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Displaying items by tag: Northshire Bookstore

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Northshire Bookstore opened the doors to its Saratoga Springs store on an August day in 2013, affecting in innumerable positive ways the downtown landscape of the Spa City. This week, it begins a new chapter.

“It is with excitement, confidence and sadness that I announce that the Northshire Bookstores are passing out of Morrow ownership,” said Northshire co-owner Chris Morrow, announcing in a statement that Clark and Lu French of Manchester, Vermont are the new owners of Northshire Bookstores, which sites locations in Saratoga Springs and Manchester, VT. 

Chris Morrow’s parents, Ed and Barbara Morrow, started the original store in Vermont in September of 1976. 

“When thinking about selling, my main worry was always finding someone, or two, who had the right sensibilities as well as the chops; someone who appreciated The Book, the art of bookselling and our amazing staff and who also had the background, energy, vision and resources to carry the bookstores into future decades,” said Chris Morrow.  In a generation of memories, Morrow explained it is the people he has come across he is most grateful for - from colleagues who have worked at the bookstores, authors who have dropped by, fellow bookstores, publishing houses, and the clientele “who have made all this possible for us. What a beautiful adventure.”

Ed and Barbara Morrow added that this is a personally bittersweet moment for them and expressed confidence they are passing the store’s stewardship into good and competent hands. 

Clark and Lu French, longtime patrons and supporters of Northshire, released this statement: “As this beloved family-owned business approaches its 45th Anniversary, we are thrilled and honored to become its next stewards. Along with our ownership team members Jon and Tom West, we are committed to continuing the legacy and high standards the Morrows have cultivated over their long tenure. 

“The Northshire is more than a bookstore to us. It’s a vibrant gathering and shopping venue where memories are made and discovery is encouraged. Supporting and nurturing this enriching experience is our highest priority. We are sincerely grateful to the Morrow family for trusting us with their life’s work and welcome the opportunity to continue their legacy for many years to come.” 

The French family has been involved in numerous Vermont area ventures, including the Taconic Hotel and the recent restoration of the former Mark Skinner Library building, as well as serving as board members of the Manchester Community Library, Taconic Music and Burr and Burton Academy. 

Published in Business

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Northshire Bookstore Saratoga, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at its Broadway location, additionally offers a series of Northshire Live events, which can be experienced virtually several times per week from the comfort of your home.   

This week Edward Schwarzschild presents ‘In Security’ in conversation with Adam Johnson at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22; Bookseller Chat literary conversation takes place 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, and a special Saratoga Book Festival Online event at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, featuring a cook-along demonstration with Anna Francese Gass, author of Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women. 

For more information about Northshire Bookstore Saratoga and how to view Northshire Live events, go to: northshire.com. 

Published in Entertainment

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A local performance by Celtic Woman – scheduled to appear at Saratoga Performing Arts Center June 7 – has been cancelled, the band announced this week. Refunds are at Point of Purchase only. Internet and Phone orders will automatically be canceled & refunded, according to SPAC.

Last week, The Zac Brown Band announced it was cancelling all tour dates through mid-September, including a previously announced June 13 date at SPAC. To our knowledge, these are, thus far, cancellations of the Live Nation summer pop concert series at the venue. 

Meanwhile, in lieu of the ability to continue its staging of live performances, Caffe Lena is taking a different approach. The long-running Phila Street café plans to broadcast previously filmed performances. 

“Every night we gather for music and conversation on Caffe Lena's rapidly growing YouTube channel. After a few days of flailing, (apologies for all the schedule changes!!) we've decided to not even try doing anything live on stage for the foreseeable future. Instead, we're mining our private archive of recorded concerts, bringing the musicians into the "chat room" with us, and re-living a great performance together,” the venue announced on its web site. “Please come! We'd love to welcome you to the party. You can chat if you want, or just watch quietly from the sidelines. Either way, it's good company and the sound and video production will put you right back in the best seat in the house. 

This past week shows featured the likes of The Lustre Kings, Jim Gaudet, and Spa City native and Figgs’ co-founder Pete Donnelly, and upcoming performances include the Gibson Brothers.  The “Stay At Home” Sessions broadcast at 8 p.m.  and the stream may be accessed via caffelena.org. 

This month, Northshire Bookstore launched a virtual events program. Anchored around a standing Thursday 5 p.m. Northshire Live virtual event, it will feature weekly authors and guests via Zoom. 

Northshire event managers Rachel Person and Dafydd Wood will host a wide-ranging conversation about books from their respective homes. Each week will feature one or more author guest stars who will read from and discuss a recent or forthcoming book. 

Next up: the weekly virtual community gatherings for book lovers will feature Janice Shade, author of Moving Mountains: The Power of Main Street Americans to Change Our Economy 

And, if you haven’t heard. Bob Dylan – who performed at Caffe Lena in a time when John F. Kennedy was President of the United States, has just released a 17-minute song about the assassination of JFK. 

“Greetings to my fans and followers with gratitude for all your support and loyalty across the years,” reads the brief introductory statement posted on Dylan’s website. “This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting. Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you…”

The song may be heard at: bobdylan.com.

 

Published in Entertainment

SARATOGA SPRINGS –  A new spy thriller which includes action scenes that take place at Riley’s Lake House, the United States Hotel and other Saratoga locations in 1940 will celebrate its book launch at Northshire this month.

