@@outlawbookselleroriginal Stephen I am the American guy who replied to one of your stories- it was a few months ago I believe? And it had to do with you saying about your Dad and the Philadelphia area and work I believe? And I tried to give you a little info and told you I live about 1 hour north of the Philly area- don’t remember if u recall that? Take care and thanks for all you do for us the listeners.
Thank you for recommending Roadside Bhodisatva, which I had never heard of. My local library had an ebook available, and I basically read the whole thing today. What a great book. I did not see the ending coming. I agree with you that Di Fillippo could have had a mainstream novel career.
There is a melancholy to this video which is furthered by the sad news of Christopher Priest’s passing. Thank you for sharing your love and friendship with Priest.
Thanks Richard- yes, it did come across as a bit down, I realised this morning. I haven't had it easy since I fell sick last february, but nothing like how Chris fared the last 6 months- he was in good spirits, though, so his wife told me. I've been in touch with her today, he will be much missed by so many, lovely man.
That was terrible news, felt a tangible sense of loss. Only met him once briefly many many years ago but he's been a consistent part of my reading life since the 70s. My deepest condolences to friends and family.
Sometimes if I have trouble with the prose of an author I haven't read before or need to get used to I read the physical book along listening to the audiobook for a chapter or two. It can help my brain process the info while I adjust. Again Pan with great covers
Enjoyed this one very much. Looks like a bit of chill on in the "old country." I loved Jean Rhys' "Wide Sargasso Sea". I heard she had a sad life so need to research that. I sometimes consider rolling back the modern spelling of my name (Reese) to Rees or more preferable Rhys....alas too much of hassle. Carry on the good work. Buy you a round in The Three Tuns someday.
Priest, another one gone. ( Too soon ) into obscurity ?.I cant seem to locate any of his books. I thought i found one in my book store, on the computer .Alas it was another Priest. This one " A Man of The Graphic Novel " .
Yes, the comics writer- not even his real name: the guy just decided to use CP's real name as his pseudonym and it caused all sorts of confusion and problems for CP. A good example of why everyone should google a name before using it....
A very personal journey this time (this half?) The whole tenor was personal - your friends are along & on camera, but it's still private (no fly on the wall , really) sharing the music of music nights, sharing the indulgence of the non SF books, long reflective talks, behind the scenes, er. . . scenes. Touching.
Thanks Walter. Obviously, I have a private life, but I'm not into this stage-show I'm on TV presentation style. With YT, it comes down to if you can connect with the personality of the presenter or not- there is plenty of good material immaculately presented but terribly dull. For those who think I have some kind of mutant charisma, I know the channel works. For everyone else, well, it's a free platform...
Really enjoyed the reflective nature of this video. Nice to see again The Portage to San Cristobal of AH. I picked up that edition in the 80s (after watching a South Bank Show about a stage adaptation, I seem to recall?) The book's central idea about using language, especially spoken language, to almost mesmerise was so chilling. And the command one of the characters gets by radio when they find AH: "Don't let him speak!" I still remember it vividly. Just read in the comments about Christopher Priest passing. Sad news.
Really enjoyed this, Steve. It's just what I needed on this gloomy Saturday here in drizzly old Berlin. The mixture of Out & About / downtime reflective ramblings / book hauls works perfectly every time. A nice surprise to see some ECM included here. I've just about all of Eberhard Weber's solo recordings. My favourite, I think, is Endless Days. You might also enjoy the Giovanni Guidi Trio album, City Of Broken Dreams, and quite possibly Gefion by Jakob Bro (both ECM releases). Nothing too challenging, but perfect for downtime relaxation. Nice outro, by the way ("you have been watching" - surely a nod to the Perry & Croft BBC sitcoms of the 1970s). As always, many thanks - and have a great weekend.
Better than anything on telly! Liked the Dad's Army style outro. That blue jacket is beginning to have a similar triggering recognition as the red coat in Don't Look Now!
