Movin' On Over

Friends, I've decided to move Readin'at over to my personal website, www.MelissaFirman.com, where I will continue highlighting Pittsburgh books and authors as an occasional feature.

Maintaining and growing an audience for one blog - much less two - is a time-consuming endeavor. And right now, and especially in the next couple weeks and henceforth, time is going to be at a premium.

I'm not deleting this site, however, because who knows? Maybe I'll come back to it as a separate form someday, too. But for now, this feels like the right move.

Hope to see you over there.

Now Filming in the 'Burgh: The Fault in Our Stars

I admit, I wasn't too crazy when I heard they were making a movie of The Fault in Our Stars, the incredibly moving novel by John Green.

To begin with, I confess I'm not much of a movie person. That's a recent development; I never used to be this way. And I have a particular apathy for movies made of books I really, really love - like The Fault in Our Stars. 

Because this book is special. It just is.

But oh, now that the movie is filming here in Pittsburgh, as reported by the Post-Gazette, that's a different story.

I'd definitely recommend reading this before seeing the movie. Here's part of my review, from my other blog:

“Sometimes you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” (pg. 33)

You (as in, all you bloggers) have said that this is such a book.

Here’s what you need to know about The Fault in Our Stars: It’s the story of Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters, teenagers who meet in a most unlikely place – a cancer support group. Hazel has accepted that she is likely to die; Augustus is in remission. The bond between the two … well, it sounds cliche to say that they are star-crossed lovers, a cancer-filled Romeo and Juliet, but it makes sense in the meaning and context of this novel. 

And that’s all I’m going to say. Because, as sad and as heartbreaking as the premise may sound, this is an absolute must-read. For teens, for adults, for EVERYONE. It’s a tearjerker, yes. You will cry. But you know what? You’ve cried over more trivial crap, like those who’ve been kicked off America’s Dancing with Survivors and Top Models Who Have No Talent.  Am I right?

The Fault in Our Stars is a story about love and risk and the unfairness of life and it is simply brilliant in every way.

It earns and is more than worthy of your tears.

be seen this weekend at the zine swap meet

It has been forever since I created what passed for a zine (my friend Alison Piepmeier's book Girl Zines: Making Media, Doing Feminism helped reawaken my nostalgia for those days), but several Pittsburgh writers and artists have been working hard to keep this literary form alive.

You can take part in their efforts and celebrate the kick off to the Pittsburgh Zine Fair 2013 when The Zine Exchange hosts a Zine Swap Meet this Saturday, August 24 from 6-9 p.m.  It all happens at Future Tenant, located at 819 Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh.

Throughout the evening, zine writers and collectors can participate in the swap meet. At 7 PM, join readers Jude Vachon, Erin Oh, Lucy Goubert, Artnoose, and Sarah LaPonte for intimate zine readings followed by a Q&A session.

A little bit about the readers:

Dedicated zinesters Jude Vachon and Erin Oh can be found working at the Carnegie Library Oakland Branch and the Pittsburgh Office of the Mayor, respectively.

Formerly of Roup House, Lucy Goubert is active in Pittsburgh’s poetry scene.

Sarah LaPonte often pairs photography with her literary work.

Artnoose has been making the letterpress zine Ker-bloom! every other month for the past 17 years and continues to do so in the spare moments between single parenting a toddler and renovating a 19th Century house.

Combined, their work with the local zine network—via The Mr. Roboto Project and the Pittsburgh Zine Fair—encourages civic engagement and community interaction while promoting Pittsburgh’s arts and culture movement.  To learn more about The Mr. Roboto Project, please visit their website at therobotoproject.org. For more information about this event and other Future Tenant programming, please visit www.futuretenant.org.

Can’t make it on Saturday? You'll have another chance on Sunday, August 25, when select archival pieces will be on display from 1-6 p.m.

source: The Zine Exchange's Facebook Page.

Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures Presents The 2013 Moth Onstage

Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures will present The Moth Mainstage tomorrow evening, Thursday, August 22, 7:30 p.m., at the Byham Theater. (Doors open at 6:30.)

Once again the Moth Mainstage title theme features a Pittsburgh symbol or place: "On Point: Stories of Balancing Acts." In keeping with this theme, the new and larger venue at the Byham Theater puts The Moth audience closer to Pittsburgh's famous geographic "Point" than ever before.

