By Vicky Dickson
Rosecrans Baldwin describes writers as “big-time book addicts.†For him, the addiction began early: As a kid, he was a regular at Barrett’s Bookstore in Darien, Conn., where Michael, behind the counter, always had a new title to recommend. Baldwin was allowed to take one book home every time he visited; his parents weren’t wealthy, but they valued reading.
Baldwin looks at reading as a gateway to writing, so it’s not much of a leap to speculate that he also finds writing addictive. A story he wrote as a sixth-grader, about a knight and a dragon, won a state contest. (Baldwin points out that he arrived at the awards ceremony to find himself in the midst of 4,000 other winners – but still.)
He braved the seriously cold winters of Waterville, Maine to take advantage of Colby College’s excellent English department, where he minored in creative writing and focused on poetry. And who else but a writing addict would finish two (as-yet-unpublished) novels in his 20s, while also co-founding an online magazine, The Morning News, and doing stints as a pizza deliveryman and an ambulance attendant?
If it is an addiction, it’s one that’s starting to pay off, and not just for Baldwin. The Aug. 12 launch party at Flyleaf Books for Baldwin’s newest novel drew more than 110 people, and the lucky attendees who bought a copy of the book before it sold out have a great read in store for them. You Lost Me There is a finely crafted story of a 50-something Alzheimer’s researcher, who, after his wife’s death, grows concerned with his own memory, questioning his recollections of his marriage. The evocative setting – Mt. Desert Island, Maine, where Baldwin spent his childhood summers – and fascinating characters make You Lost Me There very hard to put down.
It probably also takes a true writing addict to maintain a schedule like Baldwin’s. He’s now working on both a novel set in Tijuana and a travelogue-essay about Paris, where he and his wife spent a year and a half before moving to North Carolina. He’s involved with The Morning News, writing and editing as well as searching the Internet for interesting news items to link to the site. And there are all the promotional activities required of an author whose new book is generating a lot of attention – such as a trip to Barrett’s in September for another launch party for You Lost Me There. Michael has already been sent a copy.
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Food-loving readers will relish a couple of very special events at Flyleaf this month. At 7 p.m. today (Thursday), Frances Mayes is scheduled to read from and discuss her newest book, Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life. Tickets ($35) are required and include a signed hardcover copy of the book as well as hors d’oeuvres made by Foster’s Market from the book’s recipes. Reserve yours by calling 942-7373.
Then on Sept. 26, culinary giant Diana Kennedy comes to Flyleaf at 2 p.m. to talk about her latest book, Oaxaca Al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy. Since Kennedy is widely considered to be the foremost researcher, teacher and writer on regional foods in Mexico, lovers of Mexican cooking won’t want to miss out on the opportunity to meet her. An added bonus is the chance to sample one of her book’s delicious recipes, as rendered by Foster’s Market.
We were thrilled to learn that one of news reporting’s superheroes, Nicolas Kristof, will be in Chapel Hill on Sept. 14 to discuss Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, the book he’s written with his wife, Sheryl WuDunn. His talk, part of the Frank Porter Graham lecture series, is free to the public and begins at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Hall on the UNC campus.