I don't know anything about Kate Buckley so I'm just going to give you the press release blurb:

Please join Carmichael's for a unique poetry reading by Kate Buckley from her new book, A Wild Region. Artist and poet Buckley grew up in Kentucky and her finely crafted poems strongly reflect her Appalachian roots. She is the winner of the Gabeheart Prize for Imaginative Writing and the North American Review's James Hearst Poetry Prize.

Carmichael's Bookstore

2720 Frankfort Avenue

Louisville, KY

(502) 896-6950

The InKY Reading Series will close their spring season with a free reading by three poets on Friday, May 9. This free event starts at 7 p.m. with an open stage, followed by music by John Mann at 7:30 and featured readings at 8 p.m. 

Pamela Garvey is the author of Fear, a new chapbook of poems published by Finishing Line Press, which was a finalist for their New Women's Voices competition. Garvey has published poetry in many literary journals including The North American Review, Sonora Review, Spoon River Poetry Review, Pleiades, Cimarron Review and others. She has been a semi-finalist for the "Discovery"/The Nation Poetry Award. In 2004 she co-founded Words on Purpose, a St. Louis based committee of socially concerned writers who organize benefit readings. An assistant professor of English at St. Louis Community College-Meramec, Garvey lives in the city of St. Louis with her husband and son.

Ellen Birkett Morris is a writer and poet from Louisville, Kentucky. Her fiction has been published in Mindprints, A Literary Journal, Pedestal Magazine and Alimentum. Her story, "The Cycle of Life and Other Incidentals," was selected as a finalist in the Glimmer Train Press Family Matters short story competition. Her poetry has appeared in RHYME and REASON, Mindprints, The Centrifugal Eye, The Heartland Review, The Rambler, The Binnacle, The Pedestal Magazine Political Anthology and is forthcoming in Alimentum.

Angela Jackson-Brown is a student at Spalding University in the MFA in Creative Writing program. She is currently hard at work writing a novel entitled Drinking from a Bitter Cup, a collection of short stories set during the mid-1800s, and an autobiographical poetry collection. Angela resides in Louisville.

Our musical guest John Mann has veered both near and far from his native western Kentucky in his 28 years. After going to college in Lexington, Mann moved for a brief period to San Diego, before returning to Kentucky and making the move to Louisville two years ago. With an interesting musical heritage (Mann's cousin is former Sun Records artist Carl Mann, who had a hit in the fifties with an up-tempo reworking of the pop standard, Mona Lisa), Mann has tried to keep his music planted in the present with an always-keen eye to the past. In December of 2004, John released his second album called Hands in the Pavement, which was in regular rotation for a year on WFPK 91.9 in Louisville, Ky.

Friday May 9, 2008
7PM
Free

Rudyard Kipling
422 W. Oak
Louisville, KY

I was unaware that Howard Fineman graduated from UofL Law and began his journalism career at the CJ. That's pretty cool. It should add another interesting layer to his discussion at Carmichael's next week.

Carmichael's is delighted to host Newsweek senior Washington correspondent and MSNBC analyst Howard Fineman. Mr. Fineman will be discussing his new book, The Thirteen American Arguments: Enduring Debates that Inspire and Define our Country. Fineman earned a law degree at the University of Louisville and began his career as a journalist at the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Thursday May 15, 2008
7PM

Carmichael's
2720 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY
896-6950

Some Sundays I love Kenny Mayne and his NFL Countdown segments. Some Sundays I don't. Mostly my Sunday mood depends on how well my beloved Titans are doing and are predicted to do on any given Sunday. Kenny Mayne can't be faulted for that. In any case Kenny Mayne will be at Carmichael's Frankfort Avenue store on Thursday May 1 to discuss and sign his new book.

ESPN horse racing commentator, host of the hilarious "Mayne Event" segments on NFL Countdown and all-around funny guy Kenny Mayne will join us for a talk and signing for his new book, An Incomplete and Inaccurate History of Sport. He'll be in town for Derby, book promotion, and general revelry.

**This will be a ticketed event at Carmichael's, free tickets are available at both Carmichael's stores.

Carmichael's Books
2720 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY
896-6950

I don't know a single thing about this book other than the fact that it's got a great, great title. OK that's not quite true. I also know it's a book of poetry and that the author Sherry Wright will be reading at Carmichael's on Saturday April 19, 2008 at 4PM.

