BOOK GROUP EXPO

Yes, we knew the way to San Jose, with help from Gypsy -- Gypsy is our navigational system’s nickname, G(y)PS(y) – and found our RV campground which caters to long-timers but they reserved a small space for us.

While on the RV, I went to change my shoes but when I opened my shoe compartment I couldn't’t get a pair in or out. I admit I did buy another pair recently and some of you told me I already had too many shoes – but after emptying the cabinet, I realized it wasn’t the shoes that were a problem, it was all the extra books I had tucked in there. More than I thought, probably ten, so I weeded and parted with six.

The night before Book Group Expo I finished an enjoyable light read on my kindle, A Version of the Truth by Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack. I thought I would purchase their other book, Literacy and Longing in L.A. It is also available in a kindle version and just as I was about to push the “Buy Now” button, I thought I’d postpone any book buys until after going to Expo. I was looking for inspiration and ideas of what to read next.

And that is what I got and more. In its third year, Book Group Expo, http://www.bookgroupexpo.com/ is a wonderful two day convention which brings readers and authors together. In salons,

<<“In paying tribute to tradition (of 17th century literary salons) and in keeping with the stimulating atmosphere of the modern book group, our authors will not be performing the usual readings, but will discuss specific topics with one another, the moderator, and the audience.”>>

and at author signings and at a literary marketplace – with reading resources from bookstores and publishers. There were also performances: Brian Copeland enacted a piece from his one-man play, Not a Genuine Black Man, two actors read from their book of Reduced Shakespeare, and Sharon Henderson & Friends sang out Sunday morning gospels.

The salons themes included friendships, food, mothers, strong women, making a difference, grief, witches, liars, etc. The pairing of themes with authors and their books were sometimes straightforward and other times, quirky. Like what do a Christian chick lit author, a green economist, and a novelist whose protagonist is a dog have in common?


There were authors and books I recognized and those I didn’t, those I've read and ones I haven’t, brand name and debuts including Julia Glass, Terry McMillan, Irvin Yalom, Masha Hamilton, Garth Stein, Kate Jacobs, and Audre Dubus III.
(Another blogger, http://www.caribousmom.com/, has some author photos on her Oct 25 entry.)

Often what made a panel work or not were the facilitators – a mix of authors and/or
experienced book group leaders. I found the best presenters to be ones who had prepared well (read all the books), asked great questions, and had the ability to contain the more dominating authors, draw out the soft-spoken and to gracefully get out of the way in moments of an authors eloquent insights.


One facilitator, Julie Robinson, of literaryaffairs.net may have been a Shadchen (the Yiddish word for matchmaker) in a former life. A funny, fast-talking NYer turned Californian, and known as the “diva of book groups,” Julie leads upwards of thirty book groups a week and organizes wonderful literary “Beyond the Book” luncheons matching authors, readers, venue, and food. The kind of event I’d love to attend.

As I documented in the previous post, I won the filled gift basket in the raffle. But I also got the regular freebies that all participants received. A totebag with ads and promos, a cuddly lap blanket for curling up with a good book, and two free books. Guess what? Remember that book (above, third paragraph) I ALMOST ORDERED the night before on my kindle? It was one of the print ones in my bag. Really!



And my cleaned out shoe compartment can now just about sqeeze in those extra books from the basket.