Steve you always , manage to capture the ambience....which C S Lewis declares fills one with " a longing"...( the result of my age ) no doubt 😅 .I have the Kotzwinkle QOS , along with surreal " Great World Circus" in hard backs, acquired eons ago.... and mayhaps due for a read and reread .In the Lessing....is the " The Golden Note Book " .. akin ? Buying books ? , spending too much ? I go with ole Erasmus....quotation 😂 . Joking i hope .24:44 for a sec i thought of Spinrad . Jules burt , will give you a 👍 for the McBain 😏 . .Ok enough of my yackary 😅
Hey old chap, you mentioned one of my favorites in CS Lewis. Have you read his "Space Trilogy"? (Out Of The Silent Planet, Perelandra and, That Hideous Strength ) A bit sappy here and there but, crikey, what an experience, and a sobering perspective on what is important in this life we live. Your thoughts?
What a great show, OB! As I watched I said to myself; how cool would this be as a BBC series on literature presented from your interesting perspective? Would that it were. Your Penguin shirt rocks. Your discussions of each book in the hauls were illuminating, as always. A classy thank you to your audience at the end was an excellent punctuation mark. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Godspeed and, Cheers!
Thanks as ever, Rick- I see Jon at Scifi Scavenger gave you a mention as well this week, good guy that he is. He went to Zardoz yesterday, he'll be only the 3rd person to ever film at that dealership. I wanted to go with him but couldn't make it, sadly!
Thanks for this video Steve ,most enjoyable thoughts shared and interesting jazz recommendations . I do like a bit of miles myself (first video ) ! So sad to hear of Christopher priest passing,loved your interviews with him and have so enjoyed reading his work recently.A wonderful legacy of books to leave us all .
Yes, Chris contributed a fascinating and unique body of work to world literature- a shame he has been a relatively unsung prophet in the wider scheme of literary fame. But that's life: the real outsiders, who take the risks, rarely get their due. Thanks mate (like a bit of Davis myself!).
Love those two Colin Wilson's Steve. For an overview of McBain, I have done a video looking at the UK and early USA editions on my channel. Agreed, he is the best police procedural writer.
Yes, I'm looking forward to trying him and seeing how he measures up agains Sjowall and Wahloo, who I think you'd love, quirky and exciting. Been meaning to tackle McBain for decades, no excuse now!
Interesting that you picked up Donald Barthelme. I last read him back in my 20s and recently became interested in reading him again, along with the magical realist Julio Cortazar.
Yeah, been meaning to get back to him for years. Cortazar I keep meaning to read, again, I'm decades late on him, but his name has been looming large of late, so maybe this year. Friends often tell me I'd love his work.
What I should have said, Walter, was 'clear' - as in free of clutter- the Video Widow will kill me, as our house is clean, but a little full, as it is so small. One day, I will upshift!
@@outlawbookselleroriginal Sorry mate, I was dropping a Hemingway reference for you, for the sense of resonance with your wistful tone. It works for 'clear' too (especially as it refers to the working man coming to the end of the day. . . ) 😉 Sadly, Hemingway is silent on Pizza and Gastro-Pubs. Probably just as well. What would he say on yellow fields? I liked it.
Interesting second part Stephen - thanks for the insights. I have a couple of questions. In your estimation how many bookshops at Hay carry a decent amount of SF.? Also is the idea of several bookshops in such a small radius not self defeating due to competition? Or is it the case that several bookshops bring in more punters ?
