The Electric Archive

At some point in college, I discovered the parts of the libraries where the fun stuff was kept. In the sort of space where you would end up after getting lost, often beyond the spread of daylight, magazines were bound and packed on shelves that ran back to the 19th century. Everything was there: the articles, the ads, the art, all unrevised by time. In the old Vanity Fair, you could find uncollected Dorothy Parker reviews, good and bad all filed together. In a yellowing New Republic, you might read the juvenilia of, say, Slate chairman Jacob Weisberg. You could seek “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” as it first ran in the New Yorker (coiled modestly around some spot art of dogs) or “Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream” as it appeared in the Saturday Evening Post (a smiling Dr. Spock on the cover, black-and-white photos across the spreads). In the classroom, I had learned to think of writing as canonic, penned by giants. In the archive, I was free to realize that the best of it was born of more human constraints: deadlines, passing news prompts, and the need to fill columns beside the latest vacuum cleaner ad. Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2016-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #19th century #vanity fair

Other news stories related to: "The Electric Archive"


From the Archive: October 03, 1931

We look back on our reporting on the winner of PW’s store window display contest in October 1931. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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“Eclectic, Refreshingly Wild, and Important.” Exploring the Archives of America’s Best Literary Journals

The 28th issue of Kayak—a literary magazine edited and published by George Hitchcock out of Santa Cruz, California—appeared in 1972. The issue includes mostly poetry, as well as a few book reviews, a work of verse fiction, collages, illustrations lifted from old books and manuals, and an acerbic... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-10-19 08:57:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #literary magazine #book reviews #santa cruz #literary journals


From the Archive: October 10, 1931

We look back on a Depression-era cover ad from Modern Library promoting “books people can afford” at 95¢ per copy. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers, Internet Archive Ready for Summary Judgment Hearing in Book Scanning Case

A federal judge is now ready to hear arguments for summary judgment in a closely watched copyright case filed by four major publishers against the Internet Archives over its program to scan and lend library books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #summary judgment #federal judge #major publishers


From the Archive: December 9, 1996

We look back on our 1996 interview with French author Annie Ernaux, who was named the winner of this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-07 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #french author #nobel prize


From the Archive: September 5, 2011

In September 2011, we reported that Books-A-Million had agreed to acquire 24 former Borders locations, after Borders filed for bankruptcy and began shuttering its outlets earlier that year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-09-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #borders locations


From the Archive: September 16, 1996

We look back on our coverage of Reed’s 1996 purchase of the ABA’s annual trade show, which it rebranded as BookExpo America. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-09-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #bookexpo #bookexpo america


Publishers, Internet Archive Trade Reply Briefs in Book Scanning Case

In the lengthy filings, the parties sharpen their arguments for summary judgment in the closely watched copyright case. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-09-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #summary judgment


IPA: ‘Global Significance’ in the Internet Archive Lawsuit

As another court date in the Internet Archive lawsuit approaches this week, the International Publishers Association has led an amicus brief. The post IPA: ‘Global Significance’ in the Internet Archive Lawsuit appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-08-31 22:11:23 UTC ]
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From the Archive: August 29, 1885

In August 1885, Houghton, Mifflin and Co. took out a full-page ad promoting $1 editions of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and The Scarlet Letter. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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From the Archive: August 29, 2011

We look back on our 1991 survey of the bookstore chain landscape, when 11 corporations operated a total of 3,300 outlets. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #bookstore chain


From the Archive: June 8, 1992

David McCullough, the author of 12 bestselling books, died August 7 at age 89. PW caught up with McCullough in 1992 shortly after his sixth book, 'Truman,' was released by the only publisher he ever had, Simon & Schuster. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #simon schuster #sixth book #pw caught #david mccullough


From the Archive: June 8, 1992

David McCullough, the author of 12 bestselling books, died August 7 at age 89. PW caught up with McCullough in 1992 shortly after his sixth book, 'Truman,' was released by the only publisher he ever had, Simon & Schuster. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #simon schuster #sixth book #pw caught #david mccullough


From the Archive: August 3, 1901

We look back on our coverage of the first American Booksellers’ Association convention, held July 24, 1901, in New York City. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #association convention #american booksellers


From the Archive: August 3, 1901

We look back on our coverage of the first American Booksellers’ Association convention, held July 24, 1901, in New York City. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #association convention #american booksellers


From the Archive: July 30, 2007

Fifteen years ago, we reported on the publication of the final installment in J.K. Rowling’s megaselling Harry Potter series, which sold 8.3 million copies in the first day after its release. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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From the Archive: March 5, 2001

We look back at the liquidation of Crown Books, which was once the third-largest bookstore chain in the U.S. before its closure in 2001. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #bookstore chain #crown books


From the Archive: May 16, 1977

As HarperCollins union members prepare for a one-day strike on July 20, we look back at our coverage of a 1977 walkout at the publisher, which was then known as Harper & Row. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Electric Literature Wins The Whiting Literary Magazine Prize

We are thrilled to announce that Electric Literature has won the prestigious Whiting Literary Magazine Prize! This highly competitive award recognizes excellence in digital and print magazines, and supports winners with an outright grant in the first year, followed by two years of a matching... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2022-07-14 13:15:00 UTC ]
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Look through this archive of all the random things people have lost in library books.

In the back of my favorite bookstore in Brooklyn, there’s a wall covered in all the random things the employees have found in the used books they sell: photos, newspaper clippings, notes, receipts, pressed flowers, etc. It’s a fascinating little archive, both meaningless and somehow magical,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-07-11 14:16:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #bookstore #favorite bookstore #library books