Nicki's Central West End Guide

A trailer for "Missouri Harvest"

 

Maddie Earnest, who co-owns South City's Local Harvest Grocery & Cafe, and Liz Fathman, of the Missouri Botanical Garden, have written Missouri Harvest (read Jenny Agnew's St. Louis Magazine article here), a Guide to Growers & Producers in the Show-Me State, featuring over 200 small farms and places where you can buy locally-grown food. The neighborhood's Bowood Farms gets a mention. The book, $18, is published by Webster University Press & Reedy Press. Missouri Harvest should be available in early April at Bowood Farms, 4605 Olive, (314) 454-6868.

The draw of "Joy the Baker"

I made a last-minute decision to run over to Left Bank Books last evening in time for the start of a reading by Joy Wilson, above, the author of "Joy the Baker Cookbook." Frankly, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about since this young woman's blog has been named one of the "Top 50 Food Blogs" by the London Times, and named "Best Baking Blog" by foodbuzz. By the time I staked my standing-room only spot, I felt the energy and high anticipation coming from the 100-plus young women---and a few men---as we waited for Joy to make her appearance.

Among those devotees in the crowd were a mother and daughter who had made a two-hour trip for the event, and fans eager to learn how to start a blog, how to write a cookbook, etc., etc. Many of them spoke with identical inflection and hand gestures, which I found really amusing. Joy even said to one questioner, "you sound just like me!"  Another asked why she chose St. Louis for her book tour, as if it were the last place on earth to visit.  Joy, who lives in LA, replied enthusiastically that her best friend lived down the street in an "amazing three-story house," and they had enjoyed a delicious dinner the night before at Duff's..."gosh I LOVE St. Louis," she said.

I did a double-take when, in response to a question, Joy said she didn't usually test her recipes, "unless someone emails that they have a problem with one---which rarely happens." She explained that her father and an aunt (who's blind) loved to bake and she learned a lot from them; she also worked in a bakery when she was younger. Consequently, she has her formulas down pat. The reason I mention this is that the "no testing" statement blew me away. When I was the food editor of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion I tested my recipes until I couldn't stand to look at another dish of whatever we were cooking up. Then my sister Debbie tested them again---just to be sure the average cook could get the recipes to work. Obviously, Joy is really talented.

The recipes in Joy the Baker Cookbook, $19.99, which include more than just sweet things, looked easy and quite good. As of this afternoon there are about 20 copies left at Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid.

The Unveiling

On Sunday afternoon the bust of world-renowned author Kate Chopin was unveiled on what has become known as "Writer's Corner" at Euclid and McPherson. Chopin's statue sits on the northwest corner of the intersection next to The Eye Bar.  Kate Chopin (nee O'Flaherty) was born in St. Louis in 1840 and spent all but 14 years of her life here. In her later years she lived at 3314 Morgan (now Delmar) and then at 4232 McPherson in the Central West End . Chopin's statue joins the busts of T. S. Eliot and Tennesee Williams---two authors who also lived in the neighborhood but were much less enamored of our fair city than Kate Chopin, who spoke of St. Louis in glowing terms.

The Central West End Association's efforts to raise funds for "The Writer's Corner Project" began in 2007. The organization's goal, to install four busts of internationally-known authors who spent part of their lives within a few blocks of installation site, is now 3/4's of the way complete. Funding for the project has come from private and public sources, including anonymous donors and the Regional Arts Commission. Funds are in the process of being raised for the 4th bust, that of William Burroughs, who lived on Pershing Place. I understand there is consideration of adding a fifth sculpture, which Mary Bartley, a former president of the CWEA, hopes will be that of author Sara Teasdale, a relative of current CWEA President Doug Teasdale.

 

Sunday's gathering was a celebration and a reunion for members of Kate Chopin's family. The large crowd included at least 20 Chopins, as well as members of the Kate Chopin Society, neighbors, and assorted friends of the family, many of whom attended City House or Barat Hall, Sacred Heart schools located at Taylor and Maryland until the mid-sixties. Kate Chopin was educated at the original City House, which was located on South Broadway at Convent Street.

In the photo above you may be able to pick out a few raised hands signifying those who are "related to Kate Chopin."

