Oblivion Books

Interview with Oblivion Books of Oblivion Books

When did you get started in bookselling?

I began selling books in 1993.

What drew you to bookselling?

I love books as vehicles for ideas and inspiration and imagination, and I began collecting books in my early 20s. I am trained and have advanced degrees in other areas, but my love for books and book collecting led me to be a full-time bookseller.

Did you have any mentors in becoming a bookseller?

I have a few mentors and am still learning! My most famous mentor is Richard Howard of Serendipity Books.

What are your specialties as a dealer?

I have a Master's Degree in Art History and Philosophy (critical theory), but I also have deep knowledge in Modernist and Contemporary literature and poetry.

What's the most amazing book you've ever sold?

Oh dear. So many. Probably the most amazing book I ever sold was a collaboration between cultural theorist Guy Debord and the great mid-century Danish artist Asger Jorn. The book was entitled "Fin de Copenhague," and it was composed of images they had drunkenly stolen from a magazine kiosk, cut up, and reassembled to suggest what Debord theorized as a complete revolutionary transformation of everyday life. Jorn augmented the book with colorful action splatters. It was signed by both authors and issued in a very limited edition less than 100. Gorgeous.

What is your favorite part of being a bookseller?

My favorite part of being a bookseller is connecting with other book lovers, learning new things from both buyers and sellers, and handling interesting books.

Do you have an open storefront or have you in the past?

I have managed two high volume used and rare bookstores, and I am currently open to the public by appointment only.

If so, do/did you have any bookstore pets?

We do not currently have an bookstore pets, but there have been many cats over the years.

What is the funniest / strangest / scariest thing that ever happened in your store?

I have had a number of crazy experiences as a bookseller. We used to be open all night on Friday night in a very fringe part of a large metropolitan city, and so I have seen a lot of stuff. I once had a guy pull a gun on me.

What is your favorite bookshop (other than your own)?

My favorite bookshop was Serendipity Books in Berkeley. Now, I would have to say my favorite is in Paris -- Librairie Lecointre-Drouet.

What do you personally like to read? Collect?

What I read changes, of course. For many years I focused on poetry and the Modernists. Virginia Woolf and Julio Cortazar opened worlds for me. I collect Photography books, mid-20th Century Avant Garde publications, and anything on Dada or Surrealism. I also have a very large Beat Generation collection.

What's your favorite book you personally own? Would you sell it, if the price were right?

My favorite book in my own collection is "Fin de Copenhague" by Guy Debord and Asger Jorn. It will be the last book I sell, but -- yes -- it too will be for sale one day.

What one book would you buy if price were no object?

I own one signed James Joyce, but I would love to have a signed copy of the Shakespear and Co. Ulysses.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could bring three books, what would they be?

The three books I would take to a desert island would be the Tao te Ching (Stephen Mitchell translation), Rilke's Duino Elegies, and Julio Cortazar's "A Change of LIght."