A R T S A N D C U LT U R E
Vroman’s Live Bookstore boasts stellar lineup for January
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By Arroyo Staff
he renowned bookstore Vroman’s is hosting more top-notch virtual programs throughout January. The “Vroman’s Live” events are held virtually. Register through vromansbookstore.com. Anyone with questions is asked to send an email to email@vromansbookstore.com. Vroman’s Live presents Gina Apostol discussing “Biblioepsy” 6 p.m. Thursday, January 6 Gina Apostol’s debut novel, available for the first time in the United States, tells of a young woman caught between a lifelong desire to escape into books and a real-world revolution. It is the mid-’80s, two decades into the kleptocratic, brutal rule of Ferdinand Marcos. The Philippine economy is in deep recession, and civil unrest is growing by the day. But Primi Peregrino has her own priorities: tracking down books and pursuing romantic connections with their authors. For Peregrino, the nascent revolution means that writers are gathering more often, and with greater urgency, so that every poetry reading she attends presents a veritable “Justice League” of authors for her to choose among. As the Marcos dictatorship stands poised to topple, Peregrino remains true to her fantasy: that she, “a vagabond from history, a runaway from time,” can be saved by sex, love and books.
Leonard Mlodinow discusses “Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking” 7 p.m. Tuesday, January 11 We make hundreds of decisions every day, from what to eat for breakfast to how we should invest, and not one of those decisions would be possible without emotion. It has long been said that thinking and feeling are separate and opposing forces in our behavior. But Leonard Mlodinow, the best-selling author of “Subliminal,” says extraordinary advances in psychology and neuroscience have proven that emotions are as critical to our well-being as thinking. How can we connect better with others? How can we make sense of our frustration, fear and anxiety? What can you do to live a happier life? The answers lie in understanding your emotions. Journeying from the labs of pioneering scientists to real-world scenarios that have flirted with disaster, Mlodinow shows us how our emotions can help, why they sometimes hurt, and what we can learn in both instances. Using deep insights into our evolution and biology, Mlodinow gives us the tools to understand our emotions better and to maximize their benefits. Told with his characteristic clarity and fascinating stories, “Emotional” explores the new science of feelings and offers us an essential guide to making the most of one of nature’s greatest gifts. Ticket includes one copy of “Emotional.” continued on page 32 01.22 | ARROYO | 31
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