Books invite you to participate. Even old books. Books long out of print and sitting on dusty shelves or in cardboard boxes in the back of an attic. They can make you disappear, lost in the stream of words from one page to the next. They can change you mood, alter your beliefs. They can make you president, give you the courage to explore the Amazon, or take the place of John Watson. A book can snatch you up from the comfort of your armchair and transport you across the universe or back in time with the turn of a page.
Books are magic, which, of course, makes writers magicians and used bookstores repositories of forgotten spells. Where else can you find the directions to fix a Model A or explore Seattle in 1916 or unearth a London murderer by talking to an East End char woman.
Come explore forgotten universes…
ARTICLES:
Over 25 years ago now (or a quarter of a century…which seems even a bit stranger), I started teaching Children’s Literature to Elementary Education majors at Southwest Missouri State University. At the time, Children’s Literature was becoming “real” literature–that is … Continue reading → March is such a good, forceful, energetic verb (and the name of the month), so what better month to focus on volunteerism. March 13th is Good Samaritan Day, although we tend to celebrate things by the week, by the month, and … Continue reading → February Special I can’t believe I’m writing this, but from Christie and Cornwall to Patterson and Woods, we have way too many mysteries and suspense. We could triple the shelf space and still not have enough…so our overload is your … Continue reading → One of the joys of a used bookstore is discovering wonderful books you would never think to read or new genres you would never explore. While I have long been a fan of history (evidenced by the fact that we … Continue reading → In 1562, Diego Gutierrez and Hieronymus Cock created a map of the Spanish Empire for King Phillip II. Gutierrez was a cartographer and cosmographer for the Casa de Contración (a government agency tasked with trying to control Spanish exploration and settlement); Cock … Continue reading → Tis the season of self-help books. If you have wandered down the aisles of your local bookseller (at least the purveyors of new books, sheets, tires, and assorted other household items), you have probably noticed that they carry three types … Continue reading → It was a dark cabinet in the far corner. An enoumous cabinet that would creak and groan with age and weight. As a wee elf, I was terrified of my great grandmother’s cabinet of curiosity. It was filled with the … Continue reading → It’s that time of year…September 3, 4, and 5th For twenty years, we published The Scale Cabinetmaker. Publishing a quarterly journal, or any journal, is a lesson in Sisyphus rolling the same rock up the same hill every three months. Most … Continue reading → This week’s newsletter centers, it seems, on a central theme–Be Nice! Every four years I watch two series of events: the Olympics (as a Montana native, I tend to be fonder of the winter version rather than the summer…but that … Continue reading → July’s Writers Challenge : Have some fun and win a free book. This month, something slightly different. Your contest entry must contain the following words or terms: nail polish a VHS tape a book of spells Have fun! Each month, we … Continue reading →
Celebrating Children’s Books!
Be Kind…Volunteer
All the words… (Weekly update 2/4/2017)
When History Reads Like a Novel…
Maps are Us (January 1-7, 2017)
Whistle Stop Weekly Reader – December 26, 2016
The Cabinet of Curiosities
Our Weekly Reader: Gearing up for Winter.
Goodnight to Lake Wobegon (Weekly Reader 20 July 2016)
Our “Weekly Reader”: July 6, 2016
