Baseball Karma & The Constitution Blues Book Launch April 16 at Connie's Ric Rac in Philly

It’s Opening Day for “Baseball Karma & The Constitution Blues,” a new ficto-memoir by Ronnie Norpel (Three Rooms Press). A book launch party will be held at the infamous Connie's Ric Rac (*NOTE NEW LOCATION), 1132 S. 9th Street in South Philadelphia on Friday, April 16th, 9 pm. Admission: $10. Featured artists include:

• a reading & book signing by author Ronnie Norpel
• readings by the Three Rooms Press All-Stars (Peter Carlaftes, Larry Myers, Jane Ormerod, & Susan Scutti)
• live music (including blues-influences bizarro weird rock energy by Gondola, Baltimore psychedelic hipsters Crazy Dreams Band, hypnodelic madness by Curanderos, and mystery sonic mayhem by NYC's Dirty Princess)

In "Baseball Karma & The Constitution Blues," Norpel provides a play-by-play, behind-the-scenes account of a young woman’s education in life, luck, love and superstition while working for her hometown major league baseball team. The book stems from Norpel’s days as a front office representative for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Norpel’s ficto-memoir brims with insider insight, detailing the fastballs, curveballs and errors experienced by main character Mary Katharine “Mick” Carmichael when she gets involved with a rookie on the Constitution Blues team. "Baseball Karma and The Constitution Blues" overflows with heart and humor, without glossing over the despair of karmic growing pains for both Mick and the Blues. Underneath it all, we discover how one woman's real-life curse changed destiny—until it was finally lifted for good. Norpel’s rookie novel is must-have read for summer.

Following the official launch, Norpel will go on the road and hold events in conjunction with Phillies away games in Boston (6/12), New York (6/16) and Pittsburgh (7/3). She will also hold impromptu appearances with painter Lilliana Didovic at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, where their PHILANATIC statue, created for the Phillies’ Phanatic Around Town project, will be on exhibit this summer.

To schedule interview with author Ronnie Norpel, or to request photos or additional information about Baseball Karma & The Constitution Blues, please contact email info@threeroomspress.com

Poet Cynthia Cruz Rocks the Mike at Cornelia St. Cafe April 16

Cynthia Cruz is the author of Ruin, which was published in 2006 by Alice James Books. Her poems have been published or are forthcoming in the New Yorker, Paris Review, Boston Review, Kenyon Review, and others. Her second collection is forthcoming from Four Way Books. She currently teaches at Sarah Lawrence College and is the Visiting Writer at the Rutgers-Newark MFA Program in Creative Writing. In the fall of 2010 she will be the Hodder Fellow in poetry.

The featured reading follows the fabulous Son of a Pony open reading at the cafe. Poet/convivial mistress of ceremonies Kat Georges hosts. Doors open at 5:45 p.m.; the open reading begins at 6 p.m. Admission is $7, which includes a free drink.

Cornelia Street Cafe is at 29 Cornelia Street, between W. 4th Street & Bleecker, just around the corner from the W. 4th Street subway station. Phone: 212-989-9319. www.corneliastreetcafe.com

"Baseball Karma & The Constitution Blues" Philly Launch Party

THREE ROOMS PRESS ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF
“BASEBALL KARMA & THE CONSTITUTION BLUES”
a New Ficto-Memoir by Ronnie Norpel
Book Launch Slated for Friday, April 16 in Old City, Philadelphia

NEW YORK—It’s Opening Day for “Baseball Karma & The Constitution Blues,” a new ficto-memoir by Ronnie Norpel (Three Rooms Press). A book launch party will be held in Old City, Philadelphia on Friday, April 16th at Patou (312 Market Street) with:

• a reading & book signing by author Ronnie Norpel
• readings by the Three Rooms Press All-Stars (Peter Carlaftes, Larry Myers, Jane Ormerod, & Susan Scutti)
• live music (including Philly rockers Gondola, Baltimore psychedelic band Crazy Dreams, and NYC rock-jazz quartet Dirty Princess)

In Baseball Karma & The Constitution Blues, Norpel provides a play-by-play, behind-the-scenes account of a young woman’s education in life, luck, love and superstition while working for her hometown major league baseball team. The book stems from Norpel’s days as a front office representative for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Norpel’s ficto-memoir brims with insider insight, detailing the fastballs, curveballs and errors experienced by main character Mary Katharine “Mick” Carmichael when she gets involved with a rookie on the Constitution Blues team. Baseball Karma and The Constitution Blues overflows with heart and humor, without glossing over the despair of karmic growing pains for both Mick and the Blues. Underneath it all, we discover how one woman's real-life curse changed destiny—until it was finally lifted for good. Norpel’s rookie novel is must-have read for summer.

The official Philly book launch will be held on Friday, April 16 at 9 pm at Patou, 312 Market Street. Admission is $8 ($3 discount at the door with a ticket from that night’s Phillies game); 21 and over. Following the launch, Norpel will go on the road and hold events in conjunction with Phillies away games in Boston (6/12), New York (6/16) and Pittsburgh (7/3). She will also hold impromptu appearances with painter Lilliana Didovic at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, where their PHILANATIC statue, created for the Phillies’ Phanatic Around Town project, will be on exhibit this summer.

To schedule interview with author Ronnie Norpel, or to request photos or additional information about Baseball Karma & The Constitution Blues, please contact email info@threeroomspress.com