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Powell's Q&A, Q&A | June 24, 2009
By Colum McCann
"'Why do writers write? Because it isn't there.'"
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 Strange, isn't it, when something that once seemed so incredibly far away veers amazingly close? We're speaking, of course, of arguably the most anticipated day in publishing history. Not July 21, the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We're very excited about the long-awaited climax of J. K. Rowling's phenomenal series that changed bookselling forever — but what we've really been looking forward to is the Powell's Harry Potter release party on Friday, July 20! We've had our costumes sitting in trunks gathering dust and moths since The Half-Blood Prince came out two years ago, and now we get to shake them off and expose ourselves for the magic-loving dorks we are! In all the excitement, it's easy to forget there are other, just as thrilling, non-Harry Potter-related book events — like our interview with Anne Fadiman, signed first editions of Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach, plus essays from Sarah Susanka ( The Not So Big Life), Sean Kingsley ( God's Gold), and Victoria Zackheim ( The Other Woman), an INK Q&A with Jerry Stahl ( Love Without), guest blogger Lauren Kessler ( Dancing with Rose), and so much more!
signed editions
 more signed editions |
FEATURED INTERVIEW
 Anne Fadiman, author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down and Ex Libris, turns her hand in her newest collection to the familiar essay, a form in which she excels. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly calls At Large and at Small "a perfectly faceted little gem," and Booklist raves, "A master of the tangential, a close observer, and a lover of language, Fadiman is blithely brilliant in her pursuit of beauty and meaning as she wrestles with questions of life, death, and rebirth." Before her reading at Powell's City of Books, Anne Fadiman stopped by our offices to discuss familiar essays, poetry, the collecting spirit, and balancing narcissism and curiosity.
more author interviews |
NEW ARRIVALS
HARDCOVER
 New England White by Stephen Carter
In New England White, the eagerly awaited, electrifying new novel from the author of The Emperor of Ocean Park, a murder begins to crack the veneer that has hidden the racial complications of a New England university town, revealing dark secrets underneath. "[An] irresistible — and highly intelligent — thriller," praises Kirkus Reviews.
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Sale $18.86 | Hardcover
List Price: $26.95 (You Save: $8.09) |
 The Devil You Know by Mike Carey
Acclaimed comic book writer Mike Carey (Hellblazer, Lucifer) makes his fiction debut with The Devil You Know, the story of Felix Castor, a freelance exorcist who takes a seemingly straightforward job that rapidly turns into a "who can kill Castor first" competition with demons, were-beings, and ghosts all keen to claim the big prize. Publishers Weekly calls it "ingeniously multilayered.... Castor's wisecracking cleverness in the face of weird nemeses makes him the perfect hardboiled hero for a new supernatural noir series."
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Sale $17.49 | Hardcover
List Price: $24.99 (You Save: $7.50) |
 Breach
In the high-stakes thriller Breach, based on real events, a young FBI employee (Ryan Phillippe) is assigned to spy on his boss (Academy Award winner Chris Cooper), who's suspected of treason. The ensuing cat-and-mouse struggle ranks with the best conspiracy thrillers of the '70s, resulting in "a crackling tale of real-life espionage that doubles as a compelling psychological drama" (Los Angeles Times). As always, all DVDs ship free of charge.
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Sale $26.28 | DVD
List Price: $29.98 (You Save: $3.70) |
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PAPERBACK
 Lewis and Clark through Indian Eyes by Alvin Josephy For the first time in the two hundred years since Lewis and Clark led their expedition from St. Louis to the Pacific, we hear the other side of the story — as we listen to nine descendants of the Indians whose homelands were traversed. Seen through the eyes of Native American writers, historians, and tribal leaders of today, Lewis and Clark through Indian Eyes is a thoughtful, provocative exploration of history.
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Sale $9.80 | Trade Paper
List Price: $14.00 (You Save: $4.20) |
 The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl
Following his phenomenal debut novel, The Dante Club, Matthew Pearl has once again crossed pitch-perfect literary history with innovative mystery in The Poe Shadow, now in paperback — a beautifully detailed, ingeniously plotted tale of suspense that opens a new window on the truth behind the still-unsolved demise of Edgar Allan Poe. "[A] taut story line that delivers entertainment as well as insight," hails the Rocky Mountain News.
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Sale $9.76 | Trade Paper
List Price: $13.95 (You Save: $4.19) |
 The Missing by Chris Mooney
A breathless, gripping read from beginning to end, Chris Mooney's The Missing is an unforgettable story about a courageous woman whose past has literally come back to haunt her. Told with tremendous style at a breakneck pace, this is thriller writing at its best. "Scary story. Scary talent. I love this book," raves Lee Child, bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series.
