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It's back!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com\/gadgets\/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-XxcCxW_njP4%2FUzk_-9uMVwI%2FAAAAAAAAATs%2Fo9Eio11oRPc%2Fs1600%2FDiagram%2BPrize.jpg\u0026amp;container=blogger\u0026amp;gadget=a\u0026amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*\" imageanchor=\"1\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"160\" src=\"https:\/\/images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com\/gadgets\/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-XxcCxW_njP4%2FUzk_-9uMVwI%2FAAAAAAAAATs%2Fo9Eio11oRPc%2Fs1600%2FDiagram%2BPrize.jpg\u0026amp;container=blogger\u0026amp;gadget=a\u0026amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*\" width=\"200\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd not just back for another year, but back in form. If you've been visiting Books in the City over the years, you may recall -- and perhaps you even shared -- my recurring disappointment during the last few editions of the prize with how the surest road to the shortlist seemed to have become the gleeful, not to say calculated, brandishing of the scatological, which I ranted on about in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/albooksinthecity.blogspot.co.nz\/2014\/04\/winning-with-poo-thoughts-on-diagram.html\"\u003EWinning with Poo: thoughts on the Diagram Oddest Title Prize 2014\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/albooksinthecity.blogspot.co.nz\/2013\/02\/the-diagram-prize-hunting-odd-book-title.html\"\u003EHunting the oddest book title \u003C\/a\u003Ethe year before.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut today, Diagram Prize, may I offer my compliments on your having dusted off your founding principles of discovering the unabashed, unlaboured odd title, and taking it out for a night on the town -- not a \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz\/?itemid=|library\/marc\/supercity-iii|b2036363\"\u003EDiner de Cons\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Dinner of fools)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eeither, more of a \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz\/?itemid=|library\/marc\/supercity-iii|b2769929\"\u003ERoman Holiday\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003C\/i\u003Eyou know, the girl who had never been on a Vespa, never eaten ice-cream on the street, who gets her day in the sun before returning to her daily grind, well, so to speak, she \u003Ci\u003Eis \u003C\/i\u003Ea princess.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEven the title of the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thebookseller.com\/news\/nether-regions-and-pavements-hot-diagram-prize-shortlist\"\u003Earticle\u003C\/a\u003E with which The Bookseller, the organisers of the prize, announced the shortlist shows more finesse than in many a year. \"Nether regions and pavements hot on Diagram Prize shortlist\", it read.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EThe Diagram Prize shortlist\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.syndetics.com\/index.aspx?isbn=9780670785919\/mc.gif\u0026amp;upc=\u0026amp;oclc=\u0026amp;client=elgar\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"syndetics-lc\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/www.syndetics.com\/index.aspx?isbn=9780670785919\/mc.gif\u0026amp;upc=\u0026amp;oclc=\u0026amp;client=elgar\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E1.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz\/?itemid=|library\/marc\/supercity-iii|b2868024\"\u003ENature's nether regions: what the sex lives of bugs, birds, and beasts tell us about evolution, biodiversity, and ourselves\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eby Menno Schilthuizen \u003C\/b\u003E(Viking)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Researching private parts was long considered taboo,\" says the publisher's description, \"but scientists are now beginning to understand that the wild diversity of sex organs across species can tell us a lot about evolution\". You have to love that 'wild'.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2. Advanced Pavement Research\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003Eedited by Bo Tian \u003C\/b\u003E(Trans Tech)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESubtitled\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003ESelected, Peer Reviewed Papers from the 3rd International Conference on Concrete Pavements Design, Construction, and Rehabilitation, December 2-3, 2013, Shanghai, China, \u003C\/i\u003Ethis volume of\u0026nbsp;papers from a pavement symposium is not available at the library. But you are welcome to put in a suggestion for purchase.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.syndetics.com\/index.aspx?isbn=9780393088687\/mc.gif\u0026amp;upc=\u0026amp;oclc=\u0026amp;client=elgar\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"syndetics-lc\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/www.syndetics.com\/index.aspx?isbn=9780393088687\/mc.gif\u0026amp;upc=\u0026amp;oclc=\u0026amp;client=elgar\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cb\u003E3.