It's Our Birthday! (Soon)

We all love a party here at Skylark, and everyone knows that there’s no party like a book party. (Everyone does know that, right? It’s not just us? No? Good.)

Hard though it is to believe, next month we will have been in business for A WHOLE YEAR. We opened our doors on August 25, 2018, and to celebrate our anniversary we shall be pushing out the proverbial boat on Saturday, August 24.

Among other things, we’ll be giving away a ton of excellent stuff, including temporary Skylark tattoos (!), some of our fantastic new tote bags, and exclusive signed books. We’re also going to have a raffle - you qualify for one ticket for every $20 you spend that day - with a variety of pretty amazing prizes up for grabs, including:

First Prize: A twelve-month Skylark paperback subscription for you or someone you really, really love. (For more on what these are, go here.)

Second Prize: A Skylark Reading Spa (click here for details) worth $100 plus one of our lovely mugs. Again, you could in theory give this to someone else, but we’re not quite sure why you would…?

Third Prize: Thanks to our friends at Libro.fm, we have FIVE free 3-month subscriptions for audiobooks to give away.

Our brand new and completely gorgeous T-shirts will also go on sale for the first time that day. In memory of our recently departed and much-missed friend, George Hodgman, we’ll be donating $5 from every new T-shirt we sell on Saturday to The Center Project.

So come by, have some fun, and help us celebrate turning one!

Emily Wilson is coming to Skylark!

We’re thrilled to announce that Emily Wilson will be appearing at Skylark on Saturday, September 21 at 10:00 a.m. (bright and early!) to discuss her renowned new translation of Homer’s Odyssey.

More details here.

George Hodgman

We are deeply saddened by the death of one of our most cherished local authors, George Hodgman.

George was funny, and brilliant, and passionate. He was also an extraordinarily kind and generous man, especially when it came to books and writing. He was a supporter of the Unbound Book Festival before it even existed, breaking off from a national tour for his fabulous memoir, Bettyville, to come back to Columbia to speak and sign books at our first ever fundraiser. Such was his star power that everyone in the room that night wrote us a check. He appeared at the inaugural festival as a guest, and in the second year he brilliantly moderated a panel about writing and dogs. (Raj came along.)

He was a frequent customer at Skylark, and seemed to have read everything. I have fond memories of standing with him between the tables at the front of the shop as he passed judgment on the titles we had on display – often surprising me with his opinions. 

I read Bettyville twice. The first time, I laughed a lot. No surprise there: it’s hysterically funny. The second time, I saw past the jokes and was deeply moved by the heart-breaking humanity of his family’s story. That was George – his dazzling wit masking sadder stories beneath. I hope that this kind, sweet man has finally found some peace.

Alex

Do You Want to Appear in Rebecca Makkai's next book?!?

We love Rebecca Makkai. Her latest novel, The Great Believers, was a brilliant, richly rewarding story of the AIDS crisis in Chicago, and won (and continues to win) a gazillion awards and endless acclaim, and rightly so. It’s gorgeously written, completely engrossing, and a true triumph. Rebecca spoke at the Unbound Book Festival this April, and she’ll be returning to Columbia in August, as her novel has been chosen as the MU Honors College One Read selection this year.

Rebecca is a big supporter of independent bookstores, and - since yesterday and today are, ahem, “Prime Days” at a certain online retailer whose name we can never quite remember - she has made a very cool offer: purchase a copy of The Great Believers at an independent bookshop before midnight tonight (Tuesday, July 16), send her proof of purchase, and she’ll name a minor character in her next novel after you or someone you choose.

The Great Believers recently came out in paperback. We have copies at the store of course - and we also have a few signed hardcovers left in stock from Unbound. So come by and pick up a copy today - and see your name immortalized in Rebecca’s next book!

Books. And Cats. (But Mainly Cats.)

