Hot Off the Press Spring 2020
In this lively monthly book discussion class led by Lynn Rosen, participants read and discuss new literary fiction. Class conversations include a thorough and thoughtful analysis of the book as well as background information provided by Lynn about the author and the book’s path to publication. We talk serious book talk, but have a lot of laughs too! Class meets on Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 8:30pm. CLASS DATES: February 26 March 25 April 22 May 20 June 17 LOCATION: Elkins Park, PA 19027 COST: $160 Sign up HERE. Books are not included and can be purchased by class members at a discount from Open Book Bookstore. CLASS READING SCHEDULE: February 26 American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins Tells of the ordeal of a Mexican woman who had to leave behind her life and escape as an undocumented immigrant to the United States with her son. This book has created a great literary controversy about cultural appropriation, which will also be part of our discussion. March 25 Amnesty by Aravind Adiga A riveting, suspenseful, and exuberant novel from the bestselling, Man Booker Prize–winning author of The White Tiger and Selection Day about a young illegal immigrant who must decide whether to report crucial information about a murder—and thereby risk deportation. April 22 Days of Distraction by Alexandra Chang “Startlingly original and deeply moving…. Chang here establishes herself as one of the most important of the new generation of American writers.” — George Saunders Equal parts tender and humorous, and told in spare but powerful prose, Days of Distraction is an offbeat coming-of-adulthood tale, a touching family story, and a razor-sharp appraisal of our times. May 20 Afterlife by Julia Alvarez The first adult novel in almost fifteen years by the internationally bestselling author of How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. Antonia Vega, the immigrant writer at the center of Afterlife, has just retired from the college where she taught English when her beloved husband, Sam, suddenly dies. And then more jolts happen. Antonia has always sought direction in the literature she loves, but she finds that the world demands more of her than words. June 17 The Book of V by Anna Soloman A bold, kaleidoscopic novel intertwining the lives of three women across three centuries as their stories of sex, power, and desire finally converge in the present...
Genre Writing Classes
Open Book presents Genre writing classes, offering you the opportunity to try your hand at writing in a variety of genres. Each workshop is taught by an expert in a different genre. You can take a class in a genre you’re already working in, or something new, and try one, or try a few. See below for details about the classes and our talented instructors! Each class lasts an hour and a half and meets at the Open Book Bookstore in Elkins Park. Details and specific class descriptions are below. COST: Classes cost $30 each. Sign up HERE. LOCATION: Open Book Bookstore, 7900 High School Rd., Elkins Park, PA 19027 CLASS DATES, DESCRIPTIONS AND INSTRUCTORS THIS CLASS IS SOLD OUT. NEW CLASSES WILL BEGIN IN EARLY 2017. DATE: Monday December 5 TIME: 7pm to 8:30pm TOPIC: Writing Children’s Picture Books: Creating Words & Images that Flow INSTRUCTOR: Heather Devlin Knopf CLASS DESCRIPTION: This picture book workshop will address the rhythm and flow of a great picture book in relation to words and images. We’ll analyze the beginning, middle, and end of a picture book; pagination for impact; and the importance of editing one’s work. Tip sheets and exercises will provide learning support with a Q&A session to follow. If you are working on a picture book, or have always wanted to create one, join us! TEACHER BIO: Heather Devlin Knopf is a Philadelphia-based artist/illustrator, writer, and educator who works in a variety of mixed media. Knopf teaches at Moore College of Art and Design within the departments of illustration and design and at Philadelphia University with the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce. She is currently working on her next picture book, as well as a series of monotypes entitled 196 Women. Learn more at www.heatherknopf.com. Sign up HERE. MORE CLASSES WILL BE ADDED FOR TEEN AND YOUNG ADULT WRITERS. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN THOSE CLASSES, EMAIL US! NOTE: All tickets are non-refundable. ...
Dinner with a Book à la française Returns!
