Here’s our last 2001 issue of The Standard. We hope you will find it entertaining and informative, and that it will persuade more of you to volunteer to contribute in the future. I’m always open to ideas for new sections or types of articles or interviews. Or just more of the same type of thing we’re publishing now–come on, volunteer and make my day!
We have our great and educational Q&A section by Jean McKenna, which I hope will be in each issue. Len Lanfranco gives us more details and info on the soon-to-be available IOBA/ABE search function and on IOBA advertising plans. What a boon for IOBA this search function will be!
We have an interesting interview with Piet Wesselman of Antiqbook–very informative about the commercial database business and a peek into his life (talk about the entrepreneur spirit–Piet has us all beat), and a rather scary interview with Max Woosley, author of ‘Holy War’ which was published several months before WTC/Pentagon but in which he was uncomfortably close on predicting, via fiction, what could happen in the U.S. (not that Max himself is scary–just the timing on his book). And Maria Bustillos “tells all” about how she got into the bookselling business and how Popula was started and what its mission is–plus some info on an exciting upcoming Popula feature.
Chris Volk has, via an email interview format, given us invaluable information about Black authors and their works, and some thought-provoking insights about the Black viewpoint and problems Blacks face as authors, opposed to some other ethnic or racial groups. Pat Ahearn gives us a wonderful inside glimpse of the oh-so-comprehensive and educational Bookseller Seminar held each year in Colorado Springs, with lots of candid photos (you may be in there!). And Oliver Corlett (Maria’s ‘significant other’) has given us permission to use his really outstanding article about the history of paperback books. You can’t help learning from this article!
And finally, Connie Sabo-Risley has written us a very funny article on a typical hazard of the bookselling life that I think you’ll all be able to relate to. Thanks Connie, for being brave enough to be the first on this feature! I’d love to have a humorous article, cartoon, joke, etc., relating to books or bookselling for each issue–all of us can use some laughter now. So, send me any humorous thing you can think of (aaabooks@azalea.net)–we’re not limited to one each issue. The only criteria is that it has to make me giggle. :>)
Till next issue!
Shirley Bryant
P.S. A reminder that election time is upon us again. The board will be calling for nominations soon and once that is completed, we’ll be voting for new officers and board members. Please get involved, and don’t forget to vote!