The Library of Congress is America's crown jewel of printed material. It is one of our country's greatest assets. Now the opportunity exists for our country to acquire a recorded library of similar magnitude.69 year old Paul Mawhinney has amassed one of the greatest, if not the greatest, collection of recorded music. His collection includes 3 million record albums and 300,000 CD's many of which are rare and out-of-print and it includes all varieties of American music from classical to hip-hop.Highlights include:-An unreleased, untitled Rolling Stones album of early singles. Originally recorded in mono, the songs were remastered in stereo...
Classic Modernist Library in Developer’s Crosshairs
Atlanta's landmark Buckhead Library is in trouble. The library was built in 1989 by the noted architectural firm Scogin, Elam and Bray and won many design awards including the 1993 National American Institute of Architects Award for Excellence. It is now in danger of being razed.David M. Hamilton's op-ed piece in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Axing library would send artless message, is a stark reminder of the constant struggle that faces the art community in a capitalistic society.He says:"The very notion that a developer seemingly committed to public art would advocate for the demolition of what is arguably one of...
The Book Carvings of Kylie Stillman
Common Oak, 2007From the trees come the paper and on the paper comes the printed words and from the binding of paper comes the book. Australian artist Kylie Stillman brings us full circle with her incredible book carvings. In Stillman's world the trees come from paper and the birds that once lived in those trees are back nesting between words.Pictorella Finch, 2003In her 2007 installation Little Room Stillman creates a profound environment reuniting the trees and the birds with the paper that originated in their habitatLee Kottner says of Stillman "her carvings remind me of the elaborate fore-edge paintings in...
The Cassidy 18: A Bookseller Reflects on His First Year
A little over year ago Brian Cassidy took over the Cannery Row Old Book Co. in Monterey, California and set up shop.His recent blog post 18 Things I've Learned This Year (Or: 2007, A Bookseller’s Year in Review) is packed with little nuggets of bookselling wisdom and is a must read (and comprehend) for anyone who thinks that the bookselling life might be for them.The Cassidy 18:1) I will never run out of books. Never. There are always more books to be bought.2) A corollary: There are always more GOOD books to be bought. If I feel like I’m not...
Earliest Recording of Ginsberg’s Howl Uncovered in Portland
The box was labeled "Snyder Ginsberg 1956" and it had been at the Hauser Library at Reed College for over 50 years waiting for someone to open it.Finally, while at Reed researching his upcoming biography of Gary Snyder John Suiter opened the box.What did he find in it?A tape containing the earliest known recording of Allen Ginsberg reading Howl!The reading took place in February 1956 predating Ginsberg's legendary, and until now presumed first recording of Howl, which occurred at the Town Hall Theater in Berkeley on March 18, 1956.Gary Snyder, a Reed alumni (class of 1951), and Ginsberg were on...