Subterranean Books

It’s Just a Youngin

2007-01-10T12:20:00.000-06:00

Our new blog is up. Don’t expect too much from the little guy just yet: a little maturing and getting a few quirks and errors out will do it good. But it’s there, and it’s where we’ll be posting from now on. So please join us.

Not Forgotten

2007-01-03T17:14:00.000-06:00

It’s been a little while since we’ve posted. Good reason for that really. First, the holidays bowled us over. Sales were amazing, your patronage was thoughtful and fantastic, and we were able to get in a little family time too. So, thanks. Subby Customers rock the house!

But beyond that, we’re building a new blog that will be all ours and part of our website. We hope this is step one in kicking ourselves into the 21st century. We’d like to completely renovate our site this year and even add internet sales. Wouldn’t that be peachy? But no worries about us going corporate, it’ll always have that sweet DIY feel here at SB--all our internet stuff will be open source. Vive la Revolution!

My 2007 Subby Wishlist

2006-12-21T10:18:00.000-06:00

1. The Best American Series continues to offer a comics collection.

2. The store has a signing for one of Jeremy’s books (preorder now $20--no guarantees).

3. Glenn Danzig comes into the store when I’m actually here.

4. Our 7th Birthday Party has Dita von Teese and Marilyn Manson on the VIP list.

5. The store can afford the 300% pay raise I’ve asked for. They don’t call me J$$ for no reason. Right, Kelly? I mean Special K.

Moleskine

2006-12-18T20:02:00.000-06:00

Apparently there is a whole subculture out there that likes to display the contents of their moleskine journals on the internet. My education never stops.

P.S. It has been suggested by certain unnamed persons that I have too much time on my hands.

Junky's Christmas

2006-12-18T15:46:00.000-06:00

God bless YouTube for all that they make available, including this animation for a William S. Burroughs short story. See the whole thing: parts I, II, III. And have a Subterraneanly merry Christmas!

Part Le Final

2006-12-17T20:24:00.000-06:00

For the kiddies we have stuffed creatures with their own stories to tell. No, not the Teddy Scares, these are for younger kids.

First, on the left, we have Flora-- the choral director at the local high school who enjoys horseback riding, watching Gilmore Girls and picking petunias. And she is quite demure.

Over on the right we have Wilby and Pongo and their peeps.

And then there's Claude. He calls himself an "unclassified hairy biped" but we know who he is. He's even a published author. Although he does have a bit of a chip on his shoulder. (Just flip through his books. You'll see what I mean.)

For the inner goth we've got skull soap-on-a-rope. It comes in rose scent, licorice, eucalyptus, and many others. In the same series we have coffin soap-on-a-rope (complete with tiny skulls surrounding the casket) and we have the trilogy of bats. Not on-a-rope, though.

We have super cool ornaments for the film buff, that look especially smashing on black Christmas trees.

And for all you word freaks out there, we have magnets made from cut-up words. Burroughs would be proud.

Behold...

2006-12-15T23:46:00.000-06:00

Available Sizes:
men's M, L, XL
ladies' S, M, L

(Part 4)

2006-12-15T20:00:00.000-06:00

An Asian art fan? We have three boxed card collections right now.

First are the Hokusai cards. Twenty-five large-format cards (with envelopes) presented in a beautifully bound Japanese-style box with traditional fastening. Lovely.

Japanese, but a bit more modern, are the Fruits postcards. If you've seen the books Fruits and Fresh Fruits, then you know what I'm talking about. The Fruits Postcards is a collection of forty-five Tokyo street fashion portraits from Japan's premier fanzine of the same name. They're packaged in a see-through tangerine tinted plastic box. You can have your very own collection of individual photographs of wackily dressed Japanese teenagers.

Speaking of wacky, the third postcard set is Bollywood Dreams. It consists of 50 cards in a specially made tin box. The photographs are taken from the book Bollywood Dreams by Jonathan Torgovnik and explore many different facets of Bollywood cinema. My favorite is the cover shot.

You Say...(Part 3)?

2006-12-14T20:36:00.000-06:00

For years we have had folks coming in asking for blank books and journals. We never had any. There was a time when Meghan would practically beg us to come to our senses. She was right. And so was Matthew. And Jason. Everyone really. Well...now we have them.

We have Moleskine with the fancy-pants pocket. It comes in lined pages, squared pages, blank pages, and sketchbook format. We carry both the pocket size and the larger ones.

For the whimsical among you, we have spirals and notebooks put out by Dark Horse. We stock the Coop version, the Tim Biskup, Jim Flora and others.

If you would like something really special, we have handmade blank books crafted by St. Louis' own Janice Wallace. These are simply beautiful. They are handsewn, hand bound, and often, the paper is hand torn. They come in square and rectangular sizes.

Everything is in stock and just waiting for you to waltz up to the counter and fondle them.

You Say You Need More Gift Ideas (Part 2)

2006-12-13T23:26:00.000-06:00

Check it.

How cool are these?

These are the kid-friendly ones. They are paper automata kits. They contain the directions and all the paper pieces to build the models pictured. They even have the sticks and rubber bands that they require to locomote. There are also adult versions must you must be at least 18 to follow the link. We carry both the kid versions and the grown-up ones.

You Say You Need More Gift Ideas (Part 1)?

2006-12-12T19:35:00.000-06:00

Geeze, we've been swamped lately. Yippee for the holidays and all that selfless giving! For those of you who are still stumped, we cheerfully offer up these suggestions. For the metalhead in your life, see picture on the right. For the punkster, see left. And for everyone, behold the above. (In case your eyesight is getting poor from all that late-nite surfing, they read Heavy Metal Saved My Life, Punk Rock Saved My Life, and Reading is Sexy. Oh yes it is.) Each comes in several different sizes, both girly cut and boy size, and are in stock and ready for you to pick up.

Join us for the Par-tay!

2006-12-11T21:41:00.000-06:00

Looking for Fun! and Art! and maybe Wine! We're the place to be--Art show opening this Friday (15th). Dani Kantrowitz is the newest inductee to the Subterranean Art Hall of Fame. She makes drawings that are fabulous and fun. Have you ever seen Marcel Dzama or Aya Takano? Her drawings are even more fun than theirs. The reception runs from 7 to 9pm, at the store, and the show will hang through Sunday, Jan. 14.

A Time for Community

2006-12-10T15:49:00.000-06:00

Ever wonder what the "support staff" looks like? You know, the ones who have to endure the highs and lows we all report home with. The ones who prop us up and dust us off each day, pushing us out the door to face the world again? Here's a not-very-good picture of the annual Subterranean Christmas Dinner. This year we went to Aya Sofia. It was very very tasty. This was taken at the end of dinner (and at the end of the wine).

A Picture's Worth

2006-12-10T15:04:00.000-06:00

I keep meaning to send out a more detailed email about all the new cool things we have in, but dangit, the time just slips away. Maybe this week... Anyway, here are some photos of the new loft space. It about killed us, but it's up and running and doing quite well, thank you. (And a *huge* thanks to Rachel for making the perfect curtains.)

Beat Jazz

2006-12-09T20:04:00.000-06:00

Let’s face it, jazz is Subterranean. Gene Krupa was a chronic cannabis user. Sonny Rollins made the Mohawk stylish. Sun Ra was from another planet. And our Miles Davis reinvented music at least three times in his life. (Why exactly doesn’t St. Louis have a museum for this legend or for all the jazz and blues greats from the region? Shame, shame.) Anyway, we just got in three large boxes of used jazz books, and they’re priced to go. On top of that and related, we’ve also unleashed a couple boxes worth of beat literature on the shelves. They’re worth the trip, I promise

Gift Ideas

2006-12-08T12:38:00.000-06:00

For the hard to buy for:

mountain man dance moves

2006-12-05T17:29:00.000-06:00

The new collection of McSweeney's lists has arrived in the store. It's called Mountain Man Dance Moves. It's a list of funny things. I've posted about this book's predecessor. You should buy them both if you want to be popular at parties.

