playing with type

On very rare occasion the mailman delivers something that I can get excited about. Today this book arrived... and I'M IN IT! The wonderful and sweet Lara McCormick approached me about contributing and  I'm over the moon about how it turned out. There are tons of really great examples of type from an array of talented folks, and I'm honored that I was able to be a part of it. To purchase Playing With Type head over to Quayside Publishing's site.

A few of my Reminders photos made the cut. Click for more to see the spread.

weekly prescription

• I have fond memories of watching 60 Minutes as a child with my parents. Maybe that's odd... I don't know. One segment I could always rely on enjoying was Andy Rooney's closing. Salty and big-browed, I was transfixed not so much by his image, but his insightful reflections on the everyday. He seemed simultaneously bothered by and beholden to the world around him. He's someone I wanted to know, but would be too afraid to talk to. I think his passing is a very unfortunate for us all. 
• Another childhood love was Woody Allen. I'm creating a detailed map of my upbringing aren't I. Aside from his tabloid dramas and possible strange personal life his movies and books are some of my favorite things. I'm really looking forward to the PBS documentary about him.
• Glee clubs... not so much. Glee clubs singing punk covers...  yes, please. A standout track is Dead Kennedys' "California". 
• 52x52 is a wonderful project developed by artist Jessica Hische. The object is recruit folks to commit to donating $52 every week for 52 weeks to charity (a suggested charity, or one of your choice). The really great part is that you can also choose your own dollar amount if $52 is a bit too steep (which it probably is for quite a few/most people). Giving to others really couldn't be much easier. 
• If E.A.S.T. Austin Studio Tour is something up your alley then you've probably already heard about it. So consider this a reminder, not a revelation. 

HELPFUL WAYS TO GET THERE:

Read -- [ CBSnews.com ]

Watch -- [ PBS.org ]

Listen -- [ Blueribbongleeclub.org ]

Do -- [ 52x52.org ]

Austin Event -- [ eastaustinstudiotour.com ]

weekly prescription

HELFUL WAYS TO GET THERE:

Read -- [ Random House ]

Watch -- [ Attack the Block Official Site ]

Listen -- [ NPR ]

Do -- [ Epicurious ]

Austin Event -- [ Harry Ransom Center ]

slice magazine

I'm so excited to have a photo included in the latest issue of Slice Magazine! This photo accompanied a fantastic story by Jackie Shannon Hollis. You can view the issue here or buy it here.

And a BIG thank you to Amy Sly for asking me to contribute!

flying saucers

As I mentioned I few weeks ago, I made a few silly purchases. One such buy was the publication Flying Saucers, which is another little magazine that Raymond Palmer is responsible for. I can't quite bring myself to read them; I don't think I'm enough of a hardcore UFO buff but the article "The Astounding Analysis of the Lens Flare UFO" looks kind of interesting. Maybe I should stop admiring the covers and give the insides a chance. A few more covers are here. I really like the silver paper on one of them; unfortunately it didn't translate too well on my scanner. 

search magazine

Say hello to another recent acquisition. For some reason I feel less guilty when I buy paper goods. 1) They're cheaper than, say, furniture or clothes, but they also don't take up much space (this is roughly 5"x7"). So when I spend a few bucks on something I really don't need that's also really weird, hey, whatever. This brings me to Search Magazine. I don't know much about it other than that it was published by Palmer Publications out of Wisconsin some time between the late 60's and early 70's. Here is a sample of the intro on the first page:

The pages of SEARCH are open to all who something important to say, to say concerning the occult, the unkown, the metaphysical, the controversial, the suppressed and allied subjects. 

In trying to research the story behind the company that distributed it, all roads led back to an interesting little man (seriously, he was 4 feet tall) named Raymond Palmer. He was the man responsible and also released or had a hand in Amazing Stories, Flying Saucers (which I also bought and will post soon), Mystic, The Hidden World, and Fate. Amazing Stories probably rings a bell for a few of you. He turned the failing magazine around and it became one of the more notable pulp publications of its time. He also published one of Isaac Asimov's first works, and has a DC comic character named after him. Not too shabby. There's a pretty good interview with his son here.

I picked up these magazines for the oddly vague yet direct article titles ("They Drank The Milk and Ate the Butter", "Freezing People", "What is a Ghost") but ended up with a more interesting back story than I could have expected.


Here is the other issue I bought after the jump...

future reading

I really love this image by Kevin Van Aelst. It accompanies a recent article in the New York Times about Vook discussing the general way we are changing how we read and what place visuals have in the digital age of literature. 

the selby is in your place

The other day I came home to a really nice surprise. There was a package on my doorstep. It wasn't a bill, a summons, a decree that my financial world was officially in shambles. I got a book, The Selby is in Your Place. About a year ago one of my photographs was picked up for a campaign. I got paid. The end. Well, the project didn't run for as long as they were expecting and my work was scrapped, which is ok... I got paid (sorry, my brain works like that). As a thank you and consolation the company that I had worked with sent me the book as a present. How thoughtful was that? It's a pretty great book with tons of images capturing creative types in their homes. I just love the image above (reminds me of the shower I had at my last place... ah good times). You can buy a copy of the book here.

book plate

I have wanted to make bookplates for ages and it's one of those things I haven't gotten around to yet. I saw this from Bad Penny Press and was naturally enamored; it could be an illustrated cousin to the 12 Step philosophy.

