Category: Newsletter

A Q&A with Michael Patrick F. Smith, Author of The Good Hand

Last March, we had the pleasure of introducing you to Michael Patrick F. Smith, when he was a Studios of Key West Artist-in-Residence. We are delighted to welcome him back to celebrate the release of the paperback edition of THE GOOD HAND Friday, Feb. 25 with an in-person, outdoors event. (Register here.)

Watch the 2021 author event:

Watch the replay of Michael Patrick F. Smith discussing his book with actor Shawn Hatosy.

Read last year’s Q&A:

Photo credit: Zach Pontz

Michael Patrick F. Smith is a folksinger and playwright currently based in central Kentucky. His plays, including Woody Guthrie Dreams and Ain’t No Sin, have been staged in Baltimore and New York. As a musician, he has shared the stage with folk luminaries such as Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, as well as several prominent indie rock bands. Smith has also worked as a stage actor, a bartender, junk hauler, furniture mover, book store clerk, contractor, receptionist, event producer, driver, office temp, stage hand, waiter, security guard, set fabricator, legal assistant, grocer, oil field hand, and now writer. THE GOOD HAND is his first book.

Q: How did you come to work in an oil field? What were you looking for at that time in your life and did you find it?

A: I went to work in the oil field for the same reason most people go to boomtowns, I wanted to make money fast and I was out of options. You could say my demons were catching up to me. I was surprised by what I found, because it wasn’t much money. It was better than that: a crystallization of my world view. It probably sounds strange to say it, but I also found a lot of healing, although it took writing the book for me to really realize that.

Q: When did you know you would write about the period of your life depicted in THE GOOD HAND? How did writing about those experiences change your understanding of them and of yourself at that time?

A: I started writing emails to a small group of friends as soon as I arrived in North Dakota looking for work. I got encouragement from these friends and my emails to them grew longer and longer to the point where I was sending them twenty page word docs. I was alone a lot at first, and the correspondence became a lifeline for me. When I left I had something like 130,000 words, so that is the source material for the book. It took me six more years to turn it into what it is now, so I think time is an important ingredient in the finished product. I spent a lot of time really meditating on the experiences and investigating my own thought process and emotional state, figuring out how this particular point in time tied together other aspects of my life.

Q: The audiobook includes some of your music. What do you think that adds to the experience of reading the book?

A: For me, music and prose are just different tools to use when telling a story. Music gives an immediate visceral emotional reaction: it is joyful or sad or haunting. I also write a lot about music in the book, which is difficult! I like to tell stories when I perform as a musician so weaving music throughout the audiobook felt really natural to me.

Q: Which came first for you, writing or music? Please tell us a little about how your work as a writer, playwright and musician come together.

A: I went to a public high school and a state college and I had incredible teachers. My high school drama teacher wrote plays with music, he played guitar and he designed and built the sets, too. He showed me how it was all woven together just by doing it, and he also encouraged me.

Later, when I was pursuing theater as a way to make a living there were long fallow periods and I began playing guitar more seriously so that I could pick up a little money, and also to get the joy that comes from performing. My closest friends have always been musicians. Music is also a way to communicate to musicians. It works better than words in many circumstances.

I also used to draw pictures of the plays I wrote as part of my writing process. I think I’ve just always been compelled to tell stories and I’ll use whatever is at hand to do it. One reason I wrote a book, if I’m completely honest, is that I kept getting screwed over by record labels and I was having trouble getting my plays produced. I was frustrated by the business side of those pursuits. I knew very little about publishing, but I knew when I sat down by myself and wrote, I could tap into that sacred space without anybody else around to muck it up.

Q: What are you finding are the most interesting or useful things you’ll take away from your time as a TSKW Artist in Residence? Do you want to share anything about what you’re working on now?

A: I’m working on some articles to support THE GOOD HAND, and also beginning research for what I think will be my second book. I’m also reading a ton from writers associated with Key West. I’ve been reading Hemingway, Jim Harrison and Thomas McGuane so far. For me, I get a lot of juice being in new places. The best writing looks through the world with a traveler’s eyes. This is my first time in Key West, so I’m just soaking in as much of the culture and the ecology and the experience of being here as I can. I fear it sounds a little lazy, but the truth is I know the more I dig into having a good time here, the more I’ll get out of this experience over the long run. I write every day because otherwise I feel insane, but I’m focused more on the experience.

Q: What are you reading and recommending these days?

