My new review out today

Excited to have my review of Fleur Jaeggy’s These Possible Lives published today in the respected online journal Quarterly Conversation. This journal has been a great informer and influence on my reading and collecting habits for years. The editor has overseen some excellent work for quite some time and I really encourage anybody with interest in learning about good literature to check it out as a resource (the back issues are available on the site as well).

The primary focus is reviews and articles about literature in translation.

Our first list! International Ladies of Letters

Introducing the first official list for Black Forest Bookshop. I’m very excited about the books included in this release.

Have a look at International Ladies of Letters and let me know if there is something you have an interest in.

 

Thanks!

Jose Saramago

Just got in a wonderful collection of books by Portuguese author Jose Saramago (1922-2010). He was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1998. He had been writing and recognized for years, but Blindness was his breakout book in America, particularly after the film was released. His work is often fantastical, parable-like, and based in history. He writes some wonderful, long sentences and does not use punctuation conventionally, which gets him placed in the difficult or experimental camps. This is a great group of first American printings. Nearly all fine in fine dust jackets.

Though this does not include his entire English-language bibliography, it’s a good part of the material.

Paperbacks – more than just cheap reading copies – real pieces of literary history

Paperbacks are such an integral part of selling literature in translation. Many first American and English-language printings are issued this way, usually by small and independent presses. Represented here:

Archipelago; New Directions; Atlas; Dalkey Archive; Two Lines. Be sure to check these out and more on our Abe Books storefront.

 

Think of an online bookstore as your regular place…

I want to bring you customers more into a store browsing atmosphere, with greater continuity of shelf awareness. I of course encourage shopping local first, always, but if you are having trouble locating certain items, think to establish a regular relationship with your online book dealer. In that spirit, there will be more posts of groupings and author highlights, such as recent posts. Black Forest Bookshop wants to be a first consideration when you decide to order a used book online, and if your interests are with foreign literature, we hope you’ll consider our shop first. We pay attention to paperback originals, which many foreign authors have, printings, condition, and strive to curate an excellent selection.

Have in stock a sharp group of books by the great Chilean author Roberto Bolano (1953-2003). The slick group by New Directions has always caught my attention! All sharp first American printings.

 

More great titles

We continue to add excellent selections to our literature in translation inventory. These and many other awesome books listed in our “Literature in Translation” ABEbooks catalog here.

Great books

Some select items from today’s upload! Again, spanning the world and ideas. Poetry, prose, essays.

Black Forest on Instagram

Black Forest Bookshop has made its second plunge into the social sphere. Please have a look at the burgeoning Instagram page here. It’s early on and yet minimal, but be sure to check back and follow along for archives, new releases, and occasional other items.

Recent in the Arts!

• A catalog from the 60s of nun & Pop Artist Sister Mary Corita; signed by the artist on front cover
• One of the first extended essays on Modern Art, published by Alfred Stieglitz’s “291” Gallery. Plates show works by Cézanne, Picasso, Matisse, and Picabia
• A full run of infamous Avant Garde Magazine; includes John Lennon, Picasso, Marilyn Monroe, and general coverage of the counter-cultural movement.

More Literature in Translation

As Black Forest Bookshop continues to grow, I am increasing my focus around literature in translation. It is most often what I read for reasons I find myself never quite sure how to explain. Undoubtedly, my discovery of W.G. Sebald and Thomas Bernhard years ago was a start, coupled with my experience of traveling in Germany several times. The tone of story-telling, the styles I was unaccustomed to reading in many American authors, and the general wider perspective continues to influence and widen this approach. Here are a few items recently acquired. Be sure to check out the many other wonderful books by foreign authors listed at our online shop here.