Monday, July 27, 2009
Mark Your Calendars!
This November we have planned a panel about the extremely relevant and controversial subject of the digitization of books and the future of the publishing industry. On November 16th come see The Future of Books to hear the co-owner of Green Apple books and representatives of Archive.org and Scribd talk about where the publishing industry is headed and what reading will be like in the future.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Don't Miss:
Lev & Austin Grossman 08/21/09
Literary duo Lev and Austin Grossman ponder print and other pursuits
Lev and Austin Grossman
Lev Grossman, Senior Writer and Book Critic, Time; Author, Codex and The Magicians
Austin Grossman, Writer; Author, Soon I Will Be Invincible
It's no surprise that Lev and Austin Grossman are so successful. They have a poet father, a novelist mother, and sculptor sister. Austin began work as a game designer for Looking Glass Studio, and has worked with Dreamworks Interactive, Ion Storm and Crystal Dynamics. Lev became Time magazine's book critic and lead technology writer. Hear from this powerhouse duo.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing
Cost: MEMBERS FREE, $15 non-members
Also know: Underwriter: The Bernard Osher Foundation
Literary duo Lev and Austin Grossman ponder print and other pursuits
Lev and Austin Grossman
Lev Grossman, Senior Writer and Book Critic, Time; Author, Codex and The Magicians
Austin Grossman, Writer; Author, Soon I Will Be Invincible
It's no surprise that Lev and Austin Grossman are so successful. They have a poet father, a novelist mother, and sculptor sister. Austin began work as a game designer for Looking Glass Studio, and has worked with Dreamworks Interactive, Ion Storm and Crystal Dynamics. Lev became Time magazine's book critic and lead technology writer. Hear from this powerhouse duo.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing
Cost: MEMBERS FREE, $15 non-members
Also know: Underwriter: The Bernard Osher Foundation
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
John Lescroart 7/15/09
Last Wednesday Good Lit and The Commonwealth Club hosted John Lescroart, bestselling thriller writer. Lescroart’s work includes the thirteen novel long Dismas Hardy series of legal thrillers, as well as several other novels. The event was moderated by Gina Baleria, who is our former Good Lit and CA Book Awards coordinator. For someone who makes a living writing thrillers, Lescroart was surprisingly thoughtful. He said he loves a good love story and hopes to expand his writing expertise to more romantic genres.
Lescroart talked about his inspiration for becoming a writer, citing his father as one of his biggest influences. His father, he said, would come home from work and become immersed in the world of his current book, completely enraptured. This inspired Lescroart to follow his passion of writing. In fact, he’d written two novels by the time he finished college, an impressive feat. However, he didn’t publish them until much later, simply because, he said, he never considered it.
Lescroart also had some great advice for aspiring writers. “Just finish something!” he said, citing the millions of so-called writers who have hundreds of beginnings but no final products. He also advised writing at least a page a day before calling yourself a writer.
Find out more about his journey as a writer below.
Lescroart talked about his inspiration for becoming a writer, citing his father as one of his biggest influences. His father, he said, would come home from work and become immersed in the world of his current book, completely enraptured. This inspired Lescroart to follow his passion of writing. In fact, he’d written two novels by the time he finished college, an impressive feat. However, he didn’t publish them until much later, simply because, he said, he never considered it.
Lescroart also had some great advice for aspiring writers. “Just finish something!” he said, citing the millions of so-called writers who have hundreds of beginnings but no final products. He also advised writing at least a page a day before calling yourself a writer.
Find out more about his journey as a writer below.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Follow us on Facebook
You can find The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit page on Facebook below. Follow us to get easy updates about upcoming Good Lit events.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Upcoming Good Lit Events!
Here are some upcoming Good Lit Events at the Commonwealth Club this July!
07/15/09 John Lescroart
Hear personal stories and literary secrets from one of the masters of the modern novel. Author of nearly two-dozen books - many of them best-sellers - Lescroart always balanced his passion for writing with a day job. But after a brush with death in 1989, he devoted himself to his novels full-time. Join us to hear the story and delve into the mind of a prolific writer.
Location: Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $12 members, $18 non-members
07/23/09 Steve Talbot: Sound Tracks: A Sneak Peak at A New PBS Series
Imagine a TV series that explores the world, combining the adventure of a travel show and the serious content of a journalism program with the soul-satisfying pleasures of musical performances. It's called "Sound Tracks." Beautifully filmed in HD and all wrapped up in compelling stories told by four savvy reporters, two women and two men.