Virginia Publishing's Jeff Fister (above) a past president of the CWEA, current President Doug Teasdale, former President John Berglund, and CWEA staff member Mary Lee Pankoff (not pictured) organized the late afternoon event. Jeff introduced sculptor Jaye Gregory, (at podium right), who teaches figurative sculpture at St. Louis Community College at Meramec and Fontbonne University. The sculptor noted that she was deeply honored to receive the commission for the sculpture, an author she greatly admires. Creating the image was extremely difficult however, as there few photos of Kate Chopin.

Kate Chopin's granddaughter Betty, a college friend of mine, was at the event (holding red coat). Some of you may remember another charming granddaughter, Julie Chopin (who was not able to attend), who worked for a time at the late Ed Block's art gallery on Euclid near Writer's Corner.

After the unveiling, Chopin relatives, including the youngest Chopin at the event--great-granddaughter Olivia Walker (in white blouse) above---gathered around the statue, above and below.

Following the public dedication, a reception was held at Herbie's where Executive Chef Aaron Teitelbaum greeted the group with a delicious array of appetizers and drinks. Acting as the family's official representative, Kate Chopin's great-granddaughter Olivia thanked the guests, the CWEA, and other donors and attendees for their generosity.

Any bit of historical information I have added to this post was gleaned from remarks made by both freelance writer and CWE resident Pat Rice, and Kathleen Nigro, Assistant Professor of English and Gender Studies at UMSL---and head of the Kate Chopin Society.  Pat's clever talk pointed out the location of Chopin's birthplace in 1840 or '41 (where the big top for Cavalia is located, just west of Busch Stadium), the original City House, and her homes in the CWE. Chopin's father died tragically when she was quite young, in the Gasconnade River train accident, along with the great-grandfather of CWEA President Doug Teasdale (see Doug's "q & a" in the weekend's Post-Dispatch).  Kate married and moved to New Orleans only to return to St. Louis as a young widow at age 34. She and her six children moved in with her mother and grandmother.

Kate Chopin wrote 100 short stories and 3 novels in 10 years in order to earn whatever meager income she could. Her short stories were published in Vogue and The Atlantic Monthly. The 1899 publication of her novella, The Awakening, provoked a firestorm of negative publicity and was widely condemned. Professor Nigro considers The Awakening to be one of the five best books ever written by an American author. 

Kate Chopin, who lived during the Civil War and in a St. Louis that saw the population grow from 100,000 at the time of her birth in 1840 to 500,000 by 1900 (it was the fourth largest city in the U.S. at the time), was called "a true daughter of the Louisiana Purchase" by Kathleen Nigro. She loved walking the streets of the neighborhood and had a daily pass to the 1904 World's Fair in Forest Park, where she was a regular visitor. It was after one of those walks to the Fair that she suffered a stroke and died on August 22, 1904.

As we left the reception, we were handed copies of The Awakening and Selected Stories. I have read The Awakening in the past and loved it, and now will have a reminder of Kate Chopin, above, every time I walk down Euclid.

Kate Chopin Society

Lunch/Book Signing with NY Chef Gabrielle Hamilton

One of my favorite books of 2011 was Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef, a food memoir written by Gabrielle Hamilton (second from right). When publicity first surfaced that Gabrielle was coming to town for Sauce Magazine's Celebrity Chef Series (presented in partnership with Left Bank Books), my friend Mary Morgan and I signed up immediately. In addition to writing a best seller, Gabrielle is chef/owner of Prune in New York's East Village, which she opened in 1999.

The lunch and book signing event ($35 included a copy of the book) was held Monday afternoon at Monarch in Maplewood. This post's first photo is actually the last one taken Monday afternoon. After the 82 attendees had departed, I was invited into the kitchen to snap a photo of those responsible for arranging the sold-out event: from left, Kris Kleindienst, co-owner of LBB, Ligaya Figueras, Senior Staff Writer at Sauce, Josh Galliano, Monarch's Executive Chef, Gabrielle, and Monarch's Sous-Chef Rick Lewis.

The menus, one of which was vegetarian, were created by Executive Chef Josh Galliano based on his memories of dining at Prune. There are no recipes in Blood, Bones, etc. though a Prune cookbook may be on the horizon. By the way, I learned that "Prune" was Gabrielle's childhood nickname.

