Publications Received
BY THE PAMPHLETEER

On this page we will be posting reviews of publications received by The Pamphleteer. If you would like your work considered for review, please send a copy to:

The Pamphleteer
Post Office Box 10145
Berkeley, Calif. 94709

From The Pamphleteer of Wednesday, 22 April 2009

Alice’s Adventures in Jurisprudencia, by Peter F. Sloss, with illustrations by Sally Richardson. (Borogove Press, 1982) Attorney and arts patron Peter Sloss penned this fun and instructional spoof on Lewis Carroll’s phantasmagory Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There. In it, a modern-day Alice, now a young adult, is unwinding after a long day at her lawyer’s office. She drifts off in front of the television and finds herself in Jurisprudencia, a nonsensical world where only pedantic lawyers and judges can interpret reality. Sloss took his inspiration from a quote from California Chief Justice Roger Traynor, who in a 1968 case stated, “If words had absolute and constant referents, it might be possible to discover contractual intention in the words themselves and in the manner in which they were arranged. Words, however, do not have absolute and constant referents.” This struck Sloss as very much akin to Humpty Dumpty’s sentiment in Through the Looking Glass: “‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.’ ‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’ ‘The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master—that’s all.’” A cast of strangely familiar characters—Chief Justice Dumpty, the White Knight, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, and the Mad Hatter among them—tolerate Alice’s perfectly reasonable confusion and questions about topics including deeds, wills, and contractual law. Richardson’s whimsical line illustrations combine homage to Tenniel with the trappings of the courtroom. A list of referenced court cases at the back of the book shows how entrenched this fantasy is in fact, and made me both curious to learn more and content not to have any more dealings with the courts than I already do. Dig off perfect, 88pp. $4.95. Source: Publisher. Contact: Borogove Press, c/o Hillary Sloss, 58 Locust Avenue, Mill Valley, Calif. 94941.

The Ancient Ploughman, or, The Fate of All Things Living, by Titus Lucretius Carus. (Two Fine Chaps, 2007) Taking its text from a passage from the second book of Lucretius’ first-century BCE work De Rerum Natura, this exceedingly handsome pamphlet showcases, in two pastoral landscapes portioned among six panels, the careful and detailed pen-and-ink work of Thomas Biby and Jonathan Fetter-Vorm. Messrs B and F-V are the eponymous Two Fine Chaps who published this timeless rumination on the origins of life, the nature of growth, of decay, of food’s role in it all, and mankind’s inevitable short-sightedness when looking both forward and back. Their drawings echo Renaissance-era interpretations of Lucretius, but include Depression-era American imagery. The booklet was printed at Peter Koch’s press in Berkeley. I picked up my copy (34 in an edition of 200) a few years ago at the Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco, where I was drawn to the quality of its production, its revival of old text and sentiments, and the amiability of the Fine Chap representing himself at the table. Narrow-letter letterpress, 16pp. incl. center fold-out. $25. Source: Publisher. Contact: Two Fine Chaps, 240 Klamath Street, Brisbane, Calif. 94005. Also online at the well-made TwoFineChaps.com.

Another Agriculture, by Scott MacLeod. (Serious Projects, 2008) The narrators in Bay Area artist Scott MacLeod’s poems reflect on landscape, disaster, war, and the murkiness of human relationships. In addition to this small volume’s single-page verses, Another Agriculture includes the text from MacLeod and Jim DiStefano’s “Arsondale,” a performance on the theme of a flood catastrophe, from 1985. 16mo off perfect, 62pp. $6.50. Source: Publisher. Contact: Scott MacLeod, 884 Aileen Street, Oakland, Calif. 94608. Scott also offers this and other publications (many are available as free downloads) online at stores.lulu.com/seriousprojects.

At Different Hours, by Carla Bertola. (Luna Bisonte Prods, 2007) The verse-based works of Italian-born poet Bertola could be found in small magazines throughout the 1960s and ’70s, her style moving to visual collage and pen-and-ink works in the ’80s. At Different Hours prints a collection of the latter sort of poems, which are reminiscent of calligraphy exercises, children’s activity books, Xerox experiments, and typewriter tricks predicting the later ASCII art movement. As such, this collection could provide inspiration to writers and visual artists alike. Dig inkjet/xer saddle-stitched 44pp. No price listed. Source: Publisher. Contact: John M. Bennett, Luna Bisonte Prods, 137 Leland Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43214.

