Hill Rag | December 2007 | The Literary Hill

The Literary Hill

A Compendium of Readers, Writers, Books, & Events

by: Karen Lyon

Read Globally, Buy Locally
What holiday shopping list would be complete without books? From bestsellers to scholarly works, from read-’em-and-chuckle stocking stuffers to coffee table tomes, books offer something for every interest. But why trek off to some suburban mall, park three miles away, and stand in line listening to canned carols? Shopping on the Hill is more fun – and your recipients will appreciate receiving a special gift from your neighborhood. Check out some of these local booksellers and shops.

Library and Museum Shops

Jefferson Sales Shop, Library of Congress
www.loc.gov/shop, 888-682-3557
Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
The Library of Congress shop on the ground floor of the Jefferson Building carries cookbooks, exhibition catalogs, poetry and rare books on CD. Illustrated guides to the folklife, motion picture, music and manuscript collections offer behind-the-stacks glimpses into the library’s peerless holdings. There’s bound to be someone on your list who would be ticked by Bob Hope’s “My Life in Jokes,” enchanted with a book of Japanese woodcuts, or inspired by the “Documents of Freedom.” Treat an armchair traveler to Vincent Varga’s “Cartographia,” a glorious hymn to exploration. It contains more than 250 maps from the world’s largest cartographic collection, including the famous Waldseemuller Map, the first known atlas, and a map of the human genome. The shop also sells a wide array of music, jewelry, paper goods and gifts.

The Museum Shop at Sewall-Belmont House
144 Constitution Ave. NE
202-546-1210, ext. 12
www.sewallbelmont.org
Tues.-Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Sat., noon-4 p.m.
The shop at the Sewall-Belmont House, headquarters of the historic National Woman’s Party, stocks a unique selection of books, jewelry, posters and gifts relating to women’s suffrage and the equal rights movement. For those who enjoy memoirs – or for young people curious about women’s history – consider “Eat First – You Don’t Know What They’ll Give You,” in which Sonia Pressman Fuentes recounts how she escaped the Holocaust to become a leader of the modern-day women’s movement. Or pick up the DVD of “Iron Jawed Angels,” the movie adaptation of Linda G. Ford’s book, starring Hilary Swank as an early 20th-century suffragist.

The Folger Shop
201 East Capitol St. SE
www.folger.edu/store
Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
The Folger Shop is Shakespeare Central for items relating to the Bard and his times. Cooks will love perusing the modernized recipes in “The Medieval Cookbook” and planning a Christmas feast around “A Grete Pye” (filled with beef, chicken, pigeon or wild duck, and the saddle of a hare), accompanied by mushroom pasties, leeks and sops in wine and cherry pottage. And should anyone overindulge, the final chapter offers an herbal remedy “For a Man that is Sick in His Stomach.” Mystery lovers will be intrigued by “Interred With Their Bones,” a new book by Jennifer Lee Carrell about a missing Shakespeare manuscript that features a daring escape through the library’s Old Reading Room. Shakespeare books and toys for kids, a whole line of the popular Folger Editions of the plays, and Renaissance-flavored food, gifts, and music will round out your shopping list.

Government Shops

US Senate Gift Shop
Dirksen Senate Office Building
202-224-7308
Mon.-Fri., 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

US Capitol Historical Society’s Gift Shop
www.uschscatalog.org
[shop accessible via Capitol tour only]

US Government Printing Office Bookstore
710 North Capitol St. NW
202-512-1800, www.bookstore.gpo.gov
Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

US Supreme Court Gift Shop
1 First St. NE
Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-4:25 p.m.
Don’t overlook the shops tucked away in the Hill’s government buildings this holiday season. They carry a big selection of books on American history, politics, art and architecture, and some titles (such as “The Congressional Club Cookbook”) you probably won’t find elsewhere. “A Botanic Garden for the Nation” would make a perfect gift not only for the gardeners on your list, but for anyone interested in reading about DC history, ecology or botany – or simply looking at gorgeous photographs of plants and flowers. Engagingly written by Ann-Catherine Fallen, the oversized book contains hundreds of historical photographs and lush images from the garden’s collection, as well as a chapter by William C. Allen on the US Botanic Garden’s architectural history. It is available at the US Senate Gift Shop, through the US Capitol Historical Society’s online gift shop or at the Government Printing Office. Government-inspired calendars, desk accessories, china and glassware, puzzles, games, ornaments and other gifts are also available at most venues.

