For the 130,000 people who came out in the rain last year – including UL – it is exciting to hear that the National Book Festival is being awarded $5 million over the next five years by Philanthropist James H. Billington.

According to The Washington Post:

The gift was generated, in part, by conversations Rubenstein and Librarian of Congress’ James H. Billington had about their childhoods. “We were discussing the parallels in our own lives with parents who didn’t have higher education but were tremendously devoted to books,” said Billington. Rubenstein, co-founder of the Washington-based private equity firm the Carlyle Group, was a Saturday regular at his local Baltimore library. “The limit was 12 books and I would put them in my book bag, and then return the next week for more,” Rubenstein said. Now international plane trips allow Rubenstein to read six to eight books a week, he said.

The socially minded bookworms will be particularly thrilled to note that the award will not only provide long-term funding for the festival, but also provide the LOC with the opportunity to develop a fully integrated program that promotes both literacy and the library.

This donation is the perfect gift for the LOC, which struggles to meet the annual $2.5 million fundraising requirement to host the book festival. It’s also timely, as the National Book Festival celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year. Scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 25th from 10am to 5:30pm, 2010′s Festival is aptly themed “A Decade of Words and Wonder.”

–Nikita Mitchell

Uptown Literati: What gave you the idea to start Aviar and what inspired the name?

AVR: Aviar Books is going to be a publishing house run by writers, for writers. Writers will control every step of the process, from writing to cover design.

UL: Besides Aviar, are you working on any other projects right now?

AVR: I just sold a three-book young adult series called The Kindred to HarperCollins, and am working on a rewrite. I have a Christmas book out in November from St. Martins Press. My first book The Dirty Girls Social Club is being turned into a TV series by Ann and George Lopez. My YA book Haters is being turned into a TV series for TeenNick with Nick Cannon producing. I’m also doing stand-up comedy and have a gig in Oslo coming up. I’m at work on a literary novel under a fake name, too. Lots of public speaking, too. Never a dull moment.

We can’t wait! Follow Valdes-Rodriguez on Twitter, @alisavaldes, or check out her Web site.

–Whitney Teal

Internet Archive, a non-profit digital library, began a new initiative: to make more books available for the blind and disabled. So far the organization has collected one million books.  Geek.com reports digital copies of the books can be downloaded for free at OpenLibrary.com.

To digitize books they are scanned first and then translated to a format that can be read by devices. These devices have the ability to read text aloud. Only those who are legally blind or disabled will have access to this free service.

While this donation doubled the number of books for the disabled, individuals and organizations are still encouraged to donate more books to continue to expand the collection. The Associated Press reports those who donate and digitize these books are not in violation of copyright law because government permits copying books for those with disabilities.

–Veronica Wells

Photo: freedomscientific.com

“I’ve resigned myself to the fact that movie renditions of books will never be good. They’re shorter and it’s a price that must be paid. However, I am a big fan of the feeling or tone of a book, and a movie has no excuse for capturing that feeling. For example, the fourth Harry Potter movie felt NOTHING like the book. It was an awkward teen soap opera with cheap jokes instead of the daring drama and tension (and house elves) there were in the book. None of it felt right. On the other hand, I think the first, third, and fifth movies really captured the essence of Hogwarts and relationships and personalities really well and realistically. I must sound obsessed, but that’s okay. This website seems to be a haven for unapologetic fans for the written word.

And I would love to see an Artemis Fowl movie series. The characters are so fiery and fun, but for some reason I don’t think it would translate well to film. Alas. Nevertheless I may continue to cast it within the confines of my own mind. :]

Oh! And on the subject of Pride and Prejudice movie adaptations, I’m sorry but I’m a purist. Keira Knightly just doesn’t quite cut it and Jennifer Ehle has epitomized Elizabeth’s image in my head forever. No one can do better than a young Colin Firth either. So partly from fantastic casting, and partly from having six hours to maximize storyline, A&E wins. And I think a lot of that is owing that they had so much time. Perhaps more movie adaptations should look into A&E, Masterpiece Theatre (for classics), and HBO to do extended series instead of brief two hours snippets in order to ensure quality and satisfaction.”

