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![]() 13015 Larchmere Blvd. Shaker Hts., OH 44120 216.795.9800 Search Loganberry's Website!
Keep in touch ~ |
SHOW AND TELL Thursday, July 17, 2008 Harriett You just never know who will show up for a NOBS Show and Tell session.... Tonight we have about a dozen players, some serious bookies, some hobbyists, some self-professed novices. Book samples ranged from a huge folio limited edition Maya Angelou, to stories and oddities by J.D. Salinger and Pablo Picasso, to notebooks of rocket science created for pre-NASA employees, 1890 Catholic histories, samples of paper marbling and super-rare Jessie Willcox Smith tiny pamplets printed by Good Housekeeping. Great fun, guys, really great fun. LOCAL
AUTHORS Wednesday, July 16, 2008 Harriett It’s hard to be a self-published author and get the word out about your book. That’s just one of the reasons Loganberry hosted a Local Author Book Fair in conjunction with the Larchmere Flea Market and Festival. The other reason is to enjoy the community and the connections interesting people make. Case in point: Carolyn Nilson is an author of training manuals (Team Games for Trainers, The Trainer's Handbook), most published by mainstream presses like McGraw-Hill. They’re professional textbooks really, and I warned her there might not be a huge demand for these expensive books at the Flea Market. However, she had a blast! Her letter sums it up best: “It was fun interacting with such an interesting cross-section of area folks, and although I sold no books, I did meet a fan! who said he has 3 of my books and uses them in his engineering consulting work. I also met a guy who offered me a job—in Columbus!” The spirit expressed here sums up the Larchmere Flea Market & Festival perfectly for me. And she’s been back to the shop twice since the festival, with friends in tote. What fun to see these connections being made! DEBORAH'S BIG
DAY Saturday, July 12, 6-8pm Harriett After 20 years of performing at concerts, coffeehouses, festivals, rallies, conferences and other special events in Northeast Ohio, Deborah Van Kleef has recorded her first CD, "Works in Progress." Tonight we're celebrating the official CD release, with food, friends, and music, of course. Come join us. BLOSSOMSaturday, July 5, 2008 Harriett Every summer I treat all the Loganberries to a night at Blossom Music Center. It's an absolutely beautiful setting: a natural amphitheatre with an amazing architectural shell with a sweeping slate roof and fabulous natural acoustics. And the band ain't too bad, either. I've been to the famous Ravinina and Tanglewood and other outdoor orchestra hotspots. They don't hold a candle to Blossom. On tonight's program: Orff's Carmina Burana, Borodin's Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture (with fireworks, of course). Not bad. GOOD GRIEF LARCHMERE Wednesday, July 2, 2008 Harriett I'm a big fan of locally-owned business, and not just because I own one. In the bigger scheme of things, shopping locally is a strong economic tool, a sustainable choice, and a community necessity. It's part of the reason why I'm so active in the Larchmere Merchants Association, and why I spent countless hours of my own time and employee time to produce the annual Larchmere Flea Market and Festival. The event was a success by all counts, even despite the late afternoon rain. But the merchant meetings make me crazy. "Can we do this every weekend" - "...every month?" Well, sure guys. Who's signing up to do the work? ![]() FESTIVAL
RE-CAPMonday, June 30, 2008 Harriett We had a great Festival, despite the rain. Actually, the weather was perfect until 3pm, when it got darker, and by 3:30 the rain began. We had a couple minutes of soft warning rain, then it downpoured. The authors attending the Local Author Book Fair got inside safely with their books, and the socializing inside the shop was even more entertaining than outside in Author Alley. Really, we only lost an hour of the Festival, we had lots of peeps here, and I do hope the vendors packed up safely. So, until next year... CLEAN-UPFriday, June 27, 2008 Harriett It's 11:30pm and it's definately time to go home. The notorious book buying table (always a mess with incoming books in various stages of the acquisition process) is clear, the floor is vacuumed (yes, the vacuum is purple), flowers are arranged (from my home garden), the checkout counter is miraculously cleared (we're optimistic by necessity), and we're ready. We didn't bother to chalk off the vendor spaces in various parking lots this evening, because we were expecting rain, and then it did indeed rain. Okay, I think the rain got out of the system now and we'll be here early in the morning to set-up for the Flea Market, chalk in hand. Come on out and enjoy the show! AUTHOR ALLEY Thursday, June 26, 2008 Harriett The sandwich board is painted, the registrations filed, the tables counted, nametags and signs printed, and [most of] the books are here, so it must be near time . . . for the Local Author Book Fair! Here's the list of distinguished guests joining us this Saturday, 