synaesthesia press

Posted on March 13, 2025March 13, 2025 by Jim — Leave a comment

Where Have All the Completists Gone?

A picture of the Ernest Hemingway nonfiction piece "The Circus" as well as 3 copies of the magazine Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus."

When I started collecting books in the mid-to-late 80’s, one of the first things I noticed were collectors exhibiting a fervent dedication to completeness. A true Kerouac enthusiast, for instance, sought not only On the Road, but also every Kerouac contribution made to little magazines, slick periodicals, and ephemeral broadsides: scoring a scarce copy of Yugen; searching for the men’s skin mag Escapade that featured Kerouac’s opine piece “The Last Word” (I think it appeared in 4 different issues; however, I can’t say for sure — except to say Kerouac was contracted to write 12 pieces but the magazine failed before they were completed); or maybe splurging on one of the 100 copies of A Pun For Al Gelpi that exist. This meticulous pursuit extended to other literary giants as well.

I got bit by the Bukowski bug early in my collecting adventure. I can tell you if there was one completist that may never have existed, it’s the Bukowski Completist. For a very brief moment, I contemplated making such a run. But I quickly realized the sheer impossibility of the task. (I could add the sheer madness as well). Buk’s work appeared in an overwhelming number of obscure publications, from his earliest appearances in print to the countless small press journals, underground mages / “littles”, to every iteration of John Martin’s fantastic Black Sparrow Press editions. Tracking them all down wasn’t just difficult—it was a never-ending pursuit, a costly rabbit hole with no bottom — certain to drive one to ruin. Both emotionally and financially.

I bring this up only because last Sunday at the Georgetown flea, I pulled a few of the Ringling Brothers magazines. I know there’s some circophiles still left, and the price for all three was right. When I got back to my Air BnB, I discovered one of them featured the Hemingway nonfiction piece, “The Circus.” It wasn’t very good, and as I finished it up, I wondered just where Hem was financially in 1952 that would have made him even want the gig – let alone take it. And I’m guessing forty years ago, such a find would have been a gem for the Hemingway completists. In 2025, however, the landscape of book collecting has shifted, prompting my question: Where have all the completists gone?

Posted on March 3, 2025March 3, 2025 by Jim — Leave a comment

How to Get Kicked Out of the Palm Springs Art Museum.

We were sitting in front of a wall of Hockneys when security approached. “Sir, we’re going to have to ask you to leave. Your dog urinated in the LGBTQ+ Room.”

I fired back immediately. “That couldn’t be.” Because it couldn’t be. No way. I mean, how could it?

Security assured me that was the case, and they had video to prove it. “I don’t mean to push back, but I’d really like to see it. She’s been standing next time me since we walked in. Trust me, I’d know if she pee’d anywhere…and she hasn’t.” Security called for the video. I looked down to make eye contact. Her SERVICE DOG vest was a little crooked, so I adjusted it. “You couldn’t have pee’d on the floor without me knowing about it…could you?” I quietly asked. Because how could she? No way I would have missed something like that. Impossible.

But nothing’s really impossible. Because she could. And did.

While I was centering my phone on a terrific Bob Mizer beefcake photo collage so I could take a picture of it to show you, Molly stood up (after I had given her a sit command), took a couple of back steps, squatted, and curated some of her own business. Stealthy-like and quick. Very quick. Very stealthy. But not stealthy enough to fool security. Or the cameras. Then, just as quick and stealthy as she backed up, she got right back into her sit command and waited until I told her to heel. And then we walked on to the other terrific Bob Mizer beefcake photo collage on display.

It wasn’t supposed to go this way. We had good intentions. Really, we did. The Sculpture Garden. The LGBTQ room. Hockney’s Perspective Should Be Reversed. The Permanent Collection. Lunch. The gift shop. Instead, Molly—my companion and almost-always well-behaved dog—decided to contribute a little abstract expression of her own…in the form of a very unauthorized, very liquid installation. I’d like to think it would have made Bob Mizer smile. And David Hockney.

Molly may not be welcome back to the Palm Springs Museum anytime soon, but if you’re ever looking for ways to make a lasting impression, just know that sometimes, the most memorable exhibits are the ones you never intend to create.

Posted on February 23, 2025February 23, 2025 by Jim — Leave a comment

6 Records: Elton John. Honky Château.

a photo of the elton john record gatefold honky château

I was 8 years old when Honky Château was released in May, 1972. It’s Elton John’s fifth studio album, following Madman Across the Water (1971) and preceding Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player (1973). I just found out it was recorded at the Château d’Hérouville in France; which, of course, partially explains its title.