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz\/?itemid=|library\/marc\/supercity-iii|b2859221\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe madwoman in the Volvo : my year of raging hormones\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cb\u003Eby Sandra Tsing Loh \u003C\/b\u003E(Norton)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"A memoir of the menopause\". Readers in the Central City, Grey Lynn, St Heliers and Devonport (two in Devonport!) are currently enjoying this book by an American comedian who is here to tell us (the catalogue summary says) that \"it does get better\". Yes, after you have to write off the Volvo, they give you a room in the attic.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003E4.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz\/?itemid=|library\/marc\/supercity-iii|b2835494\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EWhere do camels belong? The story and science of invasive species\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eby Ken Thompson \u003C\/b\u003E(Profile Books)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.syndetics.com\/index.aspx?isbn=9781781251744\/mc.gif\u0026amp;upc=\u0026amp;oclc=\u0026amp;client=elgar\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"syndetics-lc\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/www.syndetics.com\/index.aspx?isbn=9781781251744\/mc.gif\u0026amp;upc=\u0026amp;oclc=\u0026amp;client=elgar\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EDr. Thompson,  a lecturer in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield who also writes regularly on gardening for the Daily Telegraph, and not one to clamour for attention, uses chapter headings such as \"Two rather unsuccessful theories\", followed by \"A slightly better theory\", before working up to \"The strange tale of the harlequin ladybird\" and \"Japanese knotweed: lice to the rescue\", followed by a plunge into the downright controversial (and, let's just say it, seriously interesting) \"Five myths about invasions (#1 Alien invasions reduce biodiversity and ecosystem function; #2 Alien species cost us a fortune; #3 Aliens are always to blame; #4 Aliens are out to get us; #5 Aliens are bad, natives good).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E5. \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz\/?itemid=|library\/marc\/supercity-iii|b2990389\"\u003EDivorcing a Real Witch: For Pagans and the People That Used to Love Them\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eby Diana Rajchel\u003C\/b\u003E (Moon Books)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/static\/w-700\/h--\/q-95\/sys-images\/Guardian\/Pix\/pictures\/2015\/2\/26\/1424970965014\/78f25a95-b1d2-4f19-8c1a-f0d29d112d6c-472x720.jpeg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Divorcing a Real Witch by Diana Rajchel (£12.99, Moon Books), Oddest book titles\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/static\/w-700\/h--\/q-95\/sys-images\/Guardian\/Pix\/pictures\/2015\/2\/26\/1424970965014\/78f25a95-b1d2-4f19-8c1a-f0d29d112d6c-472x720.jpeg\" height=\"200\" width=\"131\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EPhoto: The Guardian\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs the title says, it's for real, a \"practical guide for ending Pagan relationships\", in the words of The Bookseller. The library doesn't have this, but I have asked if we can purchase a few copies, or at least one for Waiheke, that traditional Wiccan stronghold. Diagram Prize Coordinator Tom Tivnan of The Bookseller commented \"Along with its real-life applications for those who have loved and lost in the Wiccan community, \u003Ci\u003EDivorcing a Real Witch\u003C\/i\u003E could also serve as a guidebook for Harry Potter fan-fiction writers who are focusing on the statistically inevitable end of the marriage of Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E*Update, 4 March: Auckland Libraries now has this book on order, for Manurewa, Albany, Massey and... Waiheke Libraries! Now that it's on our catalogue, we can read a bio of the author, who definitely possesses some supernatural qualities. \"Diana Rajchel is a 3rd degree Wiccan priestess in the Shadowmoon tradition. Her work has appeared in Sage Woman, Circle Network News and Llewellyn annuals since 1909.\" we are told.