Hi Bookfriends,

Hope you’re all well and staying that way. George and I are still isolating though I’m longing to get back to the store, now open with business picking up. Emily, Gianelle and Lori are doing a fabulous job. Like many indie bookstores we’ve been inundated with calls and online orders for books about Black lives and antiracism resulting in backorders for some popular titles, but we are taking orders and happy to help you find something to read while you wait. Personally, I’m on the store’s waitlist for HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST by Ibram X. Kendi.

I just finished Brit Bennett’s new novel, THE VANISHING HALF, a different kind of story about racism. It focuses on identical twins, “their skin the color of sand barely wet,” whose lives could not go in more different directions – and the daughters they raise, one black, one white. It explores racism from within, and it gave me a real jolt. Never preachy – just a good story, well told, that moves like the wind, and leaves you thinking.

When your husband/partner/roommate starts reading a book he can’t/won’t put down you have to know more about it. Especially since this book is all he wants to talk about. That happened at our house this week. George says: LEARNING FROM THE GERMANS: RACE AND THE MEMORY OF EVIL by Susan Neiman is a prescient book for the current time. Though the title may at first seem incredible, the author, a Southern-raised American Jew who now runs a research center in Germany, convincingly shows us why and how that country has acknowledged its WWII racist history and done much to overcome it. And she goes on to share the steps that are being taken in places like Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama that give hope that we might be able to do the same.

Lately, I’ve been Zooming in to virtual events sponsored by the Miami Book Fair and Books & Books.  Also, the SIBA sponsored series, Reader Meet Writer. It’s fast, fun, and you don’t have to get dressed or leave the house. We have copies of the books that are being discussed. Just give us a call or drop in. I’ll be introducing an event very soon. And this time I’ve got AirPods for better sound, and a new computer for a clear picture. Stay tuned for more info.

Be well. Stay safe.

Love,

photo: Nick Curley

In this bewitching debut novel, a sensitive teen, newly arrived in Alabama, falls in love, questions his faith, and navigates a strange power. While his German parents don’t know what to make of a South pining for the past, shy Max thrives in the thick heat. Taken in by the football team, he learns how to catch a spiraling ball, how to point a gun, and how to hide his innermost secrets.

Author Michelle Tea calls Genevieve Hudson’s debut novel BOYS OF ALABAMA, “a gripping, uncanny, and queer exploration of being a boy in America, told with detail that dazzles and disturbs.” We had the pleasure of getting to “meet” Hudson when they did a recent Reader Meet Writer virtual event — and immediately wanted to chat with a bit more. Hudson graciously answered a few questions for us to share with you.

Enjoy this Q&A, check out the Reader Meet Writer replay (find that here) and let us know what you think about BOYS OF ALABAMA. And then plan to keep an eye out on what comes next from Genevieve Hudson.

Q: Some writers love the idea of residencies, while others find the long stretches of wide-open time paralyzing. What has your experience of residencies been like? Can you say a little about pros/cons, and tell us about where you’ve been?

A: I absolutely adore residencies. The handful I have attended (MacDowell Colony, Caldera Arts, Vermont Studio Center, Dickinson House) have been transformative in terms of process and what I can get done. I’m really grateful for the chance to step outside of “normal” life and focus on writing for an extended period of time. In terms of writing, I think time is the most precious resource. I need time to sit with my thoughts, read, let my imagination wander, go on long walks, and play with words. To think. To reread. To scrap pages. All of that is part of the writing process. My process is about unfolding into my work and letting myself feel spaciousness and pleasure. I understand how large swaths of time can feel paralyzing, but in my experience, if I relax into the process and release my expectations, I will find big hunks of unstructured time to be expansive and regenerative and soothing. It is an opportunity to be bored, which is a big gift to creativity. But every writer is different and whatever feels good in terms of writing and process for them is probably the best way forward. I will say, I wrote the first scene for what would later become BOYS OF ALABAMA at Caldera Arts, worked on a major revision of it at Vermont Studio Center and did my final editorial revision at MacDowell Colony. I owe those places so much.

