News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

This month’s new literature sees famous authors talking on subjects they hold dear, poems and essays on the Christchurch quake and a guide to speaking with all the gravitas of a president.

Is everyone hanging out without me? (and other concerns) / Mindy Kaling
“Kaling shares her observations, fears, and opinions about a wide-ranging list of the topics she thinks about the most. From her favorite types of guys to life in the “The Office” writers’ room, her book is full of personal stories and laugh-out-loud philosophies.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The anatomy of influence : literature as a way of life / Harold Bloom
“In this, his most comprehensive and accessible study of influence, Bloom leads readers through the labyrinthine paths which link the writers and critics who have informed and inspired him for so many years.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

On fiction / Virginia Woolf
“Her readings sensitive, her prose style elegant, authoritative and at times thoroughly opinionated, who better equipped than Virginia Woolf to ruminate on the art of fiction? In this selection of lesser-known essays on reading and storytelling, Woolf turns her critical gaze on treasured favourites including ‘the four great women novelists – Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, Charlotte Bronte and George Eliot’, and unearths some less familiar talents. Her discussion of differing approaches to reading is characteristically forward-thinking, and pinpoints the joys of this favourite pastime, in all its guises. ‘Here, then, very briefly and with inevitable simplification, an attempt is made to show the mind at work upon a shelf full of novels and to watch it as it chooses and rejects, making itself a dwelling-place in accordance with its own appetites. Of these appetites, perhaps, the simplest is the desire to believe wholly and entirely in something which is fictitious.’” – (adapted from Amazon.co.uk description)

On booze / F. Scott Fitzgerald
“”First you take a drink,” F. Scott Fitzgerald once noted, “then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.” Fitzgerald wrote alcohol into almost every one of his stories. On Booze gathers debutantes and dandies, rowdy jazz musicians, lost children and ragtime riff-raff into a newly compiled collection taken from The Crack-Up, and other works. On Booze portrays “The Jazz Age” as Fitzgerald experienced it: roaring, rambunctious, and lush—with quite a hangover.” – (adapted from Amazon.co.uk description)

Speak like a president : how to inspire and engage people with your words / Simon Maier
“For some people, making presentations of any type can be a trial; others relish the opportunity to speak to others, but are they really inspiring and engaging their audience with what they say, rather than catering to their own ego? In this book, Simon Maier offers an essential guide to the power of rhetoric and oratory for executives, managers, consultants, sales professionals or anyone, in fact, who needs to get their message across powerfully and convincingly. Covering key issues such as: understanding what makes a great speaker; how to find your voice; how to choose the best speech style; and pitfalls to avoid, Speak Like a President will help you speak with passion, confidence and influence whatever your topic or audience.” – (adapted from Amazon.co.uk description)

The broken book / Fiona Farrell
“The Broken Book consists of four essays about life and walking, bookended by a preamble and an afterword, and interrupted by 21 poems about the Christchurch earthquakes and their aftermath” – (adapted from Publisher’s description)

Plays 2 : London calling / Ken Duncum
“Music hits the shores of New Zealand and reverberates through three different eras in these plays by award-winning playwright Ken Duncum” – (adapted from cover description)

A wide ranging selection of new literature picks this month. Lectures and lecturing, poems about love and poems half remembered, memories of California and memories of Brooklyn.

As we speak : how to make your point and have it stick / Peter Meyers and Shann Nix
” A lot of books about public speaking come down the publishing pike, but few really stand out. This one does. Falling within the purview of the authors, both of whom are affiliated with Stand & Deliver Consulting Group, are all venues of public speaking, from large, formal assemblies to business presentations for smaller groups to one-on-one exchanges. (Of course, the latter doesn’t refer to social visits!) It seems that there are two basic requirements for an effective, helpful manual of this nature, well-ordered information and a presentation done with an approachable, encouraging style. Both requirements are certainly met here as Meyers and Nix, making good sense, explain why public speaking instills fear in the strongest of individuals and show how to replace fear with confidence. (This is one of their interesting take-to-heart insights. Self-consciousness is nothing more than too much concentration on self. ) Their program for making a confident, successful communicator of yourself is called High Performance Communication, which lays out three central areas to master: content, delivery, and state (as in state of mind). The meat of this inspiring book, then, is a full analysis of these three components and how to relate them to your own public-speaking situations.” – (adapted from Booklist review)