From Beth…

We have a happy new addition to our household: a kitten named Gustav. No, he's not named after the composer Gustav Mahler (although I do sometimes call him Gustav Meowler) or after my ancestor Gustave Adolph. The quick reason is that the humane society randomly assigned the name, and it suited him.

Needless to say, Gustav is a crazy, inquisitive creature when he's not sleeping. Our other pets currently consist of an elderly beagle as well as an older outdoor cat, and their energy levels register at almost zero when compared to Gustav's. Gustav enjoys being part of the action at all times, including planting himself on me during my sacred introvert reading time. Therefore, my reading attempts these days often look like this....

Or like this…

Admittedly, the kitten's constant presence is hardly a huge deal and is undeniably a first-world problem.. Gustav is a cute companion, and I can easily shift my position or move somewhere else to continue reading.

But what interferes with your reading habit? Is it something big and seemingly insurmountable, such as a work obligation? Or is it something insignificant, such as my kitten, or a default to relaxing with Neflix that might require only a simple alteration in your life?

Think about it, and then consider what minor adjustment you might be able to make to add more reading to your day. In the meantime, I'll be cuddling with Gustav and a good book....just in a slightly different position than before.

Cross-Generational Book Club!

Anyone with teens knows that there are years which both parents and their youth walk into with trepidation. My family is exceedingly grateful to have a solid foundation for approaching potentially difficult years. Our relationships are rooted by books and conversation. We are eager to share our productive roots. Along with my daughter, Sky, I am excited to bring a cross-generational book club to Skylark.

I left it up to her to choose the material, and in the car last week, she settled on some titles. “The Handmaid’s Tale,” she said. Apparently, many of her peers have already read it, and there is a discussion lingering. With “The Testament” coming this fall, it leaves the door open for more than one meeting, so we propose a trio.

On August 7, we open the table to discuss “The Handmaid’s Tale.” We encourage parent/teen combos to join us, especially those seeking to open doorways to difficult conversations. Anyone else interested in joining us is also welcome. This is not exclusively for duos. We hope to facilitate some thoughtful and important conversations, ones that will continue in the future.

On September 4, we invite returning and new friends to join us in discussing two titles we find to be in a similar vein. “The Power” and “Vox” both tackle Atwoodian dystopias, and open doors to new topics. We hope you will join us once more on October 9, a month after “The Testaments” has come out to see where Atwood has taken us.

Our goals include fostering communication and facilitating difficult conversations. We have navigated life together with openness and freedom of thought and know that this does not always come easily. While we want to encourage this communication in the group, we also know that books and talking about books is one of the main reasons we find common ground as well as challenge one another. There is nothing like a book to bring about thoughtfulness, and we know that a book like “The Handmaid’s Tale” is going to encourage more than most. We look forward to seeing you, with a cross-generational family member or friend, or even by yourself! Bring your knowledge, your questions, and an open mind.

All discussions will start at 6:00 p.m.

Carrie

Pre-Order Your Signed Copy of THE WOLF WANTS IN!

We are very excited to be hosting the launch of Laura McHugh’s blistering new novel, THE WOLF WANTS IN, on Tuesday, August 6. Already the book has garnered a huge amount of praise and interest and we can’t wait to help Laura share it with the world next month. It’s a phenomenal read.

It’s a little-known fact that pre-orders (orders made before the publication date) can be very important to the fate of a book. They are regarded as being a critical indicator of how well a book will do, and consequently authors and publishers like to encourage people to order the book ahead of the publication date, if they already know that they’re going to buy the book anyway.

If you are a fan of Laura McHugh, this probably means you.

Of course, we want to make things as easy as possible, and really it’s very simple. People can pre-order signed copies of THE WOLF WANTS IN from Skylark Bookshop, either by calling the shop at (573) 777 6990 or dropping us an email at: mail@skylarkbookshop.com. You can either choose to pick it up at the shop or we will mail it to you for a nominal fee. In fact, we’re talking to the publisher to get permission to send the signed copies out in the mail a little early so that they will arrive on your doorstep on publication day.