Hey Kenny- good to hear from you. Obviously a second hand seller is dependent on what gets brought to them and what they can hunt down themselves. The primary SF location in Hay now is Addyman: Derek is not the cheapest, but he has the best stuff, usually the best condition and he is a pro dealer and bibliophile, great guy, so he's my first call. Cinema Bookshop is not bad for paperbacks. Richard Booth used to be excellent for paperbacks but now is a sad shadow, down to the books and authors who are generally unloved- over the years I've watched the likes of Malzberg (who is brilliant but not for everyone) sell out there, leaving just the dregs. After those three, Hay On Wye Books and Hay Book Centre sometimes have scores, sometimes not. Green Ink has a little SF, but is mostly Mainstream Fiction. Altogether now there are around 14 bookshops in Hay (the guide-leaflet says 25, but once you strip out binders, the map shop, the records shops-! - and shops in nearby towns and shops only selling new books- of which there are 2) there are 11. So when I do a flying visit I go to the 5 named shops. I'm usually there 3-4 hours including time devoted to selling my stuff there to one of the shops and I can always look at all the SF in these bookshops. I think Hay has a maximum of ten years in it as a serious destination for second hand books, though if it turns out being five, it would not surprise me. I go 2-4 times a year now and every time I see more gentrification, more non-book businesses and less for the collector. Once Derek Addyman goes, that will be it, I think. Obviously I've had a good time there over the years and squeezed it dry many times. The shops selling new books - like North and Gay-On-Wye- will simply not last in my opinion, as they are too tied in to the current 'narrative' and stock books you can get online anywhere. The heart of Hay is secondhand and collectable, but the Festival is slowly killing that. If I had the money, the time and the inclination, I'd open a shop there tomorrow and fight the good fight: instead, I'll retire when I can, as even I can have enough of the book trade sometimes. Hope you are well, mate!
Thanks for the extensive reply Stephen. Very informative for sure. I'm guessing that most, if not all, of the bookshops have an online sales presence although it seems to me that even this must be quite challenging. For instance Zardoz have now a minimum on books, above good, to 4.95. So for run-of-the-mill books you're looking at 6-7 quid with postage. Bad news for us collectors methinks.
One hopes that Gay on Wye would stock John Rechy, at least. There appears to be a glut of gay and LGBT books at the moment, especially in the YA category, and I'm probably over-generalising but they do seem to be all about supportiveness and cutesyness, rather than existential angst, rebellion and conflict. Perhaps an inevitable byproduct of society becoming more accepting, which is obviously a good thing, is the decline of "outsider" literature of various kinds.
I think you're right. I have my serious doubts about GOW doing anything other than the obvious 'mainstream narrative' of LGBTQ+ at the moment- which is why I was keen to look. There's only one Rechy in print in the UK, but I was hoping also to see what Genet they stocked. Next time, maybe...and yes, I'm interested from the Outsider perspective as I've read loads of great books by Gay writers over the decades.
Thanks!
Stephen- thanks for all the informative videos you make and post- even an older guy like myself@66 has learned so much ch and I love it!
Very, very kind, Rich- tips like this make a big difference to the channel, thank you!
@@outlawbookselleroriginal Stephen I am the American guy who replied to one of your stories- it was a few months ago I believe? And it had to do with you saying about your Dad and the Philadelphia area and work I believe? And I tried to give you a little info and told you I live about 1 hour north of the Philly area- don’t remember if u recall that? Take care and thanks for all you do for us the listeners.
@@richgreen3091 Yes, I recall-thanks again!!!
I am sorry to hear about your friend Chris my condolences
Cheers. Special man in every way.
Steve, do you know if CP was able to finish his Ballard biography? It would irritate me to no end if I'm unable to ever get my hands on it.
Thank you for recommending Roadside Bhodisatva, which I had never heard of. My local library had an ebook available, and I basically read the whole thing today. What a great book. I did not see the ending coming. I agree with you that Di Fillippo could have had a mainstream novel career.
Yes, he really wrongfoots the reader, great stuff!
That version of Richard III w McKellen (sp?) was brilliant
Yes, amazing.
Beginning the "Winter of our discontent" speech in the bog. Brilliant.
There is a melancholy to this video which is furthered by the sad news of Christopher Priest’s passing. Thank you for sharing your love and friendship with Priest.
Thanks Richard- yes, it did come across as a bit down, I realised this morning. I haven't had it easy since I fell sick last february, but nothing like how Chris fared the last 6 months- he was in good spirits, though, so his wife told me. I've been in touch with her today, he will be much missed by so many, lovely man.