Q: You recently published an essay in Elle magazine about your early boyfriends and how your relationships with them intersected with your own gender identity. In what ways, if any, was the BOYS OF ALABAMA another way of reckoning with the same questions and issues?

A: I see the article in Elle as a companion piece to the book. It’s a way of giving context to my novel-length exploration of boyhood in the American South. I was fascinated with boy culture when I was young, and I immersed myself in it. I skated and played sports and was seen as a “tomboy” and most of my close friends were boys. It took me until puberty to fully understand that me and the boys I surrounded myself with were expected to follow different trajectories. It makes sense to me that my first novel would explore issues of masculinity and how it intersects with Southern culture, queerness, and violence. Through BOYS OF ALABAMA, I wanted to investigate what it meant to be an outsider and a queer youth trying to integrate into boy culture in the Deep South and the toxicity and harm and appeal and comradery that comes with it. I was asking: what does white masculinity do to a culture, a place, a group of people? Those are questions I wrestled with as a young person trying to understand my gender. They are questions I still wrestle with today.

Q: Can you talk a bit about the magic in BOYS OF ALABAMA? Do you see the novel claiming a spot in the tradition of Southern Gothic?

A: In some ways I do see my novel following in the footsteps of the Southern Gothic tradition. Like the books that made up the genre in the past, BOYS OF ALABAMA elevates the absurdist aspects of the Deep South by exploring ways poverty, religion, and racism have worked to pollute and warp communities. The humor is dark and there is a focus on the outcast, the weirdo, and people on the margins. Of course, with its touches of magic realism, there is a centering and exalting of the supernatural. Max’s magical power can be read as a manifestation of his hidden queerness. He has the power to heal within himself (quite literally) but his fear of revealing it, of what people will think, has caused him to hide his power. So instead of showing his true nature, he turns inward and his strength and his gift get warped and end up being the source of harm and pain.

Q: During your Reader Meet Writer virtual event, you gave a great reading list. What is one book that you think deserves more attention?

A: Godshot by Chelsea Bieker is an outstanding novel that came out earlier this year. It focuses on a young girl who is dealing with the loss of her mother and navigating her place in a strange Christian cult in California’s Central Valley that believes they can bring back the rain and free the farmers from a devastating drought. It is all things a novel should be. It’ll break your heart.

Q: What are you working on now, if you don’t mind saying?

A: I am writing a short story for a photography art book that will be published in Europe later this year. The art book explores and documents the gender transition of a Norwegian woman. My story serves as a separate piece that is in conversation with the photo project. I’ve also just started a new book. It’s a road trip novel about friendship, where two buddies reunite in their old college town in the South for a friend’s wedding. Trouble ensues.

Store co-founders Judy Blume and George Cooper

Dear Bookfriends,

Thank you so much for your support during this difficult time for the store and our staff. We’ve been closed for browsing seven weeks. George and I have been isolating for eight. I miss the store, our staff, our customers. I miss Dan the Man, our cheerful UPS person who brings us new books. I miss having lunch in the back room where my eating space, a drop leaf shelf George attached to one of the desks, is referred to as the “cafeteria.”

I’m back to living the writing life, except I haven’t been writing (though lately I’ve been jotting down anecdotes for something I’ve had in mind for a long time). I’ve read drafts for the pilot episodes of SUMMER SISTERS, and WIFEY. And the script for the movie based on ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME MARGARET. That one was set to be shot over the summer in New Jersey. The director had found a wonderful 12 year old to play Margaret. Now, that project is on hold until it’s safe to shoot again.

