A Word from Catherine: Summer Reading & the 34th Rocky Mountain Book & Paper Fair
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The temperatures outside – and inside! – have made it obvious that the dog days of summer are upon us. Sitting in the shade in a hammock or lounging in front of a cool air vent are ideal places to enjoy reading a book. Ditto sitting on the porch or patio with an iced tea. How about in a tent or in a campsite? I’m happy reading there, too. You get the idea: so many places to read; so many books! Unless you’re reading a collectible, take your book with you. If you need a new book to read (and who doesn’t!), take a look at the books recommended by Ken, Betsy, and me on KUER
RadioWest’s annual summer reading show. The
IndieNext list, recommendations from independent booksellers across the country, on our website is also a good resource. Looking for something older, check out the
Great American Read booklist.
Speaking of summer reading, I hope you’ve been enjoying WBW bookseller Holden’s blog,
Holden Battles the Summer Doldrums. Holden posts weekly about his very broad and intelligent reading. Don’t let me lead you to believe the blog is dry. This summer he’s read books on wildfires, soccer, and some wonderful novels in addition to the philosophical books those of us who know him would expect. Holden’s only with us a while longer. He leaves in September for his position as a graduate student and Fulbright alternate at the University of Warwick. And then, sadly, his blog will end. Enjoy it now!
If you’ll be in Denver August 3
rd or 4
th, stop by and see us at the
34th
Annual Rocky Mountain Book & Paper Fair. Weller Book Works, along with nearly a hundred other dealers and organizations, will be exhibiting there. Treasures and oddities will abound, and I’m not just referring to the books. Attending a rare book fair is a wonderful way for a bibliophile to spend a weekend. Tony and I would love to see you there.
Happy Reading,
Catherine
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Tony's Rare Book Spotlight
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An Excellent group of Howard Weeden Titles
Family copies of her four published titles with various notes, along with
two unique books hand-illuminated by her and hand-lettered by her sister Kate.
This collection consists of first editions of Alabama poet and artist, Maria Howard Weeden's four titles, regularly published by Stolz and permutations of Doubleday between 1898 and 1904. Additionally, we offer two handmade, hand-illuminated books.
In the late 1800s, Howard Weeden (1846-1905) interviewed emancipated American slaves and drew their portraits. Biographical vignettes of their stories were composed into verse. The resultant poems and portraits were published as described below. Most significant are the copy of
Bandana Ballads in which Weeden has handwritten the full names of seven of the 23 subjects, under their portraits. In the published versions, sadly, persons were only identified with first names. It is possible that such identifications have been lost in the historic record. Howard Weeden’s family were Alabama plantation owners. One of the African American subjects bears the surname Weeden.
Summary of family marks: Weeden photo; five autographs; three signatures from sister and collaborator Kate; two family notes; Hand identifications of subjects by author.
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Shadows on the Wall, NY: M. Stolz, 1898. 1st edition. Octavo. Gray cloth with gilt lettering. In fair condition with soiled covers, bumped edges, text block detached from binding, many loose pages, and small glue spots on copyright and dedication pages where missing items were once mounted. Clipped mounted autographs of Weeden on front pastedown and under her mounted photographic portrait on verso of dedication page. Also inscribed to sister Kate on verso of front free endsheet in the year of publication.
Bandana Ballads, NY: Doubleday & McClure, 1901, 1st edition, Octavo. Gray cloth with gilt lettering and top edge, and portrait silhouette on cover embossed in black, white and gilt. In fair condition with light soiling, rubbed and bumped edges, broken front hinge and loose sewing. A piece of masking tape with "Mrs. Ben L. [Kate] Bibb written on it is attached to front pastedown. Front flyleaf is signed by Mary Weeden and Howard Weeden's signature appears on half-title. Importantly,
seven of the 23 subjects are identified in Weeden's hand under their portraits!
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Songs of the Old South, NY: Doubleday Page, 1901, 1st edition, Octavo. Gray cloth with gilt lettering and mounted color plate on cover. Good ex-library copy with small black numerals on spine, Huntsville Library stamp on front free endsheet, brief notes on title page, former owner's bookplate on front pastedown, and soft hinges with a few cello tape stains where someone attempted to strengthen them.
