Cowboys, Reporters, and Activists Collide in New Novel!

Based in small-town Colorado, RON MCLARTY’s newest and highly-anticipated third novel, Art in America, is sure to strike a chord with local readers. McLarty, best known for his critically acclaimed work, The Memory of Running, seamlessly blends the complexities of modern western existence with stunning narrative grace. Enlivened by the richness and gritty reality of his characters and the sparkling ease of their dialogue, Art in America is a work that transcends the affairs of everyday life. It is a must read for anyone interested in Colorado, the politics of small-town America or that greater bond that ties us all together.

Set in the fictitious town of Creedemore, Colorado, Art in America opens to a land-rights dispute which has splintered the local community, pitting neighbor against neighbor and attracting the attention of the national media. Into this chaos comes Steven Kearney, a prolific New York author, who has been commissioned by the Creedemore Historical Society to write and direct a play dramatizing the town's history. Steven's relocation sparks a colorful fish-out-of-water story populated with cowboys, environmental activists, hordes of reporters, performance artists, eco-terrorists and bona fide outlaws. It is a tale of fracture and community, art and life, and McLarty’s poignant, often hilarious narrative convinces us to root for the residents of Creedemore as though they were our own friends and neighbors.

Ron McLarty will speak and sign Art in America (Viking, $25.95) on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 7:30 pm. The event will be held at the Boulder Book Store on 1107 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO 80301.

Concerned About Global Warming?

From Henry Thoreau to Rachel Carson, we've always had great writers & photographers to inspire us and teach us about the environment. Now it's time to tell your story.

The Union of Concerned Scientists and Penguin Classics—along with bookstores across the country—are encouraging all aspiring writers and photographers to submit their personal stories and images about global warming for publication in a new online book to be published in 2009, Thoreau's Legacy: American Stories about Global Warming.

The deadline to submit is November 15, 2008. The winning essays and photographs will be included in the online book and in a limited edition print version of the book. We hope you'll consider submitting a story or photograph. For more information, visit http://www.ucsusa.org/americanstories/.

New Bookclub for Independent Businesses

Boulder is a hub for independent businesses, and the Pearl Street Mall is a great example of how independent businesses can work together and thrive, thanks to their community. We're starting a new bookclub this fall, specially designed for independent businesses. Our new Independent Business Bookclub seeks employees from other independent businesses, as well as any others who are interested, in joining to discuss books that address the concerns, challenges and needs of independent businesses.

This unique bookclub's first pick is Bo Burlingham's book, Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big, which discusses how maverick companies have passed up the growth treadmill—and focused on greatness instead.

Some entrepreneurs have rejected the pressure of endless growth to focus on more satisfying business goals. Goals like being great at what they do, creating a great place to work, providing great customer service, making great contributions to their communities, and finding great ways to lead their lives. In Small Giants, veteran journalist Bo Burlingham takes us deep inside fourteen remarkable privately held companies, in widely varying industries across the country, that have chosen to march to their own drummer. He searches for the magic ingredients that give these companies their unique "mojo" and the lessons we can learn from them.

The Independent Business Bookclub will meet to discuss Small Giants by Bo Burlingham on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at noon in the Upper North Room of Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO. Bring your lunch and join us!

Denver teens bring play about homelessness to the stage

Artlab teens to present world premiere of Throwaway/ Runaway this Saturday and Sunday at Platteforum

For most Boulder and Denver residents, walking over a flattened cardboard box etched with the word hungry is as close to experiencing homelessness as it gets. Understanding the daily struggles of living on the streets is a difficult task. Nevertheless, high school teens from Denver’s Artlab are changing that with the world premiere of the play Throwaway/ Runaway.
Written by the teens themselves, the play Throwaway/Runaway will be performed this Saturday and Sunday, June 21 and 22, beginning at 2:00 pm. The play will be presented at the Riverfront Plaza in downtown Denver. Admission is free.

