Feed Your Head Books

Shop Handmade for the Holidays!

2007-12-01T11:28:00.000-05:00

Bringing Handmade to You!

As part of the second annual Salem Open Studios, Feed Your Head will be hosting a Boston Handmade Trunk Show on Saturday, December 8, from 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday, December 9, from 10 am to 5 pm.

The Etsy Boston group, Boston Handmade, is a gathering of artists and designers who support one another in the pursuit of creativity made by hand. All members of Boston Handmade are registered sellers on www.etsy.com, an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade, and are locally based in Massachusetts.

The Boston Handmade Trunk Show will offer a unique experience for shoppers to support local artists, designers, and business while getting a leg up on holiday shopping and enjoying light refreshments. Instead of an impersonal shopping trip to the mall to buy mass-produced goods, shoppers will be able to enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience discovering unique handmade goods from art to jewelry to paper goods to accessories while getting the opportunity to meet and talk with the artists behind the creations.

Participating artisans are as follows:

Dawn Wilson

Amy Olson

Jaye Frisina

Allison Fraske

Jessica Burko

Slingshot Organizers Are In!

2007-10-28T13:12:00.000-04:00

Yup. You read right. The 2008 Slingshot Organizers in both the traditional pocket sized and full-size have arrived. In case you're not familiar with Slingshot, these are awesome planners.

The pocket version has 160 pages (4.25 inches X 5.5 inches) with radical dates for every day of the year, space to write your phone numbers, a contact list of radical groups around the globe, a menstrual calendar, info on police repression, extra note pages, plus much more.

The large-size desk calendar version is 160 pages, bound with a spiral wire binding, and has a sturdy, laminated cover. It is twice the size of the pocket organizer (5.5 inches X 8.5 inches) with twice as much space to write all the events in your life. It has similar contents to the classic: radical dates for every day of the year, space to write your phone numbers, a contact list of radical groups around the globe, a menstrual calendar, info. on police repression, extra note pages, plus a little bonus stuff inot available in the pocket version.

The large Slingshots are available in 20 colors and the pocket-sized ones are in 37 and I'd be willing to bet that we have almost all of them in stock, so come in and pick one up!

Atrophy: Photographs by Jenn Frankavitz

2007-09-07T10:52:00.000-04:00

Atrophy: Photographs by Jenn Frankavitz
Opening Reception with the Artist
Saturday, September 8
7 - 9 pm

at·ro·phy (ăt'rә-fē) n. pl. at·ro·phies

A wasting away, deterioration, or diminution, especially owing to lack of use.

Atrophy is a series of photographs taken throughout New England of various abandoned buildings, including The Salem Jail, The Strathmore Paper Mill in Woronoco, MA, The Hubert Coal Breaker in PA, and a shoe and carpet factory in Wilkesbarre, PA. Frankavitz's intention of capturing the vacancy, sadness, and beauty of these structures is visible in the series. Although the buildings themselves are in various states of decay, remnants of the past are still present, creating a feeling of uncertainty.

Jenn Frankavitz grew up in southern New Hampshire, and focuses primarily on portraits and urban landscapes. She is currently attending Montserrat College of Art where she is studying to receive her B.F.A. in photography.

As part of our monthly art series, Jenn Frankavitz's photographs will be on display at Feed Your Head for the entire month of September. We invite you to join us, however, for the opening of Atrophy on Saturday, September 8 from 7–9 pm. Admission is free and refreshments will be served.

This Week...

2007-08-20T14:15:00.000-04:00

Thursday, 8 pm: 500 Plastic Dragons
Come see a Salem fave for a mere five dollars!

Friday, 7 pm: Salem Arts Association Mixer

We'll be hosting this month's gathering of the Salem Arts Association. Salem is brimming with artists--come and meet a few of them! Bring some food or drink to share and some business cards to pass around. Not a member of the Arts Association? Come anyway to meet us and find out what we're all about!

Sunday, 7 - 9 pm: Spoken Word Open Mic

Local poets Lilly and Shawn, famous for reading from found books and papers, will be hosting this month's spoken word open mic. Want to try out the latest chapter of your novel on an audience? Ready to stun the public of Salem with your recitation of Poe's works? Whatever you've got, poetry or prose, yours or someone else's FYH's spoken word open mic is the place for you!

Two Minute Warning: The Art of Richard Flynn

2007-08-07T12:21:00.000-04:00

Prepare to be amazed! Famous around Salem for his Sharpie drawn comics (featured most prominently on Feed Your Head's monthly spoken word open mic flyers), Richard Flynn is also a prolific painter and sculptor. Called outsider art by some, genius by others, Richard's work will blow your mind. Drawing his inspiration from pop culture, Richard's work is characterized by bright colors and assemblages made from everyday objects like bowling pins, bottle caps, dolls, drinking cups, toilet bowl plungers, and more . . . Dubbed Punk Rock Totem Poles, Richard's creations will be taking over Feed Your Head for the month of August and beyond!

Richard Flynn's creations will be on display at Feed Your Head from August 2 - September 5 as part of our rotating monthly art series. Please join us for the opening reception with the artist on Thursday, August 9 from 7 - 9 pm. Admission is free and an array of pop art inspired snacks will be served.

What Are You Doing This Weekend??

2007-07-28T13:12:00.000-04:00

Hopefully the answer is coming to Feed Your Head because we have a full line up of events for you....

Tonight, we have a basement show featuring Salem's own Sinking Spells (myspace.com/sinkingspells), Creature, Ellis Eye, and Mongrel. A mere five bucks gets you in the door. 8 pm

Tomorrow is our infamous (er..um...I mean famous) monthly spoken word open mic. With the amazing artist and poet Sue Grillo serving as the hostess with the Hostess and guest performer Duncan Wilder Johnson, it's sure to be a blast! Read your latest haiku. Recite a poem you memorized in first grade. Stun the audience with your rendition of the pledge of allegiance. As long as it's spoken, anything goes. 7 - 9 pm

On Monday, we have another great basement show lined up with local band Pukka Argot (myspace.com/pukkaargot), 28 Degree Taurus (myspace.com/28degreestaurus), and Mise en Abyme (myspace.com/miseenabyme) from Portland, OR. Just like Saturday's show, only five dollars gets you in to see three great bands. 8 pm

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"They Take Our Jobs"

2007-07-05T11:54:00.000-04:00

They Take Our Jobs
Reading and Discussion with Aviva Chomsky
Saturday, July 14, 2 pm

Claims that immigrants take American jobs, drain the American economy, contribute to poverty and inequality, destroy the social fabric, challenge American identity, and contribute to a host of social ills are openly discussed and debated at all levels of U.S. society. But according to Aviva Chomsky, immigrants’ rights activist and professor of history at Salem State College, the current immigration debate is “rife with myths, stereotypes and unquestioned assumptions” about the history of immigration and how American society, economy, and laws function. In her latest book, They Take Our Jobs!, Chomsky dismantles twenty-one of the most commonly maintained myths about immigration, from “immigrants don’t pay taxes” to “today’s immigrants are not learning English.” In a series of accessible chapters, Chomsky argues that many opinions about immigration are based on a distorted and sanitized version of American history that is reinforced by textbooks, politicians, and the media—and rarely questioned.

Come meet Aviva Chomsky and hear her read from They Take Our Jobs!: And 20 Other Myths About Immigration on Saturday, July 14, at 2 pm at Feed Your Head, 272 Essex Street, Salem, MA 01970, 978-744-4009.

About the Author
Aviva Chomsky is professor of history and coordinator of Latin American Studies at Salem State College. The daughter of noted activist and linguist Noam Chomsky, Aviva is the author of several books including Linked Labor Histories: New England and Columbia. She has been active in Latin American solidarity and immigrants’ rights issues from more than 25 years. Aviva Chomsky lives in Salem, MA.