That was terrible news, felt a tangible sense of loss. Only met him once briefly many many years ago but he's been a consistent part of my reading life since the 70s. My deepest condolences to friends and family.
So right to point out his passing, it's a great loss. Hard to see the core being gutted, one death at a time.
Well said, OB. I'm sure it hurts on a personal level. Chin up!@@outlawbookselleroriginal
Also thanks for the recommendation "Never Let Me Go". Hard to articulate my thoughts abt it yet but it was very memorable.
Great book.
Another picturesque and informing video. Very sorry to hear about Mr Priest.
Sometimes if I have trouble with the prose of an author I haven't read before or need to get used to I read the physical book along listening to the audiobook for a chapter or two. It can help my brain process the info while I adjust. Again Pan with great covers
Fair point.
Enjoyed this one very much. Looks like a bit of chill on in the "old country."
I loved Jean Rhys' "Wide Sargasso Sea". I heard she had a sad life so need to research that.
I sometimes consider rolling back the modern spelling of my name (Reese) to Rees or more preferable Rhys....alas too much of hassle.
Carry on the good work. Buy you a round in The Three Tuns someday.
You're on!
another great Hay-on-Wye video, the rambling is what we're here for, at least I am and your insights into all things book related.
Cheers. I love making the out and about literary videos, always stimulating to shoot on locations.
Priest, another one gone. ( Too soon ) into obscurity ?.I cant seem to locate any of his books. I thought i found one in my book store, on the computer .Alas it was another Priest. This one " A Man of The Graphic Novel " .
Yes, the comics writer- not even his real name: the guy just decided to use CP's real name as his pseudonym and it caused all sorts of confusion and problems for CP. A good example of why everyone should google a name before using it....
A very personal journey this time (this half?)
The whole tenor was personal - your friends are along & on camera, but it's still private (no fly on the wall , really) sharing the music of music nights, sharing the indulgence of the non SF books, long reflective talks, behind the scenes, er. . . scenes.
Touching.
Thanks Walter. Obviously, I have a private life, but I'm not into this stage-show I'm on TV presentation style. With YT, it comes down to if you can connect with the personality of the presenter or not- there is plenty of good material immaculately presented but terribly dull. For those who think I have some kind of mutant charisma, I know the channel works. For everyone else, well, it's a free platform...
I really enjoyed this; the reflective mood and your awareness of the changes in your reading
Thank you Jane. I find in Hay I have to go with my feelings as much as thoughts. See you wednesday!
Really enjoyed the reflective nature of this video. Nice to see again The Portage to San Cristobal of AH. I picked up that edition in the 80s (after watching a South Bank Show about a stage adaptation, I seem to recall?) The book's central idea about using language, especially spoken language, to almost mesmerise was so chilling. And the command one of the characters gets by radio when they find AH: "Don't let him speak!" I still remember it vividly. Just read in the comments about Christopher Priest passing. Sad news.
Thanks for the condolences, CP was a star and then some.
R.I.P Christopher Priest 😢 Thanks for the video Dad
Yeah, thanks- he was a good friend and I was honoured to know him.
Really enjoyed this, Steve. It's just what I needed on this gloomy Saturday here in drizzly old Berlin. The mixture of Out & About / downtime reflective ramblings / book hauls works perfectly every time. A nice surprise to see some ECM included here. I've just about all of Eberhard Weber's solo recordings. My favourite, I think, is Endless Days. You might also enjoy the Giovanni Guidi Trio album, City Of Broken Dreams, and quite possibly Gefion by Jakob Bro (both ECM releases). Nothing too challenging, but perfect for downtime relaxation. Nice outro, by the way ("you have been watching" - surely a nod to the Perry & Croft BBC sitcoms of the 1970s). As always, many thanks - and have a great weekend.
I'll check that album out- not surprised you're a Weber man, you're a cultured guy!