The steampunk bible : an illustrated guide to the world of imaginary airships, corsets and goggles, mad scientists, and strange literature / Jeff VanderMeer with S. J. Chambers
“Steampunk–a grafting of Victorian aesthetic and punk rock attitude onto various forms of science-fiction culture–is a phenomenon that has come to influence film, literature, art, music, fashion, and more. “The Steampunk Bible” is the first compendium about the movement, tracing its roots in the works of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells through its most recent expression in movies such as “Sherlock Holmes.” Its adherents celebrate the inventor as an artist and hero, re-envisioning and crafting retro technologies including antiquated airships and robots. A burgeoning DIY community has brought a distinctive Victorian-fantasy style to their crafts and art. Steampunk evokes a sense of adventure and discovery, and embraces extinct technologies as a way of talking about the future. This ultimate manual will appeal to aficionados and novices alike as author Jeff VanderMeer takes the reader on a wild ride through the clockwork corridors of Steampunk history.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Tyger tyger burning bright : much-loved poems you half-remember / [compiled by] Ana Sampson
“Great poetry ‘finds its way to the hearts of many, not just the minds of the few’, and this delightful collection is the ideal way to browse, remember and enjoy some of poetry’s greatest hits. Following in the bestselling footsteps of “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, the first poetry anthology from Ana Sampson, “Tyger Tyger, Burning Bright” contains verses from more than eighty of the world’s favourite poets, from the thirteenth century to the present day. It includes such leading lyricists as Burns, Keats, Tennyson, T.S. Eliot, Philip Larkin and Seamus Heaney – taking in the work of W.H. Auden, Dylan Thomas, Wilfred Owen, and many others along the way. Perfect to dip into on the reader’s whim, the chapters cover childhood and youth, nature, love and romance, home and travel, elegies, and more – each poem set in context with a lively introduction and entertaining notes on the poets themselves. This book is a lovely reminder of the nation’s finest poems, and the perfect addition to any poetry lover’s collection.” – (adapted from Amazon.co.uk description)

When love speaks : poetry and prose for weddings, relationships and married life / edited and introduced by Adam O’Riordan
“‘And when Love speaks, the voice of all the gods Makes heaven drowsy with harmony’ “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” William Shakespeare. When Love Speaks brings together the greatest writing on love and commitment – from Donne to Cole Porter, Sappho to P.G. Wodehouse, love letters of the great composers to Edwardian marriage advice. These poems and passages capture high romance and everyday happiness, feverish first love and tender union. This joyful anthology provides a range of unique and inspiring readings for a wedding or civil ceremony. Selected by the poet Adam O’Riordan.” – (adapted from Amazon.com description)

Speaking frankly : the Frank Sargeson memorial lectures, 2003-2010 / edited by Sarah Shieff
“This collection brings together the annual Frank Sargeson Memorial Lectures delivered at Waikato University from 2003 – 2010. Subjects range from his generosity, how the Great New Zealand novel developed, the influences on his writing, the place of literary house museums and the value of reading to our lives.” – (adapted from Publisher’s description)

The white album / Joan Didion
“First published in 1979, The White Album is a mosaic of the late sixties and seventies. It includes, among other bizarre artifacts and personalities, the dark journeys and impulses of the Manson family, a Balck Panther Party press conference, the story of John Paul Getty’s museum, the romance of water in an arid landscape, and the swirl and confusion of the sixties. With commanding sureness of mood and language, Joan Didion exposes the realities and dreams of that age of self-discovery whose spiritual center was California.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Literary Brooklyn : the writers of Brooklyn and the story of American city life / Evan Hughes
“According to freelance journalist and critic Hughes, the one experience Brooklyn writers share is living just outside “the colossal, churning center of the metropolis,” thus providing a “revealing window onto the broader history of American urban life.” Going chronologically, Hughes also touches on the ethnic diversity of Brooklyn across the decades. Walt Whitman’s free-form verse and his bawdy subject matter in Leaves of Grass exalted the downtrodden and inaugurated a less lofty strain in American poetry. Richard Wright’s Black Boy documents the “Great Migration” of African-Americans from the rural South to urban Northern centers like Brooklyn; in Death of a Salesman, inspired by his Jewish immigrant uncle, Arthur Miller made the working man of Brooklyn represent the common man struggling in the capitalist system. William Styron’s Sophie’s Choice captures a postwar Brooklyn peace and growing economic comfort commingled uneasily with the horrors of the Holocaust. Henry Miller, Paul Auster, Hubert Selby Jr., and Norman Mailer round out the collection. A hybrid of urban history and literary biography and analysis, this engrossing, perceptive book makes a valid case for the richness of Brooklyn as a site of the literary imagination.” – (adapted from Publisher Weekly review)

Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the wind : a bestseller’s odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood / Ellen F. Brown and John Wiley, Jr
“This book presents the first comprehensive overview of how this iconic novel became an international phenomenon that has managed to sustain the public’s interest for 75 years. It tells how Mitchell’s book was developed, marketed, distributed, and otherwise groomed for success in the 1930s and the savvy measures taken since then by the author, her publisher, and her estate to ensure its longevity.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

This month we feature new studies on Saul Bellow, Robert Lord, Samuel Beckett, Ian McEwan and the inimitable Dorothy Parker. We also have a new volume of essays by the popular English free-thinker Christopher Hitchens of ‘God is not great‘ fame. Those interested in the history of English literature may be not be aware of the influence of classical mythology upon it – Geoffrey Miles’s new book examines this topic. Enjoy !!

