Veteran Journalist Becomes Debut Novelist

Chicago Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal, Bryan Gruley is an award-winning reporter whose outstanding work includes one of the front-page stories about the 9/11 terrorist attacks that won the Journal a 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News. In addition to newspaper writing, Gruley loves hockey, and he loves small towns. He brings these three things together in the mystery Starvation Lake.

Starvation Lake is an Indie Next pick for April 2009, and has won Gruley comparison to Dennis Lehane by Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Set in wintery northern Michigan, it is a tale of small towns and their secrets, of hockey and of friendships, and of what it means to be a journalist. Cornerstone Books welcomes Bryan Gruley for a reading and book signing of Friday May 8th at 7pm.  Because I couldn’t wait until then to find out more about him and the book, he was kind enough to answer a few questions in advance.

The town of Starvation Lake is so fully imagined; I feel like I could walk down its streets and chat with all its residents.  Was it difficult using what you knew from real life and keeping it fictional?
Thanks. I didn’t really feel like I had to make a distinction. Some is strictly invented; some has its roots in things I’ve seen, heard, smelled and tasted; very little is a factual reproduction. It was more difficult getting the tone right so that I didn’t create a stereotype of a small town, something that some writers, especially newspaper writers, are prone to doing.

Are there things that do or don’t make Gus Carpenter a good journalist, in your view?  Why did it take him so long to look in the damn file cabinet?
Overall, Gus is a good journalist. He goes where he has to go, sees whom he has to see, and asks the questions he has to ask. His flaw here is his reluctance to confront the past, partly because of the pain it dredges up, partly because he innately (and rightly) discerns that nobody cares to hear about it anyway. Joanie’s persistence helps to focus him.

Were there any surprises for you in writing and publishing your first novel?
Plenty. On the practical side, I was flummoxed by how hard it would be to keep everything straight. Funny, but you forget some of what you wrote eight chapters and six months ago. But more important, I was surprised at how the characters exerted their will over what happened. I was not surprised to get rejections from publishing houses, but 26, well, I guess I hoped I’d get a deal before they became so numerous. But I was lucky because those rejections made it possible for me to join with my gifted editor at Touchstone, Trish Grader.

What are you reading now?  What’s your favorite book ever?
I am reading Michael Harvey’s second novel, The Fifth Floor. It’s great (and Michael, as you probably know, is from Boston, though his novels are set in Chicago). Favorite novel ever? That’s a toughie. Loved The Catcher in the Rye, Sophie’s Choice, The Old Man and the Sea, and many others. One I will never forget is The Crisscross Shadow, a Hardy Boys book that was the first book-length fiction I ever read, as a boy.

I hope you’ll join me in welcoming Bryan to Salem next Friday!

Beth

Life with Lynne Griffin

This Saturday at 1pm, we welcome Lynne Griffin, author of the new novel Life Without Summer (St. Martin’s Press 2009). Lynne is a nationally recognized family life expert, whose book Negotiation Generation provides a welcome roadmap for parents who are learning to set appropriate limits with children. Her turn to fiction presents plenty of fraught family moments, as well: Life Without Summer draws a haunting portrait of two women whose lives converge after a hit and run accident outside a school. Lynne was kind enough to talk to me about her book.

Where did you start with this book…story or character? How did it come to you at first?

I was working on another novel when the idea for Life Without Summer came to me. From day one, I knew the first line and the last line of the story, and they’ve never changed. I also knew right from the beginning who was responsible for the accident. Though from early readers I did get feedback that this was a difficult character to assign the role to, I’ve never wavered in my commitment to tell the story as it came to me.

Tessa and Celia at first seem to have few similarities, but as their relationships unfolds, we see that they are not entirely different. Do you like one character more than the other? Understand one more? Did you enjoy writing one more?

Honestly, I connect with each woman’s story, but for different reasons. I really get Tessa’s fierce edgy way of coping. I’m a bit intense myself, so I understand why at times she goes for shock value. Celia says at one point, “…Tessa is a staircase of emotion, one minute up, the next minute down.” I’m sensitive and emotional, so I respect these personality traits and don’t shy away from those who express their emotions in big ways.

