Every year around this time the BookFinder.com team puts our heads together, crunches the numbers and cranks out the BookFinder.com Report; a snapshot of the nation's search trends for out-of-print books. After 10 years of researching the most sought after out-of-print books in America, we’ve learned a few things:
- Sex still sells: 20 years after it was first published, Madonna’s Sex has been the most sought after out-of-print book on BookFinder.com for the past ten years.
- Nora Roberts has very little influence on her fans: Despite Nora Roberts pleading with her fans to avoid Promise Me Tomorrow (a book she herself has described as mediocre), the book remains painfully expensive and highly sought after.
- Stephen King knows this pain all too well, he decided to take his novel Rage, which is about a school shooting, out-of-print some time ago and he just can't seem to shake the demand.
- Publishers should re-print more Alice Starmore books: Starmore is a rock-star of the knitting world; known for creating some of the world’s most intricate patterns and having written a number of books. Her book Aran Knitting appeared on every BookFinder.com Report from 2003-2010 until it was re-printed in 2011, only to be replaced by Tudor Roses (#60 in 2011 and #13 in 2012). Starmore also has several other out-of-print books including In The Hebrides (1995) and Stillwater (1996).
Many of the books we see on the BookFinder.com report persist on the list for years. Sometimes they were simply limited-run books that remain popular and demand always outstripped supply. Sometimes a popular author decides they want a certain chapter of their writing career to stay firmly in their rearview mirror (see Roberts, Nora). However, even after 10 years, there are still out-of-print books coming back out of the woodwork. Here are a couple of this year’s surprises:
- Kyle Onstott’s Mandingo has featured on several past reports. However, this year the author appeared on the 2012 Report three times: Mandingo, DRUM, and The Black Sun; more than any other author.
- Big League Sales-closing Techniques by Les Dane is considered by many to be a salesman’s bible, even though it’s been out-of-print since 1971. Word-of-mouth recommendations on internet bulletin boards and review sites have pushed the price of this out-of-print guide through the roof.
- Pure, White and Deadly; the Problem of Sugar by John Yudkin was first published in 1972 and outlines research showing that refined sweeteners are closely associated with heart disease and type-two diabetes. The book was all but forgotten, despite being highly topical, until it was featured in Robert Lustig’s lecture “Sugar: The Bigger Truth” which attained YouTube viral success. Because of this, Yudkin’s book was re-printed in the UK but remains out-of-print for Americans.
See the 2012 BookFinder.com Report, the hot 100 out-of-print books of the past 12 months.
Madonna del’latte, Ambrogio Lorenzetti c. 1330
I really enjoyed the museums in Siena in part because they were small enough to manage with children, and not so packed. But the best part was their troves of early Renaissance art. I like the early stuff because it’s not so all-fired perfect like the late Renaissance art. During the early period, artists had figured out a few things about perspective, but they hadn’t yet cracked the whole code.
The art from the early period also seems brighter and more colorful than the later Renaissance. I find myself relating to it because it’s more like what I’d want to create myself. Perfection in artwork doesn’t really interest me that much, probably because I’m living after the invention of photography. So the beautiful but imperfect early Renaissance paintings (as well as pre-Renaissance works) have an almost modern feel to me.
Disclaimer: this isn’t an all that scholarly perspective, so bear that in mind.
St. Bernardino Preaching, by Sano di Pietro (above)—This scene takes place in the same Piazza del Campo from my previous post. I couldn’t find a better image of it, but in real life the colors are much brighter. The building behind St. Bernardino is the color of papaya flesh.
(detail from The Siege of the Castle of Montemassi, by Simone Martini)
The image above is just a tiny bit of a beautiful and famous painting. You can see the artist has made an attempt to show the dimensionality of the castle, but it’s still a bit flat, with an almost cubist feeling. I love it.
Our favorite pieces in the museum were the nursing Madonnas. I had never seen anything like them and was so moved by their tenderness. Whoever thought of Mary breastfeeding Jesus? Evidently plenty of artists have, but I hadn’t. I found the images so intimate, so human. So different from some other Madonnas where she’s looking away from baby Jesus, holding him like she’s not sure whose kid this is but would someone please take him?
Evidently there are a lot of these lactating Madonnas from 14th century Tuscany. According to Wikipedia, they were “something of a visual revolution for the theology of the time, compared to the Queen of Heaven depictions.”
Madonna del latte, Paolo di Giovanni Fei
“During the Council of Trent in the mid-16th century, a decree against nudity was issued, and the use of the Madonna Lactans iconography began to fade away.”
Sigh. At least they didn’t burn them.
The coolest thing about seeing these paintings was how much my small children responded to them. I think the idea of baby Jesus being so like themselves, so like oth
All week, Beliebers have raged on about Arcade Fire, a band they’ve apparently never heard of. I’d like to introduce them to you. If you don’t have time to take a listen now, don’t worry, they’re going to make a record in the month of May. (That’s a little joke.) [Myspace]
And speaking of Justin Bieber, the young pop star’s remarks in an interview are the subject of widespread anger and controversy. [Rolling Stone]
Mr. Graham discovers the extreme fear of conducting a professional orchestra. [Morning News]
Looking for a totally normal cabinet? Then look elsewhere. [Like Cool]
So what do you do when you’re stuck in a Las Vegas room with nothing to do… [Awesome Robo]
And I thought apartments in New York were small! [GOOD]
Just makes you wanna make a big mess, huh? [Laughing Squid]
I think Finland may have a coffee drinking problem. [Charts Bin]
Some people think Lady Gaga’s new song sounds a lot like Madonna, but at least we got this out of it! [Omar Afuni]
Julian Smith interviews James Cameron in the most awkward way ever. [Crack in the Universe]
And lastly, do you want to see the best picture on the internet?
