Things to do in the Burgh this Weekend

My own long weekend is going to be close to home, as I have Stella the adorable pitbull staying with me. She is recuperating from ACL sugery. But I will get out some...there's lots to do. In additional to more traditional Memorial Day activities, consider:
Fleeting Pages (Popup Bookstore at old Border's Books site). This is the last weekend...I am not sure when they close, but it is sometime next week.They have tons of books and zines, and lots of talks and activities.This venture has gotten a lot of press, including national press, and deservedly so. For events, look at left side of page here
Movie: Bill Cunningham New York. Will make me sad as I just left NYC after a 5 day visit. But I have been looking forward to this movie for a while. It is about the long time style and event photographer for the NYT.....whose transportation is a bike,and who is still working hard every day...in his early 80s! Because he loves what he does. It appears to be his whole life, and he seems very happy indeed. A review from CP can be found here AND BETTER YET SEE TRAILER HERE
Movie:The Princess of Montpensier. A drama set in 16th century France. Got a nice write up in the NYT,here
The Shadyside Nursery. A new plant and flower nursey has sprouted across from the 5801 Bar/Restaurant. It is near the corner of Elmer and Maryland,as if towards the busway. Nice to see a new small business in the area, and the prices seemed quite reasonable.They don't seem to have a web presence yet.
TONIGHT and Saturday Hip Hop at the Shadow Longue. Artists from DC, Philly and Pittsburgh. Cornell WEst, Crstal Seth, etc. Comes highly recommended so I am going.....tonight,9pm and 12 midnight. More info here

Karen, The Small Press Librarian and Her Boyfriend, Tom Talk About Small Press and Bookstores

Thursday night, Fleeting Pages held a public reading of writers experiences working in bookstores--real writers--who use words beyond great and "awesome" to describe everything. The readings were awesome and hopefully they will be up soon.

A supporter came by to tape the event and do some interviews related to the creation and importance of Fleeting Pages--and bookstores in general.

Here Karen Lillis and her longtime boyfriend Tom who have long experience in all sides of the literary world talk about it.

Fleeting Pages Founder, Jodi Morrison Talks About Fleeting Pages

Here's a great video taped last night in which Jodi Morrison, the main force behind the East Liberty Pop Up bookstore, Fleeting Pages talks about the store, what it's doing and the motivation behind it.

If you haven't gotten over there yet, you are missing something--actually you should visit as often as you can since the inventory and long list of events continues to grow. Quite literally, almost anything could happen here for as long as it lasts.

No Joke--this is just what's going on tomorrow

12 – 2 pm: Workshop: Making Your Own Zines and Minicomics – by Bill Volk; A crash course on cartoon storytelling, presentation, and basic bookbinding. How to put your words and pictures in print, make them read clearly, and get in touch with others who do the same. Free.

3pm- Workshop- Want to learn how seIf-publishing happens? ‘Publish, Perish or Languish? NOT!’ Three of my self-published titles are in stock at Fleeting Pages: The Alchymical Zoodiac, Stitchburgh, and The Little Sheep Who Couldn’t Sleep. Come and get your signed copy! Everyone welcome!

8pm- Film: the WORLD PREMIER of tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE’s 348th movie: “Selectric Piano; Po, Li, Ou; & Anagrammatic Variations” tENT’s friend in Greensboro, NC, Mark Dixon, took an IBM Selectric Typewriter & repurposed it so that typing each key has a one-to-one correspondence to an 88-key keyboard which is played as a result of the typing. This device is called the “Selectric Piano”.

tENT wrote 4 highly abstruse & formally exacting texts that 2 typists
then typed using the Selectric. The combination of these texts + the (M)Usic
their typing produces + the overall claustrophobia of the situation
is quasi-documented in this experimental feature.

A teaser for it can be witnessed here:”Mark Dixon’s Selectric Piano”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x6AJ6ssJsk

More Images From Fleeting Pages Pop Up Bookstore In East Liberty

Swung by Fleetingpages again to help Jean install her art. Lots of good news and expanding inventory. The Big Idea, alternative bookstore in Bloomfield now has a section in the store with perhaps 100 titles--most strongly political.

By tomorrow, Bob Ziller will have a selection of titles from Awesome Books in Garfield, which has a very broad selection of fiction, history and art titles. The Fleetingpages inventory has also expanded. My guess is there might now be 1000 titles in the store, which might not sound like much relative to a large bookstore. This however is a significant amount great stuff you are highly unlikely to find elsewhere.

Swing by often as the space evolves and changes. As you can see from the in store calendar, many events are planned--with many more on the way.

FYI Fleeting Pages is still open to new stuff but it must be brought in by May 13.