Word Games

It’s a clue, people.

There’s always something to do at the shop. But how do booksellers (and other word lovers) entertain themselves? Lauren writes…

Fifteen years ago, a friend of mine created a word game to occupy tedious shifts in the food service industry. The game was called Stinky Pinky. It was a game that finally gave advantage to us word-devouring bibliophiles who keep a list of favorite words in one pocket and a thesaurus in the other.

As vocabulary enthusiasts, we relish encounters with new words. In a Civil War history lecture at MU, Jay Sexton (Author of A Nation Forged by Crisis) used “recrudescent” to refer to the harmful resurgence of imperialism in the 19th century. I spent the rest of the lecture turning it over in my mind, daydreaming about the perfect opportunity to use it in conversation to impress (annoy) my friends… and paying attention to the lecture, of course, if you’re reading this, Dr. Sexton.

I speculate that this competitive drive for bookfolk to show off with words stems from an internalized lack of athletic skill that creates the perfect environment for mental word gymnastics. But here I am talking about myself again. It probably started with the invention of the word “actually.”

I’ve played my share of word games. It began with my father’s obsession with Wheel of Fortune, escalated when I angrily flipped my first Scrabble board, and peaked when I discovered Stinky Pinky.

The rules are simple:

Pick two rhyming words that have the same number of syllables. These words can be completely unrelated.

Think of an inventive clue to describe each of the words. Think Taboo here. How can you talk around the word or, more importantly, how can you show off your smarts?

Introduce the words by indicating the number of syllables. Think charades here. If you’re using two-syllable duos, say “stinky pinky.” One-syllable, use “stink pink.” If you’re feeling like a hellion, “stinkity pinkity.” Then deliver your clue.

Utterly stump your friends.

Try solving these:

Stink pink. Evangelical Stone-fruit.

Preach Peach

Stinky pinky. Leafy Steam Room

Fauna Sauna

Stinkity pinkity: Homosexual Actor.

Lesbian Thespian

Your friends will be so pleased to see what a wordsmith you are!

I’ll leave you with this stumper: Stinky Pinky. Credit card abbreviation, terrible lizard. Let me know when you’ve cracked it.

Deborah Zemke will be at Skylark at 2:00 p.m on Saturday!

We’re so looking forward to welcoming Deborah Zemke to Skylark on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 to talk about her wonderful new book, THE TREE AND ME, the fourth title in the Bea Garcia series! Deborah was recently featured in the Columbia Missourian, telling the true story that inspired the book - here’s the link.

See you tomorrow?

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

Beth writes…

On the cover of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, a blue swath of paint boldy streaks across the image of a faceless young mountain woman, who carefully holds a string-bound book. In Kim Michele Richardson’s new novel, Cussy Mary Carter is not only one of the Great Depression’s Appalachian Pack Horse Librarians, she is also uniquely blue-skinned.

Kentucky-born Richardson’s snappy language captures Cussy Mary’s yearning to find a place in the world where her color is accepted:

Didn’t have myself an escape until I’d gotten the precious book route. In those old dark-treed pockets, my young patrons would glimpse me riding my packhorse, toting a pannier full of books, and they’d light a smile and call out, “Yonder comes Book Woman...Book Woman’s here!” And I’d forget all about my peculiarity, and why I had it, and what it meant for me.

The blue complexion, a result of a recessive genetic pairing, means that Cussy Mary is treated as “colored” with all its associated prejudice. While on her treacherous mountain route the traveling librarian encounters respect, friendship, and purpose; by contrast, in the more sophisticated town she is shunned from community dances and the possibility of marriage.

Based on the real-life Fugate “Blue People of Kentucky” family, as well as on the early WPA librarians, this historical fiction title offers a unique glimpse into a tiny pocket of the world that contains both beauty and harshness. Anyone who treasures spreading the joy of reading will quickly soak up Cussy Mary’s story. And for book club members looking for a new treat, Richardson provides reading group discussion questions, as well as a brief historical summary and images. We have a whole stack of ‘em on our front table - come by and grab a copy of this exceptional read!

