DUMBO's PowerHouse Books kicks off their big summer sale tomorrow but rumor has it, it's already begun. They have tons of art, fashion, and pop culture books as well as limited editions, weird objects and children's books. According to their site, the sale includes books by Larry Fink, Danny Lyon, Patrick McMullan, Jeff Bridges, Helen Levitt, Bruce Gilden, Ari Marcopoulos, David Yellen, Janette Beckman, Martha Cooper, Ricky Powell, Richard Hell, and the Beastie Boys, among many others. Get down there and buy yourself some end of summer presents. 37 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY. For info, call 212 604-9074 x101 or check the site.

Dear readers, expect light scattered postings this week as I am away and relaxing. I'm currently in Boulder in my parents' basement. The dog and I are watching cartoons. Later I'll do some yoga. Tomorrow I'm headed out on a mountain adventure with my dad and his friend. I do plan on dropping by the Denver Zine Library this week and I'll be doing some magazine shopping at Boulder Books as well. So check back in, I'll keep you updated, and have a lovely August week. I hope it's not too swelteringly hot where you are—it was 98 in Denver last night when I landed.

The 7th annual Portland Zine Symposium starts tomorrow and I wish I was there for it. I'm not a big conference attender or group activity participator but I am pro traveling around and meeting new people. And I seriously love Portland. And that rare occasion where you attend one of these events and unearth some fantastic little zine/record/person makes it worth showing up. Over the next two days, they'll be tons of workshops that cover everything from tips for Gocco printing to queer zines to how to make a zine for free as well as a big room of tables selling zines and other lil stuff. I believe there are also some parties with bands. See the site for more info and a schedule. If you're in the neighborhood, go to the Zine Symposium and come back and tell us about it. And make sure to take advantage of the many other things Portland has to offer, including but certainly not limited to beer, sitting on porches, Powell's Books (the largest independent bookstore in the world!), thrift shopping, cheap food, nice pals, cute boys, and late night wanderings. Pictured above is the poster from the 2001 zine symposium. This years' dates are August 11-12.

I had a crafty morning today. I woke up, looked around, and realized two terrible things: my favorite pants and belt both needed serious fixing and the last page in my current notebook had been used. I set to work and sewed up the pants, glued the belt, and made myself a new notebook with some leftover computer paper, cardboard, house paint and tape. Whew. Such crazy crafting inspired me to search around the internet for crafty websites, specifically those who might supply me with a better new notebook than the messy one I'd just slapped together. I found this preview of a documentary called Handmade Nation. Faythe Levine, the filmmaker behind the project, traveled all over the US interviewing over 50 indie crafty types—sewers, knitters, bookmakers, screenprinters, etc. They interview Breezy from Needles + Pens (we love them!) in SF, and someone from Dirt Palace in Providence. While watching, I discovered a little webshop called If'n Books and Marks. They make super nice handmade books and journals and albums. I'm going to get one. Handmade Nation is not totally finished and if you're interested in seeing the whole thing, help them out by buying something from their Etsy shop. Pictured above is If'n's Wood Buttonhole Stitch Photo Album.

The Bell Magazine Rack is very sturdy, modern, made of wood and finished in mahogany. I've seen it on other sites in a variety of stains, but it's definitely the cheapest on the Bellacore site at $161.00. I envision it pushed up against the wall, not necessarily next to a couch or chair, to add a geometric detail to a room. It kind of looks like playground equipment - and I do wonder what it might look like stripped and painted a bright primary color (I love primary colors). This would be a fairly easy design to replicate with a trip to the lumber yard, and in fact you probably could improve upon it by making it larger. If you're frugal, you can't afford to be afraid of hammer, nails and wood glue.

available at Bellacor for $161.00

What a humid, snoozy Tuesday. I'm totally in bed lounging on pillows next to the big window fan with a pile of magazines and newspapers, a bagel and a large bottle of seltzer. At some point I'm going to get up and go do stuff, but I'd like to prolong this moment for as long as I can. Here are some links for you:

I'm pleased to read that the NYT will no longer charge for the TimeSelect section. How annoying was that!

