Biblio-Files

I’ve had a pretty long break. But I’ve had a pretty good excuse. I’m brushing up again—after more than a decade of hiatus—on baby books and building baby Spencer’s library (with more than a few of big brother Evan’s books that I clung to even though he’s now a pre-teen). Couldn’t be happier. Looking forward to restarting this blog and hitting the books again!

It seems fitting that in the dead of winter comes a book of essays that whisks you down a country road, where the sky is clear blue and, in my mind, the grass is a just a little bit greener. Even better, the author of the aptly titled So Much Sky, Karen Weir-Jimerson, lives on a farm just about 30 miles outside my hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, where she works as a freelance garden writer. Des Moines is also home to a slew of national magazines that you might recognize, including Better Homes and Gardens. Meredith Corp. used to publish Country Home, where Karen’s essays appeared on the pages every month for six years. Today, Karen’s column, “Slow Lane,” runs in Better Homes and Gardens Country Gardens magazine.
Reading Karen’s essays–first-hand accounts of living the rural life with her husband, Doug, and their two boys, renovating their 1903 farmhouse, and tending to their horses, donkeys, sheep, birds, dogs, and cats–is akin to sinking into a friend’s comfortable couch and laughing (or tearing up) over life’s simple and unexpected moments.
During a recent reading at a local bookstore, Karen shared with the audience heartwarming and often funny anecdotes of reader mail she has received over the years. One letter she recounted gave me a an idea to start at home with my son: A woman wrote that she reads Karen’s column aloud every night to her children as a bedtime story.

Photos by Mark Kegans

Karen, who earned her MA from the University of South Carolina where she did her thesis under the direction of James Dickey(!!), kindly shared a few of her favorite authors and books.
• David Sedaris. Karen says “He’s funny and dark and sometimes I laugh and cry in the same essay.”
• Verlyn Klinkenborg‘s essays that often appear in The New York Times. “Sometimes he says things that are so astute and so astounding. I just sit on my little green couch, green with envy.”
• For audio, “I listen to stories on ‘This American Life‘ and ‘The Moth.’ Both illustrate such amazing storytelling and wise editing choices.”
• Karen’s favorite fiction, she says, is a bit all over the place. “I love Dickens because he can weave together a cast of characters into a beautiful tapestry. And who doesn’t like spontaneous combustion as a way to get rid of a character (Bleak House)? I’m kind of partial to 19th-century British literature because I got my master’s in it–and poetics. So I like Thomas Hardy. And, of course, Jane Austen. But I like American lit as well. I’m currently working my way through Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. I just read The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman, which was so interesting that I read it again as soon as I finished it.

Here’s a visual glimpse into life on Karen’s farm.

Photo by Kritsada, courtesy of Country Gardens

Karen's formal garden. Photo courtesy of Karen Weir-Jimerson

Yukon photo courtesy of Karen Weir-Jimerson

Karen's farm includes a bevy of chickens. Photo courtesy of Karen Weir-Jimerson

How sweet is Archer the dog? Photo courtesy of Karen Weir-Jimerson

Just a quick post to wish all my bookish friends a happy holiday. I just finished (and loved) Stephen King’s 11.22.63 and have passed it along to my husband who is devouring it, too. Next up for me is SAUL and PATSY by Charles Baxter. I’m looking forward to hearing what everyone’s reading in the new year. Cheers!

Books near my fireplace.

In a recent post, we featured Wolfum‘s handmade bookends, which Jessica introduced me to at the New York gift show we attended last August. It was there that we met Wolfum’s founders, husband-and-wife team Annabel and Brendan. Annabel kindly shared some photos of the couple’s 720-square-foot home, which she says is nestled in the “tree bubble” of the Monterey Hills District in Los Angeles. I think you’ll agree that the house, though small in size, makes a big footprint with inspiration and happy surprises. Following is a Q&A with Annabel.

Wolfum's bookends are handmade using FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified walnut and Baltic birch.

The bookends were originally made as a gift to my sister and her two little girls. I had just discovered the printing technique on the wood and was so excited by the outcome, I had to design products, which could highlight the vibrant prints. The bookend idea popped into my head and it seemed like a natural fit. Once the first samples were made, I knew I wanted to make more. Plus the response from my sister and her friends was so encouraging.

