Gov. Illiterate Philistine Is Trying to Kill The University Press of Kentucky. Stop Him.

Kentucky Home Boy and founder of the infamous Lawyers, Guns and Money Robert Farley makes the case:

Governor Matt Bevin has introduced a budget that includes dramatic cuts to a number of important programs in Kentucky.  A full list  can be found here.  One of the programs on the chopping block is the University Press of Kentucky, which depends upon the state for a portion of its operating budget.

I am not neutral observer on this question. I sit on the board of UPK (an enormously intellectual rewarding position, if you ever get a chance to do something similar), and of course Grounded was published by the UPK. It should surprise no one that I am a strong advocate of the value of what UPK does, both for Kentucky and for the broader national community.  I’m not going to argue against any of the other priorities.  This, it seems to me, is a fool’s game; almost all of these programs are of value, and the government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky would be better advised to find appropriate revenue streams than to cut away at the things that make the state great. 

Having served on the board, and having read more than a few UPK books (I discuss some in a twitter thread here) I can unequivocally testify to the value of the works that UPK brings to the public.  The particular strengths of the Press lay in its Military History collection, its Classic Hollywood collection, and its collections in Kentucky studies, Appalachian studies, civil rights, and diplomatic history. 

Obviously, not everyone who reads this blog hails from Kentucky.  Nevertheless, I think it would be helpful to give (in a respectful, cordial way) the legislators contemplating these cuts a sense of the value of a good university press for the Commonwealth.  I’ve quoted some material below on ways to help:

Now is the time to make a case for the Press’s longstanding contribution to the Commonwealth. Please consider contacting legislators of both parties, and conversations with lawmakers you know personally will be of even greater benefit to the Press. Reaching out to legislators on the [Senate] and [House] appropriations and revenue committees  is key, and your advocacy between now and early next week is critical. Many of the legislators on these committees hail from the western, eastern, and northern parts of the state, so it will also help for lawmakers to understand that we are an operation that serves all of Kentucky, not just UK.

Did you know:

• The Press has sold more than 4.6 MILLION books since its founding in 1943!
• UPK is a consortium operation of ALL Kentucky’s state universities, as well as five private colleges and the two major historical Societies; it is one of only 6 consortium presses in the country
• The Press published 61 books by consortium partner authors in the past ten years, more than 12% of our publications
• We are a thoroughly bipartisan operation with something for everyone: Kentucky’s outdoors and natural history, bourbon history, and military history are among our prime publishing areas

The University Press of Kentucky enters its 75^th year stronger than ever, reaching readers around the globe and telling the story of Kentucky’s rich and complex culture and heritage. With your help and advocacy, we can look towards a long and bright future.

What's the last book Gov. Real Employers Don't Care About Literacy even read?  Can he name one single book published by the University Press of Kentucky?  My personal favorite is Thomas Merton* Wendell Berry's Unforeseen Wilderness, with photographs by Ralph Meatyard.

But that one's for people who give an actual fuck about the people and environment of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

* My apologies to all three men.  Too early on a Sunday morning before coffee.

Dangerous Books

Divine Irony:

Boredom

ummagumma.co:


(Source: contextplease, via bookporn)

At the End of a Long Day

ummagumma.co:

(Source: crazyaboutliterature, via teachthemhowtothink)

Temples

ummagumma.co:

(Source: atheistjack)

           

Gathers No Dust

ummagumma.co:

(Source: londons365)

Better Than the Movie

ummagumma.co:

Books Everyone Should Read

My favorite of all time is not here: West with the Night, by Beryl Markham. Other than that, I mostly agree. Of the top 20 here, I've read nine. The other 11 are now on my list.

ummagumma.co

World Book Night: Apply Now for Free Books to Distribute

Have you ever read a book that made you want to give copies to everyone you know - even to strangers on the street - and urge them to read it?

Here's your chance, and you even get the books FREE. But you have to apply online by Wednesday.

One of my all-time favorite books, Population 485 by Michael Perry, is one of those books for me. I actually did buy and give away about a dozen copies, I loved it so much.

From Michael Perry:

It’s a privilege to have Population 485 included in World Book Night. The short version of how this works: You sign up to be a “book giver” and then you get copies of the book to hand out free. 