Counterfeiting, Stealing, and Cultural Plundering (A Manual for Applied Ethnomusicologists), by Hank Bradley (Mill Gulch Music, 1989) Written in a lively and witty style, Counterfeiting… is full of piercing observations about the conflicted motives of academics, folklorists, and the extant members of otherwise vanished tribes who resuscitate their ancestors’ evaporated musical styles. Bradley sets the tone early on, stating that “for a folk music to flourish and continue it must be a functional part of the lives of youngsters still coping with their gonads, so that in their elderly days the music summons memories far more urgent than the name of a bowing pattern. Neither should their grandchildren require the encouragement of grant eligibility to learn that bowing pattern.” The tract is divided into individual articles on “cultural plundering” (the impossible conceit that someone from outside the village—whether in darkest Africa or the wrong side of the tracks in Kentucky—can capture in a handful of tunes a culture that has taken centuries of custom, climate, and cultivation to create), “stealing” (the art of playing by ear, recapturing the vitality stripped away by recordings and other modern conveniences, and teaching without sheet music), and “counterfeiting” (a range of talents including improvisation, parody, and the creation of entirely new contributions to the musician’s beloved idiom, including notes on how and when to fool “the Authorities”). The booklet closes with a dozen of Bradley’s own musical inventions, several written with the idea that the player can decide where to begin or end the tune, “since the composer is seemingly reluctant to stop and writes them to chase their own tail.” A joy to read, thanks to Bradley’s obvious love of music as well as the strivings toward authenticity of his fellow ethnomusicologists. Digest off spiral 48pp. $8.00 used. Source: Bookbuyers, 600 Lighthouse Avenue, Monterey, Calif. 93940. Contact: Hank Bradley, 8033 14th Ave. NE, Seattle, Wash. 98115.

Orbis Nex: In Memoriam, by Patricia Cram. (2009) Some people know how to throw a house party. Others forgo this in exchange for creating a world unto itself. During their nearly five-years’ residency at Orbis Nex, a warehouse loft in Oakland, California, Patricia Cram and Company perfected the latter approach. Within their bona-fide industrial home, these artists combined concrete, steel, leather, gauze, candlelight, amplification, and a revolving cast of bootleggers, dancers, musicians, magicians, and shape-shifters to burn down all notions of what a social gathering could be and raise something stupendous and magical from the ashes. Aside from the parties, Orbis Nex also hosted meetings, classes, and the “Blood & Ink” series of writing nights. Cram, who publishes the deliciously dark magazine Vial, was a genius at providing each gathering with an evocative theme and title, e.g. “Venusian Bacchanalia,” “Okultura,” and the monthly “Katanexus.” I had the honor of attending a handful of such evenings at Orbis Nex, and found them to be the absolute coziest time one could have while wearing too much eyeliner. So when I received a cryptic message of Orbis Nex’s impending closing (something to do with tenant-landlord relations) a few months ago, I knew that it was the end of an era. Obviously, Cram felt this way too, memorializing the space’s demise with a final party, titled “Obsequium Funeris,” and the publication of a 57-copy run of hardcover books — copper ink on black pages — commemorating the parties, potions, and people that made it all possible. The opening pages (labeled “Rites”) list selected gatherings, followed by chapters on “Elixirs” (an invaluable grimoire of intoxicants from the bar) and “Elements” (a playlist of favorite albums and songs from the evenings). Interspersed are eight pages of color photographs of performances and event flyer reproductions. Patricia includes a short essay reflecting on her time at Orbis Nex, then ends the book with a roll-call of the people and organizations instrumental to the space’s success. Along with my copy of …In Memoriam, I picked up one of Cram’s homemade wormwood tinctures, so that even as the embers of Orbis Nex fade, I can still put a little fire in my belly until the next manifestation, elsewhere, of this dark jewel of a world. Digest off case-bound book, 20pp. $30. Source: Publisher. Contact: Patricia Cram, P.O. Box 225124, San Francisco, Calif. 94122. Inquire regarding availability before ordering at omen@disinfo.net.

The Poppy Seed Programme, by Nance Klehm and Michael Hilde. (2009) I discovered the existence of this slight and sweet pamphlet through the Arthur Magazine website. Arthur could be characterized as a stateside publication echoing the pastoral and pleasingly esoteric vibration last heard from the Ptolemaic Terrascope, itself reminiscent of 1960s-era publications such as ZigZag. Arthur goes further afield, literally, reporting on homesteading and self-sufficiency as often as it talks about music. The Poppy Seed Programme is a keepsake from the First Poppy Seed See-in, a gathering for people interested in learning about sowing the acre’s worth of poppy seeds contained within the pamphlet. Between opening pages of Hilde’s pen-and-ink illustration and a closing page advertising Arthurdesh, a benefit concert and reading for the ailing Arthur (which ceased physical publication recently and now conveys all its messages online), the center spread is given over to seed collector Klehm’s philosophical history of the poppy and the aforementioned packet of bona-fide seeds, with instructions on planting and growing the legend-laden flowers. The entire pamphlet is hand-drawn and lettered by Hilde in a style strongly recalling Alicia Bay Laurel’s Living on the Earth, with drawings of hairy nudes staring off into the middle distance, lush trees, pyramids, and giant flowers standing haplessly nearby. And like Living..., the Programme encourages a reconnection with the natural world through a simple act (scratching the surface of the earth, dropping a few seeds here, a few there), with Mother Nature taking care of the rest. I found myself wishing that Klehm and Hilde’s values had extended beyond the nice sentiment and fine artwork to the production of the booklet itself, perhaps using natural fiber paper, a larger format, and (at least in the instance of my copy) staples that hit the fold. There is so much talent and love among the artists and musicians involved with these various projects that despite this nice manifestation, I know they can do better. Half-digest xer saddle-stitched pamphlet, 8pp. with tipped-in baggie of poppy seeds. $6 (distributed free at the See-in). Source: Jay Babcock. Contact: Arthur Magazine, Attn: Jay Babcock, 2037 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, Penn. 19125, or editor@arthurmag.com. Also available: An Arthurdesh promotional poster by Arik Roper: A3 silkscreen broadside. $5.