While it may appear in the photo above that Gabrielle is really digging into the delicious first course of Italian sausage, rapini, orecchiette, and chickpeas, I noticed that she only took a couple of bites of each course---a chef's secret for staying so trim. (I just got the inside scoop from Aaron Teitelbaum: Gabrielle wasn't eating much because she started her day at 5 a.m. and had been to Pappy's for breakfast.)

By the time the second course of lovely roasted chicken arrived most of us felt as though we had already had lunch. In between courses Gabrielle read from her book, which was just released in paperback, available at Left Bank Books, $16. There was such a buzz about Blood, Bones, etc. in advance of publication that the book went into a third printing before it was even released.

During the "Q & A" session following the readings, a couple of people said they had read the book several times---they loved it so much. Gabrielle earned her MFA in fiction writing from the U. of Michigan, has written for the New Yorker and Food & Wine, and was just recently named 2012 Food Columnist for House Beautiful (enjoy her delicious---I know, I've tried it---recipe for braised chicken legs here).

The main dessert was an unusual parsnip ice cream with clafouti. The alternative dessert (the luncheon was oversold), was creme brulee served in a jelly jar, above.

The last photo shows Gabrielle sitting at a table signing her book after the luncheon. When one of the gentlemen in line said he was anxious to visit Prune when in New York, the chef/owner said to be sure and say hello. As an observer, I couldn't help but feel she really meant it.

This morning I ran into Aaron Teitelbaum, co-owner of both Monarch and the CWE's Herbies Vintage 72 on Euclid, and asked why they didn't hold the Sauce Celebrity Events at Herbie's...after all it is practically next door to Left Bank Books. He told me they did have an event there a couple of years ago but, given the size of the crowd, the layout at Monarch was better suited for such an event. Maybe next time...

Aaron did say that after the book signing at Left Bank Books' downtown location Monday night, Gabrielle and the chefs and owners of Monarch & Herbie's joined other area chefs for a "chefs night out." There are "six degrees of separation" it seems among chefs in the restaurant business. Aaron, who is also the Executive Chef of Herbie's, worked for Daniel Boulud in New York, who happens to be a friend of Gabrielle's.

There are two more Celebrity Chef events coming up this spring and summer. One features Alice Medrich (read her blog here), the chocolate guru, and the other is with barbecue king Adam Perry Lang who will be in town June 22, locations tba. Check Sauce and Left Bank Books' calendars for more info on these events as it becomes available.

What a year at Left Bank Books!

Last March I interviewed Kris Kleindienst, co-owner of Left Bank Books, and wrote a post about how the venerable neighborhood bookstore was adapting to the new realities in the bookselling business. That was then. Jim reported recently that he had run into Kris at Straub's and asked how things were this holiday season. Her response was "Fabulous!" Hearing the great news I decided to contact Kris directly for the details.

Kris emailed: "The Central West End store did very well this year.  It looks like we will finish about 23% up over 2010. We like to keep in mind that we lost significant ground in 2008 when the economy collapsed, so a helpful comparison is our growth over 2007.  We are up 12% over 2007 figures in the Central West End store. We are hopeful this trend will continue in 2012.

For December alone, it looks like we will finish a fabulous 28% over December 2010.

We attribute these great numbers to a variety of factors:

1. Increased awareness of the value of shopping locally

2. The Communiity Improvement District's (CID) promotion of the neighborhood

3. Our own marketing and promotion which includes an active online and social media presence as well as hundreds of author events, and

4. The closing of Borders."

Kris concluded with: "We are thrilled with the results of our holiday season and are happy to see so many people appreciating the value of shopping at locally-owned stores."

There was an article in the New York Times recently about an uptick in independent bookstore sales and I'm so glad that this same good news applies to Left Bank Books, and to the other independent bookstore based in the CWE, Big Sleep Books.  I understand from Helen Simpson, co-owner of Big Sleep, that she and Ed King also saw increased sales this holiday season. Helen said that many of their regular customers bought books for themselves and to give as gifts. Good news indeed.

Celebrity authors take turn as booksellers at Left Bank Books

The following notice came from Left Bank Books:

Celebrity Booksellers

Presented by the St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance

Throughout the year, we booksellers share with you all the books we like. But sometimes you want more. Sometimes you want a CELEBRITY to tell you what to read (or what to get for your precocious niece or crazy cousin Ned). 

We're bringing in local authors to tell you what they--and their kids--are reading. We're putting them to work! 