I don’t know where the day goes (well, laundry for sure) but before I know it, it’s time for late afternoon reading, the best time of the day. I’ve started Emma Straub’s just published novel, ALL ADULTS HERE, and I’m really enjoying it! I’ll be chatting with Emma (virtually) on Monday, May 18, at 7pm. We’ll let you know how to tune in. But mark your calendars now. (Do we still use calendars?) After that it’s dinner and then an episode or two of one of the series we’re following — THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA on HBO, LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE on HULU, and coming this weekend, Wally Lamb’s I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE on HBO — all great books you can catch up with before or after watching.

Those of you with kids at home, I feel for you. I can only imagine how hard it is to supervise virtual classroom lessons, and still do everything else, including working from home. And thanks to the teachers — what a job you are doing! For the kids at home, keep them reading! Anything they want to read. Tell us what they love and we’ll try to find a book like it to send as a surprise.

Your loyalty is helping us stay afloat. We’re grateful you’re ordering books, puzzles, art supplies from us. It means we can keep our staff on salary. We’ve had orders from all over the country and we appreciate every one of them. Those of you in Key West know that Gia or Emily will deliver your books to your doorstep the same day you call. I’ve been signing books the same way. I want to give a shout out to our customers who ordered a “Starter Library” for a new baby in their lives. I wish you could have heard Gianelle and me on the phone — me shouting out titles, Gia running around the store trying to find them, then Gia reminding me of a new book that just had to be included. Gia put it all together and wrapped it beautifully. Another shoutout to our customer who ordered seven large art books, then ordered another seven, all as gifts to friends. And how about thirty copies of a forthcoming book, also for friends!

Every book makes a difference. I’m making a special donation to BINC today, an organization that helps indie bookstores in need. Some of them may not survive without help, some may not survive even with it. We’re lucky. Because of you we’ll soon be opening our doors. We haven’t set a date yet. When we do, we’ll probably be greeting you in masks and the floor may be marked off so you can keep your social distance, We need time to get ready. And we don’t want to do it too soon. We want to keep our staff and you, our loyal customers, safe. In the meantime, you can safely order online or by phone. And thank you again.

Stay well.

Love,

Credit: Winky Lewis

As we shelter-at-home and need wonderful, moving books to distract and entertain us, our current virtual book club pick is WRITERS & LOVERS by Lily King. Store co-founder Judy Blume writes, “WRITERS & LOVERS, is exactly the book we need now. Witty and heartfelt, . . . filled with memorable characters.”

We had the opportunity to ask Lily King a few questions about her new novel, hear about how the Covid-19 pandemic is changing book promotion and get some reading recommendations.

Q: What has it been like promoting a novel during this time of closed bookstores and sheltering at home? What, if anything, will you keep in your bag of tricks when we get back to being able to hold in-person events?

A: I had three in-person events before we went into isolation. Then within a few days many bookstores had figured out virtual solutions. It really is amazing how quickly you all have adapted. I’m always so happy when a bookstore that I was supposed to visit on my tour invites me to do something online. What’s great about it is that people from anywhere can come. They can pick and choose the time and the date. It’s really fun in that way, seeing who shows up. I wish I could introduce everyone to each other and we could out go out for a drink after, but that’s another lifetime. It’s easier to hold a room from a podium than from a computer screen. You feel that. There’s an energy in a real roomful of people that doesn’t get created in the same way. Everyone’s mic is off so you can’t hear people’s responses. But the in-conversation format is really suited to the virtual event and if you get a good conversation going it nearly feels real. I had one a few weeks ago and I got so absorbed I actually forgot about the virus for a full hour. That was lovely.

I do think we’re learning that these events really can work, that if the author cannot travel to the store they can still support the store and the store can support them. I like the idea that after this is all over, for the price of the book you could get a Zoom invitation from the store to an online event. I think it would be a real incentive to buy the book at the store that’s hosting it. As a reader, I have loved the Zoom events I’ve attended on my couch in my slippers after a long day.

Q: Very early in the novel, Casey says, “I don’t write because I think I have something to say. I write because if I don’t, everything feels even worse.” Do you share Casey’s position on the purpose of writing?