Consistently a sell-out, each Mainstage show features five storytellers, a local musician to act as timekeeper, and a charismatic host. The 2013 Moth Mainstage will be hosted by comedian Dan Kennedy, author of three books including his new novel American Spirit, described by one Goodreads reader/reviewer as "an amusing guy-version of an Eat, Pray, Love odyssey." Kennedy is also known to Moth fans everywhere as the regular host of The Moth's popular weekly podcast, downloaded more than 15 million times a year, as well as a contributor to McSweeneys.net and GQ magazine.

Local storytellers include Pittsburgh actor David Newell, who played Mr. McFeely, the beloved "speedy delivery" man on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood; Justin Strong, a Pittsburgh entrepreneur best known for opening and operating the Shadow Lounge in the East Liberty; and local photographer, social worker, and producer of the Pittsburgh Moth StorySLAM Kelly Flanagan Dee. Travelling tellers include Chicago writer Shannon Cason, host of storytelling show "Do Not Submit" and podcast Homemade Stories, and Trisha Coburn, a short story writer and former fine artist in Boston and New York City. Pittsburgh singer-songwriter Joy Ike, with a new album and a national fan base, will perform musical accompaniment and keep the tellers to their time limits on stage.

Called "New York's hottest and hippest literary ticket" by the Wall Street Journal, The Moth is an acclaimed nonprofit dedicated to the art of storytelling. The Moth has presented more than 10,000 stories by people of all walks of life via stage shows, weekly podcasts, and a Peabody Award-winning radio special, The Moth Radio Hour (broadcast locally on 90.5 WESA).

Following the success of the first three Mainstage events, The Moth debuted a Pittsburgh branch of its beloved StorySLAM, a monthly open-mic storytelling competition, in October 2011. Pittsburgh is one of 13 cities nationwide to host a StorySLAM, and sell-out crowds of over 300 have packed venues in Pittsburgh's South Side as 10 interested locals, chosen randomly and live, take the stage each month.

This Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures special event is presented in partnership with The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and sponsored by pair Networks and Six Penn Kitchen. Media sponsors are Pop City and WESA 90.5fm. Tickets are available at pittsburghlectures.org, by phone at 412-622-8866, or at the door.

City of Asylum Awarded NEA Grant

Our congratulations go out to City of Asylum/Pittsburgh which was awarded a prestigious National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) grant.

According to an article in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the $100,000 grant will be used to fund public artworks and artists' residencies at the Alphabet City literary center and on the Artway Connector, an art and performance corridor.

We're excited about all the great things that are happening at City of Asylum/Pittsburgh! Check out their website here for more information on their upcoming events and programs.

They'll Vouch For This: Readings Tonight from Chris Lee, Salvatore Pane, Jeffrey Condran, and Sheryl St. Germain

Four local authors will read tonight at Remedy (5121 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA) when VOUCHED presents Chris Lee, Salvatore Pane, Jeffrey Condran, and Sheryl St. Germain. Event starts at 7:00 p.m. and continues until 9:00, with another classic Remedy dance party following. Buy books from Vouched. 

About the authors: 

Chris Lee is a writer and musician from West Virginia. His work has appeared in Pear Noir!, Necessary Fiction, and Flywheel Magazine.

Salvatore Pane is the author of the novel Last Call in the City of Bridges and the chapbook #KanyeWestSavedFromDrowning. His work has appeared in American Short Fiction, The Collagist, Hobart, and many other venues. He is an assistant professor of English at the University of Indianapolis and can be reached at www.salvatore-pane.com.

Jeffrey Condran is the author of the forthcoming story collection, A Fingerprint Repeated. His work has been honored with several awards, including The Missouri Review’s 2010 William Peden Prize and Pushcart Prize nominations. He is an Assistant Professor of English at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and co-founder of Braddock Avenue Books.

Sheryl St. Germain currently directs the MFA program in Creative Writing at Chatham University where she also teaches poetry and creative nonfiction. Her work has received several awards, including two NEA Fellowships, an NEH Fellowship, the Dobie-Paisano Fellowship, the Ki Davis Award from the Aspen Writers Foundation, and most recently the William Faulkner Award for the personal essay. Her books include Going Home, The Mask of Medusa, Making Bread at Midnight, How Heavy the Breath of God, and The Journals of Scheherazade.

