[T]he interesting catalogue sits somewhere in the intersection of curious material pointed up by obvious learning and a certain restrained enthusiasm. (Is an interesting title in a catalogue still interesting if you are not shown why it is of interest?) A brief explanation of the merits of a late 18th c. chapbook edition of Tom […]
Entries from April 2008
“Yeah, what he said…”
April 30th, 2008 · No Comments
Tags: The Book Biz
Bookseller as Economic Barometer
April 30th, 2008 · 1 Comment
Yesterday I had three people come into the store with books to sell and three others calling about bringing their books in later in the week. Normally I get 2 or 3 inquiries like this a month. I suspect as the economy gets worse, more and more will be coming out of the […]
Tags: The Book Biz
RIP?
April 30th, 2008 · No Comments
Encyclopedias?
Textbooks?
Travel guides?
Tags: Uncategorized
19th Century “Talking” Children’s Book
April 29th, 2008 · No Comments
This brilliant book (I’m working on the exact title) utilizes levers, bellows, and whistles to create what surely must be one of the first children’s books to incorporate sound. The video is a little grainy, but tons of fun.
UPDATE: The book appears to be untitled, but some poking around suggests it was published by […]
Tags: Videos · Biblioporn · Bibliophily
Mister Bookseller
April 29th, 2008 · No Comments
Nice short comic [click image above for complete strip] from Eastern Europe about a bookseller who has every book in the world “except one.”
Tags: Bookstores · The Book Biz · Bibliophily
“Describe Marsellus Wallace to me, pray.”
April 19th, 2008 · No Comments
Pulp Fiction, as performed by the King’s Men.
Hilarious. [Via Boing Boing]
Tags: Uncategorized
End of Week Roundup
April 18th, 2008 · No Comments
Some miscellaneous links I’ve been meaning to post, but haven’t gotten around to. First, the 33 1/3 Odyssey is “one reader’s quest to read all 55 (and counting) of these things, and to scribble some impressions of each.” Bauman’s Rare Books (in a simply brilliant move, in my opinion) opens a branch in […]
Tags: Uncategorized
Stephen Fry and Johannes Gutenberg
April 18th, 2008 · 1 Comment
Via Kottke this morning, I was able to watch this excellent documentary on Gutenberg’s press, produced and starring writer/actor Stephen Fry:
Stephen’s investigation combines historical detective work and a hands-on challenge. He travels to France and Germany on the trail of Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press and early media entrepreneur. Along the way […]
Tags: Videos · Bibliophily
From the Superficial to the Sublime: Two Book Cover Galleries
April 18th, 2008 · No Comments
First, a hep Flickr set of some great vintage pulp. And to mark the anniversary of one of the most prominent of the small lit mags, thirty years of Granta covers.
Tags: Biblioporn · Bibliophily
Biblioporn: Maastricht’s Selexyz Dominicanen
April 17th, 2008 · 1 Comment
The following slide-show includes incredible images from one of the most incredible bookstores in the world. Selexyz Dominicanen sits within a renovated Dutch cathedral. Further details can be found here and here, but the pictures largely speak for themselves:
Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.
[Mouse-over the top of the frame to activate slide-show controls.]
Tags: Biblioporn · Bookstores
Tooting My Own Horn
April 17th, 2008 · No Comments
Americana Exchange was kind enough to profile my second catalog in their latest AE Monthly online newsletter. You can read the review here.
Tags: Announcements
Booking Bands
April 16th, 2008 · No Comments
Coudal Partners is running a fun (if slightly hipster-ish) contest to “mash up the name of a book with the name of a band.” My favorite examples include:
A Million Little Pixies
Oliver Twisted Sister
Horton Hears The Who
The Maltese Falco
There’s dozens and dozens…
Tags: Uncategorized
Don Freeman’s CORDUROY 40th Anniversary Edition
April 16th, 2008 · No Comments
In the bookstore this past weekend with my daughter, I came across the new reissue of Don Freeman’s classic picture book, CORDUROY. It includes eight pages of extra materials — unused sketches, background on the inspiration and history of the book, etc. But the coolest parts are the facsimile drafts and letters tucked […]
Tags: Bibliophily
Book Trailers
April 15th, 2008 · 2 Comments
Is this a new trend, promoting books like movies? I hope so, if these two examples are any indication. I LOVE this pop-up book and must get one when released:
Available for pre-order from Amazon
And finally, check out this wicked-cool trailer:
Johnny Bunko trailer from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.
I don’t need this book, but this […]
Tags: Book Collecting · Bibliophily
