All My Life For Sale is the book resulting from John Freyer’s experiment in which he had a party, tagged all (or the good majority) of his possessions, then sold them on eBay over the following few months.  For each item he listed, he wrote a personal description and also maintained a website listing the many things he was selling, explaining the project, and offering links to his many interviews as his project gained national and then international attention.  After all his life was sold, John proceeded to travel around the country visiting his stuff, exploring its new homes and making friends with the people who bought it.  The book All My Life For Sale features one product per page accompanied by the eBay description, as well as an update on the product and John’s visit to it.  The layout and design of the book (also by John) are amazingly simple, allowing the focus to be on the hundreds of pictures and the stories within.  With his experiment, John addressed many issues of identity, attachment, and relationships in an honest and unique way.  Look for a copy today!  

Amped: Notes from a Go-Nowhere Punk Band by Jon Resh  

Copies of Amped can be picked up for a reasonable $4.50 from Viper Press, or read for free on their website – what a deal!  In Amped, Jon tells of growing up with his Gainesville, Florida punk band, Spoke.  Throughout the story, Spoke’s accomplishments aren’t over-exaggerated in any way, and all of their musical shortcomings are accepted and enjoyed.  Jon Resh’s account of Spoke’s experiences in their hometown and on tour can almost be a universal punk story.  Some parts are very, very funny and others are insightful, and in general Amped provides a good look at what becomes of all those punk bands, whether they are in your town, just passing through, or on your floor.

Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You: 1 Man, 7 Days, 12 Televisions by Jack Lechner

Ok, if you know me you might be wondering why I would read this book since I don’t watch TV.  Well, I picked it up because the concept grabbed me and it looked funny, which it turned out to be.  But I also decided to read it because I’m always fascinated with entertainment – who makes it, who buys it, how much time it occupies, how much people rely on it.  So, Jack Lechner (a former film producer and Miramax executive) decided to put 12 televisions in his living room and watch them for as many hours as he could stand for a week.  The result is pure entertainment itself!  He describes the logistics of his project, how and what he chooses to watch, the plots and content of the programs, his reactions and how it all makes him feel, as well as the reactions of his family, friends, and dog.  This is a really fun book that reads like the journal of a victim of severe information overload, who somehow maintains some sense of sanity.

Free Agents: A History of Washington D.C. Graffiti compiled by Roger Gastman

This collection features a most impressive collection of over 700 photos of graffiti from the DC area, as well as many interviews with the creators of these works of art.  I particularly liked the layout, where each artist had their own section with a bit of information, followed by examples of their work.  It’s all organized so that, from start to finish, the book provides a clear setup explaining all the aspects of this particular scene.  Many of the participants were involved in the booming DC hardcore and hip-hop scenes that have now become so well known.  Free Agents doesn’t contain a lot of technical information, but instead focuses on the personal, including the philosophies of several writers as they explain their place in the scene and the groups that existed within it.  A lot of work obviously went into this, and it serves as an important document of that unique time period. 

Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York by Craig Castleman

 Getting Up was published in 1982, but I think that much of the lingo for graffiti is still the same and the history of NY graffiti still applies.  Craig Castleman explains the different kinds of graffiti and then the various techniques and styles used.  He interviews many writers and relays their stories and accomplishments.  I was particularly interested in the effort to stop graffiti by laws, the police, and the train companies.  I would like to read an updated version of this book and I also wish that the photographs had been in color.  

Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground: 1981-1991 by Michael Azerrad

 This book came to my attention thanks to a few  recommendations from friends, so I got on the waiting list for Our Band at my local public library.  Michael Azerrad writes a chapter for each of thirteen bands he’s chosen to spotlight and compiles them chronologically, starting with Black Flag and the Minutemen, ending with Mudhoney and Beat Happening, with bands like Minor Threat, Hüsker Dü, and Big Black in between.  Growing up listening to many of these bands, I didn’t consider how these independent record labels had formed or much about how bands wound up being on certain labels.  Michael Azerrad’s use of quotes, song lyrics, and tour stories allows Our Band to be both informative and entertaining by showing things from the band’s point of view.  It’s easy to see why this diverse group of musicians relied on, and sometimes feuded with each other, as they either floated along or beat down their own paths to either “success” or demise.

Word Freak:  Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players by Stefan Fatsis

 My sister-in-law Anne sent this book to Sean and I, knowing how much we love Scrabble.  Word Freak was completely unexpected to me because I had no idea that people were so obsessed with Scrabble.  Sports journalist Stefan Fatsis starts covering competitive Scrabble tournaments and gets so drawn into the game and the entire world surrounding it that he becomes a competitor himself.  He documents his climb among the ranks, explaining the rules, the history, the people, and the need to compete in this way.  Competitive Scrabble is an overlooked community that continues to thrive worldwide despite many obstacles, and Stefan Fatsis is able to use his sports-writing abilities to present this world to us in an interesting way.  Word Freak was right up my alley and maybe someday I’ll be able to move past the level of living room Scrabble.

Yes Yes Y’all: The Experience Music Project Oral History of Hip-Hop’s First Decade compiled by Jim Fricke and Charlie Ahearn

A review in Clamor Magazine prompted me to pick up Yes Yes Y’all and I was glad I did.  The colorful and aesthetically pleasing book is filled with tons of photos of artists, graffiti, dancing, and locations, as well as an amazing amount of original flyers and posters for events that took place from the early 70s to 80s in the Bronx, NYC.  With the exception of short introductions to each chapter, the entire book is comprised of quotes from the people who created hip-hop music and culture.  I was excited to read the words directly in the creator’s voices, including Grandmaster Flash, DJ Kool Herc, Grand Wizard Theodore, and Fab 5 Freddy, and was pleased at the inclusion of b-boy style, dance, and art.  A unique book that’s obviously a result of hours of dedicated work.   

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