Good morning bookies! Stand by for news and comment.
First, my apologies for not having blogged for a few days. These things happen. So please, no more emails threatening to do yourself bodily harm unless I write something, it justs adds to the stress.
*** The unfathomably long series of books chronicling World War II is nowhere near exhausted with new offerings, with today's as a perfect example. Same War, Different Battlefield by Jean Goodwin Messinger tells the story of civilian life during this greatest of conflicts. With war raging around the globe, this generation may have some idea what it was like to have loved ones far from home, not knowing whether or not they are safe or even what is happening to them. Today's world of instant communications is nothing like the world of the 1940's, though, when it was a thrill to receive a letter two months after it was written.
Same War, Different Battlefield
*** Books-A-Million reports sales down 10%, with the only area of strength being their bargain sales. I report this because your friendly neighborhood bookseller finds a certain grim satisfaction in this news. For years BAM had huge stores filled with bargain books, cheap books, the sort of bookstore you could spend hours perusing in hopes of finding a treasure. It was great. I actually planned vacations routes around BAM store locations.
Then they decided to become more of a Barnes & Noble type outfit and cut way back on the bargain stuff. Ho-hum, another retail bookstore crammed with the latest James Patterson or Patricia Cornwell, just on the unlikely chance that you hadn't been able to find one of the 7 million copies of their latest book. Suddenly, there was no reason to seek out a BAM anymore and good ol' BBG here knew this was a huge mistake on their part. And so it was.
Books-A-Million proves BBG was right yet again
*** The US Postal Service is raising rates again in January of '09. Set aside the question of whether or not you're actually getting your money's worth from the post office, one has to wonder just what the hell these people think they are doing. How can they justify? The post office is losing money, but that is largely due to there being fewer people mailing things, mostly merchants. I'm at the post office a lot and there just aren't as many sellers there because the buyers aren't buying right now, except from me, of course, because of my uniquely fabulous books and my low, low prices. It's a pretty simple cause and effect relationship, buyers don't buy, sellers don't ship, post office loses revenue. And when that happens, their answer is to raise rates? Kind of like taxing an economy into prosperity.
But that's your government at work. At least they can't use the excuse that fuel prices are too high right now, not with gas being pumped locally at less than $1.65 per gallon. That won't last forever, true, but if you're going to raise rates when fuel goes up then do you lower them when fuel goes down?
Right. That would mean being responsive to the taxpayer and good luck on that one.
*** Lastly, one of my favorite things, a list. From the Wall Street Journal, one writer's list of their Top Ten Favorite Books on Early America.
Books from a long gone America
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Ebay dying, Auctions, Grafton, Burke & Burma
Good morning bookies! Stand by for news and comment.
>>> Warning, warning. Rant coming. Turn your head if you don't want to read it.
Ebay is dying. If you have read this blog for any length of time then you know how I feel about this. Watching a once-great company commit suicide is both painful and fascinating. But if you need further evidence, yesterday the stock closed at $11.17. Eleven freakin' dollars!! Last July, in my political blog, I was commenting that the stock had been at $34 when they began to tank. Now, I know the stock market as a whole is down 52% on the year, I get that. But Ebay is down about 70%, at least as of opening of business today. And this at a time when every desperate family out there should be looking to sell anything they can to make ends meet, where the old Ebay was the ideal place for this. It should have been a boom year, instead it's a bust.
Here's one very significant quote from the Yahoo Finance Board: "eBay has seen a steady decline in page views throughout 2008, and in October suffered a precipitous drop of over 30% compared to the same period last year, according to data provided by Nielsen Online. "
Page views are down 30%, or, put another way, nobody is shopping on Ebay anymore. Why? Because when Donahoe and the idiots bobble-heading along with his inane 'disruptive innovation' scheme declared war on their own loyal sellers, they forgot that those sellers were also their most loyal buyers. The fools don't even know their own market well enough to realize how it works. So in the name of cleaning up the marketplace they ran off the people who actually make up the marketplace. Think of a large square in a city, a place where vendors come to buy and sell their goods. It's fun, but there's lots of fakes and rip-offs along with the good stuff. Instead of weeding out the bad sellers, you simply clear the place of everybody. Now, sure that wipes out the fraud, but it also wipes out the legitimate commerce.
Ebay pages views plummet because of their own stupidity
Apparently this is beyond the understanding of the airheads running Ebay.
Rant over.
*** I love auctions. I've never actually been to one but they sure do look like fun. Especially those with books and manuscripts and really rare stuff, historical stuff. Like Jay Snider's collection of early Americana, most of it relating to Philadelphia. It went for less than the estimate, a mere $2.3 million, a real shame it didn't all come to me.
