"If you don't have anyone to tell what is
in your heart, it is bad. Man needs food and water, but is satisfied
only when he expresses something." This paraphrase of the words of a
Nepalese wise man appear in a moving short documentary presented at the
Bookbuilders West 37th annual book show, awards luncheon and conference
at the Oakland Convention Center on January 31.
The documentary
is about "Room to Read," a program with which BBW has developed a
partnership. Its mission is to establish schools, libraries and other
educational infrastructure throughout the developing world. It was
founded by John Wood, who cashed in his Microsoft stock options and has
since helped build 1300 libraries throughout Nepal. The little kids
eagerly engaging with books brought the soul of the book business into
the room. (www.roomtoread.org)
It is a transforming
Bookbuilders West that hosted more than 250 attendees at the event What
had grown in previous years to an elaborate social occasion with a
sit-down dinner and drawn-out presentation ceremony with entertainment,
has been replaced by a conference format, with a thematically focused
morning panel, luncheon awards and ample browsing time to view the
books.
The award winners in seven categories (plus product
catalogs) were chosen by a jury of 12 art directors/designers,
production managers, editors and printers from among hundreds of
submittals by Western states publishers. As in the past the show is
populated by a good profile of university presses, independent trade
publishers, and school and college publishers.
Books you may want to feature
The 36 winners included the following Judge's Picks (comments are from posted reviews):
- Children's Trade: Marcello the Movie Mouse,
by Liz Hockinson (KO Kids Books. 978-0972394628). Tiny Marcello
Mousetriani loves movies and dreams of making a film of his own
- Professional Trade: The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book,
by Martin Evening (Adobe Press. 978-0321385437). Photographers will
find The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book an indispensable tool in their
digital darkroom.
- Reference and Scholarly: New Perspectives on Pottery Mound Pueblo,
Edited by Polly Schaafsma (University of New Mexico Press.
9780826339065). Contributors revisit Pottery Mound for new insights
into inhabitants' regional interactions, migrations, and trade during
the Pueblo IV period--
- School Publishing: Biology, 8th Edition,
by Solomon, Berg and Martin (Thomson Higher Education. 13:
9780495107057). Often described as the best text available for learning
biology. Filled with resources.
- Special Trade: Dona Thomas. Discovering Authentic Mexican Cooking,
by Schnetz, Savitzky and Wille (Ten Speed Press. 978-1580086042).
Delicious dining has turned Doña Tomás into a destination for happy
patrons to sample chef Thomas Schnetz’s authentic Mexican cooking.
- Trade, Image Driven: The Art of Korea: Highlights from the Collection of San Francisco Asian Art Museum,
by Kumja Paik Kim (Asian Art Museum. 0-939117-38-x). More than 100
highlights of the collection, along with detailed commentaries by the
museum’s emeritus curator of Korean art.
- Trade, Text Driven: East Wind Melts the Ice,
by Lisa Dalby (University of California Press. 978-0-520-25053-6,).
"Dalby triangulates among the cultures and weathers of Berkeley, China
and Japan, and presents a wealth of information
Browsing
the books entries on the display tables, the following three caught my
eye for elegance in design and interest in treatment:
- Reading Writing,
by Julien Gracq (Turtle Point Press. 9781933527024). A subjective
history of fiction and poetry and a personal meditation on the links
between literature and two visual arts: painting and cinema.
- The World of Jules Verne,
by Gonzague Saint Bris (Helen Marx Books. 978-1885586421). A magical
passport into the extraordinary, visionary world of Jules Verne.
Evocatively illustrated by Stephane Heuet.
- Essentials of Italian,
by Michele Scicolone (Williams Sonoma. 978-0848731205). The book
reveals the secrets that regional Italian cooks have known for ages for
preparing simple, flavorful meals.
New features and a Green Initiative highlight
With
the intention of enhancing and providing focus to the show, the awards
were presented by four industry professionals: Nancy Aldrich Ruenzel,
Publisher, Peachpit Press; Mark Hertzog, Group Publisher, North
American Publishing Company; Pat Soden, Director of the university of
Washington Press; Debra S. Hunter, President, Jossey Bass; and Todd
Sotkiewcz, President-Americas, Lonely Planet.
Two other features
introduced at the show reflect an increasing interest by book
professionals in the spirit and purpose of the businesses they are in.
The
main event, was a two-hour presentation and panel discussion on "Green
Initiatives: A Passing Fad or Essential Principles for a Healthy
Earth?" Moderated by Vincent Caminiti of STI Books, the program opened
with a presentation by Tyson Miller, founder of the Green Press
Initiative.
Miller reported to a rapt audience on the
increasing momentum among publishers for the adoption of goals for the
use of recycled paper as well as for use of Forest Certified Paper.
Soon to be issued by the Book Industry Study Group this spring will be
its first Environmental Trends Report. Also in formation and to be
announced at Publishing Business Expo in NYC in March is a new industry
group, the Book Industry Environmental Council.
(www.greenpressinitiative.org).
He was followed by Richard Walker, Ph. D., author of The Country in the City, The Greening of the San Francisco Bay Area
(University of Washington Press. 978-0-295-98701-9).Walker gave me a
copy of his book, which I read and skimmed on my flight back..
The
book is beautifully and evocatively written (design-wise, it would be
worthy of the book show). For anyone interested in how civic engagement
works below the national radar – beginning with the early national park
(Muir), wilderness, city parks (Olmstead), and local preservation
movements, the book is a fascinating compilation and narrative of the
people and movements who launched what is now a national green
awareness.
Walker is an avowed Marxist who writes, "my red
side tells me I should have been more critical of everything and
everyone, but my green side wants this to be an upbeat lesson in the
art of the possible," and he advocates for using the levers of popular
democracy to reign in the excesses of market economies. Considering his
cheerfully acknowledged bias in the book, he exercises an admirable
restraint and objectivity in his richly informative narrative and
appreciation of how each of us can contribute to exercising responsible
stewardship over our natural environment.
Richard Bowles of
Intel Books and Bob Ernest, of Toyota Motor Manufacturing were the
other members of the panel and discussed corporate environmental
initiatives.
The New Bookbuilders West
I learned
about the transformative plans for Bookbuilders West
(www.bookbuilders.org) from Michele Bisson Savoy (Quebecor World),
President, and Stephen Thomas (STI Books and Media), who will be
assuming the duties of Executive Director under the aegis of Bookblock,
a management company with whom BBW has contracted for management. This
move will transfer much of the shirtsleeve administration from the
shoulders of volunteers on BBW's board and committees.
BBW also
sponsors its popular crash courses in book production, is scholarship
program and education seminars. It has spawned a new offshoot that
draws a number of the smaller publishers in the area, Bookbuilders West
of North Coast "growing in leaps and bounds" that has monthly meetings
and educations in Mendocino.
Also committed to outreach across
the country, this year's book show had exhibits of winners from the
Book Builders of Boston and Chicago Book Clinic. Together with the
Bookbinders Guild of New York, the foregoing and BBW are vigorous
organizations of professionals devoted to the making of books, who rest
on the legacy of the traditional printed book and its design and
manufacturing technologies, that are exploring ways to transform
themselves as the stewards for crafting "content" in all of its new
forms and technologies – and who are opening themselves to let some
soul in.
When Joe Gonella, Barnes and Noble inventory management
vp, several years ago started opening Book Industry Study Group
meetings, of which he was then Chair, with poetry readings, I realized
that then that the boiler room was connecting with the pilot house, so
to speak – the business side and the art side of our industry (as Al
Goodyear used to put it) coming into alignment.
Posted by: Eugene Schwartz, Editor-at-Large