Images From East Liberty Pop Up Bookstore, Fleeting Pages

Checked out Fleeting Pages yesterday and got some shots of their unique inventory of Books, comics, zines and all kinds of things book and print related.

Right now the selection of several hundred books and magazines trends towards poetry, short stories, off beat fiction,Horror, political non fiction, travel and wonderfully strange and beautiful comics and zines. Also, there's a growing selection of books written by local authors exploring many aspects of local lore, you may not know about.

The inventory is still growing and being put out--You can still bring your stuff over--till May 13! Also, Fleetingpages is still open to ideas for lectures, readings, workshops, film screenings and performance events. Where's Tom Sarver?

Got a screed, a rant, a new set of lovely recipes or tips on growing arugula-bring it over. Also, they are open to a bigger selection of art.

Support Fleeting Pages on Kickstarter

Face it, the economy sucks-almost everywhere, many great causes and art projects need support and we can't help everyone.

Fleeting Pages is a concept that will

A) Make use of an existing empty space in the city--and we know there are still so many of them.

B) Create energy in the city and inspire more building owners to allow more flexible uses.

C) Show off the incredible diversity of writers, self publishers, and Indie Press both inside and outside the region

D) Provide critical income to hard working but unrecognised authors, artists and poets

E) Allow for important interactions between local, regional and national writers, publishers and creators

F) Create opportunities for educational workshops, demonstrations, readings, film screenings and performances.

"In essence, Fleeting Pages consists of taking over (taking back??) one of the spaces, left empty by a failed big box bookstore (Borders) in Pittsburgh, for one month, starting May 7th, and filling it with independent & self-published work of all kinds, book arts, workshops, and events.

All revolving around various forms of written self-expression.

The idea is a result of a few things; a great appreciation for independent and self-published works of all kinds, as well as for those who create them, the toll taken on local booksellers by big box bookstores, a concern for the cultural effects of big box stores in both their existence and their failure, and a general frustration with the model of the publishing industry.

We felt compelled to do something. Fleeting Pages is what we came up with. It will test the theory that what is happening with “books” – creation, consumption, access – matters to many. And if given the opportunity to take over, or take back, one of these empty spaces they will. And in the most brilliant of ways.

The end result, what Fleeting Pages will ultimately become, is a beautiful unknown as it is dependent upon what others are willing to add. The framework is there – the space, the concept, and a few people volunteering to work their hardest in support of the project."

Please consider supporting Fleeting Pages on Kickstarter with a contribution of as little as a dollar

Quick Fleeting Pages Pop Up Bookstore Update: Opening May 7, Still Accepting Submissions

OK this is a very half assed update--mostly telling you to look at the website and follow things if are not. The opening was pushed back by a week and as you can see lots of small presses and independent authors, comic artists and zine makers are on board.Look, spread the word and get your stuff together ASAP if you want to be involved. 24 Thousand Square Feet of space in one of Pittsburgh's most central shopping districts--open to almost any kind of book related product or event you can dream up!

Fleeting Pages can finally announce the location: The former Borders in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Both floors of the space. All 24,000 sqft of it. And lucky for us, Borders left behind a considerable number of bookshelves and other useful materials.

The process to submit work is a relatively simple one:

•Contact us with who you are & what you would like to add to our inventory.
•Add answers / details to the items listed below in your email.
•After that, you will hear back from us with answers to your questions and possibly asking some of our own.
•Then we will coordinate getting your work here.
Unfortunately, we will only be able to accept items on consignment. We know that this is not ideal and we wish the situation were otherwise. But Fleeting Pages is going to cost a fortune (for us, anyway) in rent and utilities. Not to mention everything else needed to fill the space and make it function. Our current budget just doesn’t have any room to pre-order. Hopefully that will change as we progress. Even if it doesn’t, we have plans for things like raffles, mixed bag books for sale, and an online store aspect in the works to make sure that as few books as possible will be returned. Another option is to send a couple copies and be open to re-ordering if needed.

Payment- Our intention is to send payments for books sold at the end of the first two weeks, and again at the beginning of June. All will be paid by June 15th. (well, if we exercise our two week extension, it will be June 30th) Should we need to order more copies, we will send a payment for those they are replacing.

Display- Fleeting Pages is not like a traditional fair – tables of presses with representatives manning them. We will be using bookshelves and tables as a bookstore would. Hopefully with some new ideas of what that could mean mixed in. If a representative is able to come out (which would be so great!), we’d rather have them running a workshop (or taking one), hosting an event, or helping out in the space than behind a table.

A partial list of sellers, artists and publishers already on board.