Writers LIVE Presents Yona Harvey at CLP Main - TONIGHT!

We're getting this in just under the wire (our apologies for that!) but you still have time to head down to the Carnegie Library Main Branch in Oakland tonight to catch Yona Harvey's book talk. She is debuting her new poetry collection, Hemming the Water.

Admission is free and the event begins at 6 p.m. Additional information and details here.

Guest Post: Timing Is Everything ...But, So Is the Message, by J.J. Hensley

J.J. Hensley, author of RESOLVE

Since moving to Pittsburgh two years ago, I've been thrilled to discover just how many talented writers there are with ties to our city and the region. One of the goals of READIN'AT is to celebrate and highlight Pittsburgh area authors in hopes of giving their work greater exposure. 

Today, I'm thrilled to welcome author J.J. Hensley to READIN'AT. He reached out to me on my other website and we began an email exchange about the timing of one's novel when it coincides with events in the news. You see, J.J.'s latest novel is RESOLVE, a thriller set at the Pittsburgh Marathon. I asked him about that (like probably everyone else has since the tragedy in Boston). His response in this guest post is absolutely well-worth the read. 

Thanks so much, J.J.! 

Timing is Everything – But, So is the Message
by J.J. Hensley, author of RESOLVE 

It had to be one of the worst-timed mailings ever.  It was about 10 in the morning and I had just come back from a Post Office north of Pittsburgh.  I had mailed an unsolicited, complimentary copy of my recently-published book to the Editor-in-Chief of Runner’s World magazine. The hard cover version of my novel, Resolve, had just been released and many buyers had emailed me, telling me the book had just been delivered on their doorstep from Amazon or another retailer.  I had a few extra copies, so I figured, why not?  Maybe the main guy at Runner’s World will read the thing, like it, and mention it in the magazine.  The book involves running, so it was a no-lose situation for me, right?

That was 10:00 AM on April, 15 2013.  At 2:49 PM the first explosion occurred near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.  It was followed by a second explosion, and for the next several days and weeks the nation’s attention was focused on the hunt for both suspects and explanations.  And somewhere in the halls of the Runner’s World headquarters sat a book I had mailed just hours prior to the bombing.  Normally, this would not be of any consequence, except the book is a murder mystery told as the main character runs the Pittsburgh Marathon.

Obviously, my first thoughts were the same as most who stared at their televisions sets, watching the events unfold.  First, most of us felt shock.  Then, horror.  Then, probably a good amount of rage.  It wasn't until much later that I realized that nobody looks at the postmark of a package.  It could have appeared that I mailed the book after the bombing and that I was trying to profit off of an unimaginable tragedy.  Days later, I attempted to send an email of explanation to a general contact email address, but I would not be surprised if it is still out there in cyberspace and was never read.  Somewhere, somebody at the magazine probably thinks I’m a major jackass.

Over the next few weeks, I had several people comment on the unfortunate luck of having the release of my first novel coincide with the Boston tragedy, especially given the premise of the book.  I did my best to keep things in perspective and to remember how little being published means in comparison to those who were directly affected by what occurred in Boston.  That was easy to do.  I’d been a police officer and seen examples of terrible heartbreak.  I was a Special Agent with the Secret Service and remember the atmosphere after 9-11.  The book thing was not a real tragedy by any means.  But, over time I got mad.  However, my anger had nothing to do with the unfortunate timing of the book release.  It was something else.

When I was initially coming up with the concept of Resolve, I knew I wanted it to be a murder mystery and for the story to somehow involve distance running.  I wanted this to happen because of the stark contrast between a positive event like a marathon and an atrocity such as a murder.  Distance races are wonderful examples of how the human spirit strives to push toward new limits and how the mind can be convinced that the body can do amazing things.  In my opinion, running is not only a wonderful way to exercise, but is a confidence-building, inspiring, anti-depressant.  To create a fictional account where the possibility of a homicide is present during such a wonderful event is one thing.  To see it come to life in Boston was another.  That was why I was mad.  Some very misguided people took something very positive and beautiful and tried to destroy it.  Tried.

