You’ve been wanting to come browse the shelves at Canio’s for a while. You’ve been telling yourself you’ve got to get over there. Soon. Gentle reader, now is the time!
We’ve got great sales and great books in need of a new home. As we enter the last month at our current location, we’re taking stock of all the wonderful experiences we’ve enjoyed here over the past 25 years. A quarter century of literary encounters, meeting writers on the page, and in person. And meeting great people such as yourself! It’s a bittersweet task to sort through our storied collection, and make plans for an unknown future. Canio’s Cultural Cafe will continue with programing at partner locations. We look forward to sharing more news soon.
Stop by soon to find some great bargains, say hello, say goodbye. Tell us your favorite “Canio’s story.” And, help us keep the celebration of Sag Harbor’s literary culture alive.
Sometimes you just don’t know what you’re asking. When I asked playwright/actor Keith Reddin how he memorizes lines for a performance, he credited his wife, actor Meg Gibson. “She’s great at it,” he said. “She helped me a lot.” Both Keith and Meg had recently played in Bay Street Theatre’s captivating production of The Crucible.
When Meg agreed to give a two-part workshop on memorization, I was thrilled, but had little idea what I was getting into. To memorize well, Meg explained, we must make the text our own. Over two nights, she dove deeply into the poems we’d brought to learn by heart. She shared intriguing tips about how to spot patterns, and make images to help us bring the verses into our very being. We were engaging with words in a completely different way.
Meg pressed us further . . .
What did the text really mean to us? Why had we choosen this particular poem, or speech? Now there was nowhere to hide! We had to own it! Both amateurs and actors sat around a circle to try our verses. ~ MC
Staff member Evan Harris had this to say about her experience: “What a revelation to move into the act of memorizing with the assist of actor Meg Gibson! Meg’s approach to memorization is all about inhabiting the work to be memorized – in my case a rather humble poem by Robert Frost, “A Minor Bird,” about not silencing the singing of others. There were other, difficult poems brought by other, ambitious memorizers at the workshop. No matter the material, Meg led each of us to greater connection with our chosen text. We had a sense of purpose: making a bond with a meaningful piece of writing. Meg brought so much generosity, patience and curiosity to the process of speaking and learning to remember. “Do you want to work,” she would say when it was time to dive in and begin. This must be what actors say! I was intrigued, charmed. There was all kinds of laughing, and crying, and trying to understand and even actually understanding, on our own terms, the words we were setting out to learn. By the end of the workshop, the pure sentience in the warm, book-lined space of Canio’s Books had reached flying height. ~ Evan Harris
Imagine you’re hosting a literary Thanksgiving. Who’d be at your table? We’d invite Herman Melville (natch), and sit him next to Rebecca Solnit. Her new book Orwell’s Roses would necessitate George himself be invited. Certainly we’d love to invite Toni Morrison and James Baldwin. Guests of honor would be Joy Harjo (Poet Warrior) and Louise Erdrich (The Sentence). Plus Colson Whitehead (Harlem Shuffle) and Nikole Hannah-Jones (The 1619 Project), making for lively conversation. Pass the cranberry sauce, please! With exciting new work by Richard Powers (Bewilderment) and Anthony Doer (Cloud Cuckoo Land) among many others, this fall’s literary harvest is bountiful, sure to keep us well fed for months to come. We can’t wait to share these titles, and more with you. Let us know who you’d like at your table!
Come Tuesday, September 1 all other books you’re reading must be put aside to make room for the new Ferrante novel. What is it about the propulsive pace of a Ferrante sentence that pulls us along? Before we realize it, we’ve fallen deep into the inner reaches of her narrator’s psyche. We’re breathless. Everything else must wait.
Since mid- spring we’ve been eager for the official release of Lying Life of Adults. Books are stacked waiting for their readers. September 1 is “Elena Ferrante Day” so stop by to get your copy then cancel all other appointments, except for our Zoom discussion with translator Ann Goldstein and author Mary Norris, Saturday, September 12. (Check our events calendar to register for this event.
ANDon this auspicious day, join us on FACEBOOK LIVE at 6 p.m. with beloved author Adriana Trigiani (Big Stone Gap, Tony’s Wife, Kiss Carlo & more) whose fascinating weekly book talks feature terrific authors and showcase an independent bookshop. On Tuesday, September 1, Canio’s Books’ co-owners Maryann & Kathryn will share the spotlight. Author guests include Dr. Eddie Glaude, Begin Again;Nancy Pearl , Writers Library; and Lorenzo Carcaterra, Payback. What better way to celebrate great contemporary novels than with Elena Ferrante & Adriana Trigiani. Fantastico!
Browsers welcome! Masks are a must for in-store browsing. We’d love to see you and help you find just the right book. We’re now open all week. Sun & Mon: noon to five; Tues. through Sat. 11 to 5:30. Stop in soon!
If you’d prefer curbside service, we’re happy to assist. Contact us by phone or email. Send specific titles or requests for recommendations to: caniosbooks@verizon.net.
Or call 631-725-4926. Give us a few hints about what you like to read, and we’ll do the rest. Free shipping for orders over $50.; free local delivery (Sag Harbor area); and curb-side pick-up. Credit card pre-payment is preferred.
Beyond books, we have word games, puzzles, and notebooks to keep your household engaged. It’s a great time to try our Simpson & Vail literary teas for a cup of warm refreshment through the day of your stay-at-home. What better way to wash up than with Southampton Soap Company‘s lovely selection of gentle, all natural hand soaps. Add a literary T-shirt to your stay-at-home wardrobe for a comfortably bookish look.