Old Voices, NY: Doubleday, Page, 1904, 1st edition, Quarto, Brown cloth with black and gilt embossing, and mounted portrait on cover. In good condition with bumped edges and weak hinges. Rear hinge is cracked but holding. "M. Weeden Bibb" is written on front free endsheet (probably Mary Weeden Bibb).
Nearer My God to Thee by
[Sarah Flower] Adams, small quarto in 3/4 red leather binding over brown pebbled cloth covered boards with gilt stamped black leather label mounted on cover. The poem is dedicated to Weeden's husband, John D. Weeden. It is calligraphically rendered by Kate Weeden and illuminated in brilliant color by Howard Weeden.
A total of seven beautiful detailed illuminated and gilded images.
Pilgrim Song by
George Lunt. Small quarto in 3/4 brown leather over brown pebbled cloth boards with gilt stamped leather label on cover, marbled endsheets, and leaves sturdily bound using cloth hinges. The poem is illustrated with
five elegant and vivid illuminations by Weeden, including title page and tailpiece, with lettering almost certainly done by her sister Kate. Signed by Miss Howard Weeden on first leaf and by Kate Weeden on the second.
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BREAKFAST CLUB - Join our lead new book buyer and raconteuse, Catherine Weller, for the Breakfast Club, a gathering for literary news and coffee every Tuesday from 10:00 - 11:00 AM at the Coffee Connection.
LIT KNIT - Do you craft? Do you like books and book-y people? Join our bi-weekly craft circle held the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month from 6:00 - 8:00 PM.
COLLECTORS' BOOK SALON - On the last Friday of each month from January through October, bibliophiles gather to mingle and share their bibliopassions in the Rare Book department. Glasses are filled and refreshments served at 6:30, and at 7:15 an invited guest leads the Collector's Chat, a wild and wonderful exploration of a collector's particular passion or interest.
We're happy to announce that author Michael Norman rescheduled his reading and signing of the latest in his Sam Kincaid series,
Slow Burn
, a thriller set in Salt Lake City. Join us Friday, August 3 for mystery & suspense.
Dr. Charles Randall Paul, head of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy, will discuss the crucial place of religious understanding in our pluralistic society and explain the principles of co-contestation as opposed to mere toleration. Join us for this
Books & Bridges
event.
Bill Humbert, the
RecruiterGuy
and author of
Employee 5.0: Secrets of a Successful Job Search in the New World Order,
will discuss his book and job-searching techniques in the South Court of Trolley Square, located just in front of Weller Book Works at the 600 South entrance. Afterward, Humbert will sign his book inside our store. Don't miss these smart and timely job-hunting tips.
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In a chat led by fellow '70s audiophile, Tony Weller, author Jason Heller will discuss his book,
Strange Stars: David Bowie, Pop Music, and the Decade Sci-Fi Exploded.
As the 1960s drew to a close and mankind trained its telescopes on other worlds, old conventions gave way to a new kind of hedonism that celebrated sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll. Derided as nerdy or dismissed as fluff, science fiction rarely gets credit for its catalyzing effect on this revolution. In
Strange Stars
, Jason Heller recasts sci-fi and pop music as parallel cultural forces that depended on one another to expand the horizons of books, music, and out-of-this-world imagery.
Author Jana Richman returns to Weller Book Works to read from and sign her new book,
Finding
Stillness in a Noisy World.
Moving through the settings of her life—red rock canyons, aspen forests, mountains, and cities—Jana Richman probes the depths of her internal landscape and asks how we can find stillness in our noisy world. In essays both personal and profoundly universal, Richman eschews quick and easy answers for quiet reflections on the questions: In a culture demanding that every voice be heard, how do we make sense of the resulting roar?
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Science fiction author Ned Wolf will sign the books in his Nandia Trilogy, a series about a universe in chaos and a brave group of delegates trained to
intervene during the vulnerable years when a society is most likely to self-destruct. Join us for
Nandia's Copper
,
Nandia's Apparition
, and
Nandia's Children
.
Michael Stewart will lead the Collector's Chat for the Collectors' Book Salon with his topic, "Towards compiling a chrestomathy of the English Language for the Ages..." ..among other things. Join us for what will certainly be a lively bibliophilic discussion.
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Store hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 AM-8 PM | Friday-Saturday, 10 AM-9 PM | Sunday, 12 PM-5 PM
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