Over the past few months, fewer and fewer people have made any mental connection between my book and Boston.  The truth is there really wasn’t much of a connection to begin with.  Resolve is set in Pittsburgh and has nothing to do with terrorism.  However, it was understandable people made the inevitable link between the words “marathon” and “murder”.  I have to admit, I’m glad the connection has mostly vanished and I rarely have to take the time remind people that the book has underlying messages about the wonders of distance running and the determination we are capable of as human beings.  But, as I’ve discovered throughout the publication process, authors are greatly responsible for the marketing of their work before and after a book is published.  Publishers can only do so much.  It brings up an interesting question:  How does an author market his/her work when the work addresses topics that may make others uncomfortable?

I can tell you that in the immediate aftermath of the bombing, I did not market.  Not only did I have no desire to, but it would have been tasteless and tacky, not to mention incredibly insensitive.  Writing is not my “real” job and my family does not depend on that income, so shutting down the marketing was a no-brainer.  Over time, I gradually started marketing again, but tried to stress the positive components of the book and of the sport of distance running.

Now, when I’m marketing I could probably go back to writing and talking about the murder part of the murder mystery, but I’ve found I enjoy discussing the positive much more than the negative.  Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy a good murder mystery, but I enjoy them more when the protagonist is someone you can really root for and when the plot takes us to the heights of the human condition and not just the depths we try to avoid.  Is this the most effective way for an author to market a book?  I don’t have a clue.  I have never enjoyed the marketing aspect anyway and probably never will.  But, am I more comfortable pointing out the inspirational rather than the simply dwelling on the dark side of life?  Absolutely.  Besides… this is Pittsburgh.  It’s all about staring down challenges and testing our resolve.


J.J. Hensley is the author of RESOLVE, a thriller set in modern day Pittsburgh. As a former police officer and Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service, he has drawn upon his experiences in law enforcement, and a love of distance running, to create a novel full of suspense and insight. Visit him at www.hensley-books.com or www.facebook.com/hensleybooks. Resolve is available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and several other outlets.

Mr. Hensley graduated from Penn State University with a B.S. in Administration of Justice and has a M.S. degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia Southern University. The author is currently a training supervisor with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. He lives with his beautiful wife, daughter, and two dogs outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

Beads of Gratitude: Words in Process Recap

Since Tuesday, I’ve been trying to find just the right words to tell you about Words in Process, the reading of my forthcoming novel and discussion of blogging that I did on June 18 at Allegory Gallery in Ligonier.

But, first. A few beads of gratitude.

So many people helped make the evening happen and made this such a wonderful one for me. I owe a great deal of thanks to Amy Yanity for inviting me to be part of this writers series. Amy’s one of my newest friends who somehow feels like a kindred spirit.

Amy Yanity (left) introducing me.

And my thanks also to Andrew Thornton, an incredible and breathtaking talent who celebrates art in all forms through his craft as well as through his shop, Allegory Gallery. Described as “one part bead shop, one part jewelry boutique, one part fine art gallery, and one part gift shop,” from the moment Andrew welcomed us, I knew this was a place alive with art reverberating from every corner. Ligonier is so, so lucky to have him.

And to my seems-like-a-brother friend, Keith Campbell, for the introduction to Amy and the steadfast belief in my work (all of it), and the incredible hydrangea cupcakes he made (red velvet cupcakes with chocolate liqueur!) in celebration of this story. Indulge me for a moment on the meaning of the hydrangea, so apropos here, from Teleflora.com: ”…a bouquet of hydrangea expresses the giver’s gratefulness for the recipient’s understanding. Still others suggest it represents anything that’s sincerely heartfelt.” That is my friend Keith, precisely.

It is true, and especially so in these times, that we get by with a little help from our friends.

So, then.

Imagine the most cliched, stormy weather possible and that’s what we encountered (me, The Husband, and both kids) on a tiny rural road headed toward Ligonier. It was monsoon-like and all I kept thinking was, “This is the glamorous life of being a writer: the possibility of being flooded in one’s car with your entire immediate family on the way to your first-ever reading.” To paraphrase the magnificant Manilow, I honestly don’t know how we made it through the rain. 