Expensive but amazing stuff
*** In answer to all of those queries I've gotten about whether or not they sell books in Burma, the answer is: yes, they do. (I know they call in Myanmar now, I just like the sound of Burma better) And here's an article to prove it. But don't expect rosy tales of people piling their homes full of books. It seems sales there are a bit lackluster these days. But the truth is that people everywhere seem to appreciate the process of learning, which I find highly encouraging.
Books in Burma? Who knew?
*** "Mystery Writers of America says it plans to name the authors James Lee Burke and Sue Grafton as the recipients of its 2009 Grand Master Award. The scribes will be honored at an event to coincide with the bicentennial of Edgar Allan Poe's birth next year. The organization said this is the first time since 1978 that it has presented dual Grand Masters."
Two deserving award recipients
I've met both of these authors and I am certainly glad to see them gain this recognition. Two fine people. Burke has the distinction of selling the same book over and over again, with a different title each time, while Grafton more or less invented the serial-theme for mysteries with the alphabet books. (Did you know that her father was also a mystery writer? Tis true. Your friendly neighborhood bookseller even has a couple of his books for sale, straight from my private library.) If that comment on Burke sounds a bit snarky, sorry, it's true.
Every Robicheaux book has the same plot, and often the same plot elements, too. Evil white guy got rich oppressing poor down-trodden minorities who were forced into a life of crime. Dave drinks too much, beats people to a pulp and sanctimoniously tells everybody else what's wrong with their life. Stuff gets destroyed, occasionally a wife gets murdered, Clete runs amok. From anybody else this would have spelled end-of-career long ago. Burke gets away with it, however, because he really is a supremely talented writer and is one of the nicer guys you're ever going to meet. So, unlike some writers out there who value themselves way too highly, JLB is one of those guys you genuinely want to make good.
As for Grafton, the first time I met her she was due to show up at a signing at 5 pm. By 4 the line was out the door and around the building. But, lo and behold, Ms. Grafton arrived about 4:20 and immediately got to work. Friendly and fast, by 5 pm the line was taken care of, she signed anything and everything. What a great lady.
>>> Warning, warning. Rant coming. Turn your head if you don't want to read it.
Ebay is dying. If you have read this blog for any length of time then you know how I feel about this. Watching a once-great company commit suicide is both painful and fascinating. But if you need further evidence, yesterday the stock closed at $11.17. Eleven freakin' dollars!! Last July, in my political blog, I was commenting that the stock had been at $34 when they began to tank. Now, I know the stock market as a whole is down 52% on the year, I get that. But Ebay is down about 70%, at least as of opening of business today. And this at a time when every desperate family out there should be looking to sell anything they can to make ends meet, where the old Ebay was the ideal place for this. It should have been a boom year, instead it's a bust.
Here's one very significant quote from the Yahoo Finance Board: "eBay has seen a steady decline in page views throughout 2008, and in October suffered a precipitous drop of over 30% compared to the same period last year, according to data provided by Nielsen Online. "
Page views are down 30%, or, put another way, nobody is shopping on Ebay anymore. Why? Because when Donahoe and the idiots bobble-heading along with his inane 'disruptive innovation' scheme declared war on their own loyal sellers, they forgot that those sellers were also their most loyal buyers. The fools don't even know their own market well enough to realize how it works. So in the name of cleaning up the marketplace they ran off the people who actually make up the marketplace. Think of a large square in a city, a place where vendors come to buy and sell their goods. It's fun, but there's lots of fakes and rip-offs along with the good stuff. Instead of weeding out the bad sellers, you simply clear the place of everybody. Now, sure that wipes out the fraud, but it also wipes out the legitimate commerce.
Ebay pages views plummet because of their own stupidity
Apparently this is beyond the understanding of the airheads running Ebay.
Rant over.
*** I love auctions. I've never actually been to one but they sure do look like fun. Especially those with books and manuscripts and really rare stuff, historical stuff. Like Jay Snider's collection of early Americana, most of it relating to Philadelphia. It went for less than the estimate, a mere $2.3 million, a real shame it didn't all come to me.
Expensive but amazing stuff
*** In answer to all of those queries I've gotten about whether or not they sell books in Burma, the answer is: yes, they do. (I know they call in Myanmar now, I just like the sound of Burma better) And here's an article to prove it. But don't expect rosy tales of people piling their homes full of books. It seems sales there are a bit lackluster these days. But the truth is that people everywhere seem to appreciate the process of learning, which I find highly encouraging.
Books in Burma? Who knew?
*** "Mystery Writers of America says it plans to name the authors James Lee Burke and Sue Grafton as the recipients of its 2009 Grand Master Award. The scribes will be honored at an event to coincide with the bicentennial of Edgar Allan Poe's birth next year. The organization said this is the first time since 1978 that it has presented dual Grand Masters."