A: Jim Harrison is blowing me away. Reading Legends of the Fall now. I’ve been living in Kentucky the past year and the writing of Wendell Berry, Thomas Merton and bell hooks have all become indispensable to me. The three of them, in their own different ways, write prose that calms the nervous system, and that is very valuable in these neurotic times. I always recommend Don Carpenter’s book Hard Rain Falling. It’s a criminally overlooked stone cold classic. Elizabeth Gilbert’s City of Girls is probably the best piece of newer fiction I’ve read all year.

Feb Staff Pick of the Month: Yonder

Picked by Lori, bookseller

Now out in paperback!

Lori, who curates our Black History Month display, recommends Yonder by Jabari Asim (Simon & Schuster) for readers who enjoyed one of her previous picks, The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr.

Of Yonder, Lori writes, “The slaves are The Stolen, their masters are The Thieves, and Yonder (Canada) is the promised land of freedom. The story of slavery and all of its horrors is not new, but this book focuses instead on the intimacy and love The Stolen feel for each other under the harshest conditions. Allegorical, poetic, and unflinchingly honest, it had me reading through tears of sadness and joy.”

In picking this book, Lori was looking for a good read to kick-off Black History month, and she thinks that it will appeal to readers who want complex stories of the challenges and joys of Black people in America.

“I would consider this a companion piece to The Prophets, which tells the story of a passionate affair between two enslaved young men, another book depicting slaves as loving people looking for intimate connections in the face of the most hopeless of times,” Lori writes. Read her review of The Prophets from last February.

Lori writes that she enjoyed and was intrigued enough by Yonder to add other books by Jabari Asim to her TBR. Maybe she’ll find something that works for next year’s Key West Literary Seminar, which has the theme I Sing, America: A Celebration of Black Literature, and for which she is the chairperson.

Celebrating Black History Month

Celebrate the range and richness of Black history this month through poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Reread the classics and meet exciting new authors during Black History Month.

Grid highlighting books for Black History Month. "Celebrate the range and richness of Black history this month" and the featured books: Palmares by Gayl Jones,
Yonder by Jabari Asim,
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron,
Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds, Danica Novgorodoff (Illustrator),
The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.,
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead,
This Boy We Made: A Memoir of Motherhood, Genetics, and Facing the Unknown by Taylor Harris, and
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, Vashti Harrison (Illustrator)

Here are the books featured, but we have many more in store. Stop by or follow us on social media (Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/booksandbookskw/) for recommendations.

Palmares by Gayl Jones

Yonder by Jabari Asim, read Lori’s full review of Yonder.

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds, Danica Novgorodoff (Illustrator)

The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead

This Boy We Made: A Memoir of Motherhood, Genetics, and Facing the Unknown by Taylor Harris

Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, Vashti Harrison (Illustrator)

Key West Yoga Sanctuary

A Q&A with Erika Hawks

The newest place to find books from Books & Books is the Key West Yoga Sanctuary, which is run by Erika Hawks. We asked Erika, who is also a long time Books & Books volunteer, for some background on this partnership and to share a bit about the Yoga Sanctuary.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself, if you would?

A: Born and raised in Miami, I moved to Key West from Miami Beach in 2014. I’ve been practicing yoga for over 2 decades – yikes, acknowledging that makes me feel old. 

Q: When did you buy the Yoga Sanctuary? How did that come about?

A: I started teaching at KWYS about 7 years ago, and when my dear friend Gretchen Mills decided to relocate to upstate New York this Spring, it was a natural decision to keep this community alive and take on the business. After a long hiatus for Covid, we re-opened our doors this Fall. 

Q: How would you describe your philosophy for the Yoga Sanctuary? What makes it different?

A: The Key West Yoga Sanctuary is a school dedicated to offering the community a space to practice and experience the 8 limbs of yoga. So, we are much more than just a place to come and do poses (Asana) and move your body, although we do have lots of that on the daily schedule, we strive to bring world class instruction in yoga philosophy, meditation, pranayama and more to our tiny little island. 

Q: How is the business doing given Covid? How are you coping?

A: Covid has had a huge impact on our industry world wide, but we managed to pivot and thrive during this unprecedented time. We closed the doors of our space at 612 Fleming St. in March of 2020, but we continued to offer daily yoga online and have had the Zoom program running continuously and uninterrupted since then. In June of 2020 we began to offer outdoor classes in the park at Truman Waterfront 3 times a week, and we kept those going until we reopened our doors. Our biggest shift came this Summer when we built a yoga platform in our garden at 612 Fleming Street and now we can offer daily yoga outdoors in our very own garden. It’s been amazing to see this all unfold. We are so grateful for the community of students around us!!! 

