Macio packs up a car full of books and journeys down the coast to sunny LA, to table at the annual LA Times Festival of Books, at USC. Check out her reportback from last year’s event, and if you’re in the LA area, mark your calendars! (Last year’s event: http://rbtb.akpress.org/why-do-books-have-covers-la-times-book-festival/)
Left Forum! Come on out to Pace University and visit Jessica and a cavalcade of AK Baltimore volunteers at the AK Press tables. And don’t miss the opening night plenary panel with (strangely) Barbara Ehrenreich, Cornell West, Laura Flanders, and Paul Mason.
It’s back! Don’t miss the 16th annual Bay Area Anarchist Bookfair, the West Coast’s largest anarchist event, co-organized by the lovely folks at Bound Together Books in SF. Tables and tables and tables and tables of great anarchist lit, and two days of speakers & workshops, including a bunch of AK authors! Come on out and say hi to the whole Oakland-based half of the AK collective …
The fifth year for the lovely NYC Anarchist Bookfair, one of our favorite east-cost events of the year! Mark your calendars, and come out to Judson Memorial in NYC to visit Kate and Suzanne at the AK Press table, and check out the piles of great books & merch for sale, and hear lectures & workshops from some of the finest authors & speakers on the East Coast!
Sorry friends! As the snow and ice in our remote warehouse location have yet to be plowed, and as one of our AK Baltimore collective members is currently stranded in in an airport in Kansas City waiting for air traffic to the mid-Atlantic to be reopened, we are postponing the Radical Publishing Happy Hour until February 17! Mark your calendars!
Microcosm’s been BoingBoing’ed! Make Magazine editor and BoingBoing blogger Mark Frauenfelder posted about his experiments with the recipes in the wildly popular Microcosm book, Make Your Place, by Raleigh Briggs. One of our bestselling distro titles … and it’s probably going to sell even better now! Thanks Mark!
Here’s part of the post:
I went online and ordered all the necessary ingredients and equipment: funnels, plastic squeeze bottles, spray bottles, vinegar, borax, castille soap, baking soda, and oils of peppermint, tea tree, lavender, and eucalyptus. Most of the ingredients were inexpensive, except the oils, which were quite costly. Fortunately, the recipes called for just a few drops of the fragrant oils. A little goes a very long way. I estimate that home-made cleaning solutions cost about half as much as store bought products.
My two daughters (ages 7 and 13) and I made the all-purpose cleaner first. We combined water, castille soap, borax, the essential oils, and a bit of vinegar. It smelled good and I tested it on a sticky, crumb-covered countertop. The solution made short work of the mess.
[…]
Head over to BoingBoing to read the whole thing (originally posted on Mark’s credit.com blog.)
I was asked to participate in a series of interviews with independent bookstore owners in Baltimore under the auspices of my work with Red Emma’s. But, it occurred to me that much of my commentary on the changing world of small bookstores is applicable to what we do as AK Press & AK Distro, so I am reposting here. Feel free to post your comments – I know lots of you are small bookstore folks, distro folks, and infoshop supporters!
This interview was conduced by Ryan LeRoy Kleeberger for North Baltimore Patch. The original post may be found here: http://northbaltimore.patch.com/articles/big-changes-in-small-book-business-part-three.
Big Changes in Small Bookstore Business, Part Three
Interview with Red Emma’s co-owner Kate Khatib [NB: Co-owner is technically true, but I prefer Collective Member as a designation …]
How long has Red Emma’s been in business? Can you describe the ownership situation at Red Emma’s?
We opened in November 2004 and just celebrated our sixth birthday. We’re collectively-owned and operated. In practice, what that means is that there are no bosses and employees at Red Emma’s – everyone you see working behind the counter is (aside from the occasional volunteer or prospective collective member) an equal owner of the business. We all share in the day-to-day management of the store, and we participate in the collective self-management of the workplace. There about fifteen of us right now.
How would you describe the changes over the last twenty years in the booksellers’ market? How has your own business evolved?
We started out anticipating that our cafe would sustain the bookstore (i.e., we thought the cafe would pay the rent and the bills), and the bookstore – the reason we started this project – would just kind of sustain itself. But, over time, as we’ve grown in our selection and curation of our stock, our sales have increased, and we now find that the cafe and the bookstore balance each other out, which is exciting.
There’s been an interesting swell and contraction in the market; there was a moment when it really did seem like the Barnes & Nobles and the Borders of the world were going to put every indie store in the country out of business. The consumer trend was to the bigger, more mass-market oriented stores. But consumer trends change, and there’s been an increasing shift back toward local, independent stores in the past year or three — and that’s been exciting to see. As the big stores start to focus more and more of their energy on e-books and online sales, indie retailers like Red Emmas, Atomic Books, Normals, etc. with real people curating real stock for physical customers are going to start seeming a lot more special. Hopefully all of our various supporters will recognize that and help us to stay afloat.
Do you see any difference between the strategies employed by the independent stores that have gone out of business and those by the stores that have survived?
Not necessarily. With any small retail business, margins tend to be so slim that the slightest variation can drown you. It’s essential to pay attention to your finances and make adjustments (change ordering patterns, try to negotiate better deals, do different types of outreach) to address problems, but you also have to recognize that there are going to be fluctuations based on the slightest little thing. For example, the first rainy day in a week, business will almost invariably be bad. But by the third rainy day, people have adjusted, and started going back out, so business will be back to normal. And with our small business, that one or two days of variation can make the difference between a good week and a catastrophic one. Sometimes you get lucky… and sometimes you don’t.
What further changes do you anticipate?
What’s helped to sustain Red Emma’s has been our investment in building a sense of community in Baltimore. We’re a bookstore (and a damn fine one, if we do say so ourselves!), and we value that identity and work, but we also try to do a lot of other things. The cafe portion of the storefront helps to create a more welcoming space, gives people socially-responsible nourishment while they browse, brings in people who might not normally spend a lot of time in a niche bookstore. We host events sometimes every night of the week — that’s essential to fostering a community of readers. And we also don’t limit what we do to our storefront — we encompass three spaces in all: the bookstore and cafe, a large-scale events venue where we host readings, lectures, workshops, and other events too large to fit in the bookstore, and the Baltimore Free School, where anyone can teach anything, and take classes, for free. In all of our projects, we’re working to provide a resource, to build new communities and to strengthen those communities that already exist in Baltimore.
Hello again dear readers—as promised, we’re back with a list of the year’s bestselling new releases through AK Distribution. As you’re probably aware, besides publishing around 20 excellent books each year, AK Press serves as a distributor for many smaller publishers. All of our published and distributed titles are available through AK Distribution not only to individual customers, but also (at discounted rates) to book groups, infoshops, libraries, rogue tablers, organizations, bookstores, co-ops, wholesalers… the list goes on. See our wholesale information for details.
If you missed it last week, please also check out the Top 10 New AK Press Titles of 2010!
Top 10 New AK Distribution Titles of 2010:
1. 2011 Slingshot Organizers [Slingshot Collective]
Don’t believe anyone who tells you the printed calendar is obsolete! Every year, Slingshot organizers (in two convenient sizes) are one of our bestselling items at tables, on our website, and through our bookstore customers. If you haven’t gotten yours yet, never fear—we’ve still got both sizes and plenty of colors in stock, and you still have 50 weeks left in 2011 to organize in style.
2. Henry & Glenn Forever [Igloo Tornado / Cantankerous Titles]
This one’s a bit of a guilty pleasure. But what it lacks in revolutionary politics, it makes up for in punk-rock hilarity. A terrifyingly cute comic love story starring Henry Rollins and Glenn Danzig, whose next-door neighbors are the Satanic Hall and Oates. What more can we say, really? Besides making it onto our Top 10 list, this one also got attention from Vice, the LA Weekly, and Bitch (among others) this year, and just made it to the top of this 2010 bestseller list from our friends at Atomic Books.
3. Zinester’s Guide to NYC [ed. Ayun Halliday / Microcosm]
From the editor of the East Village Inky (plus a handful of good books!) and the publisher of the popular Zinester’s Guide to Portland, this one is already a hit just two months after its release! Everyone makes it to NYC eventually, right? So get ahold of this book and start studying up on the good eats, the secret spots, and the cheap thrills.
4. How and Why: A Do-It-Yourself Guide [Matte Resist / Microcosm]
Following in the footsteps of the perpetual bestseller Making Stuff & Doing Things, this brand-new, heavily illustrated guide gives you step-by-step instructions for such projects as fixing up your bike, gardening and seed saving, simple home repairs, and even building musical instruments! With a focus on sustainability to complement its DIY appeal, we think it’ll also be a hit with anyone who liked The Urban Homestead and Toolbox for Sustainable City Living.
5. Firebrands: Portraits from the Americas [Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative, ed. Shaun Slifer & Bec Young / Microcosm]
Every bookstore should have a stack of this book out on the table. It’s the perfect bookstore-browser’s book. Any page you open to, you’ll see a gorgeously-rendered portrait of some radical historical figure, from Emma Goldman to Fred Hampton, along with a one-page bio. And it’s a perfect (and affordable!) companion to the new Celebrate People’s History book we’ve all been raving about.
6. Against Equality: Queer Critiques of Gay Marriage [ed. Ryan Conrad / Against Equality Collective]
Why should marriage and inclusion be the goal of queer movements? Is it even desirable to be “equal”? This essential intervention into queer politics goes beyond a critique of gay marriage to offer real alternative visions for a radical queer future. We’ve almost sold through the first printing thanks to a national tour, some good press, and a few reading groups—but we have some copies left, get ’em while they’re hot! And if you’re interested in the topic, also check out Smash the Church, Smash the State for a more historical perspective on radical queer movements.