To commemorate the book's release, I've made a new list.

Items That Didn't Make the Final Cut for the Franklin Mint Catalog, 2006

West Coast Choppers Chess Set, Pewter
Girls of MySpace Collector Knife with Burled Handle
McRib Forever Pendant
Steve Buscemi, in Tuxedo, Porcelain Statue, 16"
Life of Christ Collector Egg -- Jesus Shakes Dirt from Sandals
Jewels of Christmas Pin -- Grayish Eggnog
Jewels of Christmas Pin -- Nine year-Old, Sulking
Official Aleister Crowley Commemorative Plate, Gold-Leaf
Wal-Mart Monopoly Set
The Marquis de Sade Dinnerware Collection, 8 pcs.
Homeless Dude We Kicked Out of the Bookstore Collector Tankard

New DIY Section Officially Awesome

2006-12-04T19:55:00.000-06:00

Sure I’m a little biased about our new DIY loft. I work here and my mother-in-law has stuff in it, but I seriously think it looks great. Soaps, baskets, photos, magnets, blank books, brooches, purses, wrist bands, art boxes, and sock monkeys. Sock monkeys? Sock monkeys!!! Plus, there’s more stuff arriving every day. It’s knitastic!

Bunny Love

2006-12-02T19:29:00.000-06:00

We probably all have a mixture of nostalgia and loathing for A Christmas Story, which must have been screened a million times by now. Luckily, there are always the cute and fuzzy Angry Alien bunnies to make the old new again. If you aren’t familiar with the bunny theater troupe, they put on 30-second reenactments of films (word on the street is that they are currently working on Borat). Some suggested watching (all free on the AA website): Alien, Caddyshack, The Exorcist, Jaws, and The Shining.

It's F-ing December Already???

2006-12-02T18:53:00.000-06:00

November's Bestsellers

1. Maddox : The Alphabet of Manliness
2. Mario Garza : Stuff on My Cat
3. Dave Eggers (ed) : Best Nonrequired Reading 2006
4. Chuck Klosterman : Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs
5. Chuck Klosterman : Killing Yourself to Live

6. Orhan Pamuk : Istanbul
7. Max Brooks : The Zombie Survival Guide
8. J.D. Salinger : Nine Stories
9. Amy Sedaris : I Like You
10.Schiffmacher & Riemschneider : 1000 Tattoos

Nature of the Beast

2006-11-29T16:07:00.000-06:00

Our art section is changing! Our art section is changing! Well, maybe it’s not that exciting, but in the next couple of days it’s going to transform from an unruly primitive monster to a modernist work of logic. Well, maybe. I haven’t worked out all the details yet, and most the books are lying on the floor right now. But this I know for sure…we’ll have a contemporary art section finally! Already in...

Vitamin D, Vitamin P, Vitamin Ph

Richard Prince, Raymond Pettibon, Marlene Dumas, Mike Kelley

Matthew Barney's Cremaster 3

and more and more each day

A Tree Grows in St. Louis

2006-11-29T11:36:00.000-06:00

After buying all your holiday goods at Subterranean (hint! hint!), you may be left wondering what you can give this year that will also benefit the community (not that giving books doesn’t!). Of course, there are a lot of great projects, but here are two of my favorites. The first is the “Tree-Membrance” program in the City. For $125 (trust me, being on bookseller’s salary I know how much that hits the wallet, but it’s a good cause) you can have a shade, flowering, or evergreen tree planted in almost any City park (including the big guy between Skinker and Kingshighway) in honor of anyone or anything. Just think of all the oxygen you’ll provide our beautiful city!

Number two is becoming/giving a gift membership with the St. Louis City Library Foundation. Membership levels generally start at $40, but you can give as much or as little as you want. I don’t need to tell you literate folks what great services the library provides, and St. Louis has two of the best systems in the US in the City and County (which has a similar program here).

For Jenni

2006-11-25T18:39:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving Thus

2006-11-22T11:49:00.000-06:00

Perhaps some ideas for reading material on the plane/train/bus. Here’s what people have been coming in for the last couple of weeks.

1. Maddox : Alphabet of Manliness
2. Max Brooks : The Zombie Survival Guide
3. J.D. Salinger : Nine Stories
4. Chuck Klosterman : Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs
5. Orhan Pamuk : Istanbul

Snowflupdate

2006-11-22T11:32:00.000-06:00

The flakes are in and the window is done. Thanks to everyone who cut some serious paper for us!

Sometimes the customer is Court Jester

2006-11-16T17:59:00.000-06:00

Wanna know what kind of customer you are? Take this quiz.

*This quiz in no legitimate way reflects either reality or the judgments of store ownership, Jason, or Jenni. I was sipping bourbon behind the counter when it was composed.

2006 Subby Snowflake Drive

2006-11-12T15:32:00.000-06:00

So you’re sitting at home with nothing to do. How about making paper snowflakes for us? We’re putting together our new window display soon, and we could use all the little paper art you can throw at us. Subby will always appreciate it! Big, small, medium…we don’t care. What a way to make yourself part of the store…or just help us decrease the number we have to cut ourselves. If you’re interested, thank you, thank you in advance.

Thanks, Stadium Pal!

2006-11-11T16:34:00.000-06:00

Apart from there being a Essayist Laureate, nothing could make me happier than to see an essayist reading his essay (I would like to say "essay" once more) on a late-night talk show. Thanks, Letterman!

Note: Tis the season for David Sedaris' Santaland Diaries and Amy's new book on hospitality, I Like You.

Azurite, Cerulean, Cobalt...

2006-11-09T17:17:00.000-06:00

The art exhibit New Blues went up in the gallery today. It is really beautiful. The artist is Barbara Zucker and she has put together a showing of her cyanotypes. They are these wonderfully moody photographs comprised completely of shades of blue and white. The contrast between the white paper and the blues is very striking.

For those of you not in the know, or too busy to follow the link, the cyanotype process is a contact printing process dating from the early 1840s that requires a negative the same size as the print you wish to make. They are always blue and no two images will be exactly alike.

There will be more than twenty framed prints taken at locations in America, Europe, and Hong Kong. One of the prints, The Jewel Box appeared in Virginia Publishing's recent Saint Louis Seen and Unsee n (which is available at Subterranean). There will be unframed images, as well as prints that are matted, framed and signed, both available for purchase.

The exhibit will be up from Friday, November 10, through Sunday, December 10. The free opening reception will take place at the store and will run from 7-9 p.m. on November 10.

It's So Lovely

2006-11-08T14:13:00.000-06:00

Oh my gosh are you people outside today? It is absolutely beautiful. And the trees. The leaves are falling off of the tree in front of the store in these wonderful layers of orange and yellow and red. Freakishly warm, yes, but lovely all the same.

Also, they started ripping out the shelves and ceiling today in the upstairs loft. Yippee. Crafty space is moving right along.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Eko

2006-11-02T11:27:00.000-06:00

You were a good man, even if Others disagree. When life handed you lemons, you made lemon pulp with a club that had scripture carved into it. And who can blame you? Faux priest, warlord, murderer in the name of brotherly love, who will shepherd and protect the other survivors now that you are gone? You were one of our favorite characters on one of our favorite shows. Wednesday nights won’t be the same without you, but we’ll still keep pushing the button anyway. Peace.

