There are so many links I come across and there is not enough time to write longer posts about all of them. Borrowing an idea from Ben Dowdy and his Misfill feature at The Pen Addict, I have started sharing these links in a blog post with a short description about why each article is interesting for authors.
In this edition of Full Shelf, I share wonderful documentaries about books, booksellers, and why we love books. There has been a wonderful set of them that have come out in the last couple of years.
- The Booksellers (2019, Currently available free on Amazon Prime) – This documentary largely follows antiquarian booksellers in New York City. You get a wonderful view of the quirky booksellers who search to the ends of the earth. You see the even quirkier collectors that purchase those finds. It has the requisite lamenting about the future of the book and the undying belief that the book will always continue.
- The Book Makers (2020, Currently available on pbs.org) – This documentary looks a little more broadly a the world of book publishing with a heavy emphasis on the book arts. The photography is lovely. The interviews are insightful and capture the enthusiasm of everyone who lives around books.
- The United States of Letterpress (2020, Watch on Vimeo) – Field Notes commissioned a group of letterpress shops to create a unique set of covers for their Fall 2020 Edition. The documentary they created to support the launch is a joy to watch. I love hearing their origin stories.
- Bookstores: How to Read More Books in the Golden Age of Content (2019, Watch on YouTube) – Max Joseph’s ode to reading, visits to lovely bookstores, and slice of self-help makes this one fun to watch.
- Welcome To The Last Bookstore (2016, Watch on Vimeo) – I loved all of these, but this one is my favorite. John Spencer’s story and his ability to build a bookstore in today’s world is a marvel.
