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this page we will be posting reviews of publications received by The Pamphleteer. If you would like your work considered for review, please send a copy to:
The Pamphleteer
Post Office Box 10145
Berkeley, Calif. 94709
From The Pamphleteer of Sunday, 16 March 2008
The Chapters 1980–2001, by Robin Crozier and John M. Bennett. (Luna Bisonte Prods, 2002) For 21 years, mail artists Crozier and Bennett collaborated on a series of poems, each person adding one line to the page before sending the poem back. When the page was full, the “chapter” was finished. This booklet collects the 25 chapters of the project, which was deemed complete upon the death of Crozier in December 2001. The stream-of-consciousness results get more interesting around chapter 10, when the typeset poems give way to exquisite corpse–style handwriting and, eventually, rows of hieroglyphs, mirrored letterings of the previous line, and doodles. Digest xer saddle-stitched pamphlet, 28pp. No price listed. Source: Scott MacLeod. Contact: Luna Bisonte Prods, 137 Leland Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43214.
Clip Tart n.5, by Susan Boren. This annual publication collects clippings, collages, and quotes from a variety of sources, the results leaning toward media dissection and explorations of the occult, fantasy art, and old-school Dungeons & Dragons. Each page is a wild work of art unto itself, although a string of quotes from Dr. Seuss, Philip K. Dick, Hawthorne, Camus, and Black Elk, among many others, runs through the magazine and gives an appropriately jittery sense of continuity. This issue includes a helpful U.S. postage rates chart, something that could well become a tradition for Clip Tart, as it sounds like rates will be going up each year. Letter color & b&w xer saddle-stitched pamphlet, 44pp. No price listed, but open to trades. Source: Publisher. Contact: Susan Boren, P.O. Box 66512, Austin, Texas 78766.
The Cunningham Amendment v.10, n.1, by Doreen Frampton, et al. (R Supward Press, 2008) This occasional bulletin from West Yorkshire serves to remind readers of their own inherent freedoms from corporations, governments, and ideologies (the lot of them being dubbed the “non-fool world”), and of the responsibility toward each other and the earth that comes with such liberty. Those living such a life are identified by The Cunningham Amendment as “anarcrisps,” defined simply as “nice anarchists.” All of this is served straight from the tap in a gorgeously produced letterpress package of bite-sized aphorisms, charming vignettes, and visual and typographical puns. These same articles offer regular glimpses of the violence and crushing repression inherent to organizations, just to keep readers on their toes. Highly recommended and a great influence on what happens here at Wonderella. A5 color letterpress with tip-ins, 26pp. Send cash, stamps, or equivalent for your copy. 42p for anarcrisps, £1 for regular anarchists, £2 at book fairs. Open to trades. Source: Publisher. Contact: The TCA, 1005 Huddersfield Road, Bradford BD12 8LP, West Yorkshire, England.
The Duplex Planet n.180, by David B. Greenberger. (Duplex Planet, 2007) Greenberger has been collecting and printing brief interviews with elderly nursing home residents since 1979. Each issue has a theme that anyone could have an opinion on, such as coffee (n.104), trouble (n.178), or outer space (n.91). This time, Greenberger asks East L.A. residents about music and, in the last few pages, about their experiences living in California. Interspersed throughout are photographs of some of the subjects and what looks to be garage bands of the ’60s and ’70s rehearsing and performing. Digest xer saddle-stitched pamphlet, 16pp. $12 for six issues (USA) or five issues (Canada), back issues available. Source: Publisher. Contact: Duplex Planet, P.O. Box 1230, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866, online at http://www.duplexplanet.com.
Fanzine Fanatique, by Keith and Rosemary Walker (2007) This chatty newsletter gives concise reviews of nearly three dozen publications, with an emphasis on those pertaining to sci-fi fandom, mail art, poetry, and spirituality. Readers get to know Keith and Rosemary via the asides sprinkled throughout the reviews. A4 inkjet loose, 4pp. No price listed, open to trades. Source: Publisher. Contact: Fanzine Fanatique, 6, Vine Street, Lancaster, LA1 4UF, England.