She wins a copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls! Congrats, Caitlin!

- Alyssa Krueger

- Alyssa Krueger

Hispanista: What inspired you to write the story (or I should say, stories) in The Island of Eternal Love?

Daína Chaviano: I had always meant to write a conclusion for my series, a novel that would include the protagonists of my previous novels. But I was not sure how to do it. Then, one night, I was with some friends in a night club at Little Havana (the same bar that appears at the beginning of the novel), and I was watching one of those old musical clips described in that chapter. I felt the urge to tell the story of a lonely woman from another time —the same time from those musical clips. I took a half-wet napkin and, in the dark, while my friends where dancing, I scribbled some lines. Then I realized I was writing the beginning of the novel I wanted to write.

H: How long did it take you to write it? Did you have to do a lot of research for it?

DC: It took me almost seven years. There was a lot of historical research, but also a lot of work in terms of plot structure. Also, in those days I was still working as an editor in a magazine, so I did not have much time to write.

H: A lot of people know you as “the writer of The Island of Eternal Love,” and some don’t realize you wrote a lot of other books before this. Why do you think this particular novel became so successful?

DC: Well, this only happens among my English-speaking readers. My Spanish readers had known me for some years after my previous novels. I think there might be several reasons why this novel has appealed to such a global audience. It is a story that travels around the world, throughout three continents, and spans more than 150 years. Also, the plot covers a lot of genres. It includes a ghost story, some historical and genre issues, love stories, paranormal phenomena… But I think the main reason is the characters themselves. In their letters and emails, the readers always talk to me about how they love the characters, even the nonhuman creatures. In one way or another, they find them very appealing

H: Is your family and heritage in any way similar to Cecilia’s family and heritage? Are you in any way like Cecilia?

DC: No, my family does not have anything to do with Cecilia’s heritage, although each author (and I am not the exception) many times builds their characters based on some aspects of his or her personality. Cecilia has a little bit of me, although my life does not resemble Cecilia’s.

H: Cecilia seems to represent a group of young immigrants (or children of immigrants) that turn their back to their heritage, and Cecilia is in a way forced to face it because of the phantom house and the woman at the bar; did you do that on purpose? Or is that just my interpretation?

DC: Cecilia’s personality represents a trend that is usual among the Cuban immigrants of recent generations. When we arrive to US, many of us are so tired of Cuban politics that we spend some years trying to forget about it. But at the end our own personal ghosts (i.e. the family and friends we left behind, and our own memories) compel us to look back and evaluate our past from a different and new perspective. Something similar happens to Cecilia, although her particular circumstances are very peculiar.

H: Did you write The Island of Eternal Love with Cubans like Cecilia in mind? Did you want to inspire Cubans to connect with their heritage?

DC: I never intended to inspire anyone to do anything. I just wanted to tell a story about this girl that is trying to avoid her past and her heritage because she is worn-out by her experiences, but at the same time she is surrounded by strange events. At the same time, I wanted to write a story where the life of an immigrant, always so lack of poetry and mystery, would be immersed in ghosts, imps, and paranormal phenomena ―something that is part of my own experience. I have always lived a double life, not only here but also in Cuba, because I have always been in the middle of political upheavals while my inner self is witnessing paranormal events. I wanted to give other persons an idea about how this world (my world) is.

H: In your opinion, what is the message or theme of The Island of Eternal Love?

DC: I think a book has as many messages as readers. Each person must look for what the story or the characters might reveal to him or her.

H: You told me you are in the middle of a new novel: can you tell us a little bit about it? Is it similar to The Island of Eternal Love?

DC: I prefer not to talk about any book I am writing. If I do, I can lose the energy I put in this book. I can only tell that it will be completely different from The Island of Eternal Love. The only similarity would be the mixture of history and certain unexplained events, although the time and plot of this novel will not have anything to do with the previous book.

