Diesel, A Bookstore

I've been hearing & reading a recurring sentiment since the election: I can't read fiction right now. That I hear it most commonly from those I consider "serious readers" (those who don't read fiction strictly for entertainment or diversion), is cause for concern -- as I understand both the importance they place on reading and the mournful loss they're experiencing at not being able to do so.

I have a suggestion. It will sound so pithy that some of you will stop reading. But here goes: try poetry.

Let me stop you at the first all-too-common, immediate objection: "But I don't know how to read poetry." Nonsense. You're not dead. If you're this far into this post, you're obviously still breathing: that's all it takes. The rest is negotiable. 

Some poems are meant to be read quickly, the ideas seemingly less important than their expression. I'm not going to tell you whose or which these are. Because like anything worth reading, poems beg to be read askew (I like that word): at different paces, in many places, and in enclosed (for a moment, like a photo) by as many frames as there are minds. The poem will tell you when to breathe -- but here's a secret, you can tell the poem, "No ... not just yet ... not here." The poet might object, but the poem won't suffer for it. It's really okay.

Some poems are stuffed with ideas. They're in a rage about something, even if you don't know quite what. You're not even sure if they do. The good ones are talking their way into a problem; beware the ones with solutions you immediately agree with. The ones that too quickly talk themselves out of trouble are usually not to be trusted. They're either a huckster or a friend -- though possibly both. Poets like C.D. Wright, my obsession this year, don't want to be your friend -- and the aces up their sleeves are clearly from another deck. They want you inhabiting the ideas. With or without them, they'll nudge you further along, in search of the last reference, until you're alone with it. From there, you're on your own. But only until the next page -- really, trust me, it's okay.

But why poetry at all, you might be wondering? There's political theory! There's philosophy! There's work to be done, Brad!

Because from time to time, you need to eat.

Who should you being reading now? I'm asked this from time to time. My interest and evangelism for the section at the store is known. It's usually a question asked by people who are not already reading poetry. Once you are, oh, you become the best browser ever! At Diesel, we don't carry a lot of multiple copies in our poetry section. I want to pack in as much as possible. Hulking epics flank the wispiest seventy-page masterpiece. You're going to miss things -- your eyes will not seize them that time around. Poetry readers get this -- it happens every time they open a book. Just as we read in order to re-read, we return to the shelves of our bookshops often. We keep discovering things that were already there. (Or, yes, had previously been sold out. The Revolution hasn't happened yet, we suddenly recall from that political theory.)

But seriously, who should you reading right now? Okay ... Some suggestions:

Your local poets. Ask booksellers and librarians if you don't any know. Go to a reading. If it's not to your liking, sneak peeks at the books everybody brought with them. Here in Oakland, I'm fortunate to have places like Small Press Distribution, Commune Editions & Timeless, Infinite Light. Fortunately, for you, they all have websites.

C. D. Wright -- There are so many places you can start with C.D. Or you can do like me, and just read it all. If you're not like me, grab what you can find. It doesn't matter if it looks more like essays or lectures either -- it's poetry all the same. What's more, it'll turn into an encyclopedia of poetry before your very eyes. Humane: it's such a dry, dull word. And yet the one I keep associating with her, and realizing it's become so foreign.

Robert Creeley -- He is C.D.'s titanic lion ... and in many respects opened many ears (mine anyway) for the poets we so desperately need to be reading today.

Daniel Borzutzky -- He won the National Book Award for poetry this year. I know, you don't trust award committees. (Maybe reassess that with poetry, by the way. There's not a ton of people reading it seriously [or at all]. Usually, I feel like Fiction prize juries really should hang out more with Poetry prize juries. Do some trust-falls at a camp or something. Grab a coffee at the very least.) There is a rawness to Borzutzky's anger (principally at a capitalist system not meant to fit the living world) that could, with a lesser writer, slip out of his control. It never does.

Solmaz Sharif -- I thought her debut collection Look would win the National Book Award this year. I was wrong about that, but certainly not at its enduring place in our thinking about role language places in assessing, processing, admitting, and denying identity.

Ari Banias -- There's a wonderful funny tenderness to a lot of Ari's poems in his debut collection, Anybody. But not in a facile sort of way. Rather, more like that of a body -- wonderful because it is so permeable and present, but precarious for the very same reason.

Harryette Mullen -- A co-worker, a poet (naturally), got me to read Sleeping With the Dictionary. Oh my . . . some books change not simply the way you see the word, but the way it sounds.