Directed by Jose Mercado with help from Craig Volk and costume designs by Mona Lucera, Throwaway/Runaway offers a frank insight into the lives of homeless youth. The Artlab teens spent an entire summer researching homelessness as well as volunteering in a homeless shelter to correctly convey the topic matter. Much time and effort has been put into this presentation so take a trip down to Denver not only to support these teens but to also gain knowledge about this serious issue.

Artlab is a collaborative program between Platteforum and Labyrinth Arts. The unique year-round internship and apprenticeship program is for underserved teens in the Denver-Metro area.

For more information, visit http://www.platteforum.org/.
What: world premiere of Throwaway/ Runaway
When: this Saturday and Sunday, June 21 and 22
Where: Riverfront Plaza is at the base of the Millennium Bridge at 1600 Little Raven St., Denver
Time: 2:00 pm
Admission: Free!

- By Erika Mahoney

Erika Mahoney is a summer intern at Boulder Book Store.

Get Your Poesy On With Us During National Poetry Month

When Edna St. Vincent Millay asked, "To what purpose, April, do you return again?" she clearly did not know that April is National Poetry Month! To celebrate, Boulder Book Store has lined up a slew of great poetry readings, discussions and other opportunites during the month of April. We will kick off the month with three back-to-back poetry events, then continue to celebrate "Poetry Thursdays" throughout the rest of April.

Starting things off on Tuesday, April 1, at 7:30pm is GERDA ROVETCH & LISSA ROVETCH, who will speak and sign their new book, There Was a Man Who Loved a Rat & Other Vile Little Poems. This collection of absurd verse by Gerda Rovetch, a Boulder local for 50 years, and quirky line illustrations by her daughter, Lissa Rovetch, will charm children and adults alike.

On Wednesday, April 2, at 7:30pm we will host an evening of poetry readings by poets included in IMPROV: An Anthology of Colorado Poets. Colorado is rich in poetry, and IMPROV from Green Fuse Press reflects that wealth.

Poetry Thursdays
Our first Poetry Thursday (Thursday, April 3, at 7:30pm) will feature MARILYN KRYSL (Warscape With Lovers) & JAKE ADAM YORK (A Murmuration of Starlings) in a reading and discussion entitled, "Getting Published." As established poets and key members of literary magazines, these two poets will read from their recent collections, then lead a brief discussion about publishing work in literary magazines.

A night of "Writing the West" on Thursday, April 10 at 7:30pm will feature poets ERIKA WURTH (Indian Trains), GABRIEL GOMEZ (The Outer Bands) & SHERYL LUNA (Pity the Drowned Horses) reading from their recent work.

Thursday, April 17, at 7:30pm, we will celebrate National Poem In Your Pocket Day with an evening of shared poetry. The night will feature Open Mic Poetry Readings (bring your own or someone else's), networking with the local poetry community, and great Poetry Month giveaways. Event co-sponsors Haystack Mountain and Belvedere Chocolates will provide cheese and chocolates for the evening. (Pick up your Poem-In-Your-Pocket at Boulder Book Store anytime in April.)

Wrapping up the month are two poets whose poetry careers are just unfolding. MATT NIENOW (Two Sides of the Same Thing) and ERIN LEWENAUER (Keeping Dead Things Around) will participate in readings and discussion entitled "Getting Started: Up-and-Coming Poets" on Thursday, April 24, at 7:30pm. After reading from their new collections, the poets will lead a brief discussion about publishing your first book.

All events will be held in the upstairs Ballroom of Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO. Poems-In-Your-Pocket will be available at the Book Store throughout April.

T.S. Eliot said that "April is the cruelest month"—lessen that effect through poetry!

National Poetry Month Resources:
http://www.poets.org/npm

After The Long Emergency

The same legion of readers who greedily consumed The Long Emergency (Grove, $14.00) by bestselling author JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER, will delight at his follow-up, World Made by Hand. His new book is a speculative fiction, which makes an imaginative leap a few decades into the future, and shows us what life may be like following the long emergency brought on by the converging catastrophes of the 21st century. The book centers on the lives of the townspeople of Union Grove, NY. After the end of oil, climate change, global pandemics and resource wars, they are doing whatever they can to get by. Could Kunstler's book be a grim glimpse into our future? For fans of his first book and lovers of well-written fiction, World Made By Hand is sure to please.