At Left Bank Books, our authors-turned-booksellers will also be raising money from their sales toward a charity of their choosing from amongst our Loyalty Program members, so you can feel doubly good about your purchases.

A full and ever-changing schedule of Celebrity Booksellers at indies around the city is available at stlindiebook.com, but here's a quick peek at LBB's schedule:

Amanda Doyle (author of Finally! A Locally Produced Guidebook to St. Louis for and by St. Louisans, Neighborhood by Neighborhood) - Saturday, December 10, 3pm - 5pm
And in case you really want to know what's what, her three-year-old will be on hand to make recommendations, too.

The rest of our line-up is Saturday, December 17. Celebrity booksellers include:

Antony John (author of the YA novel, The Five Flavors of Dumb) - 11am - ???
Bill McClellan (St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist and author of Gently Down the Stream) - 11am - 12:30pm
Tony D'Souza (author of Mule) - 11am - 1pm
Jeffrey Ricker (author of Detours) - 12pm - 2pm
Claire Applewhite (author of Candy Cadillac) - 12pm - 2pm

Mark Tiedemann (author of ten science-fiction novels and numerous short stories) - 1pm - 3pm
Curtis Sittenfeld (author of American Wife) - 1:30pm - 3pm

The Yarn Harlot speaks out at Trinity Church

The irony of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, who calls herself "The Yarn Harlot" (in orange under the Left Bank Books banner), reading to and signing books for over 150 loyal fans in a church setting was not lost on the Canadian author and passionate knitter. McPhee has authored several best-selling books of essays on knitting and writes an extremely popular knitting blog.

A change of venue for last Saturday's event, co-sponsored by The St. Louis Public Library and Left Bank Books (LBB's Danielle Borsch is at podium in photo), was necessary when it was determined that the original site, the Buder Branch Library on Hampton, would not be large enough to accommodate the anticipated crowd. Rector Anne Kelsey stepped in and graciously offered the use of the CWE's Trinity Episcopal Church on Euclid at Washington.

You'll notice in the photo above that the audience's heads are bowed as if in prayer---actually, they were all sitting in the pews knitting, see below. As a matter of fact, I seemed to be the only one that didn't have a knitting project in my bag.

Contrary to other book signings I've attended where the author reads a short chapter or passage from the book to entice you to want more, the loquacious Yarn Harlot read one long chapter, then a second, and finally a third from her latest, titled "All Wound Up." The devoted audience was fully engaged, but after almost an hour I began to nod off, for I had read those very chapters in the copy I had purchased earlier in the week. I wished I had been smarter and brought my current knitting project along so I could have worked in a few rows myself.

"All Wound Up" by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, $16.99, at Left Bank Books, 625 N. Euclid.

What's 10denza?

Ultra-hip 10denza (from the Italian tendenza meaning "following a trend") opened the middle of September at 44 Maryland Plaza in the space formerly occupied by Design Within Reach. The often-heard assumption that shopping on Maryland Plaza is somewhat exclusive and expensive will be blown away when you enter this urban emporium. Chris Lanter, below, the creator and "arbiter" (as he identifies himself on his business card), has been observing the commercial real estate market in the CWE for a couple of years, waiting for the right space to become available. An aficionado of pop culture and current trends, Chris knew that this eclectic neighborhood was the only place in town where his vision of a shop would fit.

Chris started working as a d.j. while in college and for a time afterwards. So, naturally, one of the first things you'll notice when you walk into 10denza is the music playing in the background. There are 5 ipod listening stations where you can preview a wide variety of music available for purchase. Chris avidly reads music reviews and listens to new artists to introduce. He offers new releases featuring imports from Europe, D.J. mixes, alternative, and electronic music, $13 to $19. 

There are a few tables containing a large selection of coffee table books on art, design, music, pop culture, and as Chris said, "street stuff," $20 to $50. I was told the books are meant to be handled, and there are comfortable chairs, below, to sit and peruse.

10denza has a "no pressure" staff--Kerrie Knoll & Darren Compton (not photographed)--who add to the very relaxed vibe, and the shop stocks a wide range of merchandise you won't find elsewhere, $5 to $800.

 

 

There is a display wall with shoes for women, left, and men, below, in casual and sneaker style.

 

Brands include Puma, Pointer, and ALife, $55 to $160.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is jewelry too, including this set, shown left, from Brooklyn-based designers Digby & Iona.

