Comments for The Path of the Bookseller

Comment on The Garden of the Plynck by Jonathan McMillan

Jonathan McMillan — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:45:58 +0000

Amazing how, without even leaving our dens or bedrooms we can be reading something that Mr. Sturgeon achingly may never have been able to relocate. He possibly never even knew that Mrs. Baker was indeed a woman and named after an uncle who had pre-deceased her birth. In 1996, I contacted the head librarian at the Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas; who obtained written permission from the author’s daughter, Charlotte Baker Montgomery (who would’ve been in her mid-80’s) to photocopy the book for me. They also have a circulation copy that they can send anywhere in the world; rather, in “Zeelup,” as the widowed teacup would correct me.

Comment on Put a Fork in It by mary ann stein

mary ann stein — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 15:23:11 +0000

I’d like to read your MS. Congrats on finishing…that’s wonderful, Mr. Z.

Comment on Put a Fork in It by John Cowan

John Cowan — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 05:27:31 +0000

Apparently one now needs to send one’s MS to an agent^2, who can then shop it around to various agents, one of whom will take it and shop it around to various publishers. The trouble is that agent^2s don’t recognize themselves as such yet, so there are no listings for them.

And please do send me the PDF link!

Comment on Crowdsourcing the Subtitle by Joseph Zitt

Joseph Zitt — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:00:52 +0000

I like both suggestions. Steven’s is especially ringing well in my head. I think it might actually shift the book from the Humor or Sociology sections of a bookstore into somewhere in Business (Marketing?) which might not be a bad thing. It would fit well with books like “The Power of Small.”

Comment on Crowdsourcing the Subtitle by Steven Hart

Steven Hart — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:41:32 +0000

In colonial-era Philadelphia triplexes were called Trinity houses, and you can still see them all over the city — notably Elfreth’s Alley. They are essentially three stacked rooms, and rather small.

Since the theme of your book (I think) is using the impersonal sphere of commerce to make personal connections, your subtitle should reflect that. “Finding the personal in the profitable” is too glib. But like that.

Comment on Crowdsourcing the Subtitle by John Cowan

John Cowan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:02:36 +0000

Triplexes are common in Boston, and as far as I know that’s what they are called there.

Comment on Crowdsourcing the Subtitle by Casey L.

Casey L. — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:09:31 +0000

How about “Reflections and Ruminations From the Heart of a Consumer Nation”? It was either that or “Retailing the Tale”.

Comment on Fifteen Memorable Books by William

William — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:52:06 +0000

I read Dhalgren years back when I was in high school and I can still recall the mood it evoked. Must re-read it

Agreed on “Dying Inside” – one of my favs that I’ve re-read a few times.

I liked The Sparrow. Often I can see where a book is heading – not with this one.

Comment on Video: Reading, 15 August 2009. Cleveland Heights, OH by Tom Bickley

Tom Bickley — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 03:31:27 +0000

Great reading (of course)! Interesting (ambient) percussion accompaniment. Encore!

Comment on The Century of the Physical Musical Object by John Cowan

John Cowan — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:58:31 +0000

You can push that century back by quite a bit if you include printed mass-marketed sheet music. “Listen To The Mockingbird” (Winner/Milburn, 1855) was probably the #1 pop single of the second half of the 19th century, supposedly selling some 20 million copies, a quarter of them internationally. (Needless to say, this figure is not audited.) Nowadays it’s best remembered as the Three Stooges theme song.

And then there’s player-piano rolls, the direct ancestor of MIDI recordings.