The incomparable Peter Howardonce said something to the effect that “Books are mysteries for booksellers to solve.” If that’s the case, my professional life has been one long Raymond Chandler novel. Last week, as I was making my way down the mean streets of the Eastern Macro Metro Corridor, a kindly lady placed a book […] More >>
Archives for January 2013
YARRR!
Spent the last week cataloging and packing books to take to Washington so that my colleague John Thomson of Bartleby’s Books can drive them out to San Francisco for the big international antiquarian book show there in mid-February. John and his wife Karen are specialists in Americana, and they take great delight in traveling the […] More >>
The Amazing Donaldson Dumpster Archive
A colleague sent me a box of papers the other day. He said they contained documents having to do with a ship named the Olive Branch. But it was clear to me at first glance that for the past few decades, at least, they’d had more to do with the dumpster. That was certainly where […] More >>
It’s Only a Paper Moon…
Not the XL Center This is my fourth report on Papermania, the giant ephemera show held annually in Hartford, Connecticut on the first weekend after New Year’s day. My last three reviews have been scathing. The city of Hartford is falling apart; the Papermania venue – formerly the Hartford Civic Center, now the XL Center, […] More >>