Book Signing with Allyson McCabe June 11th

 

Picture Book is kicking off HudCo’s Pride Market on Sunday June 11th with a book signing by local author Allyson McCabe at noon! Allyson McCabe is a writer, reporter, and producer whose work is often broadcast on NPR, and her byline appears in the New York Times, BBC Culture, Wired, and other publications. Her latest book Why Sinéad O'Connor Matters is a stirring defense of Sinéad O'Connor's music and activism, and an indictment of the culture that cancelled her. Come to the Picture Book table at noon to purchase the book and get a personalized signature.

 

In 1990, Sinéad O’Connor’s video for “Nothing Compares 2 U” turned her into a superstar. Two years later, an appearance on Saturday Night Live turned her into a scandal. For many people—including, for years, the author—what they knew of O’Connor stopped there. Allyson McCabe believes it’s time to reassess our old judgments about Sinéad O’Connor and to expose the machinery that built her up and knocked her down.

Allyson McCabe’s intensely engaging, thoroughly researched, and deeply personal critical assessment, Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters, makes a serious and sharply observed yet compassionate appraisal of its subject, inarguably among the most influential artists of the late 1980s and early ’90s. McCabe’s willingness to reassess her own dismissal of Sinéad’s work as being too pop to take seriously is rare; not many writers are willing to be honest about what they miss. Acknowledging that Sinéad's life story can be a difficult, contradictory mess, McCabe painstakingly relates this magnificent, irreplaceable artist's tale to her own heartfelt story, showing us in the process how and why so many of us also connect with Sinéad.

~Vernon Reid

Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters is a thought-provoking look at one of the most influential artists and activists of our time that ultimately asks, "Why did we abandon her?" In her time of need, when she needed support, when she stood by her values--her audience trusted the industry more than the artist. I hope this book is read by those who don’t know Sinéad’s story, and those that do will gain insight into the pain and punk ethos she still stands for. Allyson McCabe makes us all want to ask Sinéad for forgiveness and, one hopes, ask ourselves how we can do things differently.

~Sharon Van Etten

Sinéad O’Connor is a brilliant, fragile, and exceptionally courageous talent whilst blessed with the voice of an angel. Having been treated so carelessly by the world, this book underscores why O'Connor remains relevant and treats her with the reverence she so rightly deserves.

~Shirley Manson

Absolutely brilliant, heartbreaking, insightful, and personal.

~Margo Price, Literary Hub

Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters reassesses the oft-misunderstood songwriter and activist through a lens that is both historical and personal...Written in clear and provocative language...McCabe’s impassioned defense of O’Connor in the wake of her many controversies is both heartfelt and persuasive...our protagonist emerges from Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters as a conquering hero; having weathered abuse, cruelty, and prejudice, not to mention the usual unreasonable expectations too often placed on female artists, the courageous nonconformist emerges wounded but wiser. Ultimately—and most importantly—she is redeemed.

~Aquarium Drunkard

 

Friday Night Pride - RAIN DATE JUNE 9th

UPDATE: Friday Night Pride is now on the Rain Date June 9th from 6-9pm

FRIDAY NIGHT PRIDE!

Friday June 2nd
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
Warburton Avenue 6-9pm
Pre-event at The Good Witch 3:45-5:45

Picture Book is thrilled to join Friday Night Pride this year! We're bringing new books, primarily for kids, that celebrate LGBTQ+ families, love, and equity. Books will be available for purchase to continue the celebration at home.

I’m honored to be included in this amazing event because it helps define Hastings as an inclusive and affirming community for all of us, in a way that is completely joyful and fun!

Find me on Warburton Ave 6-9pm

Other participants in Friday Night Pride include Broadway vet Jamie Karen, stage and recording artist Amy Lynn of @amylynnandthehoneymen, Brass Queens, art teacher Katie Reidy of @iamurbanillustration, Jimmy Award Winner Marla Lou, Hastings Public Library, drag artist Amber Guesa, Hastings Beauty Salon. Kat Gang, Hastings Nursery School (The "Co-Op!"), Broadway star James Jackson Jr., Wildly Cakes, and many more!

You can shop the selection of books curated by Picture Book online here: https://bookshop.org/lists/hastings-pride

The list was pulled together with recommendations of The Rainbow Book List from the American Library Association, Stonewall Book Awards List and the assistance of:

MacKenzie Cadenhead, local author and book lover
Allee Manning, Youth Services Librarian of Hastings on Hudson Public Library
Brian Harris and Jen DiBonaventura Co-Organizers of Friday Night Pride
Tasslyn Magnusson, Program Consultant with Freedom to Read, PEN America



Three ways to help today

  1. Donate to organizations like Florida Freedom to Read Project

  2.  Read Buy or order banned books from your library

  3.  Spread the Word tell friends and family about what's happening & start a banned book club

 

Learn more at https://pen.org/issue/book-bans/



River Arts: Artist Conversation

Artist Conversation | T.S. Eliot & Benjamin Britten | An Immersive Dialogue of Poetry and Music

MARCH 26 @ 3:00 PM

$20

Sunday, March 26th, 3 pm
145 Palisade Street, Lobby Suite
Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

Tickets: $20/ must be purchased in advance 

Purchase Tickets Here

RiverArts will present an immersive experience of poetry and music featuring a reading of TS Eliot’s The Waste Land and performance of Benjamin Britten’s Suite for cello 1, op 72.  These two works of art will be brought to life together in an intimate concert setting. 