Q: What will we find in your store besides books? Why did you decide to add books?

A: Our partnership with Books & Books is really exciting for me because I love books, but also because I love sharing books and yoga with my friends and students. The collection of books that we keep in stock at KWYS includes a selection of titles that represent the different styles of yoga that we offer here, as well as covering all aspects of yoga philosophy and Ayurveda (Yoga’s sister science for whole body wellness). You can also find all the tools that you might need to support your yoga practice in our shop, including yoga mats, blocks, bolsters etc…, as well as some handmade local products. 

Q: What are you reading and recommending these days?

A: I am preparing to lead our upcoming Teacher Training, so I am mostly immersed in yoga titles right now, but beyond yoga I am reading Brene Brown’s Atlas of the Heart, she really inspires me. Her book Dare to Lead helped prepare me to take on my new role at KWYS and her newest book is informing the way I interact with the world every day. For a good, very accessible yoga read, pick-up Eddie Stern’s book One Simple Thing.

Watch George discuss the Key West Literary Pantheon

George Cooper, store co-founder, delivered a lecture at the Key West Library last month, discussing the Key West Literary Pantheon. The pantheon is a frieze on the walls above the shelves of the store, honoring forty-nine deceased local writers and artists whose work has gained national fame and built Key West’s reputation as a haven for the arts.

The lecture may be viewed on the library’s YouTube channel.

The Guide to the Key West Literary Pantheon, a fifty-page booklet offering capsule biographies of all the honorees is for sale exclusively in our store. George will sign copies of the Guide to the Key West Literary Pantheon upon request.

Jan Staff Pick of the Month: A Certain Hunger

Picked by Emily, store manager

Store manager Emily, masked, holding a copy of A Certain Hunger

A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers (Unnamed Press)

It’s well known among the store staff and volunteers that my reading picks tend to pivot to the macabre. Yes, I do enjoy a little dark in my books, but above all I love a deep dive into the minds of interesting characters.

So, when I came across a book from the perspective of a murderous food critic, it instantly jumped to the top of my TBR pile. A Certain Hunger did not disappoint. It checked all the boxes.

Dorothy Daniels is a food critic with all the descriptive language skills needed to tell her story of love, lust, murder and a smidgen of cannibalism. You know she did it, you know she gets caught, and yet I still found this to be a page turner.

How did she become a ruthless killer? Did her victims have it coming? Will she ever find the perfect duck confit? I had to know.

Like some of my other favorites this one might not be for everyone but even if you don’t always like dark, the descriptive language alone is enough to keep anyone engaged. And if you do like dark, don’t waste another moment not reading Summers brilliant debut novel.

~ Emily

GMA Book Club Selection author Kirthana Ramisetti

On Thursday Jan. 20th Books and Books @ the Studios welcomed Kirthana Ramisetti, author of the bestselling debut novel Dava Shastri’s Last Day – the Good Morning America December Book Club selection.

The live event has passed but you can watch the recording below and then pick up your copy at the store or by clicking here.

WATCH THE EVENT RECORDING

RAMISETTI ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA

About the Book

Dava Shastri, one of the world’s wealthiest women, has always lived with her reputation in mind. When she is diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of seventy, she decides to take her death—like all matters of her life—into her own hands.

Summoning her four adult children to her private island, she discloses shocking news: in addition to having a terminal illness, she has arranged for the news of her death to break early, so she can read her obituaries. As someone who dedicated her life to the arts and the empowerment of women, Dava expects to read articles lauding her philanthropic work. Instead, her “death” reveals two devastating secrets, truths she thought she had buried forever. And now the whole world knows, including her children.

In the time she has left, Dava must come to terms with every decision that has led to this moment—and make peace with those closest to her before it’s too late. Compassionately written and full of humor and heart, this powerful debut novel examines private versus public legacy, the complexities of love, and the never-ending joys—and frustrations—of family.

BUY THE BOOK

About the author: 

As a former entertainment reporter for Newsday and the New York Daily News, Kirthana Ramisetti has written her fair share of stories about the lives (and deaths) of the rich and famous. She has a master’s degree in creative writing from Emerson College, and her work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, The Atlantic, TODAY.com, and elsewhere. Dava Shastri’s Last Day is her first novel, and she lives in New York City.

Our favorite books of 2021

5x6 grid of book covers

2021 is in the books, and for us, it was all about books. Here are the books we read and loved last year and are still thinking about and recommending.