Carmichael's Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY

Carmichael's is celebrating the release of Sallie Bingham's new collection of stories with a reading and signing by the author on Sunday April 13, 2008 at 4PM. The collection, "Red Car", is published by Louisville press Sarabande Books

Carmichael's Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY

On Friday April 4, 2007 at 7PM Tony D'Souza will be at Carmichael's on Frankfort Avenue to read from his second novel The Konkans. From the release I got "D'Souza's first novel, Whiteman, was widely praised and won a prize for first fiction. The Konkans are a mostly Catholic ethnic group from West India. D'Souza's novel is set in suburban Chicago as a family confronts issues of race and class and struggles with embracing America while preserving their own cultural heritage. Please join us to hear this talented writer."

Carmichael's Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY

Next Monday March 31, 2008 it will be time for another poetry reading at The Pink Door brought to you by Sarabande Books. This month's reading features Louisville poet Lynnell Edwards and Louisville singer-songwriter Brigid Kaelin. It's an all "Louisville produces kick-ass artists" show.

From the press release:

If you don't yet know about Lynnell Edwards, you definitely should.  She is the author of two books of poetry, both published by Red Hen Press, The Farmer's Daughter and The Highwayman's Wife.  Lynnell's poems are by turns graceful, tough, and downright funny. . . . to give you a taste of her work, I've pasted one of my favorite poems by her below.  (She wrote it to her son after seeing him watch an all-female version of Fear Factor in which the women were coaxed into walking through a box of reptiles to hunt out gold coins.)

Brigid Kaelin will follow. Known for her clever songwriting and energetic live show, Brigid is also a seriously trained musician. You may come to the show for her red hair, and you may laugh at the yodeling. But then you'll be completely amazed by her virtuosic chops on the accordion, piano, guitar, and musical saw, and suddenly you'll realize that you love her songs too. Part vaudeville, part rock, Kaelin writes killer songs and knows how to entertain.

Monday March 31, 2008
7:30PM

The Pink Door
2222 Dundee Road
Louisville, KY 40205

If mysteries are your thing this reading with mystery author Beverle Graves Myers sounds very cool.

Beverle Graves Myers premieres the fourth volume in her Baroque mystery series featuring opera singer and amateur sleuth Tito Amato with a reading from The Iron Tongue at Midnight. Each book in this celebrated series features a rich tapestry of opera in 18th century Venice, singers who sacrifice their manhood for their art, and a murder.

The Iron Tongue at Midnight reading with author Beverle Graves Myers
Saturday March 29, 2008
4PM

Carmichael's Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY

I don't know much, or anything really, about this work so I'm just going to quote Carmichael's directly about this event. I'll say that it certainly sounds like it will be a very interesting talk.

Local architect and historian Steve Wiser will give a talk based on his new book, Louisville 2035, a look at our city's past and present and a fascinating vision for what it might look like 25 years from now. Wiser is a nationally recognized architect, past president of the Louisville Historical League, and author of four books.

Louisville 2035 discussion with author Steve Wiser
Saturday March 22, 2008
4PM

Carmichael's Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY

Affrilachian Poet Crystal Wilkinson is the 2002 recipient of the Chaffin Award for Appalachian Literature. Crystal's novel Water Street was a long-list finalist for the prestigious Orange Prize and short-listed for a Zora Neal Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation Legacy Award in fiction. She has presented workshops and readings throughout the country including the Sixth International Conference on the Short Story in English at the University of Iowa and the African American Women Writers Conference at the University of the District of Columbia. She is the author of two books, Blackberries, Blackberries(July 2000), and Water Street (September 2002), both published by Toby Press. Her work has been featured in many magazines and anthologies, including Home and Beyond: A Half-Century of Short Stories by Kentucky Writers and Torch, edited by Amanda Johnston.

Cave Canem Fellow and Affrilachian Poet Amanda Johnston has received honors such as the 2003 and 2004 Kentucky Foundation for Women Artist Enrichment grant and the 2005 Austin International Poetry Festival's Christina Sergeyevna Award. Johnston has served on the board of directors for the National Women's Alliance and the African-American Arts Technical Resource Center of Austin. She is a member of The Austin Project and is the founding editor of Torch. The author of Not Another Love Jones, a chapbook of poems, her work has appeared in Kudzu, Tempu Tupu: Africana Women's Poetic Self, Sorin Oak Review, Pluck! the Journal of Affrilachian Arts & Culture, The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South, and many others. A former resident of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Johnston currently resides in Austin, Texas. 

