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Mary Hallinan has made this fierce flyer for prom! 

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By Naomi Wolsieffer and Steven Stothard

We came into the New Year just days after a fun-filled Dance Party vs. Karaoke Benefit at the Bluebird, and if you missed it, you missed out! Thanks to all who came to hear the talents of local songbirds, would-be rock-stars, and those who danced along! Santa barely kept his beard on, what with all the cheer and beer, and we've got pictures to prove it. Check out the silliness that ensued Santa's lap on our website, boxcarbooks.org.  You can judge for yourself who was Naughty or Nice!

We had a great 2007, and we're on the road to another year of bookishness and community lovin'.  We carried 56 classes-worth of textbooks (our biggest load yet!) for the Spring 2008 semester, and our rush is just now calming down. With three full bookshelves, we've had to double-staff many a shift in order to restock the demand. We also just had a new computer installed, which would have come in handy when the line was all the way into the meeting room.  From here on out, you can expect faster and friendlier (e.g. no more cursing at the computer) service at the counter.

Since implementing a textbook section, we've had many a curious professor at IU approach us about carrying their course-loads. It's great to have so many interested parties, and we'd love to stock your reading materials, required and recommended. Finding the space for all of this has been interesting, and we're getting more and more organized about it. "How can I get Boxcar Books to stock my course reading material?" you ask. It's pretty simple, really. What we need from professors is this:

1. Your Course Number and Title
2. Enrollment Number
3. Title and Author of each book
4. ISBNs and Publisher, if available
5. Specific Editions, if pertinent
6. Are the Books Required or Recommended?
7. Professor Contact Information

This information is due March 15th for the summer semester, June 1st for the fall semester, and November 1st for the spring semester.  Send in all fields to abbey@boxcarbooks.org by these dates to get your books in at Boxcar. Don't forget we have a free meeting space for your out-of-class needs! Stop in, call us (812)339-8710, or email our events coordinator at steven@boxcarbooks.org to inquire about using the room.

Now, what if you're not a professor, student, or local with prior knowledge of our lovely, little establishment? Well, come on in!  We stock all kinds of top-quality new and used books on gender, race, politics, history, environment, food, DIY, music, art, comic books/graphic novels, fiction, and an ever-expanding children's section!  If you want to see us in the flesh, come celebrate our 6-year Anniversary this February!  Boxcar Books is turning 6 years old on February 2nd, and throwing an open-house and dessert party!  For six years, Boxcar has been a hub for community, culture, and activism in Bloomington, and we owe our success to our loyal customers, supportive Bloomington community, and volunteers.  To thank all of these valuable individuals and, hopefully, make some new friends, we're opening up our doors for an evening of delicious desserts, an art show provided by the Deep Roots Animal Sanctuary, a great sale, and other surprises.  After 7pm we'll have a store-wide 20% new and used book sale, while all books under $2 will be $0.50!!  Please, stop by for drinks and desserts in a casual format to celebrate the continued success of Bloomington's only non-profit, all volunteer run bookstore and community center.  We're determined to thwart that ol' groundhog's pending prediction of more cold, by huddling in the storefront and handing out warm fuzzies to every hungry community member.  So, join us for some groundhog-breaking, uh, I mean, ground-breaking birthday cheer!

On Saturday February 9th, we're happy to host IU professor and local author Alyce Miller as she will be reading and signing from her new book Water: Nine Stores published by Sarabande Books. Winner of the 2006 Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction, Water weaves stories told from different perspectives of age, race, and gender, acknowledge a common rhythm in each of us unsettled desire. Norman Rush writes, "Alyce Miller has the eye and the skills for getting the short story right ... Miller gives us solidly-crafted neorealist studies in contemporary American unhappiness and dislocation. She writes vividly about people in various degrees of emotional extremis, and she avoids the temptation to invent resolutions for the dilemmas they're in. She deftly captures individual psychologies."  Please join us for this informal evening of food, drink, and community with Alyce and her new book from 7:30 - 9 PM on Saturday, February 9th. We will have copies of her new book for sale in the store!

Another neat way to get involved with Boxcar Books is to lend a hand and time to our Store Inventory "Party".  We'll be closing the store on Sunday, February 17th to do a complete store inventory.  This involves matching the books we have stocked on the shelves with the books listed in our computer's inventory.  It can take several hours, FUN hours, with rockin' tunes and silly volunteers galore.  We can use all the help we can get!  For more details or to volunteer, contact 812-339-8710 or email steven@boxcarbooks.org.

In case you miss the Anniversary Party sale, we?ll be having a Valentine's Day sale, the day of (Thursday, February 14th), with a 20% discount on all used books and 10% off new books with pink or red on the original book cover. 

Your sweetheart's tired of chocolate? give 'em something to digest with their mind!

