I'm a Good Dog

Ken Foster will be signing copies of I'm a Good Dog on Saturday December 15th from 1 - 3 p.m.

Perhaps more than any other breed, the pit bull has been dogged by negative stereotypes. In truth, pit bulls are innately wonderful family pets, as capable of love and good deeds as any other type of dog. Setting the record straight, Ken Foster sings the praises of pit bulls in I’m a Good Dog, a gorgeously illustrated, tenderly written tribute to this most misunderstood of canines.

Founder of the Sula Foundation, which promotes responsible pit bull ownership in New Orleans, and the author of two acclaimed books about abandoned dogs, Foster has made it his mission to bring overlooked canines into the limelight. I’m a Good Dog traces the fascinating history of this particularly maligned breed. A century ago, the pit bull was considered a family dog, featured in family photos and trusted as loving companions for children. More recently, pit bulls have been portrayed by the media as stereotypes of everything they are not. Foster shatters that reputation through moving profiles of pit bulls that serve as therapy dogs, athletic heroes, search-and-rescue dogs, and educators, not to mention as loving pets. Foster also profiles many pit bull lovers, from Helen Keller and Dr. Seuss to actor Todd Cerveris, who took his pit bull on tour with him for the musical Spring Awakening.

Proving that there’s much to love and nothing to fear, I’m a Good Dog restores the pit bull to its rightful place as friend, family member, athlete and entertainer.

Signing with Claudia Hoag McGarry

Claudia Hoag McGarry will be signing copies of her latest book, Beignet and Grandpa Au Lait, on Sunday December 9th from noon until 2 p.m.

A young adult/adult novel about two dogs, Beignet and Grandpa Au Lait, who live in New Orleans in two different eras with "Auntie" and "Darlene May." Beignet gets lost during Hurricane Katrina while searching for his Auntie. One thing that helps him find his way home are stories his grandfather told him from days gone by. Told in first person by these two Southern dogs, we discover their heartfelt worlds of loyalty, lessons learned, good food, and true friendship.

Mark Elson and Jeannine Stein Book Signing

Mark Elson and Jeannine Stein will be signing copies of their book Battlefields of Honor: American Civil War Reenactors this Saturday, December 8th, from 1 - 3 p.m.

Some 150 years on, interest in the American Civil War (1861–65) is at an all-time high, no more so than among the thousands of people across the United States and Europe who participate in reenactments. They leave their jobs and homes behind to become battle-weary soldiers, courageous generals, dedicated nurses and even eager newspaper reporters, adopting not only the clothes of the era, but also the language, mannerisms and food.

In Battlefields of Honor, Mark Elson’s expressive images, themselves evoking the look and style of nineteenth-century photographs, capture the painstaking attention to detail that goes into such reenactments. Exploring such themes as the meticulous choreography frequently involved in the restaging of battles, the role women played in the conflict, and the behind-the-scenes work of artisans responsible for crafting replica uniforms, weaponry and utensils, this is a fascinating documentary essay on the men and women who feel an intense, often personal connection to a monumental period in America’s past.

• Follows modern-day reenactors as they re-create battles, camp life and the day-to-day existence of soldiers and civilians

• Features evocative images created by the authentic nineteenth-century process of wet-plate photography

• Includes a complete chronology of the Civil War

Check out this great article on the book from Huffington Post:
 
Huffington Post Article on Battlefields of Honor