Our popular French-themed dinner discussions at Spring Mill Café continue this fall with two dinners to celebrate Paris. Co-hosted by Spring Mill’s famed chef Michele Haines and book discussion leader Lynn Rosen, our theme will be: “Paris Je T’aime (et je te cherche).” We will seek the real Paris as we discuss two books on two separate evenings. Join one event or both! Dinner #1 DATE: Wednesday, November 2 TIME: 7PM – 9PM A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway Published posthumously in 1964, A Moveable Feast remains one of Ernest Hemingway’s most enduring works. Hemingway captures the essence of a Paris long gone, one inhabited by writers and intellectuals, many of them American ex-pats, who worked hard and drank hard, and lived a life that now lives on only in legend. We’ll explore the famous stories in this revelatory book as we dine on delicious Parisian-inspired cuisine. COST: Dinner + discussion: $65 Dinner + discussion + a copy of the book: $80 Sign up HERE. Dinner #2 DATE: Tuesday, December 6 TIME: 7PM – 9PM Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnick In 1995, New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik, his wife, and their infant son left the familiar comforts and hassles of New York City for the urbane glamour of the City of Light. As Gopnik describes in this funny and tender book, the dual processes of navigating a foreign city and becoming a parent are not completely dissimilar journeys–both hold new routines, new languages, a new set of rules by which everyday life is lived. With singular wit and insight, Gopnik weaves the magical with the mundane in a wholly delightful, often hilarious look at what it was to be an American family man in Paris at the end of the twentieth century. COST: Dinner + discussion: $65 Dinner + discussion + a copy of the book: $80 Sign up HERE. PLACE: Both events take place at Spring Mill Café, 164 Barren Hill Road, Conshohocken, PA 19428 Sign up HERE. MENU: Très délicieux! premier cours Oysters on the half Shell with Chablis Mignonette or Salad Verte Entrée Choice Poulet de Bresse (Free Range chicken with fresh tarragon, shallots, and Mushroom) or Trout Fillet with Sorrel Cream Dessert Tart tatin with Hadley (Classic Tart Tatin served warm with vanilla ice cream) NOTE: All tickets are...
Open Book Signed First Editions Club
Announcing our new Signed First Editions Club What is it? It’s our brand new book-a-month club, kicking off in September! You’ve come to rely on us to steer you toward good new fiction. We work hard to keep up with what’s being published, and to make sure we stock our store with books we know our customers will enjoy. If you’ve taken, or even heard about, Lynn’s “Hot Off the Press” class, you know she has a particular affection for contemporary literary fiction, and she voraciously reads lots of new books in order to select for you the ones she thinks are worth reading and recommending. Well now we’re taking this one step further with the Open Book Signed First Editions Club. As a member, each month you will receive a brand new hardcover novel that Lynn has selected. As a bonus, this book will be a first edition (i.e. from the very first print run of the book) and it will be signed by the author. (Word has it some of these books wind up becoming more valuable as the author’s reputation grows.) SEPTEMBER The September feature is Commonwealth, the brand new novel by Ann Patchett. The book tells the enthralling story of how an unexpected romantic encounter irrevocably changes two families’ lives. Spanning five decades, Commonwealth explores how this chance encounter reverberates through the lives of the four parents and six children involved. OCTOBER Nicotine by Nell Zink A fierce and audaciously funny novel of families—both the ones we’re born into and the ones we create—a story of obsession, idealism, and ownership, centered around a young woman who inherits her bohemian late father’s childhood home. It’s a quirky and edgy tale of families, inheritance, cults, and the never-ending search for self-definition. Kirkus Reviews says: “Social satire with a sharp wit and a big heart.” NOVEMBER Moonglow by Michael Chabon Following on the heels of his New York Times bestselling novel Telegraph Avenue, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon delivers another literary masterpiece: a novel of truth and lies, family legends, and existential adventure—and the forces that work to destroy us. The story is speculative fiction inspired by recollections Chabon’s grandfather shared with him on his deathbed about Chabon Scientific, Co., a mail-order novelty company. (Publication date: November 22) New announcements coming soon for the next books! How it works: You may sign up for the Open Book Signed First Editions Club by selecting either a three-month, a six-month, or a one-year membership. Charges are outlined below. TERM COST ...
