Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890), Arles, January 1888
Dear Bookworms,
Welcome to the summer (July) edition of the Book Beat newsletter!
As temperatures rise, now is the perfect time to indulge in the pleasure of reading. Whether you’re lounging by the beach or in the shade, we have exciting selections to fuel your reading adventures.
Embrace the spirit of summer with an assortment of books for the sunny season. Dive into a gripping mystery, a juicy romance, or a thrilling adventure that will keep you on the edge of your beach towel. Our shelves are stocked with stories that will transport you to far-off lands and provide a summer escape.
In-store only gems: we have a few hardcover signed copies left of native Detroiter Ebony LaDelle’s debut novel Love Radio—a teen romance set in Detroit. We also have a few hardcover signed copies left of Frank Uhle’s outstanding local film history Cinema Ann Arbor.
Detroit Bookfest is Sunday, July 16
Local Ferndale author Donald Levine stopped by recently and signed copies of his latest noir page-turner set in 1940s Detroit The Arsenal of Deceit, a great follow up to Savage City. Levine will be having a book launch along with Peter’s Werbe’s new book hot off the press Eat the Rich happening at the Detroit Festival of Books. Also at our bookstore booth between 1:00-4:00 PM we will be hosting poets Andrew Collard, Andy “Sunfrog” Smith, young adult author Jack Cheng, photographer Bruce Harkness, and business media and branding expert Marcus Collins. To find times and learn more, check out our post at Detroit Festival of Books.
The new summer issue of Three Fold is out and is free! Three Fold is Detroit’s only surrealist rock ‘n roll art & lit journal. Jonathan Rajewski’s “Flesh and Marble,” about a 2017 visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on LSD, is a wild read as well as “Making a Making,” a conversation with Bill Dilworth who is the caretaker of Walter De Maria’s Earth Room and La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela’s Dream House.
In a world of online shopping and digital libraries, let’s not forget the unique joy of browsing inside a physical bookstore. It’s an experience that engages the senses—the soft rustle of pages, the scent of ink and paper, and the thrill of stumbling upon unexpected literary treasures. The tactile experience of flipping through pages, the serendipity of stumbling upon hidden gems—it’s a journey only bookstores can provide. So come, wander through the aisles, and let the magic of a bookstore enchant you.
Happy summer reading!
~Cary, Colleen and the Book Beat staff
SLEEPER ALERTS & RECENT ARRIVALS
On Browsing
by Jason Guriel
Biblioasis
A defense of the dying art of losing an afternoon—and gaining new appreciation—amidst the bins and shelves of brick-and-mortar shops.
Written during the pandemic, when the world was marooned at home and consigned to scrolling screens, On Browsing’s essays chronicle what we’ve lost through online shopping, streaming, and the relentless digitization of culture. The latest in the Field Notes series, On Browsing is an elegy for physical media, a polemic in defense of perusing the world in person, and a love letter to the dying practice of scanning bookshelves, combing CD bins, and losing yourself in the stacks.
For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, And Who We Want to Be
by Marcus Collins
PublicAffairs
By way of examples, Collins unpacks why hipsters adopted Pabst Blue Ribbon (not because of anything related to the drink, but because of what the brand seemed to represent); the origins of the Budweiser “Wassup” commercial and why it became such a cultural phenomenon (it keyed into the unique, versatile language of close friendships); and how companies like Patagonia and Nike could make choices that seem counterintuitive from a traditional business standpoint — eco-friendly Patagonia discouraged customers from buying more stuff, and Nike built a campaign supporting former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kapernick’s controversial protest — and still come out on top […] For the Culture is a highly accessible, smart, and well-written book. Whether you’re a marketing professional, a business owner, an activist, or simply a mindful consumer, the book offers itself as a go-to guide to the invisible forces that inform nearly every decision we make. (Consider this both a warning and an endorsement.) –Jenn McKee, Hour Detroit
Note: Marcus Collins will be signing at the Detroit Festival of Books on Sunday, July 16, at the Book Beat booth in Shed 5 from 1:00-3:00 PM.
To Photograph is to Learn How to Die: An Essay with Digressions
by Tim Carpenter
The Ice PLant
I don’t know anybody who believes in photography more than Tim Carpenter. His book-length essay draws widely from literature, music, and philosophy, but it’s in service of his passionate sermon on photographs and their ability to elevate our experience of the world. Preach, Brother Tim! Preach!
— Alec Soth
To Photograph Is To Learn How To Die is a book-length essay about the essential usefulness of the practice of making photographs. Drawing on the writings of Wallace Stevens and dozens of other poets, artists, musicians and thinkers, American photographer Tim Carpenter argues passionately — in one main essay and a series of lively digressions — that photography is unique among the arts in its capacity for easing the fundamental ache of our mortality; for managing the breach that separates the self from all that is not the self; for enriching one’s sense of freedom and personhood; and for cultivating meaning in an otherwise meaningless reality.
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop
Satoshi Yagisawa
Harper
“I think what matters far more with a book is how it affects you…” –Satoshi Yagisawa
Staff pick DAYS AT THE MORISAKI BOOKSHOP by Satoshi Yagisawa is newly released for the first time in english & available here at the store! (Originally published in 2009 and winner the Chiyoda Literature Prize.) Rich & immersive, it’s a soulful novella about living your truth, love, loss & human connection. It’s also a love letter to Jimbocho, an old bookselling district in Japan and classic Japanese literature.
The wise and charming international bestseller and hit Japanese movie–about a young woman who loses everything but finds herself–a tale of new beginnings, romantic and family relationships, and the comfort that can be found in books.
Read small press book reviews, author interviews, and indie recommendations from our resident bibliophile Tom Bowden in his latest June column i arrogantly recommend…
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thursday, July 13: David Fenton and The Activist’s Media Handbook at Book Beat
Thursday, July 13 from 6:30 PM–7:30 PM, David Fenton will present his new book The Activist’s Media Handbook: Lessons from Fifty Years as a Progressive Agitator at Book Beat. Copies of his book will be made available for purchase and signing. Read more at: David Fenton at Book Beat.
Sunday, July 16: Detroit Festival of Books
Come out this summer to the Detroit Festival of Books held downtown at Eastern Market on Sunday, July 16. Help support this celebration of books and people. Bring your own book bags, a water bottle, wear some good walking shoes and spend a day hunting for book treasure. This year we’ll be hosting six local authors signing books at our booth from 1:00 PM-4:00 PM, plus we’ll be bringing an eclectic mix of deep-discounted sale books and some unusual rarities. Find out more at: the Detroit Festival of Books.
Wednesday, July 26: World Lit Reading Group
The Book Beat reading group selection for July is The Time of the Doves by Mercè Rodoreda. Our discussion will be held Wednesday, July 26 at 7:00 PM online via Zoom. We are still waiting for the reopening of Goldfish Tea, so until further notice meetings will be held on Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent the afternoon of the meeting to anyone interested in attending. Email bookbeatorders@gmail.com to sign up. Books are in stock now and discounted 15%. Read more at our reading group selection for July.
BOOK BEAT HOURS, CONTACT, ORDERING INFO
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• Shop signed books, art, rarities and curiousities at Book Beat Gallery.
• Audiobooks purchased at Libro.fm will help support Book Beat.
I am still a learner, not a teacher, feeding somewhat omnivorously, browsing both stalk & leaves….
~Henry David Thoreau, 1856