LORETTA STINSON & LITTLE GREEN

Loretta Stinson has been doing all sorts of book events and interviews for Little Green since it came out on June 1st. The next big dates on the horizon are late August when she sets off for the Bay Area with readings at Green Apple Books on Wednesday, Aug. 25th and at Book Passage on Thursday, August 26th. We’re hammering out the details at the moment but we know that the San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium will be participating in the Green Apple event and we’ve got some other things brewing in the area as well with various domestic violence organizations and crisis centers.

Check out this Literary Arts interview with Loretta here.

FRANK MEEINK ON THE HISTORY CHANNEL’S GANGLAND

Frank Meeink of Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead has been busy with all sorts of projects. In the middle of his 20-plus city book tour this spring/summer he took time to film this History Channel segment that airs Friday night….

COVER SET FOR LIDIA YUKNAVITCH’S CHRONOLOGY OF WATER

We’re so pleased with the drop dead gorgeous final cover for Lidia Yuknavitch’s upcoming spring 2011 Hawthorne Books title The Chronology of Water — designed by Adam McIsaac at Pinch. And just so you know, there will be a book belly band available for booksellers concerned with the nudity.

SCOTT NADELSON & PLOUGHSHARES

Scott Nadelson’s short story collection Aftermath will be published by us next summer but in the meantime Scott has been busy teaching at Willamette University and, of course, writing, writing and more writing. Ploughshares published Nadelson’s Dolph Shayes’s Broken Arm in its spring 2010 issue guest-edited by Elizabeth Strout and you can read the story in its entirety on their site.

Time to shake a leg and celebrate Little Green!

We’re all getting pretty excited over here counting down the days until the book launch party for Loretta Stinson’s Little Green. It’s fantastic to have a book launch party precede all sorts of great coverage from the likes of Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, The Rumpus, ForeWord Reviews and then some. When it comes down to it though we don’t need these publications to tell us what we already know. Little Green’s got it going on. Come celebrate with Loretta Stinson and the entire Hawthorne Books crew this Sunday night at Mississippi Pizza Pub!

Little Green Book Launch Party
No cover. All ages. Live music. Pizza and beer on us!
Sunday, July 18th 9:15-11:30pm
Mississippi Pizza Pub
3552 North Mississippi Ave.
Portland, OR
503.288.3231
www.mississippipizza.com

Live music from The Barkers
www.thebandthebarkers.com

On bookshelves nationwide!

Although publication dates are sometimes a bit slippery with books (you’ll often find titles on shelves a week to three weeks before pub. date) it’s still a momentous occasion for the writer and the publisher. Today Loretta Stinson’s Little Green is officially out in the world. We are very happy and so are a lot of you. We know because you’ve told us and so have the reviewers. Here are a few of the reviews rolling in…

Reading Local: Portland
Valet Reader
Brain Candy Book Reviews

A clip from the ForeWord Reviews piece:

Loretta Stinson successfully mixes drama with gritty reality in her first novel, in which she navigates the fraught waters of domestic violence and drug culture with a careful hand and compassionate heart…Her characters are dynamic and utterly real and while we may want to seal our eyes from the images she hands us it’s impossible not to watch, not to hurt for Janie…while her dreams slip further and further from her grasp.–Andie Diehn, ForeWord Reviews

This fine looking fellow, Frank Meeink, will be in PDX June 3-8 for readings and events.

A little more good news…

Since March 30th, Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead’s Frank Meeink has been on his 20-plus city book tour and this week he lands in Portland. From Ames, Iowa, to Chicago, Phoenix, New York City, Boston, LA, Las Vegas, and more Frank has been zigzagging across the country for book readings and events.

We’re looking forward to spending the better part of a week with him here and since we’re good at sharing we hope you’ll join us. Come one, come all!

Portland calendar:

June 5th, 9pm — Book launch party @ Mississippi Pizza Pub, live music by Nicole Berke, no cover and pizza and beer on us, 3552 N Mississippi Ave., Portland OR.
June 7th, 7:30pm — Reading @ Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, Portland OR.
June 8th, 7pm — Reading @ Barnes & Noble Clackamas Town Center Mall, 12000 SE 82nd Ave., Portland OR.

Recent coverage:

Huffington Post
Ring of Fire Radio
Utne Reader
Coast to Coast
Fresh Air
Chicago Tribune

You're going to be seeing a lot more of Loretta Stinson's name in upcoming weeks...

It’s been busy at Hawthorne Books this spring and that’s not going to stop this summer. Loretta Stinson’s debut novel Little Green, with an introduction by Robin Givens and accolades from Debra Gwartney, Cheryl Strayed, Gina Oschner and other renowned writers comes out in less than a month — June 1st pub. date — and we’re getting ready for her book tour and all sorts of book events.