Love the ramble through Hay-On-Wye, and especially the Colin Wilson pick ups. I have those in U.S. Valancourt editions. Great stuff.
Valancourt rule!
Better than anything on telly! Liked the Dad's Army style outro. That blue jacket is beginning to have a similar triggering recognition as the red coat in Don't Look Now!
Amazing film, a fave of mine since the 1970s.
Steve you always , manage to capture the ambience....which C S Lewis declares fills one with " a longing"...( the result of my age ) no doubt 😅 .I have the Kotzwinkle QOS , along with surreal " Great World Circus" in hard backs, acquired eons ago.... and mayhaps due for a read and reread .In the Lessing....is the " The Golden Note Book " .. akin ? Buying books ? , spending too much ? I go with ole Erasmus....quotation 😂 . Joking i hope .24:44 for a sec i thought of Spinrad . Jules burt , will give you a 👍 for the McBain 😏 . .Ok enough of my yackary 😅
Thanks as ever, Sylvan, you're a mensch!
Hey old chap, you mentioned one of my favorites in CS Lewis. Have you read his "Space Trilogy"? (Out Of The Silent Planet, Perelandra and, That Hideous Strength ) A bit sappy here and there but, crikey, what an experience, and a sobering perspective on what is important in this life we live. Your thoughts?
What a great show, OB! As I watched I said to myself; how cool would this be as a BBC series on literature presented from your interesting perspective? Would that it were. Your Penguin shirt rocks. Your discussions of each book in the hauls were illuminating, as always. A classy thank you to your audience at the end was an excellent punctuation mark. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Godspeed and, Cheers!
Thanks as ever, Rick- I see Jon at Scifi Scavenger gave you a mention as well this week, good guy that he is. He went to Zardoz yesterday, he'll be only the 3rd person to ever film at that dealership. I wanted to go with him but couldn't make it, sadly!
Stephen you must put that together with Jon, he speaks the language. Thanks for that shout out. God bless. @@outlawbookselleroriginal
The Portage to San Cristobal seems very interesting, I'll have to try and track down a copy
Many thanks for the tip. It is a thoughtful and interesting read.
Thanks for this video Steve ,most enjoyable thoughts shared and interesting jazz recommendations . I do like a bit of miles myself (first video ) ! So sad to hear of Christopher priest passing,loved your interviews with him and have so enjoyed reading his work recently.A wonderful legacy of books to leave us all .
Yes, Chris contributed a fascinating and unique body of work to world literature- a shame he has been a relatively unsung prophet in the wider scheme of literary fame. But that's life: the real outsiders, who take the risks, rarely get their due. Thanks mate (like a bit of Davis myself!).
Love those two Colin Wilson's Steve. For an overview of McBain, I have done a video looking at the UK and early USA editions on my channel. Agreed, he is the best police procedural writer.
Yes, I'm looking forward to trying him and seeing how he measures up agains Sjowall and Wahloo, who I think you'd love, quirky and exciting. Been meaning to tackle McBain for decades, no excuse now!
I'm sure you'll like his style. @@outlawbookselleroriginal
seems like a safe neighborhood with all the glass display windows and no security guards
It's a sleepy town, love ot.
Very atmospheric ✨💫
Hope so! Thanx
RIP Christopher Priest.
Yes, thank you. He dreamed of Wessex for us.
Christopher Priest has died. RIP. He created a most poetical SF.
Yes. The very finest, I'd say. Thank you.
@@outlawbookselleroriginal Thank you for your wonderful promotion of his work, including the interviews. It will help to keep that work alive.
Interesting that you picked up Donald Barthelme. I last read him back in my 20s and recently became interested in reading him again, along with the magical realist Julio Cortazar.
Yeah, been meaning to get back to him for years. Cortazar I keep meaning to read, again, I'm decades late on him, but his name has been looming large of late, so maybe this year. Friends often tell me I'd love his work.
The short fiction may be your best option.@@outlawbookselleroriginal
In the end you just want a clean, well lighted place.
