Atticus Bookstore and Cafe (near Yale University) has caused a stir with a policy requiring employees to speak English only in public areas. "Spanish is allowed in the prep area, the dishwasher area and the lower level. Let's make our customers feel welcome and comfortable," a copy of the policy says.

In a statement owner Charles Negaro said: "We encourage the use of English because it's an appropriate way to be most helpful to our customers. To continue to provide the best service possible, we try to help those employees who speak English as a second language by helping them improve their use of English."

In other news, Atticus employees have been ordered to shout at deaf people to help them improve their hearing.

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The Circus in Winter: The Musical

From Cathy Day, author of THE CIRCUS IN WINTER:

"I’m headed to Ball State this week because a group of 14 students at the Virginia Ball Center for Creative Inquiry are adapting my book THE CIRCUS IN WINTER into a musical. In this year-long seminar, they will adapt the novel to stage for performances in both Muncie and Chicago. They will also submit their musical to the New Play Festival in New York City. The project has a long-term goal of a fully realized production as part of University Theatre's 2011-2012 Season at Ball State University.

Find out more here: http://www.bsu.edu/vbc/sem_20092010_spring_turcotte.htmland check out the students’ process blog here: http://thecircusinwinter.blogspot.com/. Listen to the musicalized songs here: http://www.myspace.com/thecircusinwinter

Reading from The Circus in Winter
Thursday, Jan. 28 @ 8 PM
Ball State University
David Letterman Building 125
On McKinley Ave.
http://www.bsu.edu/map/media/pdf/parkingmap.pdf

So, if you want to see the musical, you don’t need to come to this reading—wait for further updates from me or the students at Ball State. Follow them on Twitter or follow the blog. If you can’t make it to Muncie, I’ll be back again in March at the University of Indianapolis."