More thieves benefiting from ebay...

These thieves are apparently not even bothering to be sneaky (or careful)...just ripping out the textblocks and leaving the debris in dark corners of the library. Annoyed by title, as they are not really vandals, they are thieves. I wager you can (or could have) found the stolen plates on ebay. I wonder how many loose plates sold on ebay are *not* stolen...very few these days, I wager.

Quick interview of Hang Fire....

There is a fun little interview with William Smith, owner of Hang Fire Books over atBoingBoing. William specializes in "vintage paperbacks and lurid pulp fiction from the 1940s-60s" while also carrying general stock. His blog is great as he posts wonderfully lurid pulp covers with pleasing regularity. [Also, you should not miss his current post on the annotated sleaze that arrived recently. Thesis research?!?].

Addendum re Songsmith...perhaps not all bad?!?

So I was ranting about Microsoft's Songsmith a bit ago and it turns out that I might have been a bit hasty. It turns out that it can make tragic statistical data seem perky and nice...

Oh, but then there is this, arguably the best/worst thing I have seen spawned by the demon-code that is Songsmith:



Thanks...sort of...to BoingBoing for this...

Yet another reason to look at ebay books with extreme skepticism...

A Reading, PA man has been indicted on Federal charges of forgery/fraud charges. According to the charges, he has made over $300,000 over the last several years foisting "signed" books to buyers on Ebay. The only upside here is that he apparently would buy a genuine inscribed copy and then have a company MAKE A RUBBER STAMP of the signature and use that to "inscribe" copies that he would then foist on buyers on ebay...the silver lining being that his bogus crap books should be easier to spot than "better" forgeries.

That is the real problem with this thief (can you really be a forger if all you do is rubber-stamp books?) and others like him. I do not have much...or any...sympathy for those who buy forgeries from sellers on ebay. Unless you know the seller to be reputable (this does *not* count ebays own "I am not a crook" system) personally and/or professionally, I think you have to *presume* that what you see listed on ebay is fraudulent. If, as here, you pay real money for a book from "bev103162smith," you deserve whatever arrives at your door.

The *problem* is that now and into the untold future, these bits of garbage are going to be polluting the secondary market. Even if you would never think about buying an inscribed work from ebay, you are going to have them offered to you in years to come by "innocent" buyers and/or their families. Rubber-stamp copies, one hopes, should be reasonably easy to spot...but I wager there are better (and worse) examples out there... I'd go so far as to suggest that unless you know the provenance of a given inscribed copy, it is not unreasonable to presume it is forged. 

Worse still, the growth of this kind of fraud poisons the well...driving potential collectors out of the field either because they have been burned or because they read articles like the above and decide it is just not worth the risk/headache. I know at least three of my clients started working with me only after they had been buying on their own on ebay and been burned more than once...I wonder how many knew they'd been burned, but lost the desire to pursue books altogether. As it stands now, I actively try to guide my clients away from inscribed modern lit and into "safer" (and more client-specific) areas. 

Ebay, of course, "has no comment"...as they steadfastly hold that they simply provide an infrastructure for the transactions and have no responsibility to police their cesspool for stolen property, fraud or forgeries. To paraphrase the good Dr., if you want to avoid forgeries, retain a book(wo)man you trust.

Bowdlerizing alive and well and living in New Rochelle...

Bowdlerizing has a long, rich literary history. Named for a 16/17th century physician who published a heavily edited edition of  William Shakespeare "safe" for women and children, it is a practice that has had a small but passionate following ever since...generally within communities that wallow in moralizing, self-righteous indignation and a healthy sense of holier-than-thouness. Admittedly, I may be slightly biased, as I find gutting of literature to be on about the same plane as any other "abuse of innocents" activity...

The Talk of the Sound posted a cleverly titled entry yesterday: Now Playing in New Rochelle, "Book, Interrupted"! on the English Departments' decision to require students to return copies of the class book, "Girl, Interrupted" so that they could...literally...tear out pages 64 through 70 before returning them to the students continue their lernin'. 

Per English Dept. chairwoman Leslie Altschul, "The material was of a sexual nature that we deemed inappropriate for teachers to present to their students, since the book has other redeeming features, we took the liberty of bowdlerizing." [emphasis mine]. Bowdlerizing is not a "liberty" to be taken..it is an offense to be inflicted (c.f. "I took the liberty of thwacking Ms. Altschul in the forehead with a copy of Girl, Interrupted."). The article notes that the District has a "book challenge process", but that the district failed to follow their own policies. 

