... independence.

in·de·pen·dence noun \ˌin-də-ˈpen-dən(t)s\

Definition of INDEPENDENCE

1: the quality or state of being independent

2 archaic : competence

I have always felt that the fourth of July is sorta the New Year's of the summer. I've never cared for the decorations. The screaming. That being what it is, fireworks are lovely,--but what a weird way to celebrate...."hey look up there in the sky...remember the noises bombs made when we killed people?" I wonder if the squirrels know we are only playing pretend-bombs, technicolor bombs.

At the register today I had a surge of pride, our country is only 235 years old. How lucky I am to be on this land. How lucky that I can yell, and criticise and bitch to anyone I want, that my mouth is protected. Think of all the inventions that came for from this country...(seriously...check out Wikipedia.) We were borne from brilliant extremist rogue savants.

I think about how glad I am to work where I work. How there is something in this store to offend everyone, and to please everyone. How Brookline chooses everyday, to support this store, and how grateful we are to try and reflect back the fierce intellectual independence of this town.

Enjoy your independence, and your independents.

Now you can use your Booksmith gift card to buy an e-book!

Don't live in Brookline anymore?


-or-

Want to send a gift to someone who doesn't live here anymore either, but who still totally misses us?

Now they can buy our ebooks, or ye olde-timey paper & ink books online with a Brookline Booksmith gift card!

Just order one here, or call 617.566.6660

We will pop one in the mail for you or your loved one to buy some great books. You'll also be supporting your local indie bookstore, from anywhere in the world!



Top secret: These are our new gift cards!!! They will be available in the very near future...I will unfurl a shriek of joy for all to hear. These cards, well...they're kinda my babies. My pretty, advanced, way above average babies. I mean their Apgar score was a 9.47. Proud Mama.

Elizabeth Berkley; still making smart cool.

The event for her new book Ask Elizabeth was quite moving. Berkley was eloquent and composed, chatty and accessible. She even took a moment to make fun of some of her more famous choreography.

I wanted to write about this event because it was special in a few ways. Elizabeth Berkley is on the NYT best seller list, and she chose to start her talk by thanking our store. She launched into a riff about the importance of independent bookstores, and keeping communities individual, and being out among other people interacting with the world, in a manner that can't be achieved through a square interface. (my weird wording not hers.)

I grew up loving her character Jessie Spano, the leggy nerd who made being smart and commanding look cool. She got behind our podium in her 5" Louis Vuittons and was pushing 6'5". The advice she gave about self image was "If you are uncomfortable being the tall girl, then buy heels and be taller." I left the event surprised and energized. The audience asked so many great questions and she handled them all with an articulate passion.

Ask Elizabeth is now officially a nonprofit (501)c3 ...learn more about it :here:

Perhaps the best part of her talk was the moment she crossed her hands fast in a nod to her (now) cult classic, Showgirls. Berkley is super engaging because she is honest, humble and appears to be deeply committed to her work. (Bonus points for shouting out the indies!)

Weighing What You Read, Let's Be So Happy This Year

Subtitle: Fat Hatred is soooo 2006

I'm going to ignore the non existent pressure of being the first of my colleagues to blog in this new shiny year...hell this new shiny DECADE.
On my walk home from work yesterday, I got to thinking about how my jeans were feeling snugger than usual. The thoughts that followed were the predictable Rube Goldberg-ing of my self image down the rabbit hole zeitgeist that has been the cultural moment of Hannah Montana, the death of two Brazilian supermodels from anorexia, and let us not forget Natalie Portman in Black Swan.

In short, I felt fat. Well, let's be honest... I am fat. My instinct when I re-remember my size in late December is to buy a crappy magazine detailing all the ways I can become someone else...the obvious...the eat less move more platitudes. Well, this year....I'm calling bullshit on that impulse.

Let's look at the facts:

I love my job.
I love my school.
I love my friends.
I love my family. (mostly)
I love my fella.
I have run (not walked mind you) 3 marathons while fitting into Lane Bryant's finery.

So why then, do I have to have a private meltdown every January about my waist to hip ratio? (With my luck a Doctor is reading this and preparing a comment with a litany of HORRIFYING studies detailing just how damn important that particular ratio is but I'll take my chances)

My life is pretty full, and so are my spanx. Must they be opposed?

So, for 2011................................................................................inhale......

I'm done giving my money to magazines that profit off of me feeling less than. I'm done giving my money to authors who want to sell me something that can't be sold.

This year, the only diet I am going on is a financial one. The money I spend on books will be books I want to read. Books that nourish and challenge me. Books and magazines that actually offer something. More Muriel Rukeyser!!!! (lots of her, and other size friendly feminists in our poetry section)

No more of the vapid glossy plateau- busting simulacrums that have repeated themselves for the last 40 years. I am going to spend my money locally, and only at stores that sell a size 14....(the new average for ladies in this here country.) I am going to buy local in season foods, from local farmers, local merchants. I am going to ignore national chains of most ilks. They make their money when we are fat and sad.


