Category: Book Club

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Book Club Culture Living

Journey to the Dominican Republic with Mr. Vish

Downtown Magazine interviewed Mr. Vish, creator and author of The Adventures of Franky Fox, Challenge What You Know, and The Rothman Files to discuss his latest book Journey to the Dominican Republic. In the video below, Mr. Vish discusses his return to Downtown New York for the first time since 9/11, where he previously worked as a broker.

Meet Franky, an inventor, and a great adventurer to mystical lands and faraway places. Franky’s special. He doesn’t want to sit around all day – he wants to explore and learn. Through his adventures, Franky learns about failure, success, love, and strength, and most importantly – the value of perseverance. With Franky’s story we hope to teach children, both young and old, that as long as you believe in yourself, anything is possible.  

Journey to the Dominican Republic is the first book in the unveiling of a series, The Adventures of Franky Fox. It is a thrilling and epic adventure that takes Franky and his friends to the Dominican Republic to help people in need. The books’ message centers around core values, hard work, and important life lessons. It teaches children the importance of team effort and the value of helping others. Along the way Franky meets new friends, explores new and exotic lands and foods, and learns about the struggles of the people they are visiting. Follow Franky and the gang on their epic adventure as they work hard to help the people of the Dominican Republic build schools, roads, and homes, and learn the value of never giving up no matter what obstacles stand in your way.

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Book Club Entertainment News

The Strand’s Struggle Against Landmark Labeling

Copy-of-Strand-Main-Floor-04-by-Colleen-Callery

For nearly 100 years, Strand has been the most beloved independent bookstore in NYC. Boasting “18 miles of books,” it has weathered economic shifts, the rise of e-books, and competition from Amazon. It has also hosted celebrity events and made cameos in several movies. Strand’s pedigree made it a cultural hot spot. Now, the city’s Landmark Preservation Commission wants to make it official by declaring the building, located at 826-828 Broadway, a city landmark.

There’s one problem — Strand doesn’t want to be landmarked. The bookstore claims this designation would provide big trouble in the long run. At worst, they believe this could destroy their longstanding business. Could a simple act of appointment spell doom for this downtown literary mecca?

Strand Fisheye Exterior

 

Future Perils For Strand

Strand’s biggest concern is that increased regulations and restrictions will limit flexibility and increase costs for maintenance or renovations. “While well-intended, landmarking the building would make it more difficult to update and repair the building–that includes things like a fire or flood,” says Strand’s Communications Director, Leigh Altshuler. The Strand also plans on reconfiguring the store and adding a coffee shop in the future. However, they fear the extra bureaucracy will be too slow and costly.

 

According to data provided by Strand, the number of bookstores in NYC has dropped 79.5% since 1950. The rise of online shopping and e-books created a harsh environment for bookstores. In fact, as of 2018 Strand is one of 79 bookstores left in NYC.

Meanwhile, Amazon’s existence is a major threat to Strand’s sales. The planned Amazon HQ in Astoria already spells trouble for local retailers. Unlike Amazon, Strand doesn’t ask for tax breaks or taxpayer funded subsidies. Instead, they simply want to operate as usual without extra oversight.

“…Strand knows this is a well-intended effort. However, this scenario, much like this business, is unique. There are certainly businesses that would benefit from this kind of status — just not Strand,” says Altshuler.

The Ongoing Debate

While Strand frets over this potential death sentence, the LPC urges them to see it differently. “The Landmarks Preservation Commission will continue to work with the owner of 826 Broadway and the Strand bookstore to address her concerns and ensure that this cultural institution endures,” says Zodet Negrón, Director of Communications at the LPC. “LPC successfully regulates thousands of commercial buildings across the city, and we are sympathetic and responsive to their needs.”

The choice to designate Strand is the result of a survey of the area south of Union Square. Aside from being home to the bookstore, the LPC has deemed 826 Broadway as culturally significant for ties to the garment district, labor movements, and women’s rights.

A public hearing was held on December 4th to debate the designation. Because no conclusion was reached, the LPC will hold a second public hearing at the request for more time. “We were lucky to be joined by Strand friends, staff and employees on December 4th,” says Altshuler. “Now it is just a waiting game.”

If you want to lend your voice to this debate, keep an eye out for the next meeting date to be announced!

 

 

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Book Club Fashion

“Nike SB: The Dunk Book” Depicts a Fascinating History of Artful Footwear

"Nike SB: The Dunk Book."

Nike SB
“Nike SB: The Dunk Book” Published by Rizzoli, October 2018.

Nike SB: The Dunk Book (Rizzoli, Oct 2018), catalogs the fascinating history of how Nike SB’s iconic styles came about and the surprising effect they have had on skate and youth culture, then and now.