Skylark in Southern Living!

We were thrilled to learn that Skylark has been named as one of the “Best Bookstores in the South” by Southern Living Magazine! Given the rich literary heritage of that part of the world, and the number of incredible bookshops to choose from, we’re honored indeed to be included in this amazing list. (Although Alex was a bit surprised to learn that that is where he lives.)

Young Adult Fiction

Faramola has some thoughts on the Young Adult world that she’d like to share with you…

Do people not realize how lucky they are to live during this day and age? The reason why they are lucky is not due to the fact that technological inventions such as cars, phones, and social media now exist and thus serve to make life a whole lot easier (or more complicated, I suppose, depending on the stance that you take). No, it is because a thing such as Young Adult now exists and graces our shelves with its hallowed presence.

When it comes to Young Adult literature, our grand-bibliophiles (grandparents of bibliophiles, see what I did there?) will say “back in my day, we didn’t have young adult books”. And indeed, this is the truth. Just like its audience, this is a fairly young genre compared to other book genres, but my, has it emerged with a force.

Perhaps it is just me, but when I read Young Adult fiction, I notice that young adult novelists tend to unleash more of their creative imagination and allow it to freely flow on their pages in comparison to fictional works meant for an older audience. In the book world, the possibilities are endless, but in the young adult book world, it seems not just to be possibilities that are endless, but impossibilities that are present. How refreshing.

Another component about Young Adult books that I cannot help but love is that it is timeless. While its name connotes that it is for readers that find themselves in the awkward stage of life between childhood and adulthood, I find that it is meant for readers of all ages. There is this level of maturity fused with an always present youthfulness that gives young adult novels a certain flavor meant for the palettes of readers of all ages. I find that I must be patient with those that sneer derisively down at Young Adult, dismissively claiming that they are too mature for it, before wandering off to a more “mature genre”. Their words pain me, but I must forgive, for they do not know what they are saying: older readers will find that reading young adult books is just as educational as adult fiction novels, as one can learn so much from books such as these.

When I was a teenager, I was anticipating with dread the day when I would have to graduate from Young Adult and move on to more mature genres, but even now I find that my graduation date is continually being pushed back, and I suspect that it will be continually pushed back for the rest of my life. I am okay with that. The beauty of Young Adult is that it is meant for all readers and offers a level of imaginative creativity that makes one gravitate to these books. They are empowering, adventurous, youthful, mature, hilarious, tragic and they make you love books - in genera l- even more.

Need a Quiet Place to Study?

Finals are fast approaching, and that means that downtown’s coffeeshops are full of anxious students, hunched over their books. So here’s our little PSA: If you’re looking for a new place to study during finals, Skylark has you covered!

On our second floor we invite you to spread your projects out on our table, read in our comfy chairs, or discover our "hidden" beanbag in our "treehouse" spot. To help ease your stress during this time, we are offering coloring, chess, a puzzle, and dum dum lollipops.

In addition, enter a drawing to win a free ARC by studying at Skylark! (An ARC is an Advance Review Copy, a yet-to-be published copy of a book that gives booksellers a sneak peek of an upcoming title.) We’d love to share an ARC of a title that’s already been released. Study in the shop for an hour, and then drop a completed form with your name, email, and phone number into the container. We’ll contact if you win an ARC!

While students are always welcome to study here, check us out especially during the month of May to enjoy our special additions.

Mother's Day is nearly here. We can help.

If you’re wondering about a unique gift to give this Mother’s Day (which is on Sunday, people!!) then may we make a couple of suggestions for things which are super-convenient for you but will win you all the points?

Here’s a tip: books last longer than flowers. And chocolate.