As for Celia, I have a lot of compassion for her. I can see how easily a woman torn apart by loss might make a few missteps, suddenly finding herself on a road she wouldn’t be on if grief hadn’t toyed with her sensibilities. Celia even says to Tessa in one session, “…women often take different roads toward healing after a loss…just be careful not to get so far…that you can’t find your way back.” I have great empathy for her inability to take her own advice. It’s one thing to know the right thing to do, it’s another entirely to do the right thing, especially in a situation like hers.

Did your experience as a parenting educator come into play at all?

I’ve been a family life expert for more than twenty years, and there’s so much about my work counseling parents, observing children, and teaching educators about families that I use in writing fiction. In many ways, my knowledge of human behavior is the vital ingredient for writing good stories. When I’m creating characters, I use what I know about personality and temperament research to be sure each one has the proverbial it factor. It doesn’t have anything to do with the set of physical traits I chose, though sometimes those can help. I don’t like certain characters because they’re nice, either.

In fact, whether I’m reading or writing, I like my characters to be deeply flawed. To be honest, the more flawed, the more I seem to like them. For me, character likeability comes with a tight connection between plausibility of behavior and empathy. When a character acts in a way I personally object to, moral or spiritually, I’m able to cast judgment aside if I can identify with what he or she did, or understand his or her motivations.

What did you learn in writing this first novel that surprised you the most?

How happy I am when I have a means of creative expression. After graduating from high school, I had aspirations to attend college for theater arts, but in the seventies girls were still strongly encouraged to choose teaching, nursing, or business occupations. So, I attended nursing school and later earned a Master’s degree in counseling. Though I was an actress in high school and college, sang professionally for a time, and have always journaled as a means of personal reflection, I’m a relative newcomer to writing stories. I began writing fiction five years ago and was part of a wonderful writers’ group with Amy MacKinnon, author of Tethered. I wasn’t half-way through a draft of Life Without Summer when I realized I’d found the artistic outlet I’d always been searching for. I am completely at home writing fiction.

What’s next for you?

My next novel also deals with family life. In it I explore the impact secrets have on the closeness family members can share. I’ve always been intrigued by the power of truth on healing and the complexities of grief. I imagine all of my fiction will deal with these themes in some way.

Beth

Literally, a Huge Success!

An early Spring weekend (March 27-29) saw crowds out and about for Literally Salem 2009! Events throughout the weekend were well-attended and Sunday’s rain didn’t stop attendees from making the most of all of the workshops, author events and activities on offer. This year brought more than twice the number of festival-goers than last year, and the all-ages programming attracted literature lovers from 2 to 82!

Writers’ workshops were filled with aspiring authors and published pros getting tips on poetry kickstarts, the perfect query letter, creating a sense of place, and writing with the senses. Fans came out to meet favorite authors and to find new favorites. Readings and open mics were filled to capacity and drew an impressive array of gifted writers, and the Scrabble® Tournament crowned a new champion.

Special thanks are due to the many generous people who gave of their time and talents to make this festival such a success. So, thanks to Gil Pili, Adam Pieroni, Elaine von Bruns, Peter van de Bogert, J.D. Scrimgeour, Jean Marie Procious, Jennifer Bell, Beverly Strauss and Rinus Oosthoek for lots of behind-the-scenes work, done with commitment and enthusiasm. Thanks to Jennifer Jean, Laurette Folk, J.D. Scrimgeour, Peter van de Bogert, Brunonia Barry, Adam Pieroni, Jennifer Pieroni, Wendy Snow Lang, Laurie Faria Stolarz, Stacy DeKeyser, Donna Albino, Cathy Huyghe, and Lilly Roberts, for planning and leading events. Thanks to all authors who read and spoke to grateful crowds, and thanks to all sponsors, especially The Salem Film Festival, Hurd Smith Communications, The Battlefield Journal, Creative Ink, Front Street Coffeehouse and Cornerstone Books. Thank you to all who helped spread the word about the festival, and to all who attended.

Join us the last weekend of March 2010 for the next Literally Salem!

Beth

Literally Salem II is Here (Whew!)

