‘Bookmark Now’ by Kevin Smokler

Our good friend, local writer Kevin Smokler has a new book out: “Bookmark Now: Writing in Undreaderly Times”, published by Basic Books. The book contains 25 original essays written by authors “who came of age professionally in the last decade”.

Kevin is currently on a whirlwind book tour, but he will be back in San Francisco tomorrow (Thursday, June 16th @ 7:00pm) for a reading and book signing at The Booksmith on Haight Street. Check out Kevin’s blog “Where There’s Smoke” to keep up with all of his literary adventures.

An anthology of original essays from our most intriguing young writers, Bookmark Now boldly addresses the significance of the production of literature in the twenty-first century. Or simply, “How do we talk about writing and reading in an age where they both seem almost quaint?”

The book features authors in their twenties and thirties — those raised when TV, video games, and then the Internet supplanted books as dominant cultural mediums — and their intent is to examine: (1) how this generation came to writing as a calling, (2) what they see as literature’s relevance when media consumption and competition have reached unprecedented levels, and (3) how writing and reading fit in with the rest of our rapid, multitasking world.

The result offers a voyeuristic peek into the private, creative lives of today’s writers and sheds light on what their work means at a time when the book business is changing, yet — almost paradoxically — a time when storytelling as a means of both self-realization and community building (be it via e-mail, weblogs, or This American Life) seems more relevant than ever before..

UPDATE: Here are some photos I shot at Kevin’s reading/signing.