Portable Writing Desks, by David Harris. (Shire Publications, 2001) Harris gives a well-researched history of these idiosyncratic objects of epistolary paraphernalia. Portable writing desks were first used by the clergy in the 16th century, the desks’ popularity growing among the rich and fashionable as the centuries passed. Many were custom built for their owners, and collectors today rarely find identical specimens. Color photographs of the desks decorate every page of the pamphlet, and reprints of maker’s labels and advertisements are printed throughout. Shire Publications offers a free catalog of their pamphlets, just ask. A5 off saddle-stitched, 40pp. £4.50. Source: Living History Farms, Urbandale, Iowa. Contact: Shire Publications, Cromwell House, Church Street, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire HP27 9AA, England.

The Rambling Urchin ns.21 and 23, by Alan Brignull. (The Hedgehog Press, 2008) Suspected Anarcrisp sympathizer Brignull prints this series of pithy postcards safe within the confines of his self-made Perfect State of Flatby. In aesthetics and content, The Rambling Urchin echoes The Cunningham Amendment with sometimes goofy, sometime poignant reflections on modern life. Issue 21 is given over to a size comparison of the shilling to the Euro (with the coins themselves pressed into service as type) and some witty quotes, including the unattributed “Beneath each free-flying balloon there stands a screaming child.” A6 letterpress broadside. No price listed. Source: Peter Good. Contact: The Hedgehog Press, 33 Heath Road, Wivenhoe, Colchester, Essex C07 9PU, England.

Walks in the Rhubarb Triangle, by Richard Bell, with recipes by Barbara Bell. (Willow Island Editions, 2009) Bell continues his contributions to the quintessentially British pastime of countryside rambling in this delightful new booklet. Inspired by some sketches he made following an unexpected car breakdown in “The Rhubarb Triangle” between Wakefield, Leeds, and Bradford, he collects herein nine circular walks that afford ramblers glimpses into the political, spiritual, botanical, and etymological past of the area. Educational comic strips detail the lives of some of the Rhubarb Triangle’s more colorful characters, as well as the history of the tasty crop from which the region takes its name. Throughout the pamphlet, Bell imparts several tidbits of advice for walkers about how to minimize environmental impact to the routes. Walks marks Bell’s first strides into the realm of full-color production, and the move has allowed him to intersperse helpful color photographs and sketches, which can now convey more subtleties of the local flora and stone. The inclusion of color also allows for more useful detail in the maps, always my favorite parts of a Willow Island booklet. A close second to the maps this time around is the selection of Richard’s wife Barbara’s mouthwatering recipes, which had me stealing longing glances at my own rhubarb bush from my reading perch on the bench in the Bonita Hollow veggie patch. (Notes from Richard, from a letter he sent with the pamphlet: “I think I told you that I was working on Walks. It took me longer than I expected and even after nine months it still took a couple of late night sessions to get it off to the printers in time for last week’s Rhubarb Festival where we sold 180 copies at various events—a huge number for one of my local books. I’m only sorry that I can’t enclose a sample of Barbara’s rhubarb cheesecake which proved popular at the book launch at Rickaro Bookshop in Horbury on Saturday. I like the colourful Rhubarb format so much that I’m adapting it for a Sherlock Holmes project that I attempted—but didn’t finish—in black & white some years ago. Wonder if I can get it in print in time for Conan Doyle’s 150th anniversary in May?!”) 8vo off saddle-stitched pamphlet, 32pp. £2.99. Source: Publisher. Contact: Richard Bell, Willow Island Editions, 41 Water Lane, Middlestown, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 4PX, England.

From The Pamphleteer of Wednesday, 19 November 2008

Pamphleteer and artist John M. Bennett was largely unknown to me until recently, the only samples of his work I’d seen filtered to me through the mail by the prolific performance and assemblage artist Scott MacLeod. With the launch of The Pamphleteer, however, MacLeod and Bennett himself have taken to sending me packets of his works, which he publishes under the banner of Luna Bisonte Prods. Bennett is a lover of the abstract, happenstance, and cheerful collaboration between artists (often via post). Here is a round-up of most of the Luna Bisonte publications I’ve received this year, grouped by style for those who may be drawn to these eclectic works, which reward repeated reads. To order yours, contact John M. Bennett, Luna Bisonte Prods, 137 Leland Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43214.

binga / foco / OFF / uc, by J.M.B. (2007–2008) It took a bit of sorting for me to make any semblance of order of the largest package of pamphlets I received from Bennett, but once I did, I got a better sense of what his work is about. Bennett is a poet, collage artist, and inveterate collaborator (see review of The Chapters in the 24 Nov 2007 issue of The Pamphleteer). With binga, et al, he performs some Dadaist poetry. Each uncut page in these tiny zines contains a word or phrase, seemingly nonsensical, perhaps in code. For example, the entire text of binga consists of “binga,” “trodna,” “flamder,” craempt,” “chadowk gloonk,” “andat,” “slallow,” and “glaw.” Each pamphlet is a bit different in the types of words selected, and as a group this set of four (five with srunt, reviewed below) offers much more than the sum of its parts. Half-dig xer saddle-stitched, 8pp. uncut. No price listed. Source: Publisher.

