Literature
Free your mind with five new book recommendations direct from a local favorite in the City of Angels
For the past 18 years Skylight Books has been located in the shadow of Los Angeles’ Griffith Park Observatory but the store’s clientele assure its never overlooked.
Named the Indie-est Indie Bookstore by LA Weekly back in 2010, Skylight Books makes it a point to remain “fiercely independent” by focusing not just on what’s hot in literary fiction, but also in graphic novels, zines and art books.
Skylight Books’ manager Steve Salardino chooses five of his favorites for The Aesthete.
ART: Non Stop Poetry: The Zines of Mark Gonzales, edited by Philip Aarons and Emma Reeves
A celebration of the work of Mark Gonzales collected from the zines he self-published over the last 20+ years, Non Stop Poetry is gorgeously printed and contains contributions from Rita Ackermann, Maurizio Cattelan, Cameron Jamie, Harmony Korine, Aaron Rose, Tom Sachs, Jocko Weyland, Skylight Books’ Steven Salardino*, and others. (*That’s me! And I’m very proud of this book.)
CULTURE: Your Illustrated Guide to Becoming One with the Universe by Yumi Sakugawa
An illustrated partner in your journey on this path we call life, Sakugawa’s book started as a two-volume zine before it was published in book form. Reading this will remind you how to connect with the world and with yourself without the anxiety.
STYLE: Some Wear Leather Some Wear Lace: The Worldwide Compendium of Postpunk And Goth in the 1980s by Andi Harriman and Marloes Bontje
An exploration of the post-punk movement’s music, history, and ephemera, it is the photographs of Some Wear Leather Some Wear Lace that are truly inspiring. The images range from candid to posed to surprisingly comic – all with the understated coolness of dressing for expression first and attention second.
DESIGN: Hisui Sugiura: A Pioneer of Japanese Graphic Design
A master that has influenced many contemporary designers, Suigura’s work is both classic and modern, simply sweet and provocative. Looking at the images it is hard to believe he was born in the 19th century.
FOOD: Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails by David Kaplan, Nick Fauchald, and Alex Day
A beautiful coffee table book created by some of the masters of the new cocktail movement, this book will help you craft perfect and delicious drinks, and you will get to know your liquor like an expert.
Visit Skylight Books at 1818 N Vermont Ave Los Angeles, California.
Interior photos by Kelly Brown and Lindsay George, respectively.
“Word Up” is a new weekly column that provides book lovers with the best reads, chosen by cultural influencers and independent bookstores across the country.
Letters to the editor
Read (0) Write