As a songwriter, everything I hear is an influence, whether good or bad, loved or hated; it is "influential." In order to understand what has truly inspired a song, one should first look for the … [Read more...]
How to Determine a Book’s Initial Press Run
Recently I've received a couple of emails from visitors to this site, who wanted to know how to determine how large a given published book's initial print run (also known as the first printing, first … [Read more...]
About Author Signatures and Signed Books
There are many kinds of signatures which can be found on books. Below we'll discuss them, and how each affects the value of a book. You can click on any of the images for a larger view. Types of … [Read more...]
Where to Sign a Book
Over the past month, I've received emails from two newly-published authors who have upcoming book signing events. They both wanted to know, "Where should I sign the book?" By far the most common … [Read more...]
Mary Norbert Korte
A former nun, Mary Norbert Korte has been publishing her poetry since the mid-1960s. She lives in Northern California, where she has dedicated herself to the environment, poetry, and teaching. A … [Read more...]
A. D. Winans Looks Back at the Beat Generation
Generally speaking, counter-culture describes the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group or subculture in conflict with those of the cultural mainstream of the day, a visible phenomenon that … [Read more...]
Review – Guide to the Identification of First Editions
Bill McBride's Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions details the methods over 4,600 different publishers use to identify their first editions. For many years McBride has worked … [Read more...]
Review – Points of Issue: A Compendium of Points of Issue of Books by 19th-20th Century Authors
Bill McBride's other book, A Guide to the Identification of First Editions, shares the basic methods that individual publishers use for distinguishing first editions from later printings. Points of … [Read more...]
Jack Foley: Goodbye, Ted Joans
GOODBYE, TED JOANS Don't let the minute spoil the hour. --Ted Joans Ted Joans died April 25th, 2003 at the age of 74. He was alone in his apartment in Vancouver, … [Read more...]
Ted Joans Lives! Coreley Coit, Kenya Rodriguez, Valery Oisteanu, Hidani Ditmars
Cordley Coit Ted Joans (unfinished documentary) Music: Ornette Coleman's Empty Foxhole Red beans and rice, wet pussy, nice. We know where the .38 lives where the rule of … [Read more...]
Ted Joans Lives! Tribute (13)
Stephen Ronan: By the time of Ted's visits to City Lights I had attended at least one of his readings. Usually he would read at Cody's Books in Berkeley. I remember good turn-outs and a general … [Read more...]
Ted Joans Lives! Tribute (12)
Robert Elliot Fox: For Ted Joans He sprang from Ole Man River tracked every groove in the diasporic spiral a wailer who harpoon- tanged on three continents Afro-beat … [Read more...]
Ted Joans Lives! Tribute (11)
John Bibby: I met Ted twice - in Timbuktu (1966) and in Algiers (1969). I remember his immortal first words - "Haben Sie Sardinen?" (I was wearing Lederhosen - he assumed I was German - and he … [Read more...]
Ted Joans Lives! Tribute (10)
C. Edward Bernier: Ted Joans came to us in the late 70s fresh from his wanderings throughout the Sahel. I was Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Dakar. He began slowly, with poetry … [Read more...]
Ted Joans Lives! Tribute (9)
John Bibby: I met Ted twice - in Timbuktu (1966) and in Algiers (1969). I remember his immortal first words - "Haben Sie Sardinen?" (I was wearing Lederhosen - he assumed I was German - and he … [Read more...]
Ted Joans Lives! Tribute (8)
Anne Baxter: The written word is not my medium, but I feel Ted would be pleased if I at least made an attempt to honor him and his "Teducation" though this great website. I first met Ted in Paris. … [Read more...]
Ted Joans Lives! Tribute (7)
Dudley Merchant: I met up with Ted Joans in June of 1978 in Paris. He was great to read with and we had two readings together and a few more parties. Ted is alive as I think of him often. He was … [Read more...]
Ted Joans Lives! Tribute (6)
Denise Enck: I've been writing a piece about Ted and will post it here in a few days. But this this morning while looking through a cache of letters, postcards, and ephemera Ted sent me over the … [Read more...]
Ted Joans Lives! Michael Hayward, Jake Lamar, Bernie Mindich, and Guy Pierre Buchholtzer
Michael Hayward True story: yesterday afternoon, writing at the window table in my favorite café (Caffé Buongiorno in Vancouver) I looked up to see Ted Joans running across the street towards me, … [Read more...]
Ted Joans Lives! Tribute: Keith Scotcher and Larry Keenan
Larry Keenan Keith Scotcher I was shocked to hear of Ted's death, having met him in Paris in March, first outside the Shakespeare and Co bookshop and later at his regular cafe in Blvd St … [Read more...]