If you’re scratching your head thinking we just had a LitFest in Salem, well, you would be right.  The inaugural Literary Festival in Salem started back in September of 2008.  In some ways it doesn’t feel that long ago, but in my own mind, it seems like a decade has passed.  Between September of 2008 and now, we’ve had an economic downturn the likes of which we haven’t seen in our lifetime, we’ve elected a new (oh, by the way, our very first African American) — president, we’ve indicted of Bernie Madoff and been outraged over AIG bonuses.  Somewhere in there, we had some holidays (I think)…

So it’s with great relief, happiness and pride that we’re celebrating Salem’s second LitFest, starting this Friday, March 27 and going through Sunday, March 29.  One, it’s a wonderful springtime set of events when all other news seems full of doom and gloom, and two, it sets our regular month for the festival going forward (we’ll be here again in March of 2010).  Thanks to all the volunteers who helped promote the festival and who will help manage the events, those who underwrote events, and those in the city who have been beating the drum of support.   A special thanks goes to Beth Simpson, who has worked tirelessly to create and manage the program of events; she is the reason the festival has twice as many events as last year, as well as more variety this time around.

Variety and family-oriented events were something we were very conscious of as we planned things this year.  In addition to more adult fare in workshops, John Updike, Adam Braver, Brunonia Barry and Hannah Tinti, there’s great events for kids, including storytimes with Peter Van, Giles Laroche and Mark Karlins.  For older readers, there’s a Scrabble tournament, creative writing with Jennifer Karin, and great YA authors Erin Dionne, Stacy DeKeyser, Laurie Stolarz and Kat Black.  In a nutshell, there’s something for everyone in this festival, and we hope you come out and join the fun!  Check out www.salemlitfest.com to see the full schedule of events.

Get Right Back To Where We Started From

I was listening to an oldies station recently, and the song “Get Right Back To Where We Started From” by Maxine Nightingale came through, and I suddenly found myself transported back to the 70’s of my childhood along with a big lump in my throat.  Strange how music does that.

More than the music, though, the very simple sentiment of that song is what really got me.  If you don’t remember those bouncy, happy lyrics, they go something like:

Love is good / Love can be strong / We got to get right back to where we started from

With bleak news all around us, it’s especially important for all of us to pull together those we love, and be good to each other!  It shouldn’t take a tragedy like 9/11 or an economic downturn for us to treat people with kindness and respect, but it’s in times like these that remind us of us what is important.

When I hear the words “get right back to where we started from,” I am not wishing to go back to the time that song was made, but I am reminded of how love was much more a part of our music vocabulary in those days  — I suppose we can thank the 60’s flower power for that.  We’ve become a cynical lot in this country over the last couple decades, and I think we often delude ourselves into thinking love needs to lose out to sophistication and “world wisdom.”

I have to admit I have a soft spot in my heart for bell-bottomed jeans, big afros, black lights, lava lamps, belt buckles and psychedelic posters.  Yeah, they’re hokey as hell.  But whenever I see pictures from those times, I find this huge grin spreading across my face.  So what is that all about?  There’s a reason why “That 70’s Show” is such a big hit, but what is it?

I think I know — it’s the messiness of that time.  The crazy hairdos, the bad clothes, the sheets drying on the clothesline.  The absence of cell phones and the internet.  Things are so neat and organized these days, and so often we just cocoon ourselves into our homes or our cars or our cubicles that we just don’t get out and socialize anymore.  Facebook and blogs are certainly no substitute for human contact and interaction.

So, this Valentine’s Day, get out with your loves ones.  Go see a movie, read your kids a book, go bowling, see a concert, say “I love you.”

Happy Valentine’s Day all.

Gil

Opening (and Keeping) a Business in Downtown Salem

I was saddened to hear about the closing of New Civilitea this month;  it pains me to hear about any new business closing in the downtown, but especially one in our own building, and one that opened close to  the same time we did.  New Civilitea had a wonderful product, and it distresses me that it did not work out.  I don’t know any of the details of their closing, but it prompted me to think about exactly what it takes to make a business successful, and to be more specific, what it takes to build a successful business in downtown Salem.  I’m not saying we have perfected all these things – we’re constantly striving to improve and figure out what works and what doesn’t, but I think some general principles are worth remembering:

