Blue Bicycle Books

Sedaris was here. Waiting for Gabo and Larry.

My top five literary inspirations are: Scott Fitzgerald, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, David Sedaris, Larry David and J.D. Salinger. Of those that are not dead, David Sedaris is the only one to visit the store personally. He came by a couple weeks ago, and we still have signed copies of all of his hardbacks in print, including the new Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk.

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk finds David Sedaris is in a bit of a tight spot. On the one hand, there are grumblings that his nonfiction memoirs are played out and phoned in. But then when he ventures into something quite different, animal stories, it gets mixed reviews. (A one-star pan on Amazon mentioned something about “not getting my Sedaris fix.”)

The fact is, for someone who was discovered for his terrific and unique ability to perform his own work, Sedaris is a terrific on-the-page stylist. When he finally got serious about his writing, his goal was to produce one publishable page a day. The wisdom and skill, the stylistic ear to truly know what’s publishable and force yourself to make it happen is what sets Sedaris apart. Good writing is good writing, and Squirrel has it.

###

The Capital BookFest is this weekend, Counting all mics at the store and the downtown Public Library, there will five (5) stages running currently, featuring the likes of poets Nikki Giovanni and Sonia Sanchez, Rumi’s translator Coleman Barks, local stars like Bret Lott, Josephine Humphreys, Mary Alice Monroe, Nathalie Dupree, and Gary Smith (SI Sportswriter), and, for us aging hipsters and their toddler children: Roscoe Orman, better known as Gordon from Sesame Street.

The first 1,000 people will get a gift bag with a free children’s book. Like story hours? The CBF’s Kidszone will feature 11 authors in a row reading their picture books.

This is easily the biggest, most exciting literary festival Charleston has ever put on, sure to become an annual event. Absolutely free.

The signings at Blue Bike are listed below, and you can check out the downtown Public Library’s lineup here.

10:40a.m. – 11:20 a.m. Panel: The Sights and Tastes of Charleston!
Holly Herrick, The Charleston Chef’s Table: Extraordinary Recipes from the Heart of the Old South
Ida Becker, Charleston Icons 50 Symbols of the Holy City
Host: Emily Abedon, Freelance Journalist

11:30p.m. – 12:15 p.m. Talk
Cathy Forrester, At Home Charleston
Dianne J. Shaver & Suzette Latsko, Bride’s Advisor Charleston
Host: Emily Abedon, Freelance Journalist

12:20 p.m. – 1:10p.m. Talk
Gary Smith, Beyond the Game and Going Deep
Erik Calonius, The Wanderer: The Last American Slave Ship and the Conspiracy that Set its Sails
Host: Christopher Chambers, Novelist & Essayist

1:20. – 2:10p.m. Reading/Talk
Beth Webb Hart, Love, Charleston: A Novel
Anthony Varallo, Out Loud
Host: Marjory Wentworth, SC Poet Laureate

2:25p.m. – 3:20p.m. Talk
Donna Ebron, New Kid on the Block
Carol Mackey, Sistergirl Devotionals
Dr. Anita Davis-DeFoe, A Woman’s Guide to Soulful Living: Seven Keys to Life and Work Success
Host: Dr. Patricia Lessance, Director, Avery Center

3:30p.m. – 4:15p.m. Talk
Cleo Scott-Brown, Witness to the Truth
Batt Humphreys, Dead Weight
Host: Tinesha Davis, Novelist

4:30p.m. – 5:10 p.m. Poetry Reading
Bryan Penberthy, Lucktown
Deanna Nikaido, Voice Like Water: Love Poems
Host: Carol Ann Davis, Poet & Director, Creative Writing, CofC

5:20p.m. – 6:00p.m. Poetry Reading
Linda Annas Ferguson, Dirt Sandwich
Susan Laughter Meyers, Keep and Give Away: poems
Host: Kwame Alexander

###