Although Nashville boasts several creative-writing groups, few, if any, have succeeded in publishing their efforts. This weekend, however, the Bovine Smoke Society will celebrate the release of its first book, The Pain Doctors of Suture Self General. The Bovine collective is the brainchild of illustrator Alan M. Clark, who started the group in 1990 to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas. “His idea was that we would read each other’s work and collaborate,” says Randy Fox, a writer who contributed to the book. From the beginning, Clark had hopes of creating unique projects; he was determined to include creative people other than writers, and, at various times, artists, photographers and musicians have all taken part.
Not long after the group’s founding, Clark had a vision. “Alan’s father was a doctor, as was his grandfather, and he had an idea for a surgical theater from hell,” Fox explains. “He painted it and brought it to a meeting. We wrote a short story to go along with the painting; it was grim and kind of gross.”
Over time, the short story expanded into a novella. Arts Nova Press, an imprint of Seattle, Wash.-based Blue Moon Books, agreed to publish it as an oversized, four-color art book. Fox calls The Pain Doctors of Suture Self General a picture book for adults—one that draws upon the fears that typically accompany a visit to the doctor. “The best way to describe it is Marcus Welby meets the Addams Family,” Fox says.
For those not willing to shell out $50 for the book, the Bovine Smoke Society has put together a more affordable line of greeting cards, coloring books, prints and portfolios featuring Clark’s illustrations. Members of the writer’s group will make two appearances this weekend. They’ll take turns reading from their newly published effort Saturday night at the Owl’s Nest Coffeehouse, and they’ll take part in a book-signing Sunday afternoon at Davis-Kidd Booksellers.
Speaking of horror tales, this Friday marks Edgar Allen Poe’s 187th birthday—and members of the Middle Tennessee Speculative Fiction Association, a science-fiction and fantasy reading group, don’t want it to pass unnoticed. This Thursday, they’ll celebrate Poe’s anniversary with readings from some of his works. The group invites anyone who’s interested to show up for the meeting, which takes place 7:30-9 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Cumberland Science Museum. Call 352-2837 for more information.
Nashville has no shortage of chain bookstores—and that’s not an entirely bad thing. Barnes & Noble in CoolSprings, for instance, offers a good selection, friendly service, and an in-store cafe that serves Starbucks coffee. Still, there’s no question that chain stores tend to lack personality.
That’s certainly not the case with Bookman, a tiny independent bookstore located in Hillsboro Village. Perhaps the coolest new bookstore in town, it’s dimly lit and packed with books; you can’t help but get lost among the aisles. Saralee and Larry Woods opened the store last October in the old Pancake Pantry building. The space offered just enough room to cram in their 30,000 titles, which include first editions, gift books and regional titles.
The Woods recently acquired more than 1,000 volumes that previously belonged to Stanley Horn, who wrote numerous Civil War books, including The Army of Tennessee, The Invisible Empire and The Boys Life of Robert E. Lee. Horn’s collection includes travel books, works by Southern writers, and numerous historical documents. It should be a fine addition to this small, but superb, bookstore.
Bookman is open 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. Call 383-6555 for more information.
Local writer Barry McCloud has reason to celebrate: His most recent effort, Definitive Country: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Country Music and Its Performers, may be made into a television series. The encyclopedia, published by Perigee Books of the Berkeley Publishing Group of New York, is exhaustive, comprehensive and includes over 1,200 entries. A new television production company, Feed the Beast Productions, has been tentatively scheduled to produce the series, which may show at the Cannes Film Festival this fall.
