Shutterbug School

Stock up on film (or clear out the memory cards) and dust off your lenses, this Saturday PhotoCamp is pitching its tent at the Homewood Library.
Basically this event falls under the “unconference” kinda thing. So the attendees are also the instructors. If the shots on the Magic City Flickr Group are any indication, these folks have talent and it’s going to be good.

Wish I could be there (I need the instruction and I’m always looking for good freelance talent) but I’ll be down in Montgomery for the Alabama Book Festival. Maybe this one will be such a huge success they’ll have another one soon

Now reading

I’m a member of the Deep South group on LibraryThing. Since I’m not exactly a native southerner (though I claim to southern every chance I get) I thought it’d be a fun way to get to know some of the southern writiers. So far this group hasn’t disappointed. It’s an odd mesh of people who love to read. And so far no one has nominated any of the heavy hitters (Faulkner, etc.) just good honest southern lit.

If you’re interested, join us! Right now, the group is reading Ecology of a Cracker Childhood. It’s pretty good so far. I can see why it was nominated. If you’ve spent any time driving around the southern US then you’ll be able to picture the settings of this book.

Famous Finds

Here’s a neat list maintained by a small lending library in Maine. It lists famous people and their favorite book(s). Some of the people are even quoted and expound as to why they picked what they did.

I’ve always wondered what you could learn about somebody if you could study their TBR pile, but this is pretty fun too. Some folks picked some heavy stuff, but I was surprised by a few such as General Colin Powell’s first pick.

Books, Publishing and Birmingham