In yawn zzzzz news, PDN says Stuff magazine will be folded into Maxim this fall by their new owners.

The Portland Zine Symposium is this weekend. If you are in Portland, go to this and send us a report!

PingMag has a good interview with Japanese artist Kenichiro Mizuno. Tons of pictures to look at as well.

After Dark was a mainstream entertainment magazine that was pretty gay back in the 70's. It was run and written by smart New York homos who mostly covered theater, dance and movie stars they thought were fabulous and/or sexy. Basically they covered whoever the hell they wanted in much the same vein as Index or Butt. They unabashedly featured photography of naked dancers (and a notorious nude of a certain California governor) alongside entertainment coverage. After Dark was owned and run by Dance Magazine, a company both myself and Ms. Keough worked for– so we got our hands on this old book, Pose, from 1973, that collects some of After Dark's lovely black and white photography.

more images after the jump

Continue Reading PF Collection: Pose

FRIDAY: Photographer Mike Brodie who's book I recently reviewed has a show at SF's Needles + Pens. It opens tonight. If I were anywhere near SF I'd totally go. 6-9:30. Needles + Pens. 3253 16th Street. SF, CA.

SATURDAY: Printed Matter is finally open again after their annual inventory and I am psyched to go shopping there. This Saturday they're having a party and t-shirt sale. One Size Fits All: Artists’ T-Shirt Summer Spectacular kicks off at 4 and there'll be beers and djs and an ice cream truck and t-shirts hanging from the ceiling, the windows, and clotheslines all over the store. Here's the laundry list of artists involved: William Bahan, Douglas Groupp, Maya Hayuk, heartschallenger, Kayrock and Wolfy, Nelson Loskamp and Uzi, Noah Lyon, Maya Miller, j. morrison, Asher Penn, Jasper Sebastian Stürup, Eric Shaw, Adam Shecter, Elizabeth Sporleder. 4-7. Printed Matter. 195 Tenth Avenue. NYC.

SUNDAY: And Sunday? Well, hm. I want to go see Husbands at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens. Perhaps I'll drop by P.S. 1 on my way and see the Linder show. Linder is the British artist who did the Buzzcocks' Orgasm Addict cover among other cool things.

Guttural Journal
Published by Cederteg Publishing
2006
5.5" x 8.5", 36 pages
edition of 100
$4

Guttural Journal is a yearly photo zine from Swedish publishing house Cederteg Publishing. Tony Cederteg and his art direction team Sandberg & Timonen put out limited run fashion, photo and drawing zines. They're cheap and slim and really good. This first issue of Guttural Journal is in black and white and includes work by Armen Danilian, Linda Berlin, Todd Fisher, Jesper Ulvelius, Kento Mori, Magda Lipka Falck and Kristian Bengtsson. In this book I'm interested more in the formal aspects of the work (the textures and the shapes) than the people or events depicted. The pattern of pillow creases on an arm and back followed by the pattern of thin branches flash lit against the night sky--the second image almost creates a negative of the first. These particular ones are by Jesper Ulvelius. I've mentioned before that I've been into his work lately. Cederteg has a bunch of stuff out later this month, so keep an eye out while browsing your favorite zine store or read their blog. Two more pages from this zine after the jump...

Continue Reading Guttural Journal

Jeff Bridges signed on to star as Vanity Fair's Graydon Carter in the film adaptation of Toby Young's How to Lose Friends & Alienate People. (via Bold Type)

Tintin in the Congo has been pulled from the children's section of Border's and re-shelved in adult graphic novels due to complaints about its racist content. (via Bold Type)

Page 23 is a myspace blog that reviews new, mostly indie, fiction and interviews writers. (via Book Slut)

Salon interviews former carpenter turned food magazine editor Ed Behr about his magazine The Art of Eating and its 20th anniversary. I'm obsessed with food writing right now so I'm interested in this. (via Book Slut)

In who cares news, Vibe Vixen ceases publication with the August/September issue.

Along the same lines, according to WWD Jane subscribers will most likely have their subscriptions filled out with issues of Glamour. Ew!

In non-magazine news, tomorrow is my birthday. Woo!