Archives for April 2010

Barack Obama to visit Ricci web site

Rumours are swirling that U.S. president Barack Obama may make an unofficial stop at the Nino Ricci web site in the coming weeks after a bookstore mix-up landed Ricci’s novel The Origin of Species on the President’s desk.

“I guess he was planning a visit to Texas and wanted to read up on his Darwin,” said a source close to sources in the Washington rumour mill. “By accident the bookstore sent him the Ricci book instead.”

When the book failed to appear in White House recycling bins, speculation grew that the President’s curiosity had been piqued. “Who is this guy?” he allegedly commented. A Google search by White House intelligence services quickly tracked down the Ricci web site, and the idea of a visit was born.

The secrecy and security surrounding such a visit is extreme, and nothing is known of its timing or itinerary. Said Ricci, “Frankly, I’m happy if he just pops into my home page for a couple of minutes. Though I’d love to show him around the gallery and the archives.”

As for the upshot of the visit, Ricci is keeping his hopes modest. “What would be great is if some right wing religious group got wind of the visit and started organizing book burnings and that kind of thing. That would really boost sales. But to be honest I’m just kind of amazed the book ever made it past White House security.”

President Obama could not be reached for comment.

Extraordinary Canadians at the ROM

John Ralston Saul hosts Andrew Cohen, Douglas Coupland, Nino Ricci and Jane Urquhart in conversation about Canadian identity, political intrigue, unintentional suicide, and whether the medium truly is the message, as Penguin Canada launches another season in its Extraordinary Canadians series. Wednesday, April 28 at 7 PM at the Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto. Level 1B, Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre. Tel. 416-586-5797.

OG tells all

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claptrap webcrap digital diarrhea NEW YORK! HARVARD! GOMORRAH!

Here’s news: “Ricci falters in fifth offering!” says Booklist. Keywords: “Tedious!” “Tiresome!” “Straight!” Check it out at Booklist trashes Origin of Species!

Or this from Publishers Weekly! “Overambitious!” “Existential!” (there’s a killer). “Pathetic!”

OGtheBLOG. All the news that’s fit to print.

In the beginning was The Word. Then came OG. OGtheBLOG was born.

Frye Festival @ Moncton, New Brunswick

Nino returns to Moncton’s annual Frye Festival for several days of fun and hot colloquy in Canada’s most bilingual city.

Thursday, 22 April at 8:00 PM – Soirée Frye
Christian Bök
Gracia Couturier
Christiane Duchesne
Nino Ricci
Musical Guests: Julie Doiron and Guillaume Arsenault
Followed by a community reception to meet the authors.
~Capitol Theatre~

Friday, 23 April at 12:00 noon
Roundtable: Writing Lives and Afterlives
Daniel Poliquin
Nino Ricci
Noah Richler
Maryse Rouy
~Moncton City Hall~

Friday, 23 April at 8:00 PM
An Evening of Canadian Lit with Annabel Lyon,
Linden MacIntyre and Nino Ricci
Host: Noah Richler
~Jeanne-de-Valois, Université de Moncton~

Ricci triumphs in New York

Nino Ricci reached new heights on his recent promotional tour in the U.S., particularly in New York City, where at one point he scaled to the top of the Empire State Building. On the book front, meanwhile, an event at one of Manhattan’s premier independent booksellers, McNally Jackson, drew an audience well into the double digits.

Already the raves have started to roll in. “Anna loved this,” commented culture blog largehearted boy on the Other Press edition of The Origin of Species (Anna herself was unavailable for comment), while an audience member at the McNally Jackson event was overheard to say, “Look, the cover matches our wallpaper!” Said Ricci, with his trademark modesty, “It’s a miracle just to be published.” Experts in the U.S. publishing industry who were familiar with Ricci’s work agreed.

UGtheBUGGER

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WhAT is OG? a bugger a bug a grub a grubber a blob a glob

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Still here? Blogger off. Go Home.

In the beginning was The Word. Then came OG. OGtheBLOG was born.

Nino Ricci launches U.S. edition of The Origin of Species in New York

McNally Jackson Books of New York (52 Prince St., between Lafayette & Mulberry; tel. 212.274.1160) hosts the launch of the Other Press edition of The Origin of Species. 7 PM on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010. There will be a reading from the novel, hopefully mercifully brief.

Get more information from McNally Jackson or check out the listing in Time Out.

Boston Athenaeum

Nino Ricci speaks about his novel The Origin of Species at the storied Boston Athenaeum, 10 1/2 Beacon St., Boston, from 12 to 1 PM.

Founded in 1807 under the motto Literarum fructus dulces, sweet are the fruits of letters, the Boston Athenaeum is located in historic Beacon Hill just off the Boston Common. Nino Ricci’s lecture is open to the public.

Nino Ricci @ University of Massachusetts Boston

Nino Ricci talks about and reads from his award-winning novel The Origin of Species, recently released in the U.S. by Other Press. Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 9:30 AM in the Bookstore at the University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125. Tel: 617.287.5000. Sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts, University of Massachusetts Boston.

CITE Conference, Appleby College

Nino Ricci joins Lawrence Hill for Appleby College’s CITE Conference and helps launch the inCITE anthology of student writing. Saturday, April 10, 2010, at Appleby College, 540 Lakeshore Road West, Oakville, Ontario. Nino speaks at 12:30.

The Walrus Eats

Are you The Walrus? Find out at The Walrus Eats With Nino Ricci, a fundraiser at historic Campbell House in Toronto in support of The Walrus Foundation. 6 PM on Tuesday, April 6th in the ballroom at Campbell House Museum, 160 Queen Street West, Toronto. Tel: 416.597.0227. For tickets and information, contact The Walrus Foundation.

AHGtheBLAHG

par-a-site (pãr’e-sït’) noun
1. Biology. An organism that grows, feeds, and is sheltered on or in a different organism while contributing nothing to the survival of its host.

2. A professional dinner guest, especially in ancient Greece.

3. Webspeak. a. A web site that infiltrates a host site without the host’s permission or knowledge. b. The entity that spawns such a site.

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Blog.

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