1. Sell a great product, and more specifically, sell a product that both locals and tourists want and need all year long.  Salem has a surplus of tourist and gift shops that do wonderfully during the Halloween season, but perform miserably the other  10-11 months of the year.  Some of these businesses are built exclusively around Salem witches, and while that works well during peak tourist season, new businesses should think about what they are going to do to make money in the winter and spring.  Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, and there are stores that make enough money during tourist season to survive the rest of the year.  But for new businesses opening, ask yourself whether your businesses will do enough business to survive in down times.  Web sales may make up for lack of foot traffic during the off season, but are you prepared to look outside your store doors for other revenue streams?  Continuous marketing, web offerings, business-to-business sales and services supporting the local community can make a big difference to your bottom line; don’t fool yourself into thinking that “if you build it, they will come.”
2. Offer great customer service.  I’m amazed to see the number of businesses who seem to believe that treating customers like junk will allow them to stay in business for years to come.  Perhaps it’s a symptom of having a store in a tourist town; “we’ll never see that person again anyway.”  I’m not a subscriber to the “customer is always right,” but I am a believer in treating every person who walks through our doors with respect, kindness and good service until they prove they don’t deserve it.   People who walk through our doors are often surprised at how friendly the staff is, and it’s something we require right off the bat from our people – we’re a “no attitude” bookstore.  Maybe it’s my own hostile reaction to booksellers who put on the “hipper than thou” act.  Add to that the willingness to go the extra mile to help the customer find what he or she is looking for, and it’s something that will stand you in good stead during the non-tourist months.
3. Consider staying open late(r) and often.  Many businesses close too early in Salem – tourists and locals are looking for stores to visit after they’ve had their dinner or after work, and Salem has an active nightlife.  Unfortunately, when too many stores close early, it leads those same people to believe that the city is “dead” at night, which feeds into the perception that Salem is not serious about its downtown business, and more distressingly, that the downtown itself is faltering.  We stay open 7 days a week, usually until 9pm; that may be too ambitious for some businesses, but even 7pm or 8pm on Thursday through Saturday sends a good signal about your business.  If you are closed more often than not or you adjourn at 2pm for the pub, please see number 5 below.
4. Serve the community.  Let’s face it; folks can easily spend their money elsewhere.  The internet, malls and big box retailers offer unprecedented choice to the consumer.  If they can’t get it from you, they’ll get it from someone else, and complaining about it won’t do you any good.  You absolutely must, in order to survive, offer something that the other guys aren’t.  So while Wal-Mart can beat you on price, and Amazon can beat you on convenience, none of those businesses can serve your local community the way you can.  Stop and think about what it is you can do for people and businesses and institutions around you.  Find out what’s needed in your community, and offer it, not only within your doors, but by taking it out to the folks who need it.
5. Don’t be a “fly by night.”  Honestly, if you are doing this as a hobby and are not one thousand percent committed to devoting your heart and soul (and money) to a business in Salem, don’t bother.  Your customers will know you are not serious.  This means doing all the things above and more.  Running a small business is hard, hard work – you will constantly have tasks to do – paying bills, watching the budget, finding new customers, keeping the ones you already have.  If you aren’t willing to commit yourself completely, you’ll join the many businesses that have tried and failed. 

I want to emphasize right here that the above is in no way a reflection on New Civilitea; I have no idea what their circumstances were, and I can only say that I’ll truly miss them and wish them a heartfelt farewell and best of luck.  I continue to be eternally optimistic about business in downtown Salem  — let’s pitch in and do what we can to continue to make it a place we can be proud of.

Gil

Juliette Fay and Shelter Me

Cornerstone Books will welcome debut author Juliette Fay and her book Shelter Me on Saturday January 31st at 1pm.  Shelter Me, the story of young widow Janie LaMarche’s first year without her husband, a January IndieNext pick, has been called “wise and inspirational” by Publishers Weekly.  Juliette talked to Cornerstone about her book and her experience as a new author.  Come hear more on the 31st!

Everyone’s heard the old saw “Write what you know”.  What did you know about Janie LaMarche and her life?

When I started writing, I really didn’t know that much about her, other than that she was in a mighty fury about this turn in her life. I started with just that feeling, of being ripped off and cut to the bone, and how that might manifest itself. I could feel how every little thing irritated her, as if her skin had evaporated and all of her nerves were inflamed and exposed. It’s how I imagine I might feel if I were in the same situation — so in terms of writing what I know, I knew her right from the get go.