What I should have said, Walter, was 'clear' - as in free of clutter- the Video Widow will kill me, as our house is clean, but a little full, as it is so small. One day, I will upshift!
@@outlawbookselleroriginal Sorry mate,
I was dropping a Hemingway reference for you, for the sense of resonance with your wistful tone.
It works for 'clear' too (especially as it refers to the working man coming to the end of the day. . . ) 😉
Sadly, Hemingway is silent on Pizza and Gastro-Pubs. Probably just as well.
What would he say on yellow fields? I liked it.
Rest in Peace, Christopher Priest.
Indeed/ Thanks.
Interesting second part Stephen - thanks for the insights. I have a couple of questions. In your estimation how many bookshops at Hay carry a decent amount of SF.? Also is the idea of several bookshops in such a small radius not self defeating due to competition? Or is it the case that several bookshops bring in more punters ?
Hey Kenny- good to hear from you. Obviously a second hand seller is dependent on what gets brought to them and what they can hunt down themselves.
The primary SF location in Hay now is Addyman: Derek is not the cheapest, but he has the best stuff, usually the best condition and he is a pro dealer and bibliophile, great guy, so he's my first call. Cinema Bookshop is not bad for paperbacks. Richard Booth used to be excellent for paperbacks but now is a sad shadow, down to the books and authors who are generally unloved- over the years I've watched the likes of Malzberg (who is brilliant but not for everyone) sell out there, leaving just the dregs.
After those three, Hay On Wye Books and Hay Book Centre sometimes have scores, sometimes not. Green Ink has a little SF, but is mostly Mainstream Fiction. Altogether now there are around 14 bookshops in Hay (the guide-leaflet says 25, but once you strip out binders, the map shop, the records shops-! - and shops in nearby towns and shops only selling new books- of which there are 2) there are 11. So when I do a flying visit I go to the 5 named shops. I'm usually there 3-4 hours including time devoted to selling my stuff there to one of the shops and I can always look at all the SF in these bookshops.
I think Hay has a maximum of ten years in it as a serious destination for second hand books, though if it turns out being five, it would not surprise me. I go 2-4 times a year now and every time I see more gentrification, more non-book businesses and less for the collector. Once Derek Addyman goes, that will be it, I think.
Obviously I've had a good time there over the years and squeezed it dry many times. The shops selling new books - like North and Gay-On-Wye- will simply not last in my opinion, as they are too tied in to the current 'narrative' and stock books you can get online anywhere. The heart of Hay is secondhand and collectable, but the Festival is slowly killing that. If I had the money, the time and the inclination, I'd open a shop there tomorrow and fight the good fight: instead, I'll retire when I can, as even I can have enough of the book trade sometimes.
Hope you are well, mate!
Thanks for the extensive reply Stephen. Very informative for sure. I'm guessing that most, if not all, of the bookshops have an online sales presence although it seems to me that even this must be quite challenging. For instance Zardoz have now a minimum on books, above good, to 4.95. So for run-of-the-mill books you're looking at 6-7 quid with postage. Bad news for us collectors methinks.
music sounds like it's from crash
Yes, that dissonant quality- Steve Holmes has been a friend and onand off collaborator of mine since 1981, great guy.
One hopes that Gay on Wye would stock John Rechy, at least. There appears to be a glut of gay and LGBT books at the moment, especially in the YA category, and I'm probably over-generalising but they do seem to be all about supportiveness and cutesyness, rather than existential angst, rebellion and conflict. Perhaps an inevitable byproduct of society becoming more accepting, which is obviously a good thing, is the decline of "outsider" literature of various kinds.
I think you're right. I have my serious doubts about GOW doing anything other than the obvious 'mainstream narrative' of LGBTQ+ at the moment- which is why I was keen to look. There's only one Rechy in print in the UK, but I was hoping also to see what Genet they stocked. Next time, maybe...and yes, I'm interested from the Outsider perspective as I've read loads of great books by Gay writers over the decades.
RIP