Consider opening a house account via our Canio’s Community Supported Books program. Start with a $100. minimum balance and make purchasing easier. We appreciate our support of Canio’s Books. We’re working hard to keep you connected to the world of books you love. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
How did we get here? How did we get to be counting 20 wonderful miraculous years as owners of Canio’s Books? We got here because of so many dear loyal fascinating smart quirky customers who’ve taught us much over the years. Who’ve supported us as their neighborhood bookshop, or who’ve ordered books from afar; who came to events in all kinds of weather, who were speakers themselves; who made donations, baked cookies, autographed copies; who volunteered to help keep our doors open. Through twenty very full years as booksellers, we’ve been humbled, amazed, inspired by all those we’ve met here at Canio’s. The bookshop is indeed our University. Thank you for being part of our ongoing efforts to give back to this community so rich in creativity, in literary and artistic history, and precious natural beauty.
Come celebrate with us at our Literary Costume Party, Saturday, November 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. Dress as your favorite writer, character or creative person. And that could be you!
If we could recommend just one book for all on your gift giving list this holiday season, it’d be, with a doubt The Lost Words written by British nature writer Robert Macfarlane and illuminated with gorgeous illustrations by acclaimed artist Jackie Morris. This oversized art book collects nature words, simple ones like “fern”, “ivy”, “magpie” and “starling” and spins poetry around them, splashes pages with greens and gold and rich earth tones in stunning displays. Collects these words and paints them on outsized pages, reweaving them into the language. Why? Because they were left out of the recent junior edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. In their place, words from the world of technology crept in. But careful readers noticed and objected and turned their concern into action, creating a charity dedicated to inspiring young people to become advocates for the natural world. A portion of book sales is donated to Action for Conservation. Just one book. But with so many important words to say. Copies available at Canio’s. How many should we reserve for you?
Sag Harbor without its cinema, is one thing. A very big thing. We hope the cinema will be rebuilt soon. But now the pizza place? Word is out that Conca D’Oro, recently sold to a well-known restaurateur who promises to keep the name and the general feel of this 1950s-style trattoria. We hope so.
All this change makes us only more committed to keeping Sag Harbor a little bit salty. To provide this village with quirky and interesting books worth reading. To bring engaging voices to the community. To be a place for people, passion, poetry, prose & yes, T-shirts. Literary ones. Our handsome midnight-blue Moby-Dick marathon 2017 issue, for example.
If you haven’t been by for a while, you’ll find not much has changed about the basic plan of the shop. The floor boards still creak and the shelves are still jammed. If you’re a frequent visitor, you know there’s always something new to discover in those stacks.
Sometimes things can get just a little too slick around here. But rest assured, we at Canio’s will do our part to keep Sag Harbor’s literary legacy going strong. Now, please pass the salt.
What now? Friends are asking in the wake of the presidential election shocker last week. What we can offer to those questioning how we got here, is more of what we so believe in: the power of books to inform and inspire. The power of community to support and strengthen the insights gained. And action, a plan for creative sustaining ways forward, to apply what we’ve gained through reading, reflection, conversation.
To that end, Canio’s Cultural Cafe will again offer a series of community discussion courses focusing on environmental issues. This winter we’ll present inspiring, engaging material to read, discuss & act upon focused on environmental activism, living simply, sustainable energy, and more. Join us for an upcoming course. Now more than ever the planet requires your participation. Find out more by contacting the shop.
We’re grateful to organizations like Northwest Earth Institute for creating and promoting these courses, and to Orion Magazine for providing inspiring articles to engage the imagination, the heart and mind in our understanding of our responsibilities toward Earth.
Undone by the relentless vacillations in this year’s presidential election polls, to say nothing of that nail-biting late-night extra-inning rain-delayed World Series Championship win by the come-from-behind Chicago Cubs (whew!), I just had to consult our Parisian pollster and restaurateur Craig Carlson.
Do you know his amazing memoir, Pancakes in Paris: Living the American Dream in France? This highly recommended read takes us on a wild ride from Craig’s “crazy” idea of opening an American-style dinner in Paris, to realizing that dream complete with pleasures, pitfalls and panic-attacks along the way. Sort of like those Cubs, rallying after near elimination! Craig is victorious with three popular Breakfast in America locations in the culinary capital of the world! Craig read at Canio’s in September, and yes, we even served pancakes with Vermont maple syrup.
So how is the Breakfast in America “presidential election” going in Paris? Back in 2012 his restaurant offered customers “an election” choice between two blue-plate specials: the Romney Omlette and the Obama Burger. They kept count, and announced the overwhelming winner: the Obama Burger by a landslide!
This year he’s featuring a choice between the Hillary “Hot & Nasty” Hamburger served with hot sauce, a nod to Secretary Clinton’s penchant for Tabasco, and the Trump “Totally-Rigged” Wrap with a “wall” of tortilla chips. The count right now: 34 hamburgers to 4 wraps. Voila! That settles it for me! Bon appetite and happy reading!
Canio’s Books is located at 290 Main Street, Sag Harbor, NY 11963, 631.725.4926. Call or email us, caniosbooks@verizon.net. While we love you to SEE you, you can also order new titles at our online storefront or some of our second hand inventory HERE. Thanks for visiting!
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