books

Why Bookstores Don't Reflect Miami's Literary Health

Nathaniel Sandler — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:28:39 +0000

Many have taken the recent closing of Barnes and Noble in Aventura and the general dearth of bookstores in Miami as an omen, a portentous sign that the city is somehow culturally headed in the wrong direction.

And the easy takedown of South Florida, both nationally and from locals, is that a lack of bookstores is representative of a stupid populace, or an uncultured mass mostly focused on booze and partying.

The Fifth Assassin

Joseph Cooper, Bonnie Berman, Ariel Gonzalez and Paul Leary — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:30:00 +0000

Ariel Gonzalez speaks with author Michael Chabon

Joseph Cooper, Bonnie Berman, Paul Leary and Ariel Gonzalez — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

04/30/13 - Literary contributor Ariel Gonzalez speaks with author Michael Chabon about his latest novel, “Telegraph Road” which follows the co-owners of a vintage record store in Oakland who struggle to stay open in the face of black/white tensions, gentrification, and the ghosts of their past.

Flying Under The Radar With Six Hip South Florida Writers

Arielle Castillo — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Last month, we introduced you to nine acclaimed authors who call South Florida their home, at least part-time. But that was just a small sampling. South Florida boats a tribe of critically acclaimed scribes living anywhere from the Florida Keys to Palm Beach County. Below are seven folks who are building on the tradition of hometown heroes like Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen (who actually now lives just a little bit further north in Vero Beach.)

Miami Gets Street Cred As One Of The Top 10 Nerdiest Cities In America

Daniel Rivero — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Behind the allure of bikinis and board shorts, Miami residents possess a sea of Star Trek costumes.

At least that's one conclusion you might draw from a recent article in Movodo, a real estate website. The criteria used to determine the winners, while not scientific, is telling of the "nerd demographic" that our city has nurtured over the years. Here is a quick rundown of the data used to determine the winners:

As E-Books Dominate Printing, Collectors Gather To Trade Rare Finds

Nathaniel Sandler — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:01:40 +0000

Going to an antiquarian book fair with a university’s special collections librarian is similar to walking around Central Park with a leaky bag of bread crumbs. Or if you prefer a local metaphor, like a chum brick floating in Government Cut, with sharks coming for miles bumping their noses against the boat to test the edibility of the situation. Watching the dealers shout down a respected and well-known book buyer is a sight to be seen.

Book Your Calendars For Booklegger's 'Library On The Run'

Allison Goodman — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:00:00 +0000

Miami Beach is going literary, literally.

Thursday, local book enthusiasts can sit around, handcrafted cocktail in hand, and talk literature. Better yet, they can leave with a free book.

The event is put on by Bookleggers, a community mobile library often referred to as “a library on the run.”

Now You're Talking! The Year's Best Book Club Reads

Lynn Neary — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 17:33:22 +0000

A young boy seeks justice. A young woman wants to stay alive. A friendship is tested. The child of a commune comes of age. A solitary man gives himself over to love. These are the bare actions underpinning the novels that I'm suggesting for book clubs this year. Some are first novels; others the work of well-known writers. Some might touch your heart; others might challenge the way you think. At least one will make you laugh — and a couple might make you cry. They are all good reads. And they are, above all, books you'll want to talk about with your friends.

Tom Wolfe Takes Miami's Pulse In 'Back To Blood'

editor — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 19:09:00 +0000

Tom Wolfe wrote his new novel, Back to Blood, entirely by hand. But the author of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and The Bonfire of the Vanities also says that wasn't entirely by choice — he'd rather have used a typewriter.

"Unfortunately, you can't keep typewriters going today — you have to take the ribbons back to be re-inked," Wolfe tells Fresh Air's Dave Davies.

Excerpt: Tom Wolfe and Art Basel on Miami Beach

Daniel Rivero — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:29:36 +0000

Can you feel that change in the air? Never mind the fact that the seasons in Miami are mostly a social construct, the art season is upon us.

While we remain hopeful for a significant temperature drop in mid-October, novelist Tom Wolfe is forecasted to drop his latest work Back to Blood on October 23rd. Set in Miami, the novel explores the multi-ethnic urban jungle of South Florida - and all the perceived class struggles that entails.

Diana Abu-Jaber On Sharing The Table During The Holidays

Diana Abu-Jaber — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:43:09 +0000

Confessions Of A Refugee Boy

Dan Grech and Alicia Zuckerman — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:11:05 +0000

Learning to Die in Miami is author Carlos Eire’s follow-up to his 2003 memoir, Waiting for Snow in Havana. In his first book, Eire wrote about his childhood in Cuba before and during the Castro revolution.