The ABN E WSLETTEA AR VOLUME SEVENTEEN, NUMBER 2 ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS' ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA SPRING 2006 INSIDE: ABAA offers Scholarships to ILAB Congress............................................PAGE 15 ABAA Member Report from the New World: The Wins Oscar 39th California International Antiquarian Book Fair Photo credit: Copyright A.M.P.A.S. Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry at the Academy Awards. by Susan Benne Longtime member Larry McMurtry won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for his treatment of Brokeback Mountain at the 78th Annual Academy Awards. He shared the honor with his writing partner, Diana Ossana. Photo credit: Lynne Winslow In his acceptance speech, Mr. McMur- The Book Fair Committee celebrates the success of the fair. Pictured: Gordon try thanked his bookselling colleagues of Hollis, Carol Sandberg, Ed Postal, Victoria Dailey, and Rachel Weinstein. the world. In a follow-up interview with McMurtry, he conveyed to Newsletter by Gordon Hollis and Kate Fultz If this wasnʼt your impression of the Editor Rob Rulon-Miller: "Here is rough- Hollis (Mr. Hollis was chair of the 2006 Los Angeles Book Fair then you might ly what I meant to say at the Oscar[s]-- Los Angeles Book Fair Committee) have missed the 39th California Inter- actually got to say most but not all of it... national Antiquarian Book Fair at the Finally, I'd like to thank booksellers--all When you think of the California Interna- Century Plaza in Los Angeles where all booksellers everywhere, from the owners tional Antiquarian Book Fair in Los An- of the above was true. The numbers for of the humblest paperback exchange up geles, does the following come to mind: the fair this year were impressive: there to the grand masters of the great book were 190 dealers from the U.S. and 11 rooms of the [world]--they contribute to • Over 3,000 collectors and potential countries; 11 exhibitors had never partici- the survival of the culture of the book: a new clients attend? pated in the Los Angeles fair before; 230 rich, nurturing culture which our society • Three educational seminars take more people attended than in 2004 for a can ill afford to discard. place, one with standing room only? grand total of 2,958 walking through the "Booksellers are my heroes and my • The hotel is classy, comfortable, has Century Plaza in two and a half days; and teachers, my colleagues and my friends." good food and a spa? a surprising number of people, 240 to be McMurtry is the owner of Booked Up • The weather is cold with a little rain? continued on page 17 in Archer City, Texas. Congratulations! ■ New York Antiquarian Book Fair April 20-23, 2006 Preview April 20th to Benefit the New York Public Library ILAB Book Fairs 2006 March 24-25 Edinburgh, Scotland (ABA) Assembly Rooms April 20-23 Thursday evening benefit preview 5:30pm-9pm New York, NY (ABAA) Tickets: 212.930.0730 Park Avenue Armory Friday noon-8pm May 18-21 Saturday noon-7pm Sunday noon-5pm Paris, France (SLAM) Maison de la Mutualité Tickets Friday, Saturday, Sunday: $15 3-day pass: $35 June 8-11 For more info, visit sanfordsmith.com, or call 212.777.5218. London, UK (ABA) Olympia Exhibition Center September 15-17 Please Join your Colleagues for the New York, NY (ILAB) Annual Dinner Meeting of the Park Avenue Armory Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America 7:30 Saturday April 22 at the Grolier Club 47 East 60th Street New York City The meeting will be held in honor of the past presidents of our Association Wine, hors d’oeuvres and dinner: $60.00 Special dietary requests will be accommodated R.S.V.P. to Susan Benne by April 15, ABAA, 20 W. 44th St., New York, NY 10036 For a calendar including non-ILAB book [email protected] or (212) 944-8291 fairs, visit www.abaa.org 2 Newsletter Editor Steps Down after 17 Years Witten, Geoffrey Steele, William Salloch, by Rob Rulon-Miller that at the time the ABAA was being Elizabeth Woodburn, George Goodspeed, As Mid-West chapter representative I taken to task by our foreign colleagues Muir Dawson, and Leona Rostenberg. started attending Board meetings as early - unfairly, in my opinion, and worse, We endured. On several occasions I as 1987 when Ed Glaser was president haughtily - for not having addressed wanted to be rid of the responsibility of of the ABAA, but I didnʼt attend as a the Texas forgery matter in a manner getting a Newsletter together every three governor until the April meeting of 1989, the ILAB Committee thought fitting. months. When I became president in the second year of Mike Ginsbergʼs (Whether that was the case or not is a 1994 I thought Iʼd have too much on my tenure in