Dot Dog / @chab, by J.M.B. and Andrew Topel. (2007–2008) Bennett and Topel present beautiful and strange assemblages of text (typed, rubber-stamped, and calligraphed), line, and spray paint. Dot Dog is consistent throughout, with page after page of what might be portraits (of people? of dogs?). @chab includes some typed cut-and-paste constructions arranged to hint at three-dimensional geometry, as well as some gibberish poetry that might appeal to fans of Captain Beefheart. Dig color xer / screenprinted saddle-stitched 12/24pp. No prices listed. Source: Publisher.

Ha / A Teak Retardant, by J.M.B., et al. (Luna Bisonte Prods/Avantacular Press, 2007–2008) Bennett collaborates with Rea Nikonova, Serge Segay, and Solamito Luigino in Ha, a brief and bold collection of collages made of paint, rubber stamp, typography, and calligraphy. A Teak Retardant brings together Bennett, Jim Leftwich, and Andrew Topel for similar experiments. The color printing of Ha lends an air of life to the proceedings, while Teak’s stark black-and-white Xerox production gives it a more menacing tone. Dig color and b&w xer saddle-stitched, 8/44pp. No prices listed. Source: Publisher. A Teak Retardant is co-published with Avantacular Press, 1018 Grove, No.17, Jacksonville, Ill. 62650.

Historietas Alfabéticas / Huff Hacks / The Peel Peeled, by J.M.B., et al. (2003–2007) Historietas Alfabéticas is an abecedarian procession of tiny poems that give a literary effect akin to listening to someone speak as you clap your hands quickly over your ears. Each verse is accompanied by a large rubber-stamped letter smeared aside it as if the letter were falling off the edge of a cliff. Huff Hacks is a compilation of Blaster Al Ackerman’s “hacks,” or edits, of poems from Bennett’s 2006 book Cantar del Huff. Without access to the original work, I can’t say what’s been preserved and what’s been changed, although the poetry seems Bennett-esque even after whatever work has been done on it. Ackerman’s play with words continues into the bibliographical information at the conclusion of each poem, rendering speculation the only avenue for the reader. The Peel Peeled presents a Bennett-penned stream-of-consciousness poem full of half-images. Bennett provides a parallel translation of the poem into Spanish, Carlos Henderson offering in a third column the French. Dig color and b&w xer 16/50/24pp. No prices listed. Source: Publisher.

srunt / FRsrunt, by J.M.B./Scott MacLeod. (Luna Bisonte Prods/Scott MacLeod 2007–2008) Subtitled “Sotto Globbolalia,” srunt follows the format of binga, et al (see review above), and as such could be experienced alongside those pamphlets. MacLeod’s hack on the original complicates matters with photographs of animals and clipped poetry, some of it gleefully nonsensical even before it was cut up. Half-dig xer saddle-stitched, 8pp. uncut. No price listed. Source: Publisher. FRsrunt available from Scott MacLeod, 884 Aileen Street, Oakland, Calif. 94608. (MacLeod also included an untitled 2008 hack on an 8-page Bennett digest pamphlet printed on purple paper and composed of Burroughs-style fishbowl poetry, frenetic calligraphy, and delicate clip art. Somehow I ended up with an extra copy of this, as well as an extra FRsrunt, so if anyone is interested, please write and I’ll send the extras to you.)

Here are my thoughts on the works of two publishers dedicated to preserving very different sorts of vintage material—classic illustration and classic rock.

The Vadeboncoeur Collection of Images n.10 / Black & White Images n.4, edited by Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. (JVJ Publishing, 2008) Anyone who has ever bought a classic book not to read but just to pore over lavish illustrations should order as many back issues of Jim Vadeboncoeur’s publications as they can afford. Each edition of The Vadeboncoeur Collection of Images brilliantly reproduces paintings from illustrators such as Arthur Rackham, John Bauer, Howard Pyle, and Edmund Dulac, all with stunning color and detail, which is preserved even when Vadeboncoeur increases the size of the original print. Up until this issue, Images has been printed as a tall 4to, but this time around the magazine is produced in “landscape” format to showcase paintings better served by a wide presentation. The introduction and back pages of each issue include notes regarding the technical, personal, and business aspects of the project, all of which can be relevant and informative for other human-scale publishers. The final page also features a catalog and some words championing the publishing efforts of Vadeboncoeur’s peers, including Sunday Press (the publishers of that incredible oversize Little Nemo in Slumberland volume from a few years back) and Bud Plant.

