Happy Reading is publisher Penguin’s new advertising campaign celebrating the special relationship that forms between a reader and the books they’ve treasured over the years. Happy Reading consists of a series of posters that feature the well-read, and well-loved Penguin Classics cherished by writers,artists, musicians, and readers in general. Most of have well-loved books with dog-eared pages, coffee stains, cracked spines, and personal notes.
— Ernest Hemingway
When I think about bookstore tourism, Las Vegas is not the first place that comes to mind. In fact, the last time that I was in Vegas—about a decade ago—there wasn’t an indie bookshop to be found. That changed in 2014 when a pair of book-loving friends founded the Writer’s Block Bookshop in Downtown Las Vegas. Earlier this year the struggling store was forced to close, but the good news is that it has re-opened in a brand new location. With the help of the Rogers Foundation, the Writer’s Block is back better than ever in a larger space that occupies a corner of the mixed-use development called Lucy. Located at 6th and Bonneville, the indie shop also boasts a coffeeshop and an arts space too. I’m looking forward to visiting on my next visit to Sin City.
Brooklyn-based comic artist Brian Blomerth has released his debut graphic novel titled Bicycle Day. The technicolor confection recounts the infamous day in April 1943 when Swiss chemist Albert Hoffmann dropped the first dose of LSD. After injesting 250 micrograms of lysergic acid diethylamide, Hoffmann rode his bicycle home from his job at Sandoz Pharmaceutical lab in Basel, Switzerland.
Most psychedelic enthusiasts are familiar with the legendary events that Hoffmann recorded in his journal and later memoir. Blomerth’s wildly colorful and entertaining graphic novel follows a human/dog hybrid version of the young chemist as he experiences the world’s first acid trip. You can find out more about the project, and see the eye-popping artwork at the Anthology publishers website.
In 1587, Italian cartographer Urbano Monte created the largest known map of Earth. His map consists of 60 panels that were designed to be assembled into a single planisphere —a circular map that rotates about a central axis— measuring 10 feet across. The David Rumsey Map Center at Stanford University recently acquired a manuscript of Monte’s map and digitally assembled all 60 pieces into the full map .
Of great interest is the attempt Monte makes to make his map not just a geographical tool but to show climate, customs, length of day, distances within regions — in other words, to create a universal scientific planisphere. In his dedication on tavola XL he specifies how to arrange the sheets of the mappamondo and makes it explicit that the whole map was to be stuck on a wooden panel 5 and a half brachia square (3.25m) so that it could be revolved around a central pivot or pin through the north pole.
This is an example of an individual map panel :
The image below is a rotatable globe version of Monte’s map created by Jeremy Ashkenas.
As a bookseller, one of the frequent calls that I receive is about rescuing wet books. This helpful video tutorial from the Syracuse University Libraries demonstrates one method for intervening to save a book that has been exposed to moisture. If this happens to a valuable book, I highly recommend that you call an experienced book restorer for an early intervention.
The NY Times has compiled a list of the best memoirs published since 1969. I’m not much of a memoir or autobiography reader, but there are a few compelling books on the list that I actually read. Generally, I only read a memoir if there’s a personal connection. For example, James McBride’s extraordinary, moving book The Color of Water was a must read for me as his mother lived in the same neighborhood as my sister and I was acquainted with some of his family. Angela’s Ashes was on my radar because I had met Frank McCourt’s brother Malachy in New York. And in the case of Harry Crew’s memoir A Childhood, I actually took a creative writing class at the University of Florida because he was scheduled to teach the course. In the end, he had an adjunct professor teach the class, but I did get to meet Crews.
Most thoughtful folks here in North America are approaching the upcoming national election debacle with some degree of fear and loathing. So, it’s quite timely that the Speed Museum in Louisville, Kentucky is launching a special exhibition on their finest export after bourbon: Hunter S. Thompson. If you are not yet familiar with the father of gonzo journalism, I encourage you to check out some of his early writing. Here’s what the museum has to say about the upcoming show:
July 12 – November 10, 2019
Special Exhibition, South Building
As one of Kentucky’s most famous exports, especially in the world of modern investigative journalism, the Speed is uniquely positioned to present this exhibition highlighting the professional collaborations (and personal relationships) that Thompson enjoyed with the artists and photographers who were tasked with illustrating his work, and even more importantly, articulating his vision through visual means.
Focusing on the years between 1964 and 1974 and covering the years between the publication of Hell’s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs through Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72, the exhibition will feature the work of Ralph Steadman, Annie Leibovitz, Tom Benton, and Thompson’s own photography, along with original letters and other ephemera to tell the story of the writer’s artistic partnerships.
The exhibition is timed to coincide with GonzoFest, the literary and music festival honoring the legacy of Hunter S. Thompson. The 9th Annual GonzoFest will be held on Saturday, July 20 at the Louisville Free Public Library. In addition, Gonzo! The Illustrated Guide to Hunter S. Thompson will be the third in a series of exhibitions celebrating Thompson in “A Year of Gonzo,” including Ralph Steadman: A Retrospective (University of Kentucky Art Museum) and Freak Power: Hunter S. Thompson’s Campaign for Sheriff (Frazier History Museum).
h/t Tom Gauld
THE EVERLASTING SELF
Comes in from a downpour
Shaking water in every direction —
A collaborative condition:
Gathered, shed, spread, then
Forgotten, reabsorbed. Like love
From a lifetime ago, and mud
A dog has tracked across the floor.
Tracy K. Smith
Travel Between The Pages 