Fasting for Regeneration (The Short Cut), by Julia Seton, M.D. (Health Research, c. 1920) This curious 1988 reprint delves into the practice of transforming the self, alchemically, through the practice of fasting. Health, wealth, love, and usefulness are the promised outcomes once control is gained over one’s body, thoughts, emotions, and higher self. It’s a wonderful mix of science and spirituality from one of the golden eras of esoteric pamphleteering. My tea-stained copy bears binder clip marks and dog-eared pages, so I must assume that someone out there has tried this. Digest xer and spiral-bound book facsimile, 84pp. + 20pp. of advertisements for other publications. No price listed. Source: Scott MacLeod. Contact: Health Research Books, P.O. Box 850, Pomeroy, Wash. 99347. Hundreds of occult titles are listed online at healthresearchbooks.com.
The Complete Gandalf’s Garden, by Muz Murray, et al. (2007) Published in the basement of the King’s Road shop of the same name, Gandalf’s Garden chronicled the flower-power scene of late ’60s London. The “mystical scene magazine” concentrated on the spiritual aspect of hippie life, and served to connect people in London and around the world who were looking for an alternative to the dreary and destructive realities of industrialization, war, or even the darker aspects of the “turned-on” life. Murray & Company produced six issues of the Garden, all of which are highly sought after by collectors. This CD-ROM includes quality scans of every page from the series, as well as photos from the shop, recollections from the many “gardeners” on staff, and reviews of the magazine from back in the day. I’ve got a few prized copies of the printed magazines, and while nothing can beat holding them in one’s hands, this collection gives me much of the same thrill. CD-ROM. £14.99. Source: Publisher. Contact: Muz Murray (Gandalf’s Garden), 179 Montée du Levant, 30820 Caveirac, France, online at www.mantra-yoga.com.
The Lay of Fraya Wray, by Michael Basinski. (Xtant Books, 2001) This collection of poetry claims to be at least as old as the lost 1928 film documenting its creation, even though several of the pieces examine Fay Wray’s work in another film, King Kong, which premiered five years later. Other topics include insects, witches, and Egyptian mythology. Each poem includes notes and commentary for particular lines and for the poem as a whole. The Lay is meant to be read aloud as a performance, although warnings are given against doing so during certain months of the year, or without first appeasing the gods. Letter xer velobound pamphlet, 18pp. No price listed. Source: Scott MacLeod. Contact: Xtant Books, c/o Jim Leftwich, 1512 Mountainside Court, Charlottesville, Va. 22903.
Lovecraft’s Library: A Catalogue (Revised & Enlarged), by S.T. Joshi. (Hippocampus Press, 2002) Late in life, Howard Phillips Lovecraft prepared a list of “Weird &c. Items in Library of H.P. Lovecraft, for the benefit of distant members of the ‘weird fiction gang’ who wish to borrow spectral volumes not obtainable in their home-town bibliothecae.” This volume systematically lists not only these, but nearly 800 other works from his bookcase on topics such as fiction, poetry, history. Although Joshi claims the bibliography to be far from complete, this book still serves as a gateway into the mind of one of the world’s most unique and influential storytellers. Digest off perfect, 176pp. $15. Source: Angelo Sphere and Melissa Miller. Contact: Hippocampus Press, P.O. Box 641, New York, New York 10156.
Normal Antlers, by Geezer. (2001) This rumination on the sporting life combines a series of photographs and line drawings about hunting and fishing with captions of varying relevance. A small piece of paper illustrating how to make a backpack out of a pair of pants or a flour sack was sewn, with red thread, into the center spread of my copy. The booklet reminded me of Crispin Glover’s incongruous photos and captions in What It Is, and How It Is Done, only with less continuity. Digest xer saddle-stitched pamphlet, 8pp. No price listed. Source: Scott MacLeod. No contact information listed.
The Poetry and Meaning of Fairy Tales, by Rudolf Steiner. (Mercury Press, 1989) Of the 6,000 lectures Austrian esotericist Rudolf Steiner delivered during his lifetime—on topics as diverse as education, agriculture, medicine, and religion—two were about the nature of fairy tales. Translated and transcribed in this booklet, the talks outline Steiner’s sense of the prehistoric origin of the stories, some insights into their archetypal meaning, and how children respond to the tales when told by adults with this same understanding. Recommended to readers interested in an iconoclastic look at these timeless stories, as well as people attracted to Rosicrucian thought, earth religions, and symbolism. A5 off saddle-stitched pamphlet, 54pp. $4.50 used. Source: St. George Book Service, Inc., P.O. Box 225, Spring Valley, New York 10977. Contact: Mercury Press, Fellowship Community, 241 Hungry Hollow Road, Chestnut Ridge, New York 10977.