For now, we have these local PDX events lined up:

Thursday, 29 July 2010 :: 7.00 pm
Elliott Bay Book Company | 1521 Tenth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122. (206) 624-6600 :: Loretta reads from Little Green.

Little Green review copies went out early March...

Followed by Little Green postcards earlier this week...

Little Green, a novel by Loretta Stinson
From Hawthorne Books
pub. date June 1, 2010
www.hawthornebooks.com

A conference attendee checking out Hawthorne Books titles at AWP's Annual Conference in Denver in April...

Before I began working as an intern at Hawthorne Books, I bought tickets to attend this year’s AWP (The Association of Writers & Writing Programs) annual conference mid-April in Denver with some of my peers from Portland State University’s publishing program. Ooligan Press, the student-run press connected to the publishing program, wasn’t going to have a table at AWP, but a group of us decided we couldn’t miss the opportunity to attend.

My decision proved fortuitous for multiple reasons—not only because my traveling partners and I were randomly upgraded to the historic, four-star Brown Palace Hotel & Spa, but also because it meant that Hawthorne Books senior editor Adam O’Connor Rodriguez wouldn’t be left to run the Hawthorne Books table all by himself for eight hours a day.

I spent the weekend doing double duty—both as intrepid student, out to glean as much information as possible, and as dutiful intern, helping out in any way possible.

Not everything went smoothly—Hawthorne’s table was tucked away in a back corner, and the banner that had been ordered to adorn it didn’t arrive on time. Even so, I had some great conversations with those who stopped by P8. Many stopped when they saw Frank Meeink and Jody M. Roy’s Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead, saying, “Oh, I just heard this guy on Fresh Air the other day.” I also heard some great reviews of Hawthorne Books author Monica Drake’s reading at the conference.

As for the student side of things, I was able to check out some great sessions. From a discussion on the changing grounds of copyright, complete with a performance piece, to a panel of writers who intentionally blur the lines between genre fiction and literary fiction, a lot of great dialogue was happening. Keynote speaker Michael Chabon was engaging and entertaining, and there were scores of other great speakers and readings, including one of my personal favorites, Sherman Alexie, who read along with four other poets to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the Beloit Poetry Journal.

Even with all I saw, I’m sure there was a lot that I missed. All in all, it was a great weekend, packed with sunshine, lots of free literary swag, and hanging out with my favorite kind of people—book people. Here’s looking forward to next year’s AWP conference in D.C.

The Association of Writers & Writing Programs
www.awpwriter.org

Check out Frank Meeink on Fresh Air...

“And I remember looking up at God and saying, ‘God, maybe there’s something wrong. Maybe you’re right. Maybe on the black, Asian and Latino issue, maybe we are all equal.’”

The above quote is from Frank Meeink’s interview with Dave Davies on Fresh Air Wednesday, April 7th. The thirty-minute interview covered Meeink’s abusive upbringing, his transformation from skater to skinhead, his time in prison, his recovery, as well as his book Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead written by Jody M. Roy, Ph.D.

We also want to let you know that Hawthorne Books senior editor, Adam O’Connor Rodriguez will be at AWP (The Association of Writers and Writing Programs) conference this week in Denver, Colorado, at the Colorado Convention Center, exhibit hall A, table P8, tabling for Hawthorne Books along with some of our authors. If you’re in the area, stop by and say hello.

Listen to Frank Meeink on Fresh Air

All sorts of media attention building...

It’s been an exciting month for Hawthorne Books as we move closer to the April 1st, 2010 pub. date for Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead. In the past two weeks there have been all sorts of developments and we’d like to keep you in the loop.

Reviews Already In

The Rumpus:

“Frank Meeink is the most famous ex-skinhead in America, his life the basis for the character
of Derek Vinyard, the neo-Nazi portrayed by Edward Norton in American History X… Amazingly brutal and difficult to digest, Autobiography follows Frank from childhood through his involvement with the white supremacist movement.” — Caleb Powell

Booklist:

“Here’s a memoir guaranteed to generate a high amount of interest. Stories of personal redemption don’t get much more interesting than this one… Unflinchingly straightforward: some of the language is quite raw, and imagery quite graphic. But there’s no point in telling this story if you’re going to whitewash it first.” — David Pitt

Kirkus Reviews:

“Indelicate and harsh, but never preachy or whiny, this is an intimate, uncompromising memoir. Though it hits some predictable notes-mostly because of Edward Norton’s familiar character in American History X-it speaks forcefully from experience. Fearless, enduring story of human fragility and strength.” — Molly Brown

The Portland Mercury:

“And while a behind-the-scenes look at the neo-Nazi movement provides the book’s most fascinating moments, Autobiography is equally a tale of alcoholism, drug addiction, and recovery… Autobiography reads like an alcoholic’s fourth step—’a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves’—because that’s essentially what it is…remarkable evidence that people really can change.” — Alison Hallett

