Sunday, December 11, 2011
Arts & Extras: Author inspires punk-rock scene at public library
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Mike Allen, arts columnist
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The Roanoke Public Library faces an interesting challenge in presenting its latest author event - it can't actually offer anyone a copy of the book.
That's because blogger and former Roanoke Times Neighbors columnist Elena DeRosa's new novel, "Fractured Facade," is available only as a self-published e-book. The library is able to offer e-books from major publishers for lending, but not self-published ones.
River Laker, the library's creative services director, called DeRosa's event "basically new territory."
"She's ahead of the curve, and so we're adjusting. I think it's a great thing that the library's open to doing this," he said.
Laker said he follows DeRosa's blog, "MsElenaeous Rants & Raves," and thus had confidence in her strength as a writer. He also related to DeRosa's wish to use her book launch to "evoke the whole concept of independent artists."
In a Nov. 13 commentary in the Horizon section of The Roanoke Times, DeRosa compared today's self-published authors taking the e-book route to punk bands of the 1970s, and in line with that philosophy, her event at the library, "NYC †Live in Roanoke!" will feature 12 bands playing punk versions of New York-themed songs, starting with "My Way."
In between, she'll show her book trailer, have a skit performed and discuss her book. "I wanted to do something totally different, to do something unconventional," she said. "The book's that way and I'm that way, too."
DeRosa, 52, is from New York originally, and she participated in the punk rock scene there in the 1980s. She moved to Roanoke County 17 years ago. She and her husband own the Salem auto repair shop Acceleration Station.
"Fractured Facade" is an autobiographical novel about a New York City family decimated by a con artist. The novel begins with the protagonist learning her father has died under mysterious circumstances, and proceeds as she tries to untangle what happened.
DeRosa describes it as a tale of "a father's death, a daughter's life, and a sociopath's vendetta."
There will also be New York-themed art on display, such as a miniature Empire State Building made of VHS tapes, and the library is also collecting nonperishable food donations for the Rescue Mission and donations for Toys for Tots at the event.
Attendees will also have a chance to win a Kindle Touch e-reader, which will come loaded with DeRosa's book, Laker said.
The publishing world has been abuzz over the past couple of years with stories like those of Amanda Hocking, a Minnesota author who chose to self-publish her paranormal romance novels in 2010 after failing to connect with a publisher.
She ended up selling more than a million e-book copies through Amazon.com - which ultimately landed her a $2 million book deal with St. Martin's Press in June, according to The New York Times. While stories like hers are the exception rather than the rule, they've encouraged many others to try the same route.
DeRosa said she chose the self-published e-book route because she wanted to keep creative control and bypass the long waits and the uncertainty of the traditional publishing route. "Obviously I'm not going to become rich off this book," she said, but "this was the book I had to write."
The free event takes place at 6 p.m. Thursday at Roanoke's main library on Jefferson Street downtown. For more information, call 853-1057.
To read DeRosa's blog, visit mselenaeousrants.blogspot.com.
More authors
Roanoke libraries haven't stopped holding events based around authors with physical books, however.
Four writers who live in Roanoke's Raleigh Court neighborhood - novelists Gina Holmes and Nkorni Tankwa, Roanoke Times writer Ralph Berrier Jr. and essayist and frequent Roanoke Times contributor Betsy Biesenbach - will give a reading and presentation 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Raleigh Court library, 2112 Grandin Road. The event is free. For more information, call 853-1057.
Drive-in campaign
Hull's Drive-In in Lexington wants to join the digital age. The nonprofit drive-in movie theater has announced a capital campaign to raise the funds to replace its 35mm projector with a digital projection system.
According to a news release, like most everything else these days, the movie industry is shifting to digital format. Film industry reports have predicted 35mm projection will be completely phased out in the United States by 2013.
Hull's intends to raise $200,000 over the next two years to make the transition. The costs will include electrical upgrades to the theater and a new movie screen.
For more information, call 540-463-2618 or visit hullsdrivein.com.
Food donations
"The Food of Love: Music for Meditation and Inspiration" at 7 p.m. on Dec. 18 at St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church at 2339 Grandin Road in Roanoke pledges "a cup of hot tea or cocoa and an hour of seasonal piano music."
The price of admission is two items of nonperishable food to be donated to St. Francis House. The concert will be the first in a planned monthly series of "meditative non-concerts," writes church music director Cara Modisett.
For more information, call 774-5183 or email caraemodisett@cox.net.
Star of wonder
The Radford University Planetarium is screening a short film, "Star of Bethlehem," that applies modern astronomical knowledge to the Christmas story and speculates about how the night skies looked during the time the journey of the three wise men is said to have taken place.
According to planetarium director Rhett Herman, questions explored include "what comets might have been visible at this time, what stars and constellations may have played a role in people's lives back then, and what planetary conjunctions may have been visible?"
The screenings are free. The planetarium is located in Curie Hall Room 43A on campus. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 10:30 a.m. Saturday, and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 22-24.
For more information, call 831-5441 or visit planetarium.radford.edu/
On the Arts blog
Mill Mountain Theatre added two new performances of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," 7 p.m. today and 5 p.m. Dec. 18, after selling out ahead of opening night. For more details, visit blogs.roanoke.com/arts.
