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Books Trump Casinos

8/31/2014

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Is he teaching science or the alphabet? In fact, Louis Greenstein was discussing Mr. Boardwalk and related topics with an enthusiastic audience at the Atlantic City Free Public Library yesterday. Comments ranged across topics like the influence of the casinos and the future of shore towns as well as literary matters such as how to write descriptions that give the reader the sense of actually being there.

Many thanks to Ricky Gerhardt of the library for arranging and hosting the event. We enjoyed the boardwalk scene and did not visit any casinos.
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Sometimes you gotta live a little

8/29/2014

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Nice article in the Press of Atlantic City about Louis Greenstein and the writing of his novel Mr. Boardwalk. Click on the image to go to the full story.

Louis will be appearing at the Atlantic City Free Public Library, 1 North Tennessee Avenue, at 2:00 this Saturday, August 30. Great weather predicted. Hit the beach in the morning, bring your sandy feet to the library to hear Louis, then stop at a casino to win the gas money for your trip home!
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"Loved it!"

8/28/2014

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A new review of Mr. Boardwalk on Amazon, from "CO Girl":
I couldn't put it down -- it made me cry, made me laugh and always made me want to see what happens next. Loved it!
We guess CO Girl is from Colorado, which goes to show that you don't have to be a Jersey Shore aficionado to find the book fascinating.
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Mr. Boardwalk Returns to His Roots

8/26/2014

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If you're hangin' near Atlantic City this coming weekend, don't miss the chance to see Mr. Boardwalk (that is, Louis Greenstein, author of the novel of the same name) return to the haunts where the book is set.

Louis will be at the Atlantic City Free Public Library, 1 North Tennessee Ave., at 2:00 Saturday. That's close to the beach, the boardwalk, the Irish Pub, Ripley's Believe It or Not -- all the good stuff! Oh, and the casinos too.

"Money spent on a book brings greater value than money inserted in a slot machine." Some classical economist said that, we forget who.
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"It's about life"

8/25/2014

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Latest five-star Amazon review of Mr. Boardwalk:
This is an amazing book. A wonderful recreation of a time and place. It's not about Atlantic City. It's about life. Happy, sad, bittersweet. It even has a touch of magic in it. I hope this author continues to write. Enjoy it.
The reviewer is M. Kramer, who has also reviewed The Penguin History of the World (1,189 pages). We're impressed that M. found the time to read our little 300-page novel. And grateful, of course, for the praise!

About the "touch of magic" in the book: Here's a comment from Jimmy, the novel's sage and smelly wise man (a counterpart to Rabbi Greenblatt, who is also sage but not smelly). Jason, the narrator, has been bugging Jimmy to explain a seemingly magical event that keeps recurring in Jason's life:
"If you don't know how," I asked, "can you tell me why?"

Jimmy looked up, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"You never asked why before. You only asked how."

"Okay, now I'm asking why."

His grin faded. He looked me in the eye. "To protect you." He stuffed another hunk of pastry in his mouth and washed it down with a gulp of water.
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Magic & Nature's Mysteries

8/21/2014

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A lovely review of Mr. Boardwalk in the New York Journal of Books, written by Debra Leigh Scott, waxes lyrical about the meaning of protagonist Jason Benson's adventures. If you're too busy to follow the link to the whole article, here are some excerpts:
With jobs disappearing as casinos declare bankruptcy, Atlantic City in 2014 teeters on the brink of a plunge into darkness. But the Atlantic City Jason shares with his wife and daughter is the Atlantic City of his youth, when he lived and worked at the beach in his father’s soft pretzel store, where his family had close, trusting relationships with the owners of other stores, arcades, restaurants. Yes, it was a little seedy. Yes, it was down-at-the-heels. But everything existed on a human scale, and lives were interwoven in ways that created deep and lasting bonds....

There was a kind of magic that followed the cycle of the seasons which infused and energized the life of those who lived in harmony with that cycle. The gypsy families who did business in New Jersey through the summer would disappear to areas further south, to see the Gypsy King, each winter. Can you get any more mysterious and mythical than that?...


Also in the ebb and flow of Jason’s narrative is the tidal shift of the 1960s.  The teenage girls stop wearing bras, the teenage boys grow their hair long. Rock and roll music changes dramatically. The smell of pot drifts through the summer air. Social and political unrest, civil rights struggles, Vietnam protests, all become a subtle blend of the colors of the times. 

Jason is coming of age in one of the most tumultuous times in our country’s recent history, and what he learns of life is a combination of the sorrows of wintertime and the Dionysian risks of a 1960s Summerland.... 

