New Books
As many of you know, I don't watch television. I don't like to feed that shit to my brain. I do love watching certain movies on my huge flat screen, but I love curling up with a book even more, especially when combined with some mellow tunes, a fat joint and a hot cup of Yogi tea. This morning I was digging through this pile of books and thought it would be cool to share a little about them, hoping to inspire more of you to support your local bookstores and watch less TV.
So, starting from the upper left and moving clockwise.
First is a photo book called “Someone Cuts My Hair While I Sleep” by Todd Fisher. I flipped through it once at the bookstore and had to have it. Great photos and really witty editing. Next to that is “Action! Mystery! Thrills! – Comic Book Covers of the Golden Age 1933-1945”. I love comic illustration from that era and this collection is really outstanding. Next is a 420-page book by Edgar Allen Poe called “Tales of Mystery and Imagination”. It’s a reprint of an original edition from 1933. It was illustrated by Harry Clarke, whose black and white illustrations are particularly inspiring. In the upper right corner is “Voguing and the House Ballroom Scene of New York City 1989-92” featuring some amazing photographs by Chantal Regnault. This book gives a rare look into early House culture, and anybody that knows me knows that I love House music. Really fresh. Below that is “I Love You” magazine from Germany. I had a drawing featured in a previous issue and I’ve been a huge fan ever since. Great style and uplifting writing. Highly recommended. Next to that is “Hosoi” by skateboarding legend Christian Hosoi. I read it straight through and loved it. I think he’s seen a lot in his life and learned some important lessons along the way. Check it out. Next to that is “Sadhus – The Holy Men of India” by Rajesh Bedi. It was published in 1991 and features lots of great photos of sadhus doing yoga, covering their bodies with ash, painting their faces and smoking hash. I find their way of life really inspiring. Next to that is an art book from China about eagles. All the writing is in Chinese, and I can’t read Chinese, so I don’t know who the artist is. Regardless, this book has the best images of eagles in flight that I’ve ever seen. A friend gave it to me for my birthday. Thanks, Derick!
And remember what John Waters said, “If you go home with somebody, and they don’t have books, don’t fuck ‘em!”