"An indispensable guide to the current debate on immigration. If you are at all uncertain about how to deal with anti-immigrant arguments, you will find Chomsky's book a perfect response. She makes her points with clarity and uses unassailable evidence while offering constructive short-and long-term solutions."
—Howard Zinn, author of You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train

Like to Play With Fire??

2007-06-16T13:33:00.000-04:00

Then come check out Sunday's reading and discussion from Inspired Madness: The Gifts of Burning Man.

In part a nonfiction discussion of the Burning Man festival, in part a poetic romp through Nevada’s Black Rock desert, Inspired Madness: The Gifts of Burning Man is both an irreverent introduction for those curious about the notorious event and an exhilarating reminiscence for veteran "burners." This book combines a history of the festival with personal stories and social commentary, juxtaposing images and stories to capture a sense of the wild and unpredictable nature of life on the Playa. Interweaving dialogue, anecdotes, and stream-of-consciousness narrative with historical, sociological, and political observation, Inspired Madness evokes the half-waking, half-dreaming quality of the Burning Man experience.

Inspired Madness Reading and Discussion
with Author Dale Pendell
Sunday, June 17, 3 pm

Have You Seen Sketchbook Number Eighteen??

2007-06-10T12:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's opening reception for Scribbles: The Sketchbook Show was a wicked good time enjoyed by all who love art, candy, and fun.

Until, that is, something put a damper on the fun--the disappearance of Richard's sketchbook #18! Number eighteen looks similar to its cohorts pictured above except, of course, for the fact that it's numbered "18."

While Richard is flattered that someone appreciated his work enough to want to look at it away from the shop, he'd really appreciate the safe return of number 18 to its rightful owner. So, make your photocopies, appreciate it while you can, and please, please return number 18.

No questions asked.

Think Art Is All About Finished Work Hanging In A Gallery Somewhere??

2007-05-30T14:16:00.001-04:00

Well, think again and come check out our upcoming show featuring sketchbooks.

Quick Fiction New Issue Release Party

2007-05-23T22:08:00.001-04:00

Join us this Saturday at 8 pm for the release party of Quick Fiction Issue Number Eleven! Readings, music by local band Ulysses, refreshments, a raffle, and more. . .

2007-04-08T00:18:00.000-04:00

Celebrate Earth Day With Us!

2007-04-01T17:53:00.000-04:00

Come celebrate with us on Saturday, April 14. At 10:30 in the morning, we'll be co-hosting a gardening themed story hour with Crunchy Granola Baby featuring Our Community Garden by Barbara Pollak and The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin. So come join us at their digs (71 Washington Street, Salem). Free and open to all babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families!

The make sure to stop by Feed Your Head at 7 pm for the opening of Places Not Yet Lost: A Photography Series by Kevin Hunt.

Places Not Yet Lost offers a look into the choices available to us at all times. Up or down? Left or right? Toward or away? On the path or off? These questions, intimated by evidence of our presence in nature, come packed with possibilities and problems. But they also carry the mixed blessing of revealing the choices of those who have preceded us. Follow or lead?

See more of Kevin's work at www.djugurba.com!

Verbal Remedies: Spoken Word Open Mic Sunday 4/1 at 7 pm

2007-03-28T19:28:00.000-04:00

Back once again by popular demand is Feed Your Head's monthly spoken word open mic. "Verbal Remedies: A Cure for Seasonal Affective Disorder" will be hosted by local musician Vinyl Mike. All spoken word artists are invited to attend and participate; any and all genres, styles, and formats are acceptable; the only piece that won't be tolerated is the one that remains unsaid. So stop in to hear and share some awesome spoken word. No joke!

March Literary Events at FYH!

2007-03-16T08:46:00.000-04:00

An Evening of Romance with Steve Almond
Saturday, March 24, 7 pm

Although best known for his love of all things candy, his resignation from Boston College in light of Condoleeza Rice's 2006 commencement appearance, and his quirky short story collections, author Steve Almond is also a closet writer of erotica. So, if you're looking for something hot and steamy to warm up those cold winter nights, we've got the event for you! Pull up a chair, pour a glass of champagne, and listen to Almond share all his fantasies.

The Price of Fire Reading and Signing, Benjamin Dangl
Sunday, March 25, 7 pm

New social movements have emerged in Bolivia over the "price of fire"-access to basic elements of survival like water, gas, land, coca, employment, and other resources. In his new book, The Price of Fire: Resource Wars and Social Movements in Bolivia, Benjamin Dangl, an independent journalist dedicated to covering activism and politics in Latin America, offers a gripping account of these clashes in Bolivia between corporate and people's power, chronicling indigenous resistance and struggle.

2007-02-23T13:30:00.000-05:00

Outside Insight Open Mic: 2/25, 7-8pm

2007-02-18T14:12:00.000-05:00

Those of you who attended last month's spoken word open mic know that it was a total success and the beginning of something beautiful. Whether or not you attended, however, you should make sure to show up for this month's Outside Insight Open Mic, hosted by Midge. All spoken word artists are invited to attend. Poetry. Prose. Fact. Fiction. It's all good. Sunday, February 25, from 7-8pm.

Open Minded Openc

2007-01-26T13:34:00.000-05:00

Local poet Cuddy will be hosting our first spoken word open mic this Sunday, January 28, at 7 pm. All styles. All genres. Anything goes. Be there or be square.

I've Got Yer Squid Right Here!

2007-01-20T12:50:00.000-05:00

Yup. You read right! We just got in a whole shipment of squids from Cleo Dee's, and they're without a doubt the cutest little squid-ies I've ever seen--not that I've seen that many....Each one's an original! They're approximately 6" high, are attached to a ribbon for hanging, and come not only with their own props, but each one has its own back story. Come on. How much cuter can you get??

Still Need A Slingshot Organizer??

2007-01-18T21:23:00.000-05:00

Then you're in luck because they just went on sale at Feed Your Head. We're sold out of the large, desktop organizers, but a pocket sized 2007 Slingshot organizer can be yours for a mere $5. More of a calendar type of gal or guy?? Then check out the 2007 Little Otsu / Jennie Smith Calendar & Poster on sale now for only $8.50.

Integrating Jennie Smith's fanciful naturalistic Kite Wars animals into a seasonal theme, Jennie takes you through 2007 at a glance. There are so many details to her work that you'll notice new things with every passing month. And when the year is over, all is not lost, as you can turn the calendar over to reveal a companion poster that will last long after 2007 is history. Printed with vegetable-based inks on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Measures approximately 24-1/4" wide by 18-1/4" tall. Limited edition of 1100.

DiSConceRT: An Evening of Sound and Performance Art

2006-12-30T13:09:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, January 13, at 7 pm four New England performance artists, Crank Sturgeon, Id m theft ible, and Qfwfq duo, will descend on Feed Your Head in Salem, MA, to present their latest works. It will be an evening of vastly diverse aesthetics, comprising electronic and acoustic sounds, voice, action, real-time digital image processing, movement, and, last but not least, humor. No labels here—just a great variety of artistic expression, serving as a tribute to originality and personal creativity. Not to be missed . . .

