ARTY BEES BOOKS NEWSLETTER

August 2004

THIS NEWSLETTER IS BY JESSICA, MANAGER AT ARTY BEE'S (i.e. The one who's usually scrabbling around on the floor or vacuuming). APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE FOR THE ABYSMAL OVERUSE OF BRACKETS (I've just never been able to get out of the habit).

Hello and welcome to another long-awaited (but only because their regularity is somewhat skewed) installment of the literary highlight that is the Arty Bee's website newsletter. How are you all? (There's more than one person reading this, right?). Anyway, I'm sucking diesel! This is a Northern Irish phrase meaning that you're feeling amazing, you're on fire. I picked this up on my recent travels overseas (not to Ireland unfortunately), while I was driving in a rental car around Blighty with the dial tuned to Radio 1. Now, bear with me, there is a literary reference here somewhere! I know Radio 1 DJ's aren't usually associated with…well, intelligence…but they did have an interesting segment about how words get into the Oxford dictionary, as a whole new raft have gone in (including Homer's "D'oh" and the term "Mini-me"), and a whole lot have come out (mostly computer languages & programmes pre-Windows). The basic requirement for a word or term to be considered is exposure. It must be heard in everyday conversations and be printed in different media formats. Now, one of the DJ's was Northern Irish and was promoting the use of "sucking diesel" in an attempt to engineer an entry. Although the next edition is probably years away, I think it would be intriguing to see if this could happen. So, from now on, if someone asks, you're not "fine", "good", "okay" or "not too bad" (which I'm quite frankly sick of being anyway), you're "sucking diesel".

Let's see if we can make the next paragraph not quite as long, but let's not quite get into all the shop talk just yet. As mentioned, and possibly noticed by Arty Bee's regulars, I have been on a ridiculously long holiday (for which I will be paying penance and will seem chained to the counter chair for the next two years at least).
I spent about seven weeks roaming Scandinavia by rail, and along the way I did some bookish things. I visited Hans Christian Andersen's haunts in Odense, Denmark; Ibsen's apartment in Oslo, Norway (where I had my own tour guide, being the only English speaker); and Ystaad in southern Sweden, home to Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander detective series and the most idyllic, quiet and quaint seaside town where I'm sure no one would ever commit a murder! (Shop bit: Mankell's books are available new and now at Bizy Bee's). I also went to Moominworld in Finland, which is surprisingly (for a theme park) in keeping with the ideals and messages of Tove Jannson's children's books, with no rides, only activities and wanders through the forests and beaches.

Another literary moment I had was taking a bus from Ostersund in the middle of Sweden to way up beyond the Arctic Circle, just before Midsummer, and reading Kerstin Ekman's Blackwater, which spookily starts out describing the exact same trip…and it's accurate, believe me. Thankfully mine didn't end in murder and suicide — but I can attest to the light psychosis. Actually, thinking about them all makes me wonder at how prominent Scandinavian literature is in the world, and also of the close identity it shares with New Zealand writing, in that it's also dark, philosophical and entwined with nature.

That seems like the perfect segue into telling you that one of the least moody authors around, the fantastical Mr. Terry Pratchett, will be releasing a new book in October. Well, I'm sure he has people who do the releasing stuff for him, but he still has to have a hand in the promoting, which involves a book signing tour of New Zealand in November. Of course, we would love to get him at Bizy Bee's and have therefore been groveling shamelessly. As yet, no dice, but we have other plans of attack, like baskets of mini-muffins.

Those things are about as hard to resist as…our annual HARDBACK FICTION SALE! Starting 1st September. This is how the incredible offer goes:
If you buy one hardback or trade paperback book from the general fiction, science fiction, horror, detective or modern literature sections of either shop you get 1/3 off (e.g. if it's $15, it's now only $10!)…however, if you purchase 3 or more of them, it's half-price (that $15 book is now only $7.50!). It's time to start collecting your favourite series in hardback or time to try some new authors. Fine print: As usual, all the disclaimers about 'new' books apply and sale books are not returnable under our normal exchange policy — we want more room to bring you more new stuff and space is a thing that we're definitely lacking.

Well, I've left myself with no obvious link to the previous paragraph. I will just have to rattle off pieces of random information. It's been a year since we launched our first publication, Terawhiti by Catherine Morrison. It has been very successful and we are now down to the last 100 copies. As we are no longer supplying it to other book retailers and will not be having another print run in the foreseeable future, this will be your last chance to own this fabulous book about an intriguing part of Wellington's history. It sells exclusively at Arty Bee's and Bizy Bee's for $40.00.

So, what else is new? The last of the enormous lot of ancient history and archaeology books we received earlier in the year is now all out in both shops. It really was a wonderful collection and some of it could still be yours. I came back to a few shelf changes at Arty Bee's, mainly the extension of the Latin Classics and the Animal Stories section, which allows for a bit of breathing room, a bit of growth (Yes, it is much like Hitler in '39)*. Bizy Bee's have several new authors on their shelves including Rita Mae Brown and her cat Sneaky Pie Brown. I'm not sure what the connection is between detective novels and cats and science-fiction and cats, but…that's a whole other newsletter.

Until next time (we swears it won't take as long, master) take care and happy reading.
And remember — you're SUCKIN' DIESEL!

Jessica

* I dunno, you put yourself out, doing somebody else's job, as well as your own, for nine weeks (!!!!!) after, I have to say, a fairly pathetic display of mock guilt and begging, except of course that begging implies that she asked permission to go, when in fact she just booked her tickets and said "sod you jimmy" (well not literally because Jimmy's not my name, hi, it's Robynne here! (envision strange woman waving at her computer screen for full effect))

Where was I? Oh yes, and then, then.... you get compared to Hitler. Good thing she bought back pressies for me is all I can say. Back

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April 2004
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