"Writing in the mode of Edward Humes, David Owen, and Mary Roach, Carlsen offers an eye-opening and exuberantly informative walk-around-the-block tour that is made-to-order for this time of necessary at-homeness."
—Donna Seaman, Booklist review
Today, we welcome Spike Carlsen, author of A Walk Around the Block, to the blog. We loved learning all about the book on our July 21st Door to Door episode. If you haven't had the time to view it, please take some time to watch the video here. In A Walk Around the Block, the bestselling author of A Splintered History of Wood uses a walk around his hometown to explore how every part of our urban landscape—from manhole covers and recycling bins to pedestrian crossings and bike lanes—impact and shape our lives in this fascinating work of popular science.
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LIBRARY LOVE FEST is sooooooo appropriately named. Getting together with other book lovers, book promoters, book writers, and librarians to discuss the who, what, when, where, and why of writing is what it’s all about.
I’ve served on the Stillwater Public Library Board of Trustees in my hometown for 7 years, gaining a front row seat to what goes on behind the façade of our 1902 Beaux Arts Carnegie library. I see a place like no other—a place where kids, teens, adults, and senior citizens blend with ease. Where community meetings are held, weddings are celebrated, and issues discussed. Where there’s something for everyone. A place open to all.
My soon-to-be-released book, A Walk Around the Block, discusses how, in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic, we often overlook less obvious groups of “essential” workers; those that keep our water and sewage safely flowing, collect our trash and recycling, generate our electricity, repair our roads. Another group of essential workers is often overlooked—those who continue to work away behind the façades of 1902 Carnegie libraries, as well as the employees and book lovers offering curbside pickup, presenting online storytime, trivia nights, field trips, art projects, answering questions and offering guidance—presenting some semblance of “ordinary” in these extraordinary times.
So thank YOU for your service, librarians, everywhere.
And I can’t wait until I can once again stand in front of a wall of books, scratching my head, wondering whose world I should next explore.
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Thank you, Spike! Find a few photos from the book, some of the places Spike traveled to research the book, and a video of Spike talking about the book here. You can get your copy of A Walk Around the Block on October 20, 2020.
Download an egalley on Edelweiss+ and NetGalley now. LibraryReads votes are due September 1st.
-Lainey
www.librarylovefest.com