Crank Sturgeon (Maine)
A spectator from a show in Columbus, OH, put it best:
“Speaking of stage presence, Crank Sturgeon had so much that it seemed to ooze from the guy’s pores. . . . Crank’s set wasn’t just some pseudo intellectual performance art piece. It was an amazingly charismatic, high energy harsh noise set that really made me envious. Even though he stood basically in the same place, he was a constantly moving mad man, his body contorting in odd angles, perfectly in sync with the glorious noise that came from the speakers as he assaulted a pickup with various kitchen utensils. During the set I actually thought that he had a contact mic on his body somewhere, the man was so in tune with the waves of distortion he was generating. There was a lot of humor here, yet a very strong intensity as well. . . . Not one flaw I can pick at.”

www.cranksturgeon.com

Id m theft ible (Maine)
Id m theft ible’s work is driven by the purest of unconscious forces which crystallize in pieces filled with astonishingly mature sound and performatic content. The wealth of his work resides in the scarce means of expression he uses: water, air, his voice, an old mic, a branch of a Maine pine tree, or even a rotting couch. Unbelievable subtle rhythms and noises converge in performances of impeccable honesty—and tons of humor to boot!

http://kraag.org

Qfwfq duo (Salem, MA)
Even though Qfwfq duo’s performances are submerged in technology, they make a point of rescuing from among the imbroglio of cables, interfaces, and sensors what remains of their humanity. In their performance, movement, light, and voices generate a powerful amalgam of images and sound. Their point of departure will be “DeSConcieRTo,” a poem in SpaNoisGlish—a new language born of the winters of Salem, MA.

www.qfwfqduo.com

Please join us for this unique experience on Saturday, January 13 at 7 pm at Feed Your Head Books. A $5 donation is requested. For more information, please contact randie@feedyourheadbooks.com or call 978-744-4009.

Salem Open Studios/Opening Reception for "Recycle and Reuse" Tomorrow 12/9

2006-12-08T13:55:00.000-05:00

The first ever Salem Open Studios is taking place this Saturday, December 9, from 10 am to 6 pm, offering many other opportunities to pick up handcrafted items, the kinds of gifts you won't find online or at the mall. There are nineteen open studio locations around Salem and forty different artists displaying their work. To see examples of individual artists' work and for a downloadable map, visit the website at www.salemopenstudios.com. Maps will also be available at all participating locations.

As part of Salem Open Studios, Feed Your Head will be showcasing our latest art exhibit, Recycle and Reuse: The Art and Craft of the Repurposed. Featuring eighteen artists and craftisans who reclaim, repurpose, recycle, and reuse discarded, lost and found, and post- consumer waste into artistic endeavors, Recycle and Reuse illustrates that one man's trash is not just another man's treasure, but also his art supply and inspiration. What makes all the pieces in this show unique is not just that they incorporate discarded or atypical objects, but that they are able to transform these objects into works of art. Simply putting discarded items together does not a masterpiece make; it's the arrangement of unrelated and often overlooked items to become one cohesive piece that's beautiful that makes these works into pieces of art. As participating artist Kelly King from San Pedro, CA, says, “The process of creating is the same as living . . . taking beautiful experiences, not-so-beautiful experiences, scraps leftover from the day, and other items (sometimes treasure, sometimes trash) found along the way, and finding a way to weave them together so that the result is beautiful to look back on.”

The exhibit will run from December 9 - January 28 and the opening reception, featuring the musical stylings of Jacob Berendes, co-owner of Happy Birthday Mike Leslie in Worcester, will be held on Saturday, December 9 from 6 - 9 pm. In addition, from 10 am - 6 pm on December 9, participating artists Donna Albino and Rachel Meyer will be giving demonstrations and instruction on various paper crafts, including papermaking and origami.

Salem Open Studios Saturday 12/9

2006-12-01T14:50:00.000-05:00

Saturday, December 9th
10am-6pm

19 locations around Salem
41 participating artists

Come visit Salem artists in their studios! Shop for the holidays and talk to the artists themselves. Over 40 artists are opening their workshop and studios in this one-of-a-kind experience. See original local art, by local artists, the kinds of gifts you won't find online or at the mall.

MAPS can be downloaded from the website or picked up at any location.
FREE Parking is available at the Museum Place parking lot and the Rowley Plaza lot.

Participating Artists
Below is a list of the artists participating in Salem Open Studios 2006.
Photos of the individual artists work can be found on the website www.SalemOpenStudios.com

Janet Albert
Donna Albino
The Art Corner
Sara JH Ashodian
Judith Beals
Jennifer "jeff" Bowie
Bobbie Bush
Chris Cuddy
Rebecca & Josh Devries
Martha Everson
Feed Your Head Books
Gwen Galpin
Dore Gardner
Joshua Gerloff
The GlassWorks Studio
Kyle Hanton
Ellen Hardy
Laurene Hunt
John Hutchinson
John F. Hurley
Pat Iverson
Rich Kattman
Heidi Kepnes
Scott Lanes
Isa Leshko
Sandra Lezcano
Ashley Maddox
Elise Mankes
Marketplace Quilts
Sandra McIntyre-Lowe
Pat Mulloney
Alex Panos
Melissa Penta
Wendie Pirtle
Judith Quain
Lynne Sausele
Sharon Shea
Racket Shreve
Singing String Music
Leanne Elliott Soden
Jill Waterman
Christine Wirkkala

2006-11-16T14:47:00.000-05:00

are both taking place this Saturday, November 18!

First up, at 1 pm, is a quick fiction workshop hosted by Jennifer Pieroni, Editor in Chief of Quick Fiction, a biannual print journal that features prose poems and stories under 500 words. Join Jennifer for an afternoon workshop on very brief fiction, including fun writing exercises, a fresh packet of writing prompts, and answers to some of your questions about getting published. Jennifer Pieroni is a graduate of the Writing, Literature, and Publishing program at Emerson College. Her short short stories have appeared online in Opium Magazine, Pindeldyboz, Hobart, and Del Sol Review. They have also been anthologized in the Mammoth Anthology of Miniscule Fiction and Brevity and Echo: An Anthology of Short Shorts from Emerson College Alumni.

Boston’s Weekly Dig has called Quick Fiction “a journal filled with great work from writers who respect the rigid, potentially gorgeous contours of microfiction and have a great deal to say in very little time.” NewPages.com says “I cannot praise this inventive magazine enough; spend a few hours with this issue of Quick Fiction for a dose of creativity and uniqueness of vision that’s all too rarely found in the contemporary literary landscape.”

$20 registration fee (includes workshop, packet of writing exercises, and a copy of the latest issue of Quick Fiction) can be mailed to Feed Your Head Books or paid upon arrival. Please call 857-891-8173 or email jpieroni@jppress.org to reserve your spot.

After writing up a storm, at 5 pm, we're having our First Annual (hopefully) Very Vegetarian Thanksgiving. A main course and beverages will be provided, but all attendees should contribute a vegetarian appetizer, side dish or dessert, as well as photocopies of their recipe so everyone can have their very own vegetarian Thanksgiving! If possible, please RSVP to info@feedyourheadbooks.com or 978-744-4009.

This Weekend!

2006-11-10T16:32:00.000-05:00

Our art supply swap had a meager turnout last weekend, but I have high, high hopes for this weekend's clothing swap on Sunday from 3-6, so don't let me down! I've also heard a rumour that there will be free brownies, so even if you don't want a cool, new wardrobe, you should attend for the brownies alone....

And, if you have youngsters at home, don't forget about our family-themed joint story hour with Crunchy Granola Baby at their place (72 Washington Street, Salem) at 10 am tomorrow. We're going to be reading The Family Book by Todd Parr and My Family is Forever by Nancy Carlson. Pack up all your babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergardeners, and head on over!

2007 Slingshot Organizers Are In!

2006-10-31T11:56:00.000-05:00

So come and get them. We have both the traditional pocket size and the wirebound desk calendar in a rainbow of colors. AND, this year, the large sized organizers are even laminated!

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

2006-10-19T15:44:00.000-04:00

In the spirit of reducing, reusing, and recycling, Feed Your Head is hosting several events over the next couple of months aimed at providing a higher environmental consciousness.

The first is an art supply swap scheduled for Saturday, November 4, from 2-4. Instead of letting those brushes you bought last summer and never used rot in the closet, how about trading them for some ceramic tiles that someone else has left over from a project?? A great way to get yourself some new materials and clean out the stuff you'll never use. Any left over supplies will be donated to Raw Art Works in Lynn.

