Travel Between The Pages

Goodbye King of the Book Towns

Posted on August 27, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

British bookseller and self-appointed “King of Hay” Richard Booth, who transformed the sleepy Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye “into a second-hand bookshop capital,” died August 20, BBC News reported. Booth, who opened his first bookshop in the town’s former fire station in 1961, sparked the international book town movement. His passion for Hay-on-Wye “led him to proclaim it an independent kingdom on 1 April 1977, crowning himself as monarch and issuing passports to locals.”

“This town has become what it is because of him,” said Anne Addyman of Addyman’s Books. “We are absolutely devastated. It feels like we have lost our father, he is such a legend. We are going to have black books in the windows and a week of mourning for the king of Hay. He was unique. He was the first person to diversify a rural economy; what he did was cutting edge in the ’60s and ’70s. There are now over 50 book towns in the world. Hay is still the best. He was like the emperor of the book town movement as well.”

Booth was also the chairman of the Welsh Booksellers Association, life president of the International Organization of Book Towns, and was honored with an MBE in 2004. He sold his bookshop in 2007.

Hay Festival director Peter Florence told the Bookseller: “Richard was a maverick, full of mischief and delight, who had an idea of genius about how to diversify a rural economy with secondhand book dealing and made a life of it. He inspired generations of bookdealers and browsers. There are many people in Hay who are here because of him. We all owe him the easygoing, happy spirit of the town.

“There was a time in the ’70s and ’80s when he was a tremendously charismatic, visionary entrepreneur who had great fun. He was a book man, and he loved a good deal, but I always thought he wasn’t really in it for money; he was in it for the craic, for the party and the good times. And everybody treasures that image of him now.

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Europe | Tagged book selling, Book Towns, England, Wales | 2 Comments

Parks and Recreation

Posted on August 26, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Jesse Reed and Hamish Smyth from the New York City-based indie publisher Standards Manual recently announced their new book project simply titled Parks. The book is entirely focused on art, typography, maps, and other printed materials from the U.S. National Parks system.

From the book’s introduction by Lyz Nagan-Powell:

If, as Wallace Stegner famously declared, the national parks are “America’s best idea,” how can we explore this idea? There is the historical aspect: America invented the concept of nationally owned and operated parks in 1872, when Ulysses S. Grant signed Yellowstone National Park into existence. But there is more to Stegner’s sentiment than just the invention of the parks. The rest of the quote goes on to say that the parks are “Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.”

The national parks story isn’t simple or easy. It’s full of splendor and glory, as well as greed and exploitation. For every person who loves one of the parks like it’s their own home, there is another who resents the federal government for owning it. Even before Yellowstone became the first national park, park history was fraught with tension. Tension between preservation and use, between indigenous people and white explorers, between local rights and federal oversight, between wild freedom and human control, between park purists and park recreationists, and between commercial exploitation and historic value.

With this tense backdrop, or maybe because of it, art, imagery, writing, and design have played a vital role in the history of the national parks. Compelling creative materials that celebrated the land — including books, paintings, performances, and advertisements — have marked developments and milestones. These items have brought the rich landscapes and their scientific and historical significance to life.

Perhaps together, the tension and celebration make the National Park System – parks, monuments, natural areas, historic sites, and more – the perfect embodiment of America itself, and what the “best idea” of the parks is really all about.

You can learn more about the project and order a copy from the publishers site.

Posted in Art, Books, Maps, Tourism, Uncategorized, USA | Tagged Everglades, Glacier, National Parks, Yosemite | Leave a comment

Advanced Reading

Posted on August 25, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Posted in Art, Books | Tagged Cartoons, Comics | Leave a comment

It’s Not Hoarding If It’s Books

Posted on August 24, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, USA, Writing | Tagged Bibliophilia, Book collecting | Leave a comment

Reader’s Block

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Posted in Art, Books | Tagged Cartoons, Comics | 1 Comment

Everyone Loves A Pop-Up

Posted on August 22, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

The 1964 World’s Fair was a two-year event centered on peace, understanding, and apparently, pop-up books. Released in 1963, Peter and Wendy See the New York World’s Fair shows two children, Peter and Wendy, – no relation to Peter Pan or Wendy Darling – enjoying the sights of the fair, including the famed Sinclair Oil “Dinoland” and the Unisphere, a sculpture that many will remember from the film Men in Black.

Mary Pillsbury, ill. Fred Ottenheimer, Peter and Wendy See the New York World’s Fair: In Pop-Up Action Pictures (New York: Spertus Publishing Company, [1963]).

