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Bookmarks: Ben Steelman

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• Cecilia Budd Grimes reminds of the Way It's Supposed to Be 'What It Means to be a Southern Girlfriend'
• An M.D. argues that milk is bad for you 'Deadly Dairy Deception'
• Pyruko puzzle is being translated -- into wood? Pyramind power
• Writers to greet fans on Saturday, July 31 Book signings this weekend
• New edition of history of the WASP of World War II will update story of wartime women pilots 'Wild Blue,' take 2
• Stories of faith (and sometimes humor) from a Wilmington hospital. 'Holding God in My Hands'
• The sad, romantic life of Montreal's most famous poet To be young, gifted and doomed
• When I should have been working, I've been sneaking time with “The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of the Little Big Horn” by Nathaniel Philbrick (Viking, $30). Yeah, you know how the story ends, but it's still compulsively readable. the book has spent 10 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list, [...] 'The Last Stand'
• Just a reminder: The Barnes & Noble at Wilmington's Mayfaire Town Center is staging a “Local Author Festival”  from 2 to 4 p.m. today. A number of writers with local ties will be on hand to chat with readers and sign copies, among them mystery writer Margaret Maron, puzzle inventor Jack Lyons (check out his Pyruku, [...] 'The Andros Connection'
• Wilmington business veteran pens "60-Minute Guide" into starting a business of your own 'Start-Up!'

Port City Poets

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• Steven Vineis is an Open Mic occasional and a Port City Poets' mainstay who writes contempory, contemporary-sounding poems that usually involve smoking, drinking, and women.  This poem, which is chock-full of interesting imagery and has a well-timed ending, is no different.My Good Yearby Steven VineisThere's camraderie between the distance and the shore,and a certain way the [...] My Good Year by Steven Vineis
• This a poem I read at Open Mic last week.  It's from Hughes' 1998 collection, Birthday Letters, which contains poems written about his relationship with Sylvia Plath.  It doesn't really need much more introduction, I don't think. Redby Ted Hughes Red was your colour.If not red, then white. But redWas what you wrapped around you.Blood-red. Was it [...] Red by Ted Hughes
• As you know if you read the Steven Gibbs poem from last week, I've been going through the Spring 2009 Volume of Aries.  One of the most intriguing poems in that volume is this poem, an untitled one by the seemingly-anonymous “At.”  I'm still not sure how I feel about this poem, but it's definitely [...] Untitled by At
• Sarah Howell read some Szymborska poems at Open Mic and it reminded me how much I like her.  Here's one of my favorites because I'm a SUCKER for ars poetica.  I think the poem speaks for itself so I will…stop speaking.  The translator here is Regina Grol. Some Like Poetryby Wislawa Szymborska Some–thus not all. Not even the [...] Some Like Poetry by Wislawa Szymborska
• Another fabulous week of poetry, with a special guest!  Highlights:-Kevin Dublin came and finally read some of his own poems!  He brought a few newer ones that I had never heard, all of which were, of course, spectacular.  I was particularly fond of one, but, not knowing the name of it, have no way of [...] Open Mic Rewind: July 25th

NYT Book News

• Top 5 at a Glance 1. THE OBAMA DIARIES, by Laura Ingraham 2. ---- MY DAD SAYS, by Justin Halpern 3. MEDIUM RAW, by Anthony Bourdain 4. THE BIG SHORT, by Michael Lewis 5. WAR, by Sebastian Junger Hardcover Nonfiction
• Top 5 at a Glance 1. LEGO STAR WARS, by Simon Beecroft 2. STAR WARS, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder 3. OOH LA LA! IT'S BEAUTY DAY, by Jane O'Connor 4. LADYBUG GIRL AT THE BEACH, by David Soman and Jacky Davis 5. THE VERY FAIRY PRINCESS, by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton Children's Books
• Top 5 at a Glance 1. BLACKEST NIGHT, by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis 2. BLACKEST NIGHT: GREEN LANTERN, by Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke 3. BLACKEST NIGHT: GREEN LANTERN CORPS, by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason 4. TWILIGHT: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL, VOL. 1, by Stephenie Meyer and Young C. Kim 5. KICK-ASS, by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. Graphic Books
• Top 5 at a Glance 1. THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST, by Stieg Larsson 2. FLY AWAY HOME, by Jennifer Weiner 3. THE SEARCH, by Nora Roberts 4. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett 5. PRIVATE, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro Hardcover Fiction
• Top 5 at a Glance 1. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel 2. THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, by Mark Cotta Vaz 3. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman 4. THE BELLY FAT CURE, by Jorge Cruise 5. SKINNY BITCH, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin Paperback Advice
• Top 5 at a Glance 1. EAT, PRAY, LOVE, by Elizabeth Gilbert 2. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin 3. ARE YOU THERE, VODKA? IT'S ME, CHELSEA, by Chelsea Handler 4. MY HORIZONTAL LIFE, by Chelsea Handler 5. THE GLASS CASTLE, by Jeannette Walls Paperback Nonfiction
• Top 5 at a Glance 1. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, by Stieg Larsson 2. THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, by Stieg Larsson 3. NINE DRAGONS, by Michael Connelly 4. THE LUCKY ONE, by Nicholas Sparks 5. CHARLIE ST. CLOUD, by Ben Sherwood Paperback Mass-Market Fiction
• Rankings are based on July figures. Hardcover Business Best Sellers
• Top 5 at a Glance 1. WOMEN FOOD AND GOD, by Geneen Roth 2. DELIVERING HAPPINESS, by Tony Hsieh 3. THE LAST LECTURE, by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow 4. THE SECRET, by Rhonda Byrne 5. THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK, by Timothy Ferriss Hardcover Advice
• Top 5 at a Glance 1. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, by Stieg Larsson 2. THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, by Stieg Larsson 3. LITTLE BEE, by Chris Cleave 4. UNDER THE DOME, by Stephen King 5. ONE DAY, by David Nicholls Paperback Trade Fiction
• Rankings are based on July figures. Paperback Business Best Sellers
• Letter in response to Joe Queenan's essay 'Ben Franklin Is a Big Fat Idiot.' A More Enduring Legacy