Tag us on social media (@booksandbookskw) and tell us what you loved. Even though we are replete with books, we’re always ready to add another to the TBR pile.

Judy

Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart

Six months in the country (waiting for the pandemic to end) with a cast of characters who will have you laughing, crying and cringing. His best book yet and that’s saying a lot!

The Magician by Colm Toibin

I thought I wouldn’t be interested in the life of Thomas Mann. How could I have been so wrong? Brilliant – the book, the man, and his family.

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau

It’s the 70’s! Get ready to meet Izzy, the best five year old in modern fiction, her way out parents, their summer guests (a rocker and a movie star) and Mary Jane, the summer nanny. Hilarious, endearing, with enough going on underneath to change Mary Jane’s life. I loved this one.

And a picture book — The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld

You will love reading this story to the young ones in your life. And they will love it too.

George

A Bright Ray of Darkness by Ethan Hawke

A deep dive into into the travails of masculinity against the backdrop of a master class in the life of the stage. Hawke may be an actor, but he is a damn fine writer, too. His marriage dissolves, but Shakespeare (Henry IV) triumphs. Fascinating. (Out in paper 1/18.)

Burning Boy by Paul Auster

Takes us richly into the brief but astounding life and works of Stephen Crane, a man who redefined the meaning of the word “writer.” Both a biography that leaves us in awe of this intensely dedicated man, and, through examination of his work, an eye-opening course in modern writing.

The Hummingbird Gift by Sy Montgomery

The author of Soul of An Octopus takes us to another startling world, that of the champion of flying. Able to hover for as much as an hour, these fiercenessly competitive birds are warriors in their endless quest for food/fuel.

The Netanyahus by Joshua Cohen

It’s the 50’s and Bibi Neyanyahu’s father is an unwanted academic seeking an appointment at a second rate college in Upstate New York. His antics are the stuff of comic gold. Though a novel, it’s based enough in fact to provide perceptive insights about Israeli history and American Jews.

Emily

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

The most realistic story of immigration I’ve read. It’s not a thriller or extreme drama. It’s just the life of a family and their journeys.

The Good Hand by Michael Patrick F. Smith

“I went to work in the oil field for the same reason most people go to boomtowns, I wanted to make money fast and I was out of options. You could say my demons were catching up to me. I was surprised by what I found, because it wasn’t much money. It was better than that. . .” Michael Patrick F. Smith discussing his book, The Good Hand. Read our Q&A with him from March 2021.

Editor’s note: Emily highly recommends The Good Hand as an audiobook.

The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis

The book came out 1983 but I read it in 2021, and it is so good that I’m afraid to watch the show despite everyone telling me how good it is.

Lori

Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward.

A mind blowing psychological thriller/horror story about a man and his very unusual family. It kept me off balance until the end…and after.

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

One of my favorite horror novelists did it again with an homage to the slasher films of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. I was rooting for the heroine, Jade, the whole time. Look for the sequel, Don’t Fear the Reaper, coming August 2.

Little Devil in America by Hanif Abduraqib

A great exploration of the past, present and future of African-Americans in the performing arts. Dance, poetry, music, even preaching in church are covered by a dynamic cultural observer.

Gina

Salty Piece of Land by Jimmy Buffett

I’m a constant re-reader and Tully’s story needed to be finished.

Home at the End of the World by Rita Troxel

All I can say is I envy the people who discovered Key West before everyone else did!

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

One of the most powerful stories I’ve read – we all saw shades of this happening in 2020 – and are still seeing it in 2021 – constantly reminds me to never lose my voice.

Riona

The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

This is everything I need in a great Western: a troubled & mysterious leading man, a traveling circus, and a splash of magical realism perfectly entwined with revenge and self-actualization. Ming stayed with me for a long time. 


Girly Drinks: A World History of Women & Alcohol by Mallory O’Meara

I love beer, books, and history. O’Meara presents a fantastic and inclusive history of women and alcohol, covering such topics as the scientific process, brewing as a means to financial independence, and drinking habits reflecting change in society. 

Editor’s note: Don’t miss this one as an audiobook.


Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff. I keep describing this book  to friends as a Death Metal album. Beginning in media res, Empire of the Vampire plays with timelines, the power dynamic between humanity and vampires, and the control organized religion imposes on its followers. Bloody, fun, and heartrending, I couldn’t put this down. 

