Of course, the ubertrendy, affluent progressive audience-skewing Book Soup on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood has a right to book any author it pleases for an in-store appearance. I'm fascinated that this particular author (anyone remember the fast flop of the movie version of his I HOPE THEY SERVE BEER IN HELL) is being a book-ee of the store.
Here's a description of the event from the Book Soup blog:
10/19/2010 - 7:00pm
Event Details:
Tucker Max discusses and signs Assholes Finish First
What do you do after you write a #1 bestselling book about your drunken, sexual misadventures that makes you rich and famous? Celebrate by getting more drunk and having insane amounts of sex, obviously. And pretty soon you've got another fucking book on your hands.Stuffed full of ridiculous stories of bad decisions, debauchery, and sexual recklessness, Assholes Finish First starts where I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell left off, then proceeds to "some next-level shit."
Showing posts with label Book Soup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Soup. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
When Los Angeles patrons of art and poetry vote with their absence.
Last night, famed artist Rachel Rosenthal appeared at West Hollywood's Book Soup. Just a few people turned up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Rosenthal
In my case, I only discovered this because my wife and I were in the store to shop for books. Wondering if Book Soup (which I've aired mixed feelings about in the past) still prints ads for its in-store author appearances in any local media.
Over a week earlier, a poetry reading hosted by Michelle Angellini in Silverlake (which had some rather welcome eclectic multiple-poet bills) had its plug pulled by the venue's owner.
And, like some of the rest of you, I share responsibility by not making time to patronize the latter (irony: I was booked to feature there in September) during its short life.
Time to allude to the cliche about trees falling in forests with no one around to notice.
[UPDATE 6/20/10--Read the sobering news about Ron Dvorkin's long-running reading at Encino's Barnes and Noble being canceled after this month due to the store deeming it a "non-revenue producing" event. I attended (and on occasion read in the open) a few times and can attest to its popularity and the diversity of poets who attended and/or featured. Knowing that Ron, if he decides to continue, will manage to find another San Fernando Valley venue.]
In my case, I only discovered this because my wife and I were in the store to shop for books. Wondering if Book Soup (which I've aired mixed feelings about in the past) still prints ads for its in-store author appearances in any local media.
Over a week earlier, a poetry reading hosted by Michelle Angellini in Silverlake (which had some rather welcome eclectic multiple-poet bills) had its plug pulled by the venue's owner.
And, like some of the rest of you, I share responsibility by not making time to patronize the latter (irony: I was booked to feature there in September) during its short life.
Time to allude to the cliche about trees falling in forests with no one around to notice.
[UPDATE 6/20/10--Read the sobering news about Ron Dvorkin's long-running reading at Encino's Barnes and Noble being canceled after this month due to the store deeming it a "non-revenue producing" event. I attended (and on occasion read in the open) a few times and can attest to its popularity and the diversity of poets who attended and/or featured. Knowing that Ron, if he decides to continue, will manage to find another San Fernando Valley venue.]
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Making an e-mail with a mild complaint about L.A.'s Book Soup public.
I have shopped at (and may likely continue to) West Hollywood's long-running independent book store Book Soup on Sunset Boulevard--across from what used to be the flagship Tower
Records store for Los Angeles.
Sent this as an e-mail a few minutes ago:
Thought I'd put this into free verse:
A TRUE BOOK SOUP STORY
On the night of Tuesday, February 23rd
the author of this poem
went to the ubertrendy Book Soup in West Hollywood.
I've always noticed
that the people working the newstand outside
are friendly.
Inside, the customer
can receive a distinct chill--
the kind of "you aren't our preferred customer" freeze.
Currently at Book Soup,
there are miniature busts
of Charles Bukowski for sale.
I saw a young male Book Soup employee
look at one bust and then imitate Bukowski:
I'M DEAD! I CAN'T DRINK ANYMORE!!!
What could I say in response to the clueless employee?
I paid for my book purchase
and walked outside,
setting my plebian self free
from the tyranny of educated condescension.
Sincerely,
Terry McCarty
P.S. I know all your employees aren't like the one above. But I do feel that sometimes they snap to attention and courtesy for, say, employees of the film and television industries, a bit more than they do for common folk.
[concluded with a sentence mentioning Orwell's now-familiar "some more equal than others" sentence from ANIMAL FARM]
UPDATE 3/7/10: I communicated with the store by e-mail and received assurances as to its commitment to ensuring professional behavior from employees.
Records store for Los Angeles.
Sent this as an e-mail a few minutes ago:
Thought I'd put this into free verse:
A TRUE BOOK SOUP STORY
On the night of Tuesday, February 23rd
the author of this poem
went to the ubertrendy Book Soup in West Hollywood.
I've always noticed
that the people working the newstand outside
are friendly.
Inside, the customer
can receive a distinct chill--
the kind of "you aren't our preferred customer" freeze.
Currently at Book Soup,
there are miniature busts
of Charles Bukowski for sale.
I saw a young male Book Soup employee
look at one bust and then imitate Bukowski:
I'M DEAD! I CAN'T DRINK ANYMORE!!!
What could I say in response to the clueless employee?
I paid for my book purchase
and walked outside,
setting my plebian self free
from the tyranny of educated condescension.
Sincerely,
Terry McCarty
P.S. I know all your employees aren't like the one above. But I do feel that sometimes they snap to attention and courtesy for, say, employees of the film and television industries, a bit more than they do for common folk.
[concluded with a sentence mentioning Orwell's now-familiar "some more equal than others" sentence from ANIMAL FARM]
UPDATE 3/7/10: I communicated with the store by e-mail and received assurances as to its commitment to ensuring professional behavior from employees.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
More independent bookstores in L.A. than you'd know from reading the LA TIMES.
Longtime mainstay of the LOS ANGELES TIMES' book review section Susan Salter Reynolds wrote an article about the up-in-the-air status of West Hollywood independent bookstore Book Soup following the passing of owner Glenn Goldman: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-book-soup27-2009jan27,0,4988908.story
And, true to longtime form, the TIMES seems to maintain a steadfast belief that the only independent bookstores in the city of Los Angeles are Book Soup and Los Feliz' Skylight Books (with some understandable mourning of the demise of Doug Dutton's Duttons Bookstores chain--particularly last year's closing of the flagship Duttons in Brentwood). Of course, some of that may be due to tireless self-promotion by Goldman and Skylight owner Kerry Slattery.
Here's a link to information about the independent store Chevalier's Books in Larchmont Village:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chevaliers-books-los-angeles
And here's a link to the site of Studio City's Portrait of a Bookstore (also housing the coffeeshop Aroma Cafe): http://www.portraitofabookstore.com/
One thing that Ms. Reynolds and I can agree on: Customers are more likely to receive personalized service at independent stores than at the faltering corporate competition.
And, true to longtime form, the TIMES seems to maintain a steadfast belief that the only independent bookstores in the city of Los Angeles are Book Soup and Los Feliz' Skylight Books (with some understandable mourning of the demise of Doug Dutton's Duttons Bookstores chain--particularly last year's closing of the flagship Duttons in Brentwood). Of course, some of that may be due to tireless self-promotion by Goldman and Skylight owner Kerry Slattery.
Here's a link to information about the independent store Chevalier's Books in Larchmont Village:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chevaliers-books-los-angeles
And here's a link to the site of Studio City's Portrait of a Bookstore (also housing the coffeeshop Aroma Cafe): http://www.portraitofabookstore.com/
One thing that Ms. Reynolds and I can agree on: Customers are more likely to receive personalized service at independent stores than at the faltering corporate competition.
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