Quotes About Life from a Little Man Wearing a Bow Tie

I was in the parking lot at Book Passage in Corte Madera early Wednesday morning. I dropped my son off at school and was sitting in my car waiting to go into a yoga class.  As I ate my son’s toast crust, I could see Mt. Tam in my rear view mirror, tall and beautiful.

Twelve hours earlier I had been in the same parking lot trying to find a parking space.  Every space was taken and there was a long line for the complimentary valet.   The lot at the DMV was full next door.  I could see people pouring in from neighboring streets.  Eventually, with the help of an older man directing me, I parked parallel beside a dumpster.

People were flooding in­­– like sticks bouncing along a gentle stream.  They were already smiling and David Sedaris hadn’t even begun to speak.

David Sedaris was going to read from his new book Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls at Book Passage at 7 PM.  We parted seas and came, hundreds of us, from school, from work, from home. 

I’d heard David Sedaris read his work once before at Berkeley Rep. I was in the front row and was surprised at what a small man he was – his insights and humor were so big.

I decided that he was the kid who figured out how to spray paint the walls with, “I WAS HERE!”  But instead, he added, “I was here and this is what I saw…. This is what I noticed….”  And because he was quirky and bright and honest and very, very funny, we stopped and noticed too– absurdities, contradictions and moments of humanness.

Inside the store, we made conversation with each other while we waited for the reading to begin.  When you’re body to body with strangers it seems polite to introduce yourself.  Where are you from?  What book of his is your favorite? What do you think is a good book to read?

Every seat was taken.  A few children sat on parent’s laps. I was in the standing room only section that spilled into every aisle and poured out through the main door. We buzzed, the room buzzed, the store staff buzzed.

Hundreds of people hugged their new book anticipating his stories, eager to get his signature.  There were over 500 people there.

Kelly Corrigan who wrote Lift and The Middle Place was the perfect warm up band, getting the crowd laughing and ready with an introduction.  After listing David Sedaris’s stunning accomplishments, Kelly said, “And now, I’d like to introduce to you two-time college drop out, David Sedaris.” We cheered.

And David who was sweet waved to us, smiled and then began reading.  Of course he delivered, weaving stories about feeding a kookaburra that took us forward and back in time in a way that rocked us with laughter. We might as well have been swaying to the music.

David Sedaris reads during his event
at Book Passage on May 21, 2013.

He gave us stories and quotes about life.  As an audience, we were connected with quiet sounds of recognition, with big laughs we shared and in sighs we felt.  For such a little man wearing a bow tie and a funny jacket he told us he got in LA the other day, he had very, very long arms.  What I mean by this is that he held all of us– captive, laughing, standing, body to body.  And in his arms, we let go of our worries for an hour and enjoyed his storytelling.  In some odd way, we saw ourselves in his life and he mirrored back to us the same.  As a result, I think we each felt a little taller and a little more beautiful.

When I left, people were still in line. And David was still talking to each person who handed him a book.  I watched people as they left the store.  As they strolled to their cars, there was an ease to conversation, a gentleness to the walk, a surrender to this crazy thing we call life.  And everyone looked softer.  Maybe it was because the lighting was dim and gentle, but I don’t think so.  I think it was because when that little man with the bow tie finished reading, finished taking questions, he said, “I am happy to sign your book and I’ll stay here as long as it takes. If I’m here after midnight, it’s fine with me.”  With those words, his “I was here and I notice and I see,” was expanded.  The writing he wrote on the wall said, “I was here and I notice and I see you.” For such a funny guy, his last line felt like a prayer.

This blog appears courtesy of Kathleen Buckstaff. It originally appeared on her blog at www.kathleenbuckstaff.com. Kathleen is the author of The Tiffany Box: A Memoir. 

GUEST BLOG: Josh Hanagarne, Author of The World's Strongest Librarian

Hey there, fans of Book Passage!

I’ve been tasked with bringing you a list of spring/summer reading recommendations.  I’m all too happy to do so. Relieved, even. This might surprise you, but even though I’m a librarian, I don’t get to talk about books at work very often. Most people just don’t ask, they just want to be escorted to the Internet, which breaks my bookish heart.

I’d guess that 80% of what I read is either recommended to me by other bookworms, or it just happens to cross my desk at the library. I never know what I’m going to find. It’s kind of how I feel when I’m browsing an out-of-the-way bookshop and I head down the next aisle.  

If a book looks remotely interesting, I grab it.  I definitely have my favorite authors, genres, and subjects, but my constant exposure to unfamiliar books means, happily, that I read outside of my comfort zone quite often.

I tend to think in stories, and the more stories I read, and the broader the scopes and subjects of the stories, the more connections I can make.  A mind that can is familiar with a greater variety of subjects is going to be more adaptable. 

Now then--you wouldn’t be on this website if you weren’t a fellow book nut, so I’ll try and reward your curiosity with the latest and greatest books that have jumped out at me.
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The Boys In The Boat:  Nine Americans And Their Epic Quest For Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

Before this book, I didn’t have any stories or ideas tied to rowing.

In fact, before reading The Boys In The Boat, if you’d asked me, “What’s less interesting than competitive rowing?” I would have said, “Nothing! What else can we talk about?”  But I had similar thoughts about horse racing before reading Seabiscuit, about running the mile before reading The Perfect Mile, about running in general before reading Bowerman And The Men Of Oregon, and about the history of Formula 1 racing before reading The Limit.  

But of course, these books were great not because of the sports they profiled, but because of the people involved.  