James Howard Kunstler will speak and sign World Made By Hand (Atlantic, $22.00) on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 7:30pm at Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO.

This event is co-sponsored by Boulder County Going Local.

Boulder Bucks The Trends Once Again

Studies show reading is on the decline, but you wouldn't know it from the number of bookclubs that exist here in Boulder. Boulder Book Store services over 90 area bookclubs, some with memberships as high as 20 people. That's quite a lot of reading!

In celebration of Boulder's love of reading, Boulder Book Store is holding its 2nd Annual BOULDER BOOK STORE TALKS TO BOOKCLUBS event. On Tuesday, March 18th at 7:00pm we'll be sharing our picks for the best new bookclub reads for the coming year. We'll also be handing out fabulous gifts and prizes throughout the evening. So, spread the love! Invite a friend and join us for wine, cheese and great conversation. Whether you already belong to a club or you're looking to join, we invite all Boulder area booklovers to share your favorite literary moments.

And if you can't make it but want to know more about how Boulder Book Store can make your bookclub shine, just send an email to bookclubs@boulderbookstore.com and our fabulous Bookclub Coordinator, Besse, will help you out.

Ethiopia: The Land of Climbing Opportunity

"We have come to Ethiopia to rock climb."

Climbers are a dedicated crew. We’ll brave freezing cold weather, scorching sun, and dangerous heights in the quest for the perfect climb. I count myself as a climber, but I’ll be honest: I’m not actually a fearless one. I prefer single-pitch routes, am not too fond of leading, and am often made fun of because I won’t boulder higher than 4 feet off the ground. In fact, I’m the antithesis of fearless.

Majka (pronounced MI-kah) Burhardt, meanwhile, truly appears to be a fearless climber. I was lucky enough to meet her today when she dropped off copies of her new book, Vertical Ethiopia. She looks like a climber: compact, tan, and full of energy. I’d been waiting to get my hands on a copy of her book since she first told me about it, and it was well worth the wait. Its tall, glossy pages showcase photography by Gabe Rogel and vignettes by Majka about life and climbing in Ethiopia.

The book covers the 2007 quest made by Majka and three other women to find out if Ethiopia just might be the next climbing mecca.

"My childhood image of Ethiopia was shaped by photographs of dry and desolate landscapes, fragile, bony arms and legs, and distended stomachs. Later, when I was older, I thought of Ethiopia as synonymous with terror and communism, a country of constant war and oppression. I never occurred to me when I first begin climbing, in 1992, that I would one day find beauty, challenge, and adventure in Ethiopia."

Majka was lucky enough to have photographer Gabe Rogel tag along for her trip. I say lucky because when you read Majka’s words and then look at Gabe’s photos, you know that a great partnership has been formed. Half of the pictures in the book are of Majka and her friends, in various stages of climbing. The other half are pictures of Ethiopia--glimpses into the places and lives of its people. One of my favorite photos in the book is similar to the picture at left. The hands belong to a priest’s wife who was in the process of dyeing straw for baskets.

Whether you’re a climber, a traveler, or just a booklover, I guarantee that you’ll find something to enjoy in Majka’s book. And if you’re in the Boulder area on Monday night (February 25th, 7:30pm), stop by Boulder Book Store to hear Majka talk about her journey and to celebrate the release of Vertical Ethiopia. I’ll be taking my copy home to read over the weekend. And maybe I’ll even get in a few climbs if the weather stays nice…

"There is rock everywhere. It catches the morning sun and vibrates orange, red, and yellow. It cleaves the sky in towers and ridges; it fills the entire western view. There are cracks, buttresses, corners, and escarpments. An entire mountain waits to be climbed."

Text in green excerpted from Vertical Ethiopia by Majka Burhardt. Photography by Gabe Rogel.
Post by Mandy King, Events Coordinator at Boulder Book Store.

