From the Land of SIBAA message from SIBA to its membership
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First Things First...
4/8: Reader Meet Writer - Whisper Down the Lane with Clay McLeod Chapman 4/12: 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge begins (learn more) 4/13: Reader Meet Writer - The Salt
Fields with Stacy D. Flood 4/13: Edelweiss Bookfest & Your Store (register) 4/13: Libro.fm and Independent Bookstore Day (register)
4/15: ABA Session on De-Escalation Techniques (more info) 4/19: Keating Scholarship Application Deadline (more info)
4/22: ABA Session on Unpacking Microagressions (more info) 4/24: Independent Bookstore Day (
learn more) 5/19: Bloomsbury Glorious Girls Summer Celebration (Register)
The April 5th Keynote event, A Conversation Between Friends about Race and Joy with Ben Philippe and Luis Correa is now available to watch:
It was an inspiring, heartwarming, and sometimes enraging conversation. Some of our favorite quotable moments:
"Silence is not neutral." "It's not about the intention, it's about the impact."
The event was the official launch of SIBA's 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge.Over
75 people have already signed up to take the Challenge, including many booksellers, librarians, and book industry people nation-wide.
Registration will remain open until Sunday, April 11th. Register here
The self-guided Challenge consists of a daily email prompt to encourage reflection on the ways racism manifests in our lives and our communities, along with some suggested actions to take to counter it and resources to help us work
for change. Prompts will also be posted on the Challenge blog, and more resources added as we continue.
SIBA encourages its member stores to make the Challenge available to their staff. Some bookstores have contacted us to say they will be taking the Challenge as a group, which is wonderful to hear. We were especially impressed with
the response from Julie Wilder of Spiral Circle Bookstore in Orlando, Florida on the subject of store owners taking this journey with their staff (quoted with permission):
"Since we are in constant talks about this issue, I was able to pull aside my Black, Brown and Asian staff to let them know this was happening before I announced to the rest of the staff and let them know that they could opt-out at any point, that their trauma was not up for consumption for the rest of the staff unless they were willing to share, etc and to make sure they knew I would have their back throughout this process."
Wilder has worked out a comprehensive plan for the Challenge that includes regular communication with her staff, in-store meetings, and integration into their already ongoing work on anti-racist training in their store. "We are not a perfect organization," she
said in her announcement to staff, "and there are microaggressions that exist in our environment. The goal here is to create a culture in which none of us feel we have to endure essentially sexist, racist, ableist, etc behaviors from one another or our patrons and discover a way to effectively, compassionately and firmly disallow this to perpetuate in our culture."
Recordings and resources are now available to SIBA bookstore
members from last month's NVNR Social Media Retreat.
The resources include recordings of the morning events, downloads for content planning, and guides for both Canva and TikTok, as well as links to the many, many (many many many!) resources mentioned during the program.
Because of the proprietary nature of the materials, this link will only be active until the end of June.
Booksellers who attended the retreat will receive an email with the information to access all the materials.
Booksellers who were unable to attend may request access from SIBA. You must be a member of SIBA
to access these resources.
It is important to remember that by accessing the Social Media Retreat resources, booksellers commit to sharing posts for books from NVNR’s sponsoring publishers. Publisher-supplied graphics, social media handles, and other useful
resources for creating posts can be found on the resource page. Please remember to tag #SIBA and #NAIBA when you post. Your participation will go a long way towards ensuring publisher support for future programs.
Join us as our friends at Libro.fm share plans for 2021–including 2021 Independent Bookstore Day–and
tips for marketing and hand-selling audiobooks to your bookstore customers. April 14 at 3PM EDT Register
Keating Scholarship Applications Open
Applications Open forInaugural George Keating Scholarship Program
Professional Development Scholarships available to NAIBA, SIBA and NEIBA booksellers
The New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA), Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA), New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA), and the Friends of George Keating committee are pleased to announce
applications for the inaugural George Markey Keating Memorial Scholarship will open April 6. The scholarship provides $250 to a bookseller from each of three regional associations, NAIBA, SIBA and NEIBA, for the purpose of professional
development. The application period will close April 19 and grants will be awarded in June. (More info)
The Essence of Nathan Biddle by J. William Lewis Greenleaf Publishing June 1, 2021 $27.95 Hardcover ISBN: 9781626348462
Alabama novelist J. William Lewis delivers a tale to be savored in his debut, The Essence of Nathan Biddle. Beautifully written profoundly moving, The Essence of Nathan Biddle is a timeless, Southern Gothic-esque
novel that unfolds on the Alabama coast in the 1950s.
Protagonist Kit Biddle, nearing the end of his high school career, finds himself tangled in a web of quandaries and absurdities. Kit’s angst is only compounded by the psychological burden of an unspeakable tragedy that haunts
his family. But when he makes an irrational decision that causes a horrific accident, Kit is forced to examine his perceptions of his life and his version of reality.