Four months later — 5 September 1972, to be exact — the Israeli Olympic team was taken hostage by Palestinian terrorists. The only reason I mention this is it’s my earliest memory of a world event. I was in the second grade. Mrs. Raymond was my teacher. The thing I remember most about her was in the Spring of that year she read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe to our class in its entirety. This sent 8-year-old-me on a Chronicles of Narnia obsession. I had to have all seven volumes. And sure enough, that Christmas I got the 7-volume, boxed edition. I wish I still had it.

The only reason I mention any of this is as I age, I’m starting to recall events in my life way more now than any other time. Which is to say I never sat around at, say, 25 years ago thinking about Mrs. Raymond and CS Lewis. Nor would I have ever sat down to listen to any Elton John record from start to finish. Up to finding this really clean, first-pressing of Honky Château (with gatefold!) at the Topanga flea (for 5 bucks!), I wouldn’t have even considered buying an Elton John record. (That’s not entirely true. When I sold my collection, I had a copy of Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road and Madame Across The Water.)

I’m not sure what any of this means, except it’s all a function of age. That and by far the very best track on Honky Château is “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.” It’s buried on side 2, the 3rd of 5 tracks, which kinda surprised me.

My record collection now, as it currently stands:

a photo of the elton john record honky château

Various pictures of the Mario Van Peeble's soundtrack record Sweet Sweetbck's Badass Song.

A picture of the record "Jungle Marmalade" by The Lemon Pipers.

The cover of Diet Cig Do You Wonder About Me?

The Cover of Martin Frawley's Undone at 31

Posted on February 20, 2025February 17, 2025 by Jim — Leave a comment

From Shelf to Press: Starting My Journey as a Bookseller, Letterpress Printer, and Publisher

A picture of the Charles Bukowski poetry book Crucifix in a Deathand

Every career starts somewhere—this one just happens to begin now, aged 61, with a storage locker full of books and the rhythmic whirl of the old Vandy in my garage. Becoming a bookseller, letterpress printer, and publisher wasn’t something I planned as a young man. It was something I discovered through passion and collecting and a deep-rooted love for the tangible, tactile world of print and paper.

Jean Baudrillard from his essay “The System of Collecting“: Among the various meanings of the French word “objet”, the Littré dictionary gives this: “Anything which is cause or subject of a passion. Figuratively and most typically: the loved object”. I remember holding a copy of Bukowski’s Crucifix in a Deathand and being amazed not only by the poetry, but Jon Webb’s creation and thinking I love this book — this object — so much I am going to this is, too.

When I was a kid and my folks took us shopping and couldn’t find me, all they had to do was look in a B. Dalton’s or Walden’s or Brentano’s. Books weren’t just knowledge, they took me places. They were also things that for some unexplained reason I needed to possess. And I needed to buy all of them.

I’m pretty sure almost all dealers start out as collectors, but not all collectors wind up being dealers. Maybe the same thing can be said of publishers? John Martin sold his collection of books (DH Lawrence mainly) to start Black Sparrow, and James Laughlin (New Directions) was a serious book collector whose personal library was extensive and reflected his deep engagement with literature, modernist poetry, and avant-garde works. Charles Scribner (1821–1871) and his descendants, particularly Charles Scribner Jr. (1854–1930) and Charles Scribner III (1890–1952)—who ran the legendary Charles Scribner’s Sons publishing house—were all serious book collectors, too.

Collecting. Printing. Dealing. Publishing. It isn’t just about selling books or printing pages—it’s about preserving history (maybe creating some, too), creating tangible beauty (especially in a digital age), and sharing the written word.

Posted on February 17, 2025February 16, 2025 by Jim — Leave a comment

5 Records: Sweet Sweetback’s Baadassssss Song.

Blogger’s note: If you’re not familiar with my newly-found record collecting habits, you might want to read this entry first.

The soundtrack to Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (STS-3001, 1971) is as revolutionary as the film itself. Released on Stax Records, it features a raw, urgent score by Melvin Van Peebles — as performed by Earth, Wind & Fire. Betcha didn’t know that. The record is what you’d imagine: a cool blend of jazz, funk, and soul — with audio samples from the film. It’s a groundbreaking soundtrack, too, because it didn’t just complement the film—it helped define the sound of Blaxploitation cinema. (Just FYI, I still haven’t see the film, but it’s streaming on Criterion. I think pretty much elsewhere, too…just not for free. And one last Just FYI while I’ve got your FYI attention: I’d never heard the album before, either. So I’m going to write about Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song on a particularly nice, warm-and-safe Higley Arizona Sunday afternoon while I listen to it for the very first time.)

I’m no music critic. I’ll leave that to failed and wanna-be music nerds. And I still haven’t figured out what, exactly my angle is going to be with these record blogs. Maybe just to tell a story and try to incorporate my latest record find into it. Kinda like Nick Hornby’s 31 Songs — without its seriousness of tying the songs into important, life shaping events. Because certainly strolling down the aisles of one of my very favorite record stores to find a copy of a record so water damaged someone took it upon themselves to “fix” doesn’t shape one’s life. (Nor should it). Open the gatefold to find another beautiful mess. Pull out the record to find a wholly playable, very clean copy of an album with a median value on Discogs is $25 and some change.