Location: Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $12 members, $18 non-members, $7 students (with valid ID)
07/27/09 Patty Duke Tells All
Patty Duke, Actress
In conversation with KCBS Entertainment Reporter Jan Wahl
Patty Duke is a star of stage and screen, from her role as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker to playing Madam Morrible in San Francisco's "Wicked." Duke served as president of the Screen Actors Guild, hosted "The Patty Duke Show," and continuously advances awareness in the field of mental health. Join us as Duke shares her stories from a life in the spotlight.
Location: Club Office
Time: 5:15 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program
Cost: MEMBERS FREE, $18 non-members
07/28/09
Albert Maysles: The Godfather of Documentary Cinema
Go behind the scenes in Hollywood as you hear from the renowned cinematographer and filmmaker.
Maysles is considered the dean of documentary filmmaking. Along with his brother David, he pioneered the craft of making nonfiction feature films, including The Beatles in the USA, Meet Marlon Brando, The Gates, Gimme Shelter, Grey Gardens and three documentaries for HBO. Nominated for an Academy Award, the recipient of a Peabody, an Emmy and numerous other awards, Maysles will share his life's work and stories from the front lines of filmmaking.
Location: Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. wine/networking, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $12 members, $18 non-members
07/15/09 John Lescroart
Hear personal stories and literary secrets from one of the masters of the modern novel. Author of nearly two-dozen books - many of them best-sellers - Lescroart always balanced his passion for writing with a day job. But after a brush with death in 1989, he devoted himself to his novels full-time. Join us to hear the story and delve into the mind of a prolific writer.
Location: Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $12 members, $18 non-members
07/23/09 Steve Talbot: Sound Tracks: A Sneak Peak at A New PBS Series
Imagine a TV series that explores the world, combining the adventure of a travel show and the serious content of a journalism program with the soul-satisfying pleasures of musical performances. It's called "Sound Tracks." Beautifully filmed in HD and all wrapped up in compelling stories told by four savvy reporters, two women and two men.
Location: Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $12 members, $18 non-members, $7 students (with valid ID)
07/27/09 Patty Duke Tells All
Patty Duke, Actress
In conversation with KCBS Entertainment Reporter Jan Wahl
Patty Duke is a star of stage and screen, from her role as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker to playing Madam Morrible in San Francisco's "Wicked." Duke served as president of the Screen Actors Guild, hosted "The Patty Duke Show," and continuously advances awareness in the field of mental health. Join us as Duke shares her stories from a life in the spotlight.
Location: Club Office
Time: 5:15 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program
Cost: MEMBERS FREE, $18 non-members
07/28/09
Albert Maysles: The Godfather of Documentary Cinema
Go behind the scenes in Hollywood as you hear from the renowned cinematographer and filmmaker.
Maysles is considered the dean of documentary filmmaking. Along with his brother David, he pioneered the craft of making nonfiction feature films, including The Beatles in the USA, Meet Marlon Brando, The Gates, Gimme Shelter, Grey Gardens and three documentaries for HBO. Nominated for an Academy Award, the recipient of a Peabody, an Emmy and numerous other awards, Maysles will share his life's work and stories from the front lines of filmmaking.
Location: Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. wine/networking, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $12 members, $18 non-members
Monday, June 8, 2009
Lit Blogs We Love
Here are a few of the vast array of lit blogs available on the web that we like. Enjoy!
The Millions www.themillions.com: Great blog with many interesting topics, covers both literature and the culture surrounding it.
Book Forum www.bookforum.com: Great book reviews.
Also, the next time you need a new book to read, check out NPR's summer reading lists. They have a wide array of fresh and inventive book reviews.
Here's the link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104067703
The Millions www.themillions.com: Great blog with many interesting topics, covers both literature and the culture surrounding it.
Book Forum www.bookforum.com: Great book reviews.
Also, the next time you need a new book to read, check out NPR's summer reading lists. They have a wide array of fresh and inventive book reviews.
Here's the link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104067703
78th Annual California Book Awards!