Ode to Mix Tapes (and the Arch)

2006-11-02T00:48:00.000-06:00

So I just returned from probably the worst business trip/vacation I've ever had. It was supposed to be a chance to ignore everything I'm supposed to be paying attention to here and just get away. Very Calgon-y. Instead I ended up immersed in 17 layers of suckiness and stress. I went to Chicago and everything that could possibly go wrong did. I was poorly prepared (I'm always prepared), I was late (I'm never late), the weather sucked, my host did not want me there, I got lost, public transportation was a pain (I love Chicago's public transportation), a mean sales clerk made me stand out in the rain at night to use the payphone instead of letting me use their phone for a local call, and, I had ONE tape for a 5 hour drive. My car doesn't have a CD player and while I do have an adaptor, I couldn't find it as I was getting ready to leave (back to that unpreparedness thing.) I could only find the one tape in my mess of a house, too.

But, that one tape rocked. It was a mix tape made by an old boyfriend back in, probably, '91. I didn't even know if it would still play or not. It's been on the floorboard of many cars, has had countless beers spilled on it, and has made it through 10 moves. It has Leaving Trains I Love You, Rolling Stones Connection, Bowie's The Bewlay Brothers, Army Dreamers by Kate Bush and some amazing Love & Rockets song that I can't tell what the title is because the ink is so old. And so, so much more. It made me think of the book Thurston Moore (*that* Thurston Moore, the giant man in Sonic Youth) edited Mix Tape: The Art of Cassette Culture. It's this bizarre book filled with collages, photographs of tapes and playlists, and short essays by various folks talking about different aspects of the beloved mix tape. It includes writings by Mike Watt, Kate Spade, DJ Spooky...

The only other good thing about the trip is that awesome moment when you're driving down 55 and you make that turn and you can all of a sudden see the arch and downtown. It's such an amazing view. It makes me smile every time. And this time, the sun was thinking about setting and there had just been a parade to celebrate the World Series win. I came home a day early and that turn managed to erase all of the anger and sadness I'd left Chicago with. I love St. Louis.

Rocktober Bestsellers

2006-11-01T18:18:00.000-06:00

1. Max Brooks : The Zombie Survival Guide
2. Chuck Klosterman : Killing Yourself to Live
3. Marx & Engels : The Communist Manifesto
4. John Emsley : The Elements of Murder
5. Nicole Krauss : The History of Love

6. Dave Eggers : The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2006
7. Cecil Brown : Stagolee Shot Billy
8. Noam Chomsky : Hegemony or Survival
9. Neil Gaiman : Anansi Boys
10. Lemony Snicket : The End

Badass St. Louis

2006-10-30T12:45:00.000-06:00

I like to see St. Louis’ return to being the “Most Dangerous U.S. City” as a badge of honor. As in, don’t mess with us, Detroit. We can whip your decentralized population numbers any day. Or, you think you’re economically depressed, Flint? Check out this loss of industrial jobs, suckas. But seriously, as a city resident I’d like to throw some civic pride out there. I think we St. Lou-sers showed our real stuff with the World Series celebrations--everybody got along didn’t they? Beyond that, the population is up, Metrolink is expanding, fall is a great time to be in the area, and when’s the last time there’s been this much construction downtown? Optimism, my friends, is the word of the day.

Needed: Loving Home for a Good Kidd

2006-10-28T16:55:00.000-05:00

We have this big, beautiful book of the work of Chip Kidd here at the bookstore, and for some mysterious reason (or due to some evil consipracy), it's sat on the shelf for almost a year now. For those of you who don't recognize Chip's name, I'm sure you'd recognize his work anywhere. He's the dude who made book covers cool. As a matter of fact, he's been termed the "closest thing to a rock star" in the graphic design world, and probably more than once it's his sly, witty, and spot-on perfect book cover that's made you pick up a book and read the summary on the back. He's designed covers for all sorts of fancy pants (and some not so fancy pants) authors, ranging from Haruki Murakami to Michael Crichton. John Updike's said of him, "In his field - where edge, zip and instant impact are sine qua non - Kidd is second to none," and über-smart guy Oliver Sacks stipulates in his contract that Chip Kidd design his book covers. While this book is a heafty tome (I mean the guy has designed at least 75 book jackets a year), it's full of yummy color reproductions and would make a lovely Christmas present. Please! Someone take the Kidd home!

Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor...

2006-10-27T11:46:00.000-05:00

Pretty Pictures, Pretty Words

2006-10-26T11:31:00.000-05:00

I think all of us here are fans of Penguin’s “Graphic Classics” series. Basically, Penguin is republishing some of their classic titles with brand new covers designed by well-known graphic novelists and comix artists, including Candide with art by Chris Ware, a disturbing cover for The Jungle by Charles Burns, and the master Frank Miller covering Gravity’s Rainbow. New legends Art Spiegelman, Seth, and Jason (Dharma Bums there, which is not done by Seth--I don't care what the Penguin website says) also contribute, as does Holy Consumption member Anders Nilsen. In my opinion, they’re all fantastic!

Another Reason Why October is Awesome

2006-10-26T08:53:00.000-05:00

I heard on the radio yesterday that October is "Adopt a Shelter Pet" month. I'm all for that. Here's a photo of three of the Subterranean mascots (there's about 9--maybe 10--total). One's from a shelter in far north Missouri, one's from the city pound, and one's from county pound. Stray Rescue also has amazing animals. And for those of you totally into puppy porn (as Jeremy's wife has termed it--apparently he and I share the same affliction) there's Petfinder. So go forth and adopt!

Chihuligans

2006-10-25T11:39:00.000-05:00

While you might have to fight the cold and drunk yuppies to see it, Glass in the Garden is definitely, definitely worth your time--especially if you go on one of the Chihuly Nights. The exhibit has been extended through the end of the year, so there’s really no excuse (other than watching the rest of the World Series). Chihuly’s work is beautifully entangled with the plant life in the Climatron: glass triffids, eggs, reeds, branches, and I’m not sure what. And there is some really amazing work scattered around the grounds, too. Definitely worth the walk on one of these brisk fall nights.

2 down

2006-10-25T11:25:00.000-05:00

1, 2, 3 Miscellany

2006-10-22T14:16:00.000-05:00

1. Adventures in backyard living. There has been a fox pair living in Francis Park now for awhile. My wife and I have spied them in the park itself, but we were particularly pleased when recently one of them made its way into our backyard several blocks away. We tried to sit still as possible in our lawn chairs, but it eventually figured out that two humans were sitting a couple of feet away from it, and the poor thing bolted. Against nature, we were hoping that it wasn’t really stalking the cute bunny family that lives under our shed-like garage.

2. The comics life. Local-artist-made-good Brian Hurtt has a new comics series out, The Damned (available at Star Clipper). At first it seems a typical gangster story. Further investigation reveals it’s full of tales of the dead, demons, and, of course, Brian’s typically amazing artwork. As for me, I can’t wait for issue #2.

3. Used books and you. As we make the transition from our OLD office to our NEW office, several boxes of used books have surfaced. Now most of them are out on the shelves waiting for new homes--this includes fiction, cookbooks, religion titles, history, and art books. So most of those you’ll get an additional 40% off of if you come in soon. However, there’s also a full bookshelf worth of clearance titles out on the floor, and those you can get cheap! They won’t be around forever, and we’re liable to end our used book sale any day. Any day, folks!

Really, They're Very Soft

2006-10-17T11:56:00.000-05:00

Teddy Scares are quite gruesome... until you pick them up. They are some sort of weird hybrid creature with the softness and squishiness of a real stuffed bear, but also, a scalp ripped open, or a scar reaching down the length of the face. You suddenly realize that they are so much more than just teddy bears. And that they're not quite right.

There's Sheldon Grogg: "You couldn't sleep without me. Now I cannot rest without you." Sheldon comes with his own coroner's blanket and feels that loneliness is so tiring it can drive one insane.

