Though it sounds like something out of one of his novels, the LA Times is reporting that David Foster Wallace is dead of an apparent suicide.
Megalisters Hit the Mainstream
Mick Sussman's essay "Attack of the Megalisters" appears in the Book Review section of Sunday's New York Times and brings to light the work of this new breed of online bookseller.Before I talk about the piece I want to give a tip of the hat to the book coverage at the New York Times. While the book sections of most newspapers are disappearing or crumbling the NYT has expanded their coverage of the book world. Yes, it is still mostly populated by reviews and the the inherent politics that surround them but they have opened the doors to coverage of...
Saturday Link Dump
Plastic Logic launches as-yet unnamed e-reader aimed at business users. Some call it the the Kindle Killer.Book-themed furniture: love these bookends, adore these book vases, and want the see-saw bookshelf.Over 2500 dust-jacket from the NYPL.Beautiful short film on letterpress printing.Lord Buckley does Poe's "Raven". So does the great Basil Rathbone.VIDEO: Browsing the world's oldest telephone.Make your own flip book.A versatile and interactive map of new bookstores.The Henry Ford of Literature.Amazing collection of graphic design books.Chapbooks: An Appreciation.Looks good: Grolier launches Virginia Woolf exhibition.Fantastic: Archive of public domain comic strips.Wow: Archive of things found in books at one bookstore.Man reads every...
The Future of Book Fairs: A Report from Santa Monica
[First, a note to self: Don't come up with any more crazy ideas about trying to do a book fair AND do something else - like, oh I don't know, post pictures and updates from the fair. Not a good idea. You will have neither the time nor the energy.]Last weekend's Santa Monica Book Fair has me - and many other dealers - thinking about the future of smaller regional fairs. The event itself was well-run and organized, and with over eighty dealers exhibiting from around the country was a sell-out. From that angle, the show was a success.Among the...
Sarah Palin’s Library Issue is Now a Campaign Issue
The McCain campaign has released a memo addressing the controversy surrounding Sarah Palin's involvement, or lack thereof, in a book banning crusade at the Wasilla Public Library."A vicious smear has spread across liberal outlets and blogs into the mainstream media...This smear is categorically false and has no basis in fact. It is an urban myth — nothing more." says the memo.A response to the memo on Truthdig highlights the fact that "the campaign’s 1,615-word memo on the subject indirectly supports the accusation. As Palin’s mayoral predecessor recalls, “She asked the library how she could go about banning book,” and though...