Our musical guest Andrea Davidson is a Louisville-based acoustic singer/songwriter performing songs from her soulful and folky first album, Pick Your Poison. 

More information on the Affrilachian Poets: http://www.affrilachianpoets.com/history.htm

More information on Cave Canem: http://www.cavecanempoets.org

More information on The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South: http://www.cavecanempoets.org/pages/store/Anthologies.htm

Open mic at 7:00, music at 7:30, featured readers at 8:00
Free

The Rudyard Kipling
422 W. Oak Street
Louisville, KY

Recovering "Yiddishland" is a heck of a title for a book. It certainly grabs my attention. Said book was written by Merle Bachman, professor of English at Spalding University. Bachman will be discussing the book at Carmichael's on Frankfort Avenue on Sunday March 16, 2008. A brief description from Carmichael's:

Recovering "Yiddishland", a recently published look at literary works by Yiddish immigrant writers at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. Bachman's book demonstrates how reading these works can deepen our understanding of what becoming American really meant to generations of immigrants who came to the U.S. in this historically
rich era.

Recovering "Yiddishland" discussion with author Merle Bachman
Sunday March 16, 2008
4PM

Carmichael's Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY

Kentucky Books for Patients is an interesting project that collects donations of new or gently used books by Kentucky writers or writers associated with Kentucky. Their goal is to "establish book collections in cancer centers of hospitals and clinics throughout Kentucky."

Next Thursday March 14, 2008 a special evening of readings and music by Kentucky writers and musicians is happening at The Jazz Factory in support of Kentucky Books for Patients.

"Presented as part of The Jazz Factory's Jazz & Spoken Word monthly series, the event will feature readings by an all-star cast of the region's best-known writers, including poets Jane Gentry Vance (Kentucky's Poet Laureate), Frank X Walker, Sarah Gorham, Leatha Kendrick, Kathleen Driskell, Maureen Morehead, Frederick Smock, and Mary Welp. Poems by Aleda Shirley, a former Louisvillian and cancer survivor now living in Mississippi, will be read, in her absence, by poet Emma Aprile.

Also reading will be Dr. Donald Miller, head of the James Graham Brown Cancer Center; writer Dianne Aprile, producer of Jazz & The Spoken Word, and Clint Morehead, the University of Louisville fourth-year medical student who created The Kentucky Books for Patients Project to establish book collections in cancer centers of hospitals and clinics throughout the state."

The Jazz Factory
(in The Glassworks Building)
815 W. Market St.
Louisville, KY

Part of my reading goals for 2008 is to read a good deal of Wendell Berry's work. I've been doing that and enjoying Berry very much. So I imagine that my donations to this cause are going to be in the form of Wendell Berry books because everyone needs to read them.

Locust Grove's Fourth Annual Used Book Sale will be Saturday March 8 and Sunday March 9, 2008. Books of every imaginable genre and style will be represented with books being sorted by categories.

From the press release

The sale will feature all categories of books from mysteries to children's books, history, cookbooks, reference books & movies. 12,000+ books will be offered for sale. Books are priced at $2.00 for hardcover, $1.00 for trade paperbacks, and .50 for regular paperbacks, with a few special or antiquarian books priced higher. At the end of the sale on Sunday from 2:00-4:30 p.m. books will be sold by the bag for $10.00.

Book appraiser Charles Bartman will do free book appraisals on Saturday at 2 p.m. Please limit to two books per person. NEW this year will be a Silent Auction, on Saturday from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. featuring unusual, valuable and antiquarian books.

Locust Grove
561 Blankenbaker Lane
Louisville, KY 40207

It's time for another poetry filled Monday, presented by Sarabande Books at The Pink Door.

The featured poet for the evening is Joshua Poteat from Richmond, Virginia. After Poteat's reading local musician John Paul Wright will be playing bluegrass and folk music.

Poet Joshua Poteat and musician John Paul Wright
Monday February 24, 2008
7:30PM

The Pink Door
2222 Dundee Road
Louisville, KY

Just an fyi that the reception at Carmichael's for Will Lavender's book Obedience has been rescheduled due to the crazy weather today. Instead of being tonight the reception will be Sunday February 24, 2008 at 4:00PM at Carmichael's on Frankfort Avenue. 

