Book Club of Texas

The Book Club of Texas plans to publish The State Fair of Texas, an enduring Texas tradition, with photographs by Lynn Lennon and an essay by Anne Dingus, later this fall. John Crichton, proprietor of the Brick Row Book Shop in San Francisco, is at work editing a future Book Club of Texas volume, a gathering of essays in memory of bookseller Franklin Gilliam, who, in a storied career, operated bookshops in Houston, Austin, San Francisco, and Charlottesville. Contributors include David Farmer, Warren Roberts, Larry McMurtry, Peter Howard, Anthony Rota, Richard Landon. Bill Fisher in San Antonio writes that Josefina Niggli's The Defeat of Grandfather Devil, published by the Book Club in 2010, will be produced this December by the Trinity Street Players in Austin. We still have a few copies for sale of Niggli's play, based on a twelfth-century Spanish shepherds' play and performed yearly at Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. The Book Club edition has charming linocuts by Artemio Rodriguez and an Afterword by Fisher. For more information about this or other Book Club publications or activities, please contact Pamalla Anderson at the DeGolyer Library, andersonp@smu.edu.

Sacramento Book Collectors Club

The Sacramento Book Collectors Club (founded 1939) is flourishing with a new bestseller published by our President Maryellen Burns and Keith Burns, Lost Restaurants of Sacramento and Their Recipes, which was launched at the Club's Bloomsday "Mini-Marathon Reading Event" (June 2013), and included an exhibit of art from Joyce's Ulysses and Homer's Odyssey by President Emeritus Jay Zil.  Monthly events continue to be held at 7pm on the 2nd Friday of each month at the Arcade Branch of the Sacramento Public Library, 2443 Marconi Ave., Sacramento (e-mail J. Zil at Salmonbend@gmail.com for information).  Scheduled events include: 13 Sept 2013: Cheryl Stapp on "Sacramento Chronicles."  11 Oct 2013:  Food Theme by Maryellen Burns & Gastrophil Colleagues.  8 Nov 2013:  Ariane Laidlaw on "Collecting Mark Twain."  Currently in its 75th Year, SBCC is planning a special publication and Spring 2014 event!

Northern Ohio Bibliophilic Society

Northern Ohio Bibliophilic Society held its 31^st Book and Paper Fair March 29 and 30, 2013, at the John S. Knight Center in Akron with 36 dealers and a crowd of almost 800 eager buyers. This year’s fair featured the Cleveland Altered Books Group which set up for the entire fair, answering questions and making art as fairgoers watched. Also on the agenda this year was a  talk by long-time seller Jim Best,  the Bookman of Kent, who discussed the worth of old books, collecting, and dispersing collections. A second talk by another long-time NOBS seller, Paul Bauer of Archer’s Books, rounded out the two-day fair. Bauer drew on his knowledge and experience of selling books about botany to put together a quirky, anecdotal and fun talk about plants that changed the world—coffee, tea, chocolate and opium.

NOBS has also expanded its online presence with both its website and a very active Facebook page. Plans are in the works too for a special annual meeting this year to commemorate the 30^thanniversary of NOBS as a bibliophilic society. It’s too soon to announce the what, where, or when, but ideas are bouncing  around, including one for a new keepsake publication.

This year’s monthly NOBS forums have been exceptionally interesting, especially a popular presentation by Kylie Logan, author of a mystery entitled  To Kill For A Button (Berkley). While Kylie  spoke about how to write a mystery, Maxine Richmond talked about button collecting and why anyone WOULD kill for a button! Upcoming topics include hand-powered printing presses and science fiction.

The Philobiblon Club

The Philobiblon Club of Philadelphia is finishing out its 117th year.  The club board consists of Steve Rothman, President (collector), Thomas M. Whitehead (librarian, Temple University, retired), Jim Green, Treasurer (librarian, Library Company of Philadelphia), , Mary Leahy (librarian, Rosemont College), Brian Stilwell (collector), Lynne Farrington, Program Chair (librarian, University of Pennsylvania), Cynthia Buffington (Bookseller), Charles Austermuhl (attorney, bookman), Carmen Valentino, Membership Chair (bookseller). Mark Darby (Librarian, Temple) serves as Secretary.

The Club meets on the second Tuesday of the month, October through April or May.  We hold dinner meetings at the Franklin Inn Club of Philadelphia, and our first meeting this year will be October 8th. The slate of programs is currently being finalized; the first confirmed speaker is Nick Malgieri, cookbook author and collector, who will join us on November 12.

The Club welcomes visiting FABS members to attend its meetings whenever possible.  Contact club secretary Mark Darby: 215-204-1040 or mark.darby@temple.edu.

Miniature Book Society

The Miniature Book Society (MBS) celebrates its 30^th anniversary as an organization this year at the Grand Conclave Vancouver, Canada.  The Conclave will be held on August 9-11, 2013.  Conclave hosts are Jan Kellett of DeWalden Press and James Brogan, editor of the Microbibliophile. A highlight of this year’s Conclave is a presentation by master printmaker Peter Braune. Peter will provide an overview of artists’ printmaking. He is a man of great skill and experience, having worked with some of the most prestigious printmakers in North America, and will give some insight into traditional and newer methods that have been in use for centuries to create illustrations and images for all applications, including books. A hands-on workshop offered by Peter Braune allows attendees to experience a type of printmaking that is especially suited for beginners, Drypoint. MBS conducts an international miniature book competition annually. Three Distinguished Winners are announced during the Conclave. An exhibition of all entrants and their books will be on display at the Conclave hotel.  A Miniature Book Fair will open to the public on Sunday at the Holiday Inn on West Broadway. International book vendors will sell a variety of antiquarian and contemporary miniature books. For more information on the MBS Conclave, the Miniature Book Competition and Exhibition and MBS membership, please visit our website. Consider joining The Miniature Book Yahoo Group to receive email from miniaturebooks@yahoogroups.com.

Himes & Duniway Society

Spring brought a wonderful group of events as our friends from the Book Club of Washington came to visit.

The first order was joint dinner with Himes & Duniway Member Stephen Dow Beckham giving a presentation on the Oregon Historical Society’s exhibit “Windows on America.”  Dr. Beckham was responsible for providing the descriptions that went with this remarkable collection and regaled us with his top picks from the collection. This collection was a result of fifty years work of local businessman and philanthropist Melvin Mark. The collection includes Robert E. Lee’s farewell letter to his troops, a letter authored and signed by General George Patton to a friend admitting that he may have made a mistake, a broadside of the Atlantic Charter with the original signatures of Churchill and Roosevelt, the Thirteenth Amendment on vellum signed by each Senator and Representative, the original survey for Mt. Vernon and I can go on.  What an evening.

Saturday morning brought a visit to Himes & Duniway Member Jack Walsdorf’s collections.  Jack guided the group through his significant collections including William Morris, Roycroft, baseball and Homefront.   Prying the group from the Walsdorf home was not easy.  Saturday afternoon was spent at the Oregon Historical Society viewing the “Windows on America” exhibit. BCW and Himes & Duniway Member Dennis Anderson opened his charming home for a Saturday evening cocktail party and a view at his collection of books on architecture.

The First Annual Himes and Duniway Society and Reed College Book Collecting Contest resulted in nine top drawer entries.  This year's winner was the excellent entry by Reed Senior Mack Sullivan entitled “How to Be Alone.”  This and the other entries can be found on our website.

Let us know if you are going to be in Oregon (info@himesduniway.org).  Information about our Society and its events can be found at www.himesduniway.org.