But, made it through we did, and we arrived in Ligonier – which, if you’ve never been, is quite a charming town. 

I started my remarks by discussing how, as a writer, blogging has become such an important part of my life. I spoke about the changes in publishing and, regardless of whether one pursues self-publication or traditional publication, the onus is on us as writers to market and promote our work.

“While Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube are all important channels, I believe that blogging offers a distinct advantage for writers,” I said, namely that it offers a built-in audience that trusts you and knows your voice and your style. The book blogging community in particular was a natural fit; these are obviously readers and the opportunities abound for cultivating an audience through features such as The Sunday Salon and events like the 24 Hour Readathons (and so much more).

I spoke about how and why I started my blog, the evolution of it, and how I was frustrated with my creative-writing endeavors when I joined NaNoWriMo in November 2009. I posted some excerpts of what I was writing on the blog, I said, and was astounded when people responded with “I really like that,” and “When can we read more?”

“Instant gratification is a writer’s best friend,” I said, “and blogging gives that to you as an author.”

I read most of the first chapter of the novel, which was received well, and then I also demonstrated how I wrote a blog post about marriage equality and related that to a family experience AND an excerpt of the novel.

From my vantage point, it seemed like I was trying to give the small audience everything I knew about writing and blogging, which is impossible, but I wanted to make sure they felt as if the evening and their time was worthwhile. And although I’d rehearsed my remarks to some extent, I’m somewhat of a go-with-the-flow speaker … which is hard when you’re not used to cameras flashing and a reporter taking notes.

(Did you get that? A REPORTER. Taking NOTES. About what I had to say about blogging and quotes from my little novel-still-in-progress about one family dealing with AIDS. It was somewhat surreal, to be honest.)

We had a Q and A session (people actually asked questions!) and cupcakes and wine, and admired more of the beadwork, then it was time for the open mic portion of the evening where the audience members were invited to share portions of their writing. I love hearing new writers, and trust me when I say there is some  great writing talent nestled in and around Ligonier. I heard and saw it for myself.

Amy Yanity reading her poetry.

Tom Beck reading one of his stories.

Joe Stierheim reads a memorable story, set in Appalachia, about a girl with blue eyes.

Suzannah Paul, who writes the blog, “The Smitten Word,” reads us a post on her phone.

Amy Yanity.

Tom Beck

We heard two poignant poems from Amy followed by Thomas Beck‘s story with Charlie Brown (yes, the Charlie Brown of Peanuts fame) as a muse.

Joe Stierheim

Suzannah Paul

Joe Stierheim shared a touching story set in Appalachia about a girl with memorable blue eyes (he has quite a way of delivering the spoken word, that  Joe). I thought his story was going to end differently – he had me breathless for several moments. And Suzannah Paul of The Smitten Word brought us with her to the supermarket with a hilarious and all-too-familiar blog post. (I bonded instantly with Suzannah; we’re both reviewers with TLC Book Tours!)

What was interesting about this was that all the writers who were there – at least the ones who read their work – have blogs! The links above take you there … please do check them out and show them some love.

One of the questions during the Q and A session was about the potential of adversity that one might open oneself up to, given the subject of the novel. Another was about how to distance yourself emotionally from the sensitivity of the story.

I answered that by saying that this is a story I believe in, wholeheartedly, that I feel needs to be told. Our family’s story is that of so many families during the mid-80s. Some of the voices are silenced now and are unable to tell about that time.

Some, like mine, with the help of some new friends, are just beginning to be heard.

Many thanks again to Amy, Andrew, Keith, Cami, and all who attended. Thank you for listening, for being open-minded and caring. I will remember this night, with gratitude and appreciation, for always.

Read Andrew’s recap of the event on his blog: The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton: Words in Process at Allegory Gallery 

Words in Process Welcomes Blogger Melissa Firman on June 18

Words in Process Welcomes Melissa Firman! 
Tuesday, June 18th at Allegory Gallery!

Calling all writers/bloggers! Words In Process is a reading series that welcomes a local writer to Allegory Gallery on the third Tuesday of every month. Please join us at 7 pm on June 18th! Our featured reader is Melissa Firman.