Used Book Stores

Capitol Hill Books
657 C St. SE
www.capitolhillbooks-dc.com, 202-544-1621
Open every day, 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends

Riverby Books
417 East Capitol St. SE
www.riverbybooks.com, 202-543-4342
Open every day, 10a.m.-6 p.m.
Used books may not immediately jump to mind as desirable gifts, but what booklover wouldn’t love to receive a beautifully-bound edition of an old favorite? Think of it as a literary way of reducing your carbon footprint. Capitol Hill Books is stuffed with finds in every category, from hiking and camping to fine arts and science fiction. Dig around in the rich gardening section to find a welcome winter antidote for the flower fancier on your list. Or treat a Civil War buff to a complete set of “Robert E. Lee” by 1936 Pulitzer Prize-winner Douglas S. Freeman.

Riverby’s shelves are also packed with bibliophilic treasures. One whole section is devoted to first editions, signed copies and antiquarian books that would thrill a collector (or inspire someone to become one). A series of reasonably-priced classics by Twain, Hawthorne, Melville and Cather, nicely bound and housed in handsome slipcases, are just begging to end up under somebody’s Christmas tree. And be sure to visit the downstairs for a colorful assortment of gently-used books for children.

Children’s Books

Fairy Godmother
319 Seventh St. SE
202-547-5474
Mon.-Fri., 10a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., noon-4 p.m.
Every day evokes fairyland at Fairy Godmother, but the holidays make it an especially magical destination. With books, games and toys for all ages – as well as plenty of guidance for clueless buyers – this little shop of wonders provides one-stop holiday shopping for all the kids in your life. For a special hometown touch, give your favorite young reader a signed copy one of Katy Kelly’s books about Capitol Hill’s own Lucy Rose. Our local heroine has starred in four adventures so far – “Here’s the Thing About Me” (grades 2-4), “Big on Plans” (2-4), “Busy Like You Can’t Believe” (3-4), and “Working Myself to Pieces and Bits” (3-5) – any one of which is bound to please.

General Bookseller

Trover Shop
221 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
202-547-BOOK, www.trover.com
Mon.-Sat., 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun. 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
One of a dwindling number of independent booksellers, Trover Shop is Capitol Hill’s answer to the “Big Box” bookstores. Despite having had to squeeze in the cards and wrapping paper displaced by a fire at their other store, Trover’s selection of quality books seems endless. The store’s proximity to the Capitol means that you’ll find all the latest political treatises, biographies, analyses and screeds, as well as current bestsellers, language and travel guides, mysteries and novels, cookbooks and children’s books (some with a fun DC theme). And don’t miss perusing the Hill’s biggest assortment of magazines (think gift subscriptions!).

BOOK DATES

DC PUBLIC LIBRARIES
www.dclibrary.org
Northeast Neighborhood Library
330 Seventh St. NE, 202-698-3320
Capitol Hill Book Club: Second Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
Story Time (infant-4): Tuesdays, 10:15 and 11:15 a.m., Thursdays, 11:15 a.m.
For children’s programs, contact Judy Oliver at 202-698-3299.
Southeast Neighborhood Library
403 Seventh St. SE, 202-698-3377
Story Time (infant-3): Mondays, 11 a.m.
Story Time (2-5): Wednesdays, 10:15 a.m.
Story Time in Spanish (3-8): Thursdays, 3:30 p.m.
Capitol Hill Book Club (nonfiction): Third Thursday, 6:30 p.m.

FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY
201 East Capitol St. SE
www.folger.edu, 202-544-4600
Box Office: 202-544-7077
Folger Poetry
Richard Howard on Emily Dickinson
Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m.
PEN/Faulkner Readings
PEN/Malamud Award Memorial Reading
Elizabeth Spencer
Dec. 7, 8 p.m.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
www.loc.gov, 202-707-0911
Lecture
“The Compass and the Book: Ideas of Order in Early Modern English Literature”
Steve Mentz
Dec. 7, 4:30 p.m.
Poetry Readings
Four South Carolina Poets
Carolina Marjory Wentworth, John Lane, Susan Meyers, Carol Ann Davis
Dec. 4, noon
Poet Laureate Charles Simic presents James Tate and Jorie Graham
Dec. 6, 6:45 p.m.
Letters About Literature Contest (grades 4-12)
Entry deadline: Dec. 14
Information and application: www.loc.gov/letters

CAPITOL HILL BOOKS
657 C St. SE
www.capitolhillbooks-dc.com, 202-544-1621
Second Saturday: discounts on books; wine & cheese 4-7 p.m.
Extra 20 percent off books by the dead author of the month (December is Roald Dahl)

RIVERBY BOOKS
417 East Capitol St. SE
www.riverbybooks.com, 202-543-4342
“A Space Inside” Reading Series
Fourth Wednesday, 7 p.m.