The Rag-time Ephemeralist n.3, by Chris Ware, editor, et al. (The Acme Novelty & Co., 2002) Refreshingly dispensing with its publisher’s tendency toward crushing nihilism, this volume of engaging scholarly essays, photos, press clippings, and sheet music reproductions approaches the subject of ragtime music with as much obsessive zeal as Chris Ware puts into drawing and lettering the panels of his Acme Novelty Library comic books. Contributors Nan Bostick and Nora Hulse, for instance, include more than 300 entries in their directory of “Ragtime’s Women Composers.” Among the other articles are a history of the trombone in ragtime and a fiction story by Seth Kallen Deitch, with illustrations by his brother Kim. 8vo off perfect, 256pp. $20. Source: Analog Books, 1816 Euclid Ave., Berkeley, Calif. 94709. Contact: The Acme Novelty & Co., P.O. Box 3626, Oak Park, Ill. 60303.
Repetitions (A Collection of Proletarian Pleasures Ranging from Rodent Worship to Ethical Relativism Appended with a Critique of Unicursal Reason), by Stewart Home. (Sabotage Editions, 1999) Artist, writer, filmmaker, and activist Home staples together a mischmasch of articles, correspondences, and rejected book introductions on topics such as media prankdom, sexual experimentation, philosophy, art criticism, and the nature of the writing life. Among the offerings is Home’s account of what happened when he started showing people his take on the NHS donor card—in addition to offering his internal organs post mortem, Home also gives himself freely to any necrophiles who may be transporting him to the morgue. A5 xer saddle-stitched pamphlet, 32pp. £3. Source: Scott MacLeod. Contact: Sabotage Editions, BM Senior, London WC1N 3XX, England.
Tea-Cup Reading and the Art of Fortune-Telling by Tea-Leaves, by A Highland Seer. (Health Research, 1968) Another reprint similar in form to Fasting for Regeneration (see entry). This booklet dips into the science and symbolism of tea-leaf reading which, as the author states, offers the practiced oracle a glimpse at what may come to pass in the next 24 hours. Advice is given on the best tea and cups for fortune-telling, and readers learn the mental, physical, and observational processes necessary for a good read. A list of symbols and their meanings—as well as a series of example drawings of tea-leaf configurations—put this pastime within reach of the most serious or playful clairvoyant. Includes an additional chapter on omens. (“Think of a wish first, and then count your fruit stones or pips. If the number is even, the omen is good. If odd, the reverse is the case.”) Digest xer and spiral-bound book facsimile, 94pp. + 8pp. of advertisements for other publications. $4 used. Source: Scott MacLeod. Contact: Health Research Books, P.O. Box 850, Pomeroy, Wash. 99347, online at healthresearchbooks.com.
Tyr n.3, by Joshua Buckley and Michael Moynihan (editors), et al. (Ultra, 2008) Following a few years absence, this journal of radical traditionalism and cultural renewal returns with its largest volume to date. Tyr calls for the reversal of the destruction wrought by corporate hegemony, industrialization, materialism, and progress for progress’ sake. Folk traditions and the romantic art movements of Europe are held up as pathways to a solution, and the resulting art and articles are thoughtful and scholarly. Fantasy-loving esotericists will delight at the fact that Tyr prints an exploration of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy by Joscelyn Godwin. Of the articles I’ve read so far, my favorite is Gordon Kennedy’s article on how the West Coast hippie scene owes a greater debt to the sandal-clad German “Nature Boys” found in 1940s California than to the Beatniks. Cover painting by Odd Nerdrum. 8vo off perfect, 536pp. $25. Source: Publisher. Contact: Ultra, P.O. Box 11736, Atlanta, Ga 30355, online at www.radicaltraditionalist.com.
Walks Around Newmillerdam, by Richard Bell. (Willow Island Editions, 2007) Longtime watercolor diarist Bell produced this guide to the paths in Newmillerdam Country Park. Half a dozen circuit walks are described in detail, with absolutely charming hand-drawn black and white maps and small sketches of points of interest along the way, including turns in the path, stiles, flora, and architectural details. Includes some history, access, and OS map information. The booklet has been adapted from the online nature journal Bell keeps and is one of about twenty such guides to West Yorkshire listed at www.willowisland.co.uk. A5 xer saddle-stitched pamphlet, 28pp. £1.95. Source: Publisher. Contact: Willow Island Editions, 41 Water Lane, Middlestown, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 4PX, England.