Award-winning narrator/actor Edoardo Ballerini will render the 100-year-old poem while virtuoso cellist Peter Seidenberg interprets the complex passions woven throughout Britten’s solo cello suite. Poetry and music, intertwine, underscore, and respond to one another, deepening our experience of these singular artistic masterpieces. The audience will sit in semi-circle around the artists, creating an immersive experience for both performers and audience. 

There will be a conversation with the performers and Dr. Neil Arditi, Professor of English Literature at Sarah Lawrence College, led by RiverArts’ Producer & Artistic Director of Artist Conversations & Theater, Marie-Louise Miller immediately following the performance. 

The twentieth century was a time of mass barbarity and extraordinary hope marked by two world wars, the negation and re-generation of civil society and the emergence of a new definition of the individual in art, in society and in politics. Artists like T S Eliot and Benjamin Britten grappled with the starkness and the beauty of their time by creating new forms of expression which shape us to the present day. 

The Waste Land, published in 1922, is a melding of literary tradition with the experimentalism of free verse. The poem uses allusion, quotation in several languages, a variety of verse forms and poetic fragments to create a new voice for a culture in crisis. Eliot stated, “Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood.” What he sought, as both a writer and a reader, was “some direct shock of poetic intensity.” For many, The Waste Land is a symphony of shocks which continue to enthrall readers and listeners alike. 

“What always surprises people after hearing The Waste Land is how much of a narrative it has. For something so famously rich and complex, it is also wonderfully accessible.” notes Edoardo Ballerini. 

Suite for Cello 1, was written in 1964 as one of three suites for solo cello inspired by and dedicated to Britten’s good friend, Mstislav Rostropovich. The men were often separated by the on-going conflicts generated by the Cold War. In his speech on receiving the Aspen Award in 1964, Britten said, “Rostropovich was such a gloriously uninhibited musician, with that enormous feeling of generosity you get from the best Russian players. I immediately realized this was a new way to play the cello, in fact a new vital way of playing music.” The Suite is defined by an emotional range, epic in nature. By turns anguished, reflective, menacing and fervent. The fluid tonality can be incredibly tense. Yet there are also notes of humor and triumph at the end of the piece.  “This suite was such an important war protest in 1963. And I cannot think of a more appropriate time to present this poignant plea for peace,” states Peter Seidenberg. 

Purchase Tickets Here

Edoardo Ballerini

Actor + narrator

Edoardo Ballerini is a two-time winner of the Audio Publishers Association’s Best Male Narrator Audie Award. Among many screen credits, he is best known for his roles in The Sopranos, and the film Dinner Rush. In 2022, Mr. Ballerini was commissioned by the Estate of T.S. Eliot to record the "Centenary Edition" of "The Waste Land," and has subsequently done several public readings of the work. For more information on the artist

Peter Seidenberg

Cello, Artistic Director: Chamber Music

Peter Seidenberg (cellist and Artistic Director of RiverArts’ Chamber Music Series) has played in major halls throughout the US, Europe, and Asia, and served as principal cellist with the Century Orchestra of Osaka. He was a founding member of the critically acclaimed Elements Quartet which created groundbreaking commissioning projects of 30 composers. He is the cellist for the Oracle Trio, The Queen’s Chamber Band, and the New York Chamber soloists. For more information on the artist,

Marie-Louise Miller

MFA, Producer, RiverArts Artist Conversation Series

Marie-Louise Miller is a world traveler, stage director, teacher, sometime dramaturge and currently arts events producer. Marie-Louise recently co-produced “Kindness Committee,” a new play by Melanie Hoopes, presented by RiverArts. She has had the honor of working with artists from all walks and disciplines over many decades from Berlin, Germany to New York. She is the Director of The LAB, a new initiative for teens in the Rivertowns, creator/director of the summer camp: “Mixing Myths: Adventures from Forest of Sesa Wu Suban,” and mother of two. 

About the Artist Conversation Series RiverArts creates opportunities to amplify the artistic voice, bringing insight and delight to our community. We are proud to spotlight leading voices in art, music, poetry, dance, and theater. 

