Author Archives: J. Davis

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman; Published by the Arion Press

Posted on January 1, 2015 by J. Davis

This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue … Continue reading →

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Why Beer Matters by Evan Rail; Published by Sharp Teeth Press

Posted on December 3, 2014 by J. Davis

Once upon a time beer was my life. For a while it was the forbidden fruit that helped an awkward under-aged teen feel less awkward and even talk to girls. It also made me occasionally miss the driveway when (irresponsibly) … Continue reading →

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The Seasons: Four Bagatelles; Published by the Barbarian Press

Posted on November 7, 2014 by J. Davis

I’ve lived the endless summer of Southern California for long enough now that my body probably doesn’t have it in it to enjoy the seasons I experienced as I grew up along the Eastern Seaboard from Rhode Island to Key … Continue reading →

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Moby Dick; Published by University of California Press & Arion Press

Posted on September 13, 2014 by J. Davis

As an Arion Press subscriber, it would be disingenuous to claim that I did not wish that my subscription had begun in 1979 when the press’ leviathan edition of Moby Dick was published. Alas, I was but a senior in … Continue reading →

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The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner; Published by the Folio Society

Posted on July 13, 2014 by J. Davis

The Sound and the Fury is one of those landmark books that are the result of herculean human effort from everyone involved. The importance of the book manifests in several ways. It was influential in why Faulkner won the Nobel … Continue reading →

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Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau; Published by Sharp Teeth Press

Posted on June 29, 2014 by J. Davis

Civil Disobedience. Just the title of Thoreau’s essay makes me grin and almost rub my hands together in mischievous delight. I’ve always believed that everyone practices some form of civil disobedience in their lives. For some, it’s the daily wink-wink … Continue reading →

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The Folio Society Letterpress Shakespeare 450th Birthday Finale

Posted on June 8, 2014 by J. Davis

April of this year 2014 marked the 450th anniversary of the birth of the great bard, William Shakespeare. It also marked the completion of the Folio Society’s mammoth Letterpress Shakespeare series. Begun in 2005 with Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and King … Continue reading →

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A Coney Island of the Mind; Published by the Arion Press

Posted on May 31, 2014 by J. Davis

I’ve been visiting San Francisco regularly since I switched to the west coast from the east coast by way of university somewhere in between. One constant of my visits has been bookstores. Another has been bars. Now it leans heavily … Continue reading →

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Melville’s Selected Poems; Published by the Arion Press

Posted on February 23, 2014 by J. Davis

Like many people for whom Moby Dick is the first thing that comes to mind when Herman Melville is mentioned, I’m not sure I was really aware of his poetry. Even after my second reading of Moby Dick, I never … Continue reading →

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Sightings at the Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena

Posted on February 13, 2014 by J. Davis

I had the sometimes bittersweet pleasure of strolling through the 47th California International Antiquarian Book Fair this past weekend in Pasadena. What an experience for a book lover. There’s something for everyone there, from comic books to a first edition … Continue reading →

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