Out and About in NYC

Changing Styles in Children’s Book Illustration
Friday, April 26, 2013, 2:15-4:00pm
New York Public Library – Stephen A. Schwarzman Bldg. South Court Auditorium

Join the NYPL for an exploration of two hundred years of children’s book illustration.  Notable editions of Alice in Wonderland  and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will be examined, as well as illustration techniques, social and religious concerns, humor and pathos through children’s books from colonial primers to the works of Maurice Sendak.

Song of Myself: A Reading From the Deathbed Edition
Saturday, April 27, 2013, 1:00 – 4:00pm

In celebration of National Poetry Month, Housing Works is hosting a “marathon” reading of the 1891 edition of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. The event is free and will be held at the Bookstore Cafe (126 Crosby Street New York, NY 10012).

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Member Monday: An Interview with New Member Karen Nourizadeh

Karen Nourizadeh is a writer, yoga instructor, wellness expert, inspirational speaker and media contributor based in New York City, where she has been living for the past 22 years. After leaving Corporate America and a job as an attorney, Karen embarked on a journey to help people heal themselves, mentally and physically, through the spiritual and physical practice of yoga. Karen is completing her first work, Follow Your Heart, a memoir detailing her struggles and path, one in which she needed to shed her fears and others’ expectations in order to reveal her true self and fulfill her destiny.  Through her story, Karen hopes to inspire others to shed their own fears and realize their  potential in order to create a magnificent life.

Welcome to the NYC Chapter of the WNBA-NYC! How did you become involved with the organization?

I learned about WNBA-NYC Chapter through Twitter!

Tell us more about what you’re writing?

I’ve just completed my first non-fiction book, a true tale of inner transformation by a ‘recovering attorney’ (me), inspired by yoga and a 10 year old Indian boy.   I have an agent in NYC who has submitted the manuscript to several major publishers and I pray!  I also write for several blog sites – Elephant Journal, MindBodyGreen, and On Fire At Fifty.  I write on topics of nutrition, exercise, spiritual inspiration, as well as the role of women in today’s world.

What are some things you’re learning on your journey to being published? What advice or suggestions can you offer to other inspiring writers?

It is a long journey which requires patience, passion, tenacity and consistent effort.  I never imagined how much I would re-write and make edits, but much of the magic is in the re-writes.  Write authentically from your truth or heart, not what you think others might want to read.  If it’s your truth, your heart, your vision, others will want to read it. Making connections, references, referrals to agents and publishers is always helpful and can aid in speeding up the process. So join organizations to network and don’t be shy!  I am going to the Writer’s Workshop in Woodstock the weekend of April 19, 2013  to inspire myself through other authors’ experiences and works.

What’s your favorite word?

Possible.

What are you currently reading?

I just finished reading Rita Gigante’s, The Godfather’s Daughter and Thunderstruck by Erik Larson.  I have ordered Wild, by Cheryl Strayed and Man on Wire, by Phillippe Petit.

by Tqwana Brown

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Feature Friday: Bookish

By Hannah Bennett

There’s a new book retailer in town, and by “town,” of course, I mean online.  Bookish, the long-anticipated book retail website, was launched this week after several years of development.  And while the website is a retailer, it aims to be much more—a book recommendation engine, a repository for book information, and a source of news and articles related to the book industry.

One of the most highly touted aspects of the site is a book recommendation engine, which is powered by book metadata, reviews, and editor suggestions. Users simply enter the name of a book they enjoyed, and the site gives them several recommendations.  Since the website also hosts marketing information about the recommended books, an e-commerce feature, and links to other retailers, the intention is to make it as easy as possible to find (and buy) your next great read.

Bookish is backed by three of the “big six” publishers—Hachette, Penguin, and Simon & Schuster.  The site also has partnerships with USA Today and The Onion.  They hope that these partnerships, along with a variety of articles and original content on the site, will help attract new users.  As everyone in publishing knows, discoverability is key, and Bookish is an effort to expand the book market and make products easier to discover.

As a retailer, of course, Bookish faces tough competition from behemoths such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  And like any new website, there are bound to be kinks.  But Bookish is notable as one of the largest efforts from the big six publishers to directly compete in the e-retail game, and it will be important for the industry to take note of its successes and challenges.

How do you think Bookish will fare in this competitive and evolving market?

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Looking for a Few Good Book Reviewers!

The New York Bookwoman, WNBA-NYC’s fantastic monthly newsletter, is looking for book reviewers!  Not only do book reviewers receive a free book, they get some quality online exposure too.  Most New York Bookwoman book reviews are also posted here on the blog, and there is a chance that your review could also be picked up by the national edition of The Bookwoman.  It’s a first come, first served basis, so don’t delay.

For a list of the books they have for review, please click here.

And if you have read a great book recently, or even a dreadful book that you feel compelled to write about, they’d love to hear about it.

Here’s how it works:

• Choose a book you’d like to review from the above list
• Please list three or more books in order of preference
• You will have three months to send in your 300-400 word review

Offer available to members in good standing. Join or renew here.
The New York Bookwoman cannot guarantee publication of your review.

If interested in writing a book review, contact the New York Bookwoman Coeditors Linda Epstein and Rhona Whitty at newsletter@wnba-nyc.org.

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Feature Friday: Goodreads Book Club!

By Heather Allen

The WNBA-NYC chapter is proud to present a new book club! Inspired by “October is National Reading Group Month,” we have created a group online that is a forum for discussion about the Great Group Reads selection in 2012. Our goal is to read two books a month. Of course, you don’t have to read both books if you participate, but discussions on each will be on our Goodreads Great Group Reads WNBA-NYC website. Anyone who is interested is welcome to join the group and find the WNBA-NYC on Goodreads.

Join here!

The books for this month are The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach, and An Age of Madness, by David Maine (remember him from the National Reading Group Month author panel in October?). If you have read either of these books, we would love for you to let us know your opinions about them, and even facilitate a discussion! Although the schedule says the books are finished by the end of the month, we hope the discussion can continue past that date.

This is a great opportunity to get to know other WNBA members (or potential members), as well as have a lively discussion about some fantastic books! If you have any questions, please feel free to email Heather at socialmedia@wnba-nyc.org.

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