Hot Poetry Sets Grass on Fire

This Sunday’s Lit & Art at the Watermark is sure to be a scorcher. That’s because poets featured in the anthology Life in Me Like Grass on Fire will set the event ablaze with their poetry. Fourteen of the fifty poets featured in the anthology will share their work.


The event takes place at the Watermark Gallery in downtown Baltimore from 2 to 5 p.m.


Returning Lit & Art poets include Fernando Quijano III, Ann Bracken, and Liz Moser.

Making their Lit & Art debut are poets Laura Shovan, Margaret Mullins, Judith Goedeke, Kat Hellen, Allan Roy Andrews, Janice Lynch Schuster, Danuta Kosk-Kosicka, Regina Sokas, Tapendu Basu, Shirley Brewer, and Adele Steiner.

Songwriter Goodloe Byron will provide original music. Manzar will share her original artwork.

Like previous events in this series, it’s free and open to the public. Complimentary wine and refreshments will be served. Find out why it’s been called “the best excuse to get lit on a Sunday afternoon.”

The Watermark Gallery is located in the Bank of America Center Skywalk Level, right across from the Inner Harbor, at 100 S. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland. The phone number is (410) 547-0452.

Learn more about the Watermark at its online gallery.
www.manzar.net

And in case you haven’t already gotten your copies, Life in Me Like Grass on Fire and Tracks: A Novel in Stories will both be on sale, with authors ready to autograph!

New York Journal of Books—Stories Move Through the Train

One of the periodicals to review Tracks: A Novel in Stories is the New York Journal of Books. And the review was a great one.

“… Goodman is a born storyteller who weaves his tales of each individual character, and then ties them together to create a finely patterned cloth … you have the more transcendent experience of seeing each of the characters from many perspectives, at times understanding not only their “now” but something of their past and future.”

The Journal even reviewed other reviews of Tracks.

“Many of the reviews written of this book point out that it’s a great summer read. This is true. It’s the kind of book that you can read best at a leisurely pace, enjoying the slower rhythms of this literary ‘people watching.’”

Read the whole review at New York Journal of Books.
http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/review/tracks-novel-stories

Take a look at what other reviewers are saying at the Tracks website.
http://www.tracksnovel.com/published-book-reviews.html

Tracks in the Ivy

This Wednesday, July 27 at 6:30, The Ivy Bookshop is hosting the release book reading & signing for Tracks: A Novel in Stories. The event is free and open to the public.

Copies of Tracks will be available through The Ivy, but even if you already have your copy, please feel welcome to stop in for the reading and to say hello.

I’ll be reading an abridged selection or two from Tracks, and will then open the floor to questions about the Tracks, writing, or whatever you’d like to discuss.

Learn more about the event and feel free to leave a comment at the Facebook event page:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=166910513381914

Learn more about The Ivy Bookshop at their IndieBound listing:

http://www.indiebound.org/stores/the-ivy-bookshop

And see www.TracksNovel.com to learn about this and other upcoming events along the Tracks book tour

Tracks Book Signing at Greetings and Readings

Saturday will see the first bookstore book-signing event since the recent release of Tracks: A Novel in Stories.

Come meet and greet me at Readings & Greetings, located at Hunt Valley Towne Centere, 118-AA Shawan Rd., Hunt Valley, Maryland, this Saturday, July 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. I’ll be happy to chat with you, sign a book for your, maybe even have you sign a book for me.

Find out all about the event at the Greetings & Readings “Local author takes readers from Baltimore to Chicago” page.

www.greetingsandreadings.com/events/eric-goodman-tracks-signing


Want to be the author of your own dedication? You can pre-order your book and inscription here and it will be waiting for you when you come to Greetings & Readings.

www.greetingsandreadings.com/show?product.tracks


Let us know whether to expect you by checking in or leaving a comment at the event’s Facebook page. You may be surprised at some of the people who left comments there.
www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=154647694609109


And see www.TracksNovel.com to learn about upcoming events, such as the release reading and signing at The Ivy Bookshop on July 27 and other stops along the Tracks book tour.

Tracks Covered by Baltimore Jewish Times

In this week’s edition of the Baltimore Jewish Times, one of North America’s largest Jewish periodicals, I was interviewed by Gila Heller for a full-page interview called “Covering His ‘Tracks’”

The interview is in the "Exclusively in Print" section, noted in the online version. Here’s a taste …

BJT: Why a novel in stories?

