People looking to read a few more books before summer ends in a few weeks might want to check out work by local authors.
Tysons Reporter recently revisited its profiles of local authors from the last few months. From murder mysteries to kids’ books, the books run the gamut of genres.
While nowhere near an exhaustive list, the titles below are a few of the recent books by Tysons-area residents:
At the start of this year, Garry Gekhman, the owner of Tysons Ballroom, published the kids’ book. Gekhman, who is a former “Dancing With The Stars” contestant and started dancing at age 6, hopes the book sparks kids’ passion for dancing.
Harper Kincaid’s murder mystery is set in Vienna and features local spots like Bards Alley bookstore and the Freeman Store. The book follows a woman’s investigation after she is framed for murder. The book debuted in May.
https://twitter.com/HarperKincaid/status/1292986521914671104?s=20
After the success of “Bob Winging It,” local author Joe Jamaldinian decided to write a second book about a penguin named Bob. “Bob In a Box” was published last January.
Jamaldinian told Tysons Reporter that he aims to inspire the younger generations to follow their dreams through his writing.
Larry Issa won the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award in 2019 for his picture book about a young boy who keeps catching the characters trying to escape from his book. The book, which features art by British artist Emma Chadwick, was released last January.
“The Emancipation of Evan Walls“
Jeffrey Blount published his novel tackling classism and racism last June. The main character, Evan Wells, reflects on the oppression he faced during his childhood in a small Virginian town.
If you’re interested in hearing more about the book, Blount and his wife Jeanne Meserve, a former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News, are set to talk about the book during a Zoom event on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
#TheEmancipationofEvanWalls pic.twitter.com/e97yxNVgnR
— Jeffrey Blount (@JEBlount) November 18, 2019
“Gay Men in the Feminist Revolution“
Nick Benton, the founder and owner of the Falls Church News-Press, released the volume for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in 1969. The book explores the power of feminism in politics and discusses various perspectives in the LGBTQ+ community.
Benton, who wrote for gay media outlets and worked as an LGBTQ in the San Francisco Bay Area, told Tysons Reporter that the book “is my two cents in terms of what happened 50 years ago.”
Cooper Middle School student Chloe Middleton became a published author with her book about a bunny who has to be brave and overcome peer pressure. An artist digitized the artwork by Chloe and her younger sister, Adeline, for the book.
The book was published in March. Chloe told Tysons Reporter that she is working on a sequel.
Marie Kisner, a former public information officer for the Town of Vienna, collected and compiled newspaper stories to share vignettes about what the town was like from the 1950s to early 2000s.
Kisner got the idea for the book after the town’s clerk office gave her dozens of boxes with news article clippings. The book was published in 2019.
Memorial Day weekend reading: “Vienna Stories: 1950-2000” by former @TownofViennaVA PIO Marie Kisner pic.twitter.com/KVvHNEJb6u
— Catherine D Moran (@c_douglasmoran) May 24, 2019
Do you know of a local author with a book published within the last year that isn’t on the list? Email us at [email protected].
Photo via Kimberly Farmer/Unsplash
New Firm Helping Businesses With COVID-19 Rules — “The Tysons firm [Covidless Workplace Services], founded in June, aims to provide businesses with a set of recommendations and guidelines that not only help them comply with regulations but also implement best practices, said co-founder Dirar Hakeem.” [Washington Business Journal]
Koenigsegg Hypercar Will Be Sold in Tysons — “The manufacturer of one of the world’s most exclusive ‘hypercars’ has made it official and announced Tysons-based Exclusive Automotive Group as its only local dealer… The models will only be on site for special events, and even if you choose to acquire one, it’ll take one to two years to get it.” [Washington Business Journal]
Book Demand High — “Local libraries’ physical doors may be shut since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, but their virtual doors are seeing plenty of ‘foot traffic’ at all hours of the day in the City of Falls Church and surrounding areas.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Mask Campaign — “Four of Northern Virginia’s top health care organizations started a campaign Wednesday with a simple message about fighting the coronavirus pandemic: Wear a mask.” [Patch]
A local husband-wife duo will talk about racial bullying and the husband’s novel on classism and racism during a virtual event later this month.
Jeffrey Blount’s novel “The Emancipation of Evan Walls” shares the oppression Evan Walls faced as a Black child in the 1960s in a small town in Virginia. Blount, an Emmy award-winning TV director, published the book in June 2019.
Jeanne Meserve, a former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News, will discuss racial bullying and the novel with her husband before taking questions from the online audience.
The Mary Riley Styles Public Library is hosting the online event as part of its “Community Conversations” about race and social justice.
The library shared the following description of the book:
It is June 1968. The Civil Rights movement is winding down after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. Negroes in the town of Canaan, Virginia have been used to acting the same, thinking the same and sharing in the unadulterated hatred of a common enemy. Evan is ten years old and, in the jargon of the times, young, gifted and black. In the presence of his parents and a summer porch gathering of their friends, he makes a startling declaration. From that moment on, the central question of his life is born. Is he black enough?