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003E6. \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz\/?itemid=|library\/marc\/supercity-iii|b2990260\"\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;Ugly Wife is Treasured at Home\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E by Melissa Margaret Schneider\u003C\/b\u003E (Potomac)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/static\/w-460\/h--\/q-95\/sys-images\/Guardian\/Pix\/pictures\/2015\/2\/26\/1424962697836\/ce3ea043-faf3-4025-ab09-1985f9d18e7e-478x720.jpeg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/static\/w-460\/h--\/q-95\/sys-images\/Guardian\/Pix\/pictures\/2015\/2\/26\/1424962697836\/ce3ea043-faf3-4025-ab09-1985f9d18e7e-478x720.jpeg\" height=\"200\" width=\"132\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003Ephoto: The Guardian\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBesides its title, another odd thing about this book is that while The Bookseller calls it \"An exposé of love and sex under Maoist rule in China\", \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/booksblog\/gallery\/2015\/feb\/27\/diagram-prize-oddest-book-titles-of-the-year-2015-in-pictures\"\u003EThe Guardian\u003C\/a\u003E decided to describe it as \"Love, marriage and life for ordinary citizens during China’s cultural revolution\". Or perhaps it is The Guardian which is being revealed as odd. Says Tivnan, \"\u003Ci\u003EThe Ugly Wife is a Treasure at Home\u003C\/i\u003E is a sentiment which will perhaps resonate with many readers—if they travelled back to the 1950s.”\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E7. \u003Ci\u003EStrangers Have the Best Candy\u003C\/i\u003E by Margaret Meps Schulte\u003C\/b\u003E (Choose Art)\u003Cbr \/\u003ESubtitled\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EHow talking to strangers leads to a life of crazy adventure  and lasting friendship\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/static\/w-460\/h--\/q-95\/sys-images\/Guardian\/Pix\/pictures\/2015\/2\/26\/1424962450216\/8dffefa0-9fcb-4c1e-bc0e-6dbbc3fa81ef-477x720.jpeg\" height=\"200\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" width=\"132\" \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EPhoto: The Guardian\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EI'm not sure I see the oddness in this one, but I wouldn't be a good judge. Talking to strangers is one of my most -- I'm not going to say 'favourite', perhaps 'inevitable' is the word I'm looking for -- experiences. I will say that the author left something out -- the amazing things you learn. What's candy compared to the tidbits of knowledge you can pick up from strangers? Sometimes more than tidbits, from the philosopher on the bus who told me the story of David on his deathbed instructing Solomon \"Do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace\", to the guy who told us about the most beautiful and secret beach in the Peloponnese, to the woman in the supermarket who told me how to make brussel sprouts delicious. Don't ask me to judge the relative importance of these!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBut speaking of judging...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Which of these books is worthy of the accolade for oddest book title of 2014?\" asks The Bookseller.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EYes, because the Diagram Prize is decided by public vote. Vote for your favourite now at \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.surveymonkey.com\/s\/diagramprize2014\"\u003EWe Love This Book\u003C\/a\u003E!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EVoting closes at midnight on Friday 20th March, with the winner announced on Friday 27th March.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E-- \u003Ci\u003EKaren\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: 'Gotham Narrow SSm A', 'Gotham Narrow SSm B', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.999979019165px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: 'Gotham Narrow SSm A', 'Gotham Narrow SSm B', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.999979019165px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: 'Gotham Narrow SSm A', 'Gotham Narrow SSm B', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.999979019165px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/static\/w-460\/h--\/q-95\/sys-images\/Guardian\/Pix\/pictures\/2015\/2\/26\/1424962450216\/8dffefa0-9fcb-4c1e-bc0e-6dbbc3fa81ef-477x720.jpeg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/albooksinthecity.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8810799849907079603\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/albooksinthecity.blogspot.com\/2015\/03\/the-diagram-prize-for-oddest-book-title.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/2501884760724421053\/posts\/default\/8810799849907079603"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/2501884760724421053\/posts\/default\/8810799849907079603"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/albooksinthecity.blogspot.com\/2015\/03\/the-diagram-prize-for-oddest-book-title.html","title":"The Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title. It's back!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Karen Craig"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/18310967522076681423"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"23","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-WaLn2rFYxqE\/UNvHlimMvBI\/AAAAAAAAABY\/ceYnAw1lZEk\/s220\/The%2BLibrarian.