Arguably / Christopher Hitchens.
“This collection of essays by Christopher Hitchens offers an indispensable key to understanding the passionate and skeptical spirit of one of the most dazzling writers, widely admired for his style, a result of his disciplined and candid thinking. Topics range from why Charles Dickens was among the best of writers and the worst of men to the science fiction of J.G. Ballard; from the legacies of Thomas Jefferson and George Orwell to the persistent agonies of anti-Semitism and jihad.” – (adapted from Wellington City Libraries catalogue summary)

Saul Bellow : letters / edited by Benjamin Taylor.
“Bellow was a dedicated correspondent until a couple of years before his death, and his letters, spanning eight decades, show us a 20th-century life in all its richness and complexity. These letters reveal the influences at work in the man, and illuminate his enduring legacy.”
- (adapted from Syndetics summary)

“The portable Dorothy Parker / with an introduction by Marion Meade.
“The great Parker gets the red-carpet treatment as her “Portable” is bumped up to a “Deluxe Edition” (go, Dottie!). The text includes her short fiction, poems, book and theater reviews, letters, and more. A wonderful extra is the quickie biography in simple drawings adorning the front and rear inside cover flaps. Though probably better known today for her one-liners, Parker should be taken seriously as one of the great writers, female or otherwise. This beautifully executed edition does her justice.” – (adapted from Library Journal)

Ten ways of thinking about Samuel Beckett : the falsetto of reason / Enoch Brater.

A comprehensive new study on Shakespeare opens this month’s picks. Also featured is a reminiscence on a friendship with Philip Larkin by Maeve Brennan. For budding and established writers the 2011 editions of three important reference books have been received. These are reference only for the current year.

Shakespeare : the life, the works, the treasures / Catherine M.S. Alexander.
“This lavish coffee-table book celebrates Shakespeare, his world, his plays, their later reception, and the subsequent presence of his work not only on the stage but in film and other media. Illustrated with color pictures and photographs, it also contains 30 items of removable facsimile memorabilia: e.g., copies of the playwright’s baptism record, an extract from the First Folio of 1623, Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway’s marriage bond, and the movie poster for Laurence Olivier’s 1944 screen production of Henry V.”(Syndetics summary)

Kiss me, Chudleigh : the world according to Auberon Waugh / edited by William Cook.
“Auberon Waugh was a philosopher; savage, eccentric, but a philosopher nonetheless. More than any writer of his era, Auberon Waugh had a genius for dividing his readers, into the delighted and the infuriated, and he retains the ability to start a squabble, even from beyond the grave. Kiss Me, Chudleigh is a collection of Waugh’s best writing. It is also a compact biography. It will consist of excerpts from the things he wrote, drawn from every stage of his career, from his salad days on the Catholic Herald to his swansong on the Literary Review. Probably the most prolific journalist of his generation (and surely the wittiest).( Summary globalbooksinprint).

Love, sex, death & words : surprising tales from a year in literature / John Sutherland & Stephen Fender.
“An unrivalled, sumptuous voyage through the highs and lows of the human condition across literature’s bejewelled past.” (Summary globalbooksinprint.com)

The Philip Larkin I knew / Maeve Brennan.
“”The Philip Larkin I Knew” traces the author’s close friendship with the poet and stretches over his 30 year tenure of office as librarian of the University of Hull, taking in his literary achievements from “The Less Deceived” (1955), through “The Whitsun Weddings” (1964), to “High Windows” (1974). It reveals Larkin in a new light – courteous, compassionate, generous, and a man of deep sensitivity and charm – with a natural sense of fun and instinctive wit; in contrast to the gloomy and somewhat objectionable portrait that has emerged since his death.” (Syndetics summary)

The heroine’s bookshelf : life lessons from Jane Austen to Laura Ingalls Wilder / Erin Blakemore.
“In this compelling book of beloved heroines and the remarkable writers who created them, Blakemore explores how the pluck and dignity of literary characters such as Scout Finch and Jo March can inspire women today.” (Syndetics summary)

Wrotten English : a celebration of literary misprints, mistakes and mishaps / Peter Haining.
“Wrotten English is a collection of some of literature’s funniest, most-awkward and unbelievable errors – from unfortunate typos to bad titles, grammar to graffiti, devilish double entendres and even publishers’ errata…”–Back cover.