Mount Everest Overcome With Thieves, Prostitutes, and Con Men

The growing popularity of eco-vacationing and adventure sports brings with it a commercializing of what used to be a niche industry relegated to professionals and die-hard fanatics. Now nearly anyone can try their hand at summiting the tallest peak in the world, as long as they have the cash.

This is a lesson award-winning journalist Michael Kodas learned first hand in 2004 when he joined local mountain climbers from home on an expedition to Mount Everest. He anticipated an exhilarating and arduous adventure among a group of like-minded idealists. But on the Himalayan mountain, he discovered thieves, prostitutes, con men, and blackmailers.

In his shocking expose, High Crimes: the Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed, Kodas reveals the mountain's dark underside: unscrupulous con men who sell faulty oxygen tanks, drugs and prostitution in Base Camp, and people all but murdered in the cutthroat race to get to the top.

Michael Kodas will speak and sign High Crimes (HarperCollins, $24.95) on Thursday, March 6 at 7:30pm at Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO.

Hear Michael Kodas speak of his encounters with Mt. Everest's dark underside, then join us at Unity of Boulder Church on May 29th at 7:30pm to hear Lincoln Hall's first hand account of how he was left for dead on the slopes of Everest in 2006. (Ticket information coming soon.)

Natalie Goldberg: A Revolution in Writing

Twenty years ago NATALIE GOLDBERG's classic, Writing Down the Bones (Random House, $12.95), broke new ground in its approach to writing as a practice. Now, Old Friend from Far Away (Sounds True, $24.95), her latest book to focus solely on writing, reaffirms Goldberg's status as a foremost teacher of writing, and completely transforms the practice of writing memoir.

At once a beautifully written celebration of the memoir form, an innovative course full of practical teachings, and a deeply affecting meditation on consciousness, love, life, and death, Old Friend From Far Away welcomes aspiring writers of all levels and encourages them to find their own unique voice. Natalie Goldberg recreates her trademark workshop style with its terse, demanding writing "sprints" that train the hand and mind to quicken their pace and give up conscious control.

Natalie Goldberg will speak and sign for Old Friend From Far Away on Thursday, February 28, 2008 at 7:30pm at Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO.

Renaissance Woman Takes on the Horn of Africa

MAJKA BURHARDT is a writer, climber, guide, and "nouveau renaissance woman" living in Boulder. Her experience as a guide and writer has enabled her to take on assignments not only in North America, but throughout the world. Her first book, Vertical Ethiopia (Shama Publishing, $37.99), documents a climbing expedition to unexplored sandstone spires in northern Ethiopia. Told through a series of vignettes that reveal what it means to climb, to travel, and to explore, Vertical Ethiopia reveals a country at the turning point in its embrace of its natural heritage. Using climbing as a magnifying glass, Majka Burhardt comes to understand a land brimming with striking geological and cultural beauty.

Majka Burhardt will speak and sign for Vertical Ethiopia: Climbing Toward Possibility in the Horn of Africa on Monday, February 25, 2008 at 7:30pm at Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO.

Award-Winning Environmental Journalist Takes on the Plight of a Dying Species

As a contributing editor at Outside magazine and an award-winning environmental writer BRUCE BARCOTT has profiled Himalayan climbers and Iditarod champions as well as grave robbers, bear poachers, and Appalachian fugitives. He's currently writing and studying as a Ted Scripps Fellow in environmental journalism at CU, Boulder. His new book, The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw (Random House, $26.00), was recently honored as a runner-up by the J. Anthony Lukas Work-In-Progress Award, which is given annually to a significant work of America nonfiction.

The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw tells the true story of one woman's quest to stop a multinational corporation from exterminating the last scarlet macaws in the Central American nation of Belize. This unforgettable narrative is suspenseful right up to the last moment, relating the dramatic saga of an eccentric American who was undaunted by the combined forces of a determined Canadian power company and the corrupt government officials of Belize.

Bruce Barcott will speak and sign for The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 7:30pm at Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO.