Catalogues
Uncommon Survivors
Survivor.
A word that these days usually calls to mind the myriad of television series built on the theme. But here on the good ship Tavistock, by survivor, we refer to those pieces of bibliophilic flotsam that we’ve found swirling in backwater eddies of a forgotten used bookstore, or on the figurative beach of a flea market table. And like a castaway that treasures such items washed ashore, to again be put to use, we have endeavored, in this catalogue, to bring these 35 uncommon items back to the forefront, giving them life & purpose anew.
Enjoy.
On Reflection
Last fall, Kate & I issued a catalogue entitled Albums & Archives. And while we considered it a ‘successful’ catalogue [i.e., we didn’t lose any money on the endeavor, and truth be told, actually made a few bucks on the deal], we were amazed [mystified?] why some of the neat material offered therein remained therein, not jetting off to a new locale. Too pricey? Lacking in ‘wow’ factor? For whatever reason, the ‘hook’ just didn’t hook. So, with that in mind, fast forward to today. On Reflection loosely reprises that Tavistock Books’ catalogue of 15 months ago: more albums & archives, some new, and some that have been reflected upon… revised verbiage, revised price, revised somethingorother…
Fresh Meat
“Grab some pine Meat!”, growls Mike Krukow after every strike-out.
“Fresh Meat!” yells the butcher.
And too this bookseller, for in this instance it means “Fresh Books” [and other stuff]. So herein we have 44 fresh items for your consideration, contemplation, deliberation, rumination, meditation & examination.
Why 44? Easy, it’s October and that was Stretch’s number. And the first person to place an order who also correctly identifies “Stretch”, gets an automatic 10% discount on same.
Enjoy.
Getting Around: What We Talk about When We Talk about the Places We've Been
“A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest, remembers it most obsessively, wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, loves it so radically that he remakes it in his own image.”
So wrote Joan Didion.
And in keeping with her observation, this catalogue attempts, however loosely and haphazardly, to offer a small collection of the various ways in which a place can be defined: personally, culturally, historically, geographically. So, within you’ll find not only the diaries and correspondence of everyday people trying to make sense of their surroundings ... in war, during the American western expansion, or even just a youthful jaunt through Europe, but also the material realities of the mundane of everyday commerce, everyday work, everyday existence.
For such within is the stuff of place in everyday life. Enjoy.
New and Found: Recent(ish) Acquisitions
This, our most recent list, features newly catalogued material, either recently purchased -- i.e., the new -- or material that had been languishing on the book truck for ages, and recently found by Kate as she poked through it, occasionally asking with some incredulity, “Did you really buy this in 2006?!?” [Seriously, they weren’t all of that vintage…. some items were purchased as recently as a year ago.] Hey, what can I say? Some things just get set aside with the comment, “I’ll deal with this later.” Now is later. Enjoy.
March Miscellany
A catalogue is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re gonna get. That’s especially true of this catalogue. Basketball has its March Madness; Tavistock has its March Miscellany. Sure, you can probably count on some Dickens, maybe a nursing item or two. But you’ll also encounter new and unexpected treats, not found in any other box of chocolates. Enjoy!
Bibliolatry: A Tavistock Gift Guide for Bibliophiles (and the People Who Love Them)
They say you should give gifts that you would want to receive yourself. So, herein, 40 items that particularly strike our fancy, and will hopefully strike yours, as well. Happy holidays!