Archive for the ‘Books & Lit’ Category
2011
07.31
Tags: author interviews, Black Heart Magazine, book reviews, crime fiction, digital literature, ebooks, EPUB, Jimmy Callaway, killer short stories, MOBI, no sappy love poems, noir fiction, PDF, poetry, short fiction, Smashwords, The NOIR Issue
Posted in Books & Lit | No Comments »
If you can’t pimp your own projects on your blog, then really, where CAN you pimp them?
Folks, I’ve been working on my literary website, Black Heart Magazine, in a variety of incarnations since 2004. While we regularly publish new short fiction (every Friday) and poetry (every Monday) and even book reviews and author interviews (most Wednesdays) for FREE on the site, recently it occurred to me that in this brave new era of digital literature, we should also be publishing ebooks.
Well, guess what? As of July 1, we do!
Our first ebook is entitled The NOIR Issue, and features a great round-up of new crime fiction by all manner of excellent authors from the genre (click here for the full list). Published by Smashwords in virtually all known ebook formats, from PDF to MOBI to EPUB (and more), and guest edited by my good friend and crime fiction enthusiast Jimmy Callaway, this little pistol of an anthology costs only $2.99—great for even the most shoestring of budgets!
Check it out, and tell us what you think. We promise there are absolutely NO sappy love poems, and every single one of the short stories is killer. Sometimes literally.
The NOIR Issue is available online at Smashwords.
2011
07.21
Tags: American history buffs, American History X, American presidents, anarchists, Black Panther, BookPeople, CIA, Coke vs Pepsi, Cola wars, Communist plots, Edible Secrets: A Food Tour of Classified U.S. History, FBI, Fidel Castro, foodies, Fred Hampton, ice cream, Jello, Mia Partlow, Michael Hoerger, Microcosm Publishing, milkshakes, Nate Powell, politics and food
Posted in Books & Lit | 3 Comments »
UPDATED JULY 23: Nate Powell did not draw the Castro infographic, as previously noted. Powell did draw the chapter headings, but infographics are by Michael Hoerger, one of the co-authors, as mentioned in a comment from Mia Partlow. Shoestring Austin regrets the error.
As locals debate the relative merits of local vs. organic vs. ethical vs. tasty food, we may have overlooked a very important angle on the foodie scene: the political import of the foods we eat.
Before you groan about how this sounds like an exercise in either boredom or futility, allow me to introduce you to a highly intelligent and thoroughly entertaining book on the subject. Published by the always excellent Microcosm, Edible Secrets is a wild ride through American history, viewed through a foodie—and occasionally borderline-conspiracy theoriest—lens.
This book is intensely awesome, and I can’t recommend it enough, especially for people who have any interest in the concept of ”American History X.” You know, the alternate histories that our school system never teaches kids, for fear they won’t take the responsibility to think for themselves seriously (or is it because they just don’t want ‘em to question authority?).
Starting with the story of Black Panther Fred Hampton’s ice-cream related felony, and covering everything from Communist plots involving Jello to Fidel Castro’s love of milkshakes (and related attempts to use this information against him), the FBI and CIA are implicated in dozens of plots throughout the years. Not only are authors Michael Hoerger and Mia Partlow crafty storytellers, but they’ve also included the proof behind their seemingly outlandish stories: declassified documents from the American government itself, blithely acknowledging involvement. Holy Wikileaks!
The infographic detailing each and every only the first 150 assassination attempt on Castro’s life is just one of the inspired graphics that accompany these tales. (Death by milkshake? Seriously?) You’ll definitely want to check out the “Coke vs. Pepsi” list to see which fizzy liquid our American presidents have preferred throughout the years, as well as finding out how these Cola Wars actually sparked (or fueled) a few real wars.
Whether you’re a foodie, anarchist or American history buff, this slim volume makes a fine addition to any bookshelf.
Edible Secrets is available in Austin at BookPeople.
2011
05.28
Tags: BookPeople, Catfish Alley, Cheers Y'all: A Toast to Texas Wine, Fighting Back in an Age of Industrial Agriculture, Food Rebels Guerrilla Gardeners and Smart-Cookin' Mamas, Lynne Bryant, Mark Winne, Michelle Stern, Monsanto allowed to police itself, Stephanie Wetherill, strawberry yogurt granola parfaits, Texas Wine and Cattle Company, The Whole Family Cookbook, wine tasting
Posted in Books & Lit, Events | No Comments »
Eating, drinking and reading great books go together like wine and cheese, and coincidentally, today’s BookPeople event combines the best of both worlds. Wine specialist Stephanie Wetherill will be presenting her new book, Cheers Y’all: A Toast to Texas Wine, at 5 PM this evening, along with a complimentary wine tasting, courtesy of the Texas Wine and Cattle Company. Pick up a signed copy of the book, sip some Texas wines, and soak up some knowledge on Texas grapes.