Local author Will Lavender's first novel Obedience hit store shelves yesterday. I've got five copies in my hot little hands I'm itching to giveaway courtesy of the book's publisher (thanks Shaye Areheart Books). To enter all you have to do is leave a comment or send an email telling me what your favorite book is. Bonus points if in your comment you tell why it's your favorite book.

For Louisville based winners of this contest, and Louisville readers in general, the author and I have discussed putting together a one time book club gathering to meet and discuss Obedience. I can hardly describe how much fun I think it would be to discuss a good novel with the author. I really hope we can pull this gathering off. So, please also leave a comment to let me know if you'd be interested in said gathering.

Obedience is a psychological thriller, the author describes it as being reminiscent of the Michael Douglass film "The Game" and set on a a college campus. Here is the full publisher's blurb

When the students in Winchester University's Logic and Reasoning 204 arrive for their first day of class, they are greeted not with a syllabus or texts, but with a startling assignment from Professor Williams: Find a hypothetical missing girl named Polly. If after being given a series of clues and details the class has not found her before the end of the term in six weeks, she will be murdered.

At first the students are as intrigued by the premise of their puzzle as they are wary of the strange and slightly creepy Professor Williams. But as they delve deeper into the mystery, they begin to wonder: Is the Polly story simply a logic exercise, designed to teach them rational thinking skills, or could it be something more sinister and dangerous?

The mystery soon takes over the lives of three students as they find disturbing connections between Polly and themselves. Characters that were supposedly fictitious begin to emerge in reality. Soon, the boundary between the classroom assignment and the real world becomes blurred-and the students wonder if it is their own lives they are being asked to save.

Finally, Will Lavender will be reading from Obedience at Carmichael's on Frankfort Avenue tomorrow night, February 21, 2008 at 7PM. I really hope there is a great turnout to support this local author and his new work. A literary town is a great town.

Contest info
To enter leave a comment or send an email to info AT consuminglouisville.com (with Contest Entry as the subject) that includes the title of your favorite book. Feel free to also share why that book is your favorite.

Winners will be selected at random from all entries received before 12:01AM Monday February 25, 2008.

On Sunday February 17, 3008 Carmichael's Bookstore on Frankfort Avenue will welcome Chris Bohjalian who is on tour for the paperback edition of his latest book, The Double Bind.

The Double Bind has been on my "to read" list since I read a very positive review when the hardcover edition came out but I still haven't picked up a copy yet. This may very well be the time to do it. And in case you care about her opinions in such matters Oprah is a fan of Bohjalian.

Charmichael's Books
2720 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY

The InKY Reading Series turns 4 tomorrow February 8, 2008. Head down to the Rudyard Kipling and help them celebrate with poetry, reading, open mic and music.

Fancy dress encouraged! Come on out for a celebration of poetry, fiction, nonfiction and music -- all of what InKY has offered for four years! Come wish InKY a happy birthday ... birthday cards and envelopes will be available for well wishes (and monetary donations, if you please!).

The evening will feature poet Frank X Walker, novelist Janna McMahan,  creative non-fiction writer Emily Boden and songwriter Joe Manning.

Open mic at 7:00, music at 7:30, featured readers at 8:00
Free

The Rudyard Kipling
422 W. Oak Street
Louisville, KY

Will Lavender is a local author whose first novel, Obedience, is set to be released on February 19, 2008. 

Obedience is described as a psychological thriller. I've got to say that's not normally a genre I read a lot of but the blurbs for the book and Lavender's status as a Louisville writer definitely makes me want to give it a read. If you're interested in psychological thrillers or supporting local authors I encourage you to buy a copy as well. We'll meet back here and discuss it ok?

On Thursday February 21, 2008 at 7PM Carmichael's will be hosting a reading and reception for Lavender at the Frankfort Avenue store. I hope there is a huge turnout to support the debut novel by one of our city's writers.

Carmichael's Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY

The Women's Center at the University of Louisville would like to announce the second annual Kentucky Women's Book Festival which will bring together Kentucky women writers and their readers to meet, discuss, and share their love and appreciation of the written word. The event is free and open to the public and will highlight and honor the outstanding accomplishments of women writers in and from the Kentucky area, expand the readership of women's works, encourage those engaged in creative writing and inspire a rising generation of readers and writers as an extension of our community-wide focus on literacy.

The festival is intended to be a celebration of women's reading and writing.