Lawrence Dudley’s “New York Station” has been hailed by Publisher’s Weekly as a gritty spy thriller featuring “a multifaceted protagonist who’s a refreshing change from formulaic genre,” and by critic Angela Woltman for its “never-ending supply of action, new characters, and puzzling subplots.”

The book launch celebration for Dudley’s “New York Station” will take place 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26.

Also this month at Northshire: poet, memoirist & philanthropist Eileen Rockefeller will read poems from her new collection, “Space Between: Selected Poems,” at 7 p.m. on Jan. 12, and Mary Cuffe Perez will share stories from her new book, “Barn Stories: Reflections from a Saratoga County Horse Farm,” at 7 p.m. on Jan. 27.

 

Events are free and open to the public and will take place at Northshire Bookstore Saratoga, 424 Broadway. For more information on these or other events, call 518-682-4200, or visit the Northshire Bookstore website at www.northshire.com.

Book Launch at Northshire for New Spy Thriller with Saratoga Connections 

Published in Entertainment
Friday, 20 May 2016 12:17

Kara ‘Trips’ Back Home

Burnt Hills Native Returns to Northshire for Third Novel Release

 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Kara Storti has been blessed with the gift of articulation – the ability not only to communicate – but to reach into her own soul, and touch yours. This has been evident since her high school (Burnt Hills/Ballston Lake) days, when, as a young songwriter, she dazzled audiences with her original, introspective lyrics, a sweet, yet powerful voice, and melodies that grabbed you and wouldn’t let go. 

 

It was obvious that, despite not being old enough to buy a drink at some of the places she played music (such as Gaffney’s, during songwriter nights) with her band, or solo behind the keyboard, that she could more than hold her own with seasoned veterans twice her age, maybe more. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that saw her perform that she would be a pro – and a successful one at that. 

 

Fast forward just over a decade, and we find that Kara done just that – become a professional who has taken her craft of writing to a new level, with the publication of her third novel, Tripping Back Blue, that will have its New York release next Thursday at Northshire Bookstore. This ‘homecoming’ to her native area will include reading, Q + A, and book signing. 

 

In addition to being a novelist, Kara has applied her craft to professional outlets. After high school, she migrated to Boston (her current home), where she logged a stint at Harvard University’s office of correspondence for Harvard’s then-President Lawrence Summers, and currently does medical writing for Vortex, a pharma company that develops drugs to combat cystic fibrosis. 

 

“I love medical writing,” Kara noted, “After Lawrence Summers left/got booted at Harvard, I stayed around for a bit during the search for his successor in the Provost’s office, but I needed to get more stimulation from writing.” This came from the medical field, but more importantly from writing fiction as well. 

 

Don’t judge a book by its cover, and in the same vein, don’t let Kara’s sweet persona and her good-natured sense of humor (laced with a nice bit of deadpan sarcasm) fool you – this is gritty writing in the realism mode. In Tripping, set in the urban, mostly inner-city areas of the Capital Region, Kara writes from the perspective of Finn, a male drug dealer and his own personal struggles with addiction, and life in general. 

 

“The inspiration for this was real,” Kara said, “I was in a relationship with a guy from Burnt Hills who struggled with a drug problem. I had started to develop some of the themes of the book before I became aware about his battling these demons. Actually, the main character began as a female, sort of a female Harry Potter, who defeated dark forces with components of magic.  But once I did learn the truth about him, the words just flowed in a different direction. It turned out to be a catharsis of sorts for me.” 

 

Some brief excerpts tell the tale:

 

“All I’ve got to do is just get through this ordeal. Push through it; be a man…

 

“Stupid car. Stupid neighborhood. It’d be one thing if I lived in New York City, where there’s violence, sure, but tons of opportunity to become a better man. Not the case here. Instead I’m north of Albany, in rotten Dammer-f-ing-town, where there is no other side, where no great life is waiting for me, where the earth threw up and walked away.”

 

- From ‘Tripping Back Blue’

          By Kara Storti

          Published by Carolrhoda Books - April 1, 2016

 

I asked her if she still composed songs. “I still write them, from time to time, when I can,” she said. “I find that it is good to combat writer’s block – switching disciplines can unclog the mental log jam.” 

 

These and other tips will be shared with a Saratoga Springs High School Senior class earlier that day, while you get to enjoy the finished product of her hard work and effort later that evening. 

 

As a music programmer, Kara Storti made me look like a very discerning, smart judge of talent. You will feel the same way if you recommend her appearance next week, as an accomplished author, to friends. As big a thrill as it is to spot a young person with a gift, it’s even a bigger thrill to check in later on, and see how that ability and flair has blossomed. And that, simply, is what you have before you next Thursday.

 

Speaking of which, if you read this far, you have migrated to our PULSE section, where Rebecca Davis does a great job letting her talent blossom. I highly recommend that you read the rest of this section as long as you are here - always a nice counterpoint to the dreary news of the day. 

 

 

“An evening with author Kara Storti” will take place at Northshire Bookstore, 424 Broadway in Saratoga Springs next Thursday, May 26 at 6 p.m. Kara will be conducting a Q & A, reading and signing copies of her new novel – “Tripping Back Blue” – which is suitable for mature teens and adults.

Published in News
Thursday, 27 June 2013 13:56

BSBPA to Host Hawaiian Luau

BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association will be hosting a Hawaiian Luau fundraising event on Saturday, July 27 at the Brickyard Tavern & Grill, 70-72 Milton Ave in Ballston Spa.

Published in News

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