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Be the Change
Thomas Linzey with Anneke Campbell
Gibbs Smith; $12.99
This small book may be the most inspiring thing you'll read all year. Thomas Linzey, who did a presentation in Indianapolis last year, aided by co-author Anneke Campbell (formerly of Bloomington, IN), is transforming the process by which people across the country are taking back their communities from the corporations who seek to harm their environment. Think of Be the Change as a kind of non-partisan social activism primer, and a gentle way to tell the gloom-and-doom Apocalypse acolyte in your family or subculture to quit bitchin' — and get to work organizing. – Jim Poyser
Bent Objects
Terry Border
Running Press; $17.95
What can you say about a book filled with pictures like this one: Two cornflakes equipped with wire arms and legs stand over the body of a third, fallen, flake, also with wire appendages, that’s been soaked with milk. A spoon with a telltale dollop of the white stuff sits nearby. This tableau is titled, “Lactose Intolerant, or Milk is a Cereal Killer.” It goes on this way for 130 or so pages, each with its own ingeniously wide-crafted image and groaner pun. Terry Border grew up in Indianapolis and has a decided, if inexplicable, talent for creating visual puns based on cheesy one-liners that he then photographs in an oddly hyper-realistic way. For some reason it works. We passed the book around the office and people looked at it the way they eat potato chips; they laughed, then they laughed again. And again. – David Hoppe
The Hoosier Cabinet in Kitchen History
Nancy R. Hiller
Indiana University Press; $34.95
Crazy as it sounds, a story about kitchens is full of wonderment, excitement and down-home wisdom. The history part is equally engrossing, connecting the whole idea of home efficiency to Harriet Beecher Stowe of Uncle Tom’s Cabin fame, who, with her sister Catharine Beecher, in 1869 published The American Woman’s Home. These activists "sought to improve the basic conditions of women -- most particularly, women of the urban middle class." The Hoosier Cabinet , born in New Castle, Ind., at the turn of the 20th century, became a national standard as a model of efficiency and actually still is. The built-ins that now dominate our homes can’t begin to meet the smart engineering of the Hoosier Cabinet. -- Rita Kohn
More Than I Could See
Dan Carpenter
Restoration Press; $12
Thousands of us think we know Carpenter’s voice through his columns for The Indianapolis Star (it was my privilege to edit a collection of them for Carpenter’s book, Hard Pieces, in 1993). This sense of familiarity makes Carpenter’s first collection of poems, More Than I Could See even more revelatory. The 40 pieces included here, as the title indicates, demonstrate a fully earned ability to go beyond the supposed facts of the circumstances they describe in an effort to break down barriers between subject and object, the writer and his material. This is a brave book by a poet willing to take us into his confidence; whose rhythms and attention to detail make the felt precariousness of his situation – a 20th century guy seeking traction in a 21st century city – a shared experience. That this book is published by local Restoration Press, the occasional but no-less passionate project of Tim Harmon and Tom Orr, is an added cause for celebration. – David Hoppe
Regina’s Seasonal Table
Regina Mehallick
Dine; $29.95
Regina Mehallick, Executive Chef and owner of R bistro on Massachusetts Ave. has produced a cookbook as elegant and focused as her trail-blazing restaurant. Mehallick was ahead of the curve locally when it came to emphasizing locally sourced foods and seasonal recipes for R bistro’s ever-changing menu. These virtues find admirable expression in this suave, simply organized collection of recipes aimed to complement each of the four seasons. There are enough options here to keep both vegetarians and carnivores busy – and well fed – but not so many as to overwhelm. There is also a nice range when it comes to degrees of difficulty. Aside from its practical applications, Regina’s Seasonal Table also represents a kind of milestone on the way to Indy’s development of a distinctive regional cuisine. – David Hoppe
The Roller Derby Guide to the Good Life
Circle City Socialites; $15
Indianapolis' newest roller derby team, the Circle City Socialites, takes the sport to an art with their retro homage to the ladies of the 1950s. Flaunting their socialite image to the fullest, the girls have come out with The Roller Derby Guide to the Good Life, a cookbook and domesticity how-to manual written by the "debu-taunts" themselves. The book is filled with personal tips and recipes from the girls, ranging from how to get rid of deodorant spots on that little black dress to cooking up Prozac in a Pan. Proceeds from the book go to Second Helping. You can buy a copy online at www.ccsrollerderby.com or in person at Big Hat Books and Silver in the City. – Anna Turner
Steel Giants
Stephen G. McShane and Gary S. Wilk
Quarry Books; $39.95
It's easy to forget that Gary, Ind., was a manufactured city, built to serve the working needs of U.S. steel barely more than 100 years ago, in 1906. The duneland on the southern coast of Lake Michigan was considered "wasteland" in those days -- and an ideal site for what would become the largest industrial plant in the world. Incredibly, Gary's trajectory would rise and fall within this narrow window of time. Now it's hard to imagine a confluence of events powerful enough to ever bring it back. Steel Giants is a fascinating look at Gary's rise. McShane and Wilk have done a marvelous job of mining the Calumet Regional Archives and assembling a photographic record that shows us the land Gary was built on, the stages of its development through the 1950s and, especially, the people who migrated to Northwest Indiana to forge the steel that became the backbone of 20th century America. An important record of industrial Indiana. – David Hoppe
