writes.
Book dedications don’t go as far as they used to. See, p. 101 of Owen Gingerich’s The Book Nobody Read,
Peter Apian’s Astronomican Caesareum was truly astronomy for an emperor’s eyes. Dedicated to Charles V of Spain, it won for its author, an astronomy professor at the university in Ingolstadt, the right to appoint poets laureate and to pronounce legitimate children born out of wedlock.
The perks of making a science text.
It’s almost all announced. VERSeFest is rolling out its poets, more schedule of the second half, including a grand finale Sunday is now online.
There’s also a 6 minute short of VERSeFest in video which captures some clips of participants on both sides of the stage from 2012.
After Stonewall, 370 Bank St near Gilmour, is back in business, rebooting as a bookstore plus pottery, visual art, crafty glassware, etc. By volume it’s 3/4 not-books but books display tighter than votives.
The poetry section is one shelf, but if you haven’t got Shane Rhodes’ Err, Marcus McCann’s The Hard Return, or Phyllis Webb’s The Vision Tree, there’s a spot to get it. I believe I saw a copy of Gregory Scofield’s Louis: The Heretic Poems (Nightwood Editions/The Gabriel Dumont Institute).
There’s all kinds of queer short stories, novels, non-fiction and a suggestion sheet to add what you think they should stock.
It was good to hear that on the 26th, “our grand opening at Ottawa’s After Stonewall was a major success with very little standing room.” The artisan gift shop area includes things like wine cups and recycled rubber wallets and notebooks. There’s some beautiful inlay cheese trays with bird’s eye maple cheese knife that caught my eye. And chocolates from Prince Edward County. Harwood Estate Vineyard from Prince Edward County will be pouring wine for a tasting the evening of February 23rd. Browse around.
Various people on twitter are ringing in when they finish another for the 95books challenge.
I’ve been doing currently reading lists here irregularly since 2007 but that’s more a pop quiz of what I have open.
Some I zip thru and never record having read. Some books I abandon. Some I peck away at for years. Some I re-read a few times to get more out of. Some I re-read with no recognition of having read it before until I come to my own mark in a margin 2/3 of the way through. I’m not sure if that’s about the book or me. Although it’s always amusing when I see a bookmark I made raving of how wonderful some part is and I can’t tell that it is anymore.
Several years ago he said Michael Dennis read a book of poetry a day. It struck me as extraordinary that one could find that much good to read, and keep up that pace of processing. Maybe I can do nearly half that rate. We’ll see.
(The last link there’s a good (anti-)interview.)
The lovely man Johnny Pigeau has made the announcement. His sweet Perth reading series and his bookstore are coming to an end. *sigh*
Dear Friends and Loyal Customers,
Sad news but due to health reasons, we have to cancel the First Edition Reading Series and sell Backbeat Books, Music & Gifts.
It’s a charming and wonderful shop, we’ve been told, and was doing great in its second year of business. At $12,000, it’s an affordable investment for someone who is interested in new and used books, CDs, records, and movies. Vinyl is making a huge comeback and our record sales were very good. The music aspect of the business is a niche market in beautiful downtown, heritage Perth as well. There is no other store like Backbeat in the area.
Also, the reading series which we founded—the First Edition Reading Series—was very successful and helped put us on the map with literary lovers far and wide and also with many very gifted Canadian writers, the majority of them national bestselling authors. We hope whoever buys the store will continue the reading series, supporting the best in Canadian fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Very sincere thanks to all of you who helped support the reading series. It was an absolute joy and we hope it enriched your lives as much as it did ours. Heartfelt thanks to every author who read at the series too.
We would like to find a buyer for our store as soon as possible. If you or someone you know is interested, please e-mail me at jpigeau@hotmail.com or call 613-264-6211.
Thank you.
It is with a very heavy heart that I write this missive. I will dearly miss our little shop, and all the wonderful people who I’ve come to know because of it. I truly hope someone with a passion for books and music will come along and save it, and keep the reading series alive as well. I know many good folks in Perth love our little shop, too, as do many authors who have visited and read in the shop. For that, we will always be grateful.
Again, thank you so much.
Please spread the word, if you can.