Inauguration poem.

Twin Cities Poets weigh in on Inauguration Poem

As I'm writing right now, Obama is motorcading on his way to the Inauguration. It seems redundant to express my excitement on that fact, so, let me shift attention to the fact that poetry is being featured again today!

Elizabeth Alexander will soon be reading her poem to commemorate the occasion. She will be only the fourth poet to read at an inauguration.

The role of the poet and of poetry is... influx; precarious; languishing; misunderstood; vital; all of the above? Whatever your personal stance, there is something truly remarkable, and not just because it is somewhat of a rarity, when a poet gives voice to ideas/emotions/images/sounds. Art and ideas joined in celebration and reflection of an event: they can be very powerful. So, as a lover of words, this is truly a moment of hope and change!

Books to Prisoners Challenge

As booksellers, we are acutely aware of the negative effects of censorship on society. An effective democracy requires the open exchange of ideas, and many important ideas are contained in book form. Books and reading can have an especially profound positive impact on prison inmates, giving them tools for learning and personal growth during their time of incarceration. The education of prisoners reduces their burden on society in many ways once they are reintegrated.

In Wisconsin, the staff of Rainbow Bookstore in Madison has run a statewide Books to Prisoners Project since 2006, and has sent over 4,000 packages of books to prisoners since then. (They welcome donations - see their website for information on donating). But in early August, I received a press release from the organization with the news that the state's Department of Corrections was barring Rainbow from delivering books to adult prisoners. A letter sent to the bookstore on May 13 by Department Administrator John Bett stated that, "effective immediately, the WI-DOC Division of Adult Institutions will no longer allow books or publications from Rainbow Bookstores in any DOC facility." As of the time of the press release, the two sides were communicating to try and work out the problem (though perhaps slowly on the DOC's part).

Wanting to help spread the word, I e-mailed the press release around to some friends and allies. It was picked up by our friend and fellow traveler in the book business, Claire Kirch, who writes for Publisher's Weekly. She delved into the story, and the resulting article will run nationwide in the magazine's next issue. Says Claire:

I just filed a report that'll run in Publishers Weekly's magazine Monday on booksellers sending books to prisons, and all the red tape and ridiculous hoops they have to jump through. Thanks, Carl, for the story idea that blossomed out of your tip! Re Wisconsin's DOC and Rainbow Books, the update is that Wisc's DOC was concerned that the Books to Prisoners book donation program was collecting used books offsite and mixing them with new books from the bookstore. They told me there's an incredible volume of books coming in; they are concerned about safety and security with so many used books going through their system. But, they sent a letter to the Books for Prisoners program and the bookstore, dated Aug. 22, asking to meet with them to find a solution to the problem. Of all the DOCs I spoke to for my report, I found the Wisc. DOC to be the most sincere and most receptive to making sure that books get into the hands of prisoners who wish to possess their own books. If anyone is interested, I can post a link to my entire report Monday. Utah is particularly restrictive when it comes to providing prisoners access to their own books. It's unbelievable.

Thanks Claire! A little citizen action and a media spotlight can do wonders for keeping our rights intact. Here's the article.

Obama Book Mishaps Prove to Be Non-partisan

We posted recently about why we do not stock Obama Nation (for very similar reasons as when we declined to keep If I Did It on the shelf). Politics really have little to nothing to do with the decision: it's a matter of integrity and choosing not to participate in sensationalistic mudslinging and slander.

Now a book from the Democratic side of the political aisle is forcing the hand of independent booksellers across the nation. Obama's Challenge written by Robert Kuttner and put out by Chelsea Green will be available exclusively through the large river website for it's first few weeks. Chelsea Green is very proud of the book and hopeful for the conversations that it should inspire. Chelsea Green then goes on to tout its success in books in politics and sustainability. They apparently are very excited about the speed the mythic women warriors site can offer, but are ignoring the other questions of open market and supporting local businesses: both of which are integral to discussions on politics and sustainability. Giving exclusive rights to one vendor during the prime time for the conversations they hope to engender serves only to limit those conversations and alter people's impressions for reasons not related to the content.

Much thanks to Gayle Shanks, ABA President, who wrote on this subject at Bookselling this Week and goes into more details there.