The Hairy Times. Handmade paper from the New York Times & Los Angeles Times, human hair, letterpress text, 2005For her Hairy Times installation Diane Jacobs chooses "hair to explore the contradictions and controversies inherent in our current political climate." The installation ranges from the two items featured here to pieces featuring an oil drum, bubble gum machine and coffee grinder.The Hairy Times which was created from shredded New York Times and Los Angeles Times papers, "manifests the media's failure to ask the hard questions and hold the government accountable. The ramifications of this neglect and deceit are made evident in...
The Dark Side of Seattle’s Rise in the Publishing World
Is there a downside to Seattle's anointment as one of the most influential cities in the publishing world?Julie Bick's recent piece in the New York Times Book Lovers Ask, What's Seattle's Secret? paints only a partial picture of the effect the new bookselling triumvirate; Amazon-Starbucks- Costco, has had on the world of publishing and its "increasing influence of what America reads."There is no doubting the merits of Seattle as a literary town, books and book culture have played a significant role in the city's rise from an outpost to a leading 21st century city but there is doubt as to...
Librarians 2.0
The 2008 Naughty Librarians' Convention took place this past weekend at the Ha Rar Club in San Francisco.They convention started at 2pm at the bar and ended at the SF Main Public Library.From the invite:"Librarians are the new nurses and it’s time to break out your bookish booties for the sake of something hot: reading!Dress as a sexy schoolmarm, a libidinous librarian or a prurient professor and meet up at 2 p.m. Saturday for prim and proper cocktails at the Ha Ra club in the Tenderloin.From there we’ll head to the San Francisco Main Public Library to put our libidinous...
A Home for Booksellers
Booksellers Provident Retreat at Abbots Langley, Herts, 1848"The Booksellers Provident Retreat, Abbott's Langley, Herts, established 1843, is an asylum connected with the Booksellers' Provident Institution, for aged booksellers and booksellers' assistants, and their widows, who are in receipt of annuities from the Booksellers' Provident Institution. Income under £100 per annum." from The Charities of London, by Samuel Low, Jun., London: Sampson Low, Son, & Co. 1861.Believe it or not these guys are still around. It is now run by the "BTBS the book trade charity" and "The benevolence, care and generosity of the members of the Booksellers Provident Institution who...
Bauman Rare Books Bets on Vegas
Last week it was announced that the Reading Room at Mandalay Bay, the last independent bookstore in Las Vegas, was closing its doors. This week word comes that Bauman Rare Books, one of the preeminent antiquarian booksellers, is opening a store at Shoppes at the Palazzo. The Palazzo is home to some of the world's premier luxury brands and Bauman is hoping to fit right in.Those of you who read the Book Review section of the Sunday New York Times are familiar with Bauman's frequent back page ad offering various hi-spots of collectible books.They might be the only bookseller with...