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501884760724421053.post-2519026545435924727"},"published":{"$t":"2014-04-04T11:27:00.000+13:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-03-04T00:21:12.533+13:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Diagram Prize"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Karen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Oddest Title"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Winning with Poo: thoughts on the Diagram Oddest Title Prize 2014"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\"A little madness in the Spring\u003Cbr \/\u003EIs wholesome even for the King\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E(Emily Dickinson #1333) \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt 36, the Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title of the Year may be the youngest among the many eccentric traditions of the British springtime, centuries behind cheese-rolling, the Nutters Dance, and the Hare Pie Scramble, but it need harbour no inferiority complex. The prize, which is awarded annually by the book industry trade magazine \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thebookseller.com\/\"\u003EThe Bookseller\u003C\/a\u003E, lacks neither for prestige -- in fact its custodian, The Bookseller's \"legendary\" diarist Horace Bent refers to it as \"my prestigious prize\" - nor for popularity. More people voted for the Diagram of Diagrams, won by \u003Ci\u003EGreek Rural Postmen and Their Cancellation Numbers,\u003C\/i\u003E than voted for the Booker of Bookers, won by Salman Rushdie.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-XxcCxW_njP4\/Uzk_-9uMVwI\/AAAAAAAAATs\/o9Eio11oRPc\/s1600\/Diagram+Prize.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-XxcCxW_njP4\/Uzk_-9uMVwI\/AAAAAAAAATs\/o9Eio11oRPc\/s1600\/Diagram+Prize.jpg\" height=\"256\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EGreek Rural Postmen and Their \u0026nbsp;Cancellation Numbers \u003C\/i\u003Eobviously\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Emerits its star status, but the Diagram Prize has called our attention to many sleeper glories over the years, including these, a few of my personal favourites:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHow to Avoid Huge Ships \u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDesigning High Performance Stiffened Structures \u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPeople Who Don't Know They're Dead: How They Attach Themselves to Unsuspecting Bystanders and What to Do About It\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHighlights in the History of Concrete\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-rJg1MHgIvTs\/Uzotg_FRB9I\/AAAAAAAAAUM\/QdaLulsBVRk\/s1600\/How_to_Poo.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-rJg1MHgIvTs\/Uzotg_FRB9I\/AAAAAAAAAUM\/QdaLulsBVRk\/s1600\/How_to_Poo.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003Ewhich are now joined by the 2014 winner\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz\/?itemid=|library\/marc\/supercity-iii|b2844736\"\u003EHow to Poo on a Date\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESubtitled \u003Ci\u003EThe Lovers' Guide to Toilet Etiquette\u003C\/i\u003E, this book answers \"one of the most important questions that has played\u0026nbsp;[sic] on the mind of mankind for centuries\", according to its publishers.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe runners-up are:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz\/?itemid=%7Clibrary\/marc\/supercity-iii%7Cb2776429\"\u003EPie-ography\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESubtitles are de rigueur with odd titles and are usually prosaic, as in the case above. But\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EPie-ography's\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;subtitle,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EWhen Pie Meets Biography,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eis perhaps even more satisfyingly odd than the title.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-rrKDoQUOF6A\/Uz1HVU-ZlsI\/AAAAAAAAAUs\/g9NJvv1Haj0\/s1600\/Jean-Claude+angry.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-rrKDoQUOF6A\/Uz1HVU-ZlsI\/AAAAAAAAAUs\/g9NJvv1Haj0\/s1600\/Jean-Claude+angry.jpg\" height=\"110\" width=\"200\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\"Anger\" van Damme\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz\/?itemid=|library\/marc\/supercity-iii|b2772431\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHow to Pray When You're Pissed at God\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHere it was the publisher's blurb which was odder than the title. \"Have you ever gotten pissed off at God? Moses did. So did Jesus and Anger van rear,\" I read.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EAnger van Rear\u003C\/i\u003E? Who's that? Some Jean-Claude van Damme rip off?