The Book Shopper - Atlanta

From the Mailbox: March 2013

Sometimes personal responsibilities encroach to the point where even blogging has to take a back seat. Without going into details, I just wanted to say I appreciate Jim Simpson filling in last month with his series Stories Within the Story, which I hope will become a regular feature on the blog. Be sure and check the comments that his work inspired.

Despite my attentions being elsewhere, a few other stories have trickled in through the past few weeks. One is that Decatur Arts Alliances is calling for entries for The Book as Art exhibition being held July 19th to September 20th and in conjunction with the 2013 Decatur Book Festival. Regular readers of this blog know it is a subject of interest for me. (See Books as Art As Books link on the right) This will be an opportunity for book fiends and artists to "get their Brian Dettmer on." And if you're having trouble coming up with a fresh idea, I have just come into possession a complete set of the 1966 World Book Encyclopedias. Think of the stuff you can build with those volumes. And if you need a large wall unit book case to store them on interim,  I have one of those for sale.

If you're looking for more inspiration, check out this link courtesy of one of our readers (SM Wallace) about the work of Frank Halmans or last year's Wallbound exhibit hosted the the Atlanta-Decatur Art Institute.

 

 

Dettmer at the MOCA GA

On my lunch hour last week I drove over to see Brian Dettmer's art exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia in Atlanta. I am always interested in new ways to re-purpose used books (beyond reading them). I had my first taste of Dettmer's work at New Worlds to Conquer exhibit at Saltworks Gallery last year. This new exhibit, which contains fifteen pieces, shares some of the similarities in the New Worlds pieces in the way Dettmer carves up older illustrated books to reveal new meanings about the subject manner and richness that the printed word provides.

What I enjoyed about Dettmer's current exhibit of works that he completed this year is the variety. Yes, he has the “standard” carved out illustrated encyclopedias like the volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica shown here in Tower 1 (shown at the left , but he also has added some new interpretations. An entire wall is devoted to Altered States, where Dettmer has cut up and reassembled 50 pages of the 50 state flags, framed them, and placed them in the shape of the United States map. There is also a huge print entitled Chaos where Dettmer shows how the word, “Chaos” is visually linked to other words. Then there is Emergency Exit, which is a fire door made of partially charred paperback books. In One Word at a Time, (shown at the top), a series of paperback books are glued together.

I am not even going to pretend that I can interpret the works as art or adequately describe them, but I would encourage those of you (and I know you are out there) that appreciate the possibilities of the printed word to check out the Dettmer's exhibition, which is at the MOCA between now and January 5, 2013. The gallery is located in an enclave of antique stores in the Tula Art Center complex, so you can make an afternoon of it, instead of just taking a longer lunch hour.

Note: Images courtesy of Brian Dettmer.

Atlanta Area Calendar of Book Events – November, 2012

A new exhibit “Elemental” from bibliocentric artist Brian Dettmer has opened at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia. Shown at the left is a piece carved from a set of Britannica Encyclopedias (photo courtesy of Brian Dettmer). I saw Dettmer's exhibit at the Saltworks Gallery early last year and will make it over there in the near future.  Regular readers of the blog know that I am always interested in things that people do with books besides read them (See “Books as Art as Books” link at the right).

Speaking of repeat performances, on November 19 Anne Lamott returns to the Decatur's First Baptist Church. A few years ago, I went to a Lamott event in front of a packed house and I would say that I was nonplussed at what the big fuss was about. She mostly rambled on and on with no apparent narrative structure (I also heard from my Knoxville blog correspondents that her recent appearance in Knoxville was much the same), so I wonder what kind of turnout she will get from people who know better. The Georgia Center of the Book is also presenting Dana Greene author of Denise Levertov: A Poet's Life (November 5),  and Jeff Clemmons author or Rich's: A Southern Institution, a book about the famous Atlanta department store (November 13).

If you like history, the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum is hosting Jon Meachem author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power (November 19 - $$ required) and Kevin Phillips author of 1775: A Good Year for Revolution (November 30).

Michael Nye will be reading from his short story collection, Strategies Against Extinction on November 9. Georgia State University's literary magazine New South is sponsoring the event.

The Marcus Jewish Community Center's 21st Annual Book Fair gets into full swing beginning November 1 and continues through November 18 ($$ required.)

Savannah Book Shopping – Beyond The Garden of Good and Evil

For book shoppers interested in going beyond visiting the bookstores dedicated to John Berendt's Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil, there are places worth checking out within walking distance of each other in Old Savannah.

From the Savannah Visitor's Center and Museum you can walk across Martin Luther King Boulevard to the Savannah College of Art and Design's Ex-Libris, a bookstore and art supply store where they demonstrate a funky use of “load bearing” books. There are some other books and magazines there, but if you are a writer who is looking for that perfect journal to collect your thoughts and a pen to go with it. This is the place.