Two deserving award recipients
I've met both of these authors and I am certainly glad to see them gain this recognition. Two fine people. Burke has the distinction of selling the same book over and over again, with a different title each time, while Grafton more or less invented the serial-theme for mysteries with the alphabet books. (Did you know that her father was also a mystery writer? Tis true. Your friendly neighborhood bookseller even has a couple of his books for sale, straight from my private library.) If that comment on Burke sounds a bit snarky, sorry, it's true.
Every Robicheaux book has the same plot, and often the same plot elements, too. Evil white guy got rich oppressing poor down-trodden minorities who were forced into a life of crime. Dave drinks too much, beats people to a pulp and sanctimoniously tells everybody else what's wrong with their life. Stuff gets destroyed, occasionally a wife gets murdered, Clete runs amok. From anybody else this would have spelled end-of-career long ago. Burke gets away with it, however, because he really is a supremely talented writer and is one of the nicer guys you're ever going to meet. So, unlike some writers out there who value themselves way too highly, JLB is one of those guys you genuinely want to make good.
As for Grafton, the first time I met her she was due to show up at a signing at 5 pm. By 4 the line was out the door and around the building. But, lo and behold, Ms. Grafton arrived about 4:20 and immediately got to work. Friendly and fast, by 5 pm the line was taken care of, she signed anything and everything. What a great lady.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Heroes, a great thinker and a whiner
Good morning bookies! Stand by for news and comment.
*** The idea that the Sun, not the Earth, was the center of the Solar System, was not just new in the 16th century, it was radical, perhaps even heretical. What was next? The Earth isn't flat? But Copernicus developed a theory that proved the Earth circled the Sun and not vice versa, and so thus did he become a Rock Star of Astronomy. Now it is believed that his remains have been identified through matching DNA found in a a strand of hair lifted from one of his books to that of an unidentified skeleton. Let's hope the guy gets a decent burial out of all this. (okay, so how is this even remotely book related? Well, there's the not-so tenuous fact that Copernicus wrote books, and also the hair was found in one of his books, apparently one that he actually handled.)
Copernicus found
*** The Vatican has opened a new bookstore. Having been there I must believe that it will be very clean, very well run and a welcome oasis from the Chaos of Rome. In all of Italy the largest, cleanest rest rooms are in Vatican City, so if they can get this difficult assignment right then a bookstore is a piece of cake.
New Vatican Bookstore
*** Being a soldier would be tough enough, but being a medic? You must be kidding me. People are shooting at you and all you've got is a medical bag? These guys are the toughest of the tough and all too few have written memoirs. Here's a review from one such WWII vet, a welcome addition to the canon of that war. If you've seen 'Band of Brothers' then you know the medic was one of the most respected guys in the unit.
World War Two Medic tells his story
*** London fog? More like London smog, at least for the last 20 centuries or so. After reading this book on the medical history of London, what it has actually been like to live in a city known for its plagues and illnesses, you begin to wonder who anyone survived.
Darwin at work
*** Erica Heller, daughter of Joseph Heller (Catch-22) has appointed herself the ultimate censor of what should and should not be printed. In a screed that is notable more for its egotism than its merit, she lambasts Joe the Plumber and Sarah Palin for signing book deals. Frankly, she comes off as a moderately talented nobody who is angry that she can't land a similar book deal. Poor baby! She should look at the bright side: before she blasted these two people, I (and assuredly most of America) had never heard of her.
Erica Heller whines in public
*** The idea that the Sun, not the Earth, was the center of the Solar System, was not just new in the 16th century, it was radical, perhaps even heretical. What was next? The Earth isn't flat? But Copernicus developed a theory that proved the Earth circled the Sun and not vice versa, and so thus did he become a Rock Star of Astronomy. Now it is believed that his remains have been identified through matching DNA found in a a strand of hair lifted from one of his books to that of an unidentified skeleton. Let's hope the guy gets a decent burial out of all this. (okay, so how is this even remotely book related? Well, there's the not-so tenuous fact that Copernicus wrote books, and also the hair was found in one of his books, apparently one that he actually handled.)
Copernicus found
*** The Vatican has opened a new bookstore. Having been there I must believe that it will be very clean, very well run and a welcome oasis from the Chaos of Rome. In all of Italy the largest, cleanest rest rooms are in Vatican City, so if they can get this difficult assignment right then a bookstore is a piece of cake.
New Vatican Bookstore
*** Being a soldier would be tough enough, but being a medic? You must be kidding me. People are shooting at you and all you've got is a medical bag? These guys are the toughest of the tough and all too few have written memoirs. Here's a review from one such WWII vet, a welcome addition to the canon of that war. If you've seen 'Band of Brothers' then you know the medic was one of the most respected guys in the unit.
