I was fortunate to participate in a wonderful book reading by a handful of New England’s star-authors in Boston this week, including Anita Diamant, Dennis Lahane, and Steve McCauley, at Union Street’s upstairs Attic in Newton, Mass.
Steve McCauley is humorous and witty, but its dry, in the way that New Englanders and Brits would appreciate. He weaves in local nuances that are prevalent here and now and connects people of the area to experiences they can relate to, such as a handful of devistatingly hot Boston summers, where the humidity becomes king and nothing else can live amidst its presence.
Newtonville Books owner Tim Huggins with Steve McCauley:
He reads us a passage from a story he wrote for the Washington Post, during a summer where the male character was having an affair with a married man — his neighbor, who he later refers to as Plan B. Plan A, his stagnant at-home relationship is referenced in passing, while the lively dialogue he engages us in is largely about Plan B and the summer heat.
He says, “the heat became the man who came to dinner…..the man who would make me a creme brulet, who lit the cigarette that wouldn’t go out, that……” He then moves beyond the heat into issues surrounding the greenhouse effect and global warming.
Atmosphere out of balance.
Climate out of control.
Life out of balance.
Life out of control.
Jarring but not anything close to Lieutenant Paul Reikoff, an Iraq combat veteran, and Executive Director and founder of the activist group “Operation Truth.”, who tells us a few stories about his time in Iraq.
His tales include a humorous account of his win in being able to hand deliver a pair of size 19 shoes for an Iraqi he refers to as Big Foot (7 foot tall), clearly he says, “the tallest person in Iraq.” It’s witty, telling, emotional and explicit, down to the bayonette that they use to cut a Salami deli sandwich delivered to them from New York.
Anita Diamant, a favorite writer for me for her authorship of The Red Tent, one of the most emotional books I’ve read in years. I read it in the late nineties, nearly in one sitting. It was hard to put down and when I did — to go to sleep for example — I found myself turning the light back on, ploughing through it explicitly page after page until I finished at five in the morning in tears.
Renee Blodgett, Anita Diamant in Newton:
Her reading this week takes us back to 19th Century Cape Ann from The Last Days of Dogtown. I’ll post a video later this week of her reading an excerpt from the book about main character Easter Carter, an eclectic woman who runs a tavern in Gloucester.
Finally we hear from Dennis Lahane, known for his work on Mystic River, which was turned into an award-winning movie. I remembered going to a few of his parties somewhere in South Boston when I lived here – on the rooftop if I recall. His office (where he did a large part of his creating) had an amazing view and I remember day dreaming at one point about the design I would create if I had such a view.
Charming and warm, he has piercing blue eyes, just like my grandfather had and when I commented on them, he nodded, as if he had been told this countless times in his life.
Dennis Lehane during book reading:
He read a story, which I ‘think’ was called ICU, mainly about a character named Daniel. “He’s just a guy who showed up one day on the blip. A guy they came looking for one day, who wishes all light was bone white.” The piece was taken from his upcoming book Coronado Stories, which is slated to be released this coming August.
Also known for his work against the war in Iraq (formed a group of writers against the war in Iraq in 2003), he says of politics that the single most dangerous thing about politics is when a party has so much power, they believe nothing can touch them.
Renee Blodgett and Tim Huggins, Newtonville Books, a charming bookstore in Newton that combines what Meg Ryan’s bookstore had in “You’ve Got Mail” with New England community and more….
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
