leap off the pages into readers' hearts. With a never to be forgotten heroine, Gertie's Leap to Greatness has elements of a modern classic." Best for ages 8 and up.

An out-of-this-world middle grade series is Galactic Hot Dogs, by Max Brallier, with illustrations by Rachel Maguire and Nichole Kelley. Volume 2 is The Wiener Strikes Back and Boswellian Todd has this to say:  " After the dangerous exploits of book one (Cosmoe's Wiener Getaway), Cosmoe and friends thought their lives would be simple - sell some hot dogs, have some great adventures. But now an evil circus has come to town, and its devious plans start to be revealed when the poor treatment of the circus animals becomes evident. Meanwhile, Cosmoe's history - where did he live on earth? Who were his parents? - arise in this fast-paced second installment, and the reader is left to wonder if Cosmoe's history will inspire him to fight the circus or will continue to haunt him and therefore leave the animals - and perhaps the universe - to certain doom." Suggested for ages 8 and up.
 
For kids ages 14 and up, Kelli O'Malley recommends Spontaneous , the new novel by Aaron Starmer. Her take: " Mara Carlyle's senior year is not going as planned. When classmates start exploding, everyone starts to panic and the theories pile up as to what could be the cause. This dark, humorous novel is the perfect read for anyone who has ever lost their way in life. Told in an incredibly candid voice, this novel eerily captures the not-so-nice-thoughts people can think on occasion. The unique novel lets you acknowledge that as a person you are nowhere near perfect, and that that's okay." Shelf Awareness called this "a wickedly funny and wrenching novel" and we love that the Library of Congress has this categorized under "combustion, spontaneous human."
 
We'll be having a kids newsletter going out shortly, with more recommendations from booksellers and information about our Books for Kids evening of recommendations on Wednesday, November 9, featuring Milwaukee artist Aaron Boyd and suggestions from Amie Mechler-Hickson, Todd Wellman, and Barbara Katz. Sign up here!
The Jewish Federation Presents Deborah Lipstadt at Cardinal Stritch University, Tuesday, September 20, 7 pm.

While Boswell is not part of this event, we wanted to let you know that acclaimed historian and author Deborah Lipstadt will be in Milwaukee to share her story of Holocaust history on trial prior to the September 30 film release of DenialThe film recounts Lipstadt's battle for historical truth as she faced a libel suit by infamous Holocaust denier David Irving. The movie is based on her book, History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier. The Film opens at the Oriental in Milwaukee on October 21.

The lecture is at the Nancy Kendall Theater in the Joan Steele Stein Center for Communication Studies/Fine Arts at Cardinal Stritch, on Tuesday, September 20, 7 pm. The event is free but registration is required. The event is cosponsored by the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and the Nathan & Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center.
One last note for parents and young kids. We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle's Brown Bear, Brown Bear, with a story time by Teasha, activities, a few giveaways, and light refreshments on Sunday, October 18, 11 am . This event is best for children 2-6.
 
As always, thank you for your patronage and apologies for the typos,
 
Daniel Goldin with Amie, Anne, Barb, Caroline, Chris, Conrad, Jason, Jane, Jen, Kelli, Olivia S, Olivia V, Peter, Scott, Sharon, Teasha, Tim, and Todd