So, to all my chubby brethren, I say let us be strong this year, and be satisfied with what we have this very moment. Let us be so damn happy. If dropping 80 lbs is part of that, that's fine, but ....let's seek that change in a positive key. Let's love ourselves healthier. Let's buy books we want to read, clothes we look amazing in, food we love. Let's start that now. Not after we finish "ironically reading" a SELF magazine checklist written by a 21 year old intern who lives on a diet of Yogi tea and Fiber one.


...and to all my skinny cousins out there...perhaps this year you can resolve to treat yourself better as well...

...and if you are one of those people who already treats yourself and your cat to posh designer everythings...then...maybe this year you can challenge yourself to find beauty in diversity. Read, live and love a outside of your comfort zone... (us fatties do it all the time!!!)

All my love to anyone who gave me their precious time to read this little rant. Happy New Year to everyone...just as you are.

Virtual books, from your local--- literal store... (also, is the ebook fluid? ((creepy))

This past Friday Google announced that it will be selling ebooks, and we did too. We will be selling our ebooks... ON THE INTERNETS! With Google. It's a complicated relationship, but all good pairings are. This is huge. It will mean that if you want to continue to support us, and read on your Android/ nook, ipad, sony....., you can! We are trying to keep up with you tech savvies as best we can, and we are so grateful to be able to offer virtual books, through our literal store. By buying your ebooks from us you are shopping locally and keeping your money in the community. You are saying that you like us, and that you want us around...and we want to be around! Having cool events, selling quirky cool & chic gifts, employing friendly, nerdy and attractive locals to help you find the perfect book you never knew you wanted to read.

TANGENT (short)

This may sound paranoid...but does anyone else think it is weird that once you buy an ebook, the publisher can "update" the contents? That's cool for fixing spelling errors, and addendums to introductions; but isn't it also a little 1984 spooky? The book is then fluid, changeable and not wholly yours? Wasn't it a year ago Amazon yanked 1984 from people's kindles, and refunded their money due to some copyright infringement?

Just the idea that someone could creep into you house, and pull a book from your shelf and rip some pages out, or just TAKE it (and leave the $ at the foot of your bed) is enough for me to want to continue to own the physical book.

I do dig some reading devices, especially the one's without DRM.
I'm not afraid of technology, I'm just not completely trusting of the idea of any "cloud" holding my "virtual bookshelf". Join me for another paranoid moment....

What if something happens to that cloud? Will this moment in history be looked upon as a dark age?

Keep your books, and print out your important emails. (just sayin')

Thanks for reading, however you choose to do it.

Rain+Coffee+Reading = :)

Splashing boots.  Toes wiggling in wet sandals.  Drenched Gortex rain gear. Mirage of colors resembling umbrellas.  Every other hand enveloped around a coffee...aah!  It feels a lot like the pacific northwest around here.  Those of you who know me will probably know that I often miss the west coast mountains and -- yes I know I'm crazy -- the gray, wet northwest misty weather.  I'll take a week straight of rain over the hot, humid sun any day.

Another thing that reminds me of the northwest corner of the US are independent stores, and Brookline, in this respect, is very much like that.  There are so few chain stores lurking around every corner here (well, until you hit the streets of Boston...).  There's something weird about one-stop shopping.  Sure it's convenient at times, but I don't think you have as many choices nor do you have the benefit of an experienced staff.  Need a game?  Stop by Eureeka, they'll be glad to demo a game for you.  Are you crafty with paper or want to try bookmaking?  The Paper Source is right down the block.  Whether on the go or hanging out, Peet's brews a fabulous cup of coffee -- with or without the fancy extras.  Ice cream?  There are quite a few places that have their own unique flavor and feel -- not to mention the bajillion wonderful restaurants around here.  And, of course, the Booksmith where we aspire to hand you the books that you want, not just the titles that are popular.

As I wandered around Brookline this past week doing various things, I realized that the collage of independent businesses really gives this town a unique appeal.  Imagine if every town was run by chain stores -- the same ones you have in your town, would be the same ones in your grandparents' town, and at the vacation spots you pass through.  Wouldn't seeing the same places -- all around the world -- get boring and repetitive?  I mean at that point, why even go out of town?  Part of the fun of traveling is exploring all the different places and stores.  You learn so much about the town that way!

I think independent and locally owned businesses encourage people to be themselves rather than follow the example of the greedy corporates who only care about your money and world domination.  Okay, maybe that's an overstatement.  Maybe...  But local businesses aren't cookie cutters.  (Did you know that the books at your local chains, like Borders and Barnes and Noble, aren't exactly influenced by the local public?  It's all popularity contests and overplayed marketing schemes.  Their merchandise is ordered in an office somewhere in a different state.  They don't even know their customers.)  Local stores let people explore the community, connect with others, and learn that long forgotten virtue of respect.  There's also that small town feel, where you can slow down and enjoy the moments -- something many frantic people should stop and experience -- in this crazy, fast paced world that we live in!