Upcoming Media

Fresh Air interview
People Magazine review
Utne Reader review
Huffington Post story
Publishers Weekly review
ABC Channel 6 Action News interview
Kirkus Reviews interview
Iowa Public Radio interview

Book Tour

March 30, 2010 Ames
April 7, 2010 Chicago
April 12, 2010 Phoenix
April 15, 2010 Tempe
April 21, 2010 Detroit
April 29, 2010 Albuquerque
May 4, 2010 Boston
May 12, 2010 Omaha
May 18, 2010 Orange County
May 20, 2010 Los Angeles
May 26, 2010 Las Vegas
June 1, 2010 Seattle
June 5, 2010 Portland
June 11, 2010 Denver
June 14, 2010 New York
June 21, 2010 Washington, DC

Social Media

Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead Facebook
Hawthorne Books Facebook
Hawthorne Books Twitter

Last minute reminder for this fantastic event.

Nearly two months after the catastrophic 7.0M earthquake in Haiti, Mercy Corps is striving to rebuild the country. From securing clean water and sanitation for survivors, to creating jobs clearing debris for locals, Mercy Corps volunteers are doing their part in rebuilding Haiti. Now you can do your part by attending:

Read to Rebuild- A Haiti Benefit Reading

Reading Local: Portland, an online blog for all thing book-related in Portland (we are big fans), has initiated Read to Rebuild, their very first event. Writers’ Dojo has partnered up, opening up their space in St. Johns to host Portland’s literary community. The event will consist of author readings, updates of Haiti from Mercy Corps representatives, music from local musicians Sweeter Than Later, free wine from Cameron Hughes Wine, and a raffle.

Hawthorne Books has donated autographed copies of some of our titles to the raffle. Other raffle donors include Cameron Hughes Wine, Wordstock, Back Fence PDX, Dark Horse Comics, Title Wave Books, Green Bean Books, Second Glance Books, Floating World Comics, Broadway Books, Microcosm Publishing, Annie Bloom’s Books, Random Order Coffeehouse and Bakery, In Other Word’s Women’s Books and Resources, and many more!

Join us on March 16th @ 6:30pm at the Writers’ Dojo in St. Johns. The suggested donation of $10 also includes one free raffle ticket. All proceeds will be given to Mercy Corps, to assist in the relief efforts in Haiti. We look forward to seeing you there!

Better late than never...

Ok so it was a couple months ago but we didn’t have a blog at the time and now we do so time to give a little love to Wordstock. Rhonda Hughes – Hawthorne Books co-publisher — has been on the Wordstock Board of Directors for four years so she knows the ins and outs of this very Portland celebration of all things books.

If you haven’t been to Wordstock I highly recommend that you check it out next fall. The gist: Portland Oregon’s annual festival of books and writers was founded in 2005 and features a book fair, readings, workshops and more. Book fair exhibitors range from McSweeney’s and Fantagraphics to Hawthorne Books, Dark Horse, Ooligan Press and Timber Press.

I’ve been the past three years and every year I come across an author, or two, or three and a publishing house, or two, or three and a publication, or two, or three that joins my favorites. If you love books then you’ll love Wordstock.

Think of it this way – where else do you get the chance to walk up to a table and talk to a publisher, editor and senior editor from one of your favorite publishing houses? You could have done that at our table. In fact many people did. Just don’t try to pitch us your manuscript. You can find our submission guidelines here.

Good times at Wordstock 2009

Wordstock — Portland’s Book & Literary Festival
www.wordstockfestival.com

Even though you can't see us we're waving from a fourth floor window in that tall building in the background -- the Eliot Tower -- behind the Portland Art Museum. If you haven

Since Hawthorne Books is very close to celebrating its 10th anniversary (we opened shop on Hawthorne Blvd. in 2001 and have been downtown since 2004) we thought we’d celebrate with a brand new blog.

We admit that we’re a little late to the blog game – although in all fairness we did have a short lived blog a year ago – but we get it now. I mean we’re on Facebook, we’re tweeting on Twitter and now we’re jumping into this blog thing.

Hawthorne Books is a small publishing house with a lot of big ideas and we’ll be sharing those with you here. Of course we have our backlist and current titles here and our company history here – but this is the first time we can get more personal with impromptu author interviews, nitty gritty publishing news, sneak peeks into our publishing schedule, and the scoop on what kinds of manuscripts we’re really hungry for.

In addition to all that we’ll give you a heads up about author events and goings-on, literary awards deadlines, bookwormy events and more. We’re definitely going to be spending a lot of time talking up our incredible authors but we’ll also widen the lens. Thanks for stopping by — more shortly.