And also Granger Evermore: "I am imprisoned by my own thoughts. These painful memories cannot be pardoned." Granger comes wearing the orange, grasping a sledge hammer, and with a ball and chain shackled to his leg. The voices in his head constantly remind him that he is bad, bad, bad.

We're stocking 5 different styles. They're all 12"tall, come boxed, with props, for $29.99.

Perfect for Halloween.

Whew

2006-10-14T13:20:00.000-05:00

It's been a little quiet blogger-wise around here lately because we have some HUGE projects in the works. Aside from the giant 40% off sale, we're in the process of moving the horribly cluttered and distracting east loft "office" into an apartment upstairs for a more proper work space. The more exciting part of that transition is that it is allowing us to open that loft area to more retail. We haven't come to a firm decision on exactly how we're going to use that space longterm, but in the short time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we are going to open it up to consignment pieces from local crafters/DIYers. If there are any of y'all out there, or your friends and loved ones might be up for it, just give us a call or send us an email and we'll get you the details. There's so much amazing creativity floating around right now, that we really wanted to be able to offer a space for folks to sell their products. And, geeze, how dumb is it to waste retail space on Delmar for a stupid office? Anyhoo, here we are, and just yell if you think you're interested.

September Creeps

2006-10-13T17:37:00.000-05:00

Apparently folks were preparing for Halloween early this year. September’s best sellers were downright creepy: zombies, alchemy, rock ‘n’ roll deaths, evil governments, the specter of Communism, hobo rebellions, and…John Ruskin! Yikes!

September Sellers
1. Max Brooks : The Zombie Survival Guide
2. Alexander Roob : Alchemy and Mysticism
3. Chuck Klosterman : Killing Yourself to Live
4. Jim Heimann : Vintage Halloween Graphics
5. John Hodgman : The Areas of My Expertise

6. Thomas Paine : Common Sense
7. Marx and Engels : The Communist Manifesto
8. George Orwell : 1984
9. John Ruskin : On Art and Life
10. Franz Kafka : The Trial

My Latest Discovery…

2006-10-13T13:08:00.000-05:00

…is probably not new to you. It’s the Mercantile Library at UMSL. What a bizarre place. Everything from furs to model boats and trains to then-and-now photographs of Union Station, as well as a stacked closed reading area and a deep vault of rare Missouriana. Throw in some Notgeld displays, framed historical documents, and a wonderful staff and you’ve got yourself a library (or museum or something)! I’ve been going there lately because it's the only place in the region that has a rare pulp novel from the fifties I need to read--it’s in their Utopia collection (now there’s something more libraries need to have!). But most folks come through to purchase the rights to historic photographs, images, etc. for books, journal articles, and the like. Just the other day a retired St. Louis police officer was in procuring vintage police photos for a book he’s writing on the history of crime in St. Louis (goodness knows there’s never enough attention placed on crime here). Anyway, if you need to read any utopian novels, look at model boats, or buy the rights to any photographs of historic St. Louis politicians or buildings, I suggest you head out to UMSL. And make sure you ask for Charlie Brown; he’s incredibly helpful and knows St. Louis history backwards and forwards.

Join Jenny Craig and freebase on Slimfast

2006-10-07T18:28:00.000-05:00

When it's slow up in here, I like to look through Graham Roumieu's Bigfoot books. This post's title comes from In Me Own Words: The Autobiography of Bigfoot. There's a copy in our super scary Halloween display window. I've never gone as a yeti for Halloween, but I have wanted to see the movie Cow Monkey, about two guys who go out hunting for the Oregon yeti, hoping to kill it with a tennis racket to avenge the death of Wanda II, their dog, which the yeti ate. This year, my wife and I are Halloween-partying as Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn; we're ready to make it work.

Halloween costumes I've worn

Hefty Garbage Bag Man (1985)
Watermelon (1976)
Slut (2002)

Halloween costumes I've never worn

The Pretty Good Hulk
Meth addict in pink
Recent immigrant
Asteroids
Your momma

For some more delicious costumes, visit RetroCrush

It's Kind of Like an Iceberg

2006-10-02T14:21:00.000-05:00

You THOUGHT you were seeing the whole thing, but it just keeps getting bigger and BIGger and BIGGER. Our sale, that is. It's just huge. Probably as big as it's going to get.

There are so many sections that are on sale that I had to write a note for the front that says what's *not* on sale. The On Sale List just got ridiculously long. The sections that have been added include:

Cultural Studies
World History
Ancient & Medieval History
Science & Nature
Christianity
Judaica

Previously added (but it appears I forgot to share) :
Sports
American History
Military History
Literary Criticism
Hardcover Fiction
Film
Women's Studies
Crafts
Design
African American Studies
Native American Studies

All of the used books in these sections are 40% off the written price inside. Since we're making this up as we go along, we're not quite sure how long the sale will last. If you have your eye on something I would grab it if I were you. It may just disappear before you get around to it.

Created Behind the Counter by Subpar Employee

2006-09-30T19:55:00.000-05:00

If you like lists, you'll love Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans, a McSweeney's compendium. Lots of tasty lists up in that joint. If you ever shop here and think that we're behind the counter doing really smart things, the chances are about 80% that you're right, unless I'm behind the counter, at which point the percentage takes a nosedive worthy of Ethan Hawke's acting career. Often, I'm composing lists:

Top Ten Wrestlers Who Never Wore the Belt of Truth in the Christian Wrestling Federation, Due, Possibly, to the Lack of Imprecation in their Chosen Wrestling Names
1. The Wounded Prophet
2. The Crippled Beggar
3. The Witch of Endor
4. The Angel of Life
5. The Passover Lamb
6. The Scarlet Cloth
7. The Circumcised
8. The Good Samaritan
9. The Kinsman Redeemer
10. Nard

Top Ten Least Successful Wrestling Moves Employed by the Above
1. The Flying Scroll
2. The Flow of Blood
3. The Mound of Wheat
4. The Resounding Gong
5. The Gentle Rebuke
6. The Love Feast
7. The Useless Vine
8. The Threshing Floor
9. The Slanderous Accusation
10. Forgiveness

Top Ten Best Names* for Christian Blues Musicians Among Christian Blues Musicians who Randomly Opened the Bible and Pointed When Choosing a Christian Blues Musician Name
1. Tent Peg
2. Dry Bones
3. Withered Fig
4. Pentecost
5. Raisin Cake
6. Sackcloth
7. Gethsemane
8. Wineskin
9. Rooster Crow
10. Almond Rod

(*to test, add Johnson to the end of each name)

Muggle-licious

2006-09-30T17:52:00.000-05:00

Perhaps, one day, the bookstore can host book-themed soirees. If we were to do one for the release of Harry Potter 7, I'd like to see the following on the menu:

Mudblood Pudding :: Jellied Scabbers :: Quaffle Drippings :: Snippets of Filch :: Nicolas Flambe :: Half-Blood Hummus :: Steak Karkaroff :: Padfoot Thai :: Scrimgoeur Brulee :: Skeeter Casserole :: Pickled Tonks :: Cream of Longbottom :: Blackened Sirius :: Lamb Crookshanks :: Vincent Crabbecakes :: Squib Rolls :: Braised Parseltongue :: Tacos Engorgio :: Cornish Hippogriff :: Boggart Hollandaise :: Avada Kebab :: He Who Must Not Be Named Loaf

Colors

2006-09-27T18:50:00.000-05:00

Anybody who has spent some time in the store knows that one of the favorite topics of conversation around the front desk is photographer/filmmaker macabre Charlie White--both pro and con (a fun game to play would be to guess who of us falls into each camp). White was recently part of Adidas’ seven-week Adicolor podcast series. Adicolor, by the way, is a series of customizable shoes made by Adidas. But the shoes aren’t nearly as interesting as the different takes on color by each director asked to be part of the project. There’s...