5th Street Press

40-Watt Spotlight

Abayomi Animashaun – author

Abbey Bricker – book arts

The Alchemist – zine

Annalemma Magazine

Annie Passanisi – author

Anteism Publishing

Artnoose

Autumn House Press

Avantacular Press

Balliwick

Barbara Browning- author

Barbary Shore Publishing

Barge Press

Bill Volk- comics

Black Coffee Press

Black Dog Press

BOMB Magazine

Brandt Street Press

Brian Fanelli

Brown Tie Publishing

Burning Books

Caketrain Journal & Press

Calypso Editions

Canarium Books

Cardamom Press

Connie Cantor – artist

Creative Nonfiction

Cyberpunk Apocalypse

Dan Greenwald- comics

Darlene Cypser

David Henderson – author

Deborah Fielding – author

The Derailleur – zine

Ed Steck- author

Emily Gorda – artist

Famous Hairdos of Popular Music – zine

Featherproof

Five Rivers Chapmanry

Fugue State Press

George Hayward – author

Goldmine Anthology of American Comics & Drawings

The Green Lantern Press

Heather Stanco – artist

Jaded Ibis Press

Jean McClung – artist

Jessica Heberle – zine

Jessica Knauss – author

Jessica Simms – author

Joe Kaldon

Julia Christensen – artist

Kathryn Carr -book arts

Kim Creasap – zine

Low Ghost Press

Lydia Lin – author

Make Your Own Books

Marcel Walker- comics

Mea Culpa Comics

Mindy Tucker – artist

Monty S. Kane - comics

Nick Marino – comics

P&Q Press

The Paris Review

Pear Noir!

Peter Stringham- graphic novel

PigeonBike Press

Public Illumination Magazine

Raw Dog Screaming Press

Robert Isenberg- author

Rose Metal Press

Ryan Flaherty – author

Sam Thorp – author

Sherrie Flick – author

Six Gallery Press

Small Fires Press

Sonnenzimmer

Spuyten Duyvil

Stephens Press

Stephanie Silberstein – author

Sunnyoutside

Teresa Brown – author

Ugly Duckling Presse

Undie Press

The Wapshott Press

Weave Magazine

We’ll Never Have Paris – zine

Whereabouts Press

Willow Naeco – zine

Wire Rim Books – Henry Melton

Words Like Kudzu Press

The Workshop 13

But wait, There's more (everything but a Ginsu Knife!) Fleeting Pages is also open to all kinds of readings, workshops, film screenings and perhaps music events!

Basically just check out the site and make contact if you have ideas or ways to help.

Fleeting Pages Website

Fleeting Pages Facebook

Fleeting Pages Twitter

Fleeting Pages Pop Up Indie Bookstore To Have Run In Borders Space

Image from Karen The Small Press Librarian

Our sadness about losing a large Borders bookstore in Pittsburgh may for a time be taken over by the opportunity to creatively fill such a key central location.

By April 30th, Borders will be gone and the space filled for at least a month by a Pop up small press project called--Fleeting Pages. Could they show art; host craft workshops; poetry readings and musical events? Yes! At this point it seems very much up in the air how long this might last, what might be sold and when, where and if this might later live on in another location. (Since this space is almost certainly going to attract viable retail.)

The idea is a result of a few things; the toll taken on local booksellers by big box bookstores, a concern for the cultural effects of big box stores in both their existence and their failure, a general frustration with the model of the publishing industry, and a great appreciation for independent and self-published works of all kinds, as well as for those who create them.

We felt compelled to do something. Fleeting Pages is what we came up with. It will test the theory that what is happening with “books” – creation, consumption, access – matters to many. And if given the opportunity to take over, or take back, one of these empty spaces they will. And in the most brilliant of ways.

The end result, what Fleeting Pages will ultimately become, is a beautiful unknown as it is dependent upon what others are willing to add. The framework is there – the space, the concept, and a few people willing to work their hardest in support of the project.

Fleeting Pages is in need of, and open to, work of all kinds to fill the shelves, ideas and people to create and run workshops, ideas for how to re-imagine the space, 30-days of events, people willing to come out and help at the space, partnerships, collaborations,….a community.

As of today, we have 5 weeks until the proposed opening day….. Let’s test what’s possible.

An open call is out there to anyone and everyone--for Volunteers; For Ideas, For Artists and Designers and most of all for content.

We need books! We need inventory of all kinds to stock the shelves with as much work as possible. Here’s a list of some of the types of work we are looking for to get you started. Don’t let the list limit any ideas you may have for things that could be added to our shelves that are not on this list.

Books

Journals

Zines

Graphic novels / Comics

Magazines

e-Books

Book art….??…

Calling--Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York....Alabama and Alaska if you are a publisher or have content follow up and submit.

Some of the website is still being added to

Fleeting Pages Website

Fleeting Pages Facebook

Fleeting Pages on Twitter

Heads up to Occassional Diggingpitt contributor, Karen Lillis, AKA Karen the Small Press Librarian