Outlying Districts by Anselm Hollo (1987)

 Outlying Districts

Anselm Hollo

Smithereens Press

Bolinas, CA

(c) 1987

Yes, this copy has a coffee stain on the front. I knew that before I got it. But it's hand-painted by Hollo's wife, Jane Dalrymple-Hollo. And the seller said that this copy was signed and inscribed to "Allan and Cinda" - and my brain stopped me right there and said "The only Allan and Cinda you know of are the Kornblums; Toothpaste Press and Coffee House Press. You know? You met him!" 

Yes, I had. I have been incredibly inspired by Allan's letterpress work with and on Toothpaste Press. 

Smithereens Press appears to have been Hollo's imprint. It's a staple-bound mimeo. (late in the game for mimeos but that's what it looks like). Single page poems. 

Each book printed was painted differently. Making each book (250 printed, 10 were signed by poet and artist) unique. 

Happy New Year. 

Sutter Anniversary Edition by Goedsche & Glaettli (25th printing)

 Sutter Anniversary Edition

C. R. Goedsche & W. E. Glaettli

Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.

25th printing

In German. For elementary level German reading. It's a biography of the Sutter of Sutter's Mill notoriety (the California Gold Rush started on discovery of gold on land his workers were working). It's staple bound and I am bound to mention it here. 

His full name was Johann August Sutter and he was born in 1803 in the Holy Roman Empire (Baden, in what is now Germany)

Marginalia Issue no.II (2022)

Marginalia Issue No. II

Logan Garner

somewhere in Oregon

(c) 2022

Not sure this is actual marginalia as I understand them to be. I think of marginalia as a word or a phrase or a rebuttal. But I am not here to split hairs. I am bald. Not going there. 

This is a beautiful item. The images that Mr. Garner has chosen are all in the public domain. Nicely done. 
 

le cyclop by Association le cyclop (1993)

 booklet in French regarding the sculpture entitled "le cyclop" which is located in Milly-la-foret, France. It is the work of Jean Tinguely. Printed in French. Produce of France. Staple-bound. Most interesting. 

Steps by Erik Muller (2011)

 Steps

Erik Muller

self published

Eugene, OR

(c) 2011

This might take a bit to set up and the payoff might not work but here goes : I think I have mentioned that part of the reason I write about chapbooks is that I also wear a publisher's hat (Plan B Press) and we have been publishing, mostly chapbooks, since 1999. 

Well, this year we published a book by an Eve Muller entitled A Guide to the Ruins. In the process I learned that Eve had a father who wrote poetry and also ran a few publishing operations in the Eugene, OR area. I was intrigued. Fireweed and Traprock Books were among the publications that he edited and brought out along with the Coos Writer Series. And apparently he self published some of his collections as well. Like this one. According to Eve his books are hard to come by so I was elated to find a signed copy of one of his books that his daughter admitted that she never read. 

I am familiar with a chapbooks with the same title, Steps, as that was the title of ruth weiss's first chapbook that I got a copy of long ago and then sold to a collector for a significant amount of money. ruth told me the story about how that chapbook came about. I am unable to have a conversation with Mr. Muller since he passed in 2021. 

Eve Muller is working with the University of Oregon to put together a collection of his work at the college. Special collections, anyone?

Hope they have a copy of this one in that collection. (Not that I am parting with this one anytime soon)

right churn tool by bentspoon blog (????)

 It's hard to say why this item was preserved in the manner that it was, but it was. It's Canadian and they do things differently up there? There is an envelope that this item came in and it is stamped FINAL COPY so perhaps it was. Maybe in the 2012 time frame as other items from this "collective" date from that moment. Shadowy presence. Very DIY. Reminds me of the collage mailings of the early punk era and fluxus before that, and even earlier artists who were literally cutting and pasting their work together with glue and tape. 

It's not poetry. It's not prose. It's not confessional. It's not anything but word vomiting. The visuals are a bit more interesting. But I have seen better. 

Kalliope : Literary Magazine (1985)

Kalliope: The Penn State Literary Magazine 

volume 5 : number 1

Pennsylvania State University

College Park, PA

(c) 1985

Staple bound book. Recognize none of the writers, nor the advisors, not the supporters. 

But it exists - there ya go. 

 

Abraham Lincoln : a digest of the wit and wisdom of Abraham Lincoln by King Hostick (1958)

Abraham Lincoln : a digest of the wit and wisdom of Abraham Lincoln

 King V. Hostick 

(c)1958

Compliments of the Lincoln Exhibit

Sponsored by Lincoln Savings and Loan Association

Los Angeles, CA

Tiny booklet stuffed with images and sayings of an American icon. 

Book in Thai language, embossed

 

Okay I am not even going to try and do this justice because I don't speak Thai and I know the culture enough (I have drunk my share of Thai beer) to know that the image of the king is on everything - EVERYthing - made in Thailand and this book is in the Thai language except for a name that appears on the  last page that is in English -Ajahn Jayasaro - I mean, even the page count is in Thai !