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EReading on, all was revealed. That \"van\" was just a typo: \"Anger van rear its ugly head\" the line went on to say. Indeed it van. And proofreaders bow theirs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz\/?itemid=|library\/marc\/supercity-iii|b2792959\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Origin of Feces\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;Subtitle:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EWhat excrement tells us about evolution, ecology, and a sustainable society\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAre Trout South African?\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESubtitle:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EStories of Fish, Places and People.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003Eand the one I voted for:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWorking Class Cats\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003Esubtitle: \u003Ci\u003EThe Bodega Cats of New York City\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETom Tivman,  Features Editor at The Bookseller, was plumping\u0026nbsp;for \u003Ci\u003EWorking Class Cats\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;to win as well, describing it as \"a blend of feline heroism, Brooklyn hipster chic and Soviet realism\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou can get an idea of what's in the book by visiting the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/WorkingClassCats\"\u003Efacebook page\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;of this laudable awareness-raising initiative supporting \"NYC cats who don't get paid for their labour\", which contains gems such as:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-rTqaVcieZVQ\/Uzldc8ryshI\/AAAAAAAAAT8\/yMQHaf0E0mQ\/s1600\/Scuzzbudget.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-rTqaVcieZVQ\/Uzldc8ryshI\/AAAAAAAAAT8\/yMQHaf0E0mQ\/s1600\/Scuzzbudget.jpg\" height=\"212\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"ScuzzBucket from Bleeker Street Records wins the fatty award, hands down.\"\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo there you have it, a shortlist which Tivnan announced as one which \"taps into the zeitgeist\", with something for everyone, from internet cat-watchers to fans of foodie shows, and, \"And\u0026nbsp;we have two books about poo\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd this is where I come to the question \"playing\" on my mind, I might even say \"preying\" on my mind (but not \"praying\", pissed or not):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIs Poo odd?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlthough last year's\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EGoblinproofing One's Chicken Coop-\u003C\/i\u003Eled shortlist did feature a number of titles on topics of perennial interest and oddity such as penises, knitting and Nazism, and none at all on human waste, the previous year it was again poo, in the guise of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003ECooking with Poo,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;which took the prize\u003Ci\u003E. \u003C\/i\u003EHorace Bent recalled \"a long tradition\" when he announced this year's winner on Twitter, adding in \u003Ci\u003EHow to Shit in the Woods\u003C\/i\u003E ('89 winner) and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EAmerican Bottom Archaeology\u003C\/i\u003E ('93).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis pairing exactly illustrates my point. Is that first title really odd, or just a title containing a word which clamours for attention? My hunch is that as with people, the truly odd are always the ones who are not aware of being odd: \u0026nbsp;the aristocrat who goes around in glasses held together with tape, the grown man in front of you in the line for ice-cream, asking a lot of questions about the chocolate dip as the movie is about to start. In fact, the second of those titles,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EAmerican Bottom Archaeology \u003C\/i\u003Eis\u0026nbsp;wonderful to us in the same proportion as it was ordinary for its authors.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EAmerican Bottom Archaeology \u003C\/i\u003Eis, they go on to tell us in their subtitle, simply\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;A Summary of the FAI-270 Project Contribution to the Culture History of the Mississippi River Valley\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat's how I see it anyway. I am clearly a minority, given that the Diagram Prize is selected by public vote. In the old days, in the nude mice days and the lengthwise rolling days, Horace Bent decided the prize. He seems as chipper as ever when announcing the outcomes, but he has over the years let slip a comment or two about his dislike for the \"intentionally rude\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-OxMzRa96V7Y\/U2jhoTo5G6I\/AAAAAAAAAYI\/bqOP5CEGt3U\/s1600\/how+to+seduce+women.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-OxMzRa96V7Y\/U2jhoTo5G6I\/AAAAAAAAAYI\/bqOP5CEGt3U\/s1600\/how+to+seduce+women.