I left last Thursday afternoon for Philadelphia to attend “The Hybrid Book: Intersection and Intermedia,” a book fair and conference about “the book as a hybrid art form and book arts as multi-disciplinary.” It was pretty intense; particularly, for me, two dense afternoons working through over seventy tables of artist’s books. In many ways, this kind of rampage through a room full of books is the easiest way to add to the Book Arts collection — you have to see the book to know whether it’s successful, and a good fit for the collection; and you can see an awful lot of books in 10 hours of fair time. (I’ve also developed coping strategies to deal with the overstimulation, such as a hotel room to myself and some bibliotherapy in the form, this time, of Anthony Trollope’s travel book North America.)

The organizers had asked a number of institutions to award “Purchase Prizes,” a new concept for me. Essentially, I made a public announcement that Columbia would buy a particular book, and the winner got a certificate to display the last few hours of the fair. It was so hard to pick just one for the announcement; there were many wonderful books, many young artists, many old friends.

I selected a book called pink story, a set of two volumes, each telling the story of women’s lives in a different way. The books aren’t bound as codices, but rather fold out into spirals, one right-turning, and one left. pink story: dextral started out as a piece in an art exhibit by Barb Hunt using pink paint chips and their evocative names to chart a woman’s life, and some of the stereotypes and preconceptions she faces, from newborn pink through sweet sixteen to bed of roses. Marlene MacCallum worked with her to turn it into a book, then made the sister volume pink story: sinister, which traces a similar story using beautiful photogravures of interior spaces. The book is carefully conceived, beautifully executed, and a little quirky.

For months, I’ve been trying out this line with artists and dealers: “I buy books, not art.” pink story pushes that envelope in many very interesting ways. But it clearly has narrative, a (curly) linearity, content worth engaging in, and perfect craftsmanship, so I’m pretty comfortable with it as an appropriate and wonderful addition to the Book Arts collection.

pink story hasn’t even arrived at the Library yet, and I can’t pay for it until the new fiscal year starts in July; then it will be cataloged and made ready for the shelf. With luck, it will be ready to be read in the new semester, come September. Until then, you can get a sneak preview at the link above, or ask me to recommend other interesting books in the collection.