the loser's handbook

I'm digging into my childhood archives again... here we have one of my favorite "books". It's something that American Greetings manufactured and was given to my mom by a friend sometime in the late 60's (I think... mom?). It's also one of the items that I seemed to have permanently borrowed... "ooh I really like this, therefore it automatically becomes mine". I blame/thank this little guy for some of my bizarre humor. Weirder still I remember actually using this handbook on some lonely summer days. I was a 10 year old loser apparently.

love the one you're with

This is pulled from my childhood archives. Purely ridiculous, I posted it on Flickr forever ago when I went on a scanning spree. I don't think I've ever posted it here. Whenever I need a good chuckle I look at this image from "Pet Friends", a book apparently that is about befriending yourself or the vanity of poodles. Enjoy.

weekly prescription

HELPFUL WAYS TO GET THERE:
Read -- [ Simon & Schuster ]
Watch -- [ Vimeo ]
Listen -- [ Gil Scott Theron ]
Do -- [ Yizzle ]
Austin Event -- [ Paramount Theatre ]

slice magazine

I am so thrilled that this photo was included in the latest issue of Slice Magazine. It accompanies Crystal Wilkinson's amazing story Holler. Please pick up a copy and read her work as well as the other super talented writers that were featured.

Here's a quick excerpt of Holler:

Tallboy is my brother-in-law. He is six-foot-five, pock faced, and wears a Reds baseball cap pulled down over his eyes. All you can see is a little bit of his broad nose and headphones wires snaking down his bird chest. We all grew up together and I remember Tallboy before he found Mr. Jessie out in the field, before he went a little off and Miss Mattie had him committed to the state hospital.

couples cooking

Who knows what the recipes are like in this. Who really cares. These illustrations are amazing enough.

[ Cool Hunting via FFFFound ]

weekly prescription

HELPFUL WAYS TO GET THERE:
Read -- [ Alton Brown ]
Watch -- [ Flower Films ]
Listen -- [ YouTube ]
Do -- [ One Meal a Day ]
Austin Event -- [ Capital Area Food Bank ]

weekly prescription

Hey, it's been a while. Figured I'd give this idea another go but try it out on Mondays.

HELPFUL WAYS TO GET THERE:
Read -- [ Hyperactivity Typography preview ]
Watch -- [ The Horse Boy ]
Listen -- [ Aquarium Drunkard ]
Do -- [ Photojojo ]
Austin Event -- [ Party Ends ]

obsessive consumption

This is sort of oldish news and has made the blog rounds already but I love Kate Bingaman-Burt and her work so will go forth with this dusty (in internet years) announcement. I have written about her before but odds are most folks are already no stranger to her Obsessive Consumption work.

For those in the dark Bingaman-Burt has set aside time in each day (over the last FIVE years) to illustrate something she has purchased. This can be anything from a magazine to a haircut to a plane ticket. Up to now her drawings have been made into a regular zine but this month her hard work has paid off in the form of a published book. Yay her! And somehow she also finds the time to teach at Portland University as well as provide her talents to clients like ReadyMade Magazine, Newsweek, Microsoft, Handmade Nation, Photojojo, Poketo, Uppercase Magazine, Pinball Publishing (to name a few). She's kinda my hero.

LINKS:
[ Flickr ]
[ Obsessive Consumption ]
[ Kate Bingaman-Burt ]
[ Buy the Book ]

BONUS:

This is designer Frank Chimero's version of the book cover.

book club

One night my friends and I somehow got on the topic of reading books and how fun it would be to start a book club. My own rationale was maybe it would inspire me to finally revisit the written word and test my imagination, two things that sorely needed a kick-start.

I chose the first novel, which was Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon. I don't want to get into dissecting it here and now, because guess what... we have yet to have our meeting and I don't want to spoil anything. Someday... I have not given up hope. For some reason though I can not let an opportunity for a project pass me by and I managed to turn our club into a selfish venture, taking it upon myself to not only name our group but also make everyone bookmarks. Neither idea has really been acknowledged, which is ok; I often am more enthusiastic about my creative adventures than I should be.

I deemed us "Pulp Friction (Cool books for heated discussions)". And no, the book The Complete Book of Absolutely Perfect Housekeeping" (shown above) doesn't really qualify as a "cool book", I just like the cover.

Whatever ends up happening with our group I'm just proud that I remembered how to read and finished a whole book. I can't knock motivators for making things either. Now let's see if I have it in me to tackle another piece of pulp. Any recommendations?

goodbye j.d. salinger (1919-2010)

As everyone has probably heard by now writer J.D. Salinger has just passed away. Like many others I hold The Catcher in the Rye on a pedestal as it served as a unique and identifiable friend during my adolescent unglory years, and I am so thankful for that gift.

One of my favorite blogs, Words and Eggs, has a great post featuring several versions of the classic novel's cover.

what next? try the book seer

Ever finished a book and found yourself asking "what now?", jonesing for either an equally gratifying follow-up or a read to get the bad taste out of your brain? The Book Seer is the ticket. With a couple of quick entrees -- last (enjoyable) book and author's name -- the site sifts through a few other literary-based web offerings for some suggestions.

I tried Choke simply because it was the first thing to pop into my head. Amazon's picks were pretty pointless... more Chuck Palahniuk books, really? LibraryThing was a bit more diverse however. You can probably figure all of this out by simply cutting to the chase and starting at Amazon or LT, but getting caught up in the gimmick is definitely more fun.

[ via Internet Therapy ]