Melissa Firman is a highly accomplished writer, editor, fundraiser, blogger, advocate, and speaker based in Pittsburgh, Pa. Currently, Melissa is a freelance book reviewer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and a regular contributor to the newspaper’s “Portfolio” feature on Page 2. She has been blogging since 2008, first at The Betty and Boo Chronicles, and now at her website, melissafirman.com. Most recently, she founded the Pittsburgh book blog, “Readin’at” which she also writes. Melissa is also a monthly columnist for Benchmark Email (“The Nonprofit Strategist”) and is in the process of completing her first novel.

She will be discussing her writing and blogging processes, and how she has used her blog to help generate buzz for her novel, even before it is finished. 

For more information about Melissa, visit her website at melissafirman.com. 

Allegory Gallery is located at 139 East Main Street, Ligonier (just off the Diamond). Open mic for writers after Melissa reads. Refreshments will include Keith Campbell’s legendary cupcakes!! Join us! Tuesday, June 18th, 7 pm to 9 pm.

An Awesomely Awkward Poetry Reading Tonight at East End Book Exchange

OK, so this is awkward ... and pretty awesome sounding.

Which makes it Awesomely Awkward.

We all have those uncomfortable and embarrassing stories (and some may have made it to the written page). Four local authors - Stefanie Wielkopolan, Carolyne Whelan, Athena Pangikas-Miller, and Meghan Tutolo will be sharing theirs starting at 7 p.m. tonight at East End Book Exchange.

Details below.

Book Review: Baker Towers, by Jennifer Haigh

Baker Towers
by Jennifer Haigh 
2005
William Morrow, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers
7 CDs, 8 hrs. 36 minutes
Audiobook narrated by Anna Fields 

Baker Towers is the sort of novel that is often described as a "sweeping family saga," one spanning an entire generation in the life of a family. In this case, the reader follows the Novak clan  from 1944, beginning with the sudden death of patriarch Stanley Novak, into the 1970s.

The Novak family (widow Rose and her five children: George, Dorothy, Joyce, Sandy, and Lucy) live in fictional (but oh-so-realistic) Bakerton, Pennsylvania

"a company town built on coal, a town of church festivals and ethnic neighborhoods ..... Its children are raised in company houses - three rooms upstairs, three rooms downstairs, Its ball club leads the coal company league. The twelve Baker mines offer good union jobs, and the looming black piles of mine dirt don't bother anyone. Called Baker Towers, they are local landmarks, clear evidence that the mines are booming. Baker towers mean good wages and meat on the table, two weeks' paid vacation and presents under the Christmas tree." (from the book jacket)

Like the Towers themselves, the people in Bakerton are akin to local landmarks too. Many seldom leave - but when they do, there's something about Bakerton and the small town way of life there that calls them back. It's in your bones, in your blood, it's not unlike the black lung disease that would eventually claim many of the town's men who worked in the coal mines. It's the close-knit nature of the town, family, and the way everyone knows everybody else.

"You knew Randazzo from the Knights, Kukla and Stusick from St. Casimir's. You'd seen Quinn and Kelly playing cards at the Vets, the Yurkovich twins at the firehall dances, walking the Bakerton Circle. Kovac's wife ran a press iron at the dress factory. Angie's uncle had buried yours. You knew them from the Legion, the ball field.  There was no escaping all the ways you knew them. The ways they were just like you." (pg. 307)

I'll admit, Baker Towers started off a bit slow for me - but as the narrative delved more and more into the minds and lives of the individual characters, the choices they made and the consequences and sacrifices they faced, I found myself becoming more drawn into the story. (Jennifer Haigh's The Condition was a DNF book for me; I briefly thought Baker Towers might meet the same fate, but I was glad to be proven wrong.)

For the most part, Haigh gives her reader memorable and realistic characters, defining them well.  Of all of them, my absolute favorite was Joyce, one of the five Novak children. An academically promising student, Joyce enlists in the Air Force after high school. She's a woman born a generation too early, as one discovers while reading of her struggles to get a job after returning home to Bakerton after her voluntary discharge from the military. She knows she's being sexually discriminated against, but this was in an era where women's rights weren't what they are today. (Well, for now, anyway.) I would have liked to have seen Joyce become more involved in the women's rights movement of the day.  (The time that Haigh spent on the character of Sandy could have been used for this, as he didn't add much to the novel, in my opinion.)