Goodman: The first few stories were just individual stories. I was trying to decide what novel I wanted to write and I had recently read a couple of novels in stories, and it gave me the idea to connect the stories I had written. I also wanted to offer readers a look at the same characters from different perspectives.

BJT: Why did you choose to include a Holocaust survivor as one of your characters?

Goodman: Five or six years ago, I went to the National Holocaust Memorial Museum in D.C., and I just remember it was such an emotional experience. I had read a lot of books and seen a lot of movies about the Holocaust, but this had such an effect on me. Riding home on the MARC train, I was already writing notes and thinking about how I could include this in a story. I visited the museum several more times to really submerge myself in it as I was writing. I think "Live Cargo," the story that came out of it, is probably one of the more powerful stories in the book.

Read the whle interview in print. Get your print copy of the Baltimore Jewish Times (July 15, 2011) at the newsstand before the new issue comes out on Friday!

http://www.jewishtimes.com/

Anthology or Individual Book?

This Thursday, for some, Sunrise will be in the evening. That’s because the Maryland Writers’ Association will present a panel discussion and reading to residents of Sunrise of Columbia. The event takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. at Sunrise of Columbia, 6500 Freetown Road, Columbia, MD.

Five poets published in the anthology Life in Me like Grass on Fire who have also had their own books published will participate (myself included). We will read from our work, and discuss the differences between having your own book published and having your work published in an anthology with other authors.

Learn more at the Maryland Writers Association website.
http://marylandwriters.org/meetings.html

Learn more about this and other events on the Tracks book tour at http://www.tracksnovel.com/appearances.html.

Poets in Preston Features Tracks

Looking for somewhere new to lunch tomorrow? Stop by Preston Gardens (along St. Paul Street) for a free smoothie, a hearty serving of poetry, and a reading from Tracks. The event is tomorrow, Tuesday, July 19 at noon.

The Downtown Partnership Baltimore and Cyclops Books + Music present Poets in Preston every Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. Each event offers some hot poetry and literature in the cool shade—along with free refreshments.

Learn more about Poets in Preston at the city’s link.
http://www.godowntownbaltimore.com/events/Default.aspx?eid=90511caa-b5a1-e011-bbb5-0013211c7c91

Get a calendar of events here:
http://public.dpob.org/vcalendar/index.aspx

Here are specific details for Tuesday, July 19 featuring my reading of Tracks, and poetry from Patrick Tandy, and Christophe Casamassima.
http://public.dpob.org/vcalendar/event_view_popup.aspx?event_id=9&ret_link=index.aspx%3fcal_monthDir%3dAsc

Find out about other stops on the Tracks book tour at www.tracksnovel.com/appearances.html

Timetable of Tracks Events

As you sit in the passenger seat of a train, you might familiarize yourself with the scheduled stops along the way to your destination and get off for a stretch on the platform in different locations. In the same way, even if you caught one of the past Tracks events or already have your copy of Tracks, you’re still encouraged enjoy some of the stops on the Tracks book tour.

You can find the timetable of scheduled stops at www.tracksnovel.com/appearances.html. Be sure to check back periodically as new events are being added.

Here are some of the upcoming events I’d like to invite you to. Consider this your personal boarding pass.

July 27, 2011 - Baltimore, MD: Tracks in the Ivy, 6:30 p.m. at The Ivy Bookshop, 6080 Falls Road, Baltimore, MD—this is the official “release reading” for Tracks, being the first book signing and reading event at a bookstore following the publication of Tracks.

July 23, 2011 - Hunt Valley, MD: Tracks Signing at Greetings & Readings,1 to 3 p.m. at Greetings & Readings, Hunt Valley Towne Centere, 118-AA Shawan Rd., Hunt Valley, MD; Note that this will be a book signing but not a reading; it’s a chance to get a signed copy and chat with the author.

July, 2011 - Baltimore, MD: NPR's Maryland Morning, on WYPR 88.1 FM, Baltimore's NPR Station, air date and time to be announced but it should be airing one day next week.

July 19, 2011 - Baltimore, MD: Poets in Preston, 12 noon to 1 p.m. at downtown Baltimore's Preston Gardens, East Preston, Baltimore, MD—you can even bicycle your own free smoothie compliments of Wheely Good Smoothies.