In Mr. Boardwalk, an older, more magical Atlantic City manages to shine through, first in the glimmering shadows and then more boldly, taking shape and standing fully realized through the memories and devotion of a young boy’s love. Greenstein weaves a story of past and present in a way that creates a sense of timelessness.
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Awash in Silliness

8/19/2014

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"With as many as four casinos shutting down in Atlantic City by the end of September, New Jersey is suddenly awash in plans for, well, more casinos." --The New York Times

When will politicians and their business cronies stop believing in "revenue-generating machines"? To counter this silliness, we offer a passage from Mr. Boardwalk in which a teenage Jason Benson tries to impress his girlfriend's snooty mother. What he comes out with can be taken as a paean to modest family businesses, the opposite of the glitzy mega-corps and their slick-haired boosters:
I cleared my throat. "I just wanted to introduce myself," I began, "and see if it would be okay for Sarah and me to be friends and hang out after school once in a while and maybe go to a movie sometimes on a Friday or Saturday night. We'll be home early. You can drive us, or my dad can if you're too busy." Pretty clever, I thought, asking her to drive, as if she actually would.

"What does your father do?" asked Mrs. Gilquist. "What's he in?"

In? On my way here, I'd rehearsed answers to her questions, but this was one I hadn't anticipated. He's in aeronautics. He's in law. He's in banking.

"Pretzels," I said, optimistically. "He owns four pretzel bakeries. One in Atlantic City during the summer, and the others are at the Downingtown Farmers Market, the Pennsauken Mart and the Montgomeryville Mart."

She polished off her drink, stood up again and made her way back to the cart. "What's a mart?" she asked while she poured her second drink.

"You know, like a farmers market, with lots of little stalls—stores and stuff. Like clothes and tires, and books and sneakers. Frozen custard."

While Mrs. Gilquist's face was buried in her tumbler I stole a glance at Sarah, who eyed me back cautiously.

"So what do you say?" I asked. "Do you think Sarah and I could go out together once in a while? As friends?"

Mrs. Gilquist looked up. She seemed surprised to see me. She pointed her index finger at me. "Pretzels?" she asked.

"Fresh baked," I said. "Would you like me to bring you a bag? On my next visit? I'll bet you like yours extra salty."
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"Hard to believe"

8/15/2014

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Latest review of Mr. Boardwalk on Goodreads, from "Sallie":
I really enjoyed this book. I remember so many of the places and events that he mentions in this book. All the locations were described accurately. Hard to believe this is the author's first novel. Great debut.
And the latest update of appearances, formal reviews, etc.:

Dates to be announced:
  • Feature article and interview with author Louis Greenstein in The Press of Atlantic City
  • Interview with Louis on the podcast This Creative Life

Thursday, 9/25: Reading and book signing at Penn Book Center, 130 S. 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, 8/30: Reading and book signing at Atlantic City Free Public Library, 1 North Tennessee Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ, 2:00 p.m.

Past Events

Thursday, 8/7: Reading and book signing as part of "Down the Shore" event, with photographer Michael M. Koehler and Zsa's Ice Cream Truck, at Big Blue Marble Bookstore, 551 Carpenter Lane, Philadelphia, PA, 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, 8/2: Review on "Svetlana's Reads and Views"

Sunday, 7/27: Reading and book signing at The Quadrangle, 3300 Darby Road, Haverford, PA, 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, 7/19: Appearance and book signing at "Celebrating Philly Publishers!", Musehouse: A Center for the Literary Arts, 7924 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118

Monday, 7/14: Review in Cleaver Magazine

Wednesday, 6/18: Official book launch party, with reading and book signing, at Head House Books, 619 S. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, 6/12: Reading and book signing at Main Point Books, 1041 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA, 7:00 p.m.

Monday, 6/9: Review in The Piker Press

Wednesday, 6/4: Guest post by Louis, "Three Things I Learned About Writing From My Day Jobs," on Maryann Miller's blog

Monday, 6/2: Maryann Miller discusses other work by Louis Greenstein in her Monday Morning Musings

Sunday, 6/1: Book review on Maryann Miller's blog, "It's Not All Gravy"

Thursday, May 8: Advance review in Philadelphia Review of Books

Monday, March 17: Advance review in Small Press Reviews
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Big Blue Down the Shore

8/7/2014

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Tonight, August 7, Louis Greenstein will discuss Mr. Boardwalk at Big Blue Marble Bookstore in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philly. Sharing the bill will be photographer Michael Koehler, whose photos of shore scenes in Seaside and Seaside Heights turned suddenly into a memorial project when Hurricane Sandy walloped the area. Koehler has assembled the photos in a lovely and moving book aptly titled Seaside.