When the Nike Dunk first appeared in 2002, the design was tailored to the basketball court and legions of fans took notice. It took just a few sneaker obsessed followers—often referred to as sneakerheads—and a group of skateboarders to completely flip the Dunk into a skateboarder’s ideal shoe for both performance and style. Nike, in good form, went with the flow and the SB Dunk was born.

When skateboarding first caught on in California in the 1950s, it was egged on by surfers trying to bring the waves to the streets. Rises and peaks in popularity followed until a few diehard fans across the country turned it into more of an underground, counterculture movement that continued through the 90s. Skaters, with their cool streetwear, lack of adherence to convention, and total dedication to the sport soon translated into Nike tapping some of the big names in skateboarding to design shoes. From Danny Supasirirat “Supa” to Paul Rodriguez and Todd Bratrud, so many of the most well-known skaters today have designed historic Nike SB shoes. Styles such as the Pigeon Dunks, De La Soul Highs, U.N.K.L.E.s, and the Supreme Dunk SBs have forever eliminated the gap between art and sneakers while also bringing validity to a sport that literally started on the street.

“Nike SB: The Dunk Book.”

In Nike SB, uplifting anecdotes from skaters such as Reese Forbes, Daniel Shimizu, Richard Mulder, and Eric Koston, paint a picture of how each became acquainted with certain designs and how these shoes came to stand for so much more than footwear. In the book, there is even a supremely touching tale of how Nike honored the late and much-loved skater Lewis Marnell with a pair of sneakers.

Nike SB Dunk has given skaters, artists, musicians, and even collectors a way to express themselves through one-of-a-kind designs that often have hidden references, relate to the happenings of the time, and are constantly improved upon.

The shoes even spawned debate between the ride/collect crowd that continues today. When Futura was offered to chance to design a very limited-edition shoe for his store in Japan, the skater referenced this argument by designing a shoe called FLOM. And acronym, “For Love or Money,” the name was a subtle jab at the collect crowd. Regardless of which category one falls into, the historical and photographic archive captured by Nike SB renders the book a definite collectable. (For a video montage of some of the designs, see below!)

 

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Book Club Fashion Featured

“Dior by Roger Vivier” Documents the Legacy of an Iconic Collaboration

Dior by Roger Vivier, House of Dior, Christian Dior
"Dior by Roger Vivier" by Elizabeth Semmelhack, Rizzoli, New York 2018. All images © Gérard Uféras.

Dior by Roger Vivier, House of Dior, Christian Dior
“Dior by Roger Vivier” by Elizabeth Semmelhack, Rizzoli, New York 2018.

DIOR BY ROGER VIVIER by shoe historian Elizabeth Semmelhack, is a stunningly crafted volume that details the seminal relationship between French footwear designer Roger Vivier and the House of Dior—and the unforgettable shoes born from the decade-long collaboration.

The designers’ paths began on their creative collision course when Christian Dior launched his first collection a mere two years after WWII ended and immediately caused a sensation. His designs completely eschewed the forced wartime thriftiness that characterized the fashion of the time. Dior came out blazing with billowing skirts featuring liberal amounts of fabric and emphasized waists—inadvertently causing a triumphant return to the expression and acknowledgement of the beauty of the female silhouette. When the editor of Harper’s Bazaar saw the collection, she promptly referred to it as the “New Look,” which took, and subsequently spawned generations of women clamoring for fashion’s return to glamour.

Evening Pumps in Satin; New Style heel, 1962.

To complement his new collection, Dior introduced an equally chic new line of high-heeled shoes that were designed to augment the lines of his clothes and highlight femininity. Dior’s insistence in creating entire outfits, from head to foot, had him relying on various shoemakers to design his footwear collections. While these designers included idols such as David Evins and André Perugia, he needed a cutting-edge designer who could dedicate himself to Dior. As serendipity had it, just a few years later a famous French fashion illustrator and Dior’s design studio director, Raymonde Zehnacker, arranged a meeting between Christian Dior and Roger Vivier. The rest, as they say, is design history! You can purchase the book at Rizzoli to learn the full story and peruse a fantastic photographic record featuring over 300 of Vivier’s dazzlingly beautiful shoes.

All images © Gérard Uféras.

House of Dior, Dior by Roger Vivier
Pump in kingfisher feathers; Choc heel, 1959.

 

 

Mule in embroidered tulle; high slender Louis XV heel covered in satin; Autumn–Winter 1958.

Categories
Book Club Culture Featured Finance

One and Done: Lisa Bevilacqua’s Guide to Dating in the City

Photo courtesy of Lisa Bevilacqua.
Photo courtesy of Lisa Bevilacqua.