Next up, we have a clothing swap, which will be held on Sunday, November 12, from 3-6. If you want to get a new wardrobe and help others in need, then this event is for you! For every 5 pieces of clothing you donate to the swap, you'll get to choose 2. At the end of the swap, all the excess clothing will be donated to the Salem Mission's Second Chance Thrift Shop, which not only sells items to provide financing for the expansion of programs and services, but provides work experience to trainees enrolled in their job training program. So if you're looking to spend a few hours chilling out, trying out a new look, and also donating to charity, come check it out. Additionally, all in-stock clothing items will be 10% off.

And, last but not least, we're going to be having an art show in December/January entitled Recycle and Reuse: The Art and Craft of the Repurposed. The aim of this project is two-fold: to educate the public about recycling and conserving resources and to inspire artists to think outside the box and be creative with their materials. All forms of art and craft will be accepted; the only guideline is that the work must in some way incorporate recycled materials--this can range as broad as transforming the original purpose of an item to incorporating found materials into artwork. Proposals or examples of work must be submitted to me at randie@feedyourheadbooks.com by November 5, 2006. The opening of the show will be December 9, which will coincide with the first ever Salem Open Studios.

"Who Is Bozo Texino?: The Secret History of Hobo Graffiti" (Screening)

2006-10-14T13:00:00.000-04:00

Who Is Bozo Texino: The Secret History of Hobo Graffiti
Screening Followed by A Discussion with the Director
Tuesday, October 17, 7 pm
$5 Donation Requested

Come join us at Feed Your Head Books next Tuesday, October 17, at 7 pm for a truly unique film screening. Freight rider and van tramp, Bill Daniel will be stopping by for a screening of his 16-years-in-the-making, documentary, Who Is Bozo Texino?: The Secret History of Hobo Graffiti. This gritty black and white travelogue—shot entirely on film, primarily aboard speeding freight trains—tells the mostly factual account of the epic quest and unlikely discovery of railroading's most mysterious artist, Bozo Texino.

Daniel, who began the project by taking still photographs in 1983 before switching to Super 8 says, "When I first started seeing the graffiti on the trains—the monikers, the hobo stuff—I flipped out. It was an instant obsession. I'd just come back from New York, where I'd shot a bunch of Polaroids of graffiti in the street. I was really psyched for graffiti, politically and aesthetically, so when I saw the stuff on the trains, it was a real revelation." A revelation that led to a traveling man's two-decade odyssey, a trek covering 14 states. In 1987, Daniel and his trusty Bolex camera began hanging out in hobo jungles and riding freight trains across the West, looking for clues to the identity of a strange boxcar graffito. While gathering interviews and discovering clues to the identities of many of the most legendary boxcar artists, Daniel discovered a vast underground folkloric practice that has existed with little notice for over a century. Today these drawings live on as a new breed of hobos have taken to the rails and kept the tradition of moniker chalking alive. This art form provides unlikely common ground between mostly conservative rail workers and old school tramps and the kids whose approach includes spray cans and punk lifestyles.

For more information, please contact Randie at randie@feedyourheadbooks.com or 978-744-4009 or visit www.billdaniel.net.

A Crazy Man's Utopia

2006-10-09T14:55:00.000-04:00

or a collage exhibit by Matthew Theodhos. Whichever you choose to call it, Matthew's show is now on display at the store. Everyone who's come in during the past week has oohed and aahed over and you should too, so come check it out at the opening this Saturday, October 14, from 4 - 6 pm, or any time during the month of October.

Thieves Jargon Takes Salem by Storm!--Don't Miss It!

2006-10-02T20:00:00.000-04:00

They're raw, they're edgy, they're weird, and they're some of the most talented writers currently on the local underground scene.... Join them on Saturday, October 7th as they take the city of Salem by storm. Matt DiGangi, editor and publisher of the North Shore-based web journal and publisher Thieves Jargon (www.thievesjargon.com), will be in attendance with a colorful cast of contributors from the journal for a day filled with fiction and poetry.

You can either catch them here at Feed Your Head Books at 4 pm or at Cornerstone Books at 7 pm.

And, if it's any added incentive to get you to come check out some great writing, Salem Access Television will be on hand to tape both events.

A Very Vegan Evening

2006-09-27T15:37:00.000-04:00

Join us this Saturday, September 30, from 6 - 8 pm for A Very Vegan Evening co-hosted by Feed Your Head Books and the Salem Vegan Society. If you've always wondered about the vegan diet or vegan activities in Salem, this is a great opportunity to learn more. We will have vegan appetizers and teas for you to sample, literature for you to peruse, and stimulating discussion about animal rights news and current trends in veganism. Additionally, all cookbooks and food related titles currently in stock at the store will be 20% off.

If You're A Poet and You Know It...Or Not

2006-09-22T13:18:00.000-04:00

Either way, you should come and join your host, poet Rachel Beth Meyer, at Feed Your Head Books for a Bouts Rimes (pronounced boo-re-MAY) Brunch! Meaning "end rhymes," this particular word game involves creating poems built around a preset list of rhyming words. Although invented by French poet Dulot in the seventeenth century, this Bout Rimes event is inspired by Alexander Dumas (author of The Three Musketeers) who compiled a book of Bout Rimes written by French poets in 1864. He ended up with 350 poems! Let's see what we can come up with! A Bouts Rimes reading will follow.

Come join your fellow poets for brunch. We will be supplying the food and the end rhymes; all you have to bring is your creativity. Please join us on Saturday, September 23 from 11 am - 1 pm at Feed Your Head Books, 272 Essex Street, Salem, MA. Free and open to all. For more information, please contact randie@feedyourheadbooks.com or call 978-744-4009.

Last Night...

2006-09-10T15:13:00.000-04:00

was a total success. Congratulations, Heidi! And the best part is that her work will be up for the rest of the month for those of you who missed it last night . . .

And now, good readers, I need to pick your brains. We have a lot of swap events in the works for the fall, including an art supply swap and a clothing swap. The idea is that we'll set up several long tables and people can just leave whatever they no longer want on the table and help themselves to whatever they want from other people's contributions. And now, the reader participation part, what other swaps would you like to see?? Use your imagination. It could be anything from a poster swap to a vegan goodie swap to a comic book swap.

"Intimations": Opening Reception with the Artist--September 9, 7 - 9 pm

2006-08-31T13:51:00.000-04:00

As part of our monthly art series, Feed Your Head Books invites you to join us for the opening of Heidi Kepnes's exhibit Intimations on Saturday, September 9 from 7 - 9 pm. Drawing on ideas from Hermetic philosophy and using techniques that resemble those of alchemy, Heidi’s work is a quest for sacred awareness. The spaces between living entities, the connections that exist beyond the physical realm, are the moments that she captures to create a visual map of one’s memory. She captures an interruption of a synapse and an intrusive look at a moment, this moment being a portion of an unidentified life.

The materials that are used within the works are symbolic of the archetypal elements earth, air, water, and fire. Found objects are used to allude to the passage of time and to collective and personal memory. String is symbolic of the invisible threads that connect all things. With each step within the process there is a sense of discovery, a whimsical calling, and perhaps an intuitive whisper.

Heidi Kepnes currently resides in Salem. She graduated from Massachusetts College of Art with a concentration in painting.

Heidi Kepnes's mixed media works will be on display at Feed Your Head Books from September 9 - 30. Please join us for the opening reception with the artist on Saturday, September 9 from 7 - 9 pm at Feed Your Head Books, 272 Essex Street, Salem, MA (accessible by MBTA via the commuter rail to Salem). Admission is free and refreshments will be served.

Tons of New Stuff!