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"200\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EA pity I didn't come across this 2013 title in time or I could have nominated it:\u0026nbsp; \u003Ci\u003EHow To Seduce Women With Good Spelling, \u003C\/i\u003Esubtitled\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;The Three Words You Can Learn To Spell Right Now In Order To Become A More Successful Lover,\u003C\/i\u003E available on Amazon for kindle (never more apt), author a certain \"Emma R\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEmma R? Emma R? Why does this sound familiar?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;Why of course!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEmma Rouault was the name of that irrepressible reader of romantic novels who made the big mistake of marrying the dull, definitely not odd, Charles Bovary. "},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/albooksinthecity.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2519026545435924727\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/albooksinthecity.blogspot.com\/2014\/04\/winning-with-poo-thoughts-on-diagram.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/2501884760724421053\/posts\/default\/2519026545435924727"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/2501884760724421053\/posts\/default\/2519026545435924727"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/albooksinthecity.blogspot.com\/2014\/04\/winning-with-poo-thoughts-on-diagram.html","title":"Winning with Poo: thoughts on the Diagram Oddest Title Prize 2014"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Karen Craig"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/18310967522076681423"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"23","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-WaLn2rFYxqE\/UNvHlimMvBI\/AAAAAAAAABY\/ceYnAw1lZEk\/s220\/The%2BLibrarian.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-XxcCxW_njP4\/Uzk_-9uMVwI\/AAAAAAAAATs\/o9Eio11oRPc\/s72-c\/Diagram+Prize.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2501884760724421053.post-2420174506193505251"},"published":{"$t":"2010-03-29T04:30:00.000+13:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-05-06T01:50:09.309+12:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"autobiographies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Beryl Markham"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"biographies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bruce Chatwin"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Diagram Prize"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Graham Greene"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Karen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nicholas Shakespeare"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Oddest Title"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Diagram Prize announces year's oddest title!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ci\u003ECrocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes\u003C\/i\u003E is the winner of the Diagram Prize for the year’s oddest title, followed by \u003Ci\u003EWhat Kind of Bean is this Chihuahua?\u003C\/i\u003E and \u003Ci\u003ECollectible Spoons of the Third Reich\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003C\/h4\u003EMy vote had gone to \u003Ci\u003ECollectible spoons of the Third Reich\u003C\/i\u003E. I was disappointed to see it come in behind a kids book (shouldn’t kids  books be handicapped, like overly endowed racehorses, in a contest for  odd titles?) but Horace Bent, custodian of the prize, more than made it  up to me with these comments quoted in the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thebookseller.com\/news\/114989-crocheting-adventures-wins-diagram-2009.html\"\u003EThe Bookseller's official announcement\u003C\/a\u003E on March 26th:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\"Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes\u003C\/i\u003E proved to be the  initial front runner. It defended its poll-topping position despite  strong support for the spoon-carrying Third Reich, once again attempting to muscle in on someone else’s territory.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"But the public proclivity towards non-Euclidian needlework proved  too great for the Third Reich to overcome. If only someone had let the  Poles know in ’39.”\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETitles have been on my mind recently. I finally got around to reading Nicholas Shakespeare’s biography of Bruce Chatwin, one of my favourite  literary personalities since the times of \u003Ci\u003EIn Patagonia\u003C\/i\u003E, considered one of the great travel books, which it is, but not only. \u003Ci\u003EIn Patagonia \u003C\/i\u003Eis the reason why, when we had to clear out my childhood home after my  parents died, I put at the top of the list of the things I wanted the  fragment of dinosaur egg which a student of my father’s had sent him  from some dig somewhere in France, and which resided ever after on the  dining room bookshelves amid H Rider Haggard books, family snapshots and rock samples. Those of you who have read \u003Ci\u003EIn Patagonia \u003C\/i\u003Ewill get it: it's my brontosaurus skin. If you haven't read it, do.