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The Literary Hill
A Compendium of Readers, Writers, Books, & Events
by: Karen Lyon
Read Globally, Buy Locally What holiday shopping list would be complete without books? From bestsellers to scholarly works, from read-’em-and-chuckle stocking stuffers to coffee table tomes, books offer something for every interest. But why trek off to some suburban mall, park three miles away, and stand in line listening to canned carols? Shopping on the Hill is more fun – and your recipients will appreciate receiving a special gift from your neighborhood. Check out some of these local booksellers and shops. Library and Museum Shops Jefferson Sales Shop, Library of Congress www.loc.gov/shop, 888-682-3557 Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The Library of Congress shop on the ground floor of the Jefferson Building carries cookbooks, exhibition catalogs, poetry and rare books on CD. Illustrated guides to the folklife, motion picture, music and manuscript collections offer behind-the-stacks glimpses into the library’s peerless holdings. There’s bound to be someone on your list who would be ticked by Bob Hope’s “My Life in Jokes,” enchanted with a book of Japanese woodcuts, or inspired by the “Documents of Freedom.” Treat an armchair traveler to Vincent Varga’s “Cartographia,” a glorious hymn to exploration. It contains more than 250 maps from the world’s largest cartographic collection, including the famous Waldseemuller Map, the first known atlas, and a map of the human genome. The shop also sells a wide array of music, jewelry, paper goods and gifts. The Museum Shop at Sewall-Belmont House 144 Constitution Ave. NE 202-546-1210, ext. 12 www.sewallbelmont.org Tues.-Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Sat., noon-4 p.m. The shop at the Sewall-Belmont House, headquarters of the historic National Woman’s Party, stocks a unique selection of books, jewelry, posters and gifts relating to women’s suffrage and the equal rights movement. For those who enjoy memoirs – or for young people curious about women’s history – consider “Eat First – You Don’t Know What They’ll Give You,” in which Sonia Pressman Fuentes recounts how she escaped the Holocaust to become a leader of the modern-day women’s movement. Or pick up the DVD of “Iron Jawed Angels,” the movie adaptation of Linda G. Ford’s book, starring Hilary Swank as an early 20th-century suffragist. The Folger Shop 201 East Capitol St. SE www.folger.edu/store Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The Folger Shop is Shakespeare Central for items relating to the Bard and his times. Cooks will love perusing the modernized recipes in “The Medieval Cookbook” and planning a Christmas feast around “A Grete Pye” (filled with beef, chicken, pigeon or wild duck, and the saddle of a hare), accompanied by mushroom pasties, leeks and sops in wine and cherry pottage. And should anyone overindulge, the final chapter offers an herbal remedy “For a Man that is Sick in His Stomach.” Mystery lovers will be intrigued by “Interred With Their Bones,” a new book by Jennifer Lee Carrell about a missing Shakespeare manuscript that features a daring escape through the library’s Old Reading Room. Shakespeare books and toys for kids, a whole line of the popular Folger Editions of the plays, and Renaissance-flavored food, gifts, and music will round out your shopping list. Government Shops US Senate Gift Shop Dirksen Senate Office Building 202-224-7308 Mon.-Fri., 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. US Capitol Historical Society’s Gift Shop www.uschscatalog.org [shop accessible via Capitol tour only] US Government Printing Office Bookstore 710 North Capitol St. NW 202-512-1800, www.bookstore.gpo.gov Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. US Supreme Court Gift Shop 1 First St. NE Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-4:25 p.m. Don’t overlook the shops tucked away in the Hill’s government buildings this holiday season. They carry a big selection of books on American history, politics, art and architecture, and some titles (such as “The Congressional Club Cookbook”) you probably won’t find elsewhere. “A Botanic Garden for the Nation” would make a perfect gift not only for the gardeners on your list, but for anyone interested in reading about DC history, ecology or botany – or simply looking at gorgeous photographs of plants and flowers. Engagingly written by Ann-Catherine Fallen, the oversized book contains hundreds of historical photographs and lush images from the garden’s collection, as well as a chapter by William C. Allen on the US Botanic Garden’s architectural history. It is available at the US Senate Gift Shop, through the US Capitol Historical Society’s online gift shop or at the Government Printing Office. Government-inspired calendars, desk accessories, china and glassware, puzzles, games, ornaments and other gifts are also available at most venues. Used Book Stores Capitol Hill Books 657 C St. SE www.capitolhillbooks-dc.com, 202-544-1621 Open every day, 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends Riverby Books 417 East Capitol St. SE www.riverbybooks.com, 202-543-4342 Open every day, 10a.m.