After months of preparation, the California Book awards finally arrived on Thursday, June 4th. Since I began my internship at the Commonwealth Club about two weeks ago I’ve been working hard helping Lit Director Gina Baleria get ready for the big event. I was busy putting up the beautifully designed book award posters in coffee shops and book stores all across San Francisco. Gina and I were both excited and relieved for June 4th to arrive. The winners of the 78th Annual California Book Awards are:
August Kleinzahler (Poetry-Gold, Sleeping it Off in Rapid City: Poems, New & Collected)
Dan Bellm (Poetry-Silver, Practice)
Adam Mansbach (Fiction-Gold, The End of the Jews)
Rachel Kushner (First Fiction-Gold, Telex from Cuba)
David Vann (First Fiction-Silver, The Legend of a Suicide)
John Adams (Nonfiction-Gold, Hallelujah Junction: Composing an American Life)
Deanne Stillman (Nonfiction-Silver, Mustang: The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West)
William David Estrada (Californiana-Gold, The Los Angeles Plaza: Sacred and Contested Spaces)
Ellen Klages (Young Adult-Gold, White Sands, Red Menace)
Kadir Nelson (Juvenile-Gold, We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball)
Gordon H. Chang, Mark Dean Johnson & Paul J. Karlstrom (Contribution to Publishing-Gold, Asian American Art: A History, 1850-1970)
More information about the finalists and summaries of the winning books can be found online on our website at http://www.commonwealthclub.org/bookawards/.
About 150 people attended the book awards, including many of the winners and finalists. In fact, every winner, save one, was there to receive their award (Kadir Nelson was unable to attend the ceremony). We started off the evening with a small preshow reception. As guests arrived, they were able to mingle and munch on hors d’oeuvres in the Commonwealth Club library. We created a historical table, with a handful of previous award winning books, from books published in the 1930s to last year’s winners.
The ceremony itself went without a hitch. Our master of ceremonies was Julia Flynn Siler, author of The House of Mondavi. I stayed onstage to assist Martha Cox, professor emeritus at San Jose State University, and founder and director of the Steinbeck Research Center at SJSU, hand the awards to the winners. You can see the program and hear the authors read excerpts from their books here.
Most of the authors shared excerpts from their books as they received their awards. It was great to hear what passages the authors felt were especially meaningful, or were especially proud of. My personal favorite was Adam Mansbach, who delighted us with his vibrant and humorous retelling of two DJs at a bar mitzvah. It was almost more of a performance than a reading. David Vann read a sweet and sad story of a young boy who, alone in a neighbor’s house one night, dumps pickles into an aquarium of tropical fish. August Kleinzahler told the hilarious back-story of the title of his winning book of poems, Sleeping it Off in Rapid City, and the story of his requisite trip to Rapid City. Deanne Stillman had a definite affect on the audience as she shared her experience hearing about the terrible mustang massacre that inspired her book about the history of wild horses in America. All of the authors were friendly and personable, and the whole atmosphere of the program was intimate and friendly.
A lucky audience member won the raffle and received an entire set of the winning books. Afterwards the authors signed their books, which were also available for sale. I got a chance to talk to the authors I’d especially liked, which was a great experience for an aspiring writer such as myself. After the book signing, there was a private reception for the authors and their guests, who had fun congratulating fellow winners.
Overall, it was a wonderful evening. Everything went smoothly (all of us at the Commonwealth Club were certainly grateful for that) and everyone had a lot of fun. I strongly encourage you to attend next year’s book awards, on June 3, 2010. It’s a great opportunity to meet with some wonderful writers. Many authors who have won this award have gone on to become famous, such as John Steinbeck, Khaled Hosseini, and Michael Chabon. Whether you’re an established writer or you just like to read in the bathtub, the Book Awards are a fun evening out. And who knows, you might be able to say you met someone famous!
-Ila Foley
Good Lit Fellow
Commonwealth Club
Thursday, October 16, 2008
2008 California Book Awards Ceremony Excerpt
For those of you who missed our June 5, 2008, ceremony honoring the 2008 winners of the California Book Awards, we're including several pages from our monthly, members-only magazine The Commonwealth, for your enjoyment. In this three-page excerpt from the event, a selection of the winners – including Khaled Hosseini, Michael Chabon, Daniel Walker Howe, Ying Chang Compestine, and more – discuss the ideas and events associated with their award-winning books.
(Click on each image to view a larger version.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