7. In Every Town: An All-Ages Music Manualfesto [ed. Shannon Stewart / All Ages Movement Project]
The All Ages Movement Project (AMP) is a coalition of organizations nationwide who are committed to making sure young people have access to music scenes in their communities. To this end they maintain a directory, a listing of resources, and… now they’ve published a book! Drawing on the lessons learned by a variety of projects and spaces (such as 924 Gilman!), this book is a valuable toolkit for anyone interested in creating or supporting a homegrown all-ages music community. With a free downloadable soundtrack for inspiration!
8. Critical Strategies in Art and Media [Jim Fleming & Conrad Becker / Autonomedia]
From Jim Fleming (of the Autonomedia collective) and Conrad Becker (author, recently, of the Strategic Reality Dictionary and Tactical Reality Dictionary), comes this critical examination of the big questions facing cultural workers today: What is the future of collaborative process? What doors are being opened up by virtual spaces and new media? What new practices can keep art out of the grasp of capitalism? What insurrectional or liberatory opportunities exist for art, today or in the future? (Lots of) inquiring minds want to know!
9. Toward Climate Justice: Perspectives on the Climate Crisis and Social Change [Brian Tokar / Communalism Press]
From Brian Tokar (social ecologist and author of Gene Traders) comes this timely new book, a call for a renewed grassroots response to climate crisis. Rather than dwelling on Copenhagen, though he does offer critiques, Tokar highlights the social justice and human rights dimensions of climate crisis and urges creative direct action to press for real, systemic changes. Check out his appearance on The Progressive‘s podcast, read this book, and then be sure to pick up Sparking a Worldwide Energy Revolution and the latest issue of Perspectives on Anarchist Theory for more on the topic.
10. SCAM: The First Four Issues [Erick Lyle / Microcosm]
The long-awaited zine compilation from the artist formerly known as Iggy Scam (who’s also, incidentally, a contributor to the excellent Realizing the Impossible, and the author of On the Lower Frequencies). The Scam zine was part urban punk memoir, part guide to getting things for free (think Steal This Book for young punks). The original issues are collected here, repackaged as a nice-looking oversized book, and ready to inspire a new generation.
Honorable mention:
Dynamite and Roses: Lucy and Albert Parsons and the Haymarket Bombing [Robert Benedetti / Charles H. Kerr]
Although this one didn’t quite make it onto the list, it’s worth noting—partially just because it’s the year’s bestselling new release from Charles H. Kerr Co., who deserve some recognition for consistently putting out solid books that should be on everyone’s shelves. The events of Haymarket naturally lend themselves to dramatic retelling, and this book focuses specifically on Albert and Lucy Parsons’ story, which is fascinating to say the least. And why not also check out Kerr’s excellent Lucy Parsons book while you’re at it?
With BP oil spills, mass bird die offs, 90% of the worlds old growth forests cut down, and 7 times as much plastic in the ocean as phytoplankton, ‘sustainability’ is the buzz word of this generation and people are looking everywhere for what the future may hold.
What does sustainable mean? and what is required for a sustainable society?
John Zerzan and Matt Hern will discuss their views on what the future may look like and what possibilities there is for building a better world.
2 views that are often considered at odds with in one another, even though they hold the same goals, the only goal that matters, a livable planet. 2 well known theorists whom have both contributed extensively to their fields of work. Now they come together, and we invite you to take part in this monumental synergy, in hopes that by working together and thinking together we can find some common ground and challenge each other so that together we can all move forwards.
To RSVP the facebook page for this event go to the following link:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=160339194013270
This is a fundraiser event for Camas Books. Camas is an anti-colonial volunteer run book store and community space in Victoria BC on the Unceeded territories of the Lekwungen nation.
http://www.camas.ca/
This event is put on by the Victoria Anarchist reading Circle
http://www.victoriaanarchistreadingcircle.ca/
Ken Knabb, co-editor and co-translator of our new release In the Crossfire: Adventures of a Vietnamese Revolutionary, and noted situationist author & scholar will be speaking at City Lights Bookstore in SF!
From Ken: At this event I hope to challenge myself as well as you, helping all of us to cut through the sensationalistic spectacles that monopolize our social and mental space and to look closely at what we are actually doing.
If you want to get a better idea of what we will be discussing, I suggest that you read some of the texts in my book “Public Secrets” — http://www.bopsecrets.org/PS/index.htm.
Sounds awesome! Check it out. And check out all of Ken’s books that AK distributes!
More info: http://www.citylights.com/bookstore/?fa=event&event_id=1142