Dawn Lundy Martin / Tonya Foster / Robin Coste Lewis -- Again, lumping together for the sake of space. These three rocked my world, in the sense of opening it to each of theirs. They remind me that my greatest political contribution might be to shut up and listen.

Susan Howe / Tess Taylor / Etel Adnan -- Wildly different, all three, but I thought of them together. They all orbit that brilliant star called by the scientists "Emily Dickinson," and contain multitudes. .

Mary Ruefle -- Ah, dear Mary! Quirky and funny, until you realize she's gone pitch black dark on you in a second. Kind of like life.

Okay . . . that's enough right now,  I think. There's so many more -- Fred Moten, Nathaniel Mackey, Douglas Kearney, Eileen Myles . . . somebody stop me.

Basically, the answer to "What poets should I read now?" is simple: read the poet who at any given moment doesn't so much take your breath away (again, you need to keep doing that if you want to read poetry at all) . . . but rather seizes it, holds it but for a moment, and returns it, changed into oxygen.  

When we made our big announcement about East Bay Booksellers, we had an idea it'd make a bit of news. We never would've imagined that two weeks after the big reveal, it'd be mentioned in the New York Times.  The press continues to be great, but the best part about all this so far: your response! You crowded in, pie and apple cider in hand, for the informational meeting after our Customer Appreciation Party in Oakland; you listened; and you keep telling us, "I'm in."  East Bay Booksellers still has a ways to go before it reaches $200,000 in pledged loans, but every day makes us all the more confident that you're as excited about this as we are! 

There's been lots happening in DIESEL-land lately. We're always buzzing about this time of year, in preparation for the holidays -- the shelves burgeoning with beautiful books. That's unchanged, but . . . well, let's face it, it's been a, let's call it "weird," year. We've lost musical legends. Political heroes. What's more, though the social and political landscape is always changing, the abruptness of it all this year has left many of us reeling. We won't just remember 2016 as weird or tough -- we'll be dealing with its consequences for a while. In short, we believe we need more than ever stable cultural institutions like independent bookstores that honor and guard free expression. 

So when we announce, as many of you may have already heard -- either from us or from your newspaper -- our intentions (with your help!) to change the ownership of our Oakland location to one of its present managers, Brad Johnson, as well as its name, to East Bay Booksellers, we do so in a celebratory way. In an unexpected twist to an unpredictable year: we think this may very well be the best possible time to make such a change. We love that the vision Brad is casting -- which the entire DIESEL family has had a hand in molding -- has been a ray of hopeful, exciting light to so many already! 

DIESEL has never been opposed to experiments. We keep our management structure as horizontal as possible, and have been built from the beginning on the idea that mutual respect for one another, for the store, and for the community is what sustains the good times and gets us through the bad. East Bay Booksellers will be built around the same core value. Brad is a talker -- oh, is he ever! And his commitment to conversation is a downright passion. "Conversation changes everything -- which is why so many forces seem intent on getting in its way -- and it is the engine by which mutual respect becomes mutual regard and care."

We also think he's got a good head on his shoulders for business!

But here's the thing: he also needs your help to make East Bay Booksellers a reality. Remember what we said about experiments! The transition from one store to another has its costs -- right around $200,000, in fact. He's not looking for donations (though he certainly would not turn them away either!). On the contrary, he's hoping his friends and neighbors in Oakland and beyond might share his enthusiasm so much that they invest in it. Details on the community lending program are at East Bay Booksellers' website.

What’s L.A.’s Westside been reading? These are the October bestsellers at DIESEL, A Bookstore in Brentwood, from dieselbookstore.com/brentwood.

Fiction: 1. Maria Semple, Today Will Be Different (Little, Brown and Company) 2. Norman Ollestad, French Girl with Mother (Counterpoint Press) 3. Ann Patchett, Commonwealth (HarperCollins) 4. Ian McEwan, Nutshell (Nan A. Talese/Doubleday) 5. Colson Whitehad, The Underground Railroad (Doubleday Books) 6. Elena Ferrante, My Brilliant Friend (Europa Editions) 7. Tana French, The Tresspasser (Viking Books) 8. Elizabeth Strout, My Name Is Lucy Barton (Random House Trade) 9. Stephanie Danler, Sweetbitter (Alfred A. Knopf Publishing Group) 10. Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow (Viking)