This is either one of the funniest sad books I have ever read, or one of the saddest funny books.  Although, “sad” isn’t really accurate, as it’s also filled with such joy…perhaps “touching” or “tender” would be more accurate.  How hard was it to keep that balance while you were writing?  Did you find yourself getting pulled or stuck in one direction more than the other?

What a great description, and such a compliment! I did do a lot of dancing back and forth between pain and humor, though there wasn’t so much a conscious effort to say, “Oh, we’re getting a little too sad here, let’s inject something sweet or funny.” It came fairly naturally for me because I do believe that life is full of setbacks, and that no one can possibly avoid them, but that funny, sweet, endearing, hilarious things happen every day. You can always find a minor miracle if you look for one.

Your characters are so very real and recognizable, yet are also often quirky individuals.  How do you approach writing character?

I approach my characters from the inside out, almost like an actor would. I get inside them and wander around and see how it feels to be them. This makes me very sympathetic to them — there isn’t a character I don’t love, although I may not like their behavior very much. Father Gilroy, the cantankerous old priest, is one of my favorites — completely unlikeable, but I appreciate him nonetheless. As for idiosyncrasies, the world is so full of them it’s like going to a quirk smorgasbord every time you open your eyes in the morning! Again, it’s just a matter of looking for them and taking note of the more interesting ones.

Shelter Me is your debut novel…was there anything that surprised you in writing or publishing the book?

Everything surprised me! I feel like Alice in Wonderland! When I first started writing, I didn’t have any idea of how similar it would feel to falling in love, thinking about my characters all the time, and being anxious to be with them. And though there have been some setbacks along the way, I can still barely believe that an agent loved the book enough to take it on, and that she could get it sold so quickly, and now here I am in the wild, wild world of publishing, where I’m still learning the language and customs, but am enjoying it immensely. I feel utterly grateful, especially with things being so tough in the industry.

What are you currently reading?  What was your favorite book of last year?

I am just starting Love Walked In by Marissa De Los Santos, having already read the sequel, Belong to Me, last summer. I’m really looking forward to it because Belong to Me was so rich and interesting. At the moment, my favorite book of all time is Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. A brilliant, deep, gift of a novel. But I also like lighter, kookier stuff too, like Why I’m Like This by Cynthia Kaplan.

Beth

How can we be of service?

It’s Day One in a brave new America, and I can’t stop thinking about Barack Obama’s challenge to the nation. It has been far too long since a president has expected much from the people he has led, and for the most part, we have lived down to those expectations. Mounting national debt, lives lost overseas, inequalities and injustice in our own and other countries…and we’re told to go shopping.

We have devolved into a culture of irresponsibility. Remember when just a call to your parents from a neighbor meant going to bed straight after supper? Now we don’t want anyone to hold us, or our kids, accountable for anything. Global warming? Not my fault. Homeless person? Don’t make eye contact.

Here in America, we want convenience. Everything should be microwavable in under 30 seconds, and we shouldn’t have to get out of our SUVs to get it (unless we can sneak into that handicapped parking spot, since we’re in a hurry and we’ll only be going in for a minute). We are in great danger of raising a generation attuned only to the sound-bite, the disposable, the easy way.

But wait! Here’s a man who wants us to do something. Just say YES?!? And the group to whom this call seems to be most resounding is that next generation. That’s why they call it….HOPE.

How can you be of service? Don’t stand in their way. Better yet, join them. Even better, lead them. Challenge yourself to do one selfless thing a day. Join a group that identifies local needs and creates solutions. Can’t find that group? Start it. We have to stop thinking that someone else will do it for us.  The only way we will see real change is if each of us takes responsibility for helping to make it happen.

How can Cornerstone Books be of service?  We continue to have a committment to be of service in our local community in as many ways possible, and hope that you’ll take the time to share ideas on how we might do that in 2009.  May today be the first day of a better America.

Beth

The Indie Spirit Dilemma; or, No, Virginia, There Isn’t a Santa Claus

As I spread the Indie message around, I often find myself in a bit of a pickle. Do I wholeheartedly support the Indie spirit? Yes! So that includes “Indie authors”, right? Ah! Here is where the toes dip into the brine.

As a store that has positioned itself as a “community living room”, we work (tirelessly, I assure you) to be of the people, for the people. What better way to do that than to support those in the community that are striving to join the world of literary legitimacy: the local, self-published author?