From Ex-Libris, take King Boulevard to Liberty Street and then head east four or five blocks to The Book Lady Book Store at 6 East Liberty, where they sell new and used books and coffee. Don't be fooled by the small entrance, this little nook is crammed with books including a “shrine” to Flanery O'Connor. My longtime fiance Denise bought two books there: Paul Theroux's Fresh Air Friend (2000) and an obscure travel book From A Chinese City (1955) by Gontran De Poncins. Later in the week, she returned there and bought Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (more later.)

Wish List

Several notes of interest:

I recently wrote a short synopsis of George Steiner's excellent book of long essays, My Unwritten Books (2008) for Eighth Day Books in Wichita, Kansas. Eighth Day is more a friend than a sponsor of the blog and I have written about them in the past. They are a book store who appeals to a certain clientele, those with serious interests in philosophy, literature, religion, and the arts. I wish I could get the word out more to the Atlanta community especially the students and faculty at Candler School of Theology at Emory University School of Theology and Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur. You don't have to be a divinity student to appreciate Eighth Day Books, but you do have be willing to take on a more challenging read from time to time (like the Steiner book).

A couple of months ago, I wrote about the Art Institute of Atlanta-Decatur book art exhibit entitled Wallbound, which featured 23 local, national and international artists who accepted the challenge of creating of book art that had to be hung on a wall. One of the faculty members at the Art Institute, Alicia Griswald, sent me an email letting me know that there is now an organization called the Atlanta Book Arts Collective which “provides opportunities, through programs, workshops, and sharing, to learn more about both paper and book arts.”  And my wish? I think it would be cool, if the Art Institute did their next book art exhibit during the Decatur Book Festival. The school is located in the heart of the festival already. Just a thought.

Speaking of this weekend's festival, Miranda Parker, author of the Angel Crawford series of novels will be on the "Housewives of Literature" panel, Saturday, September 1 at 5:30 p.m. at the Decatur Convention Center. Through social media, Miranda keeps me informed on books that I would not necessarily know about and I appreciate her input. I wish that more blog readers would shoot me an email or comment – especially local writers. You can find the blog on Facebook, (facebook.com/thebookshopper) which is probably the easiest way to get updates.

Sample Book Art in Decatur

This next week if you're in downtown Decatur and you like books, check out the Art Institute of Atlanta-Decatur's book arts exhibit, Wallbound. The exhibit opened in March (how did I miss it?!?! I walk past the building all the time) and closes Monday, May 14th , so don't delay. Wallbound features the work of 23 local, national and international artists who accepted the challenge of creating of  book art that had to be hung on a wall. The gallery coordinator Angus Galloway,  Institute faculty members Jerushia Graham and Alicia Griswold, all who are bookmakers, artists  and paper makers as well, curated the exhibit. (Gallery hours are at the end of this article.)

Wallbound is an exquisite mini-celebration of the book and serves as a reminder that books are something we can touch and hold and enjoy visually. (Insert your disparaging comment about e-readers here.)

Books can also have a narrative that extends beyond the content. For example, in Claire Siepser's, Survivor Jacket (collage, lower right) she has transferred photocopied book jackets of plant and insect guides to  a Size 6 field jacket to create something that practically belongs in a L.L. Bean catalog.   Another artist who also appreciates word play and fashion is Johanna Renbeck. Her wearable book -- made from curly paper leaves is called Every Leaf (collage, center) and another wearable book – a tiled breast plate -  both belong on the runway, albeit at the American Library Association fashion show.

The geometric properties of words are investigated in Ruth Bardenstein's Geometry/Galileo, a large digital print on mylar, (partially shown, in the lower left). At first, the large print looks like abstract wallpaper from a chic boutique, but when your gaze deepens, letters emerge and then you begin to read the embedded words as well. (I appreciate the gallery permitting me to take these photographs even though they were warned ahead of time, that my camera skills are limited. )

Atlanta Area Book Calendar – May 2012

Here are your local opportunities for literary discourse during the month of May in the Atlanta area. I basically scout around various sites looking for what interests me and provide the links. (I purposely don't include the details, in case there is a last minute change of schedule, etc.)

It's the final two weeks for The Art Institute of Atlanta-Decatur's exhibit, Wallbound where a number of national and international artists rethink the idea of the bound book. For more information, check the comments section below. ("Precarious Balance" by Serey Andree is shown at the left.)

Austen Burroughs, author of the novel This is How will be at the Savannah College of Art and Design's Ivy Hall on Saturday, May 12th ($10 admission or free with book purchase).

On Thursday, May 17th, Jonathan Odell, author of the novel The Healing, will read and sign books at the Carter Presidential Library & Museum Theater. Other authors visiting the Carter Library in the month of May include Steve Coll (Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power) on May 23rd and Nancy Gibbs & Michael Duffy (The Presidents' Club) on May 24th.