Cause life’s all about values, right? And handmade record-cover fix-its. And gatefolds. And finally, never calling a record or an album or an LP “a vinyl”.

Posted on February 13, 2025February 17, 2025 by Jim — Leave a comment

Synaesthesia Picks: Top 5 Collectibles of the Month

Vintage silver gelatin print in the style of Diane Arbus

They say modesty is a virtue, but when you’ve got rare finds as cool as these, tooting your own horn feels more like a public service. 🎺 So, here I am, shamelessly parading 5 gems that any collector worth their weight in dust jackets should know about.

Don’t worry, this isn’t just a sales pitch (okay, maybe it is)—but it’s one you’ll thank me for later. Here’s this month’s 5ivers 📚

Capture the haunting beauty of the overlooked with this striking gelatin silver print, echoing the raw, intimate style of Diane Arbus, where every shadow tells an interesting story.
Join the revolution with John Sinclair’s Guitar Army—a high-octane manifesto blending music, politics, and countercultural rebellion, straight from the frontlines of the 1960s underground and still in AS NEW condition.
Unlock the boozy, bawdy, and bizarre history of the West with these Clampers ECV journals—because no one tells tall tales and history — or places low-ball bids on eBay — quite like a Clamper after a few rounds.
Own a signed Joel-Peter Witkin Disciple & Master —because nothing says ‘conversation starter’ like beautifully grotesque art that makes you question your mortality (and maybe Witkin’s sanity).
Signed promo photo of The Orchids to Kim Fowley—because even in the world of cancelled legends, rock ‘n’ roll history doesn’t erase its autographs (just don’t bring him up at dinner…and come to think of it, did anyone actually bring Kim to dinner while he was still alive?).

Posted on February 9, 2025February 17, 2025 by Jim — Leave a comment

5ive Times Floyd: Exploring Memory, Obsession, and Identity Through Art and Bookmaking.

What happens when visual art and narrative collide? 5ive Times Floyd was more than an exhibition—it was my journey through memory, obsessions, and artistic exploration.

With five paintings and an accompanying artist’s book, 5ive Times Floyd delved into my ever-shifting nature of personal experience and how creativity reshapes the stories I tell myself.

Here’s a brief look at the making of 5ive Times Floyd, its artistic inspiration, and how the paintings and book came together at These Days LA last October to create a what I’d like to think was a multi-sensory experience for the people who attended.

Sometimes results arrive from things unplanned. Take for instance, stumbling across an original publicity still of two-time heavyweight boxing champion Floyd Patterson in the middle of a box of junk at a flea market in Southern California. I really can’t explain why some things Found speak to me so clearly. Floyd’s picture gets turned into a gel-transfer diptych on the backs of boards removed from a broken, hardbound book.

But, for some reason, that’s not enough: a book needs to be assembled with Floyd’s image as the central motif. Still not enough: so, combine other found imagery, text, and items into this book in the same way Joseph Cornell did with his Manual of Marvels, turning a simple book into an object.

This can’t be a one-off, either. A short run, limited to no more than something I could accomplish in a reasonable amount of time. Then, with forty hand-sewn into wraps, the only way to really make it right is to add a hardbound edition as well. Still not enough. Somehow, multiple paintings evolved directly from the Rauschenberg / Warhol / Berman sphere of influence using the same found elements in the books. Art from the book as opposed to a book coming from art. As many times as I could pull it off—which, in this case, was 5ive.

That’s what I wrote for my gallerists, Jody and Stephen at These Days. I should talk about them really quick. What started with a close friendship turned into my Sexual Fictions and Floyd shows. Let’s talk about things that often don’t get talked about when you talk about gallerists: the mentorship and advocating and promoting and making sure their artists thrive creatively — while building long-term success and recognition. Also, without mentioning it once, both helped me deal with the one thing I dread most as a creative — the varying degrees of imposter syndrome that fuck with my head almost daily.

I’ll end this post here: 5ive Times Floyd invites you to explore the tension between memory and reinvention through found, vibrant visuals and non-narrative storytelling.

The paintings are still available. I made 50 total books; 40 hand-sewn in wraps and 10 bound in cloth and slipcased. There’s still some copies in wraps available.

Posted on February 8, 2025 by Jim — Leave a comment

Hidden Gems: Rare and Forgotten Beat Generation Books You Need to Know About

Various pictures of the Roxie Powell book Dreams of Straw published in 1963 by Dave Haselwood at the Auerhahn Press.

