You may be wondering why we've altered the name of this newsletter. This is because Chel is putting her monthly newsletter, Book Musings, on hiatus for the time being, and is collaborating with Graham to get out his monthly report about what’s new in the bookstore. This is one of several measures we are taking to give us more time to work on creating a new and much better website that we expect to launch in the spring. Meanwhile, Chel is open to proposals if someone would like to do a guest issue of Book Musings – contact her at chela@fgcquaker.org
The News[ings]
To start off with children’s books for a change, we have the delightful Only One You. We have stocked the smallish hardback for some time, and it is now available as a board book. It is one of those books for the very young that adults can enjoy reading over and over again, as I am sure they will have to. AND don’t forget to see the selection of children’s books recommended in the new Sparkling Still curriculum―you can find them all here.
Two worthy academic books will interest Friends. We have a paperback edition of Maurice Jackson’s book on the fascinating Quaker abolitionist Anthony Benezet, whose inspiring life and legacy should be far better known, and now can be with this almost affordable biography, Let This Voice Be Heard: Anthony Benezet, Father of Atlantic Abolitionism.
The author of Friends and Strangers: The Making of a Creole Culture in Colonial Pennsylvania, John Smolenski, looks at the colonization of Pennsylvania through the lens of “creolization”―adapting old world habits and ideas to the new lands. As you would expect, the index contains shedloads of references to Quakers.
Arriving on the last day of the FGC Gathering, so it couldn’t make last month’s top ten list, is An Inner Strength: Quakers and Leadership. This anthology is the second in a series from Western Friend on “giving form to faith.” It includes stories and reflection on leadership from many prominent Quaker voices such as Shan Cretin, Robin Mohr, Joe Volk and (ahem) Graham’s wife, Lucy Duncan
The fiftieth anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington and Bayard Rustin’s posthumous selection for the Presidential Medal of Freedom have been major news stories, and we have many books for Friends delectation and education. Listed here are Bayard’s books, CDs (he was a gifted singer as well as a thinker and writer) and a DVD.
And here is a quick list of books on “The March”
The March on Washington: Jobs, Freedom, and the Forgotten History of Civil Rights by William P. Jones
The Speech: The Story behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream by Gary Younge
I Have a Dream (the only children’s picture book version) by Martin Luther King Jr.
Chel is excited about a new book from Huston Smith, And Live Rejoicing: Chapters from a Charmed Life. No doubt many Friends will remember the wonderful PBS series that Smith and Bill Moyers did on "The Wisdom of Faith." This book is filled with stories from a life spent exploring the religions of the world, looking deep below the surface, and having "personal encounters with spiritual mavericks, remarkable seekers, and the world's great religious leaders."
Finally, here are three exciting titles we acquired as remainders and can offer on sale:
It used to cost $99 to get a copy of the 628-page Juvenile Justice Sourcebook: Past, Present, and Future. Now at $12 (for those of us who are not well paid lawyers) it is full of innovative progressive ideas on the topic of justice.
Deborah Cadbury the British friend and author of our bestselling Chocolate Wars produced an earlier book, Altering Eden: The Feminization of Nature, about the worrying chemicals in food and food containers. You may recall a “Nova” segment on PBS based on this book that examined how these chemicals affect the maleness of many species including us. This work has already led to positive changes, though not enough.
Last but not least: Not Guilty: Twelve Black Men Speak Out on Law, Justice, and Life. Twelve young writers, mostly lawyers, journalists, or other professionals, speak what is on their mind, of their experiences of racism, and of living in America. “Together these essays deconstruct the myths that shroud our nation's black men and offer small rays of hope that on the streets, at school and work, and in the courtroom justice will be served.” Pretty stark reading, but well worth the time.
More next month!
Cheerio from Graham, so long from Chel
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Finally, finally, finally – it is here! The long awaited, much despaired new edition of the Directory for Traveling Friends is in our bookstore! Thanks to the long labors of volunteer Beth Groton and the many generous Friends who have offered to list their homes as places where traveling Friends may be hosted, we finally have an updated edition of this publication covering hosts in the U.S. and Canada. We ask that the travelers who use this directory carry a letter of introduction from the meeting that they attend. |
 Does this opportunity appeal to you? Come into our bookstore in Center City Philadelphia on a regular basis (maybe half a day a week, but negotiable) and handle books. Put them on the shelves where they belong. (So many things happen to take those pesky books off the shelves.) Be one of the first to see new titles arrive. Help us to continue the ministry of the word. Win the undying gratitude of FGC staff. We long for a few reliable volunteers who would join us on a regular basis to help us stay on top of our work. If you are interested, call us at 215-561-1700 ext. 3225 or email chela@fgcquaker.org. |
