I write about books that interest me, and books I have published.
Close relatives of mine are in the process of moving out of the house they’ve called home for thirty-five years and into a senior residence. The challenge of downsizing from a seventeen-room dwelling to a four-room one is obvious; countless decisions have to be made whether to give away, donate to charity, or sell. […]
Alas, winter will soon be upon us. Though it’s not my favorite season, it does have its charms. I think the secret to enjoying it is to accept its moods. When it howls and snorts and brings Canada’s worst our way, then bundle up, settle in, and take the time winter just provided to pull […]
Life in the Back Shop by Robert MacGregor Shaw I have done a lot of books on a lot of different subjects, but this has always been among my favorites. It’s a collection of recollections from printers who slugged their way through life in the back shops of newspapers during the earlier part of the […]
He’s a Bookish Treasure Greg Campbell has been a key player in the Twin Cities book arts community for decades. He learned the bookbinding trade from his father, who owned Campbell-Logan Bindery before passing it along to Greg. In 1979, Greg invested in a bold expansion of the family bindery when he rehabilitated an old […]
I am delighted to report that Charles Hamilton is back–and so is Free Life Editions! The breadth of his scholarly work has always been impressive as has been his devotion to making important libertarian works available. Free Life Editions, which was begun by Hamilton in 1973 in New York City, went into hiatus when he […]
The family farm began disappearing from American life with the great Depression and drought of the 1930s. Farmers found it impossible to earn a living raising crops and animals, so they began migrating to cities. In the process, the whole of American life changed in so many ways. Old MacDonald of lore gave up his […]
The basic answer to that question is we really don’t have a clue. We’ve all run across people whose lives seem committed to collecting something. It really doesn’t matter what. Whether it be tools, or books, or games, or toys or cars–or even barf bags (unused, of course), there are people out there who are […]
People collect the damnedest things. Actually, collecting, for the truly devoted, can become an all-consuming occupation. Often it is for some quite an irrational undertaking while for others it is inspired by love for an occupation or hobby or locale. In many cases there is no explanation for why people become collectors. The best they […]
While newspaper work was traditionally a male dominated domain, it was by no means reserved strictly for men, and for women who got into the trade, the work was demanding, dangerous and full of adventure. It was also filled with plain everyday chores which define the life of most tradesmen and women. “Evonne Angello’s experience […]
I just came across a fascinating article which came courtesy of The Guardian newspaper. It reports on the discovery of a marvelous book which may open a world of new information for book lovers and historians alike. How exciting it would be to hold his book in hand, even though it’s contents would be locked […]