World Book Night organizers will provide the free books, and the book givers seek out light or non-readers, especially people who may not have access to printed books for reasons of means or geography. Book givers receive 20 free paperback copies of one World Book Night title, not too many to carry but enough to share with a good number of potential new readers (we know of at least one person who plans to hand out copies of Population 485 at the local fire hall to local EMTs, firefighters, first responders. The choice is yours—think creatively!).

Are you interested in becoming a World Book Night U.S. book giver? We ask you to fill out the World Book Night U.S. online application; click here to begin. You will be asked what your first, second, and third book choices are, why you wish to share these books, and where you will go to personally hand out the books. Apply by January 23, 2013. 

Thanks and see y'down the road.

 Sign up now.

Give the Power to Unlock Worlds

Feeling the urge to give to the less fortunate this holiday season? Looking for something different, something secular, something that immediately helps those not helped by the usual charity suspects?  How about something that exceeds even the usual "for just pennies a day you can change a life" standard?

Vicky Wright at AP:

For people behind bars in six Appalachian states, the books are one of the few forms of escape — hundreds of used volumes, wrapped in brown paper and stacked thigh-high under a table, just waiting to be shipped.

Parenting and self-help books. History and law. Dictionaries, biographies and fiction. Whatever the subject, volunteers with the Appalachian Prison Book Project believe they hold the power to unlock worlds.



From a small room in a historic house next to the Morgantown Public Library, they organize requests, exchanging letters to find just the right read and getting permission from prison administrators while simultaneously scrambling to raise money for shipping.

SNIP

Many prisons lack the money to develop a good library, and most inmates have no way to buy books themselves, Ryan said. Her team receives requests that range from pragmatic (a Scrabble dictionary to settle fights) to heartbreaking (a mother determined to become a better parent.)“I have MS and am bound to a wheelchair, so I spend most of my time reading,” one Tennessee prisoner wrote. “I don’t have anyone on the outside that can help me with finances or packages. You are very special people to do this for us.”

SNIP

For more information on the book project, go to http://aprisonbookproject.wordpress.com.

On November 18, Melissa Harris-Perry had a great show that focused on prison reform.  The whole show is worth watching, but this segment eliminating - not reducing, but eliminating - recidivism through inmate education is riveting.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Now That's Free Market Capitalism at Work

Here's your Christmas shopping solution: books for everyone, ordered from a stupendous independent bookseller in Los Angeles. Skylight Books manages to combine concrete support for Occupy LA with a brilliant marketing ploy Adam Smith would love.

Diane Sweet at Crooks and Liars:

Any of you Occupiers out there who were arrested the night the LAPD evicted Occupy LA - November 30th - still have holiday shopping to do, or want to read up on civil rights? Good news from your local independent book store, Skylight Books:

Following this week's events at OccupyLA, Skylight would like to introduce an "Unlawful Assemblers' Discount": Did you stand up for your right to publicly assemble, and to challenge economic inequality through the Occupy movement? The police may not give you a break, but we'd like to. For the next month, bring in a booking slip or proof of your 409.PC charge from the night of the eviction and get 15% off your entire purchase.

I spoke with Megan Wade of Skylight earlier today, whose arrest during the raid on Occupy LA inspired the "Unlawful Assembler's Discount." "I believe it's really important to stand up when there are situations like those we're facing today with our economy and other issues," Megan explained. "We need to have a national dialogue that will help solve the problems faced by the majority of people in the country...protests and books are both great mediums to stimulate conversation."

Happy reading, all you brave outlaws.

You can find Skylight Books here:

1818 North Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90027
Phone: (323) 660-1175
Website: http://www.skylightbooks.com
Email: info@skylightbooks.com

Open 10am to 10pm daily.

No one will ever feel this way about a Kindle

This is why nothing will ever take the place of books:

"Late in the afternoon, a man sat down and started unwrapping a book from a big plastic sack, informing me he had a really, really old book and he thought it might be worth some money," he said. "I kinda start, oh boy, I've heard this before."

Then he produced a tattered, partial copy of the 500-year-old Nuremberg Chronicle.

The German language edition printed by Anton Koberger and published in 1493 is a world history beginning in biblical times. It's considered to be one of the earliest and most lavishly illustrated books produced after Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press and revolutionized publishing.

