Book fairing
Oooooh, pretty books...
The trip up was something of a hassle. I managed to miss both of my train connections. And also... ok, see, most of the time I'm not insistent on the old-fashioned courtesy door-holding stuff except in a fairly gender-neutral way -- we should all be holding doors for each other as needed, right? But yesterday, I was carrying a fairly heavy bag (it had books in it), and ... uh... I'm what you'd call quite visibly pregnant at this point. Yet when I stood up from the station bench to throw my trash away, a man in his 20s took my seat. The only open seat. I didn't say anything -- probably should have -- but honestly, what kind of asshat do you need to be to pull that little maneuver?!?
Anyway. I did get there in one piece, and eventually the L.C. made it through the traffic as well. We joined the shop proprietors for a party thrown by a prominent collector/friend of the shop and his wife, in their apartment which turns out to be one floor up from a floor owned in its entirety by Madonna. There were people there bragging about the real estate they owned in California and the people they knew who owned bigger and better real estate (John Travolta's name got dropped at one point), and people there comparing the recreational effects of Prozac and Valium. I hadn't quite processed that conversations like that happened in Real Life, outside of books and movies, but apparently they do. You could pretty much tell right away who there was a bookseller and who wasn't; unlike the aforementioned guests, the booksellers were scarfing up wine and shrimp with enthusiasm and talking about which cities have especially quirky museum/library holdings. I'm probably being unduly unkind, though -- everyone was friendly, at least, the food was wonderful and we had a good time overall. Also, one of this collector's weaknesses are books with bizarro titles, so his bathroom shelves are lined with amusements like Dildo Bay and How to Be Happy Even Though Married. Hee!
After the party we went back to the hotel -- which has been revamped since the last time I saw it, and now has a very modern Zen "tranquility" theme -- and put on "The Shakespeare Code" (ep. 2 of the new Doctor Who season). There were a few things I groaned at, but it was fun; I probably would have been *insane* about this particular episode in my original early days of fandom.
Today we got to wander around the fair. I had a very entertaining chat with the proprietor of Books of Wonder, who was a close friend of Trina Schart Hyman's before she passed away and has all kinds of fun stories about her. He's also got some gorgeous pieces of her original art, plus a near-perfect signed first edition (not the anniversary reissue) of her Sleeping Beauty that I very nearly cried over. I have instruments that need buying with that money, though!
Other things we saw at the fair: A 1469 fencing manual with hand-colored illustrations at Jorn Gunther Antiquariat (although he doesn't have that particular work described online, boo!). One of only two known copies of the first American edition of Phantom of the Opera in dustjacket at Between the Covers (that link goes directly to their 3-D view of the book, so go look if you want to admire their spiffy web tech or gulp over the price on that sucker). A first-edition Lovecraft Beyond the Wall of Sleep in lovely condition ($3500 -- sorry, rdansky, I would've if I could). The usual scattering of stunning Sangorski & Sutcliffe bindings set with gemstones and more gilt stamping than you can shake a stick at; also the usual array of drool-worthy illuminated manuscripts and individual leaves (although Les Enluminures wasn't there this year).
If you didn't make it there today, you can still go tomorrow! Tickets are $20, but if you like books, it's more than worth it.
The trip up was something of a hassle. I managed to miss both of my train connections. And also... ok, see, most of the time I'm not insistent on the old-fashioned courtesy door-holding stuff except in a fairly gender-neutral way -- we should all be holding doors for each other as needed, right? But yesterday, I was carrying a fairly heavy bag (it had books in it), and ... uh... I'm what you'd call quite visibly pregnant at this point. Yet when I stood up from the station bench to throw my trash away, a man in his 20s took my seat. The only open seat. I didn't say anything -- probably should have -- but honestly, what kind of asshat do you need to be to pull that little maneuver?!?
Anyway. I did get there in one piece, and eventually the L.C. made it through the traffic as well. We joined the shop proprietors for a party thrown by a prominent collector/friend of the shop and his wife, in their apartment which turns out to be one floor up from a floor owned in its entirety by Madonna. There were people there bragging about the real estate they owned in California and the people they knew who owned bigger and better real estate (John Travolta's name got dropped at one point), and people there comparing the recreational effects of Prozac and Valium. I hadn't quite processed that conversations like that happened in Real Life, outside of books and movies, but apparently they do. You could pretty much tell right away who there was a bookseller and who wasn't; unlike the aforementioned guests, the booksellers were scarfing up wine and shrimp with enthusiasm and talking about which cities have especially quirky museum/library holdings. I'm probably being unduly unkind, though -- everyone was friendly, at least, the food was wonderful and we had a good time overall. Also, one of this collector's weaknesses are books with bizarro titles, so his bathroom shelves are lined with amusements like Dildo Bay and How to Be Happy Even Though Married. Hee!
After the party we went back to the hotel -- which has been revamped since the last time I saw it, and now has a very modern Zen "tranquility" theme -- and put on "The Shakespeare Code" (ep. 2 of the new Doctor Who season). There were a few things I groaned at, but it was fun; I probably would have been *insane* about this particular episode in my original early days of fandom.
Today we got to wander around the fair. I had a very entertaining chat with the proprietor of Books of Wonder, who was a close friend of Trina Schart Hyman's before she passed away and has all kinds of fun stories about her. He's also got some gorgeous pieces of her original art, plus a near-perfect signed first edition (not the anniversary reissue) of her Sleeping Beauty that I very nearly cried over. I have instruments that need buying with that money, though!
Other things we saw at the fair: A 1469 fencing manual with hand-colored illustrations at Jorn Gunther Antiquariat (although he doesn't have that particular work described online, boo!). One of only two known copies of the first American edition of Phantom of the Opera in dustjacket at Between the Covers (that link goes directly to their 3-D view of the book, so go look if you want to admire their spiffy web tech or gulp over the price on that sucker). A first-edition Lovecraft Beyond the Wall of Sleep in lovely condition ($3500 -- sorry, rdansky, I would've if I could). The usual scattering of stunning Sangorski & Sutcliffe bindings set with gemstones and more gilt stamping than you can shake a stick at; also the usual array of drool-worthy illuminated manuscripts and individual leaves (although Les Enluminures wasn't there this year).
If you didn't make it there today, you can still go tomorrow! Tickets are $20, but if you like books, it's more than worth it.