Josie Rawson Reading Oct. 23

Critically acclaimed and award-winning poet Joanna Rawson will read from and sign copies of her new book, “Unrest,” at 7:30 p.m., Friday, October 23, at Monkey See, Monkey Read bookstore. The event is free and the public is invited.

“Unrest,” published in September by Graywolf Press, is the second collection from Rawson, a Northfield resident whose “intense language,” says Kirkus Reviews, “recalls the hothouse prose of Cormac McCarthy.”

Rawson’s first collection “Quarry,” won the Association of Writers and Writing Programs’ Award Series in Poetry.

Among the stories and themes in this thought-provoking collection, a man’s sister sews him into a bus seat, stowaway immigrants suffocate in a crowded boxcar, and the first female suicide bomber passes through a checkpoint. “Unrest” shows the fervent, if not desperate, side of humanity pressed to the limits. With a resonant lyricism and profound beauty, these poems are restless meditations on American life, political borders, lawlessness, parenthood, and the spaces where the natural world and human turmoil come into conflict. Here is the voice of the poet at one moment in contemplation and at the next in emotional outcry, stuttering into song.

From “The Insurgency”: “The sky threatens to answer a prayer but then won’t. It is not exactly our own minds we go out of.”

“Joanna Rawson’s poems,” Arthur Vogelsang said, “tend toward the immediate, her shattered narratives describing a landscape that is swollen and overripe, ready to burst. These are violent poems, not in the sense of voyeurism or titillation, but in terms of a society on the brink of coming apart: the detonation of the pastoral, erotic affairs heading for annihilation, transcendence laced with despair and resignation.”
Copies of “Unrest” are available at the store and will be available for purchase during the event.

Our Boys-Midwest Connections

Africabikes are Back

Last year, we sold seven Kona Africabikes.  Not bad for a bookstore. Our first shipment of bikes for 2009 has arrived.  We have two single speeds and one three speed in stock. I took the three speed for a test ride this morning.  It was a joy to ride.  It has an internally gear hub so there is no derailleur. These bikes are utilitarian riding machines.  Very simple low maintenance bikes.  I took mine to Just Food tonight for groceries and the liquor store for a 6 pack of Summit Red. The beer was a perfect compliment to our burgers and fries.  The Africabike is a great ride for getting around in Northfield. 

Our selection of bike accessories is expanding.  We’ve added Soma water bottles.  These are BPA free bottles. We also have click tools, tubes, patch kits, Knog and Planet Bike lights, locks, and a variety of bags.

How’s Business?

“How’s business?”

That’s a question I get asked a lot these days.  Two of the Northfield’s three downtown bookstores will be closed in May.  River City Books went out of business in March.  Bookfellows will shut the doors in May.  

I read this in the Huffington Post recently.
A book is not an object to admire from afar, but something that can be possessed for a relatively modest sum, taken home and pondered for a lifetime, lived with. Who wants to live in a time and town without bookstores?

Then I read about Vertigo Books closing:

Why are we closing? There are many reasons, but basically, not enough people buy books here.

We have many loyal customers, just not enough of them, and our cloning experiments have not yielded satisfactory results. And way too many people (not you, but someone you know) are buying their books at Amazon.

Please take a fresh look around your community, temporarily ditch the iPod, stop Facebooking and tweeting for a moment and explore your neighborhood’s businesses.

The comments from Vertigo are right on the money.  Monkey See, Monkey Read has many loyal customers. The question is are there enough of them? Money is tight, the economy is in rough shape.  I see it everyday.  Someone laughed at me the other day when I said the book he wanted was $3.00.  $3.00, the price of a latte, too much for a book? 

So what are we doing about it?  We extended our hours.  Monkey See, Monkey Read is now open until 8:00 pm Monday through Thursday.  We have added more inventory.  Our selection of new book inventory is larger than ever and growing daily.  We offer a better value for our customers than the chains or amazon.com.  How do we do this?  We discount bestsellers 20%.  First table in the door, great books, great prices.  We discount most special orders 10%.  We offer a 20% discount to teachers on books for classroom use.  We offer a 20% discount to book clubs.  We sell most of our used books for half the cover price or less.  We will buy your used books when you are ready to give them up.  You can trade them in for more books.  

We live and work in this community.  When is the last time amazon or B&N gave a donation to your local organization?  Why are you shopping there and asking me for donations?

If you are one of our loyal customers, thank you and spread the word.  If you’ve never been in, give it a try.  We don’t bite.

So how’s business?  We’re hanging on, but it could be a lot better.

Mike Perry Coop video

Mike Perry will read from his latest book Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting Tuesday, May 5, 7:30 pm at the Northfield Arts Guild.  This short video is a great introduction to the book.

New Hours at the Monkey

Monkey See, Monkey Read has new expanded hours.  We’ll be staying open later Monday-Thursday.  Our new hours are M-Th 10-8, F 10-6, Sa 10-5, Su 12-4.  

Our selection of new books has expanded as well.  We’ve been selling new and used books side by side for three years now, but our selection of new books is growing.

We offer book clubs a 20% discount, Bestsellers are 20% off, most special orders are discounted 10%, and we can help you track down those hard to find out of print books.

New look at Monkey See Monkey Read

Things are always changing at the store. Here are a few photos of the new look. If you have never been in our store, we carry a mix of new and used books, games, Kona africabikes, and bike accessories. Current best sellers are discounted 20%. Book clubs receive a 20% discount. We also offer a 10% discount on most special orders.

Feeding MN in Winter

Just Food is more than a place to buy food.  They offer classes too.  The next class on the calendar is FEEDING MINNESOTA IN WINTER: A LOCAL FARMER PANEL DISCUSSION

Friday, Mar 6 2009 – 6:30pm-8:30 pm

A Special Just Food Co-op Event- everyone’s welcome!

How do local farmers produce enough food to feed Minnesotans all winter long? How can we build the local food system so that even more Minnesota-grown food is available year-round? Hear from three larger local producers- Cedar Summit Farm, Whole Grain Milling Company, and Kadejan – as they talk about the challenges and importance of larger-scale local farming. Moderated by local CSA farmer David Hougen-Eitzman, this event is free and open to the public.

There is limited seating, so we encourage you to call 507-650-0106 or stop by Just Food to reserve your seat soon.

 

Winter Clearance Downtown

The Monkey and many other downtown retailers will have a winter clearance this Saturday, Jan. 31.  Details are a secret, even I don’t know what will be on sale.  A Bag Lady, Anna’s Closet, Barefoot Studio, digs, Fashion Fare, Glass Garden Beads, Monkey See, Monkey Read, Paper Petalum, Present Perfect, Ragstock, Rare Pair, Sisters Ugly, Sweet Peas Loft, The Sketchy Artist, Women and Kids on Division will have bargains.

Classes at the Co-op

Just Food, our locally owned Co-op, is hosting two cool classes this month.

Small Wind Power, January 26, 7-8 pm.  Ever wonder what it would take to power your home, business or farm with a wind turbine? Join instructor Dan Borek as he answers your questions about small wind power possibilities. Held in the Just Food Event Space, please preregister for this free class while you are at Just Food or by calling 507-650-0106.

Gardening, Part 2- What to Plant? January 29, 5-7 pm.  Erin Johnson and Ben Doherty of Open Hands Farm will lead a discussion on the different varieties available, what’s new, and which varieties work well in our area and which don’t. Held in the Just Food Event Space. This class is free, but please preregister at the front of the store or by calling 507-650-0106.