Square Books reflects on the life of Oxford Icon Ron 'Ronzo' Shapiro

Ron Shapiro, who, as most in this part of the world knows, passed away Monday. When word got around town, which was instantly, that Ronzo was sick, the reaction was collective denial. And now his passing seems unfathomable to many. He was famous in Oxford, and some points beyond, known for, among other attributes, his open spirit, friendliness, playful sense of humor, concern for others, and positive attitude.

Spring Break Reads Junior

Picture Book

No More Poems! A Book in Verse That Just Gets Worse
by Rhett Miller and Dan Santat
The perfect read aloud for a long car trip, this rollicking books of rhymes will have your kids roaring with laughter. As a bonus, you can get Dan Santat to sign this book when he visits us on March 29th for the Oxford Conference for the Book.

Fear: Trump in the White House

Bob Woodward is back with another groundbreaking look inside the Oval Office. The famed Washington Post journalist has an ironclad reputation inside the Beltway and has earned two Pulitzer Prizes for his work. His newest book, Fear: Trump in the White House, tells the story of the first two tumultuous years of Donald Trump’s White House. This may be Woodward’s most masterful piece of work yet. There is no fire and fury, no trumped up tales of collusion, only thorough reporting. Woodward immediately disarms the reader of their partisan leanings with sober and emotionless points. Unlike so much political reporting, Woodward refuses to rile the reader up. It’s almost stunning to encounter this day and age - unbiased, no-frills reporting. As President Trump said, Woodward has “always been fair.” Fear is an incredible read and a glimpse into the most dysfunctional White House in our history.

An Unlikely Connection

By the time Larry Brown began writing On Fire, he had given us four books in four years, a book of stories and a novel—Facing the Music and Dirty Work—and then another book of stories and novel—Big Bad Love and Joe. Back then he told me he'd been thinking of a nonfiction book, and that he was intrigued by Rick Bass' Oil Notes. For a while, the working title for this book was "Fire Notes." On Fire was well received by critics and his growing body of readers alike upon publication in 1993.

Coming this Fall to Square Books.....

Square Books is looking forward to an extraordinary fall of great books from good friends and family.

October 16th we will be hosting an event for the publication of HEAVY: AN AMERICAN MEMOIR, by Kiese Laymon, our friend and the Ottilie Schillig Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Mississippi.

Summer Brings Summer Reading

The summer has brought not only the heat, but also a great selection of vacation reads. Check out the books below and come by the store to see what else we have.

Florida by Lauren Groff
(Riverhead, $27.00)
Signed Copies Available

Books for Graduates

Learn from the extraordinary life and career of former University of Mississippi Chancellor Robert Khayat in his memoir The Education of a Lifetime. Last week at Square Books, master biographer Walter Isaacson discussed his latest book Leonardo Da Vinci, which offers an inspiring portrait of the timeless genius. We have signed copies. The essays included in Leadership: Essential Writings by Our Greatest Thinkers ponder leadership and the genesis of leaders.

Wyatt Waters' beautiful portraits of Oxford in An Oxford Sketchbook make for a perfect gift for any Oxonian, especially one who is moving away. Mark Bittman's highly acclaimed, bestselling book How to Cook Everything is an indispensable guide for any modern cook...the next best thing to having Mark Bittman in the kitchen with you.

Hear the wisdom of filmmaker and provocateur John Waters in his graduation-speech-turned-book Make Trouble. "Don't worry," says actress Lauren Graham in her book In Conclusion, Don't Worry About It. The book You Had Better Make Some Noise is filled with quotes from people like James Baldwin, Barack Obama, Toni Morrison, Audre Lorder, Susan Sontag, and more. And reference the reliable Stuff Every Graduate Should Know.

2018-2019 Moleskine planner Big Ideas notebook from Design Works Ink

And don't forget that meeting! Plan for your next move! Write down your fears! Do Everything! These planners and journals can help. See our wide selection at the main store.

A Proud Supporter of Renewable Energy

As a Green Power Switch program participant, in the month of March, approximately 20% of Square Books' electricity use came from renewable sources—a combination solar, wind, or biomass. In my home, this figure was closer to 40%, and, if the amount of power from hydroelectric sources is included, it approaches 50%.

Renewable sources here presently cost more than other sources, and volunteering for this program adds a bit to one's utility bill. However, as the cost of renewable energy continues to decrease, then the amount of renewable energy one purchases, for the same amount of money, will increase.

In Oxford-Lafayette County, Green Power Switch is implemented through Northeast Mississippi Power and Oxford Electric Department (662-232-2373).

Square Books is proud to support renewable energy—at no extra cost to our customers—and we thank you for your support of Square Books.

— RH

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