2006-07-20T14:57:00.000-04:00

We're just raking in the goodies...First off, we got in a bunch of new stuff from Voz, the genius behind the teensy monsters and monster patches:

And we got a bunch of great new books and zines in, including:

Our Unfree Press, Meatless Meals for Working People, The F-Word, Applicant, and Genetically Engineered Food!

For Those of You Who Weren't There...

2006-07-12T12:45:00.000-04:00

the opening of Meera Sethi's Lickety Split was a huge success Saturday night. If you didn't get a chance to stop by, I highly recommend that you stop in at some point during the month to check out her photos and pick up a copy of the zine that accompanies the exhibit.

In store news, we just got in a bunch more of Molly's Artisan Soaps, bringing the totsl scents we carry to 8:

Sweet Earth (a combination of lavender and patchouli)

Hempchouli (a super moisturizing combination of hemp and patchouli)

Faerie (a blend of Balsam Peru and Nag Champa topped with petals and a little fairy dust)

Coconut Almond

Sweet Ginger (an invigorating blend of orange and ginger)

Venus (a floral blend of geranium and rosewood; topped with baby red rose petals)

Muse (a soothing mix of ylang ylang and sandalwood)

Lavender

Lickety Split: Guerrilla Art and Advertising in the City

2006-06-28T18:27:00.000-04:00

We will be hosting an opening reception for Meera Lee Sethi's exhibit Lickety Split: Guerrilla Art and Advertising in the City on Saturday, July 8 from 7-9. Lickety Split features photographs of street art, often ephemeral, sometimes transgressive, always strikingly original fragments of urban culture. The particular pieces of art showcased may have already disappeared from the streets of Boston and Cambridge—where these photographs were taken—but, as street art continues to flourish in cities across America and around the world, we guarantee that as soon as you leave the the exhibit, you won't be able to help seeing more. In addition to documenting the phenomena that is street art via photographs, Meera also brings a voice to the artists themselves by including their words and views, as they share their perspectives on their work, its origins, its meaning, and its subversive humor.

So, come one, come all for a night of subversive sticker and street art!

More New Stock!

2006-06-25T14:41:00.000-04:00

We just got tons of new fun stuff in...Are you starting to sense a trend?? And my top 3 personal picks are:

Found #2: More of the Best Lost, Tossed, and Forgotten Items from Around the World

You've seen the magazine, you've seen the dirty magazine, you may have even seen the first book, but now Davy Rothbart is back with another book of incredibly hilarious finds from folks all over the world! My personal faves are the announcer's script from a strip club, a sign selling a pen cap for 35 cents, a note found in a hotel room bed reading "If this is still here, they didn't make the bed after I slept in it," and multiple fan letters to Adam Sandler (what's up with that??)

Grrrl: A Novel by Jennifer Whiteford

Reminiscent of Michelle Embree's Manstealing for Fat Girls and Joe Meno's Hairstyles of the Damned, Grrrl is a tale of coming of age complete with evil classmates, a love of music, sexual confusion, and all the other elements that help make up the teenage angst that we all know and love to read about.

Tattooed Memoirs #4 by Sage Adderley

I've always loved Sage's zine Tattooed Memoirs since the first time I read it. Sage is a heavily tattooed woman, a stay-at-home, and a participant in all that is cool and creative. She runs Sweet Candy Zine Distro, puts out multiple zines, and just started an alternative arts center and zine library in Philly. In this issue of her zine, she focuses a lot on her gardening exploits and her two daughters. Be warned, the pics of them are too cute for words!

And We're Back...

2006-06-22T14:19:00.000-04:00

Did you miss me while I was gone?? In other news, when I returned, there were a ton of packages piled up, so we've got many, many new items in stock. In comic news, there are quite a few of Missy Kulik's things, including her book Personal Charm.

And, remember Pagan Kennedy will be in on Saturday at 4, reading from Confessions of A Memory Eater. Although different from her previous books, Confessions is equally impressive. I've loved everything she's ever written and this book was no exception. I never wanted it to end....

We Will Be Closed...

2006-06-14T10:46:00.000-04:00

from June 14-16, reopening on Saturday, June 17. Thanks!!

Confessions of a Memory Eater by Pagan Kennedy--Reading and Signing--June 24, 4pm

2006-06-14T09:52:00.000-04:00

What if you could return to the most delicious moments of your past and live inside them again with crystal clarity? What if you could decide to simply pop a pill and leave the difficulty of the present for a time of your choosing? The day you aced an impossible performance or heard the words “I love you” from someone you adore. What if you were diagnosed with a fatal disease? And what if there was a drug that enabled you, instead of spending your last days on earth surrounded by well-meaning relatives, to escape, to travel back to the time you were strongest in your life? Would you take the drug? What would you do to get it?

Win Duncan, the protagonist of Pagan Kennedy’s latest, Confessions of a Memory Eater, is at a cross roads in his career (and his marriage) when he is mysteriously summoned by Litminov, a wild but brilliant outlaw he knew in grad school at Columbia. Litminov has made millions since, and has bought a pharmaceutical company solely to develop Mem, an experimental drug that gives the user the ability to live inside one’s memories with crystal clarity. Duncan becomes a beta tester and loses himself to the most delicious moments of his past—until he finds that the present pales by comparison.

Pagan Kennedy is the author of seven previous books in a variety of genres, including novels and non-fiction narratives. Fascinated by pop culture and alternative lifestyles, she’s the highly acclaimed author of Platforms: A Microwaved Cultural Chronicle of the 1970s; Pagan Kennedy’s Living: A Handbook for Maturing Hippies; Black Livingstone: A True Tale of Adventure in the Nineteenth-Century Congo; and several novels; as well as the creator of the ’90s zine Pagan’s Head. A proven master of underground literature, beat fiction, and narrative nonfiction, in Confessions, Kennedy takes on America’s obsession with the idealized past with freshness, wit, and an uncanny ability to measure the pulse of postmodern culture.

Pagan Kennedy will be reading from Confessions of a Memory Eater on Saturday, June 24 at 4 pm at Feed Your Head Books, 272 Essex Street, Salem, MA (accessible by MBTA via the commuter rail to Salem). Admission is free. For more information, please contact randie@feedyourheadbooks.com or call 978-744-4009.

And enough of the PR stuff. Seriously, Pagan Kennedy is one of my all-time favorite authors, so come and check her out. It's not just hype!

Want to Learn How to Fix Your Own Bike??

2006-06-07T11:58:00.000-04:00

It is once again time for me to pimp our newest upcoming event: A Bike Repair Workshop led by Sam Tracy on Sunday, June 11 at 2 pm.

Sam Tracy, Boston-based bicycle mechanic and author of the book Bicycle: A Repair and Maintenance Manifesto will answer all your bike questions! He'll be reading from Bicycle! about bike maintenance and leading a workshop on basic bike repair, including fixing a flat tire, performing a bolt check (going over the basic safety test done at shops to make sure a bike is safe to ride), adjusting brakes and derailleurs, and more. Not just a bike mechanic, Sam is also a bicylce activist, a zinester, and all-around cool guy, so check it out!

This Just In...

2006-06-03T15:53:00.000-04:00

The opening of Sensuality, desire . . . and other warm places: The artistic journey of Rose Henry was a huge success last night! If you didn't get a chance to stop in Rose's paintings will be on display at the store until the end of the month, so there's still time for you to check them out.

In other news, we just got a ton of new stuff in! In no particular order, we are now the proud stockers of Sticker Nation: The Big Book of Subversive Stickers (which may be by new favorite!); Confessions of A Former Dittohead, which started as Jim Derych's diary on the popular website Daily Kos; and Homegrown: Conversations on Race and Culture, the latest by bell hooks.