Another event to check out, especially if you’ve got young’uns, happening this Monday (May 30): Michelle Stern, author of The Whole Family Cookbook, will be in store whipping up sparkling beverages and strawberry yogurt granola parfaits. Stern will teach attendees how to make positive food choices, both in terms of nutrition and ecological footprint. Hit up BookPeople at noon for snacks and more!
And tangentially related to food, there’s also Lynne Bryant’s novel, Catfish Alley, launching the same day at 7 PM. From the BookPeople event page:
In this moving debut novel about female friendship, endurance, and hope in the South, Roxanne Reeves, a woman defined by social status and the committees she leads, reluctantly accepts a project to document her town’s African-American history. As elderly Grace Clark leads Roxanne to Catfish Alley to hear stories of the past, particularly of 1931, Roxanne gains an appreciation of the dreams, courage, and endurance of those she had so easily dismissed, her own life opens up in new and unexpected ways.
Finally, don’t miss Mark Winne’s Food Rebels, Guerrilla Gardeners, & Smart-Cookin’ Mamas: Fighting Back in an Age of Industrial Agriculture on Tuesday, May 31 at 7 PM. Seriously? You had us at “food rebels.” Smash the factory farm, and find out more about your options for fighting back in a world where big businesses like Monsanto are allowed to police themselves.
Get reading — and eating — at BookPeople this weekend!
BookPeople is located at 603 N. Lamar. For more info on these events, please see bookpeople.com.
2011
05.25
Tags: Batman, Black Heart Magazine, BookPeople, Bubba Ho-Tep, Cherry Coke, Duckweed, George Weir, Hard Word Book Club, Jesse Sublett, Joe R. Lansdale, Littlefield, Lone Star Noir, Milton T. Burton, Moral Hazard, NOIR issue, Six-Finger Jack, Texas, Tyler
Posted in Books & Lit, Events | No Comments »
Calling all cars! Caught red-handed at the scene of the crime (scheduled to occur at 7 PM this evening) you’ll find the perps: Milton T. Burton and George Weir, contributors to the Lone Star Noir anthology. Swarm them tonight at BookPeople’s Hard Word Book Club event, and make sure your sticky fingers walk off with a copy—obtained legally, ya mugs.
Weir’s story, “Duckweed,” represents Littlefield, while Burton’s “Cherry Coke” is a fictional homage to Tyler, Texas. Too bad Joe R. Lansdale couldn’t make it for this one; you might remember him from such little-known comics as Batman, or the absurdist fantasy flick Bubba Ho-Tep. His story, “Six-Finger Jack,” was definitely one of the best in the anthology, although I’m also a fan of the Austin story “Moral Hazard” from Jesse Sublett.
Get in the mood for even more noir action this month, while you eagerly await publication of Black Heart Magazine’s first-ever NOIR Issue, or just enjoy a night out with some deadly dames and Texan tough-guys.
BookPeople is located at 603 N. Lamar. For more details about this event, please see their website.
2011
05.10
Tags: Arkie's Grill, BookPeople, Casey's New Orleans Snowballs, Chu-Mikal's Cafe, Crystal Esquivel, East Side King, El Primo, F&F Fruit Cups, Food Lovers' Guide to Austin, Galloway Sandwich Shop, Globe Pequot Press, Gourmet Magazine, Great Chefs Great Cities, Hill-Berts, Little Deli, Mrs. Johnson's Bakery, Pablito's Bakery, Phoenicia Bakery and Deli, poco-cocoa, San Francisco Bakery and Cafe, Spartan Pizza, Taco More, Tan My, Tarka, Thundercloud Subs
Posted in Books & Lit, Interviews, Restaurants | 3 Comments »
Crystal Esquivel is the creator of local food blog poco-cocoa, and has recently published a book called Food Lovers’ Guide to Austin. I scored a review copy from her publisher, and after paging through her comprehensive guide to pretty much everything foodie in Austin—including cooking schools, restaurants with foodie cred, food trucks, and places traditionally loved by locals, plus recipes from a variety of Austin chefs—I had a few questions for this food-lovin’ hometown girl. I hit her up via email, and here’s what she had to say about Austin’s food scene!
Shoestring Austin: What inspired you to write the Food Lovers’ Guide to Austin?
Crystal Esquivel: I was actually approached to write the book. The Food Lovers’ Guide to Austin is one in a series of books published by Globe Pequot Press (there are similar books for other major U.S. cities), and the publisher was looking for an Austin food writer. A friend of mine let me know they were on the search, and I sent the editor an email with writing samples on my blog. She contacted me right away and said that my writing style was perfect for the book they wanted to publish, and soon after that we were signing contracts!