Tablet & pen : literary landscapes from the modern Middle East : a Words without borders anthology / edited by Reza Aslan.
“This volume celebrates the magnificent achievement of 20th-century Middle Eastern literature that has been neglected in the English-speaking world.” (Syndetics summary).

The Australian writer’s marketplace 2011/12 : every contact you will ever need to succeed in the writing business / compiled and edited by Queensland Writers Centre.
“Details of every contact you will need to succeed in the writing business! Comprehensively checked, updated and indexed, the 11th edition of THE AUSTRALIAN WRITER’S MARKETPLACE contains more than 2,200 listings with submission and contact details for: magazines and journals; newspapers; publishers; agents; publishing services; writers’ services; industry organizations; script markets; literary awards, competitions, fellowships and grants; literary courses and literary events.” (Syndetics summary)

New Zealand handbook for writers and editors : grammar, usage and punctuation / Margaret McKenzie.
“Whether you are a Professional Writing student, practicing writer of editor, student studying English or English Language or someone wanting to tighten your grasp on grammer, this book is a rich resource.” (Fishpond summary)

Writer’s market 2011 / Robert Lee Brewer, editor.
“This writer’s bible to freelance success provides the updated information writers need to get published and get paid for their work. Features include more than 3,500 completely updated listings from the previous edition; exclusive interviews; and more.” (Syndetics summary)

Welcome to our Literature recent picks for June. Winter is almost upon us- so here are some humorous books to lighten the dark days ahead ! A couple of serious works are included for good measure.

The mammoth book of great British humour / edited by Michael Powell.“From George Bernard Shaw to Michael McIntyre, from Eric Morecombe to Omid Djalili, and from Oscar Wilde to Jimmy Carr, a side-splitting look at Britain, the British and life in general. Including these gems from Britain’s finest comedians.”(Summary from Global Books in print)

Public enemies : dueling writers take on each other and the world / Bernard-Henri Lévy and Michel Houellebecq ; translated from the French by Miriam Frendo and Frank Wynne.
“The international publishing sensation is now available in the United States–two brilliant, controversial authors confront each other and their enemies in an unforgettable exchange of letters. “Public Enemies” is a death match between literary lions, remarkable men who find common ground, confident that, in the end (as Levy puts it), “it is we who will come out on top.”" (Syndetics summary)

Perfect written English / Chris West.
“A guide to mastering grammar and improving writing style with practical sections on writing everything from personal webpages to corporate sales reports. Perfect Written English is one of the Perfect series of practical guides.” (Syndetics summary)

Title deeds : the hidden stories behind 50 books / Gary Dexter.“In this entertaining collection, acclaimed literary detective and columnist Gary Dexter reveals the intriguing stories behind some of history’s most celebrated books. Here we learn the real reasons for such unusual pieces of nomenclature as Generation X by Douglas Coupland, Goldfinger by Ian Fleming, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. This last was originally titled Alice’s Adventures Under Ground, but changed due to the author’s worry that potential buyers would think it was about mining.” (Description from Amazon.co.uk)

Celebrity cat recipes / Joe Bennett.“The columns that make up this collection first appeared in the Press, the Dominion Post, the Otago Daily Times, the Southland Times, the Waikato Daily Times, Hawke’s Bay Today, the Northern Advocate, New Zealand Gardener and Metro.”–T.p verso.

I remember nothing : and other reflections / Nora Ephron.
“Ephron returns with her first book since the astounding success of “I Feel Bad About My Neck,” taking a cold, hard, hilarious look at the past, the present, and the future, bemoaning the vicissitudes of modern life, and recalling with her signature clarity and wisdom everything she hasn’t (yet) forgotten.” (Syndetics summary)

Fifteen minutes of fame, annus horribilis, the cold war, we are not amused, elementary my dear Watson, let them eat cake … are all phrases used frequently. Who said that first?: the curious origins of common words and phrases by Max Cryer explores who said what, when  and why. The mastermind of some of the phrases can be quite surprising. Enjoy reading this – make your day!

Most thriller readers wonder if they have it in them to write their own bestselling novel. This book How to write a damn good thriller: a step by step guide for novelists and screenwriters by James N. Frey could be the first step. Written in a practical and entertaining manner he focuses on plot and character and uses the writing of successful thriller authors as examples.