We also got in two of the latest books in the Feminist Press's Femme Fatales series: Women's Barracks by Torreska Torres and The G-String Murders by Gypsy Rose Lee. Women's Barracks, an account of life among female Free French soldiers in a London barracks during World War II, was originally published in 1950 and inspired a whole new genre: lesbian pulp! A mystery set in the underworld of burlesque theater, The G-String Murders was penned in 1941 by the legendary queen of the stripteasers.

For those of you who can't wait for Pagan Kennedy's signing on June 24 to pick up a copy of her latest, Confessions of A Memory Eater is now in stock. If it's not on display, just ask for it!

Tonight: Sensuality, desire . . . and other warm places

2006-06-03T12:26:00.000-04:00

Reminder: The exhibit opening for Sensuality, desire . . . and other warm places: The artistic journey of Rose Henry will take place TONIGHT (Saturday, June 3) at 7 pm. Please join us for fine food and drink in appreciation of Rose's sensuous oil landscapes and bodyscapes.

Like Books by Crimethinc? Books About Wandering? Books About Growing Up and Trying to Find Yourself?

2006-06-02T13:59:00.000-04:00

Then Manifesto's for you! Manifesto is an anonymous novel published by dedrabbit International Artist Collectives (an underground network of people committed to art, individual freedom and social activism). In the words of dedrabbit, Manifesto is about: punks, delinquents, drug-culture, growing up, dreaming, jazz, insanity, not liking anything, graffiti, absurdity, delirium, hope, darkness, dropping out, farming, moving around, maladjustment, not fitting in, wanting to be good, being drunk, lost, sad, alone, cold, sick, strung-out, fed-up, misunderstood, disenfranchised, bored, alienated, scared, confused, dispossessed, hungry, tired, self-absorbed, disappointed, deranged, disgusted . . .

Excerpt:

I hated school. I hated work. I hated boredom. I had no interests. I had a happy childhood. There was school, adolescence, growing up, questions about the future. I was twenty-one. I had no dream.

I dropped in and out of college. After three years I wasn’t going back. Students sat on lawns, drank coffee, held books, discussed ideas, wore expensive sandals and footwear. Professors taught classes on campus greens. Students basked in youth, in the fine times of college. I was told I’d meet my friends for life in college. Everywhere people smoked, sat on wide steps of academic buildings, enjoyed the outdoors together, like people in glossy-paged catalogues. I hated college atmosphere.

I left college for the last time as impulsively as ever—free and happy—like I had a bottomless pocket of money, fully funded, like my lungs were fresh and I could still run a mile in under six minutes. Cars passed slow with the wind brushing up my hair. I listened to the dusty dirt on the bottoms of my new leather shoes. I felt slow like a fish underwater, like a soft cloud pulled along. I was content to be slow, away from the vague traps between cause and effect. Birds made noise along the roadsides, up high in the light-green pine needles. I smelled the sandy heat. When I closed my eyes I believed I had a grand future; I had no problems; the past didn’t matter. I was going to make my life an adventure.

I hated being told I needed health insurance. I was sick of car insurance; tired of people that told me to go back to school, earn the degree, make something of my life. People went to college and got what they paid for. I hated the relationship, the equation, the vending machine dispensing crinkly-packaged candies and chips. I didn’t want a high-paying job. I hated jobs. I didn’t want an obvious life.

Buy It Here!

In Our Continuing Quest to Provide You With Quality Comics . . .

2006-06-02T13:05:00.000-04:00

We just got in all 3 print issues of Mossdale Estate, Angee Lennard's long-run comic.

Mossdale Estate is a run of the mill nursing home in a run of the mill city. Rose, a leading character, is a strong willed lady who is having a hard time adjusting to dependancy. John, her good friend, is unwilling to accept his dependancy. Together they combat their surrounding and come out strong.

Each issue is beautifully produced and, hey, how can you not love a comic about something so unique?

Another Upcoming Event . . .

2006-05-27T12:46:00.000-04:00

They're coming fast and furious now....I can't even keep up. Some of you may have heard the rumor that FYH was trying to start a monthly art exhibiton program. Well, it's official! Our first monthly exhibit, Sensuality, desire . . . and other warm places: The artistic journey of Rose Henry, features sensuous oil landscapes and bodyscapes created by Rose Henry. Rose's works will be on display at Feed Your Head Books for the entire month of June; the opening reception, which is free and open to the public, will be held on Saturday, June 3 at 7 pm. In Rose's own words:

"By the means of my brushes, some paint and images forever en-grained in my psyche, I attempt to express a variety of emotions ranging from the exhilaration of love, passion, lust, and desire to the depths of despair, hopelessness, and pain, drawing each viewer in for an individual experience hopefully resulting in a personal explosion of emotion. My art is a collage expression of total life experiences. It is the road map of who I am. It is me."

Two New Vegan Lip Balms

2006-05-26T12:31:00.000-04:00

We've only been open a couple of months, but it's already become painfully clear to me that the store's bestseller by far are the vegan lip balms by Heather Joy. So I'm happy to announce that we now carry 2 new flavors of Heather Joy's lip balm: The Natural and Clove!

Stop Faking Me Out...

2006-05-25T12:28:00.000-04:00

I was really disappointed by the small turn-out at Susan's reading last night. It's a great book! It had great publicity! What does it take to get you guys in the store? Could it possibly be the latest issues of Kitchen Sink, Bust, Anthem, and Beautiful Decay magazines? Or possibly I Want Everything to be Okay by Carrie McNinch, creator of "The Assassin and the Whiner," and I Wish There Was Something I Could Quit by Aaron Cometbus? I sure hope so because that's what I have to offer...

Susan Richards will be Reading from Chosen by a Horse Tonight!

2006-05-24T12:04:00.000-04:00

Ok. Ok. I know I've already posted about this event, but now it's tonight so I'm entitled to post again, right? Chosen by a Horse is really a great book and everyone should come here Susan read from it. It doesn't matter if you're a horse person; this book is about horses, but more importantly, it's about emotions, and is something everyone can relate to. So come in and check it out!

TONIGHT
Wednesday May 24, 7pm
Feed Your head Books
272 Essex Street
Salem, MA 01970
978-744-4009

The New Web Site's Live!

2006-05-20T10:39:00.000-04:00

I'm soooo psyched! It's taken 2 months, but www.feedyourheadbooks.com finally matches the contents of the store....There's still a little tweaking to be done, but it's live, and that's all that counts...In fact, since this blog is the home page, you meay even be on it as I type...And, if not, check it out. Go!

Used Book Sale--This Sunday!!

2006-05-19T14:03:00.000-04:00

At the risk of repeating myself, Feed Your Head Books is having a huuuuge used book sale to benefit MassPAWS this Sunday, May 21, from 10-4. Seriously, there is going to be everything you can imagine here. So far, I've put together boxes featuring romance, foreign language/travel, self-help, contemporary fiction, suspense, home buying/job hunting/finance, classics, women's studies, political commentary....And I know that there are still computer books, plays/theater, pets, health, cooking, and so much more to go...Except for really nice art books, all hardcovers will be $1 and all paperbacks will be 50¢ How can you not at least come check it out??

PostQueerProject

2006-05-17T18:25:00.000-04:00

Ooops! I totally forgot that I wanted to help spread the word about PostQueerProject because it's awesomely cool....From their website:

The PostQueerProject was started with the idea that every experience is worth acknowledgement. Unfortunately, queer identity and personal experience often goes unacknowledged, so easily swept beneath the blanket of larger pictures and bigger issues.

We want to change that. We want every voice to be heard, every vice exploited, every vision to come to fruition, and we want to collect these multifaceted, multidimensional, cross-cultural fragments of queer identities so as to force that acknowledgement and gain recognition.

Yeah. So. Check. It. Out.

Finally--The Rain Has Stopped!