As a private citizen, I can understand the desire to see one’s work in print. As a celebrant of the small, the personal, in art and in life, I say “Go! Spread your wings! Sing out your message!” As the Event Coordinator for an Indie store, I have to balance my individual, soft-hearted impulses with the cold hard fact that, if we don’t make enough money to keep the doors open, we can’t spread any message, or support any spirit, at all.

I struggle to explain these realities to the many self-published authors I hear from each month. For a book from a ‘traditional’ publishing house bought directly or from a wholesaler, we receive a 35-42% margin. For an independent bookstore, on a good month, this represents about what we require to break even.

A self-published author purchases their book from the self-publisher at a price that is typically what a similar book, ‘traditionally’ published, would retail for. That means, in order to make a profit on that book, they then need to sell it to the store at a price that would be above average retail, and then, to make a profit, the store would have to sell it at an even higher price. A $10 dollar paperback mystery is then available to the end-customer for about $18. If the store were to purchase directly from the self-publisher, the end price would be even higher.

When I discourage people from self-publishing, it is not snobbery, it is simple survival.

What often happens, when we host a self-published author for a reading, is that they end up selling the book to the store at their cost (making no profit at all), and the store then needs to decide if we will sell it at a lower margin (and then not make enough to cover our own costs…the publicity and marketing for the event the staffing, the overhead…), or price it at a typical margin, and not sell it at all.

So, we do not see a profit from these events, but just hope that we get what it takes for us to not see a loss. In contrast, the self-publishing businesses make a profit on every book that they sell to the author.

Despite this, the self-published author sees the publisher as their friend, as they have facilitated the process that allows the author to see their work, in print, in their hands. The store is often seen, if not as an enemy, as unsupportive of the self-published, “Indie” author.

So, what do you think? Are we keepin’ it real as an Indie? If you’re a bookseller, how do YOU walk this tightrope? What happens when “One Love” meets the electric bill? Will art and commerce ever make easy bedfellows? (Okay, I know I skirted the discussion of the quality of many self-published works, but we’ll leave that for another day.)

Beth

Thank You for a Great Holiday Season

Happy New Year to all and thank you so, so, so very much for a successful holiday season at Cornerstone Books! 

I wanted to take a moment to express my sincerest thanks to all of our customers who made a conscious decision to shop locally this season.  Whether you purchased books from us, cosmetics from Rouge, gifts from Pamplemousse, or clothes from J. Mode, I cannot express how critically important it is that you chose to reinvest your hard-earned dollars in Salem as opposed to sending it to malls and big boxers.

 
Whether we know if or not, every day we make decisions that can help or hinder downtown and community growth.  Dollars spent in Salem stay in Salem; dollars spent at Amazon go to Seattle, Washington.  It’s pretty simple when you think about it.  But it’s not so easy to do.  We’re a fast culture and we’re used to “cheapest,” “quick” and “convenience.”  But there are some other words people are starting to add to that list: “knowledgeable,” “friendly,” “community-oriented,” and “green.”

I’ll go even one step further.  We’re inexpensive, quick and convenient, too!  Add to the cost of your Amazon order the cost of shipping, or to your trip to the mall the cost of gas, and suddenly that bargain isn’t such a bargain after all.  Not to mention that our own webstore also has a huge selection of (discounted) books, video and music that can also be mailed to your home, with the added benefit of supporting local business.  Finally, we’re constantly offering ways to save even more on the relatively inexpensive and long-lasting entertainment books provide.

2009 is going to be a tough year all around.  Like most business, we’ll be doing what we can to tighten our belts and prepare for the worst.  And yet we’re optimistic that all the changes we’re seeing we’ll ultimately be good for this country.  This is a time to re-evaluate and take stock of what’s most important to us.  We’ve seen what corporate greed and quick-money schemes have done on Wall Street.  We’ve seen the poor decisions that giant corporations have made that have benefited the few to the detriment of many.  You will not hear much about the small businessman amid all the gnashing of teeth to come, but quietly in the background, you’ll see those small businesses are the backbone of this country, and indeed, what made the country great.
 
Take a look at this video from our fellow bookstore, The Clinton Bookshop in New Jersey.  I couldn’t have said it better myself.

I’m going to make one prediction for 2009, and that’s that people will vote with their feet and dollars.  See you in the months to come!
Gil