July 16 & 17, 2011 - Baltimore, MD: Tracks at Artscape, Cyclops Books Booth, America's largest free arts festival, Downtown Baltimore, MD

There are more events coming. Come to one, come to all. I’ll be reading different selections at different events, so travel through the novel in stories with me—I’ll read them to you so you don’t have to!

Get the evolving book tour schedule at www.tracksnovel.com/appearances.html

Poe House Benefit—Forevermore

If you’re a fan of Edgar Allan Poe or are connected to Baltimore, you probably know that the Poe House & Museum in Baltimore is in danger of becoming … nevermore. Lack of funding may force the Poe House to close its doors.

MICA-trained artist Gaia and Baltimore Heritage want to make sure that doesn’t happen—as do Poe enthusiasts everywhere. So they’ve rap-tap-tapped together a benefit. Here are the details.

FOREVERMORE: An event & installation celebrating the gift of 100 signed prints by artist, Gaia to benefit Baltimore’s Poe House & Museum

When: JULY 14, 2011
Time: 6:00 to 8:00pm
Artist Reception - 8:00 to 10:00pm
Urbanite@Case[werks]
1501 St Paul Street, Suite 116 (Railway Express Building)
Baltimore, MD 21202
RSVP by filling out the RSVP FORM

Gaia has generously donated a numbered special edition of his print, The Raven (Forevermore) for a sale to benefit Baltimore’s Poe House & Museum so that they may continue to keep their doors open. There will be a Preview & Print Sale gallery event at Urbanite@Case[werks] and hosted by Baltimore Heritage on the eve of Artscape 2011, July 14th from 6 to 8 pm. To attend the Preview, please RSVP. An Artist’s Reception will follow from 8-10 pm to celebrate the gift with an installation by the artist and is open to all.

John Astin (the actor who played Gomez in The Addams Family and a professor at Johns Hopkins) will host the evening and introduce the artist Gaia. The evening will include a performance of The Raven by Tony Tsendeas.

Learn more at this link:
http://poebicentennial.com/news.html

Towson Times Explores Tracks

The Towson Times featured the headline “Goodman on ‘Tracks’ with novel built on short stories.” Feature writer Sheila S. Peter wrote in this week’s edition (the online version showed up on Sunday):

“Many of us know this Rodgers Forge resident's wonderful first book, "Flightless Goose," for children. Well, now adults can thrill to Eric's work.”

She then went on to mention my NPR radio readings and upcoming Tracks events in the area.

“He'll be at Artscape this coming weekend, July 16 and 17; at Greetings and Readings on July 23; and at the Ivy Bookstore, July 27 at 6:30 p.m.”

Read the story at http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/baltimorecounty/publications/towson-times/ph-tt-neighbor-rodgers-peter-20110710,0,1634887.story

Learn more about these and other Tracks events at http://www.tracksnovel.com/appearances.html

E-Readers, Celebrate: You're Winning

For a few years now there has been an ongoing debate among readers and writers: printed books vs. electronic books. Looks like the e-readers are winning.

According to The Boston Globe: “Since April 1, Amazon has sold 105 Kindle e-books for every 100 conventional books sold.”

Not only are e-books outselling printed books, but Kindle books alone are outselling printed books on Amazon!

Just in time for a summer weekend of relaxed reading, Tracks, a novel in stories, has been released in Kindle format. So if you’ve been waiting to add Tracks to your Kindle, your wait is over! What’s better, Amazon has it on sale for only $7.99. (The Kindle cover price is $9.99 and the printed cover price is $15.95.)

E-books began outselling hardcover books only a year ago. Since introducing Kindle books, it took only four years for them to emerge as the format of choice for Amazon customers.

Get Tracks on your Kindle now for only $7.99!

http://www.amazon.com/Tracks-ebook/dp/B005AZV8RO/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

People Watching with Atticus Books

In conjunction with the publication of Tracks, a novel in stories, Atticus Books sat down for an interview with me about my fiction debut, people watching on trains, and plans for the film adaptation.

We talk about writing in general, inspiration for Tracks in particular, and the concept of a novel in stories with shifting perspectives of the same characters.

Read the full interview, pictures and all, at the Atticus Books website, “where distinguished voices become legend.” And if you have a question of your own, feel free to ask in the comments section.

http://atticusbooksonline.com/tracks-arrives-at-the-station-june-30-an-interview-with-the-author/