Gibbs M. Smith

This book is a tribute to and celebration of some of the best bookstores in the country. Sadly, more than a few have closed prior to or after this book's publication in 2009.

Kroch's and Brentano's on Wabash in Chicago graces the cover. This fantastic store is one of those that closed prior to the book's publication. I loved this bookstore and remember going with my Dad several times when I was a kid and also tagging along with my aunt a time or two as well. I learned how to browse in that store as well as in my local library. Sadly, the company went out of business in 1995. Their roots date back to 1907 and at their height they had 22 stores in the Chicago area and were the largest privately owned book chain in the country.

There are 58 bookstores featured in The Art of the Bookstore and many of them are still in business. Each store has a two page spread. On the left hand page is a paragraph or page about the store: its history, description, and/or Smith's experience with the store. The history of some stores is written by its owner or founder.

In addition to the brief histories and beautiful paintings, there are quotes that celebrate books and bookstores sprinkled throughout.

Smith's short but enjoyable introduction describes how he came to love books and painting. I have fallen in love with his colorful and vibrant paintings. They give off an energy of excitement and anticipation that is much the same as the energy I feel when spotting a bookstore in a city I'm visiting or walking up to a well-known and much-loved bookstore.… (plus d'informations)

I'm a sucker for these types of books, even though I know they date quickly, and I was feeling grumpy about my DNF and needed something easy and quick.

Based on the About this Author on the back page, I gather that this was a posthumous publication of primarily the author's (who was also a publisher) personal paintings of bookstores around the country, put together as a memorial of sorts. As such, some of the bookstores included had already closed (thought only a small number). Most have some description about the history of each shop, some only a quotation.

The painting style appeals to me and I was delighted to see a section at the back for "bookshops I have visited" with each shop listed and a place to include the date, making this book a journal of sorts for anyone willing to write in a book.… (plus d'informations)

Joe Hill is a shining star of the labor movement. And his light has a tendency to blind his biographers.

I have three accounts of Hill's life and execution. Or, rather, of his trial and execution, because very few details are available about his life. We have his songs, and we have the accounts of his trial; other than that, there is little we can know. So all three books are forced to devote most of their space to his last two years of life.

And only this one does it well.

Hill's innocence is such an article of faith in some circles that no attempt is made to look at the actual evidence. And Hill's trial was such a messed-up affair that it didn't look at the actual evidence either. One of the accounts I have, by Philip S. Foner, doesn't even really care if Hill was innocent or not; all it does is talk about the unfairness of the trial. That the trial didn't prove anything is patent. That does not mean that Hill was innocent -- it means that he should have had a new trial, which is altogether different.

The other account, by William M. Adler, is much more detailed, and it does address the topic of Hill's innocence. It also brings forward much more evidence. But Adler is clearly convinced of Hill's innocence also. So his account is somewhat biased.

The account of Gibbs M. Smith is the only Hill biography I felt I could trust. It doesn't have as much information at its disposal as did Adler. But it tackles the issues head-on. It doesn't always find the answers, but it states the case well. After you've read this, you can read Adler, and maybe some of the other accounts, and form your own conclusion rather than having it fed to you.… (plus d'informations)