Not only is Brown’s book interesting, It’s thrilling, and he’s a fantastic writer.  The people in the story are a pleasure to know.  I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a book about sports and competition this much.  If you like stories about scrappy underdogs beating the odds, this is the book for you.

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The Ocean At The End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Someone recently asked me what the best part of being a debut author with an upcoming book. “Getting a sneak peek at Neil Gaiman’s new book,” I said immediately. And truer words have never passed my lips.

If I’d read The Ocean At The End of the Lane as a child, I don’t know if I ever would have recovered. This book contains what might be the most terrifying scene I can think of for a young boy.  When you get to the bathtub scene, you’ll know what I’m talking about.  My favorite thing about Gaiman is that he tells stories of impossibly strange worlds, while hinting at worlds behind the stories that are more unusual yet.  Ocean is a masterpiece of potent, concise thrills.

This is Neil Gaiman, so...you’re probably going to read it no matter what the story is. But okay, the plot:  A young boy unleashes a creature from another world and gets into a world of trouble.  That might sound like a story that could have come from any writer, but if you know Neil, you can guess that it’s not.
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The Never List by Koethi Zahn

I read The Never List in one night and stayed up too late doing so. In the early pages, two women are abducted. They awaken in a cellar, shackled to the walls with two other women.  Three years later, our narrator escapes. The story picks up years after that and involves her abductor’s potential parole, the letters he is sending to her and his other victims, and a cult that would have fit right into a season of Dexter. The Never List  reminds me of Chelsea Cain but not as gruesome, and Gillian Flynn without the sick humor.  If you can have fun with an ugly, nasty story, check this out. You know who you are.
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Gulp by Mary Roach

In her inimitable style, Roach has previously tackled the cadaver, the soul, sex, and everything you wanted to know about space travel but were afraid to ask.  With Gulp, she goes down the hatch.  This book contains just about everything you’d never want to know about what’s happening inside of you.  It’s fascinating, disgusting, and as Roach fans will already know, hilarious.  My only complaint?  I can’t believe she took this internal tour and never even mentioned the tapeworm. 

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I could go on and on and on, but now I’d like to turn it over to you.  I’d be grateful if you’d head over to my blog or send me a Tweet.  Let me know what you’ve read and loved lately! 

See Josh Hanagarne discuss his book The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family ($26.00) with librarian Shereen Ash at the Fairfax library on Tuesday, May 21 at 7:00pm. Click here for more details.

 

World Book Night 2013

Recently, Book Passage and some of our customers took part in World Book Night (WBN). Each year, thirty books are chosen by an independent panel of librarians and booksellers. The authors of the books waive their royalties and the publishers agree to pay the costs of producing the specially-printed WBN U.S. editions. Bookstores and libraries sign up to be community host locations for the volunteer book givers. 

Givers apply to hand out twenty copies of a book in their community, pick up their books from their local store or library, and on April 23rd give their books to people who, for one reason or another, don’t normally have access to printed books. Many of us at Book Passage were also givers. Between the members of the public who picked up books and Book Passage employees, we gave away more than 1,200 books. Among other locations, books were given out at the San Francisco Jail and to Homeward Bound of Marin, a shelter that transitions homeless people from the streets to permanent homes. We can’t share all the great stories, but here a few:

“The World Book Night event was fantastic,” said Krista Pelletier, program coordinator for Meals on Wheels. “All of the clients sincerely enjoyed receiving the books and give a warm hearted thank you. Almost all of the seniors in our program are homebound, so receiving books to ignite their imagination is incredibly important.”

Patrons at the Ferry Building Book Passage browse free books on World Book Night

Janel Feierabend of our Corte Madera store gave away copies of La Casa en Mango Street at the Pickleweed Community Center in the Canal area of San Rafael. “The title and author were ideal for the recipients,” said Janel. “Sandra Cisneros is well received among the Spanish-speaking population all across the world, and the book isn’t too thick or intimidating.  Please tell the publishers involved that it brought such joy to the recipients at Pickleweed!  Within minutes, those who were waiting for children and had nothing to do became involved in the story.  At one point, it looked like a giant book club with readers’ noses in the books, already smitten.  I hope they didn’t forget about their kids!

“I also met two gentlemen from Guatemala who had been meeting with others regarding a future statue of a historic figure in Guatemalan history.  Two hours later, I had learned a lot about their country, and they had asked about books at Book Passage.  One of them pulled out his cell phone and showed to me a photo he had taken with Isabel Allende years ago at Book Passage!  The other had just returned from Washington, DC and had met senators and White House staff.  Both of them noted the huge importance of reading and education. It was quite an enriching experience for me! I’ll do it again next year—same spot.”

Kate Larson of our Corte Madera store gave away books at the Oakland Charter Academy, an East Oakland charter school that is “bare bones,” says Kate—“the kind of school where the teachers purchase classroom supplies with their own money; basic stuff like pencils, staples, paperclips, etc. Anyway, they don't have a library so maybe this could be the start.” Kate donated copies of The Worst Hard Times to the school, and a history teacher at the school was “thrilled and grateful to get copies for his American history class. For the first time I will be able to assign a summer reading book and not have to worry about paying for copies myself.”

Book Passage Ferry Building employee Cheryl McKeon had this to say. “At the CUESA Farmers' Market, The Language of Flowers was very well-received. . . . late that evening I had four books left from our distribution and offered them at a local BART station. ‘No, thanks, I don't read . . . but did you say Tina Fey? Yes, in that case!’  Can't wait for 4/23/14!” 

Amen to that!