Dating can seem like an endless process, but Lisa Bevilacqua breaks it down to a science in her book One and Done.

Being “on the market” for nearly two years after her divorce, Bevilacqua did not have the best of luck with dating. She instead became frustrated during the whole process.

“A lot has changed in the dating world between the time I had gotten married and divorced. I didn’t really know how to date.” -Bevilacqua

Realizing that dating was no longer the same, she hatched her “one and done” plan. With all these new ways of meeting men, she decided that it was time reapproach dating.

Bevilacqua originally started out in order to maximize her time to find “the one.” This soon changed into multiple first dates. With unforgettable experiences, she later tailored them into a book.

How do these dates work?

Bevilacqua came to the realization that she needed to trust her gut and rethink her approach. She created the “one and done” approach. She would go on one date, and if he did not fit her image of perfection, she moved on to the next one instead of wasting her time.

“You have to go into the date thinking that you will never see them again unless he blows you away.” -Bevilacqua

Strategically planning out her dates, Bevilacqua made sure that these outings interfered with neither her professional or personal life. She maintained her 9-5 work schedule and made sure these dates did not exceed her 9 PM curfew, as well as not allowing time being taken away from her family and friends.

Bevilacqua treated her dates more as “job interviews.” She did not let her emotions take control but rather trusted her gut throughout the whole process.

“If there are little things that might bother you in the first date, they’re only going to magnify as you go along.” -Bevilacqua

Her book tracks her journey throughout this process of finding “the one”. She shared personal experiences, as well as advice with women who are re-entering the dating world.

“Trust your gut. Everyone thinks that you get that feeling in your stomach, but it is between your brain and heart. Don’t second guess it, just go with it.” -Bevilacqua

Photo courtesy of Lisa Bevilacqua.
Photo courtesy of Lisa Bevilacqua.

Where is she now?

Eight years after she formulated her master plan, Bevilacqua can vouch for its success. After 42 dates, lucky number 43 came along and swept her off her feet. “One thing that set JT (lucky number 43) apart was that he seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me, and he was very thoughtful and careful about planning our dates,” she said.

Today, she is happily married to lucky number 43 and has a newborn daughter living in Downtown, New York.

One and Done can be purchased at Barnes and Noble, or Amazon.

Are you planning to use these methods? Let us know about your experiences on Twitter or Instagram!

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Book Club Culture Entertainment News Uncategorized

OITNB Star Diane Guerrero Comes to The Strand to Launch Her New Book

Diane Guerrero's book My Family Divided.
Diane Guerrero's book My Family Divided.

Orange is the New Black’s star Diane Guerrero stopped by the Strand Bookstore to launch her new book My Family Divided: One Girl’s Journey of Home, Loss, and Hope.

The event was hosted on The Strand Bookstore’s third floor, also known as the “Rare Book Room.” The event was set up for 50 guests while allowing a few more guests to trickle into the event.

Diane Guerrero answers questions at the Strand about her new book.

With season six of OITNB less than a week away, Guerrero’s book addresses subjects that the show touches upon. While focusing on prison culture and reform, OITNB also focuses on the racial tension in society.

Guerrero plays Maritza Ramos, a character that ended up in Litchfield County Prison after a small run-in with the law.

In the show, Guerrero’s character experiences discrimination within the prison system, but the plot is incomparable to the ordeal she faced growing up as the daughter of Colombian immigrants.

When Guerrero was 14, her parents and her brother faced deportation back to Colombia, leaving the star alone in the United States. She revealed her story in her first book In The Country We Love: My Family Divided. This book detailed Guerrero’s experiences as she navigated through a difficult situation as a teenager.

Inspired by the activism within the younger generation, Guerrero’s second book is the adaptation of her previous book, designed for a younger audience. While the story was re-written for a younger age group, Guerrero assured her experiences were not filtered. “I believe if we educate our children at a young age, the better off we are,” said Guerrero.

Still affected by her family’s deportation, Guerrero was inspired to share her story because of student activism. According to Guerrero, her family was too ashamed to discuss their deportation amongst themselves, let alone to speak up and share their story with the public. Today, Guerrero unapologetically represents herself as a Latina woman affected by the immigration laws in the United States.

“I never thought I would tell my story to serve a larger purpose.” –Diane Guerrero

My Family Divided: One Girl’s Journey of Home, Loss, and Hope is available at The Strand Bookstore as well as In The Country We Love: My Family Divided. If you have not checked out OITNB, it is exclusively available on Netflix. For more information on Guerrero’s book, check out her website.

For more information about events at The Strand Bookstore, visit their website’s events page.