Under the direction of Marie Louise-Miller, our Artist Conversation series offers a chance to get up close and personal with artists. The Conversation Series seeks to illuminate the process of creativity across all forms of art, from the fine artist to performance artist.

Winter 2023 Books

Winter Books

Here are some of the most-anticipated and best-reviewed books of the Winter, including picture books, literary fiction, art books, graphic novels, and cookbooks. Shop below for nationwide shipping from Bookshop.org.

Spread the Word - Best of Westchester Poll

Vote Picture Book!

I am so happy you’ve found my little bookshop and would be grateful if you could help spread the word to friends and neighbors. Voting in the annual Westchester Magazine Best of Westchester Poll is a great way to support me and all your other favorite local small businesses from hairdressers to co-working spaces. This year, you can vote for your favorite bookstore in both the kids and shopping categories. The poll closes on January 20th at 5pm.

Another great way to share your thoughts on the shop is writing a google or yelp review, or simply telling a friend they should come check us out. Thank you so much for being a part of the Picture Book community!

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/picture-book-dobbs-ferry

Google: https://g.page/r/CQ3lJBoERtbDEBM/review

Westchester Magazine: https://bestof.westchestermagazine.com/

Westchester Mag Kids: https://bestof.westchestermagazine.com/kids/bookstore

Westchester Mag Shopping: https://bestof.westchestermagazine.com/shopping/independent-bookstore


In the Press: "The Keys to Selling Books Locally: Community and Conversation" The Hudson Independent

The Keys to Selling Books Locally: Community and Conversation

By By W.B. King, The Hudson Independent, December 13, 2022

Sara Davidson’s Picture Book tucked away in Dobbs Ferry’s Palisades Building (photo by Barrett Seaman)

[…]

A Pan­demic Baby

Pic­ture Book, lo­cated in the lobby of Hud­co’s co-work­space in Dobbs Fer­ry’s Pal­isades Build­ing, can’t rely on street traf­fic for busi­ness, but enough peo­ple from the build­ing and be­yond are drawn to its com­bi­na­tion of chil­dren’s books and adult il­lus­trated art and cook­books have made it a go­ing en­ter­prise. This “pan­demic baby,” as pro­pri­etor Sara David­son Johns calls her “store,” was ini­tially in­tended as an in­terim lo­ca­tion on the way to a bricks-and-mor­tar Main Street venue when she opened in Oc­to­ber 2020. But busi­ness has im­proved each year since—enough so that she has opened a sec­ond shop in a sim­i­lar co-work­ing space in Cross River in north­ern Westch­ester.

“We had a re­ally big week­end with the Hol­i­day Trol­ley” bring­ing shop­pers down to the re­mote lo­ca­tion, she says. “I was talk­ing all day long,” she con­fesses in a barely au­di­ble voice a few days later. While il­lus­trated vol­umes are the core of her brand, David­son also of­fers con­tem­po­rary fic­tion and sells a fair amount on her web site, www.pic­ture­bookny.com.

Like other in­die start-ups, David­son sees her store as an al­ter­na­tive to Ama­zon and the big chains. “Peo­ple want a tac­tile ex­pe­ri­ence—and some­one to talk to.”

Holiday Market Photos

What a weekend! Thank you everyone who came out for the HudCo Holiday Market this past weekend! It was a record breaking event and a whole lot of fun. Make sure you are signed up for our mailing list and following us on Instagram to make sure you are in the loop for the next bunch of fun. Check out these photographs captured by Arielle Joffe to highlight some of the festivities.

Holiday Market at HudCo

HudCo Holiday Market
SatURDAY, December 10, 2022
11am-5pm

HudCo 145 Palisade Street, Suite 200, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

HudCo is transforming into a magical holiday extravaganza! Capture the moment in a photo booth, grab some Irish Coffee (featuring 813 Coffee) and Bailey's Hot Chocolate, and shop from a talented group of artisans and shopkeepers to easily procure special and one-of-a-kind gifts during the Rivertowns Chamber of Commerce’s Holiday Trolley through the Rivertowns.

The Shops

813 Coffee, @813coffeec

Adonia Floral Desig@adoniafloraldesign

Ayra, @ayrbarnes

Baked in Heaven, @bihbakery

Cloth and Curate, @clothandcurate

Falena Fine Jewelry, @falenafinejewelry

Handcrafted by Hasiba,

Honey Notes, @honeynotes

Hudson Oven, @hudsonoven

Krop Jeans, @kropjeans

Ophelia & Indigo, @opheliaandindigo

Oyun, @oyunstudio

Parson Brown, @parson_brown

Peace Street Co, @peacestreetco

Shapero, @shaperothebrand

Soy Vida Candles, @soyvidacandles_

Time & Place Interiors, @timeandplaceinteriors

Wild Rabbit Apothecary, @shopwildrabbit

and, of course, our resident fave:

Picture Book, @picturebookny

Get Trolley Tickets