World War Two Medic tells his story
*** London fog? More like London smog, at least for the last 20 centuries or so. After reading this book on the medical history of London, what it has actually been like to live in a city known for its plagues and illnesses, you begin to wonder who anyone survived.
Darwin at work
*** Erica Heller, daughter of Joseph Heller (Catch-22) has appointed herself the ultimate censor of what should and should not be printed. In a screed that is notable more for its egotism than its merit, she lambasts Joe the Plumber and Sarah Palin for signing book deals. Frankly, she comes off as a moderately talented nobody who is angry that she can't land a similar book deal. Poor baby! She should look at the bright side: before she blasted these two people, I (and assuredly most of America) had never heard of her.
Erica Heller whines in public
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Dirt, sugar and Commies
Good morning bookies! Stand by for news and comment.
*** Selling books in the USSR must have been a surreal experience, but to actually survive a period when anything, absolutely anything, could get you hauled off to Lubyanka for torture and death, that is a remarkable achievement. And to do this while selling the most dangerous thing on Earth, ideas, well, let's just say that the linked article is the story of a bookies' bookie. It's the tale of a Moscow bookstore that is celebrating its 50th anniversary. That's right, 50 years. It began operations a mere 5 years after Stalin died and when the Cold War was really beginning to heat up. I can only imagine the restrictions and surveillance that must have been in place...wow. Plus, it gets really cold in Moscow.
Surviving 50 years of Russian History while selling books
*** The printed word comes in many forms, of course, with religious texts being the oldest known subjects. In southeastern Turkey, archaeologists have discovered an intact 8th Century BC steele that states the earliest known belief that the human soul exists separately from the body. A steele, of course, is more or less a book in another form. The engraving associated with this steele is extraordinarily beautiful.
An amazing discovery in the Turkish dirt
*** I need to write mopey romances. I really do. This blog is fun and all, but the real money is in chick-lit that people buy to make into movies. Thus, Nicholas Sparks is my hero. His newest book, The Lucky One, just sold for the movies. Sigh...be still my heart. And before any of you bookies write me nasty emails claiming that I'm jealous, well, of course I'm jealous! Jeez.
Sparks sells sugary novel and gets richer
*** Selling books in the USSR must have been a surreal experience, but to actually survive a period when anything, absolutely anything, could get you hauled off to Lubyanka for torture and death, that is a remarkable achievement. And to do this while selling the most dangerous thing on Earth, ideas, well, let's just say that the linked article is the story of a bookies' bookie. It's the tale of a Moscow bookstore that is celebrating its 50th anniversary. That's right, 50 years. It began operations a mere 5 years after Stalin died and when the Cold War was really beginning to heat up. I can only imagine the restrictions and surveillance that must have been in place...wow. Plus, it gets really cold in Moscow.
Surviving 50 years of Russian History while selling books
*** The printed word comes in many forms, of course, with religious texts being the oldest known subjects. In southeastern Turkey, archaeologists have discovered an intact 8th Century BC steele that states the earliest known belief that the human soul exists separately from the body. A steele, of course, is more or less a book in another form. The engraving associated with this steele is extraordinarily beautiful.
An amazing discovery in the Turkish dirt
*** I need to write mopey romances. I really do. This blog is fun and all, but the real money is in chick-lit that people buy to make into movies. Thus, Nicholas Sparks is my hero. His newest book, The Lucky One, just sold for the movies. Sigh...be still my heart. And before any of you bookies write me nasty emails claiming that I'm jealous, well, of course I'm jealous! Jeez.
Sparks sells sugary novel and gets richer
Monday, November 17, 2008
Transfer of Power by Vince Flynn
Flynn's first novel is likely to escalate in value after the new administration has been in power for a while and those who disagree with leftism look for escapist fare. Already a fairly pricey book, it should appreciate in the next ten years.
Construction is pretty straightforward and care must be taken that the book ages well. The paper isn't of the highest grade, the covers are average paper, there's nothing particularly well made about the book, ex
cept perhaps the jacket, which has good stock. Flynn's early signature also seems a bit more elaborate than later ones.
A Monday in November
Good morning bookies! Stand by for news and comment.
*** AOL has, presumptuously, posted a list of 10 books you should read before you die. They don't bother to give criteria for having arrived at such a momentous list, they just post it.
1. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. If #1 is more than merely which one they listed first, this is nonsense. Otherwise I've got no problems with it.
2. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Assuming they also want you to read The Hobbit I have no qualms with putting the finest novel written in English in the 20th century on this list, since I've read it 27 times.
3. Harry Potter, all 7 books. Fine, whatever. Not my thing but I like the movies.
4. The Stand by Stephen King. You're kidding, right? I've never gotten the whole S. King thing, the two or three I've tried to read I didn't like, but maybe that's just me.
5. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. This is proof that lemmings can use keyboards. I don't hate this book because it is relentlessly anti-Catholic (to the point of being defamatory), I don't hate it because the research is laughably poor and the conclusions absurd, no, I hate it because it is the 2nd worst written book I have read. Absolutely dreadful work here. It's almost as if the author wanted to use every known cliche in one book.
6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. No arguments here.
7. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. So, not content with showing how incredibly inept their critical sense is, whoever compiled this list for AOL had to reinforce the point by putting the prequel to the second worst novel ever written on this list too? Good grief, what a chump.
8. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Again, how can you miss the mark so completely with the Dan Brown nonsense and then nail it with this one? Should be required reading in all government schools.
9. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Obligatory.
10. The Holy Bible. Christian or not, the Bible has had more influence on Western Culture than any other book and should be read to understand our civilization.
*** Joe the plumber has signed a book deal. In the blurb leading to this story, one writer wrote this about the upcoming book: "I know America is breathless for this information about an unemployed Ohio plumber who doesn’t pay his taxes. But, hey, this is America and here’s the big news—the book will be called Joe the Plumber—Fighting for the American Dream, and it will be released by a group called PearlGate Publishing. By the way, Joe, you’re way over on your 15 minutes of fame. And here’s a way to jumpstart your American dream—get a job!"
Oooohhh, not a little jealous, are we? Think this writer has papered his/her walls with rejection slips for the great American novel? Then someone comes along and gets a book deal just for asking a question and our rejected would-be Salinger gets all huffy. I have no desire to read whatever JOe has to say, but as an oft-rejected novelist I'm thrilled for the guy.
*** Journalist, adventurer and novelist Edward Sheehan has died, aged 78. I have never read any of his work, but as an expert on Third World conditions and politics, Sheehan appears to have been of that breed who fearlessly tread the world looking for truth. I think I will miss him.
*** Peter J. Levinson has also died at age 74. Biographer of Harry James, Nelson Riddle and others, Levinson knew and wrote about American jazz with a familiarity and insight rarely seen. Diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease two years ago, he continued working right until the end using a talking computer. A real trooper.
*** Being a Fascist in the 1940's wasn't the greatest career choice, as Ezra Pound discovered when the Allies won World War II. But he knew people who knew people and more or less escaped punishment for supporting Il Duce. If someone wanted to punish him, I would think just having faith in a stooge like Mussolini should have been evidence enough that he was a bit deluded. I mean, who thought that tearing down whole sections of historic Rome was a good idea?
A huge collection of his papers has been donated to the Ransom Center in Los Angeles. Let's hope it doesn't burn up in the wildfires.
Papers, photos and chess sets
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2008/11/ezra-pound-pape.html
*** I find this next story quite interesting on a personal level. As most bookies know, a year ago I had one of the largest, if not THE largest, collection of autographed mystery/thriller material in this area. It was so large, in fact, that it was too much. So I have begun selling off these rarities, being quite ruthless about what I keep (probably no more than 15%) and what I sell. Indeed, for just a brief glimpse into what the office of someone who is doing this looks like...
So the chaos and angst that goes along with selling off what can only be described as old friends is well known to your friendly neighborhood bookseller.
Parting with old friends
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08321/927711-58.stm
*** AOL has, presumptuously, posted a list of 10 books you should read before you die. They don't bother to give criteria for having arrived at such a momentous list, they just post it.
1. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. If #1 is more than merely which one they listed first, this is nonsense. Otherwise I've got no problems with it.
2. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Assuming they also want you to read The Hobbit I have no qualms with putting the finest novel written in English in the 20th century on this list, since I've read it 27 times.
3. Harry Potter, all 7 books. Fine, whatever. Not my thing but I like the movies.
4. The Stand by Stephen King. You're kidding, right? I've never gotten the whole S. King thing, the two or three I've tried to read I didn't like, but maybe that's just me.
5. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. This is proof that lemmings can use keyboards. I don't hate this book because it is relentlessly anti-Catholic (to the point of being defamatory), I don't hate it because the research is laughably poor and the conclusions absurd, no, I hate it because it is the 2nd worst written book I have read. Absolutely dreadful work here. It's almost as if the author wanted to use every known cliche in one book.
6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. No arguments here.
7. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. So, not content with showing how incredibly inept their critical sense is, whoever compiled this list for AOL had to reinforce the point by putting the prequel to the second worst novel ever written on this list too? Good grief, what a chump.
8. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Again, how can you miss the mark so completely with the Dan Brown nonsense and then nail it with this one? Should be required reading in all government schools.
9. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Obligatory.
10. The Holy Bible. Christian or not, the Bible has had more influence on Western Culture than any other book and should be read to understand our civilization.
