Staff Picks: Beverly and Joey

Beverly says, “I was very taken with Dawn Clifton Tripp’s Season of Open Water, written by one of our summer speakers.

This historical novel is set during Prohibition among the rum running operations in Westport, MA. It is a type of coming of age story about Bridge, her daredevil brother, Luke and their grandfather whose love of the sea and boats is their heritage. The author lives in the area and has conducted interviews with many local families who made extra money in hard times from the illicit operations. The book’s arresting use of present tense and careful description of locale, real historical events and nautical detail make it a memorable read.

Charles Simic is the new Poet Laureate of the US. His poetry takes the ordinary details of life and with edgy humor and political and social awareness brings his images and ideas into clear focus. Born in Belgrade, Simic won a Pulitzer Prize in 1990 and was a finalist for a 1996 National Book Award. He retired last year from a long teaching career at the University of New Hampshire; he is a great supporter and user of libraries. His poetry has been published in The New Yorker and other periodicals and over 15 collections.”

Joey says, “I’m reading The Beautiful Fall by Alicia Drake.

It’s about the feud between designers, Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent in the 1970s. Anybody who likes French fashion, 1970s decadence, disco, or catty in-fights between the social elite should check it out.

It’s a supposed true story, but all parties lived pretty hard during the era so the details are of course a little fuzzy.”

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