White (starring Jenna Jameson)
Red (below)
Blue
Yellow
Green
Pink (Charlie White's film)
Black

Enjoy.

2006-09-27T17:52:00.000-05:00

So our new slogan's gonna be:

Winner of The Best Book Store 6 Years in a Row!
(except for THAT ONE year)

UPDATE: You know I'm kidding, right?

Mr. Pop and Us

2006-09-27T15:10:00.000-05:00

This might get a little circuitous. Our friend Sandy turned me on to a blogger I've been reading regularly. In a recent post the blogger reprints a speech Ode to Independent Booksellers by a young adult author given at a recent book convention. Part of it reads:

"Independents are the Iggy Pop of the book biz—on the edge, a little dangerous, cooler than you will ever think of being, and still alive despite the odds."

I like that. A lot. Who wouldn't be keen on an Iggy Pop comparison?

Longer Hours and More Photos

2006-09-25T17:15:00.000-05:00

We've finally bowed to the crushing pressure and extended our hours. Plus, with Jeremy on the team we actually have staff to cover them. Our new hours are:

Monday through Thursday 11-8pm
Friday and Saturday 11-10pm
Sunday 12-6pm

Ok, so it's not such a big change, but really, we do much better with babysteps around here.

I uploaded some photos from Last Year's Birthday Party (that would be Number FIVE). It was at the glorious 33 Wine Bar in Lafayette Square and a good time was had by all. Especially the picture taker, who was only able to muster for the job early in the evening. Then the wine hit and all documenting finished. If you were otherwise occupied then you missed a superb soundtrack artfully chosen by Javier and me. Instead of a bookselling team we ought to be a dj team.

List-O-Rama, Part I

2006-09-22T17:50:00.000-05:00

I think it started after I read somewhere that a person had kept a log of every book she'd read. And I started wondering, how many books have I read? And if I had to answer how many I had read in the previous year (which does come up in the book business) I could only guess, and really have no idea how accurate it was. So in January of 2004 I started keeping a log. Every time I add to it I wish I were a better writer and could express what I truly thought about the book, and also that I were a better reader and could put more thought into each book. Anyway, here's my list. And I didn't edit out the mindless stuff.

Jan 2004:
Naked & the Dead--Norman Mailer

July:
India: A Million Mutinies Now--V.S. Naipaul. I have a note that says, (Yes, It took 6 months!)
Gotham Diaries--Tonya Lewis Lee. I really only read 20 pages because I hated it.
Dirty Girls Social Club--Alisa Valdes
Wilco: Learning How to Die--Greg Kot. My ex-husband makes an appearance in this book and the re-telling is completely inaccurate. I'm sure I'm not the first to tell you.
Journey to the End of the Night--Celine.

Oct:
Brick Lane--Monica Ali
Review of Contemporary Fiction Summer 2003, "Three German Fantasies" by Haruki Murakami and an interview with him.
Out of India: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Dog Who Loved Too Much: Tales, Treatments & the Psychology of Dogs--Nicholas Dodman. We have 3 dogs and I'll read anything about dog behavior that comes my way.

Nov:
You Can't Get There From Here--Gayle Forman. I really really want to travel the world for a year.

Dec:
The Old Neighborhood--What we Lost in the Great Migration 1966-1999--Ray Suarez

It's getting kind of long, so maybe I'll do 2005 and 2006 in future posts. If I don't lose interest.
I think Naked & the Dead was my favorite from that year. (The links go to two opposing reviews from the 1940s, one in the NY Times and one in the Guardian .)

September So Far

2006-09-21T12:04:00.000-05:00

1. Max Brooks : The Zombie Survival Guide

2. Alexander Roob : Alchemy & Mysticism

3. Milan Kundera : The Unbearable Lightness of Being

4. Mark Z. Danielewski : House of Leaves

5. George Orwell : Nineteen Eighty-Four

Cut and Paste Digital Culture

2006-09-20T18:47:00.000-05:00

I don’t mean to be solipsistic here, but I found something today that was interesting. Actually, the phenomenon is well known, but it’s the first time it happened to me.

So I’ve got a personal blog. It’s nothing special; I’m just keeping a digital record of my progress on reading all 100 works David Pringle listed in a 1985 book as the best science fiction novels from 1949-1985. So I just finished #4 (I only started a couple of weeks ago), which is Robert Heinlein’s The Puppet Masters. It’s about these communist slug creatures that take over the minds of Middle Americans and make them…make more mindless slug-controlled humans. I know, I know, you’ve seen it before (Invasion of the Body Snatchers and so forth), but this one is particularly Heinleinian and a heck of a ride. A good friend of mine who is a Marxist historian thinks it’s the worst novel ever written; I think it’s fantastic.

So I put “Heinlein” and “Puppet Masters” into the Blogger search engine today--I wanted to see what other people were saying about the novel--and the first things that popped up were sites not controlled or even heard of by me that were using my exact words. First thought: “What the hell?” A little more investigation revealed that these sites use my first few words and then link to my blog. That made me feel better, but it’s still strange and a little creepy. On the other hand, it’s not like I made the Nimoy video I posted earlier today or the liberty squirrel below.

Now why were they (Rebellion Coffee for instance) interested in what I have to say? Well, I don’t think they really are; I believe I was picked up by data miners. But that’s beside the point. They’re Libertarian websites. Heinlein was very influential on the party, and he certainly believed in freedom from government and the rights of the individual. Strange then that these Libertarian sites were making my words prima facie look like theirs. Heinlein himself sued the makers of the 1958 movie The Brain Eaters (which, just to make my day go around in circles, stars Leonard Nimoy) for lifting their idea from The Puppet Masters of all things. Anyway, I find the whole thing fascinating but disturbing. It’s really troublesome when several sites have the same posts, words, etc. but are controlled by different authorities and “authors.” It’s becoming difficult to know where things originate from on the Web. Most likely it’s Essaytown.com.

LOTR: Before Frodo There Was Bilbo

2006-09-20T13:23:00.000-05:00

And before Data there was Spock.

And before Shatner’s “Rocketman” there was…

Just Cause It's Beautiful

2006-09-18T19:55:00.000-05:00

The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color. Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone. There is no thunder, no relieving rain. These are strange and breathless days, dog days, when people do things they are sure to be sorry for after.

Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting

--Jenni

It's a Block Party!

2006-09-14T20:10:00.000-05:00

Well, kinda. I already mentioned this to our mailing list, but for those of you (for whatever crazy reason) who are not yet on it, the Loop's On Sale this weekend! Now how cool is that? There are 18 stores down here who are slashing prices up to 50%. Dang. So you need some fashion? Why, there's Fifi's, Ziezo, Tantrum, Donnaland. All having sales. Music? Vintage Vinyl...on sale. Baby gear? City Sprouts. Furniture, by god? Good Works is on sale! Cool gifts and jewelry? Plowsharing, Phoenix Rising, Zuma Beads, Silver Lady...ALL HAVING SALES. There's more, but really, you can just read the list.

Of course, we're having a sale, too. We have a whole slew of stuff marked 30% and 40% off. Very rare for us, indeed. The Loop-wide Sale runs this Saturday (Sept 16) and Sunday (Sept 17).

And...this Friday (Sept 15) is the ArtLoop Gallery Hop wherein 12 different galleries in the vicinity of the Loop are having open houses. There is art galore! Our house is sponsoring the fabulous work of Kristopher Pollard. If you haven't checked it out you really ought to. My favorite is Get Them Out a crazy portrayal of a woman with long flowing hair that is full of bugs. It's awesome.