11am-4pm. Tom Acierno, A Whisper in God's Ear Deanna R. Adams, Rock 'n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection Alice Baburek, When Lightning Strikes Back Gail Ghetia Bellamy, Cleveland Food Memories Cynthia A. Christman, If You Plant Roses, You Don't Get Carnations Casey Daniels, Pepper Martin Mysteries Kelly Ferjutz, Windsong George N. Havens, We Made the Headlines Possible; A Professional Guide to Winning Presentations; A Special Time, A Special Place Michael Heaton, Truth and Justice for Fun and Profit Timothy L. Hudak, The Charity Game; When the Lions Roared; Wildcats!; The Game of the Year Beverly Medley Jones, A Seat at the Master's Table Bebe Weinberg Katz, Princess Claudia and the Freckles; A Best Friend for Claudia Rob Levandoski (C. R. Corwin), Mourge Mama Mysteries; Fresh Eggs Holly McCain, Brown Eyes Sandy Mitchell, Cleveland's Little Italy Marian J. Morton, Cleveland Heights; Cleveland Heights: The Making of an Urban Suburb; Lakeview Cemetery Ann Southworth McFarland, Next Friend: The Journal of a Foster Parent Carolyn Nilson, Various Business Instruction and How-to James Renner, Amy: My Search for Her Killer Sandra Roach, Alina's Options: Careers from A to Z Les Roberts, King of the Holly Hop; We’ll Always Have Cleveland Hetty St. James, Bertie's Golden Treasure Jim Stracensky, Healing Images, Healing Words Vicki Blum Vigil, Cemeteries of Northeast Ohio Adrienne Zurub, Notes from the Mothership: The Naked Invisibles CALDECOTTS Thursday, June 19, 2008 Harriett We have assembled all but one of the 70 years of Caldecott Award winning books. It's quite an impressive array! All the big names are there: Dorothy Lathrop, D'Aulaire, Robert Lawson, Bemelmans, Petershams, Lynd Ward on up to Van Allsburg, Allen Say, Ed Young, David Wiesner, Kevin Henkes, and this year's Brian Selznick. Come hear the talk, and see the books displayed in impressive chronological order. PS: The talk was great fun, and we had Caldecott collectors, librarians, and past Caldecott Committee members in attendance. Wow. UPCOMING FLEA MARKET
Monday, June 16, 2008 Harriett As last count, we have 50+ vendors expected, from fine antiques to vintage jewelery and photography to flea market bargains. We'll also have the Euclid Beach Rocket Car and Passport Project's Global Dance Collective. And TWO DOZEN local authors!! And food! See more on the links provided. Tell you friends, bring your family. We'll see you on Saturday, June 28th. SIDEWALK SALETuesday, May 20, 2008 Harriett We're getting ready for the Sidewalk Sale on Saturday. Not only will all the books be 20% off, but we're culling the triplicates and quadruplicates and putting them on special-special on the sidewalk. Who knew we had so many copies of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's journals or Antonia Frazer's Mary Queen of Scots? Please come take them off my hands.... I bought too many because they're good books, after all.... Monday, April 7, 2008 Harriett We had about 2 dozen entries in the annual Edible Books Festival this year, and they were all fabulous. Five were singled out as extraordinary and awarded prizes by the viewers and participants in the festival. I'm working on the official page now, you can see some previews by clicking on the image here. Thanks to everyone who brought entries, enthusiasm, and appetites to the festival! ALTERED
BOOKS ENCOREThursday, April 3, 2008 Harriett An encore Annex Gallery show featuring the imaginative works of several local artists who create entirely new works of art out of crusty old tomes. The group is called the Altered Book Group, and the show is titled Red Book Project II. This year, they each had a volume of the turn-of-century Book of Knowledge, and they each did something different with it. Artists include Myrna London Aidlin, Sarah Clague, Gene Epstein, Margaret Yuko Kimura, Terre Maher, Lynn O'Brien, Jackie Parsons, Myrna Tatar and Anne Weissman. Tonight is the opening reception with the artists, 6-8pm. Show runs April 3 - 28. A special talk on the history, interpretation, inspiration, and creation of the artworks will be part of the NOBS Forums lecture series, held on Thursday, April 17 at 7pm. BIRTHDAY BAND Thursday, March 13, 2008 Harriett It's Gene's birthday today, and she's playing at our monthly gig here with Gene's Jazz Hot. Stop on by for cake and swinging tunes. The sun's been out all day, Shaker Heights crew took all the snow mountains away, and we can dream of spring. (Other than that, I'm exhausted and daylight savings time in March has my body really messed up.) Friday, February 22, 2008 Harriett We had a great turn-out for the Charles Chesnutt lecture on Thursday night. Ann Olszewski gave an interesting talk on the archives of Chesnutt held at the Cleveland Public Library, as only an archivist would. She did not talk about Chesnutt's career in Cleveland, or literary criticism of his books, but of his life story as understood through the documents and photographs in the library's collection. It was fascinating to piece things together this way, like an archaelogical dig of a person's life. In the