The Dusty Bookcase
A Journey Through Canada's Forgotten, Neglected and Suppressed Writing
Will be published approx. on 2. November 2017
Book
Paperback/Softback
368 pages
978-1-77196-168-4 (ISBN)
Description
Largely drawn from his columns for Canadian Notes & Queries and entries in his popular blog by the same name, Brian Busby's The Dusty Bookcase explores the fascinating world of Canada's lesser-known literary efforts: works that suffered censorship, critical neglect, or brilliant yet fleeting notoriety. These rare and quirky totems of Canadiana, collected over the last three decades, form a travel diary of sorts-yet one without maps. Covering more than 250 books, peppered with observations on the writing and publishing scenes, Busby's work explores our cultural past, questioning why certain works are celebrated and others ignored.
Brilliantly illustrated with covers and ephemera related to the titles discussed, The Dusty Bookcase draws much needed attention to unknown writing worthy of our attention, and some of our acclaim.
Brilliantly illustrated with covers and ephemera related to the titles discussed, The Dusty Bookcase draws much needed attention to unknown writing worthy of our attention, and some of our acclaim.
Reviews / Votes
PRAISE FOR THE DUSTY BOOKCASE"Even if you're not interested in reading the books, The Dusty Bookcase's tour through an alternate New Canadian Library is well worth reading for Busby's insight and good humour. But if you're the sort of person who spends time digging through used bookshop dollar bins looking for forgotten gems, this is an indispensable bibliography to the hits and misses of Canadian literature's past."-National Post
"And so began a lifetime of scouring bargain bins, library book sales and obscure online auctions in search of the many forgotten gems of Canada's literary history, a never-ending search Busby first documented in columns and a blog and now in the entertaining book The Dusty Bookcase."-Toronto Star
PRAISE FOR BRIAN BUSBY
"A thorough and thoroughly entertaining study of Canada's foremost literary charlatan."-Geist
"Exquisitely written, and endlessly interesting."-George Elliott Clarke
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Emeryville
Canada
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 218 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
544 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-77196-168-4 (9781771961684)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Brian Busby's books include Character Parts: Who's Really Who in CanLit, In Flanders Fields, and Other Poems of the First World War, and numerous titles written under cover of noms de plume. His proudest achievement is A Gentleman of Pleasure: One Life of John Glassco, Poet, Memoirist, Translator and Pornographer, which was shortlisted for the 2011 Gabrielle Roy Prize. He and his wife currently live in St. Mary's, Ontario.