A: Completely. Writing things down always makes me feel better. But what Casey doesn’t quite understand yet is that she does have something to say. She has a lot to say. We all do. But when you write fiction you often have no idea what you have to say until you’ve written a full draft of the thing. Then you start to get it. Then you can start to shape and highlight those things. But what you have to say in a novel cannot be summed up in a few tidy sentences or bullet points. What you have to say is an experience that usually takes a few hundred pages to evoke.

Q: WRITERS & LOVERS has such a strong sense of place, a little claustrophobic, but also filled with the familiarity of coming home. How does that sense of place interweave with the narrative themes around grief and love?

A: Claustrophobia is one of my trademarks! My first three novels were about families because a family in a house guarantees claustrophobia. I was attracted to the story of EUPHORIA for the same reason: three scientists marooned together in the jungle of Papua New Guinea. In WRITERS & LOVERS I needed Casey to be coming back to the region she grew up in, back to everything that once was familiar and now has a layer of sadness and nostalgia but also great comfort to it. She comes back to the state where she was raised with all its memories of her mother as a young woman, full of life and desires of her own. All that is swirling around in the background when Casey returns to New England.

Q:  What are you reading and recommending?

A: Right now I’m reading THE OTHER LANGUAGE, stories by Francesca Marciano which I love. I’m also reading two nonfiction books, THESE TRUTHS by Jill Lapore and EPIDEMICS AND SOCIETY by Frank Snowden, both of which I find intriguing. Recently I loved SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid, THE REVISIONERS by Margaret Sexton, and WEATHER by Jenny Offill. Next on my list are NOTHING TO SEE HERE by Kevin Wilson and THE NIGHT WATCHMAN by Louise Erdrich and ACTRESS by Anne Enright and SPRING by Ali Smith.

Q: What are you working on now, if you don’t mind saying?

A: I’m working on a collection of short stories, which I am grateful for. I’m not sure I have the stamina right now for a novel.

*****

Read Judy Blume’s review. If you want to stay up-to-date on store news and features like this one, subscribe to our email newsletter on our website, just scroll down to “Join us” and fill our the contact form.

Every other month or so, we pick a new book for the Books & Books @ The Studios Virtual Book Club. Our virtual book club is a way for us to share what we’re reading with our friends near and far. It’s an opportunity to pick up a new read and share your thoughts (and photos) with other readers online.  Follow our book club hashtag (#bbkwbookclub) on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Mark and Nancy’s dog Elly at home. Photo by Mark Hedden

In the wake of closing galleries and public spaces due to the coronavirus, The Studios of Key West has taken its programming online offering a wide range of innovative classes and programs, from showcasing exhibitions via Facebook Live for its popular First Thursday reception to offering drawing, photography, writing and other classes virtually. Check out all of the current class offerings at tskw.org.

As part of this lineup, local well-read power couple Mark Hedden and Nancy Klingener are offering a look at the history of Key West through literature, reading TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT by Ernest Hemingway, selections from Elizabeth Bishop, 92 IN THE SHADE by Thomas McGuane, KEY WEST TALES by John Hersey and THE JEWS OF KEY WEST by Arlo Haskell. Nancy Klingener covers the Florida Keys for WLRN. Mark Hedden is a writer, photographer, and birding guide.

We had the opportunity to ask them about the virtual book club and other matters literary.

Q: How and why did you decide to do a Key West book club? How did you choose titles?

A: We started it back in 2013 when Nan was working at the Key West Library and Mark had a studio at the Studios (as he still does) – it seemed like a cool opportunity to do something in between a book club and a college course. So there is a syllabus, of sorts, and we moderate or lead the discussions but there’s no homework or grades.

We have chosen a variety of books from different writers – not always our personal favorites but ones we thought directly addressed Key West (TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT) or might be fun to read. In the past we’ve included some crime fiction (by Laurence Shames and James W. Hall) and some historical accounts. It’s fun, for us at least, to mix it up a little.