The article also provides a succinct summary of why Bowdlerizing is such an ugly thing: "Bowdlerizing is a particularly disturbing form of censorship since it not only suppresses specific content deemed 'objectionable,' but also does violence to the work by removing material that the author thought integral," said Joan Bertin, Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Censorship. "It is a kind of literary fraud perpetrated on an unsuspecting audience."

I'm tired of the lowest-common-denominator controlling the "public good". I'm tired of small-minded, pseudo-religious bigots setting the bar for what is and is not acceptable. Shouldn't school be where you are *challenged* in your conceptions and analysis...where you *learn* to think critically and cogently? Do we *really* want out classrooms defined by material that does not offend anyone, lest it be purged (or, you know, the offending pages be purged). 

 I suggest that one's willingness to rip pages out of a book should be inversely proportional to one's ability to hold the job of "English Department Chair"...in fact, I think I might go so far as to say that if one is happy to tear great chunks of text out of books before handing them to students, one should not be teaching at all. There are plenty of stalls that need mucking, fish that need gutting and/or graves that need digging...just about anything that keeps books from your hands. 

Thanks (so to speak) to Joyce and LB for the late night posts about the good times in New Rochelle...

"L'Enfer" [Hell] on display at Bibliothque Nationale [Addendum - alas, a year ago...]

Bibliothque Nationale [Paris] displayed their collection of erotica and pornography, built over 170 years and "forbidden" from access generally. It is referred to officially as "L'Enfer" [Hell]...which I think is wonderful.

The "Enfer" section of the Bibliothque Nationale books and prints and photographs purchased, confiscated or donated over almost two centuries is believed to be one of the largest and richest collections of pornographic and erotic materials in the world. The Vatican's secret stash is said to be even larger but that, presumably, will never be opened to the public.

How strong can this stuff be? Given what appears daily on the internet, on cable TV, or in the pages of the Daily Sport, is it possible to be shocked by exquisite, but explicit, 17th-century porn?

The answer is, yes. The exhibition is an eye-opener: a quietly and intelligently displayed but garish cornucopia of sadism, masochism, bestialism, scatology, bums, tits and staring genitalia. It is also a fascinating, and sometimes beautiful, expedition through the dark, winding corridors of the human psyche.

It has just been pointed out that I payed no attention to a minor issue...that of the exhibition dates. This exhibit ran from Dec. 2007 through March 2008. I am relieved as I no longer need to ponder at all a jaunt overseas. Sadly, it appears they did not print a catalogue. Bah...

[N.B. Bib. Nat. has a great collection of "Virtual Exhibitions"...well worth a look.]

Multi-millionaire arrested for stealing from the British Library...

The DailyMail has good article on the recent arrest of Farhad Hakimzadeh, a wealthy London collector. He apparently was tipping unique sheets into his own copies of various tomes and/or just stockpiling the leaves. It appears he cut leaves from at least 150 books from special collections at the British Library. Authorities found "hundreds of pages" at his home.

His crime(s) came to light only after another reader at the BL notified staff that pages appeared to have been cut out. I'm not even going to rant about this. I'm tired and have things to do.

Question: Is it "better" that he was doing this for some personal/misplaced intent to "improve" his personal collection vs. doing it to sell on the secondary market? The psychology is definitely different.

On torture and waxing...and C. Hitchens' stunt writing...

Shortly after reading Morford's tight description of "stunt writing" ["smart-but-sheltered writer goes on peculiar adventure, often outside his/her comfort zone, then writes about it"] I happened upon a very funny (to read) article on RADAR. The article basically compares Christopher Hitchens' rather horrific article on Waterboarding with his rather horrific article on getting his crotch waxed. I wish I was making this up. From the article:

• "Arms already lost to me, I wasn't able to flail as I was pushed onto a sloping board and positioned with my head lower than my heart. (That's the main point: the angle can be slight or steep.) Then my legs were lashed together so that the board and I were one single and trussed unit."—Hitchens on being waterboarded