Common knowledge: The Beat Generation produced some of the most influential, rebellious, and avant-garde literature of the 20th century. More common knowledge: we all know about “The Big Three” — Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Burroughs. (Do we add Gregorio and call it “The Big Four”?)

But what about some of the lesser-known writers and their publications? Here’s three rare and overlooked gems you should add to your collection.

**1. Dreams of Straw by Roxie Powell**

Published by Dave Haselwood’s Auerhahn Press (and printed by Haselwood and Charles Plymell), Dreams of Straw encapsulates Powell’s distinctive poetic voice, mixing surrealism, nature, and existential musings. A lesser-known figure within the Beat circle (was he really “beat”?), Powell’s work is a hidden treasure.
Roxie’s poetry reflects the more experimental side of Beat literature that didn’t gain mainstream recognition. Too experimental, probably. And isn’t “experimental” sometimes a code for “difficult to read”? Which is exactly what these poems are not.
Mark Faigenbaum is a San Francisco-based artist renowned for his innovative mixed-media assemblages and collages. While I was in grad school in SF in the late-90’s, he put a copy of Dreams of Straw in my hands and told me Roxie was the best poet I had never heard of — a line I steal whenever I first tell someone about Dreams of Straw. I loved Dreams of Straw so much I wrote to Roxie, and eventually we spent an afternoon wandering San Francisco. He told me some terrific stories. Oh, those sugar cubes! A few years later Wild Whispers was published. I’m really proud of that book.

**2. The Hotel Wentley Poems by John Wieners**

First published in 1958, The Hotel Wentley Poems is a raw, emotional collection that documents Wieners’ life as a poet on the fringe of society. The collection focuses on themes of love, loss, and longing, with a lyrical style that’s as haunting as it is beautiful.
Certainly not as widely recognized as Howl, this collection is considered by many literary insiders to be one of the most important works of its time, showcasing the vulnerable, emotional side of the Beat experience. In other words, Wieners is a “poet’s poet”.
Wieners’ poetry had a profound influence on the LGBTQ+ literary movement; and along with Ginsberg, Wieners was one of the first Beat poets to openly explore themes of same-sex desire.

**3. Howl of the Censor – Edited by J.W. Ehrlich**

This important but often overlooked book documents the 1957 obscenity trial of Allen Ginsberg’s Howl, featuring courtroom transcripts, essays, and commentary. J.W. Ehrlich, Ginsberg’s defense attorney, compiled this essential work to showcase the fight for free speech in literature.
It’s not just a legal document—it’s a historical record of a defining moment in literary and cultural history. Collectors of Beat ephemera will find this book invaluable for understanding how censorship shaped the movement.
Ginsberg himself referred to the Howl trial as one of the most important events in his career, as it turned the poem into a symbol of artistic resistance.

Collecting Beat literature is about more than just owning books—it’s about uncovering and discovering the little books and pieces of history that shaped a cultural revolution. While Naked Lunch or On the Road will always “steal the spotlight”, these three hidden gems reveal the diverse, experimental, and often under-appreciated voices of the movement — as well as the real-world legal challenges the Beats faced in a post-war, Eisenhower / John Birch America.

Check out my listings and don’t miss the chance to discover the books that helped shape the underground literary world.

Posted on February 2, 2025February 17, 2025 by Jim — Leave a comment

4 Records.

Blogger’s note: If you’re not familiar with my newly-found record collecting habits, you might want to read this entry first.

Jungle Marmalade (1968) is the second and final album by The Lemon Pipers, a band known for their blend of psychedelic pop and bubblegum rock. Released on Buddah Records, it followed their hit single “Green Tambourine.” The pretty much sounds like you’d imagine — typical of the era, the band’s name, and what’s going happening on the cover. It also marks the end of the band’s brief run.

I had no idea about The Lemon Pipers — let alone Jungle Marmalade — when I picked it off a small stack of records at the Topanga Flea a couple months ago. But I did know about their song “Green Tamborine”. (You probably do, too.) I just didn’t know a band from Oxford, Ohio called The Lemon Pipers sang it. (In addition to “Green Tamborine”, I’ve heard “Jelly Jungle’, too. (You’ve probably heard it, too.))

I paid the dude $4 for Jungle Marmalade — a bargain, according to Discogs. I actually paid him $5, but he didn’t have any singles…and since it was a fairly clean copy, I told him to keep the buck. Which didn’t come off as an arrogant thing to do, but writing this now makes me sound totally dickhole-ish.

I also scored a stack of professional wrestling 8×10 promos from the 50’s at Topanga, which, to me, is way more exciting than a Lemon Pipers record. And since I recently took 5 of my records in to trade at my very favorite record store — The Ghost of Eastside — my record collection now stands at 4 records. But I did walk away with 6 when I left Eastside; I just don’t have time to write about it now. I’m about to take my mom out for a plate of spaghetti.