Whaling logs, the inspiration for my “Bookman’s Log” idea, are among the most desirable kinds of manuscript Americana. The reasons are obvious. They combine high adventure and travel to exotic places with visual appeal and narrative depth. America’s exploration of the Pacific was accomplished in large part by whalemen, and some of our most powerful […] More >>
Archives for September 2010
Too Rare?
I spent the 1970s and 80s happily selling used maritime books. Then the internet came along and flooded the market with used books of all kinds. People looking for a used or out-of-print maritime book didn’t need specialists like me anymore. This left me with two choices. I could either get big and make my […] More >>
Beer with Justice Souter
Congratulations to promoter Garry Austin for organizing a successful “36th Annual New Hampshire Antiquarian Bookseller Association Show” this past weekend. The event was held at a new venue – the Grappone Center in Concord, NH – and a lot of work went into making sure that it took place without a hitch. Garry and I […] More >>
Carpet Bombed
(this item is described below) Sometime in the late 1980s my buddy John Thomson of Bartleby’s Books talked me into doing a rather unusual book fair down in Baltimore. “It’s attached to an antique show,” he told me. “You’ll meet new customers and find a lot of interesting stuff to buy.” As I recall, some […] More >>