This is the forth in the 'My Bucket List' series I began three weeks ago for Sunday Serenity. I will keep the linked list of the preceding ones at the bottom of the post.
I forgot to clarify in the first that my bucket list has a different criteria than the common 'things I want to do before I die' for me it is 'things I want to do before I loose the rest of my vision'
My Bucket List
#4 Visit Shakespeare & Co. Bookshop in Paris
Ever since I learned about this bookstore in Paris I've been longing to visit it. But a typical afternoon bookstore visit isn't the kind of visit I have in mind. I'd like to live there for 2-4 weeks as a Writer in Residence in exchange for two hours of work so I could hang out with the other writers after the shop closes. But if my visual impairment makes that untenable then I'd like to stay in nearby lodgings and be at the shop reading and writing from noon to midnight--the story hours.
I picture myself sitting at a window with a view of Notre Dame across the river Seine with a stack of books near and writing tablets on my lap. I imagine myself wandering the narrow spaces between shelves with a flashlight or spelunker's hat. I can see myself sitting quietly listening in on nearby conversations about writing, writers, books and bookstores and maybe even joining in.
I spent an hour today on the Longview library catalog ordering books on my sister's card for her to pick up for me later this wee. I still hope to have a visit to the library itself before I leave town but there is no room on this week's agenda for it.
Earlier today on fb someone had shared this video and I began to plan immediately for it to be part of today's post. I had hoped for this post to go up in the afternoon but I was unable to view the video all the way thru as it kept stalling out after ten seconds or so and either the page, shockwave or the browser itself would crash. It wasn't until that had happened over a dozen times and also with three other videos that it dawned on me that I'd not restarted my netbook since before I left home last Friday. I only hibernated that day seconds before walking out the door. I can't remember when the last restart had even been.
So the restart cured the problem and when I finally got to watch this video a few minutes ago I was in awe and watched it several times. I guess you could say it brought me joy. I wish I could have been there to help handle the books for this stop motion gala. I love handling books.
Well I had another laid back day that included reading, watching videos, surfing fun stuff, visiting with family on and off line and I'm starting to feel rejuvinated.
Here are some more pics from our beach trip yesterday. This one was of Captain Fishhead a 2nd hand store located practically under the Astoria bridge. We drove past it several times because the bridge was temporarily closed for a wide load vehicle and we were going to get lunch while we waited but my sister couldn't find the fish and chips place she remembered.
We wanted to cross the Columbia River on the Astoria bridge to go to Long Beach in Washington as it is possible to drive right down onto the beach there and that is so much easier for Mom.
We had crossed the Rainier Bridge from Longview WA to Rainier OR and then traveled the Oregon side of the Columbia as that is a much less winding road and shorter.
I kept trying to get a picture of Captain Fishhead's 'book store' and kept missing my chance until the last time we went by. I was all excited because I saw the word 'books' on the sign. It wasn't until I got home and got the pics off the camera and into my photo manager and enlarged until I could read the sign that I realized it wasn't simply a book store. I'm still having trouble letting go of the fantasy of the book store in a house on the river near the beach.
If I had been traveling on my own or with someone of like mind this is the type of place I would love to stop and explore. Even though it's not primarily a book store. I like places with personality like this.
This was a piece of driftwood near the driveway into the restroom on Long Beach. Do you see something in it that doesn't look like it belongs to any tree alive or dead?
This little wave or the one just before it reached my feet and went over my toes. I thought I was safe since I was six inches from the edge of foam from the wavelet that reached the furthest in several minutes of watching.
You can see how foggy it was at Long Beach. You can't see how windy or how cold. I was the only one of the four of us ladies to brave it. But I'm weird that way. I love all of the moods of a beach.
Well, except tidal waves.
This seagull seemed to be flying straight at me.
That little white gull on the left was one-legged. She let me get really close before she took to the sky. I took several shots but most of them did not catch the bird as the camera was tilted to far up. I got about five shots of nothing but foggy sky.
We returned to the Oregon side on the Astoria bridge heading for a beach someone at the fish and chips place had told my sister also allowed cars right down on the beach. It was called Sunset Beach. I'll try to put a few of the pics from there tomorrow.
I dream of visiting Shakespeare & Co bookstore in Paris.
No, I take that back, I dream of living in this bookstore or one very very like it.
Meanwhile, I'm still reading Under the Dome, due at the library tomorrow tho I'll be keeping it until at least Monday morning (fine-free) after which I may have to 'rent' it at $0.20 per day (our library system's fine) retroactive to Friday.
Meaning, I must consider that I may be in 'rent' mode as of midnight tomorrow. Still over 400 pages to go. Didn't progress far yesterday as I chose to take advantage of my in-laws being away overnight to watch DVD on their big front room TV most of last night and until noon today. At which point I'd been awake over 24 hours again. And so soon after Saturday's Read-a-Thon!
I had around four hours of restless sleep frequently disturbed by the sound of hard rain or hail on the trailer's roof. (Imagine being trapped inside a child's lunch box on the playground in a rainstorm). So I don't know how long I can expect to read tonight.