*** Joe the plumber has signed a book deal. In the blurb leading to this story, one writer wrote this about the upcoming book: "I know America is breathless for this information about an unemployed Ohio plumber who doesn’t pay his taxes. But, hey, this is America and here’s the big news—the book will be called Joe the Plumber—Fighting for the American Dream, and it will be released by a group called PearlGate Publishing. By the way, Joe, you’re way over on your 15 minutes of fame. And here’s a way to jumpstart your American dream—get a job!"
Oooohhh, not a little jealous, are we? Think this writer has papered his/her walls with rejection slips for the great American novel? Then someone comes along and gets a book deal just for asking a question and our rejected would-be Salinger gets all huffy. I have no desire to read whatever JOe has to say, but as an oft-rejected novelist I'm thrilled for the guy.
*** Journalist, adventurer and novelist Edward Sheehan has died, aged 78. I have never read any of his work, but as an expert on Third World conditions and politics, Sheehan appears to have been of that breed who fearlessly tread the world looking for truth. I think I will miss him.
*** Peter J. Levinson has also died at age 74. Biographer of Harry James, Nelson Riddle and others, Levinson knew and wrote about American jazz with a familiarity and insight rarely seen. Diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease two years ago, he continued working right until the end using a talking computer. A real trooper.
*** Being a Fascist in the 1940's wasn't the greatest career choice, as Ezra Pound discovered when the Allies won World War II. But he knew people who knew people and more or less escaped punishment for supporting Il Duce. If someone wanted to punish him, I would think just having faith in a stooge like Mussolini should have been evidence enough that he was a bit deluded. I mean, who thought that tearing down whole sections of historic Rome was a good idea?
A huge collection of his papers has been donated to the Ransom Center in Los Angeles. Let's hope it doesn't burn up in the wildfires.
Papers, photos and chess sets
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2008/11/ezra-pound-pape.html
*** I find this next story quite interesting on a personal level. As most bookies know, a year ago I had one of the largest, if not THE largest, collection of autographed mystery/thriller material in this area. It was so large, in fact, that it was too much. So I have begun selling off these rarities, being quite ruthless about what I keep (probably no more than 15%) and what I sell. Indeed, for just a brief glimpse into what the office of someone who is doing this looks like...
So the chaos and angst that goes along with selling off what can only be described as old friends is well known to your friendly neighborhood bookseller.
Parting with old friends
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08321/927711-58.stm
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Saturday
Good day bookies! Stand by for news.
*** Australian children's writer Ivan Southall has died at age 87, from cancer. Southall won a number of book awards and was best known for his novels Hills End, Ash Road and To The Wild Sky.
*** With the election of a new president there are sure to be a flood of new books both for and against the incoming regime. Here's one that warns against the dangers posed by the left, not so much specifically the new administration, just the left in general. The author was a former Hitler Youth who saw Germany sucked into totalitarianism before they knew what was happening and believes the same thing could happen here.
Could it happen here?
*** Tomorrow wraps up another Miami Book Fair that I did not attend. Some day, maybe, but in the meantime at least I can read about other people having fun and meeting authors. Sigh...
Where I wasn't
*** Australian children's writer Ivan Southall has died at age 87, from cancer. Southall won a number of book awards and was best known for his novels Hills End, Ash Road and To The Wild Sky.
*** With the election of a new president there are sure to be a flood of new books both for and against the incoming regime. Here's one that warns against the dangers posed by the left, not so much specifically the new administration, just the left in general. The author was a former Hitler Youth who saw Germany sucked into totalitarianism before they knew what was happening and believes the same thing could happen here.
Could it happen here?
*** Tomorrow wraps up another Miami Book Fair that I did not attend. Some day, maybe, but in the meantime at least I can read about other people having fun and meeting authors. Sigh...
Where I wasn't
Friday, November 14, 2008
An SFF kind of day
Good morning bookies! Stand by for news.
*** For as long as I can remember now, Tor Books has been churning out great SFF, unmatched in the minds of most who are paid to consider such things. To me, only Baen has put out a product that matches Tor in consistent quality. Certainly Locus magazine agrees with me, since they have voted Tor as best publisher for the last century or so.
With the triumph of the lefter (is that a word?) side in the recent US elections, it would seem that readers loyal to a publishing house that has traditionally maintained a Libertarian bent would become even more loyal, while those who like the new government would look elsewhere. The long-term effects on the genre will be interesting.
Tor Books- SFF with a Libertarian streak
*** Continuing with the days SFF theme, the question is being raised whether SFF is dying. Okay, to be technical, my particular acronym of SFF doesn't apply, since the second 'F' stands for Fantasy and that seems to be flourishing. So, then, let's re-state our question to ask is SF dying? Could be. But I doubt it. The idea that using future fiction and science to tell a story could end, after it's been a literary device for centuries, seems unlikely at best. It may change radically, perhaps into something that we barely recognize, but end? I don't think so. But here's the article that inspired the question. I've left the original link up because linking to the article doesn't seem to work. You can dig it up this way, though.