In a way, I’ve been writing this book for quite some time, though… I love Austin food, and I’ve been photographing and writing about it on my blog for years. This was just the next step!
SA: What do you like best about Austin’s food scene?
CE: I like that it’s so approachable. It’s unpretentious, but still creative, and exciting, and ever-changing. We get to try so many new foods and ideas, without any of the 3-month long waiting lists or suit-and-tie requirements. It just makes it so easy and fun to dine out.
SA: Did you find any new favorites while eating your way across town?
Definitely. I had my old favorites already, but there were many places that were new to me. Some of my favorites are the diners on the east side – Arkie’s Grill, Chu-Mikal’s Cafe, Galloway Sandwich Shop. I’m now a solid fan of Tan My, Spartan Pizza, Hill-Berts and Pablito’s Bakery. And don’t get me started on Taco More. There are too many to list!
SA: Are you formally trained as a chef, or more self-taught?
CE: I don’t consider myself a chef at all – I’m a home cook, and I am definitely self-taught. I started watching food and cooking shows on PBS when I was in high school (Great Chefs, Great Cities was my favorite), and subscribed to Gourmet when I was still living in a dorm. Once I got my own kitchen, I just started cooking every day, trying out new recipes and reading as much food writing as I could. I haven’t been cooking as much lately – once you get in the habit of eating at restaurants, it’s very hard to stop! :)
SA: Your blog has lots of great photos, and I was hoping to see more of those in your book, so I was kind of disappointed that there were only the drawings. Do you have any plans to either update in future editions, or release a book of photos?
CE: Thank you so much! I knew from the beginning that there would be no photos in the book, and we had hoped to use one of my photos for the cover, but we just ran out of time. The book follows the publisher’s specific guidelines, so I doubt there will be photos in the second edition, either. As for a book of photos, that sounds like a fun idea!
SA: Are there any food trends you’ve seen emerging here in Austin? Or, are there any trends you’d LIKE to see?
CE: I think that our chefs are raising the bar in general for Austin food. Even pubs and trailers are serving great-quality food, and so much care is going into food sourcing and letting the ingredients shine. I think that as diners, we are now demanding food that is flavorful, creative, and isn’t just tasteless filler. The same goes with cocktails – thankfully now there are several places to get a well-crafted drink, and I think it will just keep getting better.
SA: What’s next for you and your blog?
CE: I have a book signing at Book People scheduled for June 28 at 7 PM. I’m still working on my blog, and am now doing some freelance copywriting and editing. I have another little project in the works with a national blog, and of course I plan to keep dining out in Austin.
As an added bonus, Crystal also shared with us her favorite Austin foods for under $5. Check out these amazing deals the next time you’re craving cheap eats:
2011
05.04
Tags: BookPeople, East Side King, food events, food trucks, Food Trucks: Dispatches and Recipes from the Best Kitchens on Wheels, Heather Shouse, Hey Cupcake, literary events, street food, The Best Wurst
Posted in Books & Lit, Events | No Comments »
If you’re a fan of Austin’s food trucks and street eats, you won’t want to miss this foodie literary event! BookPeople will be hosting a Food Truck event featuring the culinary skills of The Best Wurst, East Side King and Hey Cupcake at Heather Shouse’s reading from her new book, Food Trucks: Dispatches and Recipes from the Best Kitchens on Wheels.
Chow down starting at 5:30 PM on May 7 in the BookPeople parking lot, and stay for Heather’s reading at 7 PM.
More about the author (via BookPeople’s event page):
Heather Shouse launched a coast-to-coast exploration of street food. In Food Trucks, she gives readers a page-by-page compass for finding the best movable feasts in America. Organized geographically, Food Trucks doubles as a road trip must-have, a travel companion for discovering memorable meals on minimal budgets and a snapshot of a culinary craze just waiting to be devoured.
Delicious reading material and some of the tastiest trucks in town: what could be better?
For more info on this event, check out the BookPeople website.
2011
04.10
Tags: 2011 Collagist Chapbook Contest, David Duhr, Encourage A Young Writer Day, Larry McMurtry, Lonesome Dove, Matt Bell, Pulitzer Prize, Texas Observer, Texas Observer Short Story Prize
Posted in Books & Lit | No Comments »
Today is Encourage A Young Writer Day, and what better way to celebrate than by ponying up the entry fee for a young writer to enter a contest?
A good one to consider: The 2011 Collagist Chapbook Contest only costs $15 to enter ($20 if you’d like a copy of the winning chapbook), and the winner will receive $250 plus 25 author copies. Entries are due by April 15, and will be judged by Collagist editor Matt Bell. For full details, be sure to check their website here.