Whatever it Takes

2006-09-12T14:33:00.000-05:00

The day before 5th grade began, my Dyno GT humped me off its seat, laughing vindictively (all those wheelies, all that tire abuse) as I introduced my teeth to the sidewalk. When you begin 5th grade with silver front teeth, bloody knuckles and chin, and a leg immobilizer (think Forrest Gump), you find ways either to escape or to draw attention away from your skin. Somehow, I'd already learned that the best way to deflect criticism was to pre-emptively inflict it. And since I wasn't yet witty enough to riff on reality, I provided my own--my bloody, toothless imagination--and Mrs. Miller, my teacher, provided the platform, the occasional five minutes to stand and read the stories I'd written.

Those stories were Russianettes, 5-minute sagas managing to involve, implicate, and imprecate everyone within eyesight; if you were in my class, you were in my story. And if you were in my story, you were being maimed, pecked at, blown up, cliqued, occultized, whisked away, engassed, bodily-fluided on, or any reasonable variation of the aforementioned. For some reason, Mrs. Miller never stopped me, never sent me into the hall to think about what I'd done. Mrs. Miller was always rescued from my stories.

I have not since ceased dishing narrative (except for an unfortunate phase during high school when I developed a crush on a girl who almost euphorized before my eyes when the pep band horned out Garth Brooks' "Shameless" in the basketball gym), whether through my own writing or by passing on books. I've been writing essays the last few years, which is delicious, and along the way, I would constantly visit Subterranean and annoy Javier and Kelly until they finally gave in and gave me space behind the counter. I'm grateful, they're relieved and, likely, afraid they'll show up in one of my essays. Jason and Jenni are not immune, either. I'm gonna peddle me some words. Whatever it takes.

New to the Store, New to the List, Newly Back in Town

2006-09-11T13:52:00.000-05:00

A big welcome to our new co-worker Jeremy. He’s a long-time customer, first time employee. You’ll be seeing his friendly face on the weekends, and he’s even got a few staff picks for yinz to consider on display in the east room already. He’s a local writer, reader, teacher, and Scrabble champion. So if you are up to the challenge, I think he’s always looking for new opponents. Personally, I’m going to stick to jacks and marbles because I’m sure he’d whip me in any word game.

New to our bestseller list is Max Brooks’ Zombie Survival Guide, which we’ve seemed to barely be able to keep on the shelves of late. Considering the direction the world is taking, it’d probably be a good idea to keep a copy with fresh water and canned goods in your basement bunker, no? There's a pretty cool website here that you should check out, and a sequel will be in the store tomorrow, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.

In a former life I lived in Smoky City (Pittsburgh to yinz folk not in the know). While there, I was an employee of the Andy Warhol Museum. (No, it’s not in New York. And yes, there’s also one in Slovakia.) One of the worst things I had to do while I worked there was patrol the Silver Clouds. Now the Clouds themselves are pretty amazing. The problem is that when most people enter their space, their first reaction is to beat the hell out of them. I still have nightmares about the sound of pounding fists on Mylar balloons. With that said, I highly encourage you to check out the Silver Clouds at their grand return to MOCRA on SLU’s campus. But please be gentle with them.

The Kids Are Alright

2006-09-10T13:03:00.000-05:00

Publishing for young adults has undergone a real renaissance in the last few years (thanks, Joanne ), and there’s been a plethora of great books aimed just at a teen audience. One of my recent favorites is Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. The main character Tally lives in a society where everyone is beautiful. At age 16, the government transforms its citizens through extreme plastic surgery so that all will meet a governmental standard of beauty. But when Tally meets a group of renegades that rejects the artificial world of superficial beauty and who actually want to keep their physical imperfections, she begins to question everything she’s always thought to be true about the world. Westerfeld examines the idea of instant gratification and an obsession with perfection in an exciting book that will appeal to both girls and guys.

Needless to say, I've cancelled my appointment for a face lift. Y'all will just have to accept me, jowls and all.

Casa Susanna

2006-09-09T12:06:00.000-05:00

There's an article in The New York Times online today about a curious book we've been stocking for about a year. It's a bit of a hidden jewel, and people are delighted when they stumble across it. I was shocked to see that it has gotten a lot of exposure on the east coast. Maybe I ought not have been. Casa Susanna is edited by Michel Hurst and Robert Swope and is a book of photographs that were taken at a retreat for cross-dressing men (and hunters!) in the Catskills in the early 1960's. The editors found the photographs in a box in a flea market, and only after the book was published did they investigate the full story. The article explores some of the guests' stories and looks a bit at what became of them. One of the most interesting things about the book, and the article addresses this, is just how normal the men wanted to look. Very 1950's get-ups. No outrageousness or pushing of the envelope. Also fascinating was how some of the men involved then went on to become leaders in the studying of gender, transvestitism and transsexuality.

John Hodgman : Areas of My Expertise

2006-09-06T13:22:00.000-05:00

John Hodgman is hilarious. Lately he’s been everywhere (he plays the PC in those Mac commercials for instance). The You Tube below is from one of my favorite appearances by him on the Daily Show.

His book Areas of My Expertise (now out in paperback) is the next on my “to read” shelf. What are his areas of expertise? “Matters historical, matters literary, matters cryptozoological, hobo matters, food, drink & cheese (a kind of food), squirrels & lobsters & eels, haircuts, utopia, what will happen in the future, and most other subjects.” Of these, he’s particularly fixated on hobo matters. Hodgman’s book includes a history of a failed hobo rebellion, which was put down by FDR (who had developed a polio WMD to inflict on hobo jungles) and anti-hobo spy Walker Evans, and a list of 700 hobo names including the once Secretary of the Treasury Hobo Joe Junkpan.

--Jason

Labour, Thou Art Noble

2006-09-03T14:48:00.000-05:00

We're probably one of the only retail stores on the planet that does this, but we will be closed this Monday, Sept. 4 for Labor Day. It just seems wrong to have to work on a day that's supposed to be reserved for rest. It's May Day in September!

Vote Early & Vote Often

2006-09-01T18:44:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year, y'all. We would love, love to hold on to our title of Best Book Store. It would be the SIXTH YEAR IN A ROW. If you feel compelled to spread joy and love into our lives, please vote by Monday, September 11, either by paper ballot in the Riverfront Times or online. You'd be surprised at how giddy we get when we open the winners paper and see our name in lights. Especially if we don't have to use Mayor Daley's methods.

New Shrewsbury Metro Line is Officially Wonderful

2006-08-31T12:06:00.000-05:00

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.

Grant Morrison is Crazy

2006-08-30T18:40:00.000-05:00

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.

The Writing's on the Wall

2006-08-28T14:45:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else have a thing for painted signs on brick buildings? These Ghost Signs are usually quick to disappear once they've been uncovered like the one shown here, or if they're on a building slated for a rehab or a new tenant. I seem to remember that there was something on the building that now houses Fifi's, V.Vegaz and Big Shark Clothing, before it got rehabbed. But I remember it as (maybe) White Star Clothing, which wasn't that old of a business. The one in the photo is on the side of Big Shark and appeared when the old taxi stand was torn down. It says Car Wash 60 Cents. Any guesses on when that would have been painted? The sign won't be there for long as the owner is building a mixed-use building on the site. The photographs of the new building are beautiful but Pace Properties are the folks who dropped the brochure by, which raises the hair on the back of my head. This is worrisome because Pace is the company in charge of renting the spaces where GameCrazy and Verizon are. The building that replaced the old hardware store. The rents they charge are INSANE. We could never in a million years afford to be in that building. Pace may or may not be in charge of finding tenants and setting the rents for the new building, but you can bet that if they are they'll be high-dollar and chain friendly.

Kristopher Pollard : It's Not Nepotism

2006-08-24T15:42:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-24T13:09:00.000-05:00

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

#1: King of All Subterraneans

2006-08-18T13:07:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-18T12:19:00.000-05:00

"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.

Hey Jenni!

2006-08-16T11:17:00.000-05:00

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

--Jason

Ride On You Crazy Diamonds!