In this exquisite coming-of-age tale, calamity gives way to clarity: readers will empathize—and celebrate—as the darkness lifts and Kit comes to terms with the necessity of engagement with life’s pain, pleasure . . . and absurdity
The Essence of Nathan Biddle as novelist David Armstrong observed, “is like discovering The Catcher in the Rye all over again.”
A beautifully written work of Southern fiction resplendent with wisdom, heart, and unforgettable characters, The Essence of Nathan Biddle soars in the spaces that exist between despair and hope, darkness and light, love and
loss.
About the author: Novelist J. William Lewis lives in Shoal Creek, Alabama
ABA to Present Two Sessions from the Center for Anti-Violence Education: On April 15 & 22 from 3-4:30pm Eastern, the American Booksellers Association is offering two free sessions to member booksellers from the
Center for Anti-Violence Education (CAE). All booksellers are invited to sign up for one or both sessions. The first will focus on de-escalation techniques and the second will focus on unpacking microagressions. More info
Edelweiss Bookfest and Your Store: Join John Rubin, CEO of Edelweiss by Above the Treeline, to hear about how your store can be involved in and benefit from Edelweiss Bookfest (June 8 & 9, 2021) April 13
at 3:00 PM EDT
Register
Inside the Box: The Process of Monthly Book Curation via BIGNY Hear from four people who know all of the behind-the-scenes work that makes each book subscription box special. April 13 at 6:00 P.M. EDT Register
IBD Marketing Materials Available: Independent Bookstore Day has created signs, teasers (to stick in books right now), and shelf talkers for you to print and use to promote IBD in your store, plus images to make social media posts
easier. More info
Reader Meet Writer: April
Are you interested in joining the circle of bookstores sending invites to their customers? Please email Linda-Marie and we'll discuss what's involved.
Whisper Down the Lane with Clay McLeod Chapman Thu Apr 8th 7:00pm - 8:00pm | REGISTER
Clay McLeod Chapman writes novels, comic books, and children’s books, as well as for film and TV. He is the author of the horror novels The Remaking and Whisper Down the Lane. Visit him
at claymcleodchapman.com.
The Salt Fields with Stacy D. Flood Tue Apr 13th 7:00pm - 8:00pm | REGISTER
Originally from Buffalo, and currently living in Seattle, Stacy D. Flood's work has been published and performed nationally as well as in the Puget Sound Area. Having received his MFA in Creative Writing from San
Francisco State University, he has also been an artist-in-residence at DISQUIET in Lisbon, as well as The Millay Colony of the Arts. In addition, he is the recipient of the Gregory Capasso Award in Fiction from the University
at Buffalo, along with a Getty Fellowship to the Squaw Valley Community of Writers.
This week on Circle of Sites
Read more about SIBA's Circle of Sites Program (aka the "banner for dues" program) and find out whether your store is eligible to participate and
receive free membership dues.
Spotlight on Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny
Katherine Heiny had her first short story published in 1992 when New Yorker editor Roger Angell fished it out of a slush pile and published it, unedited. It would be almost 20 years before she published a book, and now, 30
years later, she has published three. She talks about procrastination in an early Longform interview.
Also, about the likability of unlikeable characters, and her affinity for people with dirty secrets, which she credits to her husband, who was in MI6.
What booksellers are saying about Early Morning Riser
I love Katherine Heiny's voice in her novels and she surpassed my expectations in Early Morning
Riser! I fell in love with the characters and their ultimate acceptance of what life has thrown their way. I laughed all the way through the novel and did not want it to end! --Flossie McNabb, Union Ave Books in
Knoxville, TN
Early Morning Riser is her best work yet! I instantly fell in love with Jane, Duncan, and Jimmy -- flaws and all -- and even Aggie and Gary had grown on me by the end of the book. Heiny's observations are laugh-out-loud
funny because they are so true to the mundanity of real life. I adored this book! -- Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks,
Winston-Salem, NC
Early Morning Riser is the love child of Anne Tyler's books in the mid-to-late-1980s and the TV show Northern Exposure. Katherine Heiny has written a funny book that is full of quirky characters that absolutely delight.
--Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA
About Katherine Heiny
Katherine Heiny is the author of Standard Deviation and Single, Carefree, Mellow, and her short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and many other magazines. She lives
in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband and children, and is a former resident of London, The Hague, and Boyne City, Michigan.
Animals by Will Staples On Edelweiss | Buy (re-posted to correct an error in last week's listing)
Riveting! This eco-thriller is made all the more terrifying by the research behind the work and just how much of the narrative is based in fact. He sought counsel from the likes of Jane Goodall and Leonardo DiCaprio and feels
like this could be the next Blood Diamond, following how animal poaching and trafficking is a global practice, and a bigger global threat.
