Bottom shelf closeup
Top shelf closeup
Bottom shelf closeup
Top shelf closeup
I’ve had this book The Surface Of Meaning by noted typographer/poet/writer Robert Bringhurst and published by CCSP Press for several months now and wanted to post about it for a while but wasn’t quite sure how to present it. In the end I thought a selection of pages from the book might be the simplest and best way to highlight this outstanding volume.
A few weeks ago I picked up this book in a used book sale. It was privately printed in 1968 by the late Victoria poet, UVUC prof and wiccan priest (witch) Robin Skelton. It is titled The Hold of Our Hands and is subtitled Eight Letters To Sylvia. Sylvia was Skelton’s wife. One hundred copies of the book were printed. When I did an online search a number of copies of the book are available, all numbered and either signed by Robin or Sylvia Skelton or by both of them. This copy is neither signed nor numbered and I was just curious whi it wouldn’t be at least numbered?
Cover page
Book cover
First poem/letter
Number missing for book
Photographer Cara Barer turns old books into sculpture and then photographs them. Images here on the Telegraph website. More images at www.carabarer.com
Fall is the season for the big Canadian Writers’ Festivals so here’s a list of what’s coming up. Today’s the last day for the Winnipeg Festival so you’ll have to start making plans for next year but there’s a lot more upcoming in October. Vancouver hosts the Writers & Readers event October 21-26 at the lovely Granville Island site. Calgary and Banff, as always, co-host Wordfest from October 14 – 19. Take a quick trip north from Calgary to Edmonton and take in the International Literary Festival there October 16-19. In Ottawa from October 18-27 you can take in literary events at their International Writers Festival. Toronto puts on their event at Harbourfront where you can attend the International Festival of Authors October 22 – November 1. Lesser known events are the Surrey International Writers Conference October 23-26. Surrey is located just outside Vancouver so you can take in two festivals in the same area at the same time. For all you adventure types, armchair and otherwise, don’t forget the Banff Mountain Book Festival November 1-9, held in conjunction with a film festival. If that’s not enough start marking your calendar for next spring and the Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival April 22-26, 2009.
Tom Hawthorn has an excellent article in the Globe and Mail about Jim Munro and his Munro’s Books celebrating 45 years in business in Victoria with special events this coming weekend including an invitation only literary costume party. Mr. Munro will be there as Prospero.
Bookninja sent us to this post from Powell’s Books on fore-edges. Fore-edges are the ends of the book pages, sometimes they are trimmed evenly and sometimes not. Sometimes the edges have gilt applied, are marbled or stained. Fascinating stuff for those of us (geeks) who admire books for their design and look as well as for their literary content. Check out an earlier post on fore-edge painting.
A story from Crosscut about a Seattle book store that sells only poetry. It is one of only two poetry only bookstores in the USA (The other is in Cambridge, Mass.). The two owners keep costs down by employing only themselves and not computerizing, all sales and inventory are kept track of in a spiral ledger.
And on the subject of poetry Toronto’s Eye Weekly looks at their poetry contest winners.
This photo originally ran as part of a photo feature in the Victoria News. Russell Books is well known in Victoria, BC, both for the service and the selection. The store is the largest used and remaindered book shop in Canada. Aliyah, the young daughter of managers Andrea and Jordan Minter spends lots of time in the store with her parents. On this day she spotted the stool and made a beeline for it. Her mother removed her before she actually climbed up on the steps.