TOKY's 2012 Annual Report
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
This was a fun piece to work on.
Year in Review: 2012
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
The Frank Lloyd Wright house in Ebsworth Park, which we visited in February This post is part of my “Annual Favorites” list I’ve been keeping for the past decade-plus. Favorite Books (Goodreads profile) The German Genius, by Peter Watson (choice passages) Journey to the Abyss: The Diaries of Count Harry Kessler, 1880-1918 (choicepassages) Life Sentences, by William H. Gass Nox, by Anne Carson A Hologram for the King, by Dave Eggers
A recent work from my father-in-law, whose sculptures can be purchased here.
"Stories at Home, Contributions Away"
Thursday, December 20, 2012
I wrote this post — about content trends in 2012 — for the TOKY blog.
Towards the Gass Interviews....
Sunday, December 9, 2012
I’m still at work editing The Ear’s Mouth Must Move: The Essential Interviews of William H. Gass. While I’d love for this to be published in a gloriously beautiful print version, I haven’t yet found an interested publisher. So it’s likely that, as with Abstractions Arrive, I will publish it myself as an iPad e-book using iBooks Author. Life is short, and I get restless waiting for traditional gatekeepers. We’ll see, though.
Craig Mod: "Subcompact Publishing"
Sunday, December 9, 2012
An important and insightful essay. I hope Mod writes a part two that looks a bit more at how exactly (to continue his metaphor) the small vehicles would get made. Related: Mod’s round-up of coverage of his essay. This Jim Ray piece from the Mule blog isn’t on there, but I think it’s worth reading.
Andrew Piper on E-Reading
Thursday, November 15, 2012
The subtitle of this Slate piece is way too glib, but the essay from Piper — a literature professor at McGill — is worth reading. Thoughtful and thought-provoking. It’s excerpted from Piper’s book, Book Was There: Reading in Electronic Times.
Two Minutes On Video
Sunday, November 11, 2012
A sliver of self promotion, as I link to a brief video portrait of me made by Greg Kiger and his Once Films crew for a series of TOKY portraits. You can watch the segments on my friends and colleagues Jay, Geoff, and Katy on the TOKY blog.
An Airborne "Abstractions Arrive"
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Have to say I like Lee Rice Epstein’s photo of the iBook, which he captioned this way on Twitter: “Gass + Eastman via @Schenkenberg at cruising altitude.” Glad you’re liking it, Lee!
"Small Presses & Self-Publishers: Enemies? Or Half-Siblings?"
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Interesting piece by Sean Bishop in the VQR blog. (And yes, I agree with this sentiment, and not just for literary publishers, but other groups in the arts: “There is still a contingent of presses and publishers who bristle at the idea of ‘branding,’ 'marketing’ and the lot. Stop it…. They (you) need to get over that. I mean, seriously: you’re a publisher, not a religion.”)
Evan Osnos: "Boss Rail"
Sunday, October 21, 2012
An exceptional piece of reporting in The New Yorker.
Steven Holl on Museum Architecture
Sunday, October 21, 2012
From a profile of the architect in ArtNews’ 09/12 issue: There’s the neutral white box. We see that, if you take that too far, it sucks the light out of art. Then there’s the super-expressionist building by the signature architect. But if you take that too far, it totally squashes the art, so you can’t have a great feeling for any art experience in a building like that. And we believe there is a third way, where the sense of space in which you’re going to experience the art is silent and poetic, but when you move from one gallery to another you’re engaged by the sequence.
The Leaves Outside
Sunday, October 21, 2012
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"In Silicon Valley, Perks Now Begin at Home"
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Interesting piece about perks geared toward whole-life realities and peace of mind.
Chris Mills on Kickstarter
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
The other day, I tweeted some frustration about the news that a world-famous film director had turned to Kickstarter to fund a new project. Yesterday, I learned that one of my favorite (but maybe not yet financially set-for-life) singer-songwriters, Chris Mills, had too. That’s more like it. I’ve been listening to Chris and seeing him live since my days living in Chicago in the late 90s. Great songs, really nice guy.
Monocle 24 Turns One
Monday, October 15, 2012
A short film about the radio station’s first year. Can’t say I’ve ever connected with the music they play, but I enjoy subscribing to a handful of podcasts, with The Stack, Section D, and The Entrepreneurs at the top of the list.
"Drunk With Power"
Sunday, October 14, 2012
In the New York Times Magazine, an in-depth look at Jon Rimmerman’s $30-million-a-year wine-selling business. It’s a tale of “vivid stories” being told through “idiosyncratic e-mails.” Wine + content strategy = article made for me.
"The Self-Destruction of the 1 Percent"
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Interesting historical perspective from Chrystia Freeland, writing in the Times: The story of Venice’s rise and fall is told by the scholars Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, in their book “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty,” as an illustration of their thesis that what separates successful states from failed ones is whether their governing institutions are inclusive or extractive. Extractive states are controlled by ruling elites whose objective is to extract as much wealth as they can from the rest of society.
Marco's "The Magazine"
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Really looking forward to checking out this new iOS magazine from Marco Arment. From his announcement: But just as the App Store has given software developers a great new option for accepting direct payment, Newsstand has given publishers an even bigger opportunity with subscription billing and prominent placement. Yet most publishers aren’t experimenting with radical changes. They can’t — to fund their huge staffs and production costs, they can’t afford to deviate from yesterday’s model.
Making a Book @ TOKY
Monday, October 8, 2012
"> <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " style="max-width:612px;"> <div style="padding-bottom:100%;" class=" image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio "> <img src="http://sschenkenberg.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/928bb-image-asset.jpeg" alt="" /><img class="thumb-image" alt="" /> </div> </figure> </div> At the TOKY office, working on a big book project with some great collaborators: Mark Katzman and Gautam Yadama. Via We Are TOKY.