–Silvia Viñas

Terry Brooks went back to this magical world more recently, as well, in his trilogy The Genesis of Shannara. In this trilogy, Brooks shows what Armageddon could look like – just with the magic of the Word and the Void. In The Genesis of Shannara, Logan Tom is a Knight of the Word trying to do what he can to help save the world, despite how close they are to the end. Logan Tom has to find the gypsy morph that was carried by Nest Freemark over a century ago – except it is now in the form of a teenage boy. Brooks uses this trilogy to link The Word and the Void with his extended Shannara series. He bridges the gap between the two, showing that the events of The Genesis of Shannara are all a part of the Great Wars. The Great Wars are referenced many times throughout the Shannara series, but there was never an explanation. This trilogy provides more background for the series, and makes the world of Shannara seem more connected to our own world.

The Word and the Void is one of my favorite fantasy series, and I would highly recommend it as well as The Genesis of Shannara, especially if you’re up for a magical world a bit closer to home. But if you want to read The Genesis of Shannara, don’t forget to read the Shannara series first!

–Alyssa Krueger

Photos: fantastic fiction

Classic cinema fans know Coward’s potential to devastate from Brief Encounter, but he is best known for his witty plays of the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s.  They usually feature sparring couples and family members, comically fickle feelings and a good measure of absurdity. Blithe Spirit, Hay Fever and Private Lives are three famous examples, and natural primers for those unfamiliar with Coward.

Blithe Spirit opens on Ruth and Charles Condomine’s dinner party turned séance.  In the process, a kooky old psychic named Madame Arcati accidentally brings Charles’ deceased first wife, Elvira, back as a ghost.  Only Charles can see her, and Elvira uses this to pit Ruth and Charles against each other.  Things eventually get so heated – and dangerous – in the Condomine household that Madame Arcati must attempt to send Elvira back to the afterlife.

Hay Fever centers on David, Judith, Simon and Sorel Bliss.  They’re a family of moody artists, especially matriarch Judith, a retired actress who has not lost an ounce of her theatricality.  Each invites a guest for the weekend without informing one another, making the ensuing two days equal parts ridiculous and awkward.  The action takes place in their country home in Cookham.

Finally, Private Lives, perhaps Coward’s greatest play, explores the on-and-off again relationship of Elyot Chase and Amanda Prynne.  Elyot and Amanda, a divorced couple, find themselves reunited while on honeymoons with new spouses.  They soon pick up where they left off, but discover time has not erased their past issues.  These issues are manifested most memorably in an over-the-top fight in Act Two, featuring smashed records and toppled tables.

So if you’re looking for a new spring read, consider Coward.  His comedies are clever, funny and frothy – just the right stuff to devour in a park under the sun.

–Kristin Hunt

Kristin Hunt is an undergraduate journalism major at Syracuse University.  Her column, ‘Drama Club,’ appears every Tuesday.

Click here for a full list of the nominees and the winners.

–Silvia Viñas

Carol Burnett’s This Time Together, which details the actress’ time in show business, is number nine on the Los Angeles Times Best-Seller List, number five on the Chicago Tribune’s list and number four on The New York Times. Not surprising since she’s a major actress whose show ran for 11 seasons.

The next person with a memoir on multiple lists is Sarah Silverman, an actress and comedian frequently featured on Comedy Central.  Her book, The Bedwetter, is ranked ninth on the Chicago Tribune’s list, number six on the Washington Post’s list and number nine on The New York Times’ list.

The Los Angeles Times‘ list also featured Betrothed, the follow-up to Elizabeth Gilbert’s novel Eat, Pray, Love.  Betrothed is ranked 15^th.

Also interesting to note is that Chelsea Handler’s most recent collection of essays, Chelsea, Chelsea, Bang, Bang, was on all four best-seller lists.  She is eighth in Los Angeles, third in Chicago, fourth in Washington and third in New York. Apparently, people liked her memoir, Are you there Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea, enough to pick up the essays.

Do you like memoirs?  What memoirs are you reading?

--Sarah Morris

Sarah is a senior journalism major at the University of Missouri. She can be found on Twitter at @smorris198888.

Photo Credit: Lucy_Fan