Black & White is the line-art and grayscale companion to Images. As usual, this issue devotes a number of pages to the work of more than two dozen illustrators from the turn of the century, each artist distinct from the next but all displaying life and emotion in their drawings. The pictures are coupled with their original captions and remarks from Vadeboncoeur about their provenance. With this issue, Black & White reprints the first several pages of Herbert Railton’s The Haunted House, which features not only Railton’s illustrations but his own calligraphy and illumination. Vadeboncoeur discusses his own image restoration technique in the opening essay, touching on how he strives to bring out the most of what he assumes was the artist’s original intention. It’s so easy for me to get lost in these exquisite publications. The Vadeboncoeur Collection of Images n.10: 4to off saddle-stitched, 40pp. $25. Subscriptions: 2/$45, 4/$85. Lifetime subscriptions available. Black & White Images n.4: 4to off perfect, 106pp. $25. Source: Publisher. Contact: JVJ Publishing, 3809 Laguna Ave., Palo Alto, Calif. 94306.

Terrapin (The Magazines of the Syd Barrett Appreciation Society), compiled by Rick Salsman. (2006) Before the advent of the internet, it was more common for psychedelic rock & roll fans to achieve the exquisite joy of stumbling across a rare artifact from or about a favorite band or artist. If you know what I’m talking about, and if your particular jones is for original Pink Floyd vocalist Syd Barrett, then you’re in unparalleled company with Rick Salsman. Barrett passed away in 2006, and as a tribute to his hero, Salsman gathered up his collection of the incredibly rare Syd fanzine Terrapin (first published by John Steele, Lawrence Himelfield, Nigel John, Bernard White, et al, 1972–1975) and brought them back into print in a single volume. In doing so, Salsman defeated the space-time continuum and gave fans a way to take part in a piece of rock history they might have missed otherwise. A fanzine in every sense of the word, the individual issues of Terrapin included photos, poems, news clippings, speculations, interviews, lyric reprints, groovy illustrations, and news items even though there was precious little to report. (Barrett recorded nothing after 1970.) The editors maintain a correspondence with Soft Machine bassist Kevin Ayers about his work with Barrett. Aside from its value as a resource for hard-to-find information and interviews, the collection offers readers today a peek at the reality of pre–internet fandom that foreshadows the coming of blogs and message boards, complete with flame wars. Salsman sells the hardcover anthology exclusively online using the print-on-demand services of Lulu.com. My standards haven’t been particularly high for print-on-demand services, but I was chuffed to see that Lulu did as well as they did with Terrapin. The largest shortcomings in the book’s production are the low resolution of the scans Salsman submitted, the lack of print on the front cover itself (although there is some on the spine, and the dustjacket is nice), and some unfortunate accidental printing on the end pages. That said, Lulu has done the best I’ve ever seen from a print-on-demand company, so I may reprint a collection of some of my own zines through them. 8vo off casebound, 272pp. $22.96. Also available in library ($21.96) and perfect ($12.48) editions, as well as a PDF download ($2.50). Salsman is not the copyright holder of this out-of-print material and as such has set the retail price at the exact price of production. Source: Publisher. Contact: Lulu.com.

From The Pamphleteer of Sunday, 16 March 2008

The Chapters 1980–2001, by Robin Crozier and John M. Bennett. (Luna Bisonte Prods, 2002) For 21 years, mail artists Crozier and Bennett collaborated on a series of poems, each person adding one line to the page before sending the poem back. When the page was full, the “chapter” was finished. This booklet collects the 25 chapters of the project, which was deemed complete upon the death of Crozier in December 2001. The stream-of-consciousness results get more interesting around chapter 10, when the typeset poems give way to exquisite corpse–style handwriting and, eventually, rows of hieroglyphs, mirrored letterings of the previous line, and doodles. Digest xer saddle-stitched pamphlet, 28pp. No price listed. Source: Scott MacLeod. Contact: Luna Bisonte Prods, 137 Leland Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43214.

Clip Tart n.5, by Susan Boren. This annual publication collects clippings, collages, and quotes from a variety of sources, the results leaning toward media dissection and explorations of the occult, fantasy art, and old-school Dungeons & Dragons. Each page is a wild work of art unto itself, although a string of quotes from Dr. Seuss, Philip K. Dick, Hawthorne, Camus, and Black Elk, among many others, runs through the magazine and gives an appropriately jittery sense of continuity. This issue includes a helpful U.S. postage rates chart, something that could well become a tradition for Clip Tart, as it sounds like rates will be going up each year. Letter color & b&w xer saddle-stitched pamphlet, 44pp. No price listed, but open to trades. Source: Publisher. Contact: Susan Boren, P.O. Box 66512, Austin, Texas 78766.