 

  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10denza carries casual, comfortable clothing for men and women ranging from "arty" t-shirts starting at $30 on up to jackets at $700. 

Chris also supports local designers, stocking clothing from Vintage Highway and CWEnder Amy Johnson, who designs under the name of Kay-oss. Amy's adorable skirt, right, is $190, and in the shop window you'll see one of her great black dresses with tiny ruffles on the cuffs. I watched three of them get snapped up on as many visits.                

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Personal tech gear includes ipad covers above, $29.95, headphones, and other tech accessories. A new shipment of winter clothing including mittens right, $25, and unusual knit hats upper right, $45, is now on the shelves.

Brightly-colored TOY watches, above, come in "jellys," $160, or "velvety," $225 (not shown). 10denza also carries sunglasses, $100, from a philanthropic Brooklyn company named Contego, that sends a pair to a charity with each purchase. The glasses are named after Nobel Laureates.

Chris's 10 year-old daughter, Olivia, and 13 year-old son, Blaise, help with merchandising decisions. Blaise, who knows a lot about what's hip in toyland, suggested the Kid Robot collection, toys designed by different artists. Toys range in price from $5 up to $200, some of which are shown in the glass jars on the counter above.

                               

Toygiants by Daniel & Geo Fuchs is an illustrated journey into the world of toys, right.                                        

You too should follow the trend and stop by 10denza when you have some time to browse, enjoy the music, and the company. The shop is a wonderful addition and such an enjoyable experience.

10denza, 44 Maryland Plaza, 12 to 8 Monday - Saturday, 12 to 5 Sunday, (314) 361-1010. 

An early September weekend

This week it feels as if the day after Sunday is Thursday....the week's almost over and I am just getting to a post about last weekend's activities in the neighborhood. Yesterday morning I ran into Peter Franzen, the dapper Director of Development for the Children's Educational Alliance located at 4742A  McPherson. When I mentioned I hadn't posted for a few days he surmised that there wasn't much to say. Would that I could use that as an excuse. Before this coming weekend becomes a distant memory too, here is a rundown on last's.

On what turned out to be a very busy Saturday I was invited by my friend Mary Morgan to have lunch with the latest, and likely the youngest, gardening, cooking, and entertaining author to hit the scene, James Farmer, above, who was in the CWE to sign copies of his book "A Time to Plant" at Left Bank Books. The author's charming sister Maggie Yelton, who was the photographer for his gorgeous book, was also in town to accompany him on a couple of St. Louis appearances. The luncheon at Pi was arranged by St. Louis philanthropist Susan Sherman, who is serving as James's P.R. person for his 20-city book tour.

Over President Obama's favorite pizzas (Southside & Western), James talked about growing up in Elizabeth, Georgia, and learning to cook from his grandmother, Mimi, and the family maid, Mary. It was from Mary that James learned to make delicious cornbread, biscuits, and quick breads using unwritten recipes handed down generation to generation. Only seasonal ingredients were used in the Farmer household, which is much easier to do in Middle Georgia.

Farmer is a landscape and interior designer by trade. His first book, "A Time to Plant,"  published by Gibb Smith Publishing, launched on September 1. A prolific author, his next books--- "A Time to Cook," "A Time to Celebrate," "Sip & Savor" and the "Front Porch"---will follow in quick succession starting next Spring. Autographed copies of "A Time to Plant," $40, are available at Left Bank Books.

James is also a contributor to Southern Living and somehow finds time to keep up with his blog featuring stunning photos, recipes, and entertaining tips. After lunch and before the book signing James and Maggie, aka "Magnolia," had only a half-hour to explore Euclid and McPherson. They loved what they saw and said they hope to be back soon.

While they toured I hustled over to Bowood Farms for a demonstration on cold frame construction. On the way I passed by The Vino Gallery and was pleased to see that owners Rachael and Alex are planning a couple of very interesting events during the month of September, see chalkboard above. Check them out on The Vino Gallery website or on facebook.

It was surprising to see these charming little gourds growing haphazardly alongside Bowood Farms'  garden fence on Walton Row at Olive.