The Zoom event is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Prospective participants will need to email [email protected] for the Zoom link.
Photo via Jeffrey Blount, Author/Facebook
McLean local Dr. John Kim dedicated his life to his work as an electrical engineer. Now, he hopes to connect aspiring engineers to the field through a newly published memoir.
“In Pursuit of Science and Technology” explores topics ranging from Kim’s work in physics and engineering to his journey of faith and illness to his life traveling through four different global capitals — Tokyo, Pyongyang, Seoul and D.C.
Kim said there were two main inspirations behind the book — the first being his six grandchildren. He wanted them to tangibly have his stories and studies. The other was sharing his studies.
“I want to leave something behind me of all the things that I have done in science and technology,” said Kim.
He noted his target audience is young people going into the science and technology field, saying his message is to show them what it’s like to pursue this field. He elaborated on the differences between education and real-world experience and how important it is for young people to get both.
“If you go to engineering school today… that’s something where they teach you how to do it. But that’s not everything in a private corporation,” Kim said.
Kim focuses much of the memoir on his work as an electrical engineer towards furthering science and technology while discussing different topics as well. For example, he shares the time he spent working on military advancement and how he advised people to cultivate business opportunities on the engineer career ladder, according to his synopsis.
He also includes stories about the time he spent working with Howard Aiken, the “father of the digital electromagnetic computer,” according to his synopsis.
Kim also addresses personal adversity. He lived in Tokyo during World War II, Pyongyang while trapped by the Iron Curtain and South Korea during the Korean War. Additionally, he surmounted a battle with cancer about 15 years ago.
The process of creating his memoir was long. He didn’t plan it, but after he made the decision after he retired in 2013, he collected letters, reports, technical and scientific writings from journals and 144 pictures of his family and colleagues. The editing process took four years, said Kim.
This book is available for purchase online and in-stores.
Photo courtesy John Kim
As the state relaxes public health guidelines, Fairfax County public libraries will soon be open to the public.
Beginning Monday, July 13, patrons can take advantage of express services that focus on “grab-and-go style” activities. Patrons can browse shelves, use computers and pick up holds.
But even though the state entered phase three of Gov. Ralph Northam’s reopening plan, restrictions will be in place. All daily visits will be limited to 30 minutes.
During the first week of express services, library staff will explain the new model and make sure capacity limits are maintained. Disposable masks will also be offered to library patrons.
Here’s more on other modifications:
- Each branch will have a capacity limit to allow social distancing to take place
- Virtual programs will continue
- Meeting rooms will be unavailable
- Furniture will be removed from the public floor
- No donated materials will be accepted
- No print daily newspapers or in-house laptops will be offered
- No in-person programming will take place
- Plexiglass shields will be installed at customer service desks
- Every other PC will be disabled
Curbside services will continue for patrons who are not yet comfortable using library facilities. The service is offered daily except Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Express services will be open on Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and from Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Image via Fairfax County
Due to the coronavirus, book lovers will have to wait a few more months for the NoVa Bookstore Crawl, which includes two book stores in the Tysons area.
The inaugural NoVa Bookstore Crawl was originally scheduled for Independent Bookstore Day on April 25, but will now take place Aug. 29.
The NoVa Bookstore Crawl was designed to include several different independent bookstores located in Northern Virginia, from Arlington to Vienna. The event includes Bards Alley and Big Planet in Vienna.
Following the design of the well-known “bar crawl”, participants travel from bookstore to bookstore, experiencing the unique celebrations of each stop.
“There are similar passport programs in other cities,” said Anna Thorne, the organizer of the NoVa Book Crawl event. “D.C. has an extremely vibrant bookstore scene.”
Each bookstore involved in the book crawl will have different events. For Bards Alley in Vienna, activities will some fun for Harry Potter fans.
“We have guest booksellers who are local authors… We also have activities for kids on our patio. They are usually Harry Potter-themed,” said Jen Morrow, the owner of Bards Alley in Vienna.
“We were going to have a golden ticket worth a $100 gift card to spend in the store, just to get people out to celebrate all independent businesses,” Morrow added.
The bookstore is known for its community ties. In the past, Bards Alley has had food and wine specials in their cafe and a massive book scavenger hunt throughout the Town of Vienna.
The organization behind Independent Bookstore Day moved the national celebration to August, which provided the new date to reschedule the crawl, according to Thorne.
“Independent Bookstore Day has gone on for five years,” said Thorne. The idea for the crawl came from a similar event that occurred in D.C. last year, which Thorne described as a huge success.
The festivities are only available on Independent Bookstore Day in-person — “Not before, Not after. Not online,” according to Independent Book Store Day’s official website. The website emphasizes that bookstores are not a “dying anachronism,” but a continuously expanding industry.
Participants in the bookstore crawl will carry a map of the participating places with them and will receive a stamp after each stop and a prize for visiting five.