"I was just absolutely astounded. I was flabbergasted, particularly here in the interior West," Sanders said. "We might see a lot of rare Mormon books and other treasures, but you don't expect to see a five centuries old book, you don't expect to see one of the oldest printed books in the world pop up in Sandy, Utah."

SNIP

"The rarity of the book has almost nothing to do with its value," he said. "If you're collecting monuments of printing history, monuments of human history, if you're collecting achievements of the human spirit through the printed word, this is one of the foundation books ... Every book collector wants a copy of that book or at least some pages from it."

Rebuild a Community by Restoring Its Books

Successful, responsible, valuable citizens are readers. Readers of books. Make the world a better place: Donate a book.

Katha Pollitt in The Nation:

St. Bernard Parish, three miles from downtown New Orleans, was hard hit by Hurricane Katrina. All its buildings were damaged, and all its schools were destroyed. Amazingly, little by little, the district is coming back, and on August 11, the last of its public schools, Andrew Jackson Middle School, will reopen with 350 students. Just in time for the BP oil disaster, you may be thinking. Yes. This is indeed a community that has been hit by catastrophe. And that’s where you come in.

ReadThis is a volunteer organization of people who love books and want to spread the joy of reading. (Truth in advertising: I’m on the board.) We collect new and gently used books for public schools and other underbooked places; we’ve sent books to a pediatric AIDS center, a homeless shelter and to troops in Iraq. This summer, we’ve taken on a big task: gathering 1400 books for the Andrew Jackson Middle School’s library, which was ruined along with everything else. Imagine a school library with no books and no money to buy books! Can you chip in by buying a book or two from the excellent and varied wishlist prepared by the school librarian? It has lots of terrific choices, from Harry Potter to Walter Dean Myers. As a bonus good deed, you’ll be helping the Garden District Book Shop, an independent book store.

Find out more about ReadThis here. If you’d like to get involved—collecting books and mailing them to the school, helping out at our table at the Brooklyn Flea on July 24 , or, if by some miracle you happen to be a publisher, donating a box or two shiny new age-appropriate books -- email us at readthisorg@gmail.com. For latest updates, join us on Facebook.

Here in Kentucky, Jake at Page One is launching his own Book Donation Project. Check it out.

Orwell Laughing His Dead Ass Off

The Universe - or more probably someone at Penguin Signet Classics - has a twisted sense of humor.

This morning, hundreds of Amazon Kindle owners awoke to discover that books by a certain famous author had mysteriously disappeared from their e-book readers. These were books that they had bought and paid for—thought they owned.

But no, apparently the publisher changed its mind about offering an electronic edition, and apparently Amazon, whose business lives and dies by publisher happiness, caved. It electronically deleted all books by this author from people’s Kindles and credited their accounts for the price.

For we bibliophiles who will stop paying the mortgage and buying food before we stop buying actual, real, bound-paper books, this is irony enough to last us for a few days. We told you that stupid electronic thing wasn't for reading real books.

But there's more - deliciously, perfectly more.

You want to know the best part? The juicy, plump, dripping irony?
The author who was the victim of this Big Brotherish plot was none other than George Orwell. And the books were “1984” and “Animal Farm.”

Here's a clue for giant corporations that think they can throw their weight around without consequences: when the reality of what you're planning to do would make a good headline in The Onion, it's time to step back and rethink it.

Cross-posted at They Gave Us A Republic ....

NYTimes Book Review Disappoints Me

Eight of the top 13 books on the NYTimes New Hardcover Bestseller List have those funny little crosses next to them denoting that their "bestseller" status is faked by bulk purchase orders.

This is a classic tactic by wingnuts to produce phony sales numbers for worthless screeds that otherwise would not be sold outside rural gun shows.

It therefore won't surprise you to learn that of those eight fake bestsellers, seven are: lie-filled attacks on the Democratic Presidential Nominee, boorish attacks by militarists on Democratic Party values, a puff piece on Caribou Barbie, and in one strange instance, the return from the dead of John McCain's own whining, excuse-filled, air-brushed "autobiography."

Over the decades, the New York Times Book Review has revised the way it calculates best-sellers, separating them into various new categories including paperbacks, advice, children's, etc. Each time, the purpose was to keep the main bestseller list uncluttered by tomes in self-contained genres.

It's time for a separate "Bulk Sales" bestseller list.