Posts Tagged 'Sag Harbor literary history'

Steinbeck House Opening Day!

Published February 17, 2023 Uncategorized 2 Comments
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What a thrill to anticipate this Memorial Day weekend when the Steinbeck House welcomes visitors (by appointment only, see steinbeckhouseny.org) for the very first time. All the hard work over the past two-years has finally come to fruition. This is the place where Steinbeck wrote The Winter of Our Discontent, and Travels With Charley . The true value of this property, preserved in large part due to the Town of Southampton, can’t be measured in dollars and cents. It will be measured by the inspiration it provides those writers who will find peace and quiet there, with time and space enough to imagine, and to write their next great book. And even an hour’s tour of the grounds will afford the interested visitor a glimpse of the place that so inspired the Nobel Laureate. Book a guided tour to enjoy the expansive water view, stroll under sheltering trees, and step into the modest house Steinbeck called home.

SOUTHAMPTON TOWN BOARD VOTES 5-0 to PRESERVE STEINBECK HOME

The Town Board of Southampton showed their LOVE on Valentine’s Day and voted 5-0 to use CPF funds to preserve John & Elaine Steinbeck’s home as a writers retreat with low impact public access. Thank you, Tommy John Schiavoni, Supervisor Jay Schniederman and all Town Board members. You made history.

TWO years ago NO ONE thought it could happen.

But we did ! And we kept that vision alive with passion and integrity. Big thanks to the Sag Harbor Partnership who had the know-how, connections, and believed in the vision. April Gornik and John Avlon were early and steadfast believers who opened doors and minds to the importance of our dream to preserve John Steinbeck’s home. Susan Mead and Diana Howard (SHP) continue to spend countless hours working out the details. Colson Whitehead signed on early as Honorary Chair which was key. Thanks to this dream team!

More heartfelt thanks to all who spoke, wrote, and cheered from the sidelines, who helped in small or big ways. Each word of encouragement, every donation, every letter, and appearance at events added to our groundswell of community support that, in the end, was irresistable!

Together, we made history! We preserved a literary jewel that will shine far into the future.

We’re so gratified, we can’t thank you enough. More about next steps coming soon. For now, let’s savor this experience, appreciating what happens when people join together for the benefit of our local as well as world community.

To creativity & community!

with gratitude,

Kathryn + Maryann

We ‘re raising the last $200,000. Please donate! GOFUNDME.

Keeping Sag Harbor Salty

Published July 16, 2017 Bookselling in the 21st century , Bookstore Lore , Community , Current Events , Sag Harbor Leave a Comment
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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.

 

 

He’s Back! Big white whale sighting at Canio’s

Published November 15, 2014 Books we love , Bookselling in the 21st century , Bookstore Lore , Community , Current Events , Literary history , Reading events , Sag Harbor Leave a Comment
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In celebration of our 35th year, we’re planning a special marathon reading of Melville’s Moby Dick.
Canio began the tradition many years ago and due to popular demand, we’re bringing it back. Voices famous and unknown have participated over the years, sometimes reading, or listening in their p.j.s during the wee hours. Plans are now underway for a whale of a celebration, a special anniversary reading with surprises in store, special give-aways and more; contact the shop to be part of this historic event!

Steinbeck Slept Here!

Published February 28, 2013 Bookstore Lore , Literary history , Sag Harbor , Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Today, February 27,  is John Steinbeck’s birthday as noted, thoughtfully, but incompletely by Garrison Keillor on The Writer’s Almanac. (http://app.info.americanpublicmediagroup.org/e/es?s=1715082578&e=9333&elq=daf1cddcd35f43fa88e5fe39e05aa6ae)

We must add that Steinbeck lived, worked, fished, drank and generally had a good time here in Sag Harbor on the East End of Long Island. Some have called ours a “charming fishing village” not dissimilar to Steinbeck’s beloved Monterey Bay. Steinbeck spent the last decade of his life here, driving out from New York when his works were performed on Broadway stages.

We see a steady stream of  Steinbeck fans on pilgrimage who stop in to ask about where he lived — The writer’s home is now a private residence overlooking Sag Harbor Cove.  Our literary walking tours always wind up there, a respectful distance from the place he wrote The Winter of Our Discontent. It’s said he based several characters on Sag Harbor locals. Steinbeck’s American road book, Travels with Charley begins here in the wind-churned cove, just as Hurricane Donna blows through:”Under the big oak trees of my place at Sag Harbor sat Rocinante…”

John found pals among the locals, fishing buddies and drinking buddies in the days of the notorious Black Buoy bar when Sag Harbor was a place God-fearing mothers forbade their kids from venturing to. But local folks just let Steinbeck be Steinbeck, allowed him his privacy.  In a show of affection for what was then a proudly blue-collar town, Steinbeck helped create our Whalers festival, a giant street parade and rowdy weekend party featuring boat races that once brought sailors and boozers from far and near. The festival, now toned down as Sag Harbor has gone upscale,  is celebrated as HarborFest,  in early September when the crowds have dissipated, but when the weather’s still fine.

Steinbeck conducted his war with the ospreys here, as described in a humorous piece we included in our Sag Harbor Is: A Literary Celebration.  At the centenary of his birth, we hosted a Steinbeck celebration with an exhibit of photographs from the family collection and a stirring tribute by Steinbeck’s friend, the late Budd Schulberg. There’s a beautiful bronze bust of the writer in our beloved John Jermain Library, a tribute to the village’s claim on the Nobel Prize winner.

All this to say, Steinbeck once slept here! He lived here, played here, wrote here. Happy Birthday, John Steinbeck. Sag Harbor salutes you!

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!