T.C. Steele & the Society of Western Artists, 1896-1914
Rachel Berenson Perry
Indiana University Press; $49.95
T.C. Steele was the force behind the movement to bring Ohio Valley artists "who chose to return to and stay in" their native states to paint the landscapes and people they knew and felt a passion for. Perry’s outstanding commentary brings context to the aggregate artwork that rightfully captures us on its own. How these artists managed to garner national and international attention without moving to New York or Philadelphia -- or remaining in Europe, then the centers of exhibitions -- is a fascinating tale of boldness and belief.. – Rita Kohn
Kurt Vonnegut’s America
Jerome Klinkowitz
University of South Carolina Press; $34.95
In the first significant book to appear since Kurt Vonnegut's passing in 2007, Jerome Klinkowitz, considered by many to be our leading Vonnegut scholar, has delivered a brief, but helpful appraisal of KV's body of work. Klinkowitz’s prose suffers, at times, from a seeming wonderment at his proximity to Vonnegut’s celebrity, and his book, despite its title, doesn’t really delve into Vonnegut’s complicated relationship with the country he loved but felt he’d lost. These shortcomings, though, are more than compensated for by Klinkowitz’s closely reasoned insights into the singular nature of Vonnegut’s literary contribution. Vonnegut neophytes and longstanding admirers are both likely to find this a useful guide to a body of work that defies generic categorization. – David Hoppe
Walking Together, Walking Far
Fran Quigley
Indiana University Press; $19.95
A feel-good book for those bedraggled of heart, former NUVO News Editor Fran Quigley's nonfiction book, Walking Together, Walking Far, tells the extraordinary story of the ongoing partnership between IU Medical School and Moi University in Kenya. Together, these organizations have made great strides in battling HIV/AIDS, as well as poverty, malnutrition and despair. The book is a barn burner of a story, full of pathos and great storytelling and also some surprises, such as a chapter that gives credit where credit is due when it comes to George W. Bush and his commitment to increasing spending on HIV/AIDS and Africa. -- Jim Poyser
LOCAL BOOKS & AUTHORS: WHERE TO SHOP
Basile History Market
Located downtown in the canal-side Indiana Historical Society, this gift shop has it all when it comes to products related to the state of Indiana in any way – particularly books by or about Indiana residents and history, as well as maps and other historical items. Traditional visual arts like hand-blown glass and Amish-made products make great gifts, as do the resources for the family history buff in your tribe. Many items can be purchased online. www.indianahistory.org, 450 W. Ohio St., 234-0026.
Big Hat Books
The warm, welcoming setting begs you to come inside, browse the shelves at your leisure and spend the day in a La-Z-Boy getting lost in a book, if you so choose. It recently moved from its original Westfield Boulevard location just a few blocks away north of the canal and an easy detour from the Monon. In addition to selling books, Big Hat also maintains a schedule filled with author readings, signings, workshops and book clubs. Overall, the store makes reading more enjoyable for the literate and less of a four-letter word for those who aren't naturally bookworms.www.bighatbooks.com, 6510 Cornell Ave., 202-0203.
Bookmamas
A great neighborhood bookstore located in one of the greatest neighborhoods in the city. Irvington’s Bookmamas is a constantly evolving inventory of used books, as well as a hub for the literary-minded or just bookish among us. While the hours are tricky (Wednesday and Thursday late afternoons and evenings; Friday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.), Bookmamas frequently hosts events as diverse as a Jane Austen Book Club, Confunction Junction (open mic music and poetry), and the Ichabod Crane “Things that go bump in the night” Society meetings. Lots of great (and affordable!) gift options here. www.bookmamas.com, 9 Johnson Ave., 375-3715.
Jerry Musich Rare & Collectible Books
For the serious bibliophile, Jerry Musich’s fine collection of books is mecca featuring out-of=print and hard to find offerings in travel, art, architecture, history, biography and literary categories, each book is truly something an avid reader or book collector would find useful and/or inspirational. A fine collection of maps and antiquarian prints are also available for purchase and make splendid gifts. www.abebooks.com/jerry-musich-rare-collectible-, 1347 W. 86th Street 254-0690.
Out Word Bound
For more than 10 years, Out Word Bound has served as both a neighborhood bookstore and a viable community resource specializing in GLBT media. While they still sell old-fashioned books, OWB also carries a wide selection of movies, music, magazines, greeting cards and other pride merchandise. But these lavender walls offer much more than a pleasant place to shop or read. The store frequently hosts special events, including book signings and author readings. Sign up for the newsletter at the store or online at outwordbound.com. 625 N. East St., 951-9100. (Note: Sadly, Out Word Bound has announced it will be closing after Christmas 2009).