Plenary speakers include: Affrilachian Poet and writer Crystal Wilkinson, author of Blackberries, Blackberries (2000) and Water Street (2002); short story writer and novelist Kim Edwards, author of The Memory Keeper's Daughter; and columnist and novelist Betty Winston Bayé, an editorial writer and columnist for The Courier-Journal in Louisville, KY.

Kentucky Women's Book Festival
University of Louisville, Ekstrom Library
2301 S. 3rd Street
Louisville, Kentucky 40292
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Time: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The Pink Door and Sarabande Books present poetry readings the last Monday of each month. The first reading for 2008 is this coming Monday January 28, 2008 at 7:30PM. The featured poet is Aaron Belz from St. Louis. Live music follows the reading.

Monday evening will also be your first change to see Lumberyard, "a new design/literary arts magazine produced right here in Louisville."

The Pink Door
2222 Dundee Road
Louisville, KY

More info on poet Aaron Belz after the jump.

Carmichael's is bring Gary Hirshberg, "C.E.-Yo" of Stonyfield Farm and author of the new book Stirring It Up: How to Make Money and Save the World to town.

He'll be speaking on Friday, January 25th, 2008 from 2:30 to 4 PM in the Community Room at Metro United Way's office, 334 East Broadway.

Info from Carmichaels:
"Stonyfield Farm began in 1983 as a seven-cow operation and has grown into a $330 million company and the world's largest maker of organic yogurt. It has achieved double-digit revenue growth and excellent profits each year for the past two decades while adopting sustainable methods that reduce environmental costs and respect natural systems. Through re-use and recycling, Stonyfield prevents hundreds of tons of materials from reaching landfills and incinerators each year. In Stirring It Up, Hirshberg demonstrates how any business can follow suit and help save the planet while achieving higher growth and better profits.

Gary Hirshberg
Friday, January 25th, 2008 from 2:30 to 4 PM
Community Room
Metro United Way's office
334 East Broadway
Louisville, KY

The InKY Reading Series first event of 2008 could be described as a poetry extravaganza.

Cincinnati poet Jillian Weise is the author of The Amputee's Guide to Sex, a collection of poems from Soft Skull Press. Her poems have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Chelsea, Tin House and others. Her chapbook, Translating the Body, was released by All Nations Press in January 2006. Individual poems have been honored by the Academy of American Poets, the Emily Dickinson Prize Anthology, Pushcart Nominations and Verse Daily. After working at The Paris Review as an editorial assistant, she was the Alan Dugan Writing Fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, which she completed in May 2006. She is currently a Fellow at the University of Cincinnati.

Kristi Maxwell is the author of Realm Sixty-four, a collection of poems just released from Ahsahta Press. Her second book, Hush Sessions, will be published by Saturnalia in 2009. She is pursuing a doctorate at the University of Cincinnati.

Christina Lovin is the author of What We Burned for Warmth, a chapbook of poems from Finishing Line Press. Her work has appeared in Harvard Summer Review, Diner, Hunger Mountain , The Bark, and the anthologies Missing Mountains and Coal: An Anthology. She is a recipient of the Al Smith Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council.

In addition to the poetry singer/songwriter Teneia Sanders will be performing songs from her first full album, Soul Catcher.

Friday January 11, 2008
Open mic at 7:00, music at 7:30, featured readers at 8:00
Free

The Rudyard Kipling
422 W. Oak Street
Louisville, KY

This Thursday January 10, 2008 at 7PM Carmichael's Books on Frankfort Avenue will be hosting author Andre Bergeron who will be reading from his new book, The Devil's Ridge.

According to Carmichael's "Bergeron uses the mythic quality of the North American great ape, Sasquatch, or Bigfoot, to craft a gripping page-turner that taps into our primal fears and basic instincts. Reminiscent of stories told around the campfire, The Devil's Ridge will make you wonder what is lurking in the shadows, just beyond the fire's light."

Carmichael's Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, Kentucky

More info after the jump

Jazz and The Spoken Word returns to the Jazz Factory this Wednesday December 12, 2007 for a holiday themed evening. Bassist Brian Vinson and saxophonist Jacob Duncan will be providing jazz improvisation, Kathleen Driskell will be reading Truman Capote’s "A Christmas Memory" and Graham Shelby reading "The Asakawa Christmas Party"and a reading from David Sedaris’ "Holidays on Ice."

