Poetry Friday: November Roundup of Bookstores and Books
Carol at The Apples in My Orchard is hosting this week. Hop on over there for the Poetry Friday roundup.
24 Bookstores in 2024
35. Porter Square Books at Grub Street, Boston, Massachusetts
Visited on November 21, 2024
On the bottom floor is a cafe and bookstore. The top level is shared by Grub Street and Mass Poetry.
It was windy and rainy this day. My umbrella turned inside out and we were soaked, but here I am bundled up on the Grub Street stairs ready to take on the elements again.
36. Beacon Hill Books and Cafe, Boston, Massachusetts
Visited on November 22, 2024
Irene and I went to Beacon Hill books and found the vending machine that gives out little art prints. A teen gave us coins and refused to take our dollar bills in exchange. This bookstore is filled with books on multiple floors.
Even the cafe in the basement is perfection. I didn’t have lunch, so I had a huge dinner including this lovely gluten free dessert.
37. Hooray for Books, Alexandria Virginia
Visited on November 29, 2024
I bought some books for my nephew for Christmas after dropping my oldest off at the train station. They had 30% off of the whole store!
I neglected to take a picture while I was there, so here is a photo of me at Hooray for Books in 2023 at an event for Small Business Saturday.
Bonus Visits!
I also visited Bard’s Alley and Freeman’s Store & Museum’s Book Cellar. I had a gift card to spend, so I hopped on over there for Small Business Saturday. I already counted them both in visits earlier in the year.
Books Read in November
written by seven different YA voices
I listened to this book in preparation for seeing “Six: The Musical” at The National. It’s an intriguing read/listen.
by Robert Pinsky
by Fenton Johnson
by Patricia Cornwell
I am a sucker for Kay Scarpetta—especially the early years in Richmond, Virginia. I read my way through Nepal 25 years ago reading the early books in this series.
by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Good for a light, fast read. I really loved Dial A for Aunties though.
by Tracey Enerson Wood
I tried to write a book for kids about Edith Wilson. But I just couldn’t make it work. This book treats her very kindly and didn’t focus on some of the criticism and controversy of Edith.
by Riley Sager
If you like to watch “Only Murders in the Building” you might like this thriller set in a fancy apartment building in New York City.
Publication News
I’m excited to announce that my poem “I Dream in Seasons” was published in the most recent issue of the Birmingham Arts Journal.
Haiku of the Week
sun-crisped flower
in a veil of webbing
spider knows who’s strong
Haiku & Photo © 2024 Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Photo Taken: October 5, 2024 at United States Botanic Garden
Haiku Written: November 25, 2024
Grow
I’ve been revising, revising, revising this week. I’ve been trying to have full focus on getting one project to the next stage instead of having my attention divided in too many directions.
22 Comments
Sarah Grace Tuttle
Love this haiku– hooray for spider’s wisdom! And, looks like you’ve have many wonderful bookish adventures. Happy Poetry Friday!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you so much!
Tabatha
Congratulations on having your poem in the Birmingham Arts Journal! (FYI, when I clicked on the link, I got an error.) Your bookstore adventures were marvelous to follow all year!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you for letting me know about the link. I can’t get the original one to stick, so I updated with a new link. It seems to be working now.
Irene Latham
Marcie, I love that pic of us. 🙂 🙂 🙂 I am now working on a poetry art installation inspired by that machine at Beacon Street Books. So great! And I keep thinking about that young women who gave us her quarters. Such kindness in the world! xo
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yes! I can’t wait to hear more about the poetry art installation! I also keep thinking about the girl with the quarters. What an act of kindness!
Linda Baie
I always love your bookstore recap, Marcie, & it’s more fun to see what you & irene found at that Boston bookstore, with the vending machine art! Yes, to spiders being so wise – wonderful haiku! Have a great weekend!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
So grateful that two different people recommended that bookstore to us! And a lady at the front desk at the Athenaeum is the one who told us about the vending machine art! What a cool find.
Carol Labuzzetta
Marcie, I am jealous of your ability to visit all those fascinating independent or used bookstores. I just visited my first one this month and have searched for more near me in Wisconsin. There is one in Wausau which is an hour away but I’ll make that my December visit. A more reasonable goal for me might be 10-12 in the next year – starting with the one I visited this month. You’ve inspired me!
And, as an aside – I always love reading your blog – it is organized and interesting but familiar in the order and layout – I love it! Thanks for the weekly haiku, too!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Carol, thank you so much for your kind words about my blog! I do feel extremely lucky that I live in an area with a plethora of bookstores–so many that I haven’t visited them all. And this year, I’ve been able to travel to NYC and Boston–also with so many bookstores!
Rose Cappelli
I always love reading about your travels to bookstores, Marcie! You have a knack for finding gems – places and books.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
It was a fun weekend of adventuring!!!
Carol Varsalona
Marcie, your book adventure in Boston was fun to read about, especially since you and Irene enjoyed together. Congratulations on your poem appearing in the Birmingham Arts Journal!. The magnification of your photo is beautiful and offers you the opportunity to specific observations and writing of a beautiful haiku that tells a story.
Keep warm!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you for your kind words, Carol!
Mary Lee
I spy a couple of book purchases that I, too, made at an independent bookstore — Billy Collins and Robin Wall Kimmerer!
Cathy Mealey
So glad the Boston weather did not deter you from venturing about! Do you follow Ana Inciardi on Instagram? She shares lots of her mini print vending machine highlights – always delightful! I especially love that the Athenaeum staff pointed you there.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
So cool! Thank you for this tip! I’m now following her. 🙂
Kathryn Apel
I’m super-excited, ’cause we just had a new bookstore open near us. And that is BIG news – because I don’t live in bookstore land. I can’t wait to visit! (And I’m delighted to ‘see’ you and Irene together here.)
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
A bookstore is HUGE!!! So exciting. I have lived in several places with no bookstores, so I feel like a millionaire living so close to so many (or I’m broke for spending so much money on books…).
Denise Krebs
Marcie, how fun these Boston book shops look. Of course you made it a priority to add them to your book shop repertoire. Nice! I love the art vending machine. What a joy these independent stores bring to our communities. Congratulations on “I Dream in Seasons.” Your haiku that shows the spider’s perspective is delightful and surprising: “spider knows who’s strong”
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Bookstores make a really nice focus for the year! 🙂
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