audience, we had some interesting book collectors, hobbyists, professionals, bookbinders and the like, as well as some Rowfant Club members, where Chesnutt was a member himself. It's fun when the audience can contribute to the lecture and bounce off the information given by the lecturer and vice-versa, and this was such a case. Thanks, Ann, for an informative evening in the world of books! CHARLES CHESNUTTThursday, January 31, 2008 Harriett Charles W. Chesnutt (1858-1932) has landed himself on a 41-cent stamp. It's about time he had some regonition: he is credited with being the first mainstream-published African-American writer, and a popular one, at that. After earning the top score on the Ohio Bar Exam, Chesnutt worked as a court reporter. Later, he founded a legal stenography company and dedicated himself to his writing, mostly fiction with a moral mission of race-relation peace. Some of his books include The Conjure Woman, The Wife of His Youth, The House Behind the Cedars, The Marrow of Tradition and The Colonel's Dream. Oh, and did I mention he was from Cleveland? There was a big celebration downtown to commemorate the release of this new stamp. Our third Thursday NOBS Forums this month features a talk on Chesnutt. Ann Olszewski is the preservation manager at the Cleveland Public Library, which holds quite a bit of biographical and documentary material on Chesnutt, as well as some of his books (first editions of which are now rare). (Berea College, KY, also holds some great materials, and hosts the Charles Chesnutt Digital Archive.) Come hear Olszewski talk on Chesnutt and his legacy in the book world. The talk will be on Thursday, February 21, 7pm, here at Loganberry. Also tune in to WCPN's "Around Noon" on Monday, February 18 to hear Dee Perry interview Ann Olszewski about Chesnutt. NOBS FORUMS: SHOW AND
TELLThursday, January 17, 2008 Harriett Usually for NOBS Show and Tell sessions, people bring old books, vintage tomes, and collectible curiosities and treasures. I decided to bring something brand new, something most of us hadn't seen before, and something that redefines the concepts of genre. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick just won this year's Caldecott Award, and it's a wonderful and curious thing. This 500+ page book won the highest accolades "to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children." Usually this is interpreted to mean picture books: slim volumes with pictures on every page and some text interspersed, perfect for reading aloud to a 4-year-old. This book does not fit this model. However, if was awarded the Newbery, generally speaking for young adult literature, it would be the writer who was awarded, not the illustrator, even if that is one and the same person, as it is with Hugo Cabret. Brian Selznick has reinterpreted the relationship of words and pictures in this book. The pictures, pencil skteches with heavy black page borders, are not used to illustrate the words, but are part of the story itself. Like Lynd Ward's God's Man: A Novel in Woodcuts (1929), the pictures tell the story with no words at all. Except that Selznick trades off points of telling the story solely with pictures, and then giving us a couple pages of prose. The reading level might be appropriate for a 10-year-old, but I can't see a 4-year-old sitting through a story this long. I loved it, though, and I marvelled at the balance between words and pictures. The pictures read very quickly: they are sketches full of movement that beg you turn the page and follow the action, not to linger looking for details. The prose slows you down to figure out the finer plot points and plot twists, of which there are many. That doesn't mean all the action is put into pictures however: at one point in Part Two, a chase scene ensues told entirely in pictures, and a little while later, another chase scene is told entirely in words. It's a wonderful read. It's already been named a finalist for the National Book Award (usually given to adult literature). What's most amazing is that the Caldecott Committee felt strongly enough to warp the boundaries of their award to include it in its prestigious circle. Congratulations to Selznick. Now, forget that someone calls this a children's book, and go read it. STUMPER
MAGICIAN UPDATE Thursday, December 13, 2007 Harriett I have now sent out 33 free books to Stumper Magicians, those wonderful people who help solve the Stump the Bookseller entries. New on the gift registry this year was a "crusty old tome," which has proven very popular. My hospital shelf has room on it again, hoorah! Now if I could just bring all the Stumper Magicians to Loganberry, I could treat them to a concert by Gene's Jazz Hot, like tonight's, and wouldn't that be fun? But, alas, that is where the virtual and local communities differ. Both are nice, but they are not the same. Still, if you ever come to Cleveland, do make some time to hang out in the bookstore and come to some of our special events. Better yet, if you live here, come see what wonders lie in your own backyard. (Am I preaching to the choir again? Sorry.)