The event is free, but reservations are recommended. 

Doors open for dinner at 5PM, the readings start at 7:30PM with dinner and beverages served throughout the evening.

The Jazz Factory

815 W. Market Street

Louisville, KY

(basement of Glassworks)

Sarabande Books last Pink Door reading of the year is tonight Monday, November 26th.

Poet Angela Estes (winner of the 2001 Field Poetry Prize, the 2001 Alice Fay di Castagnola Prize from the Poetry Society of America, and the 1995 Peregrine Smith Poetry Prize) will visit us from Ohio State University.

Poet Angela Estes won't be there, but in her stead will be the fabulous Erin Keane, whose book, The Gravity Soundtrack, just came out with WordFarm Press. She also has a chapbook, The One-Hit Wonders (Snark Publishing), and many of you may know her from her work with the InKY Reading Series here in Louisville. Keane also writes a blog for Velocity and teaches at Bellarmine and the Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts. (You can read more about her and her work at http://www.sensilla.com)

Afterward, Joey Mudd will be playing.

As always, this event is free and open to the public, and will start at 7:30PM

Pink Door
2222 Dundee Road
Louisville, KY 40205

The weekend events roundup is coming to you quite early this week to give us time to strategically plan out our holiday activities around stuffing ourselves enjoying holiday foods with restraint.

Friday November 23
Costumed demonstrators will be in the kitchen and woodshop from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m during the the Locust Grove Holiday Sampler. Everything in the museum store will be 20% so you can stock up on gifts.

The F.A.T. Friday Trolley Hop on Black Friday is an event I've been looking forward to for months. It combines food, drink, art and shopping, all things that I enjoy very much. I'm strategically planning to land on Frankfort Avenue mid afternoon. Do a bit of hopping and shopping, refuel at the Irish Rover for dinner and then even more shopping. I suspect dessert at Sweet Surrender will be on the agenda as well.

After you're done on Frankfort Avenue just drive on down to Mellwood for more art and more shopping at the Butchertown Market with Moxie Letterpress's Give the Gift of Art event. If you're there close to 8PM stick around for the poetry reading and live music.

If you can't stand the shopping hordes and nightmare of parking on Frankfort Avenue head over to Quills Coffee & Books where Janet L. Boyd will be reading from and signing Don't Get Me Started: The LEO Years at 6 PM.

Saturday November 24, 2007
The American Printing House for the Blind is hosting a Family Day Open House from 10AM-3PM.

Author and architect Liesl Geiger will be at Carmichael's on Frankfort Avenue discussing and signing her new book Essence of Home: Timeless Elements of Design.

Midnight at The Baxter is forcing you to choose between The Beatles in "A Hard Days Night" and Talking Heads in "Stop Making Sense"

Sunday November 25, 2007
Phyllis EagleTree will be at Carmichael's on Frankfort Avenue discussing her new book Roll The Wheel: The Abundant Life and Wisdom of Mae Phillips.

Derby City Espresso is giving you free music and free beer. Clearly they're good people. Join them for a tasting of three seasonal beers from Schlafly.

If you know of interesting events happening this weekend that I've missed please let me know and I'll add them to the list. You can let me know by leaving a comment her or by sending an email to: info AT consuminglouisville.com.

Thanksgiving weekend is turning out to be full of opportunities for literary enjoyment and merry making. On Friday you've got Janet L. Boyd reading at Quills and poet Jeffrey Skinner reading at Moxie Letterpress and there are two events over the weekend at Carmichael's on Frankfort Avenue. On Saturday author and architect Liesl Geiger will be at discussing and signing her new book Essence of Home: Timeless Elements of Design.

According to Carmichael's "The book combines insightful interviews with architects and detailed photographs of more than 50 homes to illustrate the concepts she describes. Just in time for the holidays, this book is the perfect gift for anyone who is building a home or just dreaming of it."

On Sunday join "Phyllis EagleTree to celebrate the publication of her beautiful new book, Roll the Wheel: The Abundant Life and Wisdom of Mae Phillips.

In short essays and vivid photographs, EagleTree captures the richness and depth of the life of Harlan County native Mae Phillips - a life lived simply but fully in the mountains of eastern Kentucky."

Liesl Geiger Saturday November 24, 4PM
Phyllis EagleTree Sunday November 25, 4PM

Carmichael's Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206

Moxie Letterpress has put together a great opportunity for combining holiday shopping, art buying and poetry appreciation at the Butchertown Market on Friday November 23.