Is Science Fiction dying?
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026821.500-scifi-special-is-science-fiction-dying.html
*** 88 years old, hobbled, but still getting into all sorts of new things, that's Ray Bradbury for you. I've had the pleasure of meeting him twice and corresponding with him, a gentleman's gentlemen, and not in a Jeeves sort of way. Quite an extraordinary human being. He's this month's Turner Classic Movies guest host. So what did he pick? Something he worked on? Nah.
"The Phantom of the Opera", the silent 1925 version
"The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
"Rebecca"
"Citizen Kane"
*** Mario Puzo has been dead for some while now, but that doesn't stop him from publishing new books. Six Graves to Munich will be published next year. Written a year before The Godfather, it features Nazis torturing people, always a good sell.
*** George R.R. Martin's seminal fantasy novel A Game of Thrones will be coming soon to HBO. Such a sprawling book seems like a hard task for a network to produce, but if they do it right it could be quite spectacular. Your friendly neighborhood bookseller just sold a copy of this and the price is still quite affordable on nice copies. If you're a collector, however, you might want to think about moving on a copy before prices go too high. Keep watching this blog to see if I let go of my personal copy.
A Game of Thrones to HBO
And, lastly, a bookselling note: Last month I finally outgrew my current digs and made the very hard decision to start selling off my personal collection of rare and autographed mysteries. I'm being pretty ruthless about it and the prices are below market, because once I make a decision that's it, I've decided. I'm keeping a few favorite series but am selling some stuff you might not think that I would. Since billthebookguy.com is not yet operational, check out my stuff (and get a discount not available elsewhere) at:
Billthebookguy at Biblio.com
*** For as long as I can remember now, Tor Books has been churning out great SFF, unmatched in the minds of most who are paid to consider such things. To me, only Baen has put out a product that matches Tor in consistent quality. Certainly Locus magazine agrees with me, since they have voted Tor as best publisher for the last century or so.
With the triumph of the lefter (is that a word?) side in the recent US elections, it would seem that readers loyal to a publishing house that has traditionally maintained a Libertarian bent would become even more loyal, while those who like the new government would look elsewhere. The long-term effects on the genre will be interesting.
Tor Books- SFF with a Libertarian streak
*** Continuing with the days SFF theme, the question is being raised whether SFF is dying. Okay, to be technical, my particular acronym of SFF doesn't apply, since the second 'F' stands for Fantasy and that seems to be flourishing. So, then, let's re-state our question to ask is SF dying? Could be. But I doubt it. The idea that using future fiction and science to tell a story could end, after it's been a literary device for centuries, seems unlikely at best. It may change radically, perhaps into something that we barely recognize, but end? I don't think so. But here's the article that inspired the question. I've left the original link up because linking to the article doesn't seem to work. You can dig it up this way, though.
Is Science Fiction dying?
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026821.500-scifi-special-is-science-fiction-dying.html
*** 88 years old, hobbled, but still getting into all sorts of new things, that's Ray Bradbury for you. I've had the pleasure of meeting him twice and corresponding with him, a gentleman's gentlemen, and not in a Jeeves sort of way. Quite an extraordinary human being. He's this month's Turner Classic Movies guest host. So what did he pick? Something he worked on? Nah.
"The Phantom of the Opera", the silent 1925 version
"The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
"Rebecca"
"Citizen Kane"
*** Mario Puzo has been dead for some while now, but that doesn't stop him from publishing new books. Six Graves to Munich will be published next year. Written a year before The Godfather, it features Nazis torturing people, always a good sell.
*** George R.R. Martin's seminal fantasy novel A Game of Thrones will be coming soon to HBO. Such a sprawling book seems like a hard task for a network to produce, but if they do it right it could be quite spectacular. Your friendly neighborhood bookseller just sold a copy of this and the price is still quite affordable on nice copies. If you're a collector, however, you might want to think about moving on a copy before prices go too high. Keep watching this blog to see if I let go of my personal copy.
A Game of Thrones to HBO
And, lastly, a bookselling note: Last month I finally outgrew my current digs and made the very hard decision to start selling off my personal collection of rare and autographed mysteries. I'm being pretty ruthless about it and the prices are below market, because once I make a decision that's it, I've decided. I'm keeping a few favorite series but am selling some stuff you might not think that I would. Since billthebookguy.com is not yet operational, check out my stuff (and get a discount not available elsewhere) at:
Billthebookguy at Biblio.com
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Good morning bookies! Stand by for news.
