B.Y.O.T.Y?

Because you gotta. Oh, man I hate that movie. And if you are like me and hate a lot of movies like “The Mask 1″, you probably read a lot more, authentic content, which is why you gotta come to B.Y.O.T.Y. at our space tomorrow! There will be many books available for sale, self-published books. What do you expect from self-published zines or artists books? You’re clearing away all the bullshit, like publishers who are concerned about stuff that will sell or they won’t get sued for, which is fine, they’re in it for the job. With self-publishing an artist/writer has the opportunity to think outside the book and create something unique or sometimes completely ripped off…in a zine kind of charming way. You never know what you’re going to find at a book fair like this. What type of content does this certain group choose to write about? At the Philly Zine Fest last month I had the opportunity to read Leah Mackin and Anni Altshuler’s “Holly Holly Hobby Hobby”, a book pretty much about their friendship.

In a voyeristic sort of way you get to peek at their inside jokes and boys they like, but at the same time it’s not so private. They’re able to connect mainstream as well using context from craigslist, my favorite prankster site, fortune cookies, and as humans I think we can all relate on what it’s like to have a best friend. While on the chick vibe there are two other books I must talk about! “Hell Hath No Furry Like a Woman Scorn’d” by Annette Monnier available at zineofthemonth.com.

OK, so the title is awesome and NOT Shakespeare, but from a play written by William Congreve called “The Mourning Bride”. Funny actually considering Congreve used this language as satire in an effort to mock rich people. I’m not sure if Annette was thinking about this, but f-ing right! Another extra in this book is that it’s written backwards, so you have to look in the mirror to read the book, which we all know girls can’t get enough of anyway! The illustrations in this book are tight, borderlining on the typical horses, skulls, dinosaurs and cats, but Annette’s touch of gothic makes them one of a kind. Another love story you may want to pick up, but totally not gory(?), is Liz Rywelski’s “Septa Letters” available from Free News Projects.

Liz went around the el and passed out love notes to her fellow passengers, hoping to make a connection. This book is comprised of these letters and the correspondence that followed. I have not read this yet, but I’m hoping there’s a note in there from the homeless guy who eats soft pretzels and picks dead skin off his feet…I miss him. Okay, but seriously, case in point really interesting people ride the Septa. Finally, an artist has tapped into this kind of Philly’s counterculture. I hear she will be bringing some more books from Free News Projects, like hopefully Dan Murphy’s new, “Stuck on the Map“…zine glory. If you don’t see it tomorrow, pick it up on their site.
Yeah dude, Pat Ausilio makes comics. Pat’s drawings verge on the psychedellic, like a trip gone the right way.

Hey kids don’t do drugs, read this. His style is appropriated from the genre of otherworldly. Must have of Pat’s, any of his Bootlegged Superheros. I have his bootlegged Spiderman on my fridge ready to kick me in the face on a daily basis, awesome.

Team Lump & Pals gotta space. Team Lump is a collective originated out of Raleigh, North Carolina. I’m thrilled to see the Pals part, but I have a book from the collective called, “Glad to See You”(pictured with Cat above) and I am glad to recommend. It’s a collaborative book from the collective, but looking through you can see how these artists work so well together, magical really and the book reads as a whole like trying to get a grip and letting go all at the same time with quotes like, “Hello”, “The baby boomers are a bunch of assholes.” and “Tittae”. Overall a photocopied gem of drawings….there is also a portrait of Black Panther founder Bobby Seale that I am tempted to cut out for my wall, but I’ll hold on.
And not everything is drawn out for you. Germ Book Store will be there and who doesn’t want a sci-fi book? I’m hoping for a good conspiracy theory too. Ever feel like your head will explode due to all the books to choose from? Well, Kelani Nicole has created a project called “Bookish” inspired partly by the book fair itself, sweet. Bookish is based off a scholastic reading catalog that gets you reading, only the content is stemmed directly from readers and not gross children’s book publishers. She was able to get submissions stretching all across Philadelphia arts community. I am definitely picking this up and will have my books to read for the next year, thank the book gods Free Library is still open:) New Philadelphia Poets will be selling their poetry. If ever a text ripe for self-publishing, it’s poetry. Publication companies, except maybe the independents, are not publishing poetry or I should say poems being written by people of this age. It is a dying art. One worth reading and supporting.
This brings me to the closing point. We are starting a library, which is the other reason you should come to this book fair because without your support we wouldn’t be able to start one. Little Berlin’s artists books/zines library will spotlight this artform. We will also be archiving the collection available to view online. Part of the beauty of zines is their ephemeral mystique and we plan not to mess with that, but at our space they will be read.
FREE STUFF FOR SURE:
Philly Comix Jam Batman Tabloid *get one before they’re gone
(comix jam got a table too, as a member I can say these peeps are gold?)
Zine comes with your home brewed beer,
What did we put in there?
and more……
WHEN?
TOMORROW SAT. OCT. 17TH
NOON-6PM
Beer suggested $5 donation
Admission is FREE
LITTLE BERLIN
119 W. Montgomery St.
Philadelphia, PA 19122