The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake

I first read about Breece D'J Pancake in an article in The Believer. His is a sad, yet intriguing story--born in a small town in West Virginia and died at the age of 26 by his own hand, leaving behind a slim volume of twelve short stories published posthumously. In the end, Pancake's own story is perhaps stronger than the stories he wrote--there's an imagined air of darkness and mystery about him--though it seems highly likely that if he had lived, his writing would have continued to develop. His style is Hemingwayesque with a southern feel, with short, hard sentences ("Jailbait and black snakes are two things I won't touch with a window pole"). I can't remember much more about the experience of reading this book other than that I had a hard time staying focused on it. Perhaps it's worth a revisit though.

I really like the wallpaper-like pattern on the spine. It's a nice little touch.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

I first read some of Junot Diaz's short stories when I was a freshman in college. I remember them being pretty decent, but nothing compared to this incredible novel. With elements of magical realism and plenty of D&D and sci-fi references, this multigenerational tale of a family curse is one of the best novels I've read in recent years. I actually read it twice, it's that good.

Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck

A couple years ago while on vacation in San Francisco I made a little side trip to Salinas, California, home of John Steinbeck. There's not much there, besides a restaurant in Steinbeck's childhood home (I tried to go but it was closed for the week of Thanksgiving at the time), a small farmer's market (I had some delicious corn on the cob* and homemade root beer), and a few blocks of rundown, tired looking buildings (there was a pretty good Salvation Army). It seemed as though not much had changed architecturally since the 60s. I took a lot of pictures.

If you're a Steinbeck fan it's worth visiting Salinas though, if only to check out the National Steinbeck Center. (It's also not too far from Monterey and the gorgeous coastline.) It was there that I first heard of the book Travels with Charley. In the fall of 1960, Steinbeck took his pet poodle Charley on a 10,000 mile road trip around the outer border of the United States in a camper he called "Rocinante," after Don Quixote's horse. (The camper is on display at the Steinbeck Center.) The impetus for the trip was to answer the question "what are Americans like today?", though his son later hypothesized that his failing health was also a factor, that he wanted to see his country one last time. (Steinbeck died six years after the publication of Travels with Charley, and it was the last book he wrote.)

After leaving the center I was quite interested in reading this book, and not long after I got back home I found a copy on a shelf at work. It paints a picture of an aesthetically beautiful land, but there is a sadness below the surface, as Steinbeck discovers racism and ignorance throughout his travels. Definitely worth a read. I'm also remembering how much I loved reading East of Eden--I think I need to delve a little deeper into Steinbeck's oeuvre.

*My boyfriend has just pointed out that my memory has failed me—I did not eat corn on the cob in Salinas. It was a baked potato. Not sure how I confused the two.

Abandon the Old in Tokyo by Yoshihiro Tatsumi

This is one of several collections of stories from legendary Japanese comic artist Yoshiro Tatsumi that were reissued by Drawn & Quarterly a few years ago.

Tatsumi's work is ahead of its time, delving into the lives of ordinary Japanese people instead of fantastical characters. His themes explore some pretty dark territory, from run-of-the-mill loneliness and desperation to some really taboo subjects.

Even his drawing style and layouts seem more at home with contemporary graphic novels than the comics of the 60s.


The packaging is gorgeous, with these lovely brown endpapers and cloth spine.

1984 by George Orwell

Next up is a copy of another classic novel by George Orwell: his final work, 1984. I found this old Penguin UK paperback in a used bookstore in Tucson, and even though I already had a copy of the book, I couldn't resist picking up this perfect example of the classic Penguin design. I strangely like how there was a time when all of Penguin's paperbacks looked virtually the same--you could always tell a Penguin when you saw one.

This year marked the 60th anniversary of the publication of 1984, and I got to work on a few projects commemorating this event, including the following video, a fake commercial for Victory coffee (I even make a cameo appearance later on). Totally silly, but it was fun to work on.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Well, October was a bit of a wash for me, as I spent most of the month moving from one place to another (a gradual move, taking carloads of stuff here and there, has its advantages over doing it all in one long, exhausting day, but in the end after three weeks you just want it to be over). I'm still unpacking even now, but things are back to normal enough where I think (hope) I'll be back to updating this regularly. Anyway...

Of the many, many editions of Animal Farm available out there, this one might be the coolest. A little blasphemous, perhaps, since my company publishes several editions of it, but none of ours is illustrated by Ralph Steadman, the British cartoonist best known for his work with Hunter S. Thompson. Steadman's rather grotesque, ink-splattered style complements the tone of the book quite well.



The appendages on the lady pig are breathtakingly repulsive. Really, it's like Steadman was made to illustrate this book.

Adding to the list of incredible endpapers, I love this collage. I'd hang it on my wall if I could.

Venus Drive by Sam Lipsyte

Sam Lipsyte's debut collection of short stories is both funny and painful--a pairing I might say sums up the majority of his work--peopled by addicts, telemarketers, peep show clientele, and the like. Says Time Out New York, "You’ve probably never heard syntax so artfully skewed, or laughed so hard at someone else’s dread." (This is technically in reference to a live reading, hence the "heard" but it still rings true, I think.)