Invisibility as a form of respect

On Friday, Fresh Air replayed part of a Hilary Mantel interview. It included this bit on Mantel's experience of life in Saudi Arabia:

"But of course I was never introduced to her husband. And if we happened to pass in the common hallway, then his reaction was to look straight through me and at the wall. As if I was invisible, for all my newly gained flesh. And by doing this, he was showing his respect for me. Now, you have to work hard to get your head around that, that making someone invisible is a form of respect. I wasn't wearing a black veil, but he was dropping one over me."

Being able to understand and accept the validity of an idea like that, without accepting it as true, is a writer's skill I'm still working on.

Links: not dormant, just distracted

• Sara Zarr takes on L'Engle's Austin family
• The ABFFE Silent Auction has an online presence this year (all credit to the fab Kristen Gilligan Vlahos!)
• Buildings made from trees -- as in trees, not lumber
• Typography for Lawyers
• Analyzing the narrative features of breaking news
• For everyone who liked my "how to flirt with your bookseller" post -- Edwardian flirting!
• (Some) actual numbers on independent bookstores and e-books
• Trying to make academics write better
• Book snobbery smackdowns
• How privilege might apply to reading romance
• The historical fiction fan's tour of London

WiNot: Blog edition

Minions of Isidore is spot on. (On so many things. I don't know who's behind this blog, but s/he is brilliant.)

This is the third year now that I haven't been at Winter Institute, and oh yes I miss it.  Two years ago, those of us in the Boston area who didn't make it to the main event in DC met up at Porter Square Books for the #WiNot Tweetup. This year, I just followed along via Twitter.

It's not the same as being there, especially when nuance is required. But there's still quite a lot to think about.

Links

• On being an introvert: Kelly, Liz, Charlotte
• On discoverability: Guy, Laura, Brett
• Leila is hosting Petersweek
• James Fallows on the latest State of the Union speech
• Worst neologism of the week: "boutique revivalism"
• An appreciation of the Post Office's social impact
• On writing for readers in an academic context
• From the perspective of an African-American WWI YMCA canteen worker
• Journalism skills for novelists

TBR alert

From today's Publishers Lunch: "Caitlin Fitz's OUR SISTER REPUBLICS, about how the early United States'  enthusiasm for foreign revolutions shaped popular U.S. understandings of  race, rebellion, and republicanism"

Yes, please.

Can I flirt with my bookseller?

With Valentine's Day around the corner, this is the question that is naturally on every book lover's mind: When I go into my local bookstore, am I allowed to start flirting with the staff?

Short version: Of course! Booksellers are lovely people (not that I'm biased), and often enjoy chatting with other book lovers. Many of them are also single and looking. But even if they're not, they may well be open to innocent flirtation.

Longer version: As long as you're not stupid about it. Aim to amuse yourself and others, not to get yourself banned from the bookstore. Please review these examples of what not to do if you are in any way uncertain as to what constitutes inappropriate behavior.

1. If someone encourages you to get a room, you're doing it wrong. Listen to Miss Manners:

"The tone should be 'Ah, had I but met you earlier -- had I but known that someone like you existed,' as opposed to 'How about giving it a whirl and seeing if it works?'"

Which is not to say that the bookseller is necessarily averse to giving it a whirl, at some future point.

2. Buy something. The ideal time to begin the flirting process is when you hand over your item to check out. You've got a solid thirty seconds or so to make an impact, more if you do a good job and the bookseller isn't swamped.

3. Be aware of your surroundings. If there's a line behind you, your chance for flirtation is over as soon as you've collected your change. The bookseller's going to ignore you and move on to the next person waiting to give her money, because that's why she's there. (Hint: If there's already a line, spend a few minutes wandering the store. There's often a herd tendency around the cash wrap area, with everyone deciding to check out at once, followed by a five-minute lull.)

(Corollary: If you're attempting to flirt shortly before Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day, or major school vacations, it's probably not worth trying. The bookseller may be too swamped to even realize your intent, and even if she does, she'll be too overwhelmed to manage an appropriate reply until ten minutes after you've left the store. It's a missed opportunity for everyone.)

4. Talk about books. Not only is this appropriate to your surroundings, it also gives both you and the bookseller an easy starting point. You both like books. You both know books. Surely you can find a way to talk via books.

5. Be funny. This is banter, not Don Juan's greatest hits. Funny is charming, especially when it involves books.

6. Watch for signals. If the bookseller looks ready to end the conversation, let it go. Don't make her resort to "Sorry, I've got to go organize books in the back room" to get away from her. It's always easier for you to walk away than it is for the bookseller. (Assuming you've already paid. Don't forget that step.)

7. That means positive signals too. If the flirtation is going well, there may well be an option to extend it. If you mention that being single leaves a lot of time for reading, and the bookseller's response doesn't include "Well, somehow my husband finds time for it" or "I've got to go organize books in the back room," that may well be a positive signal.

8. Take a number. Remember Point 1? Don't push things too far in this first round. If you think the flirtation has a chance of moving on to bigger and better things, ask for the chance to try for it later on. As in "Hey, maybe we could get together sometime and see what 90s sci fi we've both read. Can I give you a call?" Which gives the bookseller an easy way to say "No, I really only want to talk to you when there's a substantial wooden barrier between us," or else "Sure, but texting me's the best way to get a response. Here's the number."

At that point, you're on your own.

The link harvest is good this week

• Medieval Judeo-Persian manuscripts have been discovered
• Elizabeth Wein on what makes a novel YA
• The story of Robert Smalls
• Wharton takes on Barnes & Noble
• Justine Larbalestier on genre-bashing
• Reading a book at the right age (to which I say "yes and no")
• On digital fact-checking (and the importance of links)
• Brett Sandusky says many smart things
• On the idea of selling out (or not)

(Post pic: just because.)