On Friday November 23, 2007 Janet L. Boyd will be reading from and signing Don't Get Me Started: The LEO Years at 6 PM at Quills . The book is a collection of columns Boyd wrote over 4 years for LEO.

Please note that there are only 300 copies of the book and all sales are cash or check only. 

Quills Coffee & Books
1220 E. Kentucky Street
Louisville, KY 40204

Speaking of Quills, they're going through a bit of small remodel. I stopped by there this morning and found that a new bar space is being added and tables and couches have been moved around a bit. From what I can tell the new bar area is being added to allow for more power outlets and more spaces for individuals who might not want to take up a whole table. So definitely an improvement for power hungry laptop jockeys who like to caffeinate, plug in and get to work.

Quotes from Don't Get Me Started after the jump:

Events galore this weekend, lots of them holiday related which makes me quite happy. I know the holiday season starts earlier and earlier every year but I can't help but enjoy it.

Friday November 9, 2007
The InKY Reading Series offers up more good times with its fiction night at the Rud

The Photographic Correction: Ben Sollee is playing at 4th Street Live in the second week of the Louisville Home Grown Music Series. The Photographic will be playing next week November 16

Shops in the area of the Vogue in St. Matthews are throwing a holiday party and you're invited for shopping and refreshments

Shops in Chenoweth Square are throwing a holiday open house

Saturday November 10, 2007
Highland United Methodist Church at 1140 Cherokee Road is hosting it's annual Holiday Bazaar and Bake Sale from 9AM-2PM. Eat baked goods, buy unique holiday gifts.

The Mid City Mall ValuMarket (a really good store for ethnic foods and vegetarian foods by the way) is having a Holiday Open House from 11AM-8PM. There will be samples throughout the store and staff will be on hand to offer help and holiday entertaining ideas

The Louisville Artisans Guild is having its annual Holiday Showcase at the American Legion Highland Post on Bardstown Road. Hours are Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday, 11 am to 4 pm

Midnights at The Baxter Present a Jim Henson Double Feature with The Dark Crystal starting at 10PM and Labyrinth starting at Midnight.

Sunday November 11, 2007
Musicians Emergency Resource Foundation Concerts will be happening in three clubs across Louisville.

Writer's Showcase Deathmatch at Molly Malone's brought to you by Art Sanctuary, starts at 8PM

More good times coming from the InKY Reading Series this Friday night November 9. The event is focused on fiction. Featured readers are:

Brian Leung was born and raised in San Diego County. His first novel, Lost Men, was published this year by Crown/Shaye Areheart and his short story collection, World Famous Love Acts, won the Mary McCarthy Award in Short Fiction and the Asian American Literary Award for fiction. Brian's fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry have appeared in Story, Crazyhorse, Grain, Gulf Coast, Kinesis, Mid-American Review, Salt Hill, Gulf Stream, River City, Runes, The Bellingham Review, The Connecticut Review, Indiana Review, Crowd, Blithe House Quarterly, and Crab Orchard Review. He is currently an assistant professor at the University of Louisville.

Mike Hampton is a graduate of Spalding University's MFA in Writing program. His fiction has appeared in 3AM Magazine, Heartlands, and The Southeast Review among other places and is forthcoming in the anthology New Growth, published by The Jesse Stuart Foundation. His humor appeared in the McSweeney's anthology Mountain Man Dance Moves and he has also published poetry and essays. He is an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Cincinnati Clermont College, and he lives in Cincinnati with his wife Allison and daughter Ella.

Stephen George was born and bred in Louisville, and though he's spent a little time away, he pretty much likes it here for now. He is the managing editor of LEO, Louisville's only alternative newsweekly, and his work has appeared in Louisville Magazine, The New Republic Online and others. His work has been anthologized in Missing Mountains, where he appears alongside a number of other significantly more profound writers. He has had a one-act play performed, to some positive mention in certain circles. He is currently working on a novel about failure, which could turn out to be quite the experience in meta-lit.

Louisville singer/songwriter danny flanigan will be performing as well

InKY Reading Series Fiction Night
Friday November 9, 2007
Open mic at 7:00, Music at 7:30, Featured readers at 8:00
Free
The Rudyard Kipling
422 W. Oak Street
Louisville, KY

An evening of poetry, music a