When I was pregnant with our daughter, Birdie, I was somewhat obsessed with making our home welcome to her in a way that would be playful and colorful, but still work well within our style. We live in a small home, and I wanted items that suited our personality and were joyful, without being overly “baby.” I love the sweet animals and nature shapes (the pillows, below, are in Birdie’s nursery), then adding the prints and colors just made them all that more beautiful and vibrant.

William Morris wallpaper bookends the house, at one end in the living room, above, and at the other end, in the master bedroom.

Yes, Brendan designed and built all the cabinetry in our home. He has a special eye for making space saving, high design, multi-functional shelving and furniture. We have been in the space for about six years, and every few months, a new piece is added. His wood shop, called A Single Tree, manufactures all of the Wolfum wood products, as well as his own line of furniture and custom cabinetry and kitchens.

My book collection serves as a personal history. I trip through my amazing collection of plays from my years studying theatre and my fashion photography books from the ’90s, which were so influential. My textile and home design books are endless inspiration. Interior, print, and fashion design are everything to me, and my big, strong hardcover collectable books are pure luxury. Bill Gibb, Marimekko, Alexander Girard, Kelly Wearstler, Yves Saint Laurent—they are all vibrant, lively, and delectable. I have personal, intimate favorites—a book called Modern Interiors, which I found in a thrift store in Palm Springs has amazing photos of homes from the 50s and 60s. My husband gave me a book by Anghelen Arrington Phillips that has these amazing drawings of the gingerbread houses of Haiti. Each page features a detailed drawing and story of the home and its history. Also, I can’t leave out the functional ones as well: the Pantone book and The Baby Book!

"The outdoors is a testament to our lifestyle—our pets, our baby, our large extended family, and, of course, California," Annabel says.

Today’s guest post comes by way of my husband‘s friend and photographer, Randy Kepple. Randy’s daughter, Kara Kepple, is a self-described lifelong reader who is in her third year studying Human Services, Sociology, and Women’s Studies at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. 

Reading has been my passion for as long as I can remember. At the age of three, I was memorizing and reciting books for my family. During the summer, I visited the library and checked out a dozen books, returning a few days later for more. It was only natural that I would explore bookstores in my town when I left home for my first year of college.

In September 2009, I moved away for the first time to attend Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. Located near Vancouver, BC, Bellingham is a college town through and through, offering student friendly stores and plenty of opportunities to give back to the community. I never explored the town during that first year, but my second year gave me a chance to venture out of my crowded dorm and see what Bellingham had to offer. Being a Pacific Northwest native, I was used to living by bodies of water and islands, both of which Bellingham provides. However, I was pleasantly taken aback by the amount of bookstores in this area.

All photos by Kara Kepple

Historically, Bellingham was divided into four different towns: Fairhaven, Whatcom, Sehome, and Bellingham. The towns eventually combined to create the city of Bellingham, and the history still exists to this day. My preferred area of town is the Fairhaven Historical District. Conveniently, my favorite bookstore is nestled at the end of 11th Street, with proud “Eclipse Bookstore” signage to invite passersby inside.

Eclipse, which specializes in used and out-of-print books, is owned by David Carlson, who is clearly unable to control his book-buying tendencies. He treats everyone as if they were an old friend, asking about interests and following up with suggestions of new titles. Visitors are greeted with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, along with piles of books along every walkway. Rather than looking disheveled, these book piles are architecturally at home here. Even the owner’s Volvo station wagon parked outside the store is filled to the brim with paperbacks. With so many books in one place, it’s no surprise that Eclipse caters to almost any subject, whether one is looking for a specific historical title or a novel to read during rainy Washington days.

Kara’s books from Eclipse, right, show her interest in feminist literature, historical nonfiction, and biographies.

I am drawn to this particular store more than any other because of the perfect marriage of eclectic book selection and knowledgeable, friendly staff. Though I’ve set foot into almost every bookstore in Bellingham, I return again and again to Eclipse, perusing the shelves all afternoon, listening to whatever music strikes the owner’s fancy that day, and curling up in an armchair by the bay windows, never feeling rushed or pressured to purchase something.

If you ever find yourself in Bellingham, take an afternoon to stroll through Fairhaven and stop by a true Pacific Northwest book-lover’s paradise. Take in the views of sailboats and wander through the organized chaos that is the Eclipse Bookstore. Once you leave, you may need another bookshelf!