Q: How is it similar or different hosting the book club on Zoom?

A: It feels very different but has been pretty glitch-free so far. It’s great that we can connect this way both with people in town and those from the mainland who are interested in these books.

It does make it harder to share a bottle of wine like we used to.

Q: What advice would you give prospective hosts about managing a book club, on Zoom or otherwise?

A: It helps to have someone like Michelle from the Studios managing the technicalities so you can focus on the content. And maybe to try and be aware of who might have some difficulties connecting or accessing material so you can make sure they get everything they need BEFORE the meeting.

In general don’t make it too big – I think our class size of 12 is just about right. And try to choose a variety of books so that there’s something for everyone. And try to make sure everyone has a chance to speak and be involved.

Q: What’s your favorite Key West book, and why?

Nan: My favorite writing about Key West is by Elizabeth Bishop – her poems, letters and essays about this place show that she really got it and appreciated its endemic weirdness. I’m also fond of John Hersey’s KEY WEST TALES, which capture a lot of different angles of the island.

Mark: My favorite Key West book is PANAMA by Tom McGuane, which is about a failed and lovelorn former rock star trying to figure out how to live with himself. I feel like it really captures an era, albeit an era ten years before I moved here. But my second favorite book about Key West is 92 IN THE SHADE which I’d argue is less about character and more about Key West and America and the counterculture of the time. And fishing, which I like reading about more than I like doing. Both of McGuane’s books couldn’t be set anywhere else.

Q:  Outside of your book club reading, what are you reading and recommending these days?

Nan: I’m (very, very slowly) making my way through THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT, the final book in Hilary Mantel’s trilogy about Thomas Cromwell. Time and focus are in short supply for me, but even though I’m usually a fast reader who would devour a book like that, I like savoring it – it’s an excellent respite from current events and the last book from her on that subject (I’ve been obsessed with the Tudors since I was a kid and read a book about Elizabeth I at my grandparents’ house). And I have a stack of books I got out of the library before they closed so my TBR pile is, as usual, enormous. And I can’t wait to dive into the new Lily King novel, WRITERS & LOVERS. Her novel EUPHORIA is one of my favorite reads of recent years.

Mark: I’m working my way through Michael Reynolds’ five-volume Hemingway biography, because, honestly, I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about him and his legacy — something we’re confronted with pretty regularly on this tiny island. I’m also reading Charles Willeford’s Hoke Mosely quartet, detective novels set in the rough-and-tumble world of 70s and 80s Miami. And I’m reading a bunch of stuff about sharks. I’m also listening to some books on tape while doing some home improvement. Michael Connelly’s the THE LINCOLN LAWYER has such deftly realized character studies, as does Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike series, which makes sense once you realize that Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling.

Hi, non-fiction fans.

I’ve got a good one for you this week. It’s the true story of an extraordinary leader who took over the reins of his country in the midst of an existential disaster. Somehow he managed to redirect industrial production to meet critical needs and convince the public that they could survive a brutal attack from a seemingly overpowering enemy.

No, I’m not talking about Donald Trump. It’s the story of Winston Churchill during the German bombing blitz of Britain in 1940. As he assumed power from a disgraced Prime Minister who had tried to placate Hitler, Germany had overrun Europe and forced British forces into an ignominious retreat across the Channel. How Churchill managed to ramp up production, not of something relatively simple like ventilators, but combat aircraft, was a marvel. And how he got population to remain hopeful through daily aerial bombing attacks is a lesson of leadership for all time. From Erik Larson, author of Devil in the White City.

Click to buy:

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

Right now, gift cards really are the gift that keeps on giving.

Purchase a Books & Books @ The Studios gift card (online) or call the store 10am – 3pm at 305-320-0208.

Each $50 in gift cards purchased will provide an entry to a drawing for $50 in Moleskine products (choose from products in store stock). 1 winner will be notified next Monday, March 30, 2020. U.S. residents only. Not sponsored by Moleskine.