Currently on view at the University of Rochester's Rush Rhees Library Rare Books and Special Collections Department is "Springing to Life," an exhibit of over 50 pop-up and moveable books spanning nearly 500 years.These are books "that spring to life before our eyes" and showcase the amazing work of paper engineers. David Carter's "One Red Dot: A Pop-up for Children of All Ages" (2005) Exactly what is the difference between a "pop-up" book and a "moveable" book?Well, a "pop-up" book features collapsible paper devices that elevate off the page into three dimensional structures, while the "movable" book contains mechanical paper devices...
Librarian Porn
Sex in the Stacks: Porn and the Librarian by Stephanie BrownChecking Out
The Comic Book as Seedbed: Manga Farming by Koshi Kawach
Wow! Look at the life emanating from these comic books. The project, called Manga Farming, is brought to us by Tokyo-based artist Koshi Kawach. The installation appeared at the Matsuzakaya department store in Nagoya in 2010.Kawach infuses each comic book with the seeds of Radish sprout, then with a little water and some sun whammo... In her review of the work, Simone Preuss points out that:The idea opens up a whole new range of possibilities for book recycling and indoor farming. Paper is potentially a wonderful fertilizer and planting ground, and according to an USDA study, pulp and paper waste recycling...
30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month
The 2012 National Poetry Month poster, designed by Chin-Yee LaiThe 16th installment of National Poetry Month is upon us and it's the time for all of us to "celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture."Here are 30 ways courtesy of Poets.org for you and your loved ones to participate, engage and honor language and the magic of words. There is something here for everyone, regardless of your background and poetic experience. As poet and businessman Wallace Stevens profoundly put it; poetry is "a response to the daily necessity of getting the world right."And in a world that feels...
"Cooking With Poo" Again
And the winner of The Bookseller magazine's Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title for 2012 goes to Cooking with Poo, by Saiyuud Diwong. Poo is the author's nickname, it also happens to the Thai word for crab.From the author's website: Khun Poo is thrilled to be launching her first cookbook ‘Cooking with Poo’ which includes over 100 pages of her delicious recipes, glossy pictures and also wonderful stories about her neighbours and the Klong Toey community.Online voters chose the winner from a competitive field that included titles such as: Mr Andoh’s Pennine Diary: Memoirs of a Japanese Chicken Sexer in 1935The...