Sunday, November 29, 2015

Phil's Lists, Part 10: Bookstores

What is a hometown without a bookstore? Books are the greatest refuge a writer can have, and bookshops are their home, never to be replaced by Amazon, AbeBooks, and their like. So many great ones closed, like Gotham, Colosseum, Academy, and Skyline, all in New York. But many remain. Here are some that have made my life so much better:
  • Ten Best Bookstores in New York, a terrific blog post hawking the best bookshops that NYC has to offer.
  • Strand is the ultimate bookstore for bibliophiles with much more to offer than the 18 miles of books it claims.
  • Montclair Book Center, a perfect place to visit if you're in that neck of the woods. 
  • Cranbury Bookworm, a struggling but noble site for book collectors.
  • Labyrinth Books in Princeton, NJ.
  • Northshire in Manchester, Vermont, a gifted bookseller in a blessed location.
  • Traveler Restaurant, which is a great stop for eating and reading on US 84 in Connecticut on the Massachusetts-bound side.
  • City Lights, in San Francisco is American literary history--a must-see in your lifetime.
  • My list of Oakland bookstores, because Oakland is a much cooler town than it gets credit for.
  • The Book Den is a literary oasis in Santa Barbara, California.
  • Foyles, if you happen to be in London.
  • Aquilina Books, my favorite bookshop in Malta.
  • Agenda, also on Republic Street in Valletta, Malta, a few doors down from Aquilina.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Phil's Lists, Part 9: Blogs

Reading blogs keeps writers abreast of a broad range of hot topics. Here are some worth reviewing to keep you busy reading and watching maybe more than you need to:

  • Andrew Sullivan, if you are interested in what this insightful journalist calls his biased yet balanced viewpoint, even though Sullivan has stopped updating it.
  • Basic Thinking, for information on just about any topic of international interest.
  • Genius.com, for lyrics of thousands of songs you might want to recall or memorize.
  • Mashable, which offers more comprehensive information from diverse sources than most esteemed news organizations.
  • The Write Life, for aspiring book writers.
  • The Writer, a longstanding source of helpful information for writers. 
  • Writers and Authors, a source of tips and inspiration for developing writers.
  • Writer's Digest, a heavyweight source to keep new writers on track with their production goals.  

Sunday, November 08, 2015

Phil's Lists, Part 7: Organizations

Like any professional, writers belong to organizations for support, inspiration, ideas, and industry information. Below are some you might want to check out and some of which I have been or remain a member.

  1. American Society of Journalists and Authors for independent nonfiction writers and freelancers
  2. American Screenwriters Association for screenwriters
  3. Authors Guild for writers interested in publishing industry challenges
  4. Dramatists Guild for playwrights and librettists
  5. Education Writers Association for education writers
  6. Editorial Freelancers Association for freelance writers
  7. Poetry Society of America for poets
  8. Writers Guild of America West for screenwriters