Posted in Art, Books, Tourism, USA | Tagged children's books, New York City, New York World's Fair | 2 Comments

Summer Reading

Posted on August 21, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

President Barack Obama recently posted on Facebook his summer reading list. This year it’s a mix of fiction, memoirs, and instructive non-fiction. If you are searching for a good vacation read, you can never go wrong following the lead of the last legit President of the United States.

It’s August, so I wanted to let you know about a few books I’ve been reading this summer, in case you’re looking for some suggestions. To start, you can’t go wrong by reading or re-reading the collected works of Toni Morrison. Beloved, Song of Solomon, The Bluest Eye, Sula, everything else — they’re transcendent, all of them. You’ll be glad you read them. And while I’m at it, here are a few more titles you might want to explore:

Sometimes difficult to swallow, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead is a necessary read, detailing the way Jim Crow and mass incarceration tore apart lives and wrought consequences that ripple into today.

Exhalation by Ted Chiang is a collection of short stories that will make you think, grapple with big questions, and feel more human. The best kind of science fiction.

Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel’s epic fictionalized look at Thomas Cromwell’s rise to power, came out in 2009, but I was a little busy back then, so I missed it. Still great today.

Haruki Murakami’s Men Without Women examines what happens to characters without important women in their lives; it’ll move you and confuse you and sometimes leave you with more questions than answers.

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson is a whole lot more than just a spy thriller, wrapping together the ties of family, of love, and of country.

The Shallows by Nicholas Carr came out a few years ago, but its arguments on the internet’s impact on our brains, our lives, and our communities are still worthy of reflection, which is something we all could use a little more of in this age.

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren is a beautifully written memoir about the life of a woman in science, a brilliant friendship, and the profundity of trees. Terrific.

Inland by Téa Obreht just came out yesterday, so I won’t spoil anything. But those of you who’ve been waiting for Obreht’s next novel won’t be disappointed.

You’ll get a better sense of the complexity and redemption within the American immigrant story with Dinaw Mengestu’s novel, How to Read the Air.

Maid by Stephanie Land is a single mother’s personal, unflinching look at America’s class divide, a description of the tightrope many families walk just to get by, and a reminder of the dignity of all work.

Posted in Books, USA, Writing | Tagged Colson Whitehead, Haruki Murakami, Hilary Mantel, Ted Chiang, Toni Morrison | Leave a comment

Art Floats

Posted on August 20, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Europe’s first floating art museum has finally launched on the River Seine in the heart of Paris. The much anticipated attraction is conveniently situated near the Pont des Invalides. Focusing on contemporary urban art, Fluctuart offers three levels with a permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, workshops, and special cultural event. There’s also a bookshop and two cafés. Best of all, it’s open daily noon to midnight and has free admission. Visit their website to learn more.

FluctuArt – https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swoon

Posted in Art, Europe, Museums, Tourism | Tagged Banksy, France, Paris, Paris Museums, Street Art, Swoon | Leave a comment

Travel Advisory

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I have recently heard from some TBTP readers who have concerns about travel safety in the United States. With a number of countries including Japan, Germany, and New Zealand issuing travel advisories for their citizens considering visiting the U.S., it’s not surprising that some folks have trepidation regarding travel here. Now, Amnesty International has actually published a formal advisory due to the surging levels of gun violence.

In response to the queries that I have received on the issue of safety, I have tried to be as honest as possible in my responses. My answer to this thorny question is: it depends where you are planning to go and your ethnic background. If your travels will take you to major cities such as New York, stick to tourist areas and you’ll be fine. In fact, New York City is one of the safest large urban areas in the U.S.. If you are visiting one of our wonderful national parks, again you’ll be okay. However, if your travels are focused on the American south, I would suggest a change in plans. I admit that I am biased, but I have lived in the south and have family there. The reality is that so-called “Red” states tend to be places where people regularly carry firearms and in many places what are known as “open carry” laws allow any adult moron to have guns in their possession almost anywhere. the result is more gun violence.

The other issue is ethnic background. In many cases people of color are specific targets of white nationalist gun violence. This includes people from the Middle East, South Asia, South America, and people of African descent.

Some might suggest that the Amnesty International travel advisory, or even the ones issued by national governments, could be politically motivated and aimed at embarrassing the illegitimate government that runs this country now, but as far as I’m concerned they are actually called for in the present U.S. environment.

If you have concerns about visiting the U.S., or have questions about specific areas, please feel free to contact me directly via email at travelbetweenthepages@gmail.com.