The Great American Novel: Places from the pages of America’s finest literary works” map celebrates 42 important works of fiction in a very cool limited edition hand-drawn map. The graphic, which is screen printed on archival stock, is available from the folks at Hog Island Press.
Yesterday the New York Public Library launched a brilliant new way to enjoy classic literature. Insta Novels brings short stories, novellas, and even novels to readers in a new digital format. All readers need to do is follow @nypl on Instagram to access beloved literary works with all new illustrations and animation. The project’s first offering is a new edition for Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, which will be followed shortly by Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story The Yellow Wallpaper.
Each literary work for Insta Novels has been chosen for its visual nature. But ultimately the NYPL hopes to encourage digital readers to seek out other works from the library’s vast collection of traditional format books and e-books.
Readers who eschew Instagram can still follow Insta Novels on the library’s “Highlights” webpage where all of the works will be posted.
The Talk Story Bookstore in beautiful Hanapepe, Kauai, Hawaii, bills itself as America’s westernmost bookstore, but that’s not the only thing interesting about this shop. The charming little video below tells the heartwarming tale and may just rekindle your belief in the romance of book selling.
In glaring polarity to the illiterate moron now squatting in the White House, a real President actually reads books instead of binge watching faux news on television. This weekend, President Obama posted a summary on social media of his summer reads to date. Here’s a sample:
Tara Westover’s Educated is a remarkable memoir of a young woman raised in a survivalist family in Idaho who strives for education while still showing great understanding and love for the world she leaves behind.
Set after WWII, Warlight by Michael Ondaatje is a meditation on the lingering effects of war on family.
With the recent passing of V.S. Naipaul, I reread A House for Mr Biswas, the Nobel Prize winner’s first great novel about growing up in Trinidad and the challenge of post-colonial identity.
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones is a moving portrayal of the effects of a wrongful conviction on a young African-American couple.
Factfulness by Hans Rosling, an outstanding international public health expert, is a hopeful book about the potential for human progress when we work off facts rather than our inherent biases.
“Become Someone Else” is a clever ad campaign for the Mint Vinetu which is a popular independent secondhand bookshop and cafe in the heart of Old Town Vilnius, Lithuania. The cozy shop also sells vinyl and provides a venue for local musicians and writers.
To be perfectly honest, I have always been ambivalent about Herman Melville. When I read Moby-Dick in high school, I found it to be an uneven slog. However, his iconic short story Bartleby the Scrivener provided me with a role model for life. The wonderful illustration below was created by artist and writer Nathan Gelgud to celebrate Melville’s birthday. And, by the way, if you are into arch gothic romances, or are just a big time Melville fan, you can download a free copy of Pierre; or, The Ambiguities right here.
The Book Thing in northeast Baltimore has been called a library without a return policy and a bookstore without a cash register. This amazing community institution has been giving away books for more than 18 years. Staffed by volunteers and stocked entirely with donated books, The Book Thing is the brainchild of Russell Wattenberg whose two decade-long commitment to the project has even survived a devastating fire.
Back in 2016, I posted a story on the tragedy (link) and passed along the call for help and donations. It’s been nearly 7 months since the store’s re-opening and I am happy to report that The Book Thing is bigger and better than ever. You can learn more about this laudable project and find out how to help on the website.
I have been an active community volunteer for many years on projects aimed at food insufficiency, substance abuse, mental health, and senior services. So I am always excited to see clever ways to spread the word on the joys of volunteering. Mural artists, Graffiti Life, have collaborated with papercut artist, Poppy Chancellor, to create London’s largest ever paper cut. They’ve transformed a brand new design by Chancellor, into a five-meter mural in Ebor Street, Shoreditch, London showing how volunteering is an enjoyable and rewarding experience that can build relationships in the community.
The mural shows a group of women giving each other piggybacks with the slogan “Do It For Others”. The project is supported by NCVO, an organization that encourages volunteering and the positive impact it has on society. To discover more check out ncvo.org.uk.
Cleveland’s main public library branch is hosting an extraordinary exhibition created by renowned British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare. The American Library consists of 6,000 books bound in colorful batik fabric displayed on back-to-back bookshelves. Many of the volumes are gold-stamped with the names of Americans who are first generation immigrants ,or whose antecedents were immigrants.
The exhibition, which runs through September 30th, was inspired by the ongoing debate in the United States over immigration and was commissioned by FRONT International, Cleveland’s new Triennial for Contemporary Art. You learn more about the project right here.
Travel Between The Pages 