Subterranean Books

Subterranean Books opened in 2000 on the Delmar Loop and has been a haven for book lovers ever since. We’re proud to have been selected Best Bookstore by the Riverfront Times five times, and we continue to offer the unusual, the classic, and the subversive to our customers. And hey, we’re independent, friendly, and growing. Check us out! The store can be contacted at 314.862.6100 or info (at) subbooks.com.

Thursday, August 31, 2006

New Shrewsbury Metro Line is Officially Wonderful

I’ve been to almost every new Metrolink station now, and most of them are quite grand. Especially wonderful are the underground stops at Big Bend and at Skinker. Big Bend has a really cool installation art piece, and the Skinker stop feels like it’s in a real city (we do live in a real city, right?)--you come out of a subterranean metro onto a busy street near a university and a coffee shop. Fantastic! And I feel weird saying this, but the Clayton stop is at a good location. But the most surprising new station, in my opinion, is the Richmond Heights stop. It’s about two blocks from Brentwood, right across the street from the Galleria’s entrance (finally a reason for my Galleria-loving mom to get on the train!). What I really like is that fact that it’s close to University Club Tower, which houses doctors for more than one of us Subterranean folks. Easy street!



I’m hoping that running a line through one of the most densely populated areas of the region will bring in new riders and a new attitude--let’s run Metrolink everywhere…north, south, east, and west! One complaint, however. I’m disappointed with the Brentwood stop. The westbound ramp leads to a road (with no sidewalk!!!) BEHIND Dierberg’s. Pedestrian friendly how? The eastbound ramp leads to Best Buy and a parking garage, and again there is NO SIDEWALK. Considering we buy most our music at Vintage and Euclid, we don’t foresee many reasons to get off at Brentwood anyway, but the cheap and good food lover in us asks how the heck we are supposed to get to Trader Joe’s without being mashed by a crazy driver.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Grant Morrison is Crazy


But I like him. He entered the comics scene in America in the 80s during a British invasion period (which included folks like Neil Gaiman), and he’s been screwing with narrative, mythology, and symbolism ever since. He took an almost forgotten book called Doom Patrol and made it a cut-up surrealist romp through outsiderism, doubt, and painful heroism. He brought the occult to Batman in Arkham Asylum. And he made a comic character self aware of his existence on the printed page in Animal Man. By comparison, We3 is fairly tame and straightforward. But it’s excellent. Three stolen pets (a dog, a cat, and a rabbit) are turned into weapons of mass destruction by the military--enhanced killing machines with the capability of rudimentary speech. The trouble is that they are both too aware of what’s being done with them and confused by their faint memories of pethood. They’re looking for “home” but unsure of what the word means. No superheroes, beautiful art by Frank Quitely, and one of the best comic collections I’ve read in a long time. Also, one of the saddest.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Kristopher Pollard : It's Not Nepotism

However, I should come clean. I've known Saint Sebastian over there for about fourteen years, and I think he’s an excellent artist. Tomorrow from 7-9 PM and through late-September you can find out what an excellent artist he (Kristopher “kpolly” Pollard) is yourself. The work is graphic--mostly figurative--and it incorporates some text. I think of his figures as almond-eyed vulnerable folk from the margins. The type of characters you recognize but don’t really know. Literate, nice line work, stark juxtapositions--how’s that for art speak? Maybe one will hang on your living room wall soon.




The Week That Was

Bestsellers: 8/17-8/23

Personally I think this would be a nice selection to start a book collection with.

1. John Perkins : Confessions of an Economic Hit Man



2. Bernd Evers : Architectural Theory
3. Albertus Seba : Cabinet of Natural Curiosities
4. Kurt Vonnegut : Galapagos
5. Richard Matheson : I Am Legend



6. Jacquelyn C. Black : …Last Meal
7. Craig Sams : Little Food Book



8. Sanyika Shakur : Monster
9. John Murphy : Stupid Sock Creatures



10. Max Brooks : Zombie Survival Guide

Friday, August 18, 2006

#1: King of All Subterraneans

6, 5, 4, 3, 2



And there is no question about this one. Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States has been the store’s bestselling book from almost day one.




I like to see this as proof that a good book never goes away and that humanity is always looking to find truth and justice in the world. Zinn tells the story of America not from the point of view of rulers, celebrities, and businessmen but from the perspective of women and minorities, workers, immigrants, and the voiceless. Really it’s a primer on the untold foundations of America, as well its struggles and triumphs in finding justice and peace. It’s not passive reading by any means--Zinn himself has said, “you can’t be neutral on a moving train.” And that’s no less true now than it was in 1980 when his influential work first appeared.

