B. Traven Jr

Ye Olde Partners Page

*A Collection of Antiquarian Curios & Relics*

" The book trade invented literary prizes to stimulate sales,

not to reward merit . . ."

                                                                                     --Michael Moorcock

(Editors Note:  The actual ceremony for The 2015 PEN Awards will take place at the New School in Greenwich Village on June 8.  B. Traven Jr. could not wait to see who had won the PEN / B.Traven Jr. Award for Cryptozoological Writing, so he hijacked Obama's Time Machine and recorded the event.  This is an excerpt.)

Announcer:  Let's put our hands together for TV and movie star and sometimes author . . .  Neal Patrick Harris!

Neal Patrick Harris:  Thank you !  Thank you!  You're too kind!  I don't know if you're aware that in my home state of California we are experiencing an awful, awful drought.  However, it appears that some celebrities' lawns are greener than my former co-star, Kermit de Frog.  So the solution has been to publicly shame celebrities like Kim Kardashian, which sounds really good on paper, but when someone who owes their notoriety to a sex tape and has written a book called Selfish (9780789329202) 19.95, she obviously has no shame.  I love you Kimmy.  To kick off the awards, here is a man who needs no introduction, but I'll do it anyway . . .  B. Traven Jun-IOR!

B. Traven Jr:  Thanks, Neal.  I want to tell you that I just flew in from the past.  And boy, is my time machine tired.  Ha, Ha!  Our first prize is the PEN / Old SpiceTM Award for Great Lakes Nonfiction.  * Opens envelope*  And this year's winner is Robert B. Campbell's Classic Ships of the Great Lakes (9781933272504) 24.95.  Stand up and take a bow, Robert!  The full color photos in this book are so incredible that it makes me want to jump on the next tramp steamer and sail the Great Lakes.  Ha, ha!  A work of utter beauty!  Next . . .

Charles Edmund Wilson III:  (Overheard speaking to Chip, his manservant)  This is an outrage!  The Last Laker (9781938229237) 19.95 by Frederick Stonehouse should have won!  I was on the Great Lakes during the 'White Hurricane' of 1913 and Mr. Stonehouse nailed it!  *grits teeth*  You know, Chip, it is really hard to stomp out of here angrily when you are sitting in a wheelchair.  Let's go!

B. Traven Jr:   . . . we have the PEN / William Randolph Hearst Award for Yellow Journalism.  As you may have guessed, there was a crowded field for this award.  Michael Savage, Bill O'Reilly, Joseph Goebbels.  Wat?!  *squints at teleprompter*  Oh, there's a new biography called Goebbels (9781400067510) 40.00 by Peter Longerich.  But no one can sling the propaganda like Dana Perino.  And she is the winner for her new book, And the Good News is . . . (9781455584901) 26.00.  Congratulations, Dana, I think.  Ha, ha!

 

Odds & Sods

Our good friend Sarah Dessen stopped in here last week to sign copies of her latest YA title, Saint Anything (9780451474704) 19.99.  This is Sarah's twelfth book, so you could say she is a cagey veteran in the YA genre.

Earlier this week, Lily King, author of Euphoria (9780802123701) 16.00 came in and signed her books, too.  Ms. King was wonderful and her new tradepaper book has hit all the bestseller lists.  As usual, first come, first served . . .

The thrill is gone, baby.  Legendary bluesman B.B. King passed away this week.  He and Lucille will be sorely missed . . .