that office. We met at the old matter of debate as our foreign colleagues plate. When the ABAA discuss list came ABAA headquarters at Rockefeller Plaza, were not privy to much that was dis- along, I thought the Newsletter had out- without much light, as I recollect, and I cussed in the ABAA Board room.) But as lived its usefulness. Yet, for one reason remember gathering around in a circle of a consequence we did rewrite our Code of or another, I continued forward with it. clunky old chairs. I donʼt remember that Ethics, and within a year we rewrote the Tracy Smith was an immeasurable help there was even a table. We worked from By-Laws which gave teeth to the Code. to me, and in the past 18 months, so has our laps. Several months before, Barbara Both have served us very well over the Susan Benne; both were putative editors Rootenberg had published a trial news- years and, as testimony to their success, and I succeeded in my job because of letter on behalf of the organization, and have needed but minor revisions over the their talents. a newsletter was an idea that Mike had last fifteen years. New book fair rules I was often frustrated by not being able wanted to run with. So when he asked followed and it wasnʼt long before ABAA to get enough submissions, and many who would volunteer to be the editor of was the model that the rest of ILAB issues went out with too much puff and an ABAA newsletter, I put up my hand, wanted to imitate. We were first on the filler. So I implore you now, members not thinking, of course, what that meant, internet, the first with a website, and the and subscribers all, not to let this hap- exactly. first with a search-engine. We were open pen as the Newsletter moves ahead in Well, lots has happened over the last with our debates on piracies and screen- the years to come. The ABAA Newsletter seventeen years and in some future issue plays, and ultimately the Texas forgeries. has a viable and important role in todayʼs I may recollect at length about my tenure We instituted new accounting measures. trade. It is a vehicle of the trade, for the as Newsletter editor and Board mem- We foiled book thieves and forgers. We trade, and by the trade, and as such stands ber. But for now, a farewell summary of weathered Pepper in Hollywood. apart from the glossy glamour mags, and what was reported in the Newsletter will We accepted into membership an ex- even the discuss list where politics and do, which is probably more for my own traordinary number of young, promising alcohol consumption are bandied about amusement than it is for your reading en- booksellers, including future presidents ad nauseum. What gnawed at me the joyment. Early on we hired Liane Wade Tom Congalton and Ken Lopez; our most was... Well, Iʼll desist now, before I who is with us to this day. Together with newest vice-president, Stuart Bennett; get on that horse. Beginning with the next ABAA counsel Larry Fox, she provides and our newest secretary, Sarah Bald- issue, Susan will take over as editor. She as much continuity for the association as win. We have honored our departed past deserves all our support, and then some. anyone. She will remember, for example, presidents, including John Jenkins, Larry She certainly has mine. ■ Another Perspective on Dust-Jackets By Tom Congalton While I found all of the subjects upon chinks in the armor of that unanimity. I read Julian Rotaʼs article “The Fate which Julian Rota reported worthy of For a bookseller, whose stock in trade and State of Removable Dust-Jackets” attention (and it sounds like a broad and largely consists of modern first editions, reporting on the conference of the same useful array of topics was covered), I to voluntarily take up the cudgel against name held at the University of London, was particularly struck by the apparent the professed cause of “bibliographical with the sort of fascination and enthusi- unanimity of opinion that existed among integrity” as this ideal relates to dust- asm that I usually reserve for articles on the participants upon the subject of the jackets, hazards the same risk that an sordid sex scandals involving Hollywood switching of removable dust-jackets. Ju- American or British politician might in- starlets. I very much regret that I did not lian expressed regret in his article about cur in defending the practice of inter-spe- have the opportunity to attend the sympo- having no opposing view represented at cies dating. Thereʼs no real upside to it. sium, at which I have little doubt I would the conference, although his description To some degree, I find myself not have been an appreciative and attentive of Rick Gekoskiʼs presentation seemed entirely unsympathetic with the appar- attendee.