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October 23, 2014
Librairie Drawn & Quarterly Books of the Week - October 23, 2014
In the weekly Librairie Drawn & Quarterly Books of the Week, the Montreal bookstore recommends several new works of fiction, art books, periodicals, and comics.
Librairie Drawn & Quarterly is one of Montreal's premiere independent bookstores.
Syllabus: Notes From an Accidental Professor
by Lynda Barry
We are thrilled that the inimitable Lynda Barry's latest D+Q offering has arrived! Barry teaches "a method of writing that focuses on the relationship between the hand, the brain, and spontaneous images, both written and visual." (D&Q) Syllabus uses the Dear Professor Old Skull's course plans from several of her classes at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and expands upon them with her teaching insights, collages, and assignments. Those familiar with Lynda Barry will recognize her dynamically dense and colourful style, yellow lined paper, and the presence of the legendary Near Sighted Monkey. Sections of Syllabus that take the focus off the class and onto Barry's experiences and insights on teaching are honest and deeply entrancing. Also worth mentioning: the production on Syllabus is understated and perfect. Its single signature binding and comp book aesthetic is an exact fit with the content.
Moomin: The Deluxe Anniversary Edition
by Tove Jansson
It's a big week for drool-worthy D+Q releases, between Syllabus and this brand new, deluxe omnibus of the complete Tove Jansson Moomin comic strips hitting the shelves! You'll have to pardon us for gushing, but the production values here are off the charts: from the gorgeous, bold colors on the slipcase, to the embossed Moomin (looking ever-so meloncholy) on the book's cover, everything is pitch-perfect. As the title implies, all of the original strips are here, from the high-risk adventure of Moomin and the Brigands to the witty romance of Fuddler's Courtship and everything in between. Add to this 28 pages of Jansson's original sketches, a poster, a beautifully written introduction by D+Q's Creative Director Tom Devlin, and write-ups from Dylan Horrocks, James Kochalka, Megan Kelso, and Tom Hart. What better way to celebrate Tove Jansson's centennial than with this glorious collection?
A Load of Hooey
by Bob Odenkirk
McSweeney's tends to set the comedy-bar pretty high, so when they release a book of humourous essays, we get ready to bust a gut. Bob Odenkirk's reputation as one of the funniest comedy writers working today is well-earned, with work on SNL and Mr. Show being some resumé highlights. This collection of wry, absurd stories and bits would certainly lend itself well to the sketch-comedy medium. but is equally well-delivered in print. A Load of Hooey is sure to elicit some chuckles and tickle some funny bones.
The Miraculous
by Raphael Rubinstein
Have you ever been curious about the circumstances surrounding the creation of an iconic work of contemporary art? The always spot-on contemporary arts journal Paper Monument has just published its first single-authored book, penned by New York-based poet and art critic Raphael Rubinstein, addressing just that very thing. Each of the fifty vignettes hones in on the context of one piece, but only reveals the artist's name at the end of the book. The ensuing micro-narratives are poignant, poetic depictions of some of the most important avant-garde artists of the last five decades including Joseph Beuys, Yoko Ono, Marina Abramovic, Lee Lozano, Tseng Kwong Chi, Cindy Sherman, David Hammons, and R.H. Quaytman, just to name a few.
The Woman Who Borrowed Memories
by Tove Jansson
Rejoice, fans of Tove Jansson! In addition to the aforementioned Moomin: The Deluxe Anniversary Edition, there is another hot off the presses Jansson work for your perusal out this week. The Woman Who Borrowed Memories is a selection of short stories previously only available in Swedish. Jansson's signature style is instantly recognizable here, with many stories touching on the relationship between creativity and nature, and the Nordic setting so familiar to her work in other mediums. Jansson's prose gives life to her razor-sharp observations of human life, and her singularly keen voice lends itself perfectly to the short story form. Hats off to the folks at New York Review Books for making this collection accessible to a broader audience.
Librairie Drawn & Quarterly links:
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also at Largehearted Boy:
other Librairie Drawn & Quarterly Books of the Week
52 Books, 52 Weeks
Antiheroines (interviews with up and coming female comics artists)
Atomic Books Comics Preview (weekly new comics and graphic novel highlights)
Largehearted Word (weekly new book highlights)
Book Notes (authors create music playlists for their book)
guest book reviews
musician/author interviews
Note Books (musicians discuss literature)
Short Cuts (writers pair a song with their short story or essay)
WORD Bookstores Books of the Week (weekly new book highlights)
