January 8, 2019 • Page 10 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com The Bookworm A Spirited Holiday Book “A Sidecar Named Desire” by Greg Clarke and Monte Beauchamp; © 2018, Dey St.; 183 pages ——— BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER The holiday season started with a cup of cheer. Then there was a sip of wassail, some mistletoe and wine, and rummy-tum-tum along the way. It’ll likely end with a cup of kindness yet for Auld Lang Syne and a pretty nice headache. The only thing left to do, then, as in the new book “A Sidecar Named Desire” by Greg Clarke and Monte Beauchamp, is to write about it. Imagine the surprise felt by one of our ancient ancestors who put a few grapes aside for a snack later. She must’ve been angry at first — and then pleasantly surprised. Her discovery, and those that came after her, have been decried by “temperance zealots” throughout the years; Prohibition was a big thing and abstinence is promoted even now. And yet, say Clarke and Beauchamp, “considerable” evidence points to a tie between drinking and “great writing.” Ancient Roman poets loved their wine, for instance, and Shakespeare was a big fan. Thomas Jefferson ordered cases and cases of it on a visit to France, and author Roald Dahl not only drank it, but he wrote a short story about wine, too. Beer was once used in lieu of a paycheck in ancient Egypt, but Greeks and Romans claimed that beer was “inferior” to wine. Even so, say the authors, Jack London loved his suds and Jane Austen made beer using a common ingredient available in her back yard. Norman Mailer claimed to “need” a beer every afternoon. If you’ve ever wondered which came first, author Michael Veach says bourbon’s name came from Bourbon Street. Langston Hughes was said to have loved a glass of it, and William Faulkner listed whiskey as one of his writing tools. Gin and tonic seems to have been a P.G. Wodehouse creation. E.B. White had a martini when suffering from writer’s January Preschool/Under Programs Set Storytime at the Yankton Community Library begins again on Jan. 7. Storytimes are designed for preschool age and under and are offered on Mondays at 6 p.m. and Tuesdays/Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Storytime is followed by an art activity geared toward preschool-aged children. The Winter/Spring Storytime session runs from Jan. 7 through April 25. Stay and Play for Preschoolers and Toddlers will be held on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. The library will provide materials for exploration and learning through play for adults and children to enjoy together. This is a great opportunity for children and parents alike to meet and visit with other families. Come in out of the cold and enjoy playing and learning at the library. For questions, call the library at 605-668-5275 or email library@cityofyankton.org. block and Ian Fleming “inadvertently” helped vodka sales with James Bond’s martini instructions. Among other things, Hemingway loved Bloody Marys, Kerouac enjoyed margaritas, Steven King once said that alcohol use made for a “better writer,” and Hunter S. Thompson drank (mostly) bourbon and scotch. And Tolstoy? Nope, he was a teetotaler. A roaring fire, a glass of wine, and a good book. Is there a better trio? When the book is “A Sidecar Named Desire,” the answer is an emphatic “no.” In beginning each chapter with a history of the proceeding alcohol at hand, authors Greg Clarke and Monte Beauchamp peek into the glasses of writers from antiquity to modern-day, literature to light reading. These are tasty sip-at-leisure chapters, more continuous sidebar than paragraphical, and perfect for browsing or a quick dip made possible by drawings that indicate a jigger of lightheartedness is shaken, not stirred in. And if you really like to get involved in your reading and want the full experience, there are recipes to try. Salud! Imbibers and abstainers alike will love learning about their favorite writers in “A Sidecar Named Desire,” so have a little serving. Auld acquaintance may’ve been “forgot” but this is a book you won’t. ‘Masterpiece: Victoria’ Screening In SF SIOUX FALLS — The public is invited to a free, sneak preview of the new season of “Masterpiece: Victoria” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10, at SDPB Sioux Falls Studios, 601 N. Phillips Avenue, Sioux Falls. Costumes are encouraged. Includes light refreshments. Join fellow Masterpiece and public media lovers for a 60-minute preview screening of the PBS series critics call “tremendously engaging … immediately gratifying” (New York Times) and “captivating” (The Boston Globe). It is 1848, and revolution is breaking out across Europe. In Britain, one woman stands between order and chaos: Queen Victoria. Jenna Coleman returns as the young but fearless monarch, facing a crisis that threatens to end her reign. Continuing the story of Victoria’s rule over the largest empire the world has ever known, Victoria, Season 3 introduces fascinating new historical characters, including Laurence Fox (Inspector Lewis) as the vainglorious Lord Palmerston, who crosses swords with the queen over British foreign policy. New At The Library Here’s what’s new at the Yankton Community Library this week: ADULT BOOKS • Beautiful Exiles by Meg Clayton, fiction • Black Swan Rising by Lisa Brackmann, fiction • A Blind Goddess by James Benn, fiction • Bolt by Angel Payne, fiction • The Boy at the Keyhole by Stephen Giles, fiction • The Bucket List by Georgia Clark, fiction • Death in the Stacks by Jenn McKinlay; fiction • The Drama Teacher by Koren Zailckas, fiction • The Feral Detective by Jonathan Lethem, fiction • Forever and a Day: A James Bond Novel by Anthony Horowitz, fiction • Little Comfort by Edwin Hill, fiction • Many a Twist: A County Cork Mystery by Sheila Connolly, fiction • Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy, fiction • The Mediterranean Caper by Clive Cussler, fiction • One in a Million by Giovanna Fletcher, fiction • Pulse by Angel Payne, fiction • Room Service by Rochelle Alers, fiction • Those Who Knew by Idra Novey, fiction • Too Wilde to Wed by Eloisa James, fiction • Trouble Brewing by Susanne Baltsar, fiction • Vacationland by Sarah Stonich, fiction • Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill, fiction • A Wrench in the Works by Kate Carlisle, fiction • Betty Ford: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor by Lisa McCubbin, non-fiction • Churchill by Andrew Roberts; non-fiction • Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks by Diana Bass, non-fiction • Never Ran, Never Will: Boyhood and Football by Albert Samaha, non-fiction • Obama: An Oral History 2009-2017 by Brian Abrams, non-fiction • The Secret Language of Cats by Susanne Schotz, non-fiction • Why Religion?: A Personal Story by Elaine Pagels, non-fiction • The World of Lore by Aaron Mahnke, non-fiction YOUNG ADULT BOOKS • Glimmer of Hope by the founders of March for our Lives, non-fiction JUNIOR BOOKS • Real McCoys: Two’s a Crowd by Matthew Swanson & Robbi Behr, fiction • Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend, fiction EASY READING BOOKS • Bruce’s Big Move by Ryan T. Higgins, fiction • The New LiBEARian by Alison Donald, fiction CD BOOKS • Look Alive Twenty-Five by Janet Evanovich, fiction • The Noel Stranger by Richard Evans, fiction • The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris, fiction ADULT DVD’S • Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero • Unbroken: Path to Redemption • Divorce: Complete Second Season ——— Did you know that you can reserve an item from home? Staff will then notify you as soon as the item is available! SaVE 20 – 75% on a StorE FULL oF StYLE anD QUaLitY WHiLE WE MaKE rooM For nEW arriVaLS! if you need anYtHing for your home, Don’t MiSS tHiS SaLE! 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