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen I saw how thick\u0026nbsp;Nicholas Shakespeare's\u0026nbsp;book\u0026nbsp;was, I was afraid  that it might be one of those biographies like Norman Sherry’s magnum  opus on Graham Greene, in which for every day of Mr.  Greene’s life we are given such details as where he had tea and what kinds of cakes he had, or the postcard he sent to his colleague at \u003Ci\u003EThe Times\u003C\/i\u003E, and what room that colleague's office was in. But it wasn’t. In fact, 600 pages seemed the only  length one could possibly use to close in – a bit – on someone as  complicated, contradictory, elusive and talented as Bruce Chatwin.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI kept it on my bedside table and every night for about a month I’d  pick it up and read ten or twenty pages wherever the book opened to, and every time there’d be a different -- how does Yeats put it, \"the  careless planets in their courses”. Loulou de la Falaise, Werner Herzog, Robert Mapplethorpe, Gregor von Rezzori, and so on and so on, and… a  British film maker named Peter Adam, who wrote an autobiography with the fantastic title \u003Ci\u003ENot drowning but waving\u003C\/i\u003E. Maybe it’s because  I’m not English (I was told, as I went around the library enthusing,  that it’s a common phrase in Britain) but for me this went right up on  there on the best-ever autobiography titles list.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWho out there has played the game of\u0026nbsp; 'What would be the title of your  autobiography'?\u0026nbsp; Back in my twenties I found this jewel in an old  phrasebook for travellers and thought it could be mine: \u003Ci\u003EThe lady wants hers with cream\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd now I’ve found a new one,\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;my prime.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EDanger vehicle exit lane\u003C\/i\u003E.  Driving\u0026nbsp;into the Civic Car Park the other day I caught sight of this  trenchant, punctuation free warning on a sign posted alongside the  carriageway opposite mine.\u0026nbsp; My first thought\u0026nbsp; - I swear this is true -  was that it was indicating an exit lane reserved for “danger vehicles”  eg giant diggers and such. And it flashed through my mind\u0026nbsp;that if they  only knew, they’d be making me use that lane. This was a few days after  I’d knocked off a hubcap on the approach to the Hopetown bridge. I had  an image of my little white Vitz with its missing hubcap, like a tomcat  with a torn ear, bursting out of the Danger vehicle exit lane into the  night.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhich is my favourite autobiography title? Probably this one from the  great adventurer Beryl Markham, the first person to fly solo over the  Atlantic from east to west:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EWest with the night\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAt the library:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.aucklandcitylibraries.com\/?itemid=%7Clibrary\/marc\/acl-iii%7Cb1310935\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBruce Chatwin\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E by Nicholas Shakespeare\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.aucklandcitylibraries.com\/?itemid=%7Clibrary\/marc\/acl-iii%7Cb1607742\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EIn Patagonia\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E by Bruce Chatwin\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/search.aucklandcitylibraries.com\/?itemid=%7Clibrary\/marc\/acl-iii%7Cb1546923\"\u003EWest with the night\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eby Beryl Markham"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/albooksinthecity.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2420174506193505251\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/albooksinthecity.blogspot.com\/2010\/03\/oddest-title-announced.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/2501884760724421053\/posts\/default\/2420174506193505251"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/2501884760724421053\/posts\/default\/2420174506193505251"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/albooksinthecity.blogspot.com\/2010\/03\/oddest-title-announced.html","title":"Diagram Prize announces year's oddest title!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"tosca"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"28","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-DKeaBNqmKUo\/VBStvJvL4cI\/AAAAAAAAR4M\/ZsfOjoSDymI\/s1600\/*"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}}]}});