I’m not sure what this is going to turn out to be–regular thing or an occasional blog? Book blog? Art blog? Online journal? Something to pass the time in retirement? Maybe it will just be this one entry and $18 spent on a domain name I thought would be clever and an activity to justify sitting around in local coffee shops. In any case, here … Continue reading I’m Back?
I’m one of those people who get excited over the Man Booker Prize. Almost every year, once the long list is announced, I head over the my local library to get as many of the nominated books as I can. Typically, there are a few not yet available in America, and there are a couple my library doesn’t have yet. So I check out two … Continue reading Sunday Salon: Why the Booker Short List Ruins my Reading and Other Bookish Items
How is everyone doing so far? I should be completing Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice late this evening or tomorrow night. My reading time has been limited this week by the start of school. As the old prostitute said, it’s not the work, it’s the commute. Mine was made worse when the district I work for decided to start school later. Something about improved learning for high … Continue reading Jane Austen Read A-Long: Pride and Prejudice
I spent this past week, the last of my summer vacation, at the Center for the Book in San Francisco taking a four-course intensive book binding class. We learned how to make the four bindings shown in the picture here; Coptic, flat-back case, limp paper and rounded back case. I’ve been making my own books for many years now, following the directions in various how-to … Continue reading Making Books with Jane Austen
I’m taking a break from my recent stint of Man-Booker Prize Long List books to read Jane Austen’s second published novel Pride and Prejudice for the Jane Austen Read All A-long. You can still sign up for the remaining five books here. I will get to the famous openng sentence later today. I’ll be reading Pride and Prejudice on the ferry boat this week as I go back … Continue reading Jane Austen Read All A-long Book Two (Pride and Prejudice) and Man Booker Longlist Reading
I recently tried linoleum cut print making for the first time, with positive but mixed results, I think. I done a few other types of simple print making but this is the first time I’ve made a linoleum cut. Basically, you take a piece of thick linoleum, a kind made specifically for print-making, draw you design on it, then use a carving tool to cut … Continue reading “This Is Not Art” My First Linoleum Cut Print
C.J. and I head home for California tomorrow. It has been a wonderful three weeks in New York. The best thing about an extended stay is that you don’t have to cram everything into one day. You can get up late, have breakfast, see a sight or two, have a nap, eat in or out, maybe go to a show. Normally there would be no … Continue reading New York: The Final Bookstore Ramble
Just two more books to add to my total since the last post. Two more books from two different bookstores, which implies that I’m keeping to my one-book-per-store requirement. We visited McNally Jackson Books down on the Lower East Side after a trip to The Tenement Museum which is a must see if you ever visit New York. And a lunch at Katz’s Deli. … Continue reading New York Bookstore Rambling Continues
So I am at seven books for seven days, as planned. Today, we made the obligatory visit to The Strand Bookstore, which you really must see if you visit New York and you love books. The advertize 18 miles of books, which is probably true. Four stories of books, mostly new titles at a slightly reduced price with some used titles at a slight additional … Continue reading New York City Book Buying Total Reaches Seven!
I’ve failed. Should have seen it coming really. For this long stay in New York City–20 days cat-sitting in Brooklyn–I vowed to buy only one book per bookstore visit. And to visit no more than one bookstore a day. The buy one book was to be a requirement which, while it might force me to buy books, would have resulted in fewer books purchased overall … Continue reading Unnameable Books, Brooklyn, New York
My new reading glasses finally arrived this week. I’m still getting used to them; my old pair broke several months ago so I’ve been leaning my head way back while wearing my progressives for some time now. It’s still a bit odd to be reading with my held held upright. If you don’t know what I mean you’re probably under 50. One day you’ll understand. … Continue reading Sunday Ramble: Various Books, Various Destinations, and Jane Austen
C.J. and I went out for breakfast in Benicia this morning, which we usually do on Sundays whether I’m on summer break or not. Afterwards, we wondered round Charlie’s Attic where we found this cool pop-up book about Columbus. It’s from 1960, so I won’t bother reading the text. I bought it for the pop-up anyway. I know all about Columbus. The cover features a … Continue reading Sunday Ramble: Columbus, Jane Austen and New Favorite Books
May Contain Spoilers 