To Memorize, Make it Personal

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

Colson Wows Sag Harbor Crowd

What could top our sellout event featuring Colson Whitehead reading from his newest novel to family, friends and fans in his own summer-home town?  Hard to imagine. We gathered at the beautiful, historic and welcoming Christ Episcopal Church as Priest-in-Charge Mother Broderick invited us to consider this house of worship, “our house” for important gatherings and celebrations of life-passages. Canio’s Books co-owner Kathryn Szoka praised Colson’s copious literary achievements, and acknowledged his early support of the Steinbeck House preservation project. Whitehead signed on as honorary chair, a commitment, Szoka said, that catapulted the campaign and led to its success.

 Colson charmed the audience reading a nostalgic passage from his most personal novel, Sag Harbor, a book pivotal to his development as a writer. Young Benji views the village through its ever changing facades as he tries to find his footing on unfamiliar ground. Whitehead gave us a sneak peek of his work-in-progress, the third installment of his Ray Carney series. It featured a cameo appearance by Major Ed Koch, and promises to be another winner.

Whitehead first introduced Carney, a furniture salesman cum fence in the 2021 heist novel, Harlem Shuffle set in the ‘60s. In his new book, Crook Manifesto, Carney returns, a decade later, in the late seventies. Colson discussed his writing process – he listens to music to drown out the cacophony of city noise. Kathryn pointed to some particularly lyrical passages. The hope is as you mature as a writer, Whitehead said, you become better at finding the musicality, the right rhythm for the sentence. With Crook Manifesto, Colson has found just the right beat.

Steinbeck House Opening Day!

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, Travels With Charley, and America and Americans . 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.

Enjoy a literary Thanksgiving

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!

40 Years of Canio’s in Sag Harbor!!

Where did the time go? October 2020 marks the 40^th anniversary of Canio’s Books in continuous business at 290 Main Street, Sag Harbor. What an extraordinary joy it’s been to provide our exceptionally creative and caring community with good books and interesting events all these many years. Come to our ZOOM party on Thurs. Nov. 19 when we’ll hear from special guests: founding owner Canio Pavone; New Yorker Comma Queen Mary Norris; ecologist/writer Carl Safina, and more. (Register at Zoom link on our Calendar of Events. )

To celebrate, we’re collecting & sharing stories.  Your stories. Your favorite “Canio’s Moment.” We want to celebrate how Canio’s Books has been a literary gathering place for all in Sag Harbor. 

Tell us about a book you discovered, maybe one that changed your life. Tell us about an author you met at one of our events, a writer you long admired. Tell us about what it was like for you to read your own work at the bookshop. Tell us about a hidden gem you discovered while browsing. Tell us about a friendship that started in the stacks. Tell us what the bookshop means to you now. Especially now, in this year of unprecedented challenges. Let’s remember together some of the joys you’ve experienced at Canio’s Books. 

Have FUN with it! . Send us your video clip or written piece (details below).   

Thank you for helping us celeberate! We’re so grateful for our supportive community. You’ve helped the bookshop thrive through these four decades. We look forward to more stories being created each & every day we open our doors.

with gratitude & thanks,

Maryann & Kathryn

Submission Guidelines

WRITTEN: Submit your story (prose or poetry welcome!) by email to caniosbooks@verizon.net  Subject: Celebration Story . Please send prose in 12 pt. type, double-spaced. Maximum ten pages. And one concise paragraph is just perfect!

VIDEO:

• Production: It doesn’t have to be high art; it’s content that counts! Be sure the audio quality is clear and we can see your face. Facial expressions are key; be sure you’re close to your camera. Shoot during daylight to make lighting easier.
• Landscape mode: Please shoot video in landscape mode otherwise, your face will be small and most of the screen will be dark. If you shoot from your phone, be sure to turn it lengthwise!
• Keep it short: 30sec-2min is ideal; but if you’ve got a really good story to tell, longer is fine!
• Uploading:  When your video is done, send it via WeTransfer.com to caniosculturalcafe@gmail.com.  

Elena Ferrante Day! Sept. 1

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.