Another great contest with an Austin connection is the Texas Observer’s first annual Short Story Prize. Guest judged by Larry McMurtry (the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Lonesome Dove), and with a prize of $1,000 plus publication, this contest costs $25 to enter (or $35 if you’d like a critique from their Fiction Editor, David Duhr), and is well worth the entry fee. Entries are due May 1, and Texas themes are encouraged, so what are you waiting for?
Encourage a young writer–or yourself!–and help ‘em enter a couple of writing contests today.
2010
12.17
Tags: Book Mooch, free books, Freebies
Posted in Books & Lit, Freebies | 2 Comments »
One of my favorite free sites is Book Mooch. If you’re the type who’s always borrowing books from friends, checking out enormous stacks at the library, or scouring Amazon for bargains on paperbacks, then Book Mooch is about to become your best friend.
The concept: List the books you’ve got cluttering up your bookshelf. You know, the ones you thought you’d read someday, but haven’t gotten around to for the past 10 years? Type in the ISBNs (that number on the bar code) and Book Mooch will grab the cover from Amazon for you and put it in your “inventory.” These are the books people can “mooch” from you. You get 1/10 of a point for every book you add to your inventory, plus 1 point every time you mail out a book to someone (3 points if they live in another country), and once you’ve got at least 1 point, you can start mooching from others.
Why “mooch”? Because it’s FREE to get books from others! The idea is to share books, and this is generally achieved by everyone paying for postage, but not the books themselves. It’s like a worldwide network of people who like to trade books. How awesome is that?
If you want to keep your costs down, you can set your account to trade only within the U.S., and if you’re feeling generous, you can have foreign traders ask you if you’ll ship to their location before making any firm decisions.
The other excellent thing about Book Mooch is that you can create a “wishlist” of books you’ve been wanting to read, and you’ll get an automatic email sent whenever anyone lists those books in their inventory so you can jump on it.
Free books! What’s not to love?
2010
05.30
Tags: Butter Chicken, Central Market, cooking magazines, coupons, domestic chores, fictional letters to the editor, food magazines, free magazines, H-E-B, H-E-B brand products, honeymoon, learning to cook, My Texas Life magazine, Penthouse Forum, Shoestring lifestyle
Posted in Books & Lit, Groceries | No Comments »
Friends, I love me some free magazines. Especially the type that come with coupons, to indulge my Shoestring lifestyle. And I’ve got nothing against H-E-B; they have great low prices, and lots of excellent items like my favorite Butter Chicken sauce (not to mention delicious Central Market wares). But I’ve gotta say, I’m not sure what’s going on in their My Texas Life letters section.
Seriously, I haven’t seen such indulgent, over-the-top fantasies since Penthouse Forum.
Exhibit A:
From the May 2010 issue of H-E-B's My Texas Life magazine
The text of the top letter reads as follows:
Dear My H-E-B Texas Life Staff,
My boyfriend and I have talked about an engagement and marriage for over a year. However, a ring hadn’t been in our budget, much less a wedding! Thanks to the in-store savings and the coupons in your magazine, I am finally engaged and have a ring to show off! The night that my fiancé proposed, I prepared the Moroccan Roasted Chicken Dinner. The evening turned out perfect! Thank you for everything! Especially the super savings and delicious recipes!
Brittni, Cherokee
While I, too, appreciate the magazine’s savings and delicious recipes, I question the idea that shopping at H-E-B and reading this magazine magically created enough money for a wedding ring. How much did this wedding ring cost, 40 bucks? I mean, there are some good coupons in there, but it’s not like they are giving away groceries for free! A dollar off here and a two-for-one there doesn’t really add up to that much cash, and if the coupons are for things you wouldn’t normally buy, it’s not really saving you money, is it?
But maybe I’m missing the point, which is actually in the left-hand sidebar on the same page:
Aha! Brittni received a $25 H-E-B gift card for writing in, plus an unspecified “small gift”! Maybe the gift was an H-E-B wedding ring?
I’m gonna have to write a letter to My Texas Life myself and see what crops up!
So, Brittni, if you’re out there, please share your secrets with the rest of the class. And if you’re imaginary (as I suspect you may be), well… at least there’s still plenty of dollar-off coupons for H-E-B brand products in the mag to keep my hopes of one day affording the honeymoon my husband and I never had alive.
P.S. The letter from “George and Alice” is pretty fantastical too. Her husband learned how to cook from reading the H-E-B magazine?! I suspect he just never put forth the effort in the first place, to avoid a domestic chore, but maybe I’m just being cynical.