For those not familiar with Mt. Airy, we can offer a few pointers:

  • Several years ago, residents of the mildly hilly neighborhood were responsible for a rash of bumper stickers proclaiming "This Car Climbed Mt. Airy."
  • From the front door of the bookstore, you can reach a 41-year-old grocery coop, with an emphasis on natural foods and local produce, in about 20 steps. You have to cross the street, however, to find the pet food, vitamins, and dietary supplements.
  • The street is one way on one block and two ways on the next block. Neighbors do not find this odd.
  • Of course there's a coffee shop. Did you think there wouldn't be? It's on the same side of the street as the pet foods and vitamins.
  • Demographics (from Wikipedia): "The area is recognized by many civil rights groups as one of the first successfully integrated neighborhoods in America. Mount Airy residents organized to resist blockbusting, panic selling, and redlining, especially during the period from the late 1950s to the early 1970s when those practices were prevalent. It continues to be a well-blended neighborhood and was recently cited in Oprah Winfrey's O magazine for its racial diversity and neighborhood appeal. The community has also been recognized by US News & World Report for racial harmony and balance."
  • 96 percent of residents recognize that the locution "going down the shore" (Philadelphia-ese for going to the beach) is mildly ungrammatical or at least odd. The other 4 percent have overdosed on organic kale.
  • Tonight there will be an ice cream truck outside the coop.


Upcoming Events for Mr. Boardwalk

Dates to be announced:
  • Feature article and interview with author Louis Greenstein in The Press of Atlantic City
  • Interview with Louis on the podcast This Creative Life

Thursday, 9/25: Reading and book signing at Penn Book Center, 130 S. 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, 8/30: Reading and book signing at Atlantic City Free Public Library, 1 North Tennessee Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ, 2:00 p.m.

Wednesday, 8/13: Guest post by Louis Greenstein at "Chaotic Compendiums: The Place to Find Your Next Book"

Tuesday, 8/12: Review by "Chaotic Compendiums: The Place to Find Your Next Book"

Thursday, 8/7: Reading and book signing as part of "Down the Shore" event, with photographer Michael M. Koehler and Zsa's Ice Cream Truck, at Big Blue Marble Bookstore, 551 Carpenter Lane, Philadelphia, PA, 7:00 p.m.

Past Events


Tuesday, 8/2: Review on "Svetlana's Reads and Views"

Sunday, 7/27: Reading and book signing at The Quadrangle, 3300 Darby Road, Haverford, PA, 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, 7/19: Appearance and book signing at "Celebrating Philly Publishers!", Musehouse: A Center for the Literary Arts, 7924 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118

Monday, 7/14: Review in Cleaver Magazine

Wednesday, 6/18: Official book launch party, with reading and book signing, at Head House Books, 619 S. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, 6/12: Reading and book signing at Main Point Books, 1041 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA, 7:00 p.m.

Monday, 6/9: Review in The Piker Press

Wednesday, 6/4: Guest post by Louis, "Three Things I Learned About Writing From My Day Jobs," on Maryann Miller's blog

Monday, 6/2: Maryann Miller discusses other work by Louis Greenstein in her Monday Morning Musings

Sunday, 6/1: Book review on Maryann Miller's blog, "It's Not All Gravy"

Thursday, May 8: Advance review in Philadelphia Review of Books

Monday, March 17: Advance review in Small Press Reviews
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OMG!

8/6/2014

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Latest Facebook comment on Mr. Boardwalk:
OMG ... it's great!!! I can't put it down, it's well written, spellbinding! It should be made into a movie.
OMG! We anticipate a strong competition among middle-aged character actors for the part of Jimmy the Gypsy entrepreneur and philosopher, who offers young Jason Benson mystifying advice about girls. Here's Jimmy explaining how he met his wife, My Edna:
He leaned across the table and lowered his voice. "Actually, I was bangin' her big sister. But then one day I'm over the house, I see this scrawny little fourteen-year-old nuthin' hunched over a sewing machine in the kitchen. 'I didn't know you had a sister,' I say to my girl. I look over at the kid sister and she looks at me. She smiles, I smile. We're all smiles. You ever notice My Edna's smile? Well, before ya know it, the older sister's history even though her tits were bigger." Jimmy raised his palms in wonder. "You see my point?"
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    "A heartfelt bildungsroman, a story of a man coming to terms with his complicated youth, and a vivid novel of place" 
    — Joe Samuel Starnes

    "Mr. Boardwalk is easily the best book I have read in years.... Very, very highly recommended." —Sand Pilarski in The Piker Press
    "Mr. Boardwalk is a must read and brings back so many great memories. You’ll love it." —Jerry Blavat, "The Geator with the Heator"

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