The Wall Street Journal, using Amazon data, notes that sales of at least one edition of the George Orwell classic increased 7,000% during the week. I’d write more about this, but … There was an excellent article in the New York Times a few weeks ago about efforts by some residents of Katha, Myanmar to preserve and restore Orwell’s residence when he was posted there as a member of the Imperial Police and from which he wrote his great Burmese Days. Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four were both published within five years of his death in 1950 at the young age of 46.

This Week:

Lauren Weisberger, author of Revenge Wears Prada, Wednesday, June 12th at 7:30pm, MJCCA, $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers.

Khaled Hosseini, author of And the Mountains Echoed, Thursday, June 13th at 7pm, First Baptist Church Decatur, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.

Sergio Ruzzier, author of Bear and Bee, Thursday, June 13th at 7pm, a special storytime at Little Shop of Stories, free.

Graphic novelists Jackie Lewis, Patrick Dean, and Justin Colussy-Estes, Friday, June 14th at 7pm, Little Shop of Stories, free.

George Packer, author of The Unwinding: The Inner History of the New America, Wednesday, June 19th at 7pm, Carter Library, $10 or free with the purchase of the book.

Temple Grandin, author of The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum, Wednesday, June 19th at 7pm, First Baptist Church Decatur, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.

From The Decatur Minute…

On May 31 the Decatur Police Department conducted a pedestrian crosswalk education initiative to follow up with the previous crosswalk education and enforcement activity on May 2 that addressed drivers. Officers targeted crosswalks at the intersections of Commerce Drive and W. Ponce de Leon Ave.; Church Street and E. Trinity Place; and Church Street and Sycamore St.

Officers made contact with 30 pedestrians who were attempting to cross the roadway improperly. They did not issue citations but did distribute a pamphlet created by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to educate those pedestrians and they answered questions concerning pedestrian safety. They also distributed an additional 20 pamphlets to pedestrians who asked about what was happening.

• Erbert and Gerbert’s Closes [Patch]
• Support for new DeKalb cities gathering steam [MANA]
• Questions about property taxes prompt DeKalb to postpone setting tax rate [AJC]
• Whiskey distillery coming to Kennesaw [AJC]
• Giant rubber duck migrating to Pittsburgh [Atlantic Cities]
• 10 Types of Craft Beer Drinkers [Literature and Libation]

Map courtesy of MANA website