myopicbookstore.com

Wanna open up a can of worms? Come into the bookstore tonight and ask whoever is behind the counter who their pick is for greatest post-WWII American novelist. Some Myopic associates shout Morrison, some hail McCarthy, others cry Pynchon, one (who shall not be named) even blurts out Turtledove, sometimes. Don DeLillo, however, is a fave of almost everyone here, and since his books come in fairly regularly, we end up citing them often (and heartily) to those who ask for contempo reading recommends and don’t have the foggy as to where to start. Handy dandy style, we have a big stack of hardcover copies of Libra right now, and this is a book you should check out post haste, if you are experienced with the Don or not. Top notch stuff and we’ll tell you why…

Let us ask you a question. Do you know who *really* pulled the trigger on J.F.K.? Ha ha! Didn’t think so! Neither do we! Neither did Gerald Ford! Whodunit? Place your bets. LBJ? Sam Giancana? Julia Child? A theory to suit every taste! (Sorry.) Many have probed the question in the artistic realms, and some have embarrased themselves (cough, Oliver Stone, cough) (ahem, chortle, Mailer) but Libra has a LOT going for it. Mostly that wicked DeLillo dialogue, of course, rendered in a noir-y shadow world cloak and dagger vibe that will set your intellectual pulse to racing. We won’t ruin it (sorry, SPOIL it) by getting too deep into the Don’s particular conspiracy theory, but this tome isn’t a skimmer, and plenty of heavy writing craft is on display. Come grab a copy soon!

Well, we’re due to have a bit of a busy July here at Myopic!
First and foremost, the closing party for this month’s art installation by Loo Bain is tomorrow night (Thursday the 28th) around 7 o’clock! There will be spirits, cheese and fruit to celebrate the the lunar-lurking crustacean that’s been in our window this past month.
Secondly, Think Galactic (our radical leftist science fiction reading group) is hosting it’s first convention ever: Think Galacticon! Myopic will be hosting the kickoff event for their four-day symposium at 7pm, Thursday, July 12th. A discussion of two short stories: “Coming of Age in Karhide” by Ursula K. LeGuin and “The Dead” by Michael Swanwick will take place at their typical meeting spot in the front room of our second floor. Anyone interested in joining the group can simply show up at Myopic on the second Thursday of any month.
Last, but cerainly not least, this year’s Printer’s Ball (generously sponsored by Poetry Magazine) will be having readings from their extensive archives by local poets as part of our ongoing poetry series! Sunday, July 15th, at 7 o’clock and upstairs as usual, this is one amongst many great events that will be going on through the next month- so be sure to visit their site and check out the schedule of events!

Happy summer, readers! Chicago is finally getting to the dog day months where the humidity is a wall of nature’s own sweat to wade through. Luckily, we have shelves full of tomes to keep you occupied on the beach or on the vacation drive as the miles go by.

While we’re making recommends, can we suggest a vacation itinerary for you? Lincoln Summer 2007! A new book just published, Land of Lincoln: Adventures In Abe’s America by Andrew Ferguson is a wise, funny (and often scathing) look at the constantly evolving historical perspective on Lincoln the man, politican and national myth. Instead of focusing on deep academic discourse, he goes to monuments, presidential libraries (including the brand new one in Springfield IL) and museums across America and even interviews Lincoln impersonators, Abe ephemera collectors, and restraunt owners who have devotional shrines in their dining rooms to America’s 16th president. These are the kind of AbeLinc freaks we are totally into knowing more about, and Ferguson shows off a fabulous cast indeed. Many of the spots he mentions are well within driving distance of the middle west, and even if you aren’t planning a trip, it’s a great read.

Here is a longer review on NY Times website.

Aaron Fagan was born in Rochester, NY in 1973. He grew up in the village of Victor in upstate New York, and was educated at Hampshire College and Syracuse. In 1998 he moved to Chicago and worked as an assistant for Poetry and as a Reference Assistant for the Newberry Library. Poems have appeared in the American Poetry Review, Another Chicago Magazine, Boulevard, The Brooklyn Review, 5am, Opium, Salt, the Yale Review and elsewhere. He presently resides in the Bronx.