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Sale $14.44 | Microsoft eBook
List Price: $16.99 (You Save: $2.55) |
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Kristin Hersh, lead singer of Throwing Muses and 50FootWave, blogs for Powells.com periodically — and her blogs are always a welcome surprise. She resurfaced on the blog last week with this amazing post:
My best friend in college was the movie actress Betty Hutton. She was too old to be in college and I was too young; this was all we really had in common, if you can call it that. Though she did like the fact that I was in a band.
"C'mon, Krissy," she'd say, patting the seat next to her in the student lounge, "sit down! Let's talk show biz!"
I had never heard of Betty Hutton, never seen any of her movies, and, frankly wondered if her Hollywood star persona wasn't invented. She was awfully... eccentric, to say the least. A gigantic woman who made herself seem even bigger by wearing rhinestone-studded turquoise cowboy boots and combing her white hair straight up, she smoked menthol cigarettes.
"Minty," I commented one afternoon.
"I don't like minty cigarettes," she said, "but I'm trying to quit chewing gum."
Read the rest of Kristin's post here and visit the Powells.com blog every day for book reviews, guest bloggers, Brockman's Book News, and more!
From the Authors: SAVE 30%
SEAN KINGSLEY: ORIGINAL ESSAY
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God's Gold is the breathtaking true story of an archaeologist's relentless quest to find an ancient treasure coveted by pagan Romans, Byzantine Christians, and modern Israelis. Sean Kingsley has written a brilliant account full of intrigue, mystery, and adventure — and even the most incredible parts are all true! "Kingsley's bracing tale of religious intrigue grips the imagination," raves Publishers Weekly. Read Sean Kingsley's essay and save 30% off the publisher's price of God's Gold. |
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God's Gold: A Quest for the Lost Temple Treasures of Jerusalem
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Sale $18.86 | Hardcover
List Price: $26.95
You Save: $8.09
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VICTORIA ZACKHEIM: ORIGINAL ESSAY
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From some of America's top writers comes The Other Woman, a groundbreaking, compulsively readable anthology about that most taboo of subjects — women who steal husbands and boyfriends from other women, and the consequences for those left behind. Read editor Victoria Zackheim's essay on how she persuaded writers like Jane Smiley, Susan Cheever, and Diana Abu-Jaber to reveal their secrets, and save 30% when you hook up with The Other Woman through Powells.com. |
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The Other Woman
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Sale $17.49 | Hardcover
List Price: $24.99
You Save: $7.50
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in our stores
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"Unimaginably tragic, Hosseini's magnificent second novel is a sad and beautiful testament to both Afghani suffering and strength. Readers who lost themselves in The Kite Runner will not want to miss this unforgettable follow up." Booklist (read more) |
5. The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Literature)
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JULY 20: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Party
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The faculty of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Powell's Books request your presence for the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final book in J. K. Rowling's series. Festivities will be held at Powell's City of Books, Powell's on Hawthorne, and Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing and will commence at 10pm. Books will be available at precisely one minute past midnight. |
JULY 24: Richard K. Morgan
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The future isn't what it used to be since Richard K. Morgan arrived on the scene with his groundbreaking bestsellers Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, and Woken Furies. Now, in Thirteen, Morgan radically reshapes and recharges science fiction yet again, with a new and unforgettable hero in Carl Marsalis: hybrid, hired gun, and a man without a country... or a planet. "Stellar," raves Publishers Weekly (starred review). |
view all events
preorder signed editions by authors coming to Powell's |
IN OUR NEXT EDITION:
An interview with Frank Deford and signed editions of The Entitled
They picked up Chester twenty blocks away, running laps around a bungalow, playing with a young Golden Retriever he'd met days before at the park.
"You can't just take off like that," Bear warns him on their way back to the house. Clearly, Chester feels horrible for the trouble he's caused. Maybe not sorry yet, but horrible, sure.
"They'll lock you up," Oreo warns.
Later, the cats will regale friends with tales of Chester's escape and the search that followed — nearly two hours it took to find him, and then only thanks to their network of neighborhood pets. It's the summer's first truly memorable adventure. And what's summer without those? But they won't admit as much to the new dog.
At least not until they get some dirt about this Golden Retriever. She's cute, but c'mon — twenty blocks at a sprint?!
Fup reminds Chester, "They could do worse than lock you up," but Chester returns only a quizzical stare. "They could send you back to the pound."
Chester stops in his tracks. "Have they ever done that?"
"There's no rule against starting now."
Send questions, comments, suggestions, and your best guesses for which characters won't survive the final Harry Potter book to newsletter@powells.com. Show us how prescient you are, oh mighty soothsayers!
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