-6 p.m. Used books may not immediately jump to mind as desirable gifts, but what booklover wouldn’t love to receive a beautifully-bound edition of an old favorite? Think of it as a literary way of reducing your carbon footprint. Capitol Hill Books is stuffed with finds in every category, from hiking and camping to fine arts and science fiction. Dig around in the rich gardening section to find a welcome winter antidote for the flower fancier on your list. Or treat a Civil War buff to a complete set of “Robert E. Lee” by 1936 Pulitzer Prize-winner Douglas S. Freeman. Riverby’s shelves are also packed with bibliophilic treasures. One whole section is devoted to first editions, signed copies and antiquarian books that would thrill a collector (or inspire someone to become one). A series of reasonably-priced classics by Twain, Hawthorne, Melville and Cather, nicely bound and housed in handsome slipcases, are just begging to end up under somebody’s Christmas tree. And be sure to visit the downstairs for a colorful assortment of gently-used books for children. Children’s Books Fairy Godmother 319 Seventh St. SE 202-547-5474 Mon.-Fri., 10a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., noon-4 p.m. Every day evokes fairyland at Fairy Godmother, but the holidays make it an especially magical destination. With books, games and toys for all ages – as well as plenty of guidance for clueless buyers – this little shop of wonders provides one-stop holiday shopping for all the kids in your life. For a special hometown touch, give your favorite young reader a signed copy one of Katy Kelly’s books about Capitol Hill’s own Lucy Rose. Our local heroine has starred in four adventures so far – “Here’s the Thing About Me” (grades 2-4), “Big on Plans” (2-4), “Busy Like You Can’t Believe” (3-4), and “Working Myself to Pieces and Bits” (3-5) – any one of which is bound to please. General Bookseller Trover Shop 221 Pennsylvania Ave. SE 202-547-BOOK, www.trover.com Mon.-Sat., 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun. 7 a.m.-3 p.m. One of a dwindling number of independent booksellers, Trover Shop is Capitol Hill’s answer to the “Big Box” bookstores. Despite having had to squeeze in the cards and wrapping paper displaced by a fire at their other store, Trover’s selection of quality books seems endless. The store’s proximity to the Capitol means that you’ll find all the latest political treatises, biographies, analyses and screeds, as well as current bestsellers, language and travel guides, mysteries and novels, cookbooks and children’s books (some with a fun DC theme). And don’t miss perusing the Hill’s biggest assortment of magazines (think gift subscriptions!). BOOK DATES DC PUBLIC LIBRARIES www.dclibrary.org Northeast Neighborhood Library 330 Seventh St. NE, 202-698-3320 Capitol Hill Book Club: Second Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. Story Time (infant-4): Tuesdays, 10:15 and 11:15 a.m., Thursdays, 11:15 a.m. For children’s programs, contact Judy Oliver at 202-698-3299. Southeast Neighborhood Library 403 Seventh St. SE, 202-698-3377 Story Time (infant-3): Mondays, 11 a.m. Story Time (2-5): Wednesdays, 10:15 a.m. Story Time in Spanish (3-8): Thursdays, 3:30 p.m. Capitol Hill Book Club (nonfiction): Third Thursday, 6:30 p.m. FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY 201 East Capitol St. SE www.folger.edu, 202-544-4600 Box Office: 202-544-7077 Folger Poetry Richard Howard on Emily Dickinson Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m. PEN/Faulkner Readings PEN/Malamud Award Memorial Reading Elizabeth Spencer Dec. 7, 8 p.m. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS www.loc.gov, 202-707-0911 Lecture “The Compass and the Book: Ideas of Order in Early Modern English Literature” Steve Mentz Dec. 7, 4:30 p.m. Poetry Readings Four South Carolina Poets Carolina Marjory Wentworth, John Lane, Susan Meyers, Carol Ann Davis Dec. 4, noon Poet Laureate Charles Simic presents James Tate and Jorie Graham Dec. 6, 6:45 p.m. Letters About Literature Contest (grades 4-12) Entry deadline: Dec. 14 Information and application: www.loc.gov/letters CAPITOL HILL BOOKS 657 C St. SE www.capitolhillbooks-dc.com, 202-544-1621 Second Saturday: discounts on books; wine & cheese 4-7 p.m. Extra 20 percent off books by the dead author of the month (December is Roald Dahl) RIVERBY BOOKS 417 East Capitol St. SE www.riverbybooks.com, 202-543-4342 “A Space Inside” Reading Series Fourth Wednesday, 7 p.m.