The Cunningham Amendment v.10, n.1, by Doreen Frampton, et al. (R Supward Press, 2008) This occasional bulletin from West Yorkshire serves to remind readers of their own inherent freedoms from corporations, governments, and ideologies (the lot of them being dubbed the “non-fool world”), and of the responsibility toward each other and the earth that comes with such liberty. Those living such a life are identified by The Cunningham Amendment as “anarcrisps,” defined simply as “nice anarchists.” All of this is served straight from the tap in a gorgeously produced letterpress package of bite-sized aphorisms, charming vignettes, and visual and typographical puns. These same articles offer regular glimpses of the violence and crushing repression inherent to organizations, just to keep readers on their toes. Highly recommended and a great influence on what happens here at Wonderella. A5 color letterpress with tip-ins, 26pp. Send cash, stamps, or equivalent for your copy. 42p for anarcrisps, £1 for regular anarchists, £2 at book fairs. Open to trades. Source: Publisher. Contact: The TCA, 1005 Huddersfield Road, Bradford BD12 8LP, West Yorkshire, England.

The Duplex Planet n.180, by David B. Greenberger. (Duplex Planet, 2007) Greenberger has been collecting and printing brief interviews with elderly nursing home residents since 1979. Each issue has a theme that anyone could have an opinion on, such as coffee (n.104), trouble (n.178), or outer space (n.91). This time, Greenberger asks East L.A. residents about music and, in the last few pages, about their experiences living in California. Interspersed throughout are photographs of some of the subjects and what looks to be garage bands of the ’60s and ’70s rehearsing and performing. Digest xer saddle-stitched pamphlet, 16pp. $12 for six issues (USA) or five issues (Canada), back issues available. Source: Publisher. Contact: Duplex Planet, P.O. Box 1230, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866, online at http://www.duplexplanet.com.

Fanzine Fanatique, by Keith and Rosemary Walker (2007) This chatty newsletter gives concise reviews of nearly three dozen publications, with an emphasis on those pertaining to sci-fi fandom, mail art, poetry, and spirituality. Readers get to know Keith and Rosemary via the asides sprinkled throughout the reviews. A4 inkjet loose, 4pp. No price listed, open to trades. Source: Publisher. Contact: Fanzine Fanatique, 6, Vine Street, Lancaster, LA1 4UF, England.

Fasting for Regeneration (The Short Cut), by Julia Seton, M.D. (Health Research, c. 1920) This curious 1988 reprint delves into the practice of transforming the self, alchemically, through the practice of fasting. Health, wealth, love, and usefulness are the promised outcomes once control is gained over one’s body, thoughts, emotions, and higher self. It’s a wonderful mix of science and spirituality from one of the golden eras of esoteric pamphleteering. My tea-stained copy bears binder clip marks and dog-eared pages, so I must assume that someone out there has tried this. Digest xer and spiral-bound book facsimile, 84pp. + 20pp. of advertisements for other publications. No price listed. Source: Scott MacLeod. Contact: Health Research Books, P.O. Box 850, Pomeroy, Wash. 99347. Hundreds of occult titles are listed online at healthresearchbooks.com.

The Complete Gandalf’s Garden, by Muz Murray, et al. (2007) Published in the basement of the King’s Road shop of the same name, Gandalf’s Garden chronicled the flower-power scene of late ’60s London. The “mystical scene magazine” concentrated on the spiritual aspect of hippie life, and served to connect people in London and around the world who were looking for an alternative to the dreary and destructive realities of industrialization, war, or even the darker aspects of the “turned-on” life. Murray & Company produced six issues of the Garden, all of which are highly sought after by collectors. This CD-ROM includes quality scans of every page from the series, as well as photos from the shop, recollections from the many “gardeners” on staff, and reviews of the magazine from back in the day. I’ve got a few prized copies of the printed magazines, and while nothing can beat holding them in one’s hands, this collection gives me much of the same thrill. CD-ROM. £14.99. Source: Publisher. Contact: Muz Murray (Gandalf’s Garden), 179 Montée du Levant, 30820 Caveirac, France, online at www.mantra-yoga.com.

The Lay of Fraya Wray, by Michael Basinski. (Xtant Books, 2001) This collection of poetry claims to be at least as old as the lost 1928 film documenting its creation, even though several of the pieces examine Fay Wray’s work in another film, King Kong, which premiered five years later. Other topics include insects, witches, and Egyptian mythology. Each poem includes notes and commentary for particular lines and for the poem as a whole. The Lay is meant to be read aloud as a performance, although warnings are given against doing so during certain months of the year, or without first appeasing the gods. Letter xer velobound pamphlet, 18pp. No price listed. Source: Scott MacLeod. Contact: Xtant Books, c/o Jim Leftwich, 1512 Mountainside Court, Charlottesville, Va. 22903.

Lovecraft’s Library: A Catalogue (Revised & Enlarged), by S.T. Joshi. (Hippocampus Press, 2002) Late in life, Howard Phillips Lovecraft prepared a list of “Weird &c. Items in Library of H.P. Lovecraft, for the benefit of distant members of the ‘weird fiction gang’ who wish to borrow spectral volumes not obtainable in their home-town bibliothecae.” This volume systematically lists not only these, but nearly 800 other works from his bookcase on topics such as fiction, poetry, history. Although Joshi claims the bibliography to be far from complete, this book still serves as a gateway into the mind of one of the world’s most unique and influential storytellers. Digest off perfect, 176pp. $15. Source: Angelo Sphere and Melissa Miller. Contact: Hippocampus Press, P.O. Box 641, New York, New York 10156.