2006-05-17T16:42:00.000-04:00

After a week of continuous rain that has driven me insane, flooded the basement of the store, and, actually made it impossible to even reach the store, we are open and have some new additions to the shop: goodies from Tiny Meat. Yup. There really is a company called Tiny Meat and we've got their goods...I mean products. Specializing in quality vinyl products, Tiny Meat makes some of the cutest wallets around. Here's just a taste of the ones we've got in the store...

Chosen by a Horse

2006-05-12T15:57:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this, but on Wednesday, May 24, at 7 pm, Susan Richards is going to be in the store reading from her new memoir, Chosen by a Horse. Chosen by a Horse covers a year in Richards’s life—a new chapter that opens when Richards is summoned by the SPCA to rescue a horse one bitter March day. Already the proud owner of one mare and two geldings—the diva-like Georgia, the boyish Tempo, and the hopelessly romantic Hotshot—Richards finds herself taking home a skeletal former racehorse, Lay Me Down, and her foal. The wild foal is eventually returned, but Lay Me Down remains with Richards, teaching her courage and kindness, even as Richards’s friend warns her not to anthropomorphize her horses.

“Two kindred spirits find each other in this beautifully written memoir about the human-animal bond.”
—Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation

New Goodies from Fishcakes

2006-05-11T15:07:00.000-04:00

Feed Your Head just got in a bunch of the cutest stuff ever from Fishcakes. We got a ton of fun patches featuring monsters saying things like "I Disobey," "I'm Dead," and "Go Away." We also got some really, cute little zines about animals that are great for kids of all ages. And, my personal favorite are teeny monsters in 4 different designs that look kind of like this:

Used Book Sale to Benefit MassPAWS

2006-05-10T14:41:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, May 21, from 10 am to 4pm, we're going to be hosting a huge used book sale to benefit MassPAWS. MassPAWS is a Winthrop-based animal rescue group committed to working on the most compelling animal issues in Massachusetts including the rescue of cats and dogs from life-threatening situations; foster care and adoptions; and humane feral cat management.

All books will be priced from 50 cents (for mass market paperbacks) to $5 (for hardcover coffee table books), and include a wide variety of topics: art, contemporary fiction, classic fiction, feminist theory, computers, cookbooks, crafts, suspense, cultural studies, romance, textbooks, travel guides, plays, parenting, foreign language books, and many, many more. And trust me, people have really gone above and beyond all my expectations in their donations--this will truly be a fabulous sale!

Small Press Night Recap

2006-05-10T13:10:00.000-04:00

For those of you who attended the small press extravaganza last weekend, you know that it was a huge success. Roxy from Persephassa Press, Matt from Thieves Jargon Press, and Janaka from Black Ocean were all great presenters and we had a full house! Books published by all three presses are now available in the store, so, if you weren't able to buy something at the event, stop on by.

Thieves Jargon Press's first book is Kittens in the Boiler by Delphine Lecompte is set against a dreary Belgian coast, and the ook is about a young woman and the company she keeps, both on and off the streets. Comedic catastrophe and sexual assassination are afterthoughts for the narrator as she carries her warped neighbor, her sleazy johns and her best friends close to the heart. Kittens in the Boiler is the portrait of a desperate soul staggering on the divide between destruction and deliverance.

Black Ocean has nine books under its belt, and now three of them, Dear Al-Queda, A Useless Window, and Upon Arrival, are in stock at Feed Your Head.

Dear Al-Queda by Scott Creney started as an exercise in social commentary and became much more as the infamous Al-Qaeda soon became Creney’s closest confidante in this accidental memoir of letters to the world’s most notorious terror organization. Creney is apocryphal in his condemnation as he walks with us, and Al-Qaeda, hand-in-hand through each day of trailer-park armageddon and suburban apocalypse. Heart-breaking, hysterical, and outrageous, these letters will leave you gasping. Of the collection, Creney says: “This book is not a political book, or something so dull as ‘anti-republican’ or ‘anti-american.’ This book is anti-everything. Even you. Especially you.”

A Useless Window by Carrie O. Adams and Upon Arrival by Paula Cisewski are both collections of poetry. A Useless Window embodies the title perfectly as it explores the paradox of form and function in life and language. Quiet without being subdued, intelligent without being obtuse, and deeply affecting without resorting to melodrama, this book carries itself into the reader with arresting honesty and simplicity that is at once harsh and elegant. Upon Arrival is the first full-length collection from Cisewski and showcases the best work from this Minneapolis-based poet who has graced the pages of literary journals across the country for the past decade. These poems, full of charm and wit, demonstrate an airy playfulness even as they confront isolation and loss.

And, last, but definitely not least, we have a great selection of handmade artist books produced by Roxanne Carter of Persphassa Press. Too numerous to list here, you'll just have to come by and check them out. I will post a picture, though, just to give you a taste of her work...

There's So Much Going On...

2006-05-10T13:04:00.000-04:00

that I don't even know where to begin, so I think I'm going to divide it up into two posts: Upcoming Events and New Stuff in the Store. Over the past couple of weeks, we've gotten a ton of new things in stock. Two of the areas that the store is weak in is our comic selection and our handmade gift-y stuff, so a lot of the new stuff reflects our attempts to build up both these areas.

On the comic front, we just got in a ton of stuff from Mark Todd and Esther Watson. Best known for her comic strip Unlovable, which appears on the back page of every issue of Bust magazine, we got in a bunch of goodies from Esther. Included are the first three, count 'em three, issues of Unlovable and fat packs which include a fat mini of Unlovable, stickers, and more.

And from Mark, we got some really cool stuff that defies categorization. First up is Flip-tard, this really crazy flip book created by Mark and Bwana Spoons of Grass Hut Corp. that allows you to create a bunch of mixed up monsters. Words can not descibe this thing; you really have to see it to believe it. Garbage is another truly unique piece of work. Basically, this is what's in Esther and Mark's garbage can. It's a bunch of stuff that they've collected, cut, and stapled into a zine. Each one's an original and also contains assorted Mark/Esther ephemera like a 1" button. The Pain Tree (and other teenage angst-ridden poetry) is exactly what it sounds like, a collection of 12 different poems, illustrated by Mark, who's also a contributor.

All the from New Zealand, Nut and Bee has sent us a bunch of some of the cutest stuff you'll ever see: sticker sacks featuring "The Moods of Egg," "Elvis of the Wild," and "Gnome Town" and bookplates in two designs: "The Sweater Set" and "Hedgehog, Day and Night." We've also gotten in a ton of fun stuff from FluffyCo., including handscreened vinyl eyeglass sleeves, bag tags, wrist cuffs, and ipod cases. Check it out!

Small Press Night

2006-04-26T12:46:00.000-04:00

Feed Your Head Books invites you to join the founders of local small presses Thieves Jargon, Persephassa, and Black Ocean for a night of readings, discussion, and inspiration. Matt DiGangi, Roxanne Carter, and Janaka Stucky will tell the stories of the beginnings of their respective presses, discuss how and why they began publishing, offer advice to writers and aspiring publishers, and, of course, read selections from works published by their presses.

Thieves Jargon is an online literary journal specializing in fiction and poetry. Based in Salem, MA, Thieves Jargon Press is dedicated to printing the work of writers who publish in the journal. They published their first novel last year and have a new anthology forthcoming. Persephassa Press is based in Providence, RI , and produces beautifully bound handmade books featuring works of literature, photography, illustrations, poetry, and novellas. The press is inspired by the fine press books of artists like Maureen Cummins (Innana Press), Gloria Stuart (Imprenta Glorias), and by women publishers who have taken the task to hand and published their own works as well as the works of those in their communites—Anais Nin (Gemore Press), Nancy Cunard (Hours Press), and Virginia Woolf (Hogarth Press). Black Ocean is a non-profit publishing and production company with liaisons in Boston, New York, and Chicago. In conjunction with their book releases, Black Ocean aims to saturate the public with passionate forms of expression through a wide variety of mediums by also holding art parties, rock shows, and various other celebrations. As you can see, all three of these small presses approach their publishing in very different manners, promising an evening filled with diversity and a wide breadth of experiences.