Ron Rash, author of Serena and Michel Stone will be at the Decatur Public Library on Tuesday, May 15th. Rash celebrates the publishing of his new book The Cove and is joined by his friend Stone whose first novel The Iguana Tree has recently been published. Robert Craig who has written a new book about architecture in Atlanta, The Architecture of Francis Palmer, Atlanta's Scholar Architect will be at the DPL on May 23rd. Craig, Rash and others are just a few of authors brought in by The Georgia Center for the Book in the month of May.

 The Auburn Avenue Research Library is hosting several events in May including a reading and signing of author's Javon Brothers latest book, A Deadly Night in the Harbor of Hospitality on Saturday, May 5th.

Flowerpot of Life: A Book Shopper's Top Books of 2011

Unlike other “best” book lists, my criteria for excellence is somewhat different. To make the list requires a combination of value (how much I paid for the book) and good reading. Whether the book was published in 2011 is of little significance to me as I am a person who likes to think of himself as immune to book hype while preferring to shop for books at used bookstores, independent book stores, book festivals, church sales and even online (gasp!). I crave the process. Here’s my list of most notable finds/reads in 2011:

Remote: Reflections on Life in the Shadow by David Shields (1996). It's a “collection” of essays, anecdotes, bumper sticker compilations, advertisements and photos (sounds like a blog) that examine how celebrity culture manifests itself in our daily lives. I found a signed copy of this book at Books Again (see sponsor link on upper left) for a fiver. You can read more about Remote here.

The Conversations: Walter Murch & The Art of Editing Film by Michael Ondaatje (2002). Nick Hornby mentioned this book in one of his Stuff I Am Reading columns in The Believer and since I have a small book allowance at work to buy books about the media, I made the transaction. This book is a fascinating conversation of the artistic and creative choices (not much gossip) that went into the editing of some of my favorite movies: Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, The Godfather, The Talented Mr. Rigley and of course, a film adaptation of Ondaatje's own book, The English Patient.

The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagen (2003). Ever since I saw Kagen on Book TV drawing parallels between the war between Sparta and Athens and America's hegemony in Iraq and Afghanistan, I was interested in reading the book. I found a copy at Eighth Day Books in Wichita (see sponsor link) a couple years ago and finally got around to reading this lengthy tome. Before I read it, I didn't know squat about the war (431 BC to 404 BC) between Athens and Sparta and now I do.

Unreliable Memoirs by Clive James (1980). Any reader of this blog knows I am obsessed with James' book Cultural Amnesia: Necessary Memories from History and the Arts. (I've corner the market on many discounted hardback copies. See here), but decades ago I was first introduced to James when I read his autobiography about growing up in post-war Australia. While browsing through the $1 shelves that insulate the outside of the Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur, I found a severed copy of the book Unreliable Memoirs (literally split in half). Seizing the opportunity, I reread some of it before it completely disintegrated. It's amazing how this Tasmanian devil kind of kid who grew up without a father (killed when returning from Japanese POW camp) later became an insightful political and culture critic. 

Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Dana Meadows (2008). Our friend Maggie was reading this book when she visited my longtime fiance Denise and I earlier this year. Maggie is responsible for introducing me to one of the books from last year's list, The Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War (2009), so anything she is scribbling notes in, I am interested. At first this book, which examines the fundamentals of how systems work or don't work, seems simplistic. However, as the book progresses you realize that the knowledge of these fundamentals can help one get a better grip personal as well as global problems. I ordered my copy from Eighth Day Books because they always have these kind of smart books in stock and they can ship them to my door immediately.

 

Book Signage

  This unusual “stack of books as signage” can be found promoting a used bookstore in the Berlin neighborhood of Kreuzberg. The borough has a reputation as one of the cultural centers of the city with a large percentage of immigrants and second generation immigrants. Photo credits go to my older daughter Cynthia who took these photos while doing research in Germany this summer.

 

 

 

Brian Dettmer’s Exhibit at Saltworks Gallery

Don’t despair if you didn’t see the Salvador Dali exhibit at the High Museum before it left town. (If it makes you feel any better, I rated the Dali exhibit up there with the Leonardo Da Vinci “doodles” from the previous year, but I am no critic— strictly a poseur, and not a very good one at that.)

But if you are interested in books as art objects or more specifically sculpture, there is still time for you to see Brian Dettmer’s New Worlds to Conquer exhibit at the Saltworks Gallery (located near the west side Six Feet Under).  The exhibit closes Saturday, January 15th. 

Dettmer, who lives here in Atlanta, takes hard-cover books—older books with elaborate illustrations (e.g. Military Preventative Medicine, Encyclopedias of World Travel)—and carves through them page by page, pulling out words and pictures from the book. This creates a stunning visual and reminds us how the richness of books can convey new meanings beyond just reading them. A better description and interpretation of Dettmer’s work and technique can be found at the Art Critic Atlanta website.

Shown here is Dettmer’s carving of the book, The War on All Fronts (photo courtesy of Brian Dettmer and the Saltworks Gallery), but photos really don’t do the work justice. As mentioned earlier, it’s the perfect exhibit for those who like books and for those who don’t like books—I guess it can be one of those 101 Uses for a Dead Cat type of experiences.