Normal Antlers, by Geezer. (2001) This rumination on the sporting life combines a series of photographs and line drawings about hunting and fishing with captions of varying relevance. A small piece of paper illustrating how to make a backpack out of a pair of pants or a flour sack was sewn, with red thread, into the center spread of my copy. The booklet reminded me of Crispin Glover’s incongruous photos and captions in What It Is, and How It Is Done, only with less continuity. Digest xer saddle-stitched pamphlet, 8pp. No price listed. Source: Scott MacLeod. No contact information listed.

The Poetry and Meaning of Fairy Tales, by Rudolf Steiner. (Mercury Press, 1989) Of the 6,000 lectures Austrian esotericist Rudolf Steiner delivered during his lifetime—on topics as diverse as education, agriculture, medicine, and religion—two were about the nature of fairy tales. Translated and transcribed in this booklet, the talks outline Steiner’s sense of the prehistoric origin of the stories, some insights into their archetypal meaning, and how children respond to the tales when told by adults with this same understanding. Recommended to readers interested in an iconoclastic look at these timeless stories, as well as people attracted to Rosicrucian thought, earth religions, and symbolism. A5 off saddle-stitched pamphlet, 54pp. $4.50 used. Source: St. George Book Service, Inc., P.O. Box 225, Spring Valley, New York 10977. Contact: Mercury Press, Fellowship Community, 241 Hungry Hollow Road, Chestnut Ridge, New York 10977.

The Rag-time Ephemeralist n.3, by Chris Ware, editor, et al. (The Acme Novelty & Co., 2002) Refreshingly dispensing with its publisher’s tendency toward crushing nihilism, this volume of engaging scholarly essays, photos, press clippings, and sheet music reproductions approaches the subject of ragtime music with as much obsessive zeal as Chris Ware puts into drawing and lettering the panels of his Acme Novelty Library comic books. Contributors Nan Bostick and Nora Hulse, for instance, include more than 300 entries in their directory of “Ragtime’s Women Composers.” Among the other articles are a history of the trombone in ragtime and a fiction story by Seth Kallen Deitch, with illustrations by his brother Kim. 8vo off perfect, 256pp. $20. Source: Analog Books, 1816 Euclid Ave., Berkeley, Calif. 94709. Contact: The Acme Novelty & Co., P.O. Box 3626, Oak Park, Ill. 60303.

Repetitions (A Collection of Proletarian Pleasures Ranging from Rodent Worship to Ethical Relativism Appended with a Critique of Unicursal Reason), by Stewart Home. (Sabotage Editions, 1999) Artist, writer, filmmaker, and activist Home staples together a mischmasch of articles, correspondences, and rejected book introductions on topics such as media prankdom, sexual experimentation, philosophy, art criticism, and the nature of the writing life. Among the offerings is Home’s account of what happened when he started showing people his take on the NHS donor card—in addition to offering his internal organs post mortem, Home also gives himself freely to any necrophiles who may be transporting him to the morgue. A5 xer saddle-stitched pamphlet, 32pp. £3. Source: Scott MacLeod. Contact: Sabotage Editions, BM Senior, London WC1N 3XX, England.

Tea-Cup Reading and the Art of Fortune-Telling by Tea-Leaves, by A Highland Seer. (Health Research, 1968) Another reprint similar in form to Fasting for Regeneration (see entry). This booklet dips into the science and symbolism of tea-leaf reading which, as the author states, offers the practiced oracle a glimpse at what may come to pass in the next 24 hours. Advice is given on the best tea and cups for fortune-telling, and readers learn the mental, physical, and observational processes necessary for a good read. A list of symbols and their meanings—as well as a series of example drawings of tea-leaf configurations—put this pastime within reach of the most serious or playful clairvoyant. Includes an additional chapter on omens. (“Think of a wish first, and then count your fruit stones or pips. If the number is even, the omen is good. If odd, the reverse is the case.”) Digest xer and spiral-bound book facsimile, 94pp. + 8pp. of advertisements for other publications. $4 used. Source: Scott MacLeod. Contact: Health Research Books, P.O. Box 850, Pomeroy, Wash. 99347, online at healthresearchbooks.com.

Tyr n.3, by Joshua Buckley and Michael Moynihan (editors), et al. (Ultra, 2008) Following a few years absence, this journal of radical traditionalism and cultural renewal returns with its largest volume to date. Tyr calls for the reversal of the destruction wrought by corporate hegemony, industrialization, materialism, and progress for progress’ sake. Folk traditions and the romantic art movements of Europe are held up as pathways to a solution, and the resulting art and articles are thoughtful and scholarly. Fantasy-loving esotericists will delight at the fact that Tyr prints an exploration of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy by Joscelyn Godwin. Of the articles I’ve read so far, my favorite is Gordon Kennedy’s article on how the West Coast hippie scene owes a greater debt to the sandal-clad German “Nature Boys” found in 1940s California than to the Beatniks. Cover painting by Odd Nerdrum. 8vo off perfect, 536pp. $25. Source: Publisher. Contact: Ultra, P.O. Box 11736, Atlanta, Ga 30355, online at www.radicaltraditionalist.com.