Ann Patchett Master Class
DATE: Wednesday, October 5 TIME: 7PM TO 8:30PM LOCATION: Open Book Bookstore, Elkins Park, PA Join writing teacher and book discussion leader Lynn Rosen for a full examination of the work of Ann Patchett, with a particular focus on her new novel, Commonwealth. Dear Reader, I first read Ann Patchett six years ago, starting with her masterful novel Bel Canto. I will never forget those sun-filled days of reading and absorbing that book, filled with heartbreaking drama and lush description. I was hooked, and I determined to master the Ann Patchett canon. I have since read all of her work, beginning with her earliest work of fiction, Taft, and including her non-fiction: the memoir Truth & Beauty and her essay collection, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage. This summer I had the opportunity to speak with Ann when I interviewed her for a article for Poets & Writers magazine about authors who open bookstores (the story will be published in the September/October issue). I was thrilled (but not surprised!) to find her to be warm, engaging, and a lively conversationalist. The Master Class concept, used often in music and the arts, is something I have long wanted to explore in studying literature by creating a one-time intensive workshop in which I lead participants in an exploration of the body of work of one author. I’m thrilled to host my first Master Class and to focus on the work of this important contemporary American author, Ann Patchett. How the Class Works: The Master Class is designed to be like a college lecture class. The first hour of the class will be a lecture presentation by me dedicated to an overview of Patchett’s work, including a look at each of her books. Questions and comments from participants will be welcomed and encouraged. The second part of the class will be an in-depth discussion of one Patchett book: her new novel, Commonwealth, which will be published on September 13th. Do you have homework to do before the class? Nothing too strenuous! I encourage you to read Commonwealth, and to read as many of her other books as you wish, but this reading is not required in order to attend and enjoy the Master Class. Note that as part of the cost of the class, you receive a discount on your purchase of Commonwealth from Open Book Bookstore. COST: $35 (includes a coupon for 10% off Commonwealth or another book by Ann Patchett.) SIGN UP HERE. NOTE: All tickets are non-refundable. A Field Trip THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT Ann Patchett will be appearing at the Free Library of Philadelphia on October 6th at 7:30pm along with author Jacqueline Woodson. I have reserved a...
Hot Off the Press Fall 2016
A NEW DAYTIME SESSION HAS BEEN ADDED. SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS. In this lively monthly book discussion class led by Lynn Rosen, participants read and discuss new literary fiction. Class conversations include a thorough and thoughtful analysis of the book as well as background information provided by Lynn about the author and the book’s path to publication. We talk serious book talk, but have a lot of laughs too! Class will take place monthly on Tuesday evenings from 7pm to 8:30pm Dates: September 13, October 18, November 15, December 13, January 10 NEW SESSION ADDED ON FRIDAY MORNINGS FROM 9:30 TO 11am Dates: September 30, October 21, November 18, December 16, January 13 Location: Open Book Bookstore, 7900 High School Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027 Cost: $135 To sign up click HERE. Here are the book selections! (Note: Class members also receive discounts if they purchase their class books from the Open Book Bookstore. Books are not included in the cost of the class.) SEPTEMBER 13 & 30 A Thousand Miles From Nowhere by John Gregory Brown As the book begins, fleeing New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina approaches, Henry Garrett is haunted by the ruins of his marriage, a squandered inheritance, and the teaching job he inexplicably quit. He pulls into a small Virginia town after three days on the road, hoping to silence the ceaseless clamor in his head. One reviewer says: “Brown is an expert storyteller, and his latest only further reinforces that claim.” OCTOBER 18 & 21 Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue A stunning debut about marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream—the unforgettable story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economy. One reviewer says of this Cameroonian writer: “Among the spate of novels forged in the crucible of the previous decade, Mbue’s impressive debut deserves a singular place.” NOVEMBER 15 & 18 The Mothers by Brit Bennett This debut novel describes the tangled destinies of three kids growing up in a tight-knit African-American community in Southern California. Years later, the characters are haunted by what might have happened if they had made different decisions. The story is told partly by the main character, Nadia, and partly by a chorus of eponymous “Mothers,” the church ladies of Upper Room Chapel. DECEMBER 13 & 16 Swing Time by Zadie Smith An ambitious new novel from the multi-award-winning author of White Teeth. Two brown girls dream of being dancers–but only one, Tracey, has talent. The other has ideas: about rhythm and time, about black bodies and black music, what constitutes a tribe, or makes a person truly free. It’s a close...