AND on 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!

Connecting You with Books

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!

Sit Tight in the Buggy

What with no basketball to watch this month as both the NBA and NCAA have canceled games, this waiting out the worst of the corona virus will take some resilience. But we can handle it! We at Canio’s are taking extra precautions, stepping up sanitizing at the shop, practicing social distancing, and teaching our photography & writing workshops on Zoom. While our in-house events are postponed for now, the lights are on, and we’re open for business, with reduced hours: 12-5, closed Wednesday.  We are also available other times by appointment. You are welcome to call or email in an order anytime!

We’ll get through this crisis as a caring community. We want to be sure you’re healthy and safe, and also well read. We’re offering FREE shipping/delivery and curbside pickup.  Please know we value your health and safety and your business.

We are looking into setting up virtual events via Zoom, YouTube & Facebook Live.  Stay tuned for details.

Many helpful healthful tips are provided in this article by Dr. James Hamblin writing in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-what-you-can-do-help-slow-outbreak/607369/?utm_source=pocket-newtab

As a dear customer once advised us during another rocky time we had to endure: “sit tight in the buggy”  a local expression handed down from his mid-west ancestors accustomed to arduous rides over miles of rocky terrain in horse-drawn carriages. They must have been some strong people. And so are we!

James Monaco, film expert, publisher, friend

Jim came to one of our literary costume parties dressed as the poet Paul Oppenheimer. We hadn’t heard of the poet, but with Jim you were always learning something. He wore a tweed jacket typical of any college professor, jazzed up with an outrageously loud tie, the poet’s signature fashion statement. Around his neck, Jim wore a placard with an Oppenheimer quote: “The Battle is To Rescue Life from Abstraction.”  Through our friendship, we learned something about the significance of that quote.

We first met Jim when he presented a set of field guides he’d just published by naturalist Mike Bottini a much-admired and longtime friend. Jim’s list with Harbor Electronic Publishers includes many important works that celebrate local history and document cultural and natural life on the East End – those very qualities that make our community unique. He published Voices of Sag Harbor: a Village Remembered; True Tales of Old Sag Harbor by Jim Marquardt; On Montauk: a Literary Celebration; Oh, That’s Another Story, featuring full-color wood block paintings by Whitney Hansen and oral histories gathered by Alexandra Eames. A fishing memoir On the East End: The Last Best Times of a Long Island Fishing Community by Clarence Hickey; an artist’s memoir, A Life of Lights and Shadows by Nicki Gioia Mitchell; and our own collection, Sag Harbor Is: a Literary Celebration. That first encounter led, over time, to a much cherished friendship.

Jim excelled at many things. A well-known film expert, his master work How To Read a Film published by Oxford University Press is considered the definitive film resource.  His other film books include American Film Now, The New Wave, The Encyclopedia of Film, and The Connoisseur’s Guide to the Movies.

Jim was an innovator and early adaptor of digital technology. But he also loved the outdoors. An avid gardener, recycler and environmentalist, Jim was co-founder in 2012 of Long Island Nature Organization a clearinghouse for scientists, educators and the public on all matters of Long Island nature. An annual LINO conference now in its seventh year brings together hundreds of participants to share important research.

Jim loved to walk the shore at Long Beach observing often overlooked flora and fauna. We’d see him there regularly combing the shore, reporting back on some little known plant just then in bloom.

Through Jim’s vast work writing on films, publishing local history, tracking the successes and failures of myriad Italian seeds he’d plant, observing the movement of turkeys in his yard, his life was a seemingly endless and creative battle against abstraction. Deeply rooted in the particulars was where Jim lived.

Jim Monaco died in late November. He was a dear friend, greatly admired for his keen intelligence, sharp wit, multiplicity of skills and interests, and mostly for his generous spirit, not one to toot his own horn though he had ample reason to. He will be sorely missed. But he’s left us a legacy of books and good deeds, a testament to his own love of our community.

20 Years at Canio’s!

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.

Read more about our anniversary here: https://easthamptonstar.com/20191017/20-years-literature-and-community-canios

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!