• "You have to spread your knees as far apart as they will go, while keeping your feet together. In this "wide stance" position, which is disconcertingly like waiting to have your Pampers changed, you are painted with hot wax, to which strips are successively attached and then torn away."—Hitchens on getting a Brazilian

• "Brave men and women were introduced to the sorts of barbarism that they might expect to meet at the hands of a lawless foe who disregarded the Geneva Conventions."—On being waterboarded

• "The combined effect was like being tortured for information that you do not possess, with intervals for a (incidentally very costly) sandpaper handjob."—On getting a Brazilian

• "The inhalation brought the damp cloths tight against my nostrils, as if a huge, wet paw had been suddenly and annihilatingly clamped over my face."—On being waterboarded

• "The thing is that, in order to rip, you have to grip. A point of leverage is required: a place that can be firmly gripped and pulled while the skin is tautened."On getting a Brazilian

• "The team who agreed to give me a hard time in the woods of North Carolina belong to a highly honorable group. This group regards itself as out on the front line in defense of a society that is too spoiled and too ungrateful to appreciate those solid, underpaid volunteers who guard us while we sleep."On being waterboarded

• "The businesslike Senhora Padilha daubed away, took a purchase on the only available handhold, and then wrenched and wrenched again."—On getting a Brazilian

• "I am somewhat proud of my ability to 'keep my head,' as the saying goes, and to maintain presence of mind under trying circumstances. I was completely convinced that, when the water pressure had become intolerable, I had firmly uttered the pre-determined code word that would cause it to cease. But my interrogator told me that, rather to his surprise, I had not spoken a word."—On being waterboarded

• "I swear that several times she soothingly said that I was being a brave little boy ... Meanwhile, everything in the general area was fighting to retract itself inside my body."—On getting a Brazilian

• "If waterboarding does not constitute torture, then there is no such thing as torture."—On being waterboarded

• "I had no idea it would be so excruciating."—On getting a Brazilian

I wonder if he cried out, "OH GOD, PLEASE MAKE IT STOP" during either...probably not, I guess...

Original articles can be found here:
On the Limits of Self-Improvement (Vanity Fair, 2007)
Believe Me, It's Torture (Vanity Fair, 2008)

Ranger's Impartial List Of the Ladies of Pleasure in Edinburgh [Revisited]

I have blogged about this in the distant past, but it clearly needs to be revisited. I was researching another work by James Tytler (also famed for being the first man in England to go up in a hot air balloon) for a presentation I did at the Balt. fair and it lead me...inexorably...back to my favorite work by the author (attributed). It turns out that since my last post about this Zagat's Guide to the 1775 prostitutes of Edinburgh, it has been posted in it entirity online. And the world rejoices.

I offer two entries for your edification without comment:

Miss GALLOWAY, at Miss WALKER'S.

This Lady comes from the land of Blunders, and served her apprenticeship aboard a man of war, which probably may be the occasion that her temper is not so agreeable as one could wish. However, she is not contemptible in her profession, and she is well acquainted with the art of jostling. She will heave, twist and twine, when she is quite in play, with any nymph that ever sported in those pleasing groves dedicated to the Goddess Venus. She is about 24 years of age, thick and short, and of a fair complexion.

Miss SUTHERLAND, at Miss WALKER'S.

This Lady is an old veteran in the service, about 30 years of age, middle sized, black hair and complection, and very good teeth, but not altogether good-natured. By her long experience in business, which is about 12 years, she is mistress of her profession ; she is a firm votary to the wanton Goddess, and would willingly play morning, noon, and night, at the delicious game of push-pin. As a friend, we will give a caution to this Lady, not to make free with a gentleman's pocket, especially when he is in liquor ; as it was upon that account that Miss Forsyth put her away from her house, for which every person will commend her.

Well...one comment, "served her apprenticeship aboard a man of war". Who knew the Royal Navy offered such apprenticeships.

Then and Now...sarcasm and facetiousness for fun...

As we all know, the spin docs are very dizzy at moment...no one has more fun that catching what comes out of both sides of their mouths more the J. Stewart:

On a slightly related note, I never thought I was a single issue voter. However, I have just discovered that if you try to ban books from public libraries I will not vote for you. Ever. No matter what...

Offered without comment:

Per the NYTimes:

Shortly after becoming mayor, former city officials and Wasilla residents said, Ms. Palin approached the town librarian about the possibility of banning some books, though she never followed through and it was unclear which books or passages were in question.