The full list of participating book stores:
- Bards Alley (Vienna)
- Big Planet (Vienna)
- Hooray for Books! (Alexandria)
- Old Town Books (Alexandria)
- One More Page (Arlington)
- Scrawl (Reston)
Although Independent Bookstore Day is postponed for nearly three months, independent bookstores ask readers to continue supporting their businesses by purchasing books from their websites, picking up curbside or ordering delivery. People can also purchase gift cards or donate to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation.
Photo via Bards Alley/Facebook
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Tysons Corner Center is working with community members to help those in need by providing an &pizza meal to healthcare workers. Anyone who wants to sponsor a healthcare worker by providing a meal can text #FEEDTHEM to 200-03, the page said.
Those seeking live entertainment can choose to check out 1st Stage Theatre’s Facebook page, where the arts organization posts videos of its talented cast members posting videos of them performing various songs and acts.
Tuesday (May 19)
- Stuff the Bus — People can drop off non-perishable goods to help community members in need at both the James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Road) Falls Church and the Patrick Henry Library (101 Maple Ave E.) in Vienna from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
- Virtual Mystery Fiction Book Group — At 7 p.m. people can join a virtual conversation about “My Sister, the Serial Killer: A Novel.” People must pre-register online to receive the link. This event is hosted by One More Page Books.
Thursday (May 21)
- Virtual Coffee Networking with Professionals — From 7:30-9 a.m. people can join a networking call on the topic of commercial real estate. People may preregister before the event to receive the link.
- Bourbon, Beer and BBQ takeout event — Caboose Brewing is hosting an event featuring beer and barbeque. People can preorder online and then pick up the food from 4-7 p.m. Lost Whiskey will also be offering bottles for sale at the event.
- Remote Working Webinar — From noon to 1 p.m. the Tysons Chamber of Commerce is hosting a remote event to help people think about the future of working from home. This event is free and open to the public. People should register to receive a link.
Saturday (May 23)
- Performers in Quarantine — Starting at 2 p.m. 1st Stage Theatre will hold one of its community conversations via Zoom with performances by actors in the upcoming show “The Nance share.” The actors will share what their creative experiences have been like during the pandemic.
Photo courtesy Caboose Commons
Fairfax County put out an all-call for independent authors who want to submit their work to the Virginia Author Project Contest.
The statewide fiction contest allows people to compete for several prizes, according to Fairfax County.
To qualify, each submission must be independently published, either in the adult fiction or young adult fiction genre, written by a Virginia resident and available in certain file formats, the website said.
Prizes include:
- $500 each in adult and young adult categories
- Honors at the 2021 spring IAP Reception
- Opportunities to promote your book(s) at Virginia public libraries
- Inclusion in a full-page print spread in Library Journal
- Opportunities to earn royalties through the IAP Select collection
Anyone interested can submit their work online before May 31.
This story also appeared on our sister site Reston Now
Photo via Thought Catalog/Unsplash
During these challenging times, we want to know what you’re doing to try to stay happy and healthy.
Self-care ranges from physical health to emotional wellness. While social distancing guidelines and Virginia’s stay-at-home order have restricted certain activities like gathering with friends at a restaurant, shopping at malls and going to movie theaters, many businesses have pivoted to virtual offerings.
Previously, Tysons Reporter has rounded up online workout classes from local gyms, bookstores offering delivery and curbside pickup and virtual religious services.
We also have a list of restaurants offering take-out and delivery in the Tysons area. For people wanting to make their own staycation, we have a guide for that too.
Let us know how you’re practicing self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vote for your favorite from the list below and feel free to share your other top picks in the comments section.
Photo via Avrielle Suleiman on Unsplash
After discovering her love for storytelling at age 8, Cooper Middle School student and McLean resident Chloe Middleton has now published her first book in a new series called BunnyElla.
BunnyElla is about a young bunny who finds herself put in a position where she has to be brave and make certain decisions that will guide her life, according to the book’s description.
“It’s a book for everybody,” Chloe said, adding that people of all ages can take away something different from it.
According to Chloe’s mom, Ang, common themes in the book include overcoming peer pressure and challenging cliche fairy tale tropes.
After the book’s official release on March 24, Chloe said she was overwhelmed by the positive response she received from her peers and her community at school — including a personal phone call from the administration at her school praising her work.
All of the artwork in the book is the creative product of Chloe and her younger sister, Adeline. To brighten up the colors, Ang noted that the family also hired an artist to digitize their artwork before it went to print.
To help women in need during the coronavirus pandemic, Chloe said that some of the proceeds from the book will be donated to Calvary Women’s Services, which assists women experiencing homelessness in the D.C. area.
Currently, Chloe said that she is working on a sequel to BunnyElla, adding that it will likely be a chapter book further exploring the themes in the first book. When she isn’t writing, Chloe said she also enjoys playing the piano and participating in sports.
People can purchase BunnyElla on Amazon.
Image courtesy Chloe Middleton