This about jumped off the shelf to get my attention at Powell's yesterday. A stand for holding a book while I take notes by hand or keyboard or, in the case of 13oo page novels like Hungar's Brides which I was reading for the read-a-thon two weeks ago, for hands-free reading has been on my wish-list for years and I had in mind to keep my eyes open for one while at Powell's. I did consciously look the first hour I was there but later on was not thinking about it. I was on the way to checkout after over four hours of browsing when I bumped into a carosel holding book-lights which reminded me and I stopped to see whether there were other reading and desk related items in the area. And sure enough...
It's called The Bookeasel and when folded flat as in the top picture it's a tad smaller than my laptop.
You can choose one of several angles for the book to rest...
from nearly flat...
to nearly vertical.
I dithered for about fifteen minutes over the purchase because the price was about double what I had thought to spend on one but I tallied up the cost of all the lost time from fussing with jerryrigged things and all the postponed projects for lack of one and all the frustration when trying to read a book too heavy for me to hold steady at the right height and angle. I thought of Hunger's Brides which I had to send back to the library a couple weeks ago unfinished.
It all seemed to add up to a bargain even at nearly $20. Even though I had to put back one of the books I'd been heading to the check stand with in order to make room in my budget.
I spent five hours and I only got to about four sections of the ten or so I hoped to.
BTW the captions under the vids above are all links to something interesting on Powells.com
I'm exhausted. Got no words. Took my camera but forgot to use it. Hence the three YouTube above. The top and bottom are tours of a sort, the top being professionally done. The middle is a scan of the map one needs to get unlost after wandering aimlessly among a forest of shelves.
I also got to spend an hour or so at my brother's visiting with his family. His son made me an omelet that I swear could have been served at a fancy restaurant--it rose like a quiche all fluffy inside. My niece had a box full of two week old kittens that I could hold two at a time and let climb on my shirt--seven total. Three dogs licked my hands--two of the Black Labs my nephew is socializing for a leader dog program--I forget which one.
I'm totally babbling. I'm so tired I don't think I'm going to be able to pick up the books I bought to browse in them some moree. There are three of them. Too tired to list them because I can't do it without getting them out to verify spelling. There would have been four but I put one back in order to get a book stand for propping books up for hands-free reading, note taking and typing excerpts and quotes. Something I've been needing for years. Maybe I'll take pictures of my haul for posting later....
Read more...
This blog, Books for the Holidays, is pushing the idea of books for gifts and provides posts full of ideas and suggestions. They also provide that nifty button for bloggers to spread the word.
Here is Indie Bound, a site encouraging the same thing while focusing on Independent Book Stores, providing a way to keep a wish list and view other's wish lists and a searchable list of Indie stores so you can find one near you by entering your zip code.
Here is my favorite Indie: Powell's Books in Portland Oregon. They offer gift cards, including electronic gift cards And of course wish lists. One of the things I'm looking forward to about my coming visit up north is another chance to roam the miles of shelves in this bookstore of my dreams. This time I'm taking my camera with me. Last year my camera did not have flash so all I got was exterior shots. This year (tho it might be January before I get to visit the store) I'm planning to go nuts taking dozens and dozens of shots.
My husband's family had an early Christmas celebration yesterday and this year, for the first time, we used the 'draw a name' method. Each name was put in the bowl and drawn out one by one. Each person bought one gift and got one gift. But instead of a dozen in the $5 to $15 range we each got one in the $30 to $50 range. I drew my FIL's name and could not indulge my desire to buy books for him as he is most likely dyslexic and reading is a chore for him. But I did indulge my desire to give story as gift by getting him a set of The Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy DVD--over ten hours of slapstick. But that was really an extra becasue his BIG gift was a tripod for his camera. I had learned before they left on their Baja cruise in October that he probably wasn't taking his camera because he had gotten to shakey to use it. He is an untrained amature but I think there is something magical about some of his seascape pictures. I've used several of them in posts here. I wish I could find a link to one of them. OK I'm just going to post one of them again:
He also loves to take pictures at the dirt track. I'm not as into those but sometimes he gets pictures of incredible sunsets at the track.
OK. That was a bit of a digression. I was leading up to this: My Santa was my 14 year old niece of whom I speak of often here. She is another story lover--books, movies, stage. Her gift to me was two part: a new flannel sheets set for our bed and a $4o Barnes & Noble Gift Card. I can use it online or at the store. Though I love the sheet set and NEEDED them, you can guess which part of her gift I loved the most.
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This is one of the videos I found while collecting YouTube vids featuring bookstores for last week's TT. This one is a movie trailer for a movie I'd never heard of even though Danny Glover has a bit part in it. It is an independent film by Echelon Studios and made the rounds of the independent film festivals starting in 2006. Here is the blurb off the info section:
A magical book transforms all who come in contact with is in a neighborhood bookstore. Our main characters include Dante, manager of the bookstore, who harbors a crippling secret from his past; Gina, a quirky customer, who know about every subject except the most important -- love; Zoe, Dante's former lovers, whose life is falling apart; Norman, a clerk, who is short on size, but big on political paranoia; and Marcia, another clerk, who's a wise-cracking movie buff...When the magical book is used to hide incriminating data, we add to the mix some dangerous intruders and Rick, a whistle blowing doctor up against a powerful pharmaceutical corporation. What our audience will experience reflects what they might discover on the shelves of any bookstore: different genres -- fantasy, romance, comedy, eroticism, and mystery and a tapestry of storylines that weave together to form Read You Like A Book.