#2: Dean and Sal

"I want my two dollars!"



The second best seller in the history of our favorite bookstore is a novel we think exemplifies Subterraneanism, On the Road by Jack Kerouac.



I won’t bore you with a recap of who Dean Moriarty, Sal Paradise, Carlo Marx, and the bunch all are. You probably know already. Maybe you read Kerouac’s work on a road trip to California, or perhaps while cooped up in your first apartment on Arsenal during the coldest days of winter. Maybe you haven’t read it at all (you should really). I must tell you that my partner is a big Kerouac fan and that we have one book on tape in our collection. It’s On the Road. Now you may ask why anyone in their right mind would listen to On the Road off of a cassette tape. The answer? It’s read by David Carradine, Grasshopper. Anyway, with school starting soon and summer beginning to wind down a little, it’s a perfect time to read one of the great works of American literature and think of Dean Moriarty.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Hey Jenni!


Try this the next time you're at the gym!

--Jason

Monday, August 14, 2006

Ride On You Crazy Diamonds!


Metro, Sub, and You in Map Form




Many of us Subterraneans have bigger goals for the area than just Metrolink expansion--like a pedestrian zone running along Delmar from Skinker to Kingsland. But all good things come to those who wait, and we’ve waited and waited for new Metro stations to open. That day is finally near (August 28 for full service), and we’re super excited that we’ll be within easy walking distance of two metro stops (Skinker and Delmar). Limited service will be FREE on the cross county line on Saturday, August 26, and Sunday, August 27. It’s a perfect chance to head down to the Loop for books, music, food, and maybe a movie. To further help with this project, Metro is down at the Delmar station right now...NOW!!!...handing out FREE system-wide maps and timetables for the August 28th restructuring of the entire MO side of Metro. Get ‘em while they’re hot.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Busby Berkley De-Constructed

OK Go - Here It Goes Again

Try this the next time you're at the gym!

--Jenni

#3: Truths My Book Revealed to Me.

Let’s recap: #6: Cereal Ramblings, #5: Super Sized Sickness, #4: Angst, Glorious Angst


Counting down the top six sellers in the history of Subterranean Books, the third best seller ever is Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen.



In this beloved book, Loewen critiques twelve American history texts. He finds the narrative of most focused on heroes and acts of government, and he’d rather have the holy trinity of history be race, class, and gender. Now, as you’ve probably guessed, Loewen’s conclusions aren’t going to please everyone. But there’s something in the book for a person of almost any political bent to chew on. And beyond that, Loewen’s idea of a desirable history text is one that would leave a student thinking that America is a nation still open to finding its way in the world and that its best days are still ahead. That sounds like a helluva history book, nicht wahr?

Thursday, August 10, 2006

#4: Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Holden Caulfield



J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye comes in at number four.





I know, I know, you read this baby in high school or college and it totally changed your life. Then you got old and bitter. Now it seems phony and overpraised. But then, just then, you pick it up again to read a couple of pages and dismiss it for good. Actually, they're not so bad, so you keep reading. Surely the first couple of chapters will prove its ill worth. But you keep reading and reading. Finally, after closing the final chapter, you realize…that’s a mighty fine book. Then you give it to your teenage niece or nephew to read. Hey kid, you say, this is one of my favorite books. It’ll change your life.

Friday, August 04, 2006

#5: Kick Out the Fries, Motherf…..



Continuing our countdown of all-time bestsellers at the store is Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation.


Schlosser’s book has already been praised here by yours truly. But it also happens to be one of Javier’s favorites, too. With a fictional film based on the book coming out soon, Schlosser’s work is shaping up to be one of the most influential pieces of contemporary journalism. And why not? The book is highly readable and highly informative--one gets the sense throughout that he’s really done his homework. Whether you want to or not, it’ll make you think twice before hitting the drive-thru at Mickey D’s.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

#6: The New Technocrats

Soon, oh so very soon, we’re getting a new computer system. Not that you all should care (you shouldn’t really). But in honor of us getting computerified and all, I’ve been going over the last six years of sales, and I've compiled the Sub Super Six Sellers of All Time. Today begins the countdown.


Chuck Klosterman Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs


Chuck K. is the new kid on the block in terms of this list. We first started selling SDCP less than a year ago and it’s been a non-stop favorite ever since. He covers a lot of pop culture ground here: Saved by the Bell, the Sims, heavy metal cover bands, pretentiousness, and so on. It’s a quick read that can be read out of order, and it makes a great loaner for friends (though they might not give it back). Heck, it graced Kelly’s staff pick shelf for months. How can you go wrong? Next up…number 5’s agenda.