Then, once you've bought your special someone a good book or two, take 'em to the Vagina Monologues that same night.  In case you've got dinner planned for the 14th, the Monologues will also be performed the next day, Friday, February 15th.  An international phenomenon that has graced stages within the month of February since 1998, with off-Broadway beginnings two years prior, the Vagina Monologues will be performed both nights at 7pm in the Indiana University Memorial Union's Whittenburger Auditorium.  For more information, turn the page!  We took the time to speak with IU's Women's Student Association President, Vanessa Holiday to learn more about this year?s installation of the Vagina Monologues.

Recently, we've been tabling fools!  When we're not busy selling and/or reading great literature, we enjoy further bonding and the enrichment of relationships with local businesses and organizations. It has always been our goal to either co-sponsor or support other valuable projects in Bloomington, and one of the ways we attempt this is to table at local events, author readings, and cultural happenings around town. We?re thankful to be a part of the newest installment of author readings at the Waldron Arts Center sponsored by IU and the MFA Creative Writing Program. Thanks Cathy Bowman! We were able to table at "A Day On, Not a Day Off: Youth Activism Summit" at Rhino's Youth Center, where we met a lot of motivated Bloomington youth and listen to some rockin' MLK Day inspired tunes from some very young musicians. Thanks Kerri! We were also privileged to be at the 2008 PRIDE LGBTQ Film Festival. What an amazing celebration, definitely Bloomington's claim to flame! Thanks Danielle! We are also going to be tabling at the Voices of A People's History at the Bloomington Playwrites' Project later in February, where local actors, authors, and activists will be reading the rabble-rousing writings and speeches of American history's most important roustabouts and radicals! Thanks Bob and Anthony Arnove!

Thanks to everyone for coming to support Boxcar during our Six Year Anniversary Party.  For six years, Boxcar has been proud to be a center for community, culture, knowledge, and activism in Bloomington.  We owe our success to our loyal customers, supportive Bloomington and IU community, volunteers and supporters.  Don't forget the Rock 'n' Roll Prom on April 19th at The Bluebird!

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Click The Sun

Written by Jessie

Well folks it’s been a steamy few months and I don’t know about you all, but we at Boxcar have definitely enjoyed the air conditioned haven that the bookstore becomes every muggy Indiana summer. If you can’t stand the humidity anymore is there a better place to indulge in artificially chilled air than your local, all volunteer run non-profit bookstore? So come on down, bring your winter parka, and grab a book, zine or magazine and cool off.

As the school year rapidly approaches we at Boxcar are gearing ourselves up for another great textbook season. We began selling textbooks to Indiana University students a few years ago. We started out slow, carrying books for a few classes and special ordering textbooks for a small number of individual students. This fall we will carry the textbooks for nearly forty classes! During the first few weeks of classes, the bookstore will be swarming with eager students buying their books. And as we apologize for how busy the store will be, his is just another way Boxcar can outreach to the university community and students. Bringing in individuals who might not know about or frequent local organizations and non-profits can expose new students and others to the vibrant, active and radical niches of our community.

Purchasing textbooks through Boxcar comes with many advantages for students; and if your classes don’t use our textbook services, you can always special order your school books. Get in touch with our textbook coordinator: abbey@boxcarbooks.org. It usually takes less than a week and we can order used textbooks when available. And as always, you would be supporting a local business and non-profit and you would receive more personalized service. And even though Boxcar can seem busier during textbook times, it’s no where near as nerve-racking as the textbook frenzy that accompanies the larger bookstores.

One of the founding principles of Boxcar Books was to provide a physical space that could host various local organizations and non-profit groups working for positive change. Here at Boxcar we feel providing this space to local agencies and organizations to meet, whether it is a weekly basis or just as a one time get together, fosters connections to other community members that are local and active in Bloomington. And since Boxcar has come into existence, our meeting space has maintained a robust and consistent schedule, although more groups are always welcome! Our meeting space is something we’re all particularly proud about, so check the events section of this issue to browse at the groups that currently meet at Boxcar and get involved!

Oh the times at Boxcar, they are a-changing! For example, we have decided to make some substantial changes to our audio visual section. For those of you who did not know we even had an audio visual section---you’re why we changing the section! Ha! No we’re kidding! We once had a video rental system but we are changing to DVDs for purchase. This means two things. First, our DVD’s for purchase now will be more selective, so the caliber of films will be excellent. Second, we will be having a sale of all our old audio visual materials at very cheap prices! Come in soon and check out the selection of DVD’s, Videos, Books and Political Speeches on Tape and CD for sale.

Speaking of changes, we have recently added to some new volunteer shift workers around the bookstore. Boxcar is very excited to welcome Vanessa, Sara(h), James, Nikki and Susan to the team! We’re stoked to have some new positive, knowledgeable and energetic individuals to help sustain the collective and to continue providing for the Bloomington community. Welcome aboard!

And if you, beloved reader, have some free time and are looking for a place to volunteer, Boxcar could always use more helping hands! Email boxcar@boxcarbooks.org or stop in and fill out a volunteer form! We’re always looking for help; whether it be as a regular shift worker or someone to stop in and help every now and then.

Well that’s all for now folks. As always you check our website www.boxcarbooks.org for updates, events and news. Or you can stop by the store!