New Aesthetics in Book Design
Today was a good mail day as I finally was able to get my hands on a copy of A Book on Books: New Aesthetics in Book Design, and let me just say this book is more than I was hoping for. I had no idea that it was so richly designed from front to spine, to back, and all the pages in between. I understood it was a portfolio of sorts from Hong Kong, but the talent showcased inside is amazing. As it turns out, this book is a retrospective of 20 years of collaborative printing and publishing (which is intriguing) from a company called victionary:workshop. The book was first published in 2020 and features lots of publisher and printing case studies. So the “New Aesthetics in Book Design” holds up very well only three years later. Not only does the silver print on the black pages look elegant and crisp, […]
Rosenbach Museum and Library
I ran across a neat post over on Travel Between the Pages and just have to share as it’s about Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach who is well known among folks who collect books about books. I count myself fortunate to have a couple of Rosenbach’s books on my shelf. He was a prolific writer, collector and rare book dealer from Philadelphia and there’s a museum! I had no idea. The photos over on the post solidified the fact that this is a place to visit when next in the area. Basically, it’s an old townhouse from the early 1900’s that now houses the personal book collection of Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach as well as his brother Phillip’s personal library as well. Rosenbach lots of articles about being an antique book dealer. Those essays were collected and published in two books: Books and Bidders: The Adventures of a Bibliophile and A Book Hunter’s Holiday: Adventures with […]
Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country by Louise Erdrich
I thoroughly enjoyed Louise Erdrich’s Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country. This book is as much a memoir as it is a history of the Ojibwe people, books, writing, and nature appreciation. Throughout the whole book, Erdrich looks to answer “Books. Why?” Those two words, with that punctuation, are repeated over and over. It seems to me, for Erdrich, books complete a piece of her. She is incomplete without them, just as she seems (to me anyway) incomplete if she travels without her daughter, and how she feels incomplete when she loses the ancient oaks that surround her house. I say ancient, but their age pales compared to the painted rocks and storied land of upper Minnesota and Canada that she takes us on. I found a kinship in Erdrich. She feels the same way about traveling with books, reading in hotels and libraries and bookstores that reflect their owners […]
John Dunning, Bibliomystery Author, has Died
John Dunning, an award-winning author of bibliofiction, rare bookseller, and book collector, has died at the age of 81. His website says, “In 2006, John had a large benign brain tumor which was surgically removed, but it caused the loss of one eye and progressive neurological problems. Sadly he passed away May 22, 2023, and will be sorely missed.” I wouldn’t say that Dunning’s books are the reason I love reading, but they are what got me hooked on books, looking for rare tomes and the hobby of studying up on points. Dunning’s Cliff Janeway series was fantastic. The first in the series was the Nero award-winning mystery Booked To Die. In it, a retired cop, bookscout, book dealer, and bibliophile, Cliff Janeway, would trawl through Colorado looking for rare books when not on the job evaluating large private libraries. You can bet that where rare, expensive books are – the criminals […]
My Back Pages by Richard Charkin
Well-known publisher and industry organizer Richard Charkin’s memoir, My Back Pages: an undeniably personal history of publishing 1972-2022, coming out on April 17, 2023. The cover of My Back Pages credits Tom Capmbell with helping write the 174-page book published by the UK publisher Marble Hill Publishers. Marble Hill has a good track record with memoirs. When you click through to their site, be sure to read the The Story Behind segment of the page by Francis Bennet. It really adds some depth to the book. I love books like this. They are equal parts peek-behind-the-curtain tidbits and thoughtful insights into one of the grandest of professions: book publishing. No doubt there were a lot of stories and facts to check when digging back through Charkin’s 50-year professional life. I first heard of Charkin when he became President of the International Publishers Association a few years ago. But reading the book description, Charkin has […]
Not every book lover is the same, but I hope everyone can find something here that has them falling in love with books all over again. Please, sit a spell, and let’s celebrate everything that books are. I hope you find something new to read and want to join the conversation on books about books.