Happy August!

Here is your monthly poem, from our patron saint and August child, Dorothy Parker:
August
When my eyes are weeds,
And my lips are petals, spinning
Down the wind that has beginning
Where the crumpled beeches start
In a fringe of salty reeds;
When my arms are elder-bushes,
And the rangy lilac pushes
Upward, upward through my heart; _
Summer, do your worst!
Light your tinsel moon, and call on
Your performing stars to fall on
Headlong through your paper sky;
Nevermore shall I be cursed
By a flushed and amorous slattern,
With her dusty laces’ pattern
Trailing, as she straggles by._

There are so many great things happening, so without further ado...

Art Walk is ON!

Yes! Friday the 13th is lucky this month, because Art Walk is back! There will be artists and vendors and the shops and restaurants will be open late, and it’s going to be a beautiful night… So mask up and come downtown between 5-9 pm!

Beyond That Hill I Gather by Jeffrey Kingman: Reading and in Conversation with David Hill

We are honored to host Vallejo poet and friend of the community, Jeffrey Kingman, for the launch of his new book, Beyond That Hill I Gather on August 22 at 2 pm. This is a hybrid event -- because of COVID, Jeff has invited a few friends to attend in person, and has invited all others to attend on Zoom so that everyone is included!

He will be reading from the book and some new poems, followed by a conversation with our good friend, David Hill.

ZOOM LINK

Beyond That Hill I Gather
Poems by Jeffrey Kingman

“In these portraits of notable women, Jeffrey Kingman reveals his own faith in the partial and the complex. These poems put their faith in tenuousness, possibility, and the interplay between intimacy and distance—singing along the borders of what we perceive and what we project.” -Laura Walker, Instructor at U.C. Berkeley Extension, author of story (Apogee Press, 2016)

“At times narrative, often musical, these poems…offer an experience that is intimate and personal, like a small, precious gift.” -David W. Hill

Most of the poems in Beyond That Hill I Gather are portraits of women who are notable for their achievements. They are strong, accomplished women. While this common thread runs throughout the book, there is much variety since the women come from various walks of life— authors, musicians, artists, comedians, activists, suffragists—such as Patti Smith, Amy Schumer, Muriel Spark, Margaret Sanger, Elizabeth Vigée Le Brun and Sophia Duleep Singh. Each poem captures a different flavor based on the unique personality of each individual.

Many of the poems convey a sense of struggle. The struggle to succeed, to be recognized, to thrive in a world dominated by men.

Jeffrey Kingman’s Beyond That Hill I Gather won the 2018 Eyelands Book Award (Greece) for an unpublished poetry book. Jeff is also the winner of the 2012 Revolution House Flash Fiction Contest, and the winner of the Red Berry Editions 2015 Broadside Contest. His chapbook, On a Road, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2019. He has been a finalist in many contests including the 2018 Hillary Gravendyk Prize poetry boo competition, the 2015 Blue Light Press Chapbook Competition, the 2014 Sow’s Ear Poetry Competition, andthe 2013 Frost Place Chapbook Fellowship. He has been published in PANK, Crack the Spine, Squaw Valley Review, Clackamas Literary Review and others.

Alibi Bookshop August Book Club: How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang

Please join us on Thursday, August 26th at 7 pm to discuss How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang
ABOUT HOW MUCH OF THESE HILLS IS GOLD
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR
A WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR
ONE OF BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR
ONE OF NPR’S BEST BOOKS OF 2020
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2020 BOOKER PRIZE
FINALIST FOR THE 2020 CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE
WINNER OF THE ROSENTHAL FAMILY FOUNDATION AWARD, FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS
A NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION “5 UNDER 35” HONOREE
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
“Belongs on a shelf all of its own.” —NPR
“Outstanding.” —The Washington Post
“Revolutionary . . . A visionary addition to American literature.” —Star Tribune
An electric debut novel set against the twilight of the American gold rush, two siblings are on the run in an unforgiving landscape—trying not just to survive but to find a home.
Ba dies in the night; Ma is already gone. Newly orphaned children of immigrants, Lucy and Sam are suddenly alone in a land that refutes their existence. Fleeing the threats of their western mining town, they set off to bury their father in the only way that will set them free from their past. Along the way, they encounter giant buffalo bones, tiger paw prints, and the specters of a ravaged landscape as well as family secrets, sibling rivalry, and glimpses of a different kind of future.
Both epic and intimate, blending Chinese symbolism and reimagined history with fiercely original language and storytelling, How Much of These Hills Is Gold is a haunting adventure story, an unforgettable sibling story, and the announcement of a stunning new voice in literature. On a broad level, it explores race in an expanding country and the question of where immigrants are allowed to belong. But page by page, it’s about the memories that bind and divide families, and the yearning for home.
Still meeting virtually via Zoom:

ZOOM LINK

Books still available in the shop, or online or audio

September's selection: Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli

VALLEJO BOOK FESTIVAL AUGUST 28th!

The Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum is hosting our second annual Vallejo Book Festival on Saturday August 28th from 10am-4pm. You are invited to attend this family friendly, FREE children’s book giveaway event!
The Book Festival will take place both inside and outside.
Book giveaways will be outside in front of the Museum on the West side of the building. On the East side of the building, there will be a full day of story readings, song, dance, and live performances onstage by On the Fringe Theatre company in the Museum’s parking lot.
The Hall of History inside the museum will be decorated with several large inflatable sculptures, including a giant green dragon, by Astro Botanicals. Masks and social distancing will be required inside the Museum.
We are committed to promoting literacy, inspiring hope and encouraging reading to all children. The festival will provide at least one free, new book for children of all ages in an immersive, craft making, story-telling and book reading environment. New and used books will be provided by Another Chapter and Alibi Bookstore. There will also be many lightly used books to choose from at all reading levels, including young adult and adult books.
This is the first event of its kind at the Museum since our reopening after the pandemic quarantine. We will create a safe, responsible and immersive experience to stimulate imagination and curiosity about reading.
Please come join us!
FACEBOOK INVITATION

ALIBI BOOKSHOP WELCOMES THE VALLEJO POETS LAUREATE SUNDAY, SEPT 5th 2pm

Please join us on Zoom for this very special poetry event! We are so pleased present The Vallejo Poets Laureate Jeremy Snyder, D.L. Lang, and Dr. Genea Brice reading their work.

Originally we had hoped this would be an in-store event, but due to COVID we have moved this online -- however, the three of them will be in the store reading together which makes it a very special occasion. (And one I've wanted to do since we opened, so I'm especially thrilled!)

About The Poets:
Poet, author, public speaker, child advocate, community activist, and teacher, Dr. Genea S. Brice, was raised and reared in Vallejo, CA. After graduating from Hogan High School, she earned a B.A. in Liberal Studies. She later graduated from the Patten University Teaching Credential Program, earned an M.A. in Theological Studies, and a Doctor of Divinity. Her poetry appears in several anthologies, she is the author of a memoir Weaned in the Desert: Souvenirs from Sacred Seasons with my Savior, (Xulon Press, 2010.), and a book of poetry entitled, A Way With Words: Poems, Prose, and Other Masterpieces, Book 1. On July 28, 2015, Genea was named the first Poet Laureate of the City of Vallejo. During her tenure, she started “Poetry in Notion”, a weekly gathering of poets at John F. Kennedy Library. Her hobbies include shoe shopping, meeting nice people, and hiking.
D.L. Lang is the author of 13 poetry books, most recently This Festival of Dreams. She served as poet laureate of Vallejo, California from 2017 to 2019. Her poems have been transformed into songs, Jewish liturgy, and used to advocate for peace and justice. Her poetry has been published in dozens of anthologies worldwide. Lang has performed hundreds of times at political demonstrations, festivals, fairs, and literary events around the San Francisco bay area. Find her online at poetryebook.com
Jeremy Snyder is the current poet laureate of Vallejo, California. Since 2018 he has hosted Poetry by the Bay which currently meets via zoom every Thursday night. His work has been published in Verses, Voices & Visions of Vallejo and on Gnashing Teeth Publishing’s website. He is currently working on his debut collection. Snyder has been writing his entire life, generally as a cathartic process for an objective view of self. Through Poetry by the Bay, Jeremy developed his voice on stage and began writing pieces specifically for public speaking. Jeremy can usually be found speaking all over the bay area along with his wife, Erika, who herself is a wonderful poet.
We hope you will join us for this terrific event featuring our outstanding local talent!

ZOOM LINK

Wow, I know that's a lot to take in... (I've been told I babble in these newsletters, but I just get SO excited and can't help it! I just love it all so much!) But there's just one last thing!

This morning I got to do something really cool -- Natalie from Another Chapter invited me to volunteer with her at Lincoln Elementary School, where a team gave away backpacks, hygiene bags, boxes of food, and books to families (all driving up - COVID safe!). We love what Natalie does and appreciate her so much. We always accept donations of new books bought for Another Chapter, and if you bought books to put in the basket for her we thank you. Our community is so awesome. Thank you for supporting Natalie and us!

Okay, that's it... Be safe everyone, and come and visit us soon!