2006-08-14T15:17:00.000-05:00

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.

Busby Berkley De-Constructed

2006-08-11T18:29:00.000-05:00

OK Go - Here It Goes Again

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

--Jenni

#3: Truths My Book Revealed to Me.

2006-08-11T18:07:00.000-05:00

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?

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

2006-08-10T11:29:00.000-05:00

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.

#5: Kick Out the Fries, Motherf…..

2006-08-04T12:16:00.000-05:00

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.

#6: The New Technocrats

2006-08-02T16:29:00.000-05:00

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.

Book Sounds

2006-07-31T15:20:00.000-05:00

Shelving has its own madness. Bumbling, fumbling with new titles. Pushing, shoving old ones. It all deserves a theme, a song, a tune. Perhaps this?

All hail the Devil's Chord!

2006-07-28T12:38:00.000-05:00

Tritone. The Devil’s Interval. Augmented fourth. It’s a musical interval that spans three whole tones and was known as diabolus in musica for much of the mid-section of the last millennium. The Church was nervous that it caused demonic ecstasies and banned it for a long time. Now it’s everywhere: Rush’s “YYZ,” Liszt’s “Dante Sonata,” most of King Crimson’s albums, West Side Story, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and the theme music to the Simpsons. Appropriately, its most comfortable home is heavy metal. Metal-influence Jimi Hendrix used it in “Purple Haze,” Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath” (called the first modern metal song by a certain reader of this blog) is all over it, as is Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” And I’m sure most of you know that Slayer even has an album called Diabolus in Musica. What does this all mean? Probably that Satan likes to rock out but isn’t too uppity to enjoy a good musical or classic science fiction film. What about the store? Well, even though we love the Taschen Icons: Devils book and the crazy Krampus postcard collection, Subterranean Books is not and never will be a Satanic bookstore…officially…yet.

Fun in the Loop

2006-07-25T12:04:00.000-05:00

The east half of the Loop is having a fest this weekend. On Saturday, July 29, there will be a Sidewalk Sale and Live Music showcase. All the cool shops are participating: Fifi's, V.Vegaz, Big Shark, Donnaland, Gabby's, TNT Designs, Chinese Noodle Cafe, and Mirasol. It should be good. And when you find yourself in need of a book, simply stroll on down and give us a holler.

!Meet The Staff!

2006-07-25T11:16:00.000-05:00

They're going to hate this. I can't remember our Flickr account password so until I get home and upload these pictures properly, I'm going to post them here. Oh, I HATE this camera. I am totally from the old-school SLR camp with a CAMERA YOU CAN FOCUS ALL BY YOURSELF. Somehow, everything I take with this digital piece of crap (which is actually a really good camera) is out of focus, and it was like PULLING TEETH to get them to stand still for pictures. Jason is on the top right, Jenni is on the left, I'm on the right, and Jeremy's at the bottom.

It's OK, You Can Blame Me

2006-07-25T11:03:00.000-05:00

Here's the tree in my backyard that tumbled onto the power lines and was probably responsible for some of the delay in returning electricity to my part of Tower Grove East. Sorry. On the upside, my yard gets A LOT more sun. Maybe there's hope for the grass and the garden. If you look closely at the photo, you'll see my neighbors' BRAND NEW FENCE poking hopefully up at the bottom, with the power lines being the only thing preventing the TWO huge limbs (they don't look huge in this picture, but, trust me, they ARE) from crashing down upon it. The tree cutters (imported from Bowling Green) are my new heroes as they painstakingly freed both trunks with not even a glancing blow to the new fence. Our fence, though, not quite a rosy story, although the tree cutters successfully prevented any further damage.

Sunday Bicycle Club

2006-07-23T12:16:00.000-05:00

A young Frank Zappa on the Steve Allen Show gives a demonstration on how to play the bicycle. Note: no facial hair.

--Jason

Notes From Home series

2006-07-22T11:34:00.000-05:00

We're selling tickets for the Jessica Haines, Mark Kaiser & Friends show at the Sheldon. It's part of the fabulous Notes from Home series that the Sheldon runs every year. The tickets are $6.00 (plus$.75 if you want to charge or debit them) and the show is Tuesday, July 25, at 7:30 pm. As a bonus, Mark Kaiser and friends will be playing at 6pm outside the store today (Saturday) for free. And what a lovely day it is.
---Kelly

Walk Right Up, Step Right In

2006-07-20T16:44:00.000-05:00

Our photo album is now go. Do yinz want to see pictures of the store? Are y'all dying to see Matt Kindt do his thing? Click here or

Four Way Seven

2006-07-20T14:36:00.000-05:00

No change in the top six this week, but four books are tied for seventh. They’re all good, and they’re all within one sale of Mr. Moore’s loving tribute to Guy Fawkes.

John Perkins : Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
Haruki Murakami : Kafka on the Shore
Chuck Klosterman : Killing Yourself to Live
Frank Warren : PostSecret

Storm of 'Aught Six

2006-07-20T09:21:00.000-05:00

Electricity is good. I don't care what John Zerzan says. And, boy, do we have it here. The air conditioning is so cold, I have a sweater on. Somehow the Loop escaped Mother Nature's wrath and we are living the high life. Feel free to join us. And don't let the five thousand non-working traffic signals between there and here deter you. It's worth it. The hair, though, not so good. Have they invented battery-powered hair dryers, yet?

---Kelly

There’s a used copy

2006-07-19T16:21:00.000-05:00

…of Jessica Abel’s La Perdida in the store, and one of you folks should be its next parent. Abel (of Artbabe fame) gets that perfect balance between text and image—a true graphic novel. The story is of a half-Mexican, half-American who heads south to Mexico City to discover her roots. At times she plays tourist, other times ex-pat, and ultimately she finds herself a “lost girl,” seemingly naïve in a culture that is both hers and not. Abel has a really nice expressive style, and her story is exciting, sad, and disturbing all at the same time. There’s also an extensive set of notes in the back that defines Mexican Spanish terms and gives a cultural brief of everything from the Blue Demon to Mazunte. Not to be missed.

And now...In The Gallery...

2006-07-18T22:32:00.000-05:00

...The Fabulous Marianne Pepper. Starting this Friday, July 21, with a fun and exciting opening reception at the store from 7-9pm. I really really like Marianne's work. She is a local photographer with a long St. Louis history and quite the cult following. The work she will be showing in our space is called Attempts to Communicate and will feature paired photographs that somehow visually relate to one another. They are great fun. The show will be up through Sunday, August 20. And a bonus for all you less-than-wealthy, she will offer both framed and unframed prints for sale. Yes! And, Marianne's opening is the same night as the way cool ArtLoop Gallery Hop. That means there will be 12 (or so) spaces up and down the Loop with free food and wine. Art is good.

---Kelly

Four Words

2006-07-17T15:01:00.000-05:00

Superman is a hunk. Wolverine has been replaced.

---Kelly

In the womb chamber this weekend

2006-07-14T12:36:00.000-05:00

Today the eight millionth film adaptation of a Philip K. Dick novel opens at the Tivoli. PKD adaptations have come in every form from groundbreaking (Blade Runner) to Hollywood big budget (Total Recall, Minority Report) to utterly forgettable and passed by (Imposter). It’s a little irritating that by the time I’m fifty almost every Dick novel or story will have seen the screen. Especially since it all comes after he’s been long dead. However, I have hope for A Scanner Darkly. Linklater is a Dick fan, and the trailer makes the film appear to be faithful to the novel (though I’m not always sure that’s good). I’m a little nervous about Keanu. Neo and Agent Fred/Bob Arctor are miles apart. But here’s hoping for at least some minor entertainment.