BUT - it's got an embossed cover, front and back,  and I find that very interesting, so I am mentioning the book here. 

From The Hometown of Ken Carpenter, Charles "Amos" Correll, and Fibber McGee and Molly.... (??)

 From the Hometown of Ken Carpenter, Charles "Amos" Correll

Fibber McGee and Molly....

Nostalgic Radio 

Peoria, IL 

(c) UNKNOWN (possibly 1974)

This is a staple-bound radio program catalogue. 50 pages of old time radio programs on tape (pre-CD format period) There is an envelope in the catalogue with the year 1974 stamped on the back of it, so maybe it was published then?

This item reminds me of something the writer Daniel Nester sent me years ago, an 8 track tape magazine that was shaped like an 8 track tape. I still have it (somewhere). This item harkens back to an earlier period. Recordings of live radio broadcasts. 

D. W. by garth graeper (2013)

 D.W.

garth graeper

greying ghost

(c) 2013

I have always admired what greying ghost did and the way that they presented work, and shipped their books with odd ephemera. I scored a number of these "not-broadsides, not-books" from them somewhere along the lines. Good stuff. 

Water Bugs and Dragonflies : Explaining death to children (1983)

 Water Bugs and Dragonflies : Explaining death to children

The Pilgrim Press 

New York, NY

(c)1983

Happy little booklet. Illustrations by Gloria Ortiz. It's a tiny tiny. And I have to found some poetry chapbooks right quick. 

Making the Difference : The Story of Wal-Mart (??)

 Making the Difference : The Story of Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart Visitors Center

Bentonville, AR

date uncertain

This is an oversized self congratulatory bit of propaganda that I am including here since it's a staple-bound "booklet" filled with zombie capitalism at its worst. How much does the Walton family avoid in taxes? Why are employees of Wal-Mart dependent on Medicare and Medicaid? 

I have not shopped in a Wal-Mart in 23 years (who said I am counting?)

Stories, Anecdotes, and Humor from the Civil War (1983)

Stories, Anecdotes and Humor from the Civil War

Hugh and Judy Gowan

 Daisy Productions

Martinsburg, PA

(c) 1983

Staple bound booklet showing "lighter moments" of the US Civil War with B&W photos. um - okay
 

Indian Beadwork: A Help for Students of Design by Clark Wissler (1927)

 Indian Beadwork : A Help for Students of Design

Clark Wissler

Guide Leaflet No. 50

American Museum of Natural History

(c) 1927 , 2nd edition

This is a beautiful booklet that I found to be handsome, informative, and charming - especially how they called it a "leaflet". But it also is an interesting relic in the sense that it is a booklet about Native people's crafts and craftsmenship written by a white man less than 30 years after the Wounded Knee massacre that makes the end of the "Indian Wars" in the United States. The booklet almost bleeds with irony. 

what'a hole History Geology of the Carlsbad Caverns by John Moseley (1948)

what'ahole History Geology of the Carlsbad Caverns

John Moseley & W A Dunagan

(c) 1948

Full disclosure : I have been to the Carlsbad Caverns. It's amazing and claustrophobic and I refused to go back for the evening event - that being the thousands upon thousands of bats who flew out of the cave entrance to do their night hunting. I don't like bats. 

I also did not get this gem at the time, I happened across it much more recently at a local library donation drop. It was too handsome to disregard, so I brought it come with me. It really is an amazing tiny staple-bound booklet with information and B&W photos and illustrations; really, what's not to like? 
 

20 Poems by Lauri Otonkoski (1999)

 20 Poems

Lauri Otonkoski

duration press 

(c)1999

Number  12 in their series. Translated from the Finnish by Anselm Hollo. Some interesting design features in this one. 

Fashion Blast Quarter by Krystal Languell / Chalky Undertaste by Emily Skillings (2014)

Fashion Blast Quarter by Krystal Languell / Chalky Undertaste by Emily Skillings

Flying Object 

flying-object.org

Hadley, MA

(c) 2014

This is a unique piece. Although it contains but 2 poems, it's a fold out. Meaning that when it is completely unfolded opened to its maximum size is roughly 3 feet by 4 feet. With images. Created by Flying Object.  Very cool. Interesting as heck. 

Empedocles's Sandal by Habib Tengour (1999)

 Empedocles's Sandal 

Habib Tengour

Translated from the French by Pierre Joris

Duration Press

Sausalito, CA

(c) 1999

Another in the series of International poets in translation published by Duration in 1999, with afterword by translator. #7 in the series. Unpaginated. 

twist riffs and stiff hits by Buck Downs (2008)

twist riffs and stiff hits

Buck Downs

self published

Washington, DC

(c)2008

The dude is that and more.