Robert Camuto is a wickedly charming citizen of New YorkandFrance, but for his latest venture into the wilds of oephilia, Camuto introduces us to the vinyards of Sicily. It's a detailed tour of the wine culture of the region, as well as the best vintages. To accompany the discussion we will, naturally, be hosting a tasting of Sicilian wines provided by the excellent Chamber Street Wines. This is a rare free guided wine tasting by an expert on the region.
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News of Note
Staff Picks
A Coffin for Dimitrios
Written by David
by Eric Ambler (Vintage Crime, $12.95)
Eric Ambler, who's rightfully said to be the father of modern espionage fiction, brought a literary sensibility to the spy thriller genre that really hadn't existed before. His work is sophisticated and anti-formulaic, and, if you're a fan of John Le Carré or Alan Furst (both of whom, by the way, would be the first to acknowledge their debt to him), I think you'd do well to try him out. A Coffin for Dimitrios is my favorite, and it's the one that got me hooked.
An Elemental Thing
Written by David
by Eliot Weinberger (New Directions, $16.95)
No one writes like Eliot Weinberger. His work is difficult to classify, or even describe. Poetic non-fiction? Creative essays? I don't know -- nothing really works. He himself will tell you that the one unifying characteristic of An Elemental Thing is that everything is verifiable--but what does that mean? It's easy, though, to get an idea of what this book is all about. These are very short, oddly engaging, episodic pieces, and it would only take a few minutes to read the first couple all the way through. This is how I started, and before long I couldn't put it down.
Freddy and Fredericka
Written by David
by Mark Helprin (Penguin, $15.00)
I don't know why I have to preface my recommendations to each of Mark Helprin's books with, "It's kind of a guilty pleasure, but..." and then go on to talk about how great I thought it was and how much fun I had reading it and how I can't wait for him to write another. True, these books have the feel of comfort food, but that doesn't make them any less well-written, or any less significant of a reading experience. They are intelligent, moving, and thought provoking, and unlike almost all other books, occasionally make me laugh out loud. This is his latest, and I had to wait nearly 10 years for it. I envy you if it will be your first--you have so much to look forward to.
Eric Ambler, who's rightfully said to be the father of modern espionage fiction, brought a literary sensibility to the spy thriller genre that really hadn't existed before. His work is sophisticated and anti-formulaic, and, if you're a fan of John Le Carré or Alan Furst (both of whom, by the way, would be the first to acknowledge their debt to him), I think you'd do well to try him out. A Coffin for Dimitrios is my favorite, and it's the one that got me hooked.
No one writes like Eliot Weinberger. His work is difficult to classify, or even describe. Poetic non-fiction? Creative essays? I don't know -- nothing really works. He himself will tell you that the one unifying characteristic of An Elemental Thing is that everything is verifiable--but what does that mean? It's easy, though, to get an idea of what this book is all about. These are very short, oddly engaging, episodic pieces, and it would only take a few minutes to read the first couple all the way through. This is how I started, and before long I couldn't put it down.
I don't know why I have to preface my recommendations to each of Mark Helprin's books with, "It's kind of a guilty pleasure, but..." and then go on to talk about how great I thought it was and how much fun I had reading it and how I can't wait for him to write another. True, these books have the feel of comfort food, but that doesn't make them any less well-written, or any less significant of a reading experience. They are intelligent, moving, and thought provoking, and unlike almost all other books, occasionally make me laugh out loud. This is his latest, and I had to wait nearly 10 years for it. I envy you if it will be your first--you have so much to look forward to.