Last week was the Buffalo Small Press Fair. If you saw the next day's Buffalo News you saw the article: Vendors at Fair Share Love of Books you know that it was quite a success. As I was quoted, it truly was an incredible event. The sheer volume of people was astounding and if you've never been inside the Karpeles Manuscript Library on Porter, you really should -its a gorgeous space.
The event itself was incredible and I had a great time talking to all the folks who came by to say hello. Even more exciting was the positive response to my new cards- which will soon be available at Rustbelt Books on Allen St! I'm busy making new ones since I nearly sold out last Saturday, I'll be sure to post as soon as they're on hand.
In the last week my father came up to visit me I showed him around town a little. We had lunch at Betty's and then to the Old Editions Book Shop on Huron. I had never been and we both had a really great time wandering around through the stacks. If you have not been you really truly must. I found a first edition of Memoirs by Pablo Neruda and have since been slowly making my way through it.
There were also a great deal of old movie posters and ads on hand that could easily be a treasure trove for anyone interested in appropriation. I saw several new prints/paints sitting in that box but I let them be for now. You can be sure I'll be back to visit very soon.
We also went by the Burchfield-Penney Art Center and finished with a beer at K Gallagher's on Allen Street. Getting my Dad to tell old stories is one of my favorite things. He's lived a hell of a life as far as I'm concerned and I love to get him going on about it. He doesn't like to get into it usually so its a process. And I write this knowing full well he's going to read this post!
The last 6 months or so have seen some serious losses in our family. I picked up a book the other day called All Over but the Shoutin'. Its an account of growing up poor in the south. The introduction got me thinking. He writes about his reasons for writing it, something he struggled with for a long time because it seemed vain. He changes his mind after meeting a woman who's son had been shot by a stray bullet when he was walking out the door to go to school. He had to interview her for an article he was writing and after the interview she thanked him. He asked why and her response was that people will remember if it's written down.
So one of my projects for 2009 will be to write it down. I already missed out on collecting a few voices that I want to remember and I'll be damned if I lose anymore.
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