Our subscription service is, as the saying goes, the gift that keeps on giving. Every month we’ll send a beautifully gift-wrapped book to your mom in the mail. We choose the title based on an online survey that she’ll complete. You choose whether it’s hardcover or paperback, and how many months you want the gift to last. We ship anywhere in the US. It’s awesome. People love it. More details here.

Our reading spa is perhaps the ultimate luxury gift for the book-lover in your life. Recipients get to spend a delicious hour or two at the shop. One of our team of booksellers will learn all about their favorite reads by having an informal chat over coffee or tea and a doughnut (or possibly cake), and will then suggest a range of possible titles to choose from. Every spa comes with $100 to spend books. In other words: totally guilt-free shopping. More details here.

Alternatively, just come in and talk to us, tell us what your mother likes to read, and we’ll recommend a wonderful book for her. We’ll even gift wrap it for you, at no extra cost. It’s all part of the service.

Still adding events for the summer...

We’ve just about recovered from Unbound, and are continuing to add events as we look forward to the summer. Keep checking our events page for new stuff. In addition to this Thursday’s talk with Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver, we’ve just added a very interesting event on May 16 about the most prestigious creative writing program in the country, the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. More details here.

Coming This Thursday... Wholehearted Teaching of Gifted Young Women

We’re excited to welcome Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver to Skylark on May 2. Dr. Fishman-Weaver is the author of Wholehearted Teaching of Gifted Young Women: Cultivating Courage, Connection, and Self-Care in Schools. This important book explores the critical role school communities play in supporting the social and emotional needs of high-achieving young women. Using a youth participatory action research model, the book follows 20 student researchers from high school through college. This longitudinal study leads to "Wholehearted Teaching," a new framework for cultivating courage, connection, and self-care in schools. Framed with personal stories and filled with practical suggestions, Dr. Fishman-Weaver offers strategies for teachers, counselors, parents, and high-achieving young women as they navigate the precipice of youth and everything after.

Kathryn Fishman-Weaver is an educator, author, and relentless optimist. She is passionate about community and strengths-based approaches to teaching, learning, and research. She is the author of Wholehearted Teaching of Gifted Young Women: Cultivating Courage, Connection, and Self-Care in Schools (2018). Her second book, When Your Child Learns Differently: A Family Approach for Navigating Special Education Services with Love and High Expectations, is scheduled for release later this year. Before becoming a nonfiction author, Kathryn’s first literary love was poetry and readers can hear that fondness for verse across her pages. One reviewer said “It is the rare work, such as this book by Dr. Fishman-Weaver that has the guts to interweave mind and heart and spirit into a tapestry of pure courage and hope.” Kathryn holds a faculty position in the College of Education where she serves as the Director of Academic Affairs for Mizzou K-12.

STOP PRESS! Poet Alison C. Rollins will be at Skylark on April 24!!

Never a dull moment around here, my goodness no. We’re thrilled to announce that award-winning poet, Alison C. Rollins, will be reading at the shop on Wednesday, April 24 at 6:00 pm.

Yes, that is very short notice. But opportunities like this don’t come along very often, and when they do, by golly you snap them up.

Born and raised in St. Louis city, Alison currently works as a Librarian for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is a 2019 National Endowment for the Arts Literature fellow. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in American Poetry Review, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Meridian, Missouri Review, The Offing, Poetry, The Poetry Review, River Styx, Solstice, TriQuarterly, Tupelo Quarterly, Vinyl, and elsewhere. A Cave Canem and Callaloo fellow, she is also a 2016 recipient of the Poetry Foundation’s Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship. In 2018 she was the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Writers' Award. Her debut poetry collection, Library of Small Catastrophes, is out today from Copper Canyon Press. We will have lots on hand if you would like a signed copy!

It’s still April, which means it’s still National Poetry Month. Come on out and listen to this rising star!

Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day!