There was also a link above the blurb and under the imperative: BUY IT NOW! I followed this to find out more. The same trailer was featured on that page along with links to more DVD for sale. But the only 'more' I found out was that the DVD was not available in the US or Canada. This had me very curious. Why would a film in English be unavailable in the largest portion of the English speaking world? I spent hours with Google trying to find out.
I never did find a definitive answer but I made an educated guess based on info I found on the movie's own website where there was an announcement that the December 6th DVD release party at the Berkley CA bookstore, Black Oak, where the movie was filmed, had been canceled and would be rescheduled in late January or early February. Though it says to check back for further updates there have been none to date. Considering that it also says on that page that the film had been a hit at the Mill Valley Film Festival, my best guess is that the delay in release for Canada and the States has something to do with the writer's strike. If anyone reading this knows what the scoop is, I'd be grateful hear.
Meanwhile, in my research I discovered the blog which improv performer Shaun Landry kept over the two weeks of the filming of Read You Like a Book in which she played a principle role. Reading that from first post to last makes me want to see this movie even more. And makes me want to see more of Shaun Landry's work. below is a clip of Shaun Landry in the scene she had with Danny Glover.
I do hope I'm not overdoing the bookstore theme on here but I can't promise to lighten up. I seem to be in the grip of an obsession. I have joked often over the years that I would love to live in a bookstore or a library. It isn't as much of a joke as I pretend. I find my passion for being surrounded by books to be as strong as my passion for writing itself. Once I answered a meme question re what I would do if I won the lottery by describing my dream bookstore in which I would live and install my dream writing office and hold book clubs, author readings, writing workshops and free tutoring in literacy and second languages. I began that answer in the spirit of frivolity but by the time I'd finished describing it, I felt far from frivolous. I felt, during the thirty minutes or so it took to imagine and describe, that I had found the home I'd been looking for for decades. It was very hard to snap back into the reality of that moment.
Read more...
You guessed it. It's another bookstore. But in this video the bookstore is the scene of a cute story about a girl who finds adventure between the pages of the books she pulls off the shelf. It is pretty well done for an amateur production.
Today, Saturday, Saturday was supposed to be the first day of dirt track racing season. I was soooo looking forward to it. I don't go to the races but Ed and his folks do and that leaves me home to enjoy alone time and a chance to do laundry and room cleaning without worrying about being in anyone's way. But races were canceled due to the weather. We actually had snow today!!! Almost an inch fell and stuck on all but the darkest colored things between five and six.
Last Saturday it reached the eighties!! Go figure.
I'm hoping to spend part of my Sunday lost between the pages of a book. If, that is, I can get my snippet inserted into the place-holding shell I put up yesterday.
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
I have mentioned here many times that I have dreamed of owning my own bookstore so that I could live in it and turn it into a gathering place of writers and readers.
Well here is the story of one man who did just that. An American in Paris in the 1950s named George Whitman. He ran a bookstore and allowed writers to live there in exchange for a couple hours of work each day. The bookstore Shakespeare & Co, on the Seine directly across from Notre Dame has popped up in my reading of novels and biographies and memoirs of writers over the last several decades but I was definitely not visualizing this! (Though it may not have always been this one I was meant to visualize. As it turns out this one was named after the one Sylvia Beach made famous before WWII and which was closed by the Germans during the occupation.)
This documentary is split into five parts on YouTube. I'm going to embed only the first part and add the links to the rest. It is worth watching the whole thing if you are interested in bookstores, the literati scene in Paris over the last half century or just eccentric people with stories that make your eyes pop. (There is a scene from the film that isn't in any of these parts but posted separately of George cutting his hair with a lit candle!)
Ummm. Maybe I should warn you not to watch this while eating or drinking or even too soon thereafter.
There are several ways this deviates from my ideal but the one that makes it a nightmare version of my dream (from the proprietor's POV) is Whitman's, ummmm, housekeeping style. From the boarding writer's POV the nightmare is in Whitman's abrasive to the point of abusive labor management style.
And yet.
Part of me would still like to experience living in this bookstore, if only for a week or so. I don't know if I would get much writing done though. I think I would be too enthralled by the labyrinth of book shelves. I would have to be equipped with a miner's helmet and a very long string....
According to Shakespeare & Co own website, George Whitman, now around 94, retired in 2003 and turned the running of the store over to his then 22 year old daughter Sylvia, named after the proprietor of the first Shakespeare & Co. Maybe her housekeeping style is a bit less nightmarish? I believe she was the petite blond talking about the Sunday pancake breakfasts near the end of part 1 of the documentary which I learned on Wikipedia was running on Sundance channel in 2005 and was directed by Gonzague Pichelin and Benjamin Sutherland.
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