Jenny Murphy, above, a creative reuse specialist who graduated from the Sam Fox School of Design at WU, was the guest speaker at Bowood Farms Saturday afternoon demonstrating how to make a cold frame. For her frames Jenny uses recycled materials she "sources" in alleys and dumpsters around town. She had pre-cut the wood pieces used for the demonstration, so with the plans provided in hand the project looked somewhat easy to copy. Her organization is called Perennial and on her blog I found instructions for building cold frames (see here). A list of suitable vegetables to plant in the cold frames is available at Bowood Farms, 4605 Olive.

   

To extend the length of the gardening season even if your outdoor space is limited to a balcony, Jenny suggested turning an old suitcase into a coldframe, right. On Monday this "diy" expert will teach a workshop at Bowood Farms from 3 to 5 p.m. on "Upcycled Planters", using glass lighting fixtures as hanging planters, $35. Call Bowood Farms (314) 454-6868 to register.

Late in the day, as I walked down Euclid for the umpteenth time, I began to wonder how in the world one could possibly be bored living here. Proprietors Dawna Sturdivant of Borough Vintage, and Kelly Reding of Dauphine, hosted a festive "Fall Faire" that evening at 447 N. Euclid, above. There are a lot of stylish women in St. Louis and many of them found their way to this party. See Dawna's blog for more photos.

Sunday evening we returned to Art Hill (see earlier post here) to experience the 9/11 Memorial, "America's Heartland Remembers," at night. We parked near the Grand Basin and were intrigued to find a group of young musicians, flame throwers, and jugglers entertaining onlookers on the broad steps of the Basin, above and below.

The schedule for this weekend is just as busy with art openings and the Balloon Glow on Friday night, and the Balloon Race on Saturday afternoon. "America's Heartland Remembers" closes on Sunday. Have a great weekend!

Meet CWEnder Emma Hand

This is another in a series of posts about creative Central West Enders, this one to introduce you to the fabulous Emma Hand. Emma and her husband Carter (who's pictured on the wall above) live in the CWE with their two young daughters. A couple of years ago Emma created a business called Snap Stories, which this entrepreneur is quick to say "falls into the slightly no brainer category." Simple, yes, but thinking of that "no brainer" and actually getting it to market requires a whole different skill set.

A little background on the subject: Emma grew up in the Tower Grove neighborhood and attended the CWE's Rosati Kain where she fell in love with the neighborhood. She earned a biology degree from Boston University and, tired of the cold winters, moved to southern California to work in biotech sales. While in San Diego she met Carter, a California native.

The couple moved north to San Francisco where Emma took a job at Sunset Magazine doing online marketing and partnership building. Fed by the creative energy at the magazine, she moonlighted making stickers and took them to trade shows where she was asked if she had other products for sale. The contacts she made then came in handy when she was ready to produce Snap Stories. 

When Emma realized she missed home and her family, she persuaded Carter to move to St. Louis and give it a try. They bought a charming house on a CWE street that's populated by other young families. As we sat on the Hands' front porch the afternoon I visited, a neighbor and her three children walked to their house a few doors away.  As the young mothers exchanged greetings, it reminded me of the enduring friendships our family found on Lenox Place and the neighboring streets when our children were growing up.

For years Emma was complimented on her handwriting and handmade cards. When the Hands' friends had children, this clever mother would paste pictures of the new baby in old picture books and give them as gifts. Putting the two ideas together she created Snap Stories, shown above, an extremely easy way for children and adults to get favorite photos into a story.

As Emma and I arranged her products for the photograph above, I noticed that a "pro/con" notepad on her desk has nothing written on the negative side---entirely appropriate for her creation. Emma's catchy tagline for Snap Stories is "there is no mess...just peel and press." Watch a video of Emma showing just how easy Snap Stories are right here. For people like me who love looking at beautiful scrapbooking papers and embellishments but can't imagine taking the time to actually create one, these books are a quick way to get some of our photos out of storage boxes and into use.

I chose the "My Great Adventure" book and found it to be just about perfect for my short attention span. The most difficult part was choosing which photographs to feature---each book holds ten. "My Great Adventure" shows our children at a sand castle contest on Long Island sponsored by the late magazine, Child, and in the slot to the right, middle son Andrew casting his line into the Atlantic. There are three other titles, "My Baby Face," "Hip Hooray It's Your Birthday," and "Go Go Girlfriends," $12. 

Snap Stories are available locally at  Left Bank Books and Cassie's, or you can order them through Emma & Company here---free shipping if you use the magic words  "nickisdiscount."