Upcoming
Author Events!!!
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- Authors in the Parklet -
Stop, say "Hi," and support a local author!
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Sunday, 8/29
from 5:30 - 7 p.m.
Monday, 8/30
from 5:30 - 7 p.m.
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Remembering the Lost Communities of the Navajo Dam |
Tuesday 9/7 @ 6 p.m.
Lost Communities of the Navajo Dam Vol. 1&2
Presented by:
Patty Tharp and a few featured families from the books
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**This event will NOT be at Maria's Bookshop. It will be on the lawn on the West side of the Smiley building. There will be some seating, but perhaps bring a blanket if you don't mind the grass. |
Thursday 9/9 @ 6:30 p.m.
Canyonlands Carnage
(#7 in the National Parks Mystery Series)
"When suspicious deaths befall a whitewater rafting expedition through Cataract Canyon in Canyonlands National Park, archaeologist Chuck Bender and his family recognize evil intent lies behind the tragedies."
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Tuesday, 9/14 @ 6 - 7:30 p.m.
FLC Nobel Hall Room 130
Red Nation Rising: From Bordertown Violence to Native Liberation
Nick Estes, Melanie Yazzie, and David Correia will visit FLC to discuss their groundbreaking investigation of the violent dynamics in border towns.
*Masks required on campus please
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Tuesday, 9/14 @ 6 - 7 p.m.
Powerhouse Science Center
Blake Crouch will share his experiences as a writer in the Four Corners Region, how the history of this region continues to inspire his work, and how he researches his ideas.
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& Maria's Bookshop are Celebrating! |
Thursday, 9/16
Celebrating 10 years and 20 Issues of The Climbing Zine!
Join us for an evening of friends, stories, drinks, and climbing. We'll hear some tall tales from ten years running The Zine, as well as some stories from special guests.
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& Maria's Bookshop Present |
Thursday, 9/30 @ 7 p.m.
Exploring Utah's Bears Ears and Cedar Mesa
Presentation and discussion by author Andrew Weber - "With the help of the Friends of Cedar Mesa, this guide aims to educate and lead visitors to experience some of the magic of Bears Ears with respect for its history and the fragile environment."
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Sara Has Discovered a New Favorite Author! |
Kirby has long been a fan of Catherynne Valente’s work, but her quirky writing has now stolen the hearts, or at least the humors, of a number of our booksellers, myself (Sara) included. Valente’s latest novel, The Past is Red, portrays the bleakly comical and doggedly hopeful outlook of a future resident of Earth, Tetley Abednego. This is apparently a follow-up to a short story published in her collection “The Future is Blue,” but can easily be read as a stand-alone work.
It’s important to point out that Tetley’s “Earth” would not be recognizable by today’s standards. Most of the planet has been submerged in water, and what remains are floating islands of the garbage left behind by the previous generations, referred to here as “fuckwits” (yep! That’s us!).
This floating mass of humanity's waste is known as "Garbagetown,” and our star has the audacity to love her home and to have hope for life and continued human existence in this otherwise hated place.
Valente strikes an impressive balance between moments of laugh-out-loud absurdity and a heaping dose of sob-into-your-plastic-takeout-container reality. By the end, the reader is left feeling surprisingly, almost guiltily, hopeful—even though that hope is wrapped in plastic, encased in candle wax, and buried beneath a mountain of old electronics and expired anti-depressants.
This is a story that will leave your brain puzzling and prodding and working away, long after you’ve finished the final page. What does our future really look like? What will be our legacy? To what lengths will humans go to survive the only reality they know, or to seek out a reality that may no longer be possible? What can the Earth endure because of us, and in spite of us?
Hats off to Catherynne Valente for telling a depressing tale in such an endearing, funny and powerfully human way. I can’t wait to go back and read everything else she has written.
-- Sara
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Remembering a Beloved Author |
David Roberts
1943 - 2021
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We'd like to take a moment to remember the incredible life of beloved adventure writer, David Roberts.
His name has been a staple on our shelves for decades now, and his immersive outdoor explorations have been beloved by many a Maria's regular. Roberts' love and appreciation for the culture, history and landscape of the four corners shone through his writing and his unique perspective and voice will be dearly missed.
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