Camila

Gladys the Magic Chicken by Adam Rubin, Illustrated by Adam Rex

My son Cannon & I loved this funny story about a magic chicken. Is she really magical? Or did the characters make their own magic? This is my new favorite picture book and we LOVE Gladys!

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman

I loved this final book about the Owens sisters. It’s a beautiful celebration of family and magic.

Brood by Jackie Polzin

I was drawn to this beautifully written book mostly because of the chickens. She captures the trials and tribulations of chicken tending so perfectly, and also tells a story of loss and grief.

Animal by Lisa Taddeo

Not about magic or chickens, but a book that left me a little disturbed and unsettled. Hard to put down.

Robin

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe

Despite some heavy issues (that contribute to it’s thriller-ness), the writing style is light. Oceans8 for the YA reader. A page-turner about surviving and defining who you want to be.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

Masterful world-building, politics, poetry and a mystery. I recommend it to people who enjoyed The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson. The sequel to A Memory Called Empire, A Desolation Called Peace, successfully changes venue from murder mystery to first-contact with a war threatening. Also, highly recommended.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

A police procedural in magical, steampunk Cario. And queer to book. Marvelous fun.

What we read when we read about food

One of the things that makes A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers delicious is the descriptive writing, worthy of its food critic protagonist.

“Craddock’s Corpse Reviver #2 is an exquisite drink that sits on the lintel of anarchy: what makes it also breaks it. The splash of absinthe propels the Corpse Reviver #2 into the territory of the faintly hallucinogenic–the absinthe also dates and places the drink.”

A Certain Hunger

In fact, the protagonist, Dorothy Daniels, would favorably place herself in the company of the outstanding practitioners of her craft.

“I am a great food critic, one of the greatest, and, I should add, a great food writer; Gael Greene, Ruth Reichl, Sam Sifton, R.W. Apple, and the rest can collectively kiss my delectable ass.”

– Dorothy Daniels, A Certain Hunger

A Certain Hunger (Unnamed Press) is the staff pick of the month for January 2022. Read store manager Emily’s full review.

Coincidentally, New York Times food editor Sam Sifton is speaking and headlining a fundraising gala for the Friends of the Key West Library on Jan. 31. Learn more about that event and the full 2022 speaker series at the FOL website. If you aren’t able to attend an event, watch for replays on the FOL YouTube channel.

For foodie mysteries of a cozier type, don’t miss the Key West Food Critic Mystery series by Lucy Burdette. The most recent one is A Scone of Contention, which takes you off the island, all the way to Scotland, but most of this series is set in Key West and gives you a fun tour of our island paradise, along with a murder or two. Read the Q&A we did with Lucy a couple of years back, and watch our social media feed for occasional sightings of Lottie, the author’s canine companion.

The next Key West Food Critic Mystery, A Dish to Die For, comes out in August, but you can preorder it now. We can preorder almost any book once it has a confirmed publication date. Check out this handy list of a few of the books we are looking forward to this year.

If all of this talk about food has made you hungry, we always have a wide range of cookbooks in store. Come in and browse for something new for your dinner table.

The 2021 Art Contest Winners

2021 Art contest winners (l to r) “Untitled" by Anna Stohner, “Key West Sunset" by Hadley Bardoni, “Inevitable Change” by Amanda Stover, and “Balance” by Meriam Mikhail
2021 Art contest winners (l to r) “Untitled" by Anna Stohner, “Key West Sunset" by Hadley Bardoni, “Inevitable Change” by Amanda Stover, and “Balance” by Meriam Mikhail
2021 Art contest winners (l to r) “Untitled” by Anna Stohner, “Key West Sunset” by Hadley Bardoni, “Inevitable Change” by Amanda Stover, and “Balance” by Meriam Mikhail

2021 was a fun and exciting year for our annual art contest with entries generating more than 1500 votes in-store and online.

Four pieces will grace our special limited-edition bookmarks. The top three canvases with the most votes, in no particular order, are:

2021 Art Contest Grand Prize Winner “Key West Sunset” by Hadley Bardoni

“Key West Sunset” by Hadley Bardoni

“Untitled” by Anna Stohner

“Inevitable Change” by Amanda Stover

The canvas with the most in-store votes was:

“Balance” by Meriam Mikhail

With the most votes, “Key West Sunset” by Hadley Bardoni is our grand prize winner. “Key West Sunset” will display in the bookstore through the end of 2021.

Congratulations to all our winners, thank you to all the artists who entered and to everyone who voted.

Bookmarks featuring the all four pieces of work will start being distributed in the next couple of weeks.