Jennifer Haigh does an excellent job of taking her reader back to a different era, one that in many cases has been somewhat forgotten. It's easy to forget that there was a time not all that long ago when treatment for conditions such as diabetes and postpartum depression were simply not what they are today; we take this for granted now when that was very much not the case just a few decades ago. Baker Towers, then, looks at the question of how the era in which we live shapes us, but in what ways does the actual town where we grow up mold us?  More importantly, what impact do the people of our hometown have on who we become and is it ever possible to truly "go home again"?

The setting of Baker Towers was one that was very much of interest to me, given that my work with an educational nonprofit previously took me into small rural Cambria County, Pa. communities like Bakerton, a stand-in, perhaps, for Ms. Haigh's central Pennsylvania hometown of Barnesboro, Pa. While I was listening to the first lines of the audiobook, I remembered driving through county that ran through the very same mountainous terrain as the train.

"Six mornings a week the train runs westward from Altoona to Pittsburgh, a distance of a hundred miles. The route is indirect, tortuous; the earth is buckled, swollen with what lies beneath. Here and there, the lights of a town, rows of company houses, narrow and square; a main street of commercial buildings, quickly and cheaply built." (pg. 1)

(This also connects very, very well to the ending of Baker Towers ... but I'm not going to include that here because of giving away spoilers to the plot.)

As regular blog readers of mine know, I'm a Pittsburgh transplant from Philadelphia. In Baker Towers, the oldest son, George, marries a girl from Philadelphia's Main Line - so I loved that there were several delightful references to the City of Brotherly Love. George's betrothed is part of a wealthy family that owns a local department store, Quigley's, and I'm guessing that the iconic Philadelphia Strawbridge & Clothier was the model for that.  (Or perhaps John Wanamaker, but regardless, those parts of the novel were fun to listen to and brought back many memories.)

As an audiobook, I thought Baker Towers worked well.  I liked Anna Fields's narration and thought that she did a good job keeping all the multiple voices distinct and consistent.  (However, one of my pet peeves with audiobooks was evidenced here. I don't like when females lower their voices to portray male characters. It drives me crazy because it sounds so fake and I cannot stand it. There are quite a few male characters in Baker Towers so if you share this pet peeve of mine, you might be better served reading this one in print form.)

Ms. Fields's narration is also a bit monotone, which takes some adjustment at first, but in a way it does kind of fit the tone of the novel. There were boom times in Bakerton, but overall, this isn't a cheerful tale. These people aren't overly happy with their lot in life. They're wishing for more - and those who do finally attain more wind up wishing for what was left behind in Bakerton all along.

I really thought Jennifer Haigh did such an excellent job with the character of Joyce. She also made the town itself a character, which I also really liked. Still, there were other characters (like Sandy) who I thought were unnecessary to the plot and others who weren't as developed as they could have been. There was also the feeling that something was missing in this book, but that flatness might be intentional. It's a quick read (or listen, in my case) and could very well be the sort of book that grows on you as time, like life, passes.

Introducing Readin'at!

So, you've heard how Pittsburgh has been making it onto all these "best of" and "top 10" lists, right?

Well, in February, we added another one to our list.

Pittsburgh is the 4th most literate city in the United States.

Fourth!

(Last year we ranked sixth, which certainly isn't too shabby. Sixburgh is a pretty awesome place to be, in our opinion.)

But fourth? Even better.

Yeah, fine, maybe that ranking really is some concocted marketing thing from Amazon or Facebook or whatever, but since we love this sort of thing 'round here, this calls for some celebration.

(Fireworks, anyone?)

Or, perhaps, maybe a book blog celebrating all things literary as it relates to da Burgh. Stuff like book reviews, literary events, upcoming readings, author interviews n'at.

There are already some fine Pittsburgh-centric book blogs already, and since Readin'at is a fan of them too, we'll be listing them on our sidebar as we continue building this site. (We're kind of new here, in more ways than one, so be patient with us.)

We're passionate about books and the 'Burgh, and the people and places that make words come alive.

Let's see where this story goes.