As seen in this post:
Narnia Fever - Catch It! Part 2
we here at LTA love the bookstore No Alibis. It's always filled with interesting characters - I'd like to think this guy is Ireland's greatest living poet.
Sean here regaled me with scabrous stories of Cuban school-children and the jokes they tell. In this photo he's telling a particularly funny joke about Bill Clinton and Fidel Castro.
This Friday the store is hosting an event in support of the Ulster Wildlife Trust and WWF - if you're in the area why not attend? It's for a good cause and looks fun.
Dave Torrans will always offer ya a cup of coffee and interesting conversation. Here Dave and Sean are discussing Shanghai Detective Fiction.
The walls of No Alibis are covered with cool posters like the one above.
It makes me wonder about the function of Detective Fiction - perhaps there's a subtext in the books that says that actually life by its very nature is mystery and that really we know nothing - and, more importantly, if all secrets are revealed we are nothing.
The Detective is only alive when this mystery is unknown - when it's solved it's all over and there's nothing left - we have to close the book and the characters cease being until the next mystery comes up.
And so we leave No Alibis Dear Listener...
...why not visit when you're in town. You'll be entertained and safe - Columbo watches over the store like a Guardian Angel.
Spot on. No Alibis is cool as f***.
I love the way they don't try and ram their books down your throat like they do in some bookshops *cough* waterstones. Your man dave (although I always called him Damian, so he probably thinks I'm a crazy person), simply recomends stuff which he likes and some of its pretty cool.
And yes, the free cup of coffee and intelligent chat is always a bonus and worth while going in for.
Posted by: Jimmy Porter | March 28, 2006 at 10:04 AM
Hey kids!
Due to technical reasons (mainly cos my laptop was created by the devil himself and is shite) I'm only getting to listen to your podcast now where you mention my blog and try to set me up with Keith...aw bless! Thanks so much, I think I might drop over to his site now and leave a message like a crazy stalker woman! And Jett, thanks for calling me "curvy" instead of blubber-like, that was very diplomatic of you!
Great show once again.
Posted by: Karen | March 28, 2006 at 11:09 AM
that top photo of Sean is gr8 - paints as many words as are in the books on the top shelf :-)
Posted by: Cybezz | March 28, 2006 at 11:29 AM
Karen - glad to know ya liked the show. And don't be so down on yourself - you're a sexy woman and anybody who says different can go screw themselves.
Posted by: Jett Loe | March 28, 2006 at 11:44 AM
Jett
Deepest and sincere apologies for calling your camera "dinky". The images are superb and it just goes to show that I know bog all about photography and should stick to peddling Shanghai detective fiction.
Your Pal
Dave
Posted by: DAVE | March 28, 2006 at 12:47 PM
In NYC, you have two types of book stores: The ones where you can sit with your faux-hipster friends and get Macchiatos from Starbucks while reading Harry Potter . . . and the cool ones. (Nothing against Potter . . . )
Posted by: Thom Brown, III | March 28, 2006 at 02:41 PM
See it to believe it kids . . . The Chronicles of Narnia Rap as performed on SNL.
http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Video/?c=Saturday_Night_Live/snl_1432_narnia
Posted by: Thom Brown, III | March 28, 2006 at 04:26 PM
I was in Randlestown for my Grandfathers funeral in January. I hadn't seen him for 25 years. I carried his coffin through the town and in the service the priest said he was a poet that every Irish man and woman knew. I didn't know who he was or what he had written. If your guy there is Ireland's greatest living poet, ask him if he knows the late Bobby McGuigan from Antrim.
Posted by: nick | March 28, 2006 at 04:54 PM