In Their Own Way
September 16, 2012

It’s not closing! To the reader who e-mailed us a few days ago to express worry over Edward R. Hamilton, the well-known book remainder dealer’s website, being down for days and appearing “abandoned,” and asking us to check it out.

ERH is a fabulous place to buy books. You can get newly published books there for 30 percent off, but it is their remaindered stock that is nothing short of amazing. The prices are almost unreal and go down to as low as $1.95. My first thought upon receiving that message was “oh no!” because while my book buying is on hold for the time being I like them, have used them frequently in the past, and will certainly do so again.

But there’s something beyond the pricing that appeals to me. The company is somewhat unusual in this age of high-speed technology and in-your-face marketing. They avoid any press coverage. I tried to interview them a few years ago and was shot down with a brief, blunt note saying they never give interviews. They do not have a Facebook or Twitter account, do not blog, do not have any online presence other than their site and an occasional link from a book blogger. They have to be the most low-key company I think I have ever come across.

But what makes them unique, aside from their reticence to talk, is their pricing and their customer service. They carry newly published books as well as older ones at amazing discounts. Shipping for any size order is $3.50. Believe me, I have taken advantage of that, occasionally ordering so many in the past that the postal carrier has had to drop off as many as five boxes of (very) heavy books, including overweight, oversized art volumes. Another quirk, if you will, is that they only take checks and they use only the USPS media rate to ship. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Hamilton still writes letters on engraved stationery with a fountain pen.

They do have a second site, HamiltonBook.com, that is still active but in addition to the $3.50 shipping charge there is a per book charge of $0.40 per book. Credit cards or checks can be used here. Regardless of how you pay they ship their books media rate so you have the opportunity to experience the joy and agony of anticipation. And HamiltonBook.com does not, unfortunately, carry all the books that ERH does. So I was not surprised to hear from my correspondent that she felt distressed—or that I also did when I received an answer to my inquiry about the site being down:

Edward R. Hamilton, Bookseller Co. is not closing. Our web site is down and it is not known at this time if it will return. We are currently close to launching a new web site, which we hope to have up soon.

So what changes are afoot? They gave me no indication, which given their reticence, was not a surprise. But what this means for us fans is still unknown. There’s an irony to me that when every company on the planet is constantly pushing itself into my face (“Like us! Follow us!”) this one that goes about its work quietly and efficiently is among the most hidden. I rather like this. ERH doesn’t depend on anything but its own work to speak for itself. To me and to our correspondent that says everything it needs to say.

Upcoming Book Festivals and Fairs:
Coming up we have five book festivals and fairs that offer people from the west to the east coast, and even down south, the opportunity to enjoy an autumn day with authors and books and, oh heck, just a lot of fun.

Location: Abilene, Texas
Site: Various venues around town
Festival: West Texas Book Festival
Date: September 18-22
The four days of the festival open with an author presentation in conjunction with a brown bag lunch on Thursday and continue with writing workshops, more Brown Bag programs, an authors’ reception, Authors in Schools, the Culinary Cuisine Luncheon, the Texas Cookbook Gala, Conversations with Texas Authors, the Boots & Books Luncheon, book signings, and a special children’s program, Cookies with Hank the Cowdog. Six excellent authors are participating in the festival events. 

Location: Santa Rosa, California
Site: Courthouse Square and Central Library
Festival: Sonoma County Book Festival
Date: September 22
From 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, the downtown area will be alive with the sound of books and book lovers. Plenty of authors will be appearing on eighteen different panel presentations, at nine special events at the Peanut Pavilion (for children), on four young adult panels, and at the Poetry Stage as well. In addition, more than 100 exhibitors will be on hand; a teen poetry slam is also happening.

Location: Marietta, Georgia
Site: Cobb Co. Civic Center
Festival: Georgia Fine & Collectible Book Fair
Date: September 22-23
Over 20,000 beautiful books and ephemera will be for sale on Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm when more than forty dealers in (mostly) antiquarian books gather to share their wares. Admission is only $5, and in addition to the dealers’ tables, attendees can bring up to five books for a free professional appraisal, attend a seminar on book collecting, and perhaps win one of several $50 gift certificates.

Location: Washington, DC
Site: National Mall (between 9th and 14th streets)
Festival: National Book Festival
Date: September 22-23
This is a popular festival with more than 100 authors, illustrators, and poets. Some will be in the areas of Children, Teens, Contemporary Life, History & Biography, Fiction & Mystery, Poetry & Prose, SFF & Graphic Novels attending. Other authors will appear in special programs and on a Family Storytelling Stage. The Library of Congress Pavilion offers a variety of interesting programs that offers behind-the-scenes views of their resources. Lots of vendors assure hours of browsing. Hours are Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, and Sunday from noon to 5:30 pm.

Location: Brooklyn, New York
Site: Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza
Festival: Brooklyn Book Festival
Date: September 23
Though there are fifty “bookend” events from September 17-23 (and these are worth checking out), the primary festival day is Saturday. They have gathered an amazing 280 authors who will participate in 104 panel presentations from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. There are special events for children and teens, workshops in writing, artists’ books, comics, and more. Nearly 200 exhibitors will be there as well. Don’t miss it if you are near there; it truly looks fantastic.

Currently Reading:

• Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope. Delicious as only Trollope can be!
• Saveur magazine. The new October issue is headlined “101 Classic Recipes,” and some of them are not only new to me but look fabulous. Salmorejo, a Spanish chilled tomato soup, is first up on my list to try.

The Pub House:
Craigmore Creations is a house specializing in picture books and graphic novels with a twist: they “inspire an interest in earth science and natural history.” Terra Tempo: Ice Age Cataclysm!, for those aged eight and up, is the adventure of Ari, Jenna, and Caleb as they unlock the secret of time travel and go back 15,000 years where they witness the great Missoula flood, the largest floods ever to wash over the earth, and work together to survive the dangers. Eliza’s Journal , for those aged 12 and up, is written in the form of journal; it is the story of a girl whose summer vacation on Orcas Island turns into a job that holds far more than she ever could have anticipated and perhaps more than others wanted. For children aged four and up Right Where You Are Now is a bedtime story that uses vivid (and accurate) illustrations to transport them millions of years back through geologic time with rivers of lava and tribes of early Americans.

Imaging Books & Reading:
Doesn’t it annoy you when you try to pull up a website and no page can “be found”? Now imagine that with books.

Of Interest:
The medieval era was primarily an oral one, and sermons were the most influential of these community communications. The sermon was in fact the central literary genre in the lives of medieval European Christians and Jews. It fluid form allowed for its use as an instrument of instruction and persuasion and was the basis on which other genres of literature were shaped. Houghton Library’s collection of manuscripts related to medieval preaching provides an overview of the sermon along with gorgeous illustrations of the books used.

Until next week, read well, read often and read on!

Lauren