By Carole Howard and the Library Staff

The best memoirs reflect the personality of the writer so closely that you feel you are sitting there listening to him tell stories over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. That’s what you get with “Just Say Yes: Memoirs of a Geezer” by Pagosa’s own John Graves.

Of course John is well known in our community, being one of our most popular entertainers. An event is not an event unless John is performing on his electronic keyboard. All his local fans know the rules of his game: Songs from the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s, music “for mature adults only” – tunes that you can hum, sing along to and understand the words.

This book, though, shows another side of John. In this collection of essays, he brings us into his life and his belief system with humor, warmth and insight. The subjects span many years, from playing spin the bottle in eighth grade to mingling with celebrities and being the official censor at NBC-TV. We even get a section about his semi-retirement with lovely wife Ann here in Pagosa.

What makes this book special is not just the stories, although they are a delight. It is the way John uses his experiences to reflect on life and what it means – from the days when every household had a piano to the current environment where kids don’t care about grammar, spelling and punctuation. Some of these essays were previously published in Connections magazine and the Durango Herald. Many are new. All have something to say.

John has donated an autographed copy of “Just Say Yes” to the library. You can purchase your own copy at thegravesite.com. The official publication date is October 1. It’s a very pleasant read.

Lifelong Learning lectures

Mark your calendars for the start of the Fall Lifelong Learning lecture series. October 6 brings us “Pagosa Springs: The beginning years,” given by historian and SUN columnist John Motter, author of “Pagosa Country: The First Fifty Years.” The second lecture on October 13 will be “Speaking truth to power: The art of political cartooning, the presidency and the run-up to the 2008 presidential election,” presented by Judith Reynolds, who is a journalist, history professor and political cartoonist. All lectures take place on Saturday afternoons at 3 p.m. at the library and are free to the public.

Learning about the world

“Crescent Star” by Stephen Kinzer captures the excitement of modern Turkey with all its complexities and ambiguities – a country that is crucial to us because of its key role both in Europe and the Middle East.

Romance novels

“Enemy Women” by Paulette Jiles tells of the terror and bravery on both sides during the War Between the States. “Baby Proof” by Emily Giffin is the story of a young married couple who suddenly want different things in life. “Evening” by Susan Minot looks back at a weekend 40 years ago in Maine as a woman lies dying after three marriages and five children. “The Winds of Donoma” by Nikki Arana is the story of a young woman who is a rising star at a law firm when she meets and falls in love with a Mexican worker on her father’s ranch. “Someone to Love” by Jude Deveraux tells of a man investigating the suicide of his fiancée and a mysterious haunted house in England.

Adventure novels

“The Double Agents” by W.E.B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV is the latest in the Men at War series, as the OSS men try to convince Hitler and the Axis powers that the invasion of the European continent will take place anywhere by on the beaches of France. “Takedown” by Brad Thor is a thriller about a terrorist attack planned for the July Fourth weekend. “Killer Weekend” by Ridley Pearson tells of an assassination attempt at a conference hosted by a billionaire businessman in Sun Valley. “The Tin Roof Blowdown” by James Lee Burke is an action-packed crime thriller set in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Novels of mothers and daughters

In “Solo Variations,” Cassandra Garbus illuminates the internal struggles of a young woman raised to be herself yet bound by the unlived life of her mother. “A House Named Brazil” by Audrey Schulman is the story of a twisted family tree, told by a mother via daily phone calls to the daughter she abandoned years ago.

Thanks to our donors

For books and materials this week we thank Cheryl Bowdridge, Donald Funk, June Geisen, Carol Gunson, Philomena Hogrefe, Linda Kelsey, Mari Khoury, Bamma Laizvre, Movie Gallery, Paul Matlock, Senya Peterson, Rosemary Wright, Michael Schneider and Spearcross Ranch.

Quotable quote

“The written word … can range from a barely decipherable gobbledygook of email to the experimental magic and majesty of a Shakespeare or a Robert Frost. The French share this reverential awe for the power and potential of language – their language – and have created an Academy and a movement to protect it from corrosive outside influences, such as American idioms and slang. But who’s looking out for the future of the English language in America?” – John Graves in his new book “Just Say Yes: Memoirs of a Geezer.”

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