The Ohioana Book Festival: A Volunteer’s Experience
The Ohioana Book Festival: A Volunteer’s Experience
By: claycormany in Books
The Ohioana Library’s annual book festival is one of the biggest events of its kind in the state. This year, over 130 Ohio-affiliated authors and illustrators gathered at the Columbus Main Library on Saturday, April 22, for the 17th annual edition of the festival. This particular festival was significant because — thanks to COVID — […]
CLSC Recognition Ceremony: Something Worth Remembering
By: claycormany in Books
John Heyl Vincent is remembered today as one of the co-founders (along with Lewis Miller) of the Chautauqua Institution, a vibrant community which, as discussed in my last blog, promotes learning, cultural awareness, and personal growth. In August 1878, a few years after establishing Chautauqua, Vincent went a step further and created the Chautauqua Literary […]
Chautauqua On My Mind
By: claycormany in Books
On Wednesday, August 3, I will be recognized along with 57 other people for having read 12 books on the book list of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC). This event will be the subject of a future blog post. Today, I’m going to focus on the Chautauqua Institution itself and the learning opportunities […]
Farewell, Astraea Press
By: claycormany in Books
“We happen to love FPL! I’ve attached a contract for your review. When you’re ready, we’ll sign through a site called www.signnow.com.” Those few short words came in a message from Stephanie Taylor, owner and CEO of Astraea Press, almost exactly eight years ago. I don’t think any message ever gave me more joy. It […]
2021 Massillon Public Library Book Fair
By: claycormany in Books
Because of the COVID crisis, several literary events that I planned to attend in 2020 were either canceled or postponed. So I was especially pleased when I received word that one of those events — the Massillon Public Library Local Author Fair — would be rescheduled for November 13 of this year. This worked out […]
Fort Myers Beach Public Library: A Hidden Treasure
By: claycormany in Books
Fort Myers, Florida, located on the Gulf of Mexico, offers visitors all the attractions one would expect to find in such a location — swaying palm trees, sandy beaches, dazzling sunsets, and excellent seafood. It also offers an attraction the average tourist would not expect to find — a beautiful modern multi-story public library. I […]
Little Free Libraries Serve Neighborhoods Well During Pandemic
By: claycormany in Books
Few public institutions have been hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic than public libraries. Because libraries bring people close together and have lots of places where the virus can live, community leaders had little choice but to close them. Even with the pandemic easing somewhat as more people receive vaccines, most public libraries remain closed […]
Andrew’s Brain: A Review
By: claycormany in Books
Any list of the best 100 novels published over the last 100 years will almost certainly include E.L. Doctorow’s Ragtime, a story of economic and racial injustice and one man’s violent response to it in early 20th-Century New York City. I recently read Andrew’s Brain, the last novel Doctorow published before his death in 2015. […]
Long-Ago Conflict with English Department Benefits Author Today
By: claycormany in Books
A couple of months ago, I finished editing Paulita Kincer’s recent novel Falling for Provence. As I sent my final edits to her, it occurred to me that I was uniquely suited to be her editor, since most of her books are set in France and intertwine with French culture. In a strange, circuitous way, […]
Break The Skin: A Review
By: claycormany in Books
Martin, Lee. Break the Skin. New York: Crown Publishers, 2011. Life is often tough and it’s often unfair, and for the main characters in Lee Martin’s Break the Skin, it’s both. This novel features two separate stories that ultimately overlap toward the end. At the center of one story, set in and around Mt. Gilead, Illinois […]
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