From The Pamphleteer of Saturday, 24 November 2007
Ptolemaic Terrascope No.36
For fifteen years, this small but influential magazine charted the world of psychedelic, rustic, or just plain experimental music from its outpost in the most unlikely of locations—the tiny town of Melksham in Wiltshire, England. The Ptolemaic Terrascope was published by Bevis Frond frontman Nick Saloman and edited by writer, music lover, and devoted aural archivist Phil McMullen. Every copy of the “illustrated occasional” sold out immediately thanks to the Terrascope’s chatty and insightful interviews, charming artwork and design (reminiscent of fanzines from the British Invasion years), and the limited edition 45-rpm records (and later compact discs) produced by Saloman and packaged with the magazine.
McMullen expanded the scope of the publication in 1997 with “Terrastock,” a three-day music festival in Rhode Island. Ostensibly a fund-raiser for the magazine, the event only ended up putting it further in the red. Regardless of considerable financial and personal costs, McMullen’s shepherding of the magazine through publication, organizing of the annual festivals, and coordinating of an online discussion board at terrascope.co.uk worked wonders not only for the musicians (in one example, Tom Rapp of Pearls Before Swine came out of retirement to play at Terrastock) but also for the worldwide fanbase for the varied music championed by the magazine. Readers enjoyed a common source for information about obscure and forgotten music, along with the chance to meet either in person at the festivals or virtually online.
For those peering keenly through the Terrascope, then, it came as little surprise when, in winter 2004–2005, McMullen admitted his fatigue and announced his bittersweet desire to sell the publishing rights to the magazine so he could focus on the website and festival. And perhaps no one was more surprised than McMullen when Californian Pat Thomas, a Terrascope contributor, musician, and record producer, stepped forward a few months later to make the purchase.
Speculation among the readership as to what changes Thomas would make to the beloved fanzine gave way after a few years to near-resignation that the Terrascope had finally given up the ghost. Occasional notices from Thomas on the magazine’s website hinted that production on the next issue was underway, though. A few months ago, patience and faith were rewarded with issue No.36, falling from the sky like early autumn leaves.
With a history and ethos as strong as the Terrascope’s, it’s nigh impossible not to look for comparisons and contrasts between the McMullen issues of the magazine and the new publication Thomas has assembled. One look at the cover photo—a version of the sleeve art from Devendra Banhart’s Cripple Crow album, of thirty or so San Francisco groovers hanging out in Buena Vista Park—lets none doubt that the Terrascope Nation stands tall in its new American home. The interior look is somewhat cleaner than before (I must admit favoring the old hand-drawn borders and mix of small type and hand-lettering), and the illustrations, while new, seem lovingly familiar. The magazine’s interview subjects—among them Banhart, Ben Chasny, and Shirley Collins—keep with the classic roster, but the inclusion of an interview with Elaine Brown of the Black Panthers helps the new Terrascope distinguish itself as a product of the West Coast. Perhaps best of all is the inclusion of a twenty-track disc of new “Terrascopic” music. Three cheers to Pat Thomas and Company for their diligent work in keeping the freak flag flying.
To learn about Terrastock and join the Terrascope Online community, visit terrascope.co.uk. Single copies of the magazine are available for $10 per ($16 outside the USA) through:
Ptolemaic Terrascope
c/o (and checks to) Pat Thomas
Post Office Box 18841
Oakland , Calif. 94619
Online at terrascope.org
The Dreade of Death
Even though authorship may lend immortality, this set of one dozen macabre bookplates reminds us that death is still right around the corner for book collectors. The plates are based on four woodcuts from a variety of 16th-century sources and are tastefully produced in brown and black on the three-inch-square self-sticking labels.
Bay Area ephemeralists can find the set in Berkeley at Castle in the Air, 1805 Fourth Street. Others can inquire for price and availability via:
Manifesto Letterpress
116 Pleasant Street, No. 201
Easthampton, Mass. 01027
Online at manifestopress.com
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