Literary Lunch with Cape Cod Author Kate Whouley

Yesterday I had lunch with Kate Whouley, author of the much-loved memoir COTTAGE FOR SALE: MUST BE MOVED, which was a Book Sense Book-of-the-Year nominee and a popular selection with book clubs. Kate lives on Cape Cod, and I live south of Boston. So we met for lunch about half way, in Plymouth. We dined at the Indian restaurant, the Guru Grille,  known not only for its cuisine, but for the hard rock club in back. When we arrived, the rockers were apparently still sleeping in after a late night, so it was quiet. We had the place to ourselves and Kate brought me up to speed on her new book.

Kate's forthcoming memoir, written in her unique style and voice, is to be published by Beacon Press in 2011. The working title is REMEMBERING THE MUSIC. It focuses on her relationship with her mother, who passed away a few years ago. If you read COTTAGE FOR SALE, you'll remember Kate's mom as a collector of Santa figurines. But there is much more to her, as we will discover in the new book. Kate and her mom managed to get through one of life's most difficult journeys with more than a touch of ironic humor.

In case you don't know, Kate is an accomplished flute player. She is the principal flute in the Cape Cod Conservatory Concert Band. She also jams on jazz and American songbook with Harry (yes, one of the "Bog Boys" from COTTAGE - here is  Harry's blog), and even plays Middle Eastern music with Harry and me. Kate really can manage quarter tones on her flute. Not surprisingly, music plays a big part in the new book. 

So, COTTAGE fans, stay tuned for updates on Kate's book. Help spread the word too, that Kate's back with another fantastic story! 

Kate's website:  http://www.katewhouley.com/

Boston Book Festival

The Boston Book Festival, held yesterday (10/16/2010) in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, was another mind-expanding day of ideas and high spirits. Though it was breezy and chilly, the weather was vastly better than last year's odd tropical stormy mix.

This year I volunteered. I helped usher and did book-signings in Trinity Church, with a little side-duty in the big tent of Google, a sponsor of the festival. While I worked all day and couldn't go off on my own to sessions I might have picked, it was a great experience to hear many panels in one location. It's a good thing to learn about topics you normally wouldn't seek out. All but one event in the downstairs "Trinity Forum" room was full to capacity of 200 people. By the end of the day I was completely jazzed by the new ideas, the amazing authors and their books, as well as the enthusiasm of readers, presenters, organizers, and volunteers.

The last event I attended was the keynote speech by author Joyce Carol Oates. She read one of her latest short stories to a full audience in the massive Trinity Church Sanctuary. By the time they got to the Q&A, I started to fade, and headed home on the subway with a hot  tea in my hand, an exhausted smile on my face.

How lucky we are in Boston to have the people who think up and make this incredible event a reality. And it's FREE.

Review of Bedouin Weaving of Saudi Arabia and its Neighbors

by Joy Totah Hilden

In traditional Arabian Bedouin society, women wove and built the family shelter, tents made of goat hair, by hand, using wool from their own herds as well as materials available in the environment around them or nearby towns. Joy Totah Hilden’s sumptuous and substantive volume holds nothing back in its thorough and fascinating exploration of the art of Bedouin weaving and its practitioners. The author lived Saudi Arabia from 1982 until 1994, learning everything she could about Bedouin weavers and their art. On weekends she sought out weavers at Bedouin markets and villages. She befriended them and learned their spinning and weaving techniques. Being a weaver and weaving instructor herself, she knew what she needed to learn, and sought this knowledge with great determination, eventually covering every region of Saudi Arabia. Hilden stayed in touch with her favorite weavers over the years, noting how their art changed with the passage of time, and with their families’ integration into the modern economy. While few if any young women in Saudi Arabia practice the traditional craft today, Hilden notes that many cultural institutes in the region are trying to preserve it. Hilden shares the fruits of her research with great generosity. Her fascinating discussion of Bedouin life through the lens of weaving reveals the gentle harmony they kept with the desert environment. The thorough information about the weavings photographed in the book will help collectors and archivists. This book is also a precise and accurate capsule of knowledge for those who would like to make their own Bedouin weavings. It includes specific directions on the weaving patterns of the Bedouin, spinning and weaving techniques, and information on natural dyes. As the last Bedouins disappear, one hopes that the knowledge Hilden has gathered and shared here will inspire future weavers to keep these ancient techniques alive. 

The book is available at Amazon.com.