So, instead of posting this last week, I took my Dad to see Captain America. You wouldn’t think that would take all week, especially since we did it on Saturday, but I spent several days actively avoiding reviews and spoilers, followed by the process of simply getting my head into the correct space. I mean, a new Spider-Man? One cannot enter such endeavors lightly.
Anyway, on the evening of May 4, I visited Main Point Books to witness the launch of Fran Wilde’s latest opus, which turned out to be a novella, so it wasn’t so much of an opus as a tight, loaded fist of unconventional fiction. I found local actor Mark Knight chasing raccoons away from my trash cans, so I asked him to accompany me and swig some wine while listing to Fran read. Her last book, Updraft, was nominated for a Nebula Award, so it was cool to congratulate her on that (although, disappointing, it was announced a few days ago that she didn’t win). She was accompanied by novelist Michael Swanwick, who is extremely accomplished in his own right, but embarrassingly, I haven’t read him, because I’m an uneducated boor.
Okay, this post has taken a weird turn, which wasn’t my intention, because I really wanted to say how fantastic it is that the good people at Main Point Books put together these events. I mean, no kidding, how cool is it that a Nebula nominee chose to have her latest book launch in a small, private bookshop in Bryn Mawr instead of New York or Budapest or a million other places? So, thanks to Cathy for running such a cool place, and Anmiryam for doing the logistics, and the little wine fairy for casting her mighty spell.
I should probably mention that the name of Fran’s latest novella is The Jewel and Her Lapidary, which contains at least one word I don’t know. The sequel to Updraft hits the shelves in September, and I would be shocked if Main Point Books didn’t possess one of those shelves. Hopefully, Fran will grace us by launching her book there, assuming no bookstore owners in Budapest show any interest.
Just a quick, unrelated note…tomorrow is the third Tuesday of the month, which means that the good people of the E3T program will be hosting a play reading at Plays and Players at 8 pm (though we start gathering at 7). This month, the playwright/victim will be Todd Cardin. His play, Getting the Knack, “dramatizes a seminal time in a young man’s life brought about by the debut release of the punk/pop sensation The Knack.” Come witness the spectacle!
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