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EUGENIA WILLIAMSON

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Readers say the darndest things

Bookstore culture from the inside
Bookstores — those endangered spaces perpetually under threat from market forces and the relentless march of technology — trade on charm.

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | September 14, 2012

Worthy pastimes for highbrow youngsters

Existentialism for tots
Hey, nerdy smart kids! This October, a publisher called Bloomsbury will put out a special activity book just for you!

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | August 15, 2012

How one man unites old folks, babies, and hipsters through the power of easy listening

The last auteur of terrestrial radio
Bob Bittner, the last auteur of terrestrial radio, presides over an 11-by-11-foot room in a Cambridge storage facility near Fresh Pond Mall.

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | August 01, 2012

Lehane's talent show

Into the Mystic
"The pejorative ghettoization of mystery writing has become pretty laughable," says Dennis Lehane. "It's just not working."

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | August 01, 2012

Attack of the Hipster Conservatives

They want limited government and fixed-gear bicycles — and your best friend might be one of them
Arthur Brietman thinks of it as the "Oh no" moment.

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | July 23, 2012

Conservatives to watch out for

Last summer, lefty comedian Michael Ian Black and conservative pundit Meghan McCain took a cross-country road trip together so they could write a book about it.

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | July 18, 2012

The self-published come to BEA

On writers row
Kenneth Brown stood in a remote corner of Manhattan's Javits Center floor.

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | July 03, 2012

The dead end of DIY publishing

Self-published novelists – the Rodney Dangerfields of the book world — are finally getting some respect. But are they better off?
It all started with Still Alice .

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | July 03, 2012

John Brandon adapts to his surroundings

Homegrown
A Million Heavens (McSweeney's), John Brandon's surreal and humane third novel, follows a group of misfit searchers in a New Mexico desert town.

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | July 02, 2012

Got something to say about your favorite album? 33 1/3 just might print it

Liner notes
David Barker does not know exactly how many proposals he has read since he started 331/3, the esteemed series of small, somewhat flimsy, uniformly sized books about records. He doesn't know how he wants to commemorate its 10-year anniversary next spring.

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | June 21, 2012

Stars of the Western (Mass) Hemisphere

Glamorous Western Mass is home to a surprising number of minor celebrities, living and dead
No matter how many Wahlburgers Mark and Co. open, Boston can sometimes feel a little devoid of A-listers. But who needs Hollyweird? Drive just a couple hours west, and suddenly you're surrounded by famous people and the ghosts of dead famous people.

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | June 06, 2012

Jonathan Lethem braves Talking Heads’ Fear of Music

Fear factor
In every single rock documentary on the BBC, there comes a certain moment.

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | June 01, 2012

Queering the party with the DJs of Nu Life

Beyond Gay Night
Growing up gay on Long Island, Brian Friedberg went out dancing almost every night: at all-ages clubs, raves, dancehall nights, gay hip-hop nights, gay clubs, straight clubs, and late-night joints. But he couldn't find the party he was looking for.

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | May 25, 2012

Chinatown Hypnosis Case Bull, Says Renowned Mentalist

Not so amazing
Not so amazing

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | May 16, 2012

Lizzie Stark explores the worlds of live-action storytelling

The Art of LARP
For the uninitiated, the word "LARP" conjures burly beardos hitting each other with foam swords in the woods and corseted women in capes flouncing around hotel ballrooms, all for entirely inexplicable reasons.

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | May 14, 2012

Save a car, ride a pedicab

The Pedi Cure
Before this assignment, I had never even considered riding in pedicab, even though I work in the pedicab mecca of Kenmore Square. I always thought there was something extremely icky about making someone sweat while I sit there like a pasha.

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | May 09, 2012