The small press extravaganza will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2006 at 5 pm at Feed Your Head Books, 272 Essex Street, Salem, MA (accessible by MBTA via the commuter rail to Salem). Admission is free and refreshments will be served. For more information, please contact randie@feedyourheadbooks.com or call 978-744-4009.

Another New Zine!

2006-04-20T18:20:00.000-04:00

As a complement to our new herb zine, we just got in a great new gardening zine, The Anarchist's Victory Garden. The subtitle of this zine is "everything you need to know to start your own garden and feed yourself," and it really is. Printed on recycled newsprint, this compact zine contins a wealth of information. Main topics covered include: building raised beds, organic fertilizing, keeping pests away without chemicals, planning your garden, planting and caring for your garden, and harvesting your bounty.

Great New Stuff!

2006-04-19T13:14:00.000-04:00

We just keep getting more and more stuff. At the Punk Rock Flea Market, I scored some awesome bicycle and flower screenprinted felt pouches and a new zine called How to Love and Use Herbs. It's incredible! It discusses many common herbs like lavendar, thyme, basil, rosemary, spearmint and how to grow them. It also containes recipes using the herbs for both cooking and for health.

We also got in new bumper stickers, patches, and an awesome zine-related book, Indestructible. The follow up to Green Zine #14; Cristy Road now offers up a novel about her years in grade school and high school in Miami - valiantly trying to figure out and defend her gender identity, cultural roots, punk rock nature, and mortality. You know that the artwork alone in here makes this a page turner and the whole package more exciting. Cristy has always existed to remind us of the strength and ability of punk youth--for addressing things like rape, homophobia, and mysogyny. This is no exception; giving voice to every frustrated 15 year old girl under fire from her peers for being queer or butch or punk.

We Will Be Closed Easter Weekend

2006-04-14T12:12:00.000-04:00

The store will be closed Easter weekend, 4/15 and 4/16, but you can come visit us on Saturday, 4/15, at the Punk Rock Flea Market at Mass Art from 11-5. PRFM is a sort of regular DIY event, where record distros, book makers, artists, clothing designers, djs, junk hoarders, vegan bakers, and many others come together for a day of swapping, sharing, selling and buying things you won't find in any store. PRFMs in the past have had upwards of 90 vendors, and regularly have 50 or so. A wide range of people take part, from new clothing labels looking to make it big, to basement punks who show up late with hangovers. Fun!

A Slew of New Stuff Just Came In...

2006-04-14T11:54:00.000-04:00

We just got in a ton of new, and new-to-us, titles. In the fiction area, we just got in Michelle Tea's first novel, Rose of No Man's Land, and Leslie Feinberg's latest, Drag King Blues.

14-year-old Trisha Driscoll, the protagonist in Rose of No Man's Land, is a hungry machine, taking in her hometown of Mogsfield, Massachusetts--a place that has surrendered to neon signs, theme restaurants, and cookie-cutter chain stores. Cynical but naive, Trisha observes the disappointing world from the ignored perspective of a teenager: creepy guys, the unfathomable sadness of the elderly, illegal tattoos, and the wild kingdom of mall culture. Then Trisha links up with a chain-smoking, physically stunted mall rat named Rose, and her life shifts into manic overdrive. A whirlwind exploration of poverty and dropouts, and a furious love story between two weirdo girls, brimming with snarky observations and soulful wonderings on the dazzle-flash emptiness of contemporary culture.

Drag King Dreams , from the best-selling author of Stone Butch Blues, is the story of Max Rabinowitz, a butch lesbian bartender at an East Village club where drag kings--dykes dressed as men--perform. A veteran of the women's and gay movement, Max's mid-life crisis hits in the midst of the post-9/11 world. Max is lonely, uncertain about her future, and fearful of America's future, with only a core group of friends to turn to for reassurance. But Max is shaken from her crisis when her friend Vickie, a transvestite, is murdered. As the community of cross-dressers, drag queens, lesbian and gay men, and "genderqueers" of all kinds stand up together in the face of this tragedy, Max taps into the activist spirit she thought had disappeared--and for the first time in years discovers hope for her future.

We also got in Stories Care Forgot: An Anthology of New Orleans Zines. For years the New Orleans punk and zine community has thrived, producing beautifully rendered volumes of stories and artwork. Over the years these authors have poured their hearts out and shared their thoughts and opinions on music, politics, bikes, gentrification, gender, class and, of course, the city itself. Reprinted here in their original format are selections from over a dozen zines including: Chainbreaker, Nosedive, Crude Noise, Rocket Queen, Emergency, I Hate This Part of Texas, and Chihuahua and Pitbull, as well as author introductions about their experiences during and after Hurricane Katrina. Many of the originals have been lost or destroyed and in the wake of Hurricane Katrina; this book serves not only as a preservation of writing and artwork, but also as an attempt to aid in rebuilding the city that inspired and shaped this body of work. Proceeds from Stories Care Forgot will be split amongst grassroots New Orleans groups.

We Just Got in Two Great New Zines!

2006-04-13T11:30:00.000-04:00

We just got in two great new zines from True Grit Distro, Say the Word: Conversations About Consent and The Trusty Wrench DIY Guide to Car Repair. Say the Word is a new collection of writings by both men and women about dealing with, and negotiating sexual consent. Contains personal experience stories and broader critiques of how our society handles this often taboo subject. The Trusty Wrench is a great starter manual for anyone that's interested in learning how to do basic maintenance on their car or truck. It covers what tools you need, and what the things are that you can do yourself. Includes a troubleshooting section to help you figure out what's wrong with your car. Covers both diesels and gas-powered vehicles.

Come Visit Us . . .

2006-04-07T11:28:00.000-04:00

. . . tomorrow, April 8, at the Annual Reproductive Rights Conference at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. Workshops include Abortion Access in the U.S.; Building a Movement: Rethinking Reproductive Rights for Queer Communities; Environmental Activism; Sex, Lies, and Contraception; Immigrant Rights; Economic Justice and Globalization; and many, many more. Come check it out!

Great New DIY Resource

2006-04-06T15:52:00.000-04:00

We just got in a fantastic new DIY zine, The Gospel of Screenprinting. It's a 24 page guide to screen printing, containing everything you need to know to get started, including plans to build a shirt/poster press and some other equipment. And, in addition, to being useful, with a three-color (metallic silver/white/black) silkscreened cover, this zine is beautiful, as well. This is a limited edition of 170 copies, so get yours while you can!

Just In: Ms. Films DIY Guide to Film and Video

2006-04-05T13:51:00.000-04:00

We just received the spanking new, spiral-bound third edition of Ms. Films DIY Guide to Film and Video. A thorough introduction and motivational tool for women (or anyone else) wanting to make film or video. Contents include cameraless filmmaking, super 8 basics, animation, making your own (how to produce a no-budget short film while being unemployed), activist camera/film in community, basics of video & exercises for the beginner, girls & filmmaking, screenwriting, what is a short film?, what is a long film?, DIY Drive-In, organizing your own film festival, submitting to film festivals, and a list of resources for filmmakers. "Ms. Films is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering women and girls through access to media and mediamaking," author Niku Arbabi writes, and "this guide is meant to help you get started . . . make a movie and get it out there." An indepensible resource for novices and pros alike. Also, make sure to pick up your copy of the Ms. Films DVD, a compilation of films from the 2005 Northwest Tour. featuring 18 films by independent women, including documentary, animation, narrative, sci-fi, cut & paste, horror, and more!