We like to keep busy here at Skylark, so after the happy madness of the Unbound Book Festival, we scarcely have a chance to draw a breath before throwing ourselves into the festivities of Independent Bookstore Day, the annual nationwide celebration of independent bookshops. By happy coincidence our first IBD also falls on the day of the District’s Spring Shop Hop, a day of exclusive offers, free refreshments, free parking, and tons of fun events for everyone to enjoy throughout Columbia’s downtown.

So how are we marking the occasion? Well, let us count the ways:

First of all, we’re super-excited to host our first-ever DRAG STORYTIME at 1:00 p.m. Come and listen to some favorite children’s picture books told by our beautiful friends!

Secondly, at 4:00, the brilliant Samantha Fierke will be performing live jazz with her band. Sam is a wonderfully talented young vocalist and you will be charmed and delighted by her songs and performance. Come and enjoy some first-class jazz and browse for books while you’re at it.

… and while we’re on the subject of browsing for books, we would be remiss - since, well, we are a bookshop - if we didn’t tell you that we have a ton (probably quite literally) of signed books from last week’s festival, including a few signed by George Saunders (although these are going very fast and may be all gone by the time Saturday rolls around.)

We will also be selling excellent hardcover books at significant discount, so come by and hunt for a bargain. And we’ll be doing our regular promotion with our friends at Yellow Dog Bookshop, just down the street: buy a book from us, buy a book from them, and we’ll give you a token for a free ice cream at Sparky’s. What, as they say, is not to like?

In addition to all this, we’ve just taken delivery of a bunch of cool stuff that we’re not really allowed to tell you about, save to report that it will be available exclusively on Independent Bookshop Day, and you won’t be able to find it or buy it anywhere other than a participating independent bookshop. So come on out, enjoy the free parking, and help us celebrate the District and independent bookshops! See you there?

Poet-Tree!

April is National Poetry Month, and Beth wanted to celebrate this in a special way. We’ll let her tell the story…

So....why is that twiggy branch resting in the front corner of the shop anyway? That....drumroll....is our poet-tree. During this April's National Poetry Month, we invite you to celebrate with us at Skylark by adding any type of rhyme or line that you'd like, so that our poet-tree bursts full of beautiful leaves. We're providing some tiny green leaves, crinkly blue yarn, and a Sharpie marker, but you're welcome to go even more big and bold with your own designs.

Share some of your favorite poet's lines, or pen something yourself. Here, for example, is my brilliant haiku, written after mangling an attempt to cut a leaf silhouette:

Cutting crazy leaves

Do not leave me with scissors

This one is a mess

As you can see, absolutely anyone can compose poetry.

If you’d rather not try to write something yourself, be sure to check out our amazing three-bay poetry section up on the second floor to find something that sings to you.

Happy Trails

Carol has something she would like to say…

While life at Skylark has had one rather large upcoming event to focus on in April, I did not want to let the chance to talk about a cause near and dear to my heart pass by without mention.  This Saturday, April 13, marks the day when people can celebrate the opening of many trails, including our own beloved Katy Trail, to the myriad of activities that make trails great.  Just to name some: hiking, running, riding (bike and horse), skating, skiing, strolling, watching for wildlife and volunteering.

For those of you who do not know, I spent nearly 25 years in Washington, D.C., and while there, I became affiliated with a great national organization called the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC for short).  RTC helps advocate for groups that want to turn unused rail beds into walking, hiking  and riding trails. They are currently supporting the effort of the Rock Island Trail organization, which, if the ongoing Missouri State Parks study finds in favor of and the trail is completed, the Rock Island and Katy Trails will form a 459-mile loop, unlike any other trail.

 The Rock Island Trail would be boon to the smaller towns located along its route—you can read more about their efforts here.  I attended a rally at the State Capitol in Jefferson City last year, and the enthusiasm of the towns was fantastic to witness, even early on a lousy weather day.

So stop by the shop on Saturday morning if you can;  I will be glad to chat more about RTC, the Rock Island Trail or just generally rave about trails.