The self-described “goons’ at the comedy website Something Awful periodically post a series of humorous re-imagined bookcovers from classic titles. While they range from cringe-worthy to hilarious, they’re worth a peek. Here’s a sample, but check-out the site for more “Photoshop Phriday Cut-rate Books!”.
San Francisco-based sculptor and installation artist Alexis Arnold has a unique approach to the exploration of nature and time on common objects. Arnold transforms books and magazines into mysterious crystaline forms using borax crystals, water and time.For the artist, “The crystal growth highlights or creates the aesthetic of these once-utilitarian objects that are entering the world of obsolescence.”
All photos © Alexis Arnold
Tuscan-born artist Massimo Bartolini has created a charming plein air library for this year’s Track festival in beautiful Ghent, Belgium. Bartolini’s instatallation, Bookyard, is a series of 12 long bookshelves set in the vinyard of the medieval Sint-Pieters Abbey in the heart of Ghent.
The shelves are filled with donated books, which are all for sale to benefit libraries in Ghent and Antwerp. Bookyard will be up until September 16, 2012. Having once spent a long, wet weekend in Ghent, I am concerned about the state of the books after a few weeks in the Flanders damp.
Bookyard is just one of the marvelous pieces from this year’s event. Track: a contemporary city conversation is an annual art experience in public and semi-public spaces around the ancient city of Ghent. More than forty artist are invited each year to create new works that are “rooted in the urban fabric of Ghent”.
London antiquarian booksellers Adrian Harrington and Jonathan Kearnes are not ebook hating Luddites. They simply see new literary technologies as complements rather than replacements for real books.
In their thoughtful 15 minute video, the booksellers focus on why bibliophiles are passionate about the physical book. Take a look:
Why Indies Matter is a brand new promotional video campaign from the folks at the 
American Booksellers Association that will be officially launched at BookExpo America in New York City next week. The ABA promotion aims to gather personal testimonials from writers, readers and average independent bookstore supporters. You can participate at the Why Indies Matter website and by visiting the Facebook page.
No summer vacation plans yet ? Why not be the first on your block to visit the exciting, and virtually unknown, city-state of Hipcescu. Situated on the sunny shores of the Caspian sea, Hipcescu boasts wide, eco-friendly beaches, hip nightlife, tax-free shopping and absolute security for visitors.
What are you waiting for ? Check-out the official website to explore your dream vacation plans. The “City of a Thousand Suns” awaits you, so “Discover the Magic”. Don’t forget to ask about the special citizenship deal with each holiday booking.
The marketing campaign for the city-state of Hipcescu (and the entire 21st century metropolis, as well) is the brainchild of Amsterdam-based 
freelance advertizing consultant and branding maestro Olaf Zwetsloot.
When it opened in May 1937, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge ever constructed. Today, it only ranks 9th, but the gorgeous span remains the most photographed bridge in the world.
The Golden Gate’s 75th anniversary is being celebrated this month with numerous special events, including the California Historical Society’s exhibition A Wild Flight of Imagination: The Story of the Golden gate Bridge. The show, which runs until October at the Society’s San Francisco museum, comes with a very neat app and ebook which is available on iTunes for free.
Today New York City’s renowned Strand Book Store is celebrating its 85th
anniversary. Founded in 1927 by Ben Bass,and still owned by his son Fred Bass, the Strand is one of NYC’s last iconic 20th century bookshops in business.
To mark the anniversary, the Strand is hosting an open party this evening starting at 5pm. They expect a crowd and quite a few literary luminaries, too.
Keeping our myriad electronics charged while traveling can be a constant challenge. But the very clever folks at the Brooklyn-based design firm PENSA have come up with a brilliant concept to keep us all topped-up while on the move.
Aptly called Street Charge , the concept is to attach a light weight structure to existing street signs or poles and to power it with photovoltaics and batteries. Users simply plug-in their electronic gadgets and wait for enough charge to make calls, text or surf the interwebs.
In 1979, R Crumb created A Short History of America depicting the growth of the United States from pastoral wilderness to urban decay. The cartoon was originally published in a Whole Earth Catalog offshoot called the CoEvolution Quarterly. Years later, Crumb added three more panels to show possible American futures: The Fun Future, The Ecological Disaster and The Ecotopian Solution.
The brief black and white video is from Terry Zwigoff‘s 1994 documentary Crumb.