Also, there’s a real gem playing at Webster Saturday night: Louis Malle’s Ascenseur pour l’echafaud (it’s gone by different English titles—Webster’s calling it Elevator to the Gallows). A perfect murder is only perfect until one loose end is left dangling (literally!). Beautiful noir goodness with an excellent jazz score by Miles Davis. Don’t miss this one chance to see it on the big screen.
--Jason

She Used to Have A Carefree Mind of Her Own

2006-07-14T11:24:00.000-05:00

I started reading Veronica by Mary Gaitskill (which JUST came out in paperback). I'm enjoying it although it is a really fast read. I wish I understood how that is accomplished--how it is that if you were reading it out loud you would be speakingveryquickly. Anyway, the only issue I have is that Elvis Costello is now CONSTANTLY in my head. CONSTANTLY. Which, on the whole, is not so bad. Who hasn't had some horrible (which Elvis is NOT) and terribly addicting song stuck in her mind? Lately I've been obsessing over some things I really ought not be thinking about and (on the upside) I'm hoping Mr. Costello will purge all that. He's certainly making a go of it. And since it's reading so quickly, I'll probably be done with it by the weekend, and the whole issue will be moot. So, I'm giving you a head's up, expect a little Elvis thrown in with your Veronica when you get to this one.

---Kelly

Old Time Religion

2006-07-13T11:53:00.000-05:00

When I was in graduate school, Dennis Covington’s Salvation On Sand Mountain was a controversial book. My school was quite particular about “human subjects.” If you merely wanted to conduct a short interview with someone for research purposes, you had to go through a lot of red tape with a department of human subjects that monitored such a process. In theory, this was all for the protection of both the interviewee and interviewer, and everything had to have clear boundaries. For instance, say you wanted to research religious snake handling in Appalachia, you certainly wouldn’t have been allowed to handle snakes yourself or, perhaps worse yet, actually preach at one the churches you’re studying. Luckily, Covington wasn’t an academic at my school, he would have been thrown out, but he did stir up a lot of debate there when his book came out. Why? Because he did handle snakes, he did preach, and he was constantly crossing personal and professional lines. Somehow while researching and writing about the Glenn Summerford attempted murder trial (Summerford was convicted of trying to kill his wife by forcing her at gunpoint to stick her hands in the cages of venomous snakes) for the New York Times, his quest to find family identity and ethnic roots got tied up with a group of snake handlers meeting in the rural areas of Alabama. What follows is a strange and honest essay about his own relationship with the Spirit, the intricate and political relationships in rural church life, and patriarchy. Not a small task or a light subject.

But if your tastes are less exotic, you may prefer Jack Miles’ God: A Biography. Miles knows his stuff; he’s a former Catholic seminarian. He takes the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures and looks at it from the point of view of a literary critic. What kind of character is God? What are Her/His motivations? What can we tell from His/Her actions? It’s all really fascinating stuff. Surprisingly (or perhaps not), God isn’t always clear in conviction, action, word, or promise. And He/She often exhibits the same fears, angers, loves, and frustrations as humans. But is that surprising from a literary character? There's also a sequel: Christ: A Crisis in the Life of God.

--Jason

Super Spy is About to Escape

2006-07-12T13:46:00.000-05:00

I'm finding it almost impossible to believe that an entire month has passed since the Super Spy Exhibit went in but, alas, it has. This is your LAST WEEKEND to catch Dead Drop if you have not already done so. It SEEMS like the entire world has stopped in--more of the Super Spy artwork has sold than any other show by far. And it is so worth it. The drawings are amazing and the concept is so very clever. It has been a fun show to host. Soon (I promise) I'll get some pictures up from the opening.

---Kelly

Fun With Numbers

2006-07-08T15:23:00.000-05:00

If you haven't yet noticed, Jason updates the store's bestseller list every week. It's located on the sidebar to the left. For the past several weeks it has been mostly the same titles jockeying back and forth (although Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs is FAR AND AWAY the consistent # 1. Still.) Jason and I were talking yesterday about what an odd list it is. There can't be any other store in the country whose bestsellers are the same as ours, and WE LOVE THAT. It's one of the things, I think, that makes indies so cool. Probably every store has a unique bestseller list that reflects its staff and its customers. And I know we wouldn't want it any other way. Our list is so "High Culture to Subculture" it's almost funny. How often does Orwell rub up against Klosterman? And V for Vendetta in the same room as Better Off? Cool. And who on earth sells as many copies of Hesse's Fairy Tales as we do? That one stumps us every week.

---Kelly

Sale? SALE!

2006-07-03T15:20:00.000-05:00

For those of you on our mailing list you got a very subdued heads-up on our forthcoming sale. But this really is a HUGE DEAL. From Wednesday, July 5 through July 31 we are slashing the prices on the USED BOOKS in a number of sections, including: military history, American history, civil war, American political biographies, Native American studies, African-American studies, sports, antiques and collectibles, and design. REALLY. And the sale books are all 30% OFF. Yippee! So if you've been eyeing that obscure, but very necessary, civil war tome, now's your chance. Or, if you've really been wanting to get into interior design and want to start building a cheap library, get 'em while they last.

---Kelly

Long Live Firecrackers

2006-07-03T10:23:00.000-05:00

Hooray for Firecracker Press. If you go here you can see a replay of their wonderful segment on Channel 9. And if you look closely, you'll see the giant poster in the background for Manual Feed, the show Eric had at Subterranean.

---Kelly

Subterranean Books

It’s Just a Youngin

Not Forgotten

My 2007 Subby Wishlist

Moleskine

Junky's Christmas

Part Le Final

Behold...

(Part 4)

You Say...(Part 3)?

You Say You Need *More* Gift Ideas (Part 2)

You Say You Need *More* Gift Ideas (Part 1)?

Join us for the Par-tay!

A Time for Community

A Picture's Worth

Beat Jazz

Gift Ideas

mountain man dance moves

New DIY Section Officially Awesome

Bunny Love

It's F-ing December Already???

Nature of the Beast

A Tree Grows in St. Louis

For Jenni

Thanksgiving Thus

Snowflupdate

Sometimes the customer is Court Jester

2006 Subby Snowflake Drive

Thanks, Stadium Pal!

Azurite, Cerulean, Cobalt...

It's So Lovely

Rest in Peace, Mr. Eko

Ode to Mix Tapes (and the Arch)

Rocktober Bestsellers

Badass St. Louis

Needed: Loving Home for a Good Kidd

Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor...

Pretty Pictures, Pretty Words

Another Reason Why October is Awesome

Chihuligans

2 down

1, 2, 3 Miscellany

Really, They're *Very* Soft

Whew

September Creeps

My Latest Discovery…

Join Jenny Craig and freebase on Slimfast

It's Kind of Like an Iceberg

Created Behind the Counter by Subpar Employee

Muggle-licious

Colors

Mr. Pop and Us

Longer Hours and More Photos

List-O-Rama, Part I

September So Far

Cut and Paste Digital Culture

LOTR: Before Frodo There Was Bilbo

Just Cause It's Beautiful

It's a Block Party!

Whatever it Takes

New to the Store, New to the List, Newly Back in Town

The Kids Are Alright

Casa Susanna

John Hodgman : Areas of My Expertise

Labour, Thou Art Noble

Vote Early & Vote Often

New Shrewsbury Metro Line is Officially Wonderful

Grant Morrison is Crazy

The Writing's on the Wall

Kristopher Pollard : It's Not Nepotism

The Week That Was

#1: King of All Subterraneans

#2: Dean and Sal

Hey Jenni!

Ride On You Crazy Diamonds!

Busby Berkley De-Constructed

#3: Truths My Book Revealed to Me.

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

#5: Kick Out the Fries, Motherf…..

#6: The New Technocrats

You Say You Need More Gift Ideas (Part 2)

You Say You Need More Gift Ideas (Part 1)?

Really, They're Very Soft