You could say the luck began back around Thanksgiving time. Mark Doty had been announced the winner of the National Book Award for his poetry collection Fire to Fire. We’d already scheduled a reading from his memoir Dog Years. How fortuitous now that our audience could congratulate him on this great honor. When the poet read from his memoir, he read each word with the breath and sound of poetry. Just now an old golden lab and a young man are walking through the light snowfall on upper Main Street, Sag Harbor. A sign of Beau, perhaps? or just another daily ritual of caring this dark afternoon? Mark spent time with each question from the audience, answered each generously, encouragingly, the poet teacher sharing his gifts. Here, he seemed to say, you try…
Some weeks later, storyteller and novelist Gioia Timpanelli lit the candles for Santa Lucia on her feast day, December 13. The patron saint of Siracusa offered her eyes to the world. “Here,” she might have said, “take them, and see.” Gioia’s new novel What Makes a Child Lucky takes place in Sicily, in a time of great hunger, or as the introduction suggests: “anyplace at anytime.” Gioia spun out the story as we sat rapt in its charms. Lucky us, we were able to make an audio recording thanks again to Tony Ernst at WPKN independent radio. Check the link for this and other special programs: http://eastendink.blogspot.com
Books bring light to our lives. .. Bright Solstice to all!
The Canio's Books Blog 
Books are beacons of light in these dark days. For anyone looking for Holiday warmth, curl up and read to family & friends, either Capote’s “A Christmas Memory,” or Dylan Thomas’ “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” Must readings for this time of year. Another recent classic to read is “Penny Parade” by Barbara Wersba. For a copy contact Canio’s!