Nonfiction: 1. Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run (Simon & Schuster) 2. Peter Himmelman, Let Me Out (TarcherPerigee) 3. J. D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy (Harper) 4. William Finnegan, Barbarian Days (Penguin Books) 5. Ina Garten, Cooking for Jeffrey (Clarkson Potter Publishers) 6. Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams, My Own Words (Simon & Schuster) 7. Oliver Sacks, Gratitude (Knopf Publishing Group) 8. James Andrew Miller, Powerhouse (Custom House) 9. Sadhguru, Inner Engineering (Spiegel & Grau) 10. The Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu with Douglas Abrams, The Book of Joy (Avery Publishing Group)

Dear Reader,

Okay the season is upon us. No, not the election season, but the season of gathering together for large meals with extended family and friends. The season of gift-giving. This is so much fun in the bookstore -- readers looking for the finest, most unexpected, most desired books to give as gifts. The bounty of cookbooks that are released this time of year are filling our shelves awaiting readers' attentions for making delectable meals.  Great gift books of all varieties abound in the store -- come in and peruse them! I wanted to also draw a little attention to some writing that's been going on at DIESEL (please see Editor's Notes, below, for more).  DIESEL bookseller and professional writer Aaron Bady has penned two worthy pieces recently: one was posted on Lithub -- Did Imbolo Mbue actually write the Great American Novel? (Lithub, by the way, is a great source for all things literary.)  The other was an op-ed in the L.A. Times. Check them out, along with all the other creative and imaginative events, book selection, display, and reviews radiating out of DIESEL this season. Happy Reading, John and all DIESELfolk

Dear Reader,

Summer holidays tend to run through August, which means you have one of the best months of the year for reading ahead of you. In July, on All Things Considered, I gave a few recommendations over the radio waves of wonderful summer reads. We have displays in-store and each of us have our favorites for summer reading, if you need some help.   My favorite summer read ever was Moby Dick. Completely immersive, it seems like I read it every night from 10 or 11 at night until 1 or 2 in the morning, all summer long. I was busy working and playing the rest of the day, but those few hours every summer night were an utter pleasure. Even Moby Dick wouldn't have taken me all summer, but the extended pleasure of reading that amazing, intricate, delightful and engaging book comes back to me every time I see, or think of, it.   I also remember reading a horror novel one summer at the beach that completely absorbed me, but it tends to be one big classic that means 'summer reading' to me: Sometimes A Great Notion, Of Human Bondage, and last year's was Ulysses.  Whether it is a trashy read, an enthralling re-read of a favorite book from your past, or like me an absorbing big read -- we hope you take the time to read the perfect book this summer.

Check out STALKS, our newsletter, for more news and reviews of books by Emma Rathbone, Tommy Wallach, Yuri Herrera, Douglas R. Hofstadter, Carol Anderson, Ruth Reichl, and Lesley Barnes.

Dear Reader,

As we promised in our July Newsletter, we've decided to offer some additional newsletter options! Click here to open our inaugural Cookbook + Recipe Newsletter.

Inside, you'll find the recipe for Pascal Baudar's Nasturtium and Watercress Hot Sauce from "The New Wildcrafted Cuisine: Exploring the Exotic Gastronomy of Local," and reviews of Jeanine Donofrio's "Love and Lemons" and Sarah Henry's "Farmsteads of the California Coast."

If you like what you see, you can subscribe to subsequent monthly editions at http://eepurl.com/b7505P.

Dear Reader,

Chances are that if you've been in the Oakland store the past year you've either heard or read Brad commenting on John Keene's story/novella collection, Counternarratives. It's taken some time, hemming & hawing, now well into May, but he's finally decided to put it in writing: "This book is the best work of fiction I read in 2015."

This does not come as much of a surprise, given what he had to say about it in his review for The Quarterly Conversation:

"Counternarratives, in short, is no simple tableau of triumphalism. It is a call to arms of sorts, perfectly in tune with the “Black Lives Matters” declaration we see playing out daily in our cities. But it is also one that is conspicuously absent the attendant chant heard recently in Cleveland, which echoed Kendrick Lamar’s lyric, “We gonna be alright.” Keene, it seems, sees no reason to be so confident that this is so. Queering the script, defying the imperative to be silent, however, does not require confidence or a vision of what progress means. It is, rather, in all its uncertainty and risk, the most basic stuff of—the very matter of—life. It is also the crowning achievement of one of the year’s very best books."