Walks Around Newmillerdam, by Richard Bell. (Willow Island Editions, 2007) Longtime watercolor diarist Bell produced this guide to the paths in Newmillerdam Country Park. Half a dozen circuit walks are described in detail, with absolutely charming hand-drawn black and white maps and small sketches of points of interest along the way, including turns in the path, stiles, flora, and architectural details. Includes some history, access, and OS map information. The booklet has been adapted from the online nature journal Bell keeps and is one of about twenty such guides to West Yorkshire listed at www.willowisland.co.uk. A5 xer saddle-stitched pamphlet, 28pp. £1.95. Source: Publisher. Contact: Willow Island Editions, 41 Water Lane, Middlestown, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 4PX, England.

From The Pamphleteer of Saturday, 24 November 2007

Ptolemaic Terrascope No.36
For fifteen years, this small but influential magazine charted the world of psychedelic, rustic, or just plain experimental music from its outpost in the most unlikely of locations—the tiny town of Melksham in Wiltshire, England. The Ptolemaic Terrascope was published by Bevis Frond frontman Nick Saloman and edited by writer, music lover, and devoted aural archivist Phil McMullen. Every copy of the “illustrated occasional” sold out immediately thanks to the Terrascope’s chatty and insightful interviews, charming artwork and design (reminiscent of fanzines from the British Invasion years), and the limited edition 45-rpm records (and later compact discs) produced by Saloman and packaged with the magazine.

McMullen expanded the scope of the publication in 1997 with “Terrastock,” a three-day music festival in Rhode Island. Ostensibly a fund-raiser for the magazine, the event only ended up putting it further in the red. Regardless of considerable financial and personal costs, McMullen’s shepherding of the magazine through publication, organizing of the annual festivals, and coordinating of an online discussion board at terrascope.co.uk worked wonders not only for the musicians (in one example, Tom Rapp of Pearls Before Swine came out of retirement to play at Terrastock) but also for the worldwide fanbase for the varied music championed by the magazine. Readers enjoyed a common source for information about obscure and forgotten music, along with the chance to meet either in person at the festivals or virtually online.

For those peering keenly through the Terrascope, then, it came as little surprise when, in winter 2004–2005, McMullen admitted his fatigue and announced his bittersweet desire to sell the publishing rights to the magazine so he could focus on the website and festival. And perhaps no one was more surprised than McMullen when Californian Pat Thomas, a Terrascope contributor, musician, and record producer, stepped forward a few months later to make the purchase.

Speculation among the readership as to what changes Thomas would make to the beloved fanzine gave way after a few years to near-resignation that the Terrascope had finally given up the ghost. Occasional notices from Thomas on the magazine’s website hinted that production on the next issue was underway, though. A few months ago, patience and faith were rewarded with issue No.36, falling from the sky like early autumn leaves.

With a history and ethos as strong as the Terrascope’s, it’s nigh impossible not to look for comparisons and contrasts between the McMullen issues of the magazine and the new publication Thomas has assembled. One look at the cover photo—a version of the sleeve art from Devendra Banhart’s Cripple Crow album, of thirty or so San Francisco groovers hanging out in Buena Vista Park—lets none doubt that the Terrascope Nation stands tall in its new American home. The interior look is somewhat cleaner than before (I must admit favoring the old hand-drawn borders and mix of small type and hand-lettering), and the illustrations, while new, seem lovingly familiar. The magazine’s interview subjects—among them Banhart, Ben Chasny, and Shirley Collins—keep with the classic roster, but the inclusion of an interview with Elaine Brown of the Black Panthers helps the new Terrascope distinguish itself as a product of the West Coast. Perhaps best of all is the inclusion of a twenty-track disc of new “Terrascopic” music. Three cheers to Pat Thomas and Company for their diligent work in keeping the freak flag flying.

To learn about Terrastock and join the Terrascope Online community, visit terrascope.co.uk. Single copies of the magazine are available for $10 per ($16 outside the USA) through:

Ptolemaic Terrascope
c/o (and checks to) Pat Thomas
Post Office Box 18841
Oakland , Calif. 94619
Online at terrascope.org

The Dreade of Death
Even though authorship may lend immortality, this set of one dozen macabre bookplates reminds us that death is still right around the corner for book collectors. The plates are based on four woodcuts from a variety of 16th-century sources and are tastefully produced in brown and black on the three-inch-square self-sticking labels.

Bay Area ephemeralists can find the set in Berkeley at Castle in the Air, 1805 Fourth Street. Others can inquire for price and availability via:

Manifesto Letterpress
116 Pleasant Street, No. 201
Easthampton, Mass. 01027
Online at manifestopress.com

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