By The Beachwood Booknotes Desk
1. From the Independent Publishers Group:
“On Thursday, August 20, Steven Lee Beeber will host a reading and signing of his highly praised book The Heebie-Jeebies at CBGB’s: A Secret History of Jewish Punk (Chicago Review Press).
“The Heebie-Jeebies at CBGB’s delves into punk’s beginning’s in New York City and discovers it to be the most Jewish of rock movements, both in makeup and attitude. Beeber interviewed more than 125 people integral to pre- and early punk; Tommy Ramone, Christ Stein (Blondie), Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group), Hilly Kristal (CBGB owner), John Zorn and many others offer their thoughts on the early days of punk and the Jews who made the music happen.
“The Heebie-Jeebies at CBGB’s offers a fascinating mix of biography and cultural study that explores the lives of Jewish punks and creates an in-depth historical overview of the punk scene.
“Beeber’s event will take place at The Book Cellar (4736 North Lincoln Avenue). His event is free and open to the public. A Q&A and book signing will follow. For further information, please contact (773) 293-2665.
2. From author Kairol Rosenthal:
“Chicago author Kairol Rosenthal launches a new book about young adult cancer at the Women and Children First Bookstore: August 12, 7:30 p.m.. Complimentary cocktails and gourmet hors douevres.
“Rosenthal will be joined by two nationally known young adult cancer support figures: Jonny Imerman of Imerman Angels and Matthew Zachary of I’m Too Young for This (i2y.com) and the Stupid Cancer Show (internet radio).
“Before cancer, thirty-something choreographer Kairol Rosenthal had not even published a Yelp review, yet alone a full-length, non-fiction book. After treatment, as source material for a modern dance performance, she began interviewing other 20- and 30-something cancer patients. Moms, college students, drug addicts, fire fighters, lawyers these patients revealed to her thoughts they had never shared with anyone else. Their gritty and raw words were too juicy to only translate into dance.
“Rosenthal applied for a literary CAAP grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs, and to her surprise became the first writer to ever receive the full amount of funding. On a shoe-string budget and with tape recorder in hand, she hit the road.
“From the Big Apple to the Bible Belt, Kairol became a one-woman cancer confessional. Eager to vent, young patients detailed their intimate sex lives, religious and spiritual questions, financial and health insurance woes, and much more. Back at her Andersonville garden apartment, Rosenthal conducted phone interviews with MacArthur fellows, sex therapists, chaplains, chronic illness experts, and policy analysts, all while managing her own incurable cancer.
“Part travelogue, diary, and investigative reporting, her manuscript Everything Changes: The Insider s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s, caught the attention of a New York agent and publishing house. It is now the most comprehensive guidebook available for young adults living with cancer and other chronic illnesses.
“In the words of cancer survivor Evan Handler (a.k.a. Harry from Sex and the City): By page three of the introduction to Everything Changes, I wanted not only to devour the rest of the book, but I wanted to call Kairol up, get to know her, and (if we weren’t both already married) see if I could sleep with her. Then the book got really good. It is, without doubt, the most forthright, emotionally sophisticated, and plain-old valuable book of its kind I’ve seen. If fighting is your mission, this is your instruction manual.
“Kairol Rosenthal is a healthcare blogger and patient advocate for young adults with cancer. She has been interviewed as a cancer expert for The New York Times and Harpers Bazaar. Her essays have been produced by National Public Radio and appear in Help Me Live: Twenty Things People with Cancer Want You To Know. Kairol is the co-host of the Stupid Cancer Show, a weekly radio broadcast.
3. From the Reader:
“As the movie adaptation of her first book comes to the screen, Audrey Niffenegger gets ready to plug her second, writes her third, and mounts an art show.”
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Niffenegger’s original serial comic in the Guardian.
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From the exhibition:
Posted on August 11, 2009