The 34th annual Thanksgiving weekend shopping spree continues on Larchmere. Three dozen locally-owned businesses on Larchmere Boulevard welcome the holiday season with good cheer and nostalgic fanfare. Come browse the boulevard and discover old-world shopping in your hometown neighborhood. Like old time winter festivals around the world, a traditional horse and carriage will give free rides up and down the boulevard on Friday 12-4pm. Best Horse Drawn Carriage Service from Farmdale Ohio will provide the horse and buggy.
Elsewhere on Larchmere, music, food, and great deals abound, from the crafts at Dancing Sheep to the Asian antiquities at John Young's. Enjoy classic good food at Larchmere Tavern or the brand-new Flying Cranes Cafe. The exquisitely wrapped packages at Elegant Extras are always a treat in and of themselves, and fine yarns at Fine Points are a craft lover's dream. New openings this weekend include Groovy Grooming and a personal trainer. Come discover these wonderful stores, and more, during the Larchmere Holiday Stroll. No need to box yourself in huge stores this Thanksgiving weekend; instead get a breath of fresh air and come browse the boulevard. Treasures await you.
Tonight at 7pm: Cathie Bleck on Scratchboard Techniques N.O.B.S. Forums features an artist this month, alongside her Annex Gallery exhibition of scratchboard painting. Cathie Bleck studied design and painting at the University of Illinois. Her delicate yet powerful scratchboard carvings appear to dance into spirals which she describes as “the unseen swirl and flow of internal and external spirits that entwine us.” Cathie Bleck has lectured, conducted workshops and exhibited throughout North and South America and Europe. Sponsored by the Nothern Ohio Bibliophilic Society, $3 suggested donation.
Join us this Saturday for local fantasy award-winner Catherynne M. Valente as she debuts Part II of The Orphan's Tales. Part I, In the Night Garden, was nominated for the 2007 World Fantasy Award and was the Winner of the 2006 Tiptree Award. Part II, In the Cities of Coin and Spice, promises even more of these Arabian Nights for our time -- a lush and fantastical epic guaranteed to spirit you away from the very first page. The event will be a gala welcoming of the new book with the author, a display of fantasy artworks inspired by the first book, and a musical performance by S.J. Tucker. The event will be held at the Fine Points Carriage House, 12620 Larchmere Blvd., on Saturday, October 27th, 7-10pm. Loganberry Books will be there to sell copies of both books. Join us!
Mitzie Verne will discuss her family and its lifelong work in
the world
of books and the arts, beginning with the well-known Verne Gallery of
Japanese
Art. Her brother Bob Levine was the founder of Cleveland’s well
loved
Publix Book Mart. Her daughter Betsy Franco has written more than 80
children’s
books published by Scholastic, Simon & Schuster and Candlewick
Press.
Her son Michael wrote Quiet Elegance: Japan Through the Eyes of
Nine
American Artists published by Tuttle. And her grandson James
Franco is an actor who won the Golden Globe Award for his role as James
Dean and has had leading roles in the Spiderman films. Mitzie
herself
has published a lovely little book titled The Emperor Was My
Neighbor.
Come hear more about this illustrious Cleveland book family.
We call Gene's Jazz Hot the house band here, but they were really regulars down the street at Cafe Limbo. With the sudden loss of Cafe Limbo, Gene's Jazz Hot was feeling homeless, and that's just not right for the house band! So, without further ado, we present Gene's Jazz Hot on the second Thursday of October and November, and see how it goes (subtext: come support the band and buy a book at intermission!). Donations for the band gladly accepted. Concert: Thursday, October 11, 6:30pm-9:00pm
We're gearing up for not one, but two events this evening. Beginning at 6pm, we have an opening reception for local photographer Lori Molesky, whose nature views are just perfect. Perfectly content, serene, beautiful, focused. Perfect for everyone on your holiday gift-giving list (it's not just a sales pitch, it's true). They're also a bargain. At 8pm, join us for folk musician Rachanee from Lansing,
Michigan.
She has two albums out now, and several impressive awards. This
is
the start of her tour, and the warm intimate space of the LitArts room
here at Loganberry should be perfect for a girl with guitar!
[Oops
- Rachanee didn't like my Halloween decorations.... read her blog!]
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