Martha C. Sammons book The Longman guide to style and writing on the Internet is an accessible reference tool for anyone wanting to create successful Web documents. The book has been updated to add the latest Web terms, design and writing tools and will be of use to all Web writers.

Read these titles and others including Paul Holmes’ columns, poetry and how to write better essays in last month’s Recent Literature Picks.

Is it much ado about nothing or is there authoritative proof that Shakespeare did not pen the huge volume of work attributable to him? Those who have been linked with rumours of their own penmanship include Francis Bacon, the Earl of Oxford and Christopher Marlowe. Can James Shapiro author of Contested Will: who wrote Shakespeare? finally silence those who protested too much? Read this month’s featured Literature Recent Picks book and decide if Shakespeare’s name and reputation is intact.

To have a book dedicated shows a public declaration of a special bond. Once again to Zelda: fifty great dedications and their stories by Marlene Wagman-Geller looks at what inspired the honour. Whether romantic or tragic it gives us an insight into how that dedication became reality.

Wellington’s Dame Fiona Kidman has recently published her new collection Where your left hand rests, timed for her 70^th birthday in March. Topics include Katherine Mansfield’s shawl, Irish grandmothers and time spent in Greece. This adds to her large volume of work written over many years – readers look forward to more.

Enjoy these books and others in the latest eclectic mix of Literature Recent Picks including mentors, muses and monsters, why you should read the classics, Bill Manhire’s new book and a reissue of Michael Jackson’s Dancing the Dream.

Is letter writing a lost art? Read 800 years of women’s letters by Olga Kenyon and it may inspire you to put pen to paper. Organized by subject matter it covers a wide variety of topics including politics, work, war, childhood, love and passion. Read letters from Queen Victoria, Vita Sackville-West, Virginia Woolf and many more.

Shrinking the world: the 4000-year story of how email came to rule our lives by John Freeman looks at the rise and rise of communication via modern technology. The first email was sent less than forty years ago and the daily volume is enormous. From carrier pigeon to computer mouse, this history of how we communicate will make people look at the inbox in a whole new way.

A presentation is more likely to be successful if the speaker comes across clearly and with a degree of self-assurance. Love your voice: use your speaking voice to create success, self confidence and star-like charisma by vocal coach Roger Love shows how to improve the way you speak for all occasions. An accompanying CD complements the text.

Read about these books or choose from others looking at detective fiction, Raymond Carver and travel writing in this month’s Literature Recent Picks.

The 100: insights and lessons from 100 of the greatest speeches ever delivered by Simon Maier and Jeremy Kourdi discuss what makes a speech and a speaker memorable and inspirational. Bill Clinton, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, JF Kennedy, Barack Obama and many more have the X-factor. Read out loud words that have changed the face of history.

We all have odd habits, authors being no different. One shouted his words, some wrote naked, some dictated their words and some wrote in isolation while others needed noise and company to be successful. The page fright: foibles and fetishes of famous writers by Harry Bruce is an amusing look at what these writers needed to produce great literature.

In the movie Sex and the City there was a book of love letters which Carrie reads to Big. Fans keen to have a volume found that although the love letters existed they weren’t available in one volume. In response editor Ursula Doyle put the poems together in Love letters of great men. Letters include those of Beethoven, Lord Byron, Mozart, Charles Darwin and many more. Relax and share these words with someone special.

This month’s Literature Recent Picks also includes Victorian fiction, Australian writers and artists, Sam Hunt and crime writers – something for everyone.

Looking for a book in her collection, author Susan Hill discovered some old favourites, some she’d forgotten about and some that had never been opened. In Howard’s End on the landing: a year of reading from home she decides to re-visit her collection, resisting adding any more to her library for a year. Many memories came back during that time as often when a book is read again it links with times and places.

There are many songs about the moon but not as well known are the poems. To the moon: an anthology of lunar poems edited by Carol Ann Duffy spans continents and centuries. Choose a clear night, relax back, maybe with a glass of wine and look at and read about the moon.

The power of the dark side: creating great villains, dangerous situations and dramatic conflict by Pamela Jaye Smith will teach writers how to develop nasty, spiteful, mean, malicious, cruel, horrible, malevolent and wicked characters. Every-one secretly loves the baddies and conflict is what gives books, plays and films the tension. Move over Darth Vader, Voldemort, Dexter and Cruella de Vil there’s a new villain about to be unleashed.

This month’s Literature Recent Picks includes the International Who’s who, the Oxford Companion to English literature, the Believer book of writers talking to writers and how to write “in Twitter” as well as the above titles.