The book features an extensive cast of characters including an Asian police officer, a South African militant and anti-poacher, an exotic animal insurance agent and a CIA operative looking for a terrorist connection. They each
are forced to juggle their self interests against those of the animals they’re meant to protect, from rhinos and elephants to tigers and more.
Animals by Will Staples (List Price: $27.99, Blackstone Publishing, 9781094065885, 3/30/2021) Reviewed by Shari Stauch, Main Street Reads in
Summerville, South Carolina
The chosen one goes off to magic school and heroically fights in an epic battle. You’ve heard that story a million times before. But have you ever wanted the snarky take, the irreverent, self-aware version that flips
these tropes upside down and lovingly pokes holes in some of the logical gaps in the genre’s conventions? Clever, refreshing, and full of heart, this hilarious adventure full of pesky magical creatures, golden boy
warriors, angsty nerds, and elfin knights will leave you thinking that you might be perfectly alright living in this (mermaidless) land.
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan (List Price: $16, Big Mouth House, 9781618731661, 8/6/2019) Reviewed by Julie Jarema, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
Linda-Marie: Reading: The Right Side of Reckless by Whitney D. Grandison. An empowering YA romance that balances the serious issues of violence, drugs, and sex
with dance parties, fashion, and football. A playlist of songs that inspire star crossed lovers Regan and Guillermo runs through the story, including the amazing Bowie song, Heroes. Listening: Irish music from multiple sources, and The Lover’s Waltz Radio station on PandoraWatching: Movies
by Preston Sturges. Sharp, witty, thought-provoking, and sometimes uncomfortable viewing.
SP: Reading: Back to reading The Snow Ball by Brigid Brophy. Listening: to my dogs bark. Watching:The Hot Heiress. A pre-Code musical comedy from 1931 with this incredible description: A riveter strikes a debutante's fancy when he chases a hot bolt into her bedroom.
Lucy: Reading:Act Your Age, Eve Brown - “Utterly charming and absolutely hilarious! I’ve been waiting for Eve’s story since she first blew through the pages of her sister Chloe’s story,
and somehow it’s even better than I knew it would be!” Listening: The soundtracks to both Mama Mia films (But only the happy upbeat songs) Watching:Nancy Drew (CW) - “This VERY CW modern adaptation of Nancy Drew includes a gamut of supernatural beings and occurrences, and I’m here for every soapy minute of this wild TV show.”
Nicki: Reading: Matrix by Lauren Groff, Judith Butler's The Force of Nonviolence (which I'll be reading for years), and Department of Death, the final Nick Hoffman
mystery from Lev Raphael -- who is a good friend and I can't believe we're at the end of the Nick Hoffman journey! Listening:Gesualdo: Madrigali, Libri Terzo Quarto, from Les Arts Florissants & Paul Agnew. And okay, I love to listen to choral music and vocal compositions, and this one
is just beautiful. It doesn't sound like something written in the mid-sixteenth century. So you can imagine my feelings when I looked up the composer Carlo Gesualdo and discovered that aside from writing lovely songs to God, he
also brutally stabbed his wife and her lover, then went back into the room and stabbed them both some more to make sure they were dead. He was found not guilty. Watching: Season 6 of Bosch, weirdly also a series I like for the cinematography. Titus Welliver is a great Harry Bosch, though.
1. The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country Amanda Gorman, Viking, $15.99, 9780593465271 2. The Four Winds Kristin Hannah, St. Martin's, $28.99, 9781250178602 3. Klara and the Sun Kazuo Ishiguro, Knopf, $28, 9780593318171 4. The Midnight Library Matt Haig, Viking, $26, 9780525559474 5. The Lost Apothecary Sarah Penner, Park Row, $27.99, 9780778311010
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. The Code Breaker Walter Isaacson, S&S, $35, 9781982115852 2. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse Charlie Mackesy, HarperOne, $22.99, 9780062976581 3. Dusk, Night, Dawn Anne Lamott, Riverhead Books, $20, 9780593189696 4. Caste Isabel Wilkerson, Random House, $32, 9780593230251 5. A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance Hanif Abdurraqib, Random House, $27, 9781984801197
Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Supporting independent bookstores in the South SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
Thank you for your interest in SIBA, Nicki Leone SysAdmin
nicki@sibaweb.com
THANKS TO OUR INKREADIBLE SPONSORS:
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805 You have received this email because you are currently subscribed to receive general correspondence. Please click @@unsubscribe_url@@ if you
no longer wish to receive these communications.
The event was the official launch of SIBA's 
Recordings and resources are now available to SIBA bookstore
members from last month's NVNR Social Media Retreat.
Join us as our friends at Libro.fm share plans for 2021–including 2021 Independent Bookstore Day–and
tips for marketing and hand-selling audiobooks to your bookstore customers. April 14 at 3PM EDT 
Applications Open for Inaugural George Keating Scholarship Program
Whisper Down the Lane with Clay McLeod Chapman
The Salt Fields with Stacy D. Flood
Animals by Will Staples 