Ann Kilkenny, a Democrat who said she attended every City Council meeting in Ms. Palin’s first year in office, said Ms. Palin brought up the idea of banning some books at one meeting. “They were somehow morally or socially objectionable to her,” Ms. Kilkenny said.

The librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, pledged to “resist all efforts at censorship,” Ms. Kilkenny recalled. Ms. Palin fired Ms. Emmons shortly after taking office but changed course after residents made a strong show of support. Ms. Emmons, who left her job and Wasilla a couple of years later, declined to comment for this article.

In 1996, Ms. Palin suggested to the local paper, The Frontiersman, that the conversations about banning books were “rhetorical.”

All right...I guess I lied. I wanted to post this without comment, but I can not. The idea that any politician would go into a public library and seek to have removed any books...for any reason...is beyond contempt. There are many reasons I think she is/was a poor choice as running-mate...this issue states to me that she is not fit to hold any office (including that of the PTA).

On other fronts, I am back in Portland, unpacking and will post a wrap-up of Baltimore shortly...

Science, theology and stupidity running amok in LA...

Apparently, everything is Louisiana is going so well that the Senate and House can waste time, money and...you know...their children's intellectual future on yet another "let's teach creationism as if it were a scientific theory" bill. The republican governor (interestingly, a Hindu turned Catholic), is expected to sign the bill into law. The ACLU and an untold number of other rational organizations will then attempt to save LA from its own stupidity.

I know I have ranted about ID before (see, e.g., here, here or here) and will do my best to avoid doing so again. But. Errr. Ahhh. SERIOUSLY! What the hell is going through these people's collective heads? This is a state whose students score 44th and 46th nationally in Reading and Math, 50th in Advance Placement exams, and is second highest in the nation for the number of children living below the poverty line. Yet rather than spend time/money/effort trying to dig its schools...and students...out of the mire, they spend their time trying to further muddying their already murky educational waters. Twits.

England, rather recently, issued new guidelines to teachers on creationism and ID. They included a wonderful passage on what makes and does not make a "scientific theory":

The use of the word 'theory' can mislead those not familiar with science as a subject discipline because it is different from the everyday meaning of being little more than a 'hunch'. In science the meaning is much less tentative and indicates that there is a substantial amount of supporting evidence, underpinned by principles and explanations accepted by the international scientific community...Creationism and intelligent design are sometimes claimed to be scientific theories. This is not the case as they have no underpinning scientific principles, or explanations, and are not accepted by the science community as a whole.

There is something about the very carefully premediated effort to repackage/promote theology as a scientific construct that I just find wildly offensive...to both theology *and* science. I am have too much to do to rail about this today...and it annoys me too much. Please see the "About FSM" et seq. for an enjoyable analysis of the logic flaws and do not miss the Open Letter to the Kansas School Board. Admittedly, I am fond of sarcasm...it is so much more pleasant than screaming and whacking people with boards...

Also, though published some time ago in the renowned scholarly source, The Onion, please also see "Evangelical Scientists Refute Gravity With New 'Intelligent Falling' Theory".

Not remotely book related...just annoying...

So Fortune just announced the biggest profit makers of 2007. The winner is, of course, ExxonMobil with 40.61 BILLION dollars in profits...nearly twice that of the number two and a record for annual profits for an American company. ExxonMobil *also* set this record in 2006 and 2005.

I am all for vibrant markets and making profits where/when possible...but there seems to be a little bit of a disconnect (at least to me) when fuel (gas/diesel/heating) prices are skyrocketing *and* the likes of ExxonMobil are claiming it is due to refining limitations and crude oil prices. I just spent $70 to fill the car. I wonder how many books will fit in a SmartCar.

The glory of pulp...

It has been too long since I have been over at Hangfire's blog and clearly a bad oversight on my part. He has just posted a great review of wonderfully horrible pulp covers. This gem is captioned:

First Hoke Jackson's Orgy Days (Nightstand NB1903) featuring topless, high-heeled rock climbers on their way to the sex chalet.

It may just be me, but I think the world needs more topless high-heeled rock climbers...and cute little cape sex chalets.

Don't miss the Detroit textbook warehouse (of death) image post, either...I highly recommend opting for the "slide show" viewing option with Mozart's, Requiem playing in the background.