*** The Spanish Civil War has often been called the preliminary for World War II. Fascists on one side, Socialist/Communists on the other. What would become the Axis backing one side, what would become the Allies backing the other. It was bloody as only a civil war can be and there have been countless books written about it. That doesn't mean another one isn't welcome, although the latest isn't so much about the war itself, it's about the journalists who wrote about the war. A writer writing about those who wrote. Verisimilitude, anyone? Franco meets the Matrix?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/11/12/bopres112.xml
*** Recently, the Washington Post has revealed details of what information the FBI had gathered on Norman Mailer. There seems to be genuine surprise that the FBI kept a file on Mailer, and that surprises me. Seriously. Name something Mailer was not against at one time or another. That's sure to draw interest, especially for an agency run by J. Edgar Hoover. It's interesting in retrospect, history, but not at all surprising.
*** The L.A. Times reports that Joe Byams has died. Byams, who wrote on a number of different topics, was probably known best for his biographies of Humphrey Bogart and James Dean. He was 85.
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-hyams12-2008nov12,0,6624967.story
*** The Spanish Civil War has often been called the preliminary for World War II. Fascists on one side, Socialist/Communists on the other. What would become the Axis backing one side, what would become the Allies backing the other. It was bloody as only a civil war can be and there have been countless books written about it. That doesn't mean another one isn't welcome, although the latest isn't so much about the war itself, it's about the journalists who wrote about the war. A writer writing about those who wrote. Verisimilitude, anyone? Franco meets the Matrix?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/11/12/bopres112.xml
*** Recently, the Washington Post has revealed details of what information the FBI had gathered on Norman Mailer. There seems to be genuine surprise that the FBI kept a file on Mailer, and that surprises me. Seriously. Name something Mailer was not against at one time or another. That's sure to draw interest, especially for an agency run by J. Edgar Hoover. It's interesting in retrospect, history, but not at all surprising.
*** The L.A. Times reports that Joe Byams has died. Byams, who wrote on a number of different topics, was probably known best for his biographies of Humphrey Bogart and James Dean. He was 85.
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-hyams12-2008nov12,0,6624967.story
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Two World Wars on Veteran's Day
Good morning bookies! Stand by for news.
By all accounts Harold Brown was just an average guy fighting for his country during World War II. As a member of the 202nd Field Artillery Battalion he saw more than 300 days of combat. His story seems quite extraordinary, and it was, but it also wasn't. There were a lot of Harold Brown's and I doubt we ever heard their stories, that generation just didn't like to talk much about the war.
A new book, Howitzers, Grasshoppers and the Holy Right Hand by John Niesel recount Brown's wartime exploits. The Right Hand referred to is the right hand of St. Stephen, one of the holy relics of Hungary, saved from the communists and returned to its rightful place in Budapest after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Fascinating stuff, although if you read it in a novel you might be tempted to shrug it off as too fantastic.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20081109/NEWS01/811090341/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02
*** And since today is Veteran's Day, but was originally Armistice Day created to celebrate the end of World War I, it seems only fitting to link to a Times Online review of the multitude of new books coming out from that War to End All Wars. Most are from the British point of view, but that seems fair since it's a British website.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article5106365.ece
*** Reports from Washington say that Laura Bush is a hot commodity on the book market right now, with publishers lining up to pay her big bucks. Whatever she does and whatever she writes, we will always have Laura Bush to thank for starting the National Book Fair in Washington.
*** Everybody knows a veteran. On this Veteran's Day, find one and shake their hand or give them a hug, let them know how much you appreciate their service to our country.
By all accounts Harold Brown was just an average guy fighting for his country during World War II. As a member of the 202nd Field Artillery Battalion he saw more than 300 days of combat. His story seems quite extraordinary, and it was, but it also wasn't. There were a lot of Harold Brown's and I doubt we ever heard their stories, that generation just didn't like to talk much about the war.
A new book, Howitzers, Grasshoppers and the Holy Right Hand by John Niesel recount Brown's wartime exploits. The Right Hand referred to is the right hand of St. Stephen, one of the holy relics of Hungary, saved from the communists and returned to its rightful place in Budapest after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Fascinating stuff, although if you read it in a novel you might be tempted to shrug it off as too fantastic.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20081109/NEWS01/811090341/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02
*** And since today is Veteran's Day, but was originally Armistice Day created to celebrate the end of World War I, it seems only fitting to link to a Times Online review of the multitude of new books coming out from that War to End All Wars. Most are from the British point of view, but that seems fair since it's a British website.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article5106365.ece
*** Reports from Washington say that Laura Bush is a hot commodity on the book market right now, with publishers lining up to pay her big bucks. Whatever she does and whatever she writes, we will always have Laura Bush to thank for starting the National Book Fair in Washington.
*** Everybody knows a veteran. On this Veteran's Day, find one and shake their hand or give them a hug, let them know how much you appreciate their service to our country.
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