Dear Reader,

Hope you enjoy the reviews below, by DIESEL booksellers who are available daily at the store -- come on by! In celebration of May Day this toast, from Gary Snyder

"Let's drink a toast to all those farmers, workers, artists and intellectuals of the last 100 years who without thought of fame and profit . . . worked tirelessly in their dream of a worldwide socialist revolution, who believed and hoped that a new world was dawning and that their work would contribute to a society where one class does not exploit another, where one ethnic group or one nation does not try to expand itself over another, and where men and women live as equals.  The people who nourished these hopes and dreams were sometimes foolishly blind to the opportunism of their own leadership, and many were led to ideological absurdities, but the great majority of them selflessly worked for socialism with the best of hearts. . . .  The failure of socialism is the tragedy of the 20th century and . . . we should honor the memory of those who struggled for the dream of what socialism might have been.  And begin a new way again." -- Gary Snyder, "May Day Toast to the Workers of the World" [2000]

Happy May Day! John & all DIESELfolk

“Writing a novel is a terrible experience, during which the hair often falls out and the teeth decay. I'm always irritated by people who imply that writing fiction is an escape from reality. It is a plunge into reality and it's very shocking to the system.” ― Flannery O'Connor

Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist by Sunil Yapa

Set against the backdrop of the 1999 Seattle WTO protests, Sunil Yapa's novel artfully depicts the experience of seven interwoven characters whose lives converge and implode on one violent, chaotic day. The most conservative estimates place the crowd at the 1999 Seattle WTO protest, also known as "The Battle for Seattle," at a staggering 40,000 people. The carefully negotiated peace between the Seattle police department and protest organizers completely unraveled on the front lines amid a reactionary police force, as well as competing goals and strategies among protesters. Yapa takes time to develop his characters prior to the first lobbed canister of teargas. Indeed chapter after short, staccato chapter go by before that first canister spins in the air and the protesters and police brace for what comes next. He captures that moment better than any other author I've read.The book's perspective continues to rotate through each character as they reevaluate what it is that has brought them to that critical point. — Terry S.

The Door by Magda Szabó

One of the finest novels I've read in a long time,  Magda Szabó's The Door captivates. Her use of language and myth (translated from Hungarian) elevate and transport. I looked forward to this book like seeing or spending time with a dear friend. It made the New York Times Top 10 books of 2015, a nod fully and richly deserved. -- Mia W.

“Non-fiction, and in particular the literary memoir, the stylised recollection of personal experience, is often as much about character and story and emotion as fiction is.” -- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Trace: Memory, History, Race & the American Landscape by Lauret Savoy

Add this to the extraordinary list of creative memoirs by writers such as Annie Dillard, Terry Tempest Williams, Rebecca Solnit and Eula Biss. Geologist Savoy plumbs the depths of  American cultural landscapes in search of her place -- on this continent, in its history, of her family. Born in California and growing up on the East Coast, profoundly marked by the Grand Canyon, and subtly formed by the currents of race relations, the histories of the colonizing of the country, and the strains of Indian survivance and black slavery, she has written into, through, and out of her mixed-race background toward an engaged identity with the cultural geography that is hers. A beautifully written, enlightening journey which reveals so many of the historical particulars of our evolutions as a place and a people, this is a great and remarkable book for anyone, of any race, interested in family, ancestors, American culture, and how we each have come to be where and who we are.  -- John E.

"When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand." -- Raymond Chandler

Eyes Full of Empty by Jérémie Guez

This unusual Parisian noir is as gritty and relentless as you would expect from the genre. But what makes Eyes Full of Empty stand out is Idir, the amateur private eye tasked with finding the missing son of a media mogul. Idir is a constant outsider. As the son of an immigrant he’ll never be French enough for his friends; yet neither Algerian enough for his parents. For the elite, his background makes him a useful tie to the criminal underworld, but on the streets he barely ranks on the totem pole. He inhabits a liminal zone, cruising through the levels of Parisian society with the ease of someone who, because he doesn’t fit anywhere, is somehow free to go everywhere. Which he certainly does: from the upscale Parisian apartments of the rich, to the dive bars of the immigrant districts; from Bohemian college pads to hinterland farms. In his pursuit of the truth, Idir respects no boundary. He is intent on proving that he does have a place in this world, even if it means carving it out himself.   -- Chris P.

The Widow by Fiona Barton

In this psychological mystery there are more victims than the one fatality. Jean Taylor, wife of the major suspect, Glen, torments herself wondering if she married a murderer. The London detective-inspector also obsesses over the case. He’s positive Glen is guilty but, lacking a body, can’t prove it. His long-suffering wife has to live with his idée fixe.

Since the dead girl’s mother is positive her daughter is still alive, she launches a brilliant campaign to find her child, becoming a constant staple of print and TV. One shrewd reporter realizes Jean is the key to her husband’s crime and tries to befriend her. Jean’s original denial, slow and jagged recognition of what has occurred and her resultant action are fascinating to behold. -- Diane L.

Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers

If there are any better mysteries than Sayers's Lord Peter novels, I've never found them. Wit, excitement, challenging puzzles, and crisp, precise language that's a joy to read.

Strong Poison isn't the first book to feature Lord Peter Wimsey (that would be Whose Body?) or the best (arguably Murder Must Advertise), but I feel that it's nonetheless a very good place to start. Among other things, this is the book which introduces Harriet Vane, the great love of Lord Peter's life. -- Alex M.

“Speed eliminates all doubt. Am I smart enough? Will people like me? Do I really look all right in this plastic jumpsuit?” -- David Sedaris

The Vintage Showroom: An Archive of Menswear by Douglas Gunn & Roy Luckett

Make no mistake: I'm a not a fashionista. I used to wear a nice pair of shoes at work, until they made my feet hurt. Back to sneakers, I ran. During the fall, I break out sweaters that were, when purchased ages ago, quite fetching. I'm told my style is -- and until very recently, I thought my friend had made up this term -- "normcore." (Yes, we've reached this point in history, with a heaving sigh.) I tell you this to throat-clear my way to the following declaration: I am obsessed with this book. Not to say I can necessarily see myself wearing much that's in it. A certain Teutonic-style of jackboots & leather jackets have been ruined by 20th-century military history. Probably, though, the comfy sleeping-bag jumpsuit. Can't visualize it? Ah, that's where the exquisite close-up photography comes into play, with sharp details on the intricacies of stitching. I'm not exaggerating when I say these clothes are historical documents -- worn with time if not by you.  -- Brad J.

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” -- Dr. Seuss

Beetle Boy by M. G. Leonard

Darkus Cuttle's father is missing. He disappeared from a locked room in the basement of the museum where he was studying the insect collection. Darkus moves in with his uncle, where he has to make new friends and get used to some very strange neighbors. But he refuses to believe that his father is dead. When Darkus is befriended by a highly intelligent and supersized beetle, his uncle is not too surprised and Darkus learns some surprising things about his father while he follows the clues to find him.

This is a thrilling adventure story for ages 8-10. It is packed with steadfast friends, imaginative adults, mad scientists and lots and lots of bugs. It's particularly satisfying to see the strengthening friendships build between a mismatched group of kids, even while Darkus still believes that Baxter the Beetle is his only friend. -- Clare D.

Editor’s Notes

The search for words about a book is sometimes as pleasurable as the book itself, though ultimately there can't be one without the other. In my experience, the very act of talking it out amongst friends -- responding to their questions or reflecting on their insights -- has caused me even to revise my initial impressions. This is one of the reasons we love book groups at Diesel, and take very seriously the task of suggesting books they might like . . . or, barring that, discover to be ripe for conversations! We also love hosting groups. You'll see in our calendar of upcoming events, we are hosting two: the Big Read L.A. Book Group and the Diesel Brentwood Mystery Book Group. Both are open to the public (no sign-ups necessary) and welcome regulars and first-timers alike. So come on in: your perspective might be the one that unlocks a book for somebody else.

The first meeting of DIESEL, A Bookstore in Brentwood's Mystery Book Club will take place on Friday, June 3rd, at 7 pm in the south courtyard of the Brentwood Country Mart. We're going to be discussing Jessica Knoll's Luckiest Girl Alive.

The group is free and meets on the first Friday of every month. RSVPs are requested so we have an idea of how many people to expect. If you have any questions, feel free to stop by and ask, call the store at 310-576-9960, e-mail [email protected], or tweet at @dieselbrentwood.

Luckiest Girl Alive is both a national bestseller and a top choice of Diesel customers. It's a thriller with a protagonist who at first seems spoiled and unhappy with her aspirational life. Gradually, the reader learns about the trauma that has caused her to act the way she does. Reese Witherspoon, who is co-producing the upcoming movie adaptation, described the book as "required summer reading for adults."

We have copies of Luckiest Girl Alive for sale in the store, and online at dieselbookstore.com/book/9781476789644. If you prefer to read ebooks, you can purchase a copy at dieselbookstore.com/ebook/9781476789651.

The group is hosted by Diesel Brentwood bookseller and social media editor Alex Melnick. Alex is a veteran bookseller, a recovering computer programmer, and a Santa Monica native. You can read about some of his favorite books at dieselbookstore.com/alex. Feel free to e-mail him with book club questions and suggestions at [email protected], or tweet at @aemelnick.