The Da Vinci Code tugs the veil off ‘the sacred feminine’. According to Dan Brown’s novel, this cult was ruthlessly suppressed by sinister elements in the Catholic Church. Brown’s Code suggests that generations of acolytes continued to worship ‘underground’, transmitting their faith in the language of symbols.
So – what if the same thing happened to cats?
Worshipped and misunderstood to the point of persecution, the cat has suffered a similar fate to the Magdalene’s. Cats, like witches, were once even burned at the stake. (Of course, cats’ fortunes, like women’s, are currently on the rise.)
It’s a little-known but fascinating fact that Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Rubens, Murillo, Lorenzo Lotto, Giulio Romano and many others inserted a portrait of a cat into their depictions of the Virgin Mary.
Intrigued by da Vinci’s sketch of a Madonna cradling a baby and a cat in her arms, I began to look into the matter a couple of years ago. You know how it is with cat lovers: one cat leads to another, and another. In the end, my quest put me on the road, on a journey through the backwaters of northern Italy, to abandoned churches in remote towns such as Bagolino, Isola Dovarese and Esine, and to Siena, Perugia and Florence.
The more cats-and-Madonnas I saw, the greater my craving. I became bold and implacable. Flabbergasted priests were dragged from their lunch tables to unlock their churches. Engaged couples arriving for their blessing were made to wait while I entreated their priest: ‘Lei sarebbe così gentile da mostrarmi la Vostra Madonna con gatta, per cortesia!’ (‘Kindly show me your Madonna and Cat, please!’)
In the library and on the internet, I tracked down yet more pictures. Cats are to be found with Madonnas in Russia, in France, in Greece, in America and in eastern Europe. Annunciations with cats. Holy Families with Cats. Births of the Virgin with cats. Tabby cats. White cats. Grey cats. Sleeping cats. Running cats. Cats who stare out of the painting, as if narrating the story. In the church of San Giorgio at Montemerano there’s a Madonna della Gattaiola, a painting of the Virgin with a perforation said to serve as a cat-flap.
Had I uncovered a secret cult? If I had, then it’s still secret, for no one has yet established the link between all these pictures.
However, all this exciting research came to a sad end. I thought the book was going to be published by a big American house that loved the idea. I’d worked with them before and was delighted with their enthusiasm. Then suddenly all the material was returned with a regretful note.
Wires had been crossed. I’d seen it as a $25 book, lavishly illustrated, something to appeal to the art market, the gift book market, the cat market and even the Christmas market. But the publisher had seen it as a very small gift book. And a $9.98 price tag would never support the reproduction fees for 80 paintings from museums and churches around the world.
Or so they said.
As I filed the research in a wicker basket, and regretfully set to work on something more commercial, I did idly wonder if Opus Dei (or Dan Brown’s sinister version of them) might have had a hand in the suppression of a 'Da Vinci code' for cats.
There are no cats in the Bible, an omission that has allowed some Christians to brand them as evil. (Llamas a
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Unconventional advertising for 'Sorcerer's Apprentice' (To promote this week's opening of the adventure film, Disney rolls out an interactive window display at the 34th street Macy's, as well as purchased ad space on Twitter) (Adweek) (AdAge, reg.... Read the rest of this post
Today we welcome back our Friday Forum series where Meredith (Gen Y) and I (Gen X) exchange letters and invite readers to join the dialogue in the comments. This week we take on Lady Gaga, our own pop icons and the new fame. Here's what we came up... Read the rest of this post
Cartoon Network Upfront (the lowdown on all the returning and new shows… including award show "Cartoon Network's Hall of Game," a "Looney Tunes" revival along with a stronger focus on primetime) (Animation Insider) (Reuters)
- Teens + Mobile +... Read the rest of this post
Of all the wall-to-wall Michael Jackson coverage we've been blanketed with over the past weekend, one story really jumped out at me — it was David Segal's piece in the New York Times about how fame may never be the same again. The gist is that... Read the rest of this post
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(VENICE, ITALY) Yesterday, I found myself in a miraculous position -- alone, on my knees, on the high altar of the Basilica in front of the tomb of Saint Mark, the brilliant gold of the Pala D'Oro shimmering in the background.
August 15th is Ferragosto here in Italy, and also Assumption Day, the day that Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was assumed into Heaven. It is an ancient pagan festival combined with a Catholic holiday.
From Wikipedia:
"Ferragosto is an Italian holiday celebrated on August 15. Originally, it was related to a celebration of the middle of the summer and the end of the hard labour in the fields. In time, the Roman Catholicism adopted this date as a Holy Day of Obligation to commemorate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—the real physical elevation of her sinless soul and incorrupt body into Heaven.
Before the Roman Catholic Church came into existence, however, this holiday was celebrated in the Roman Empire to honor the gods—in particular Diana—and the cycle of fertility and ripening. In fact, the present Italian name of the holiday derives from its original Latin name, Feriae Augusti (Fairs of the Emperor Augustus)."
Many Catholic holidays and images can trace their roots to already established Roman celebrations. This year, the full moon also coincides with the holiday. Combine that with a partial lunar eclipse later on today, and we have some heavy duty cosmic energy.
As I've said before, some of the inspiration for my novel, Harley's Ninth, came from my fascination with feminine solar energy, which, to me, is dynamic, creative and sensual. I have never been comfortable with the image of the Virgin Mary presented to me in my youth, and spent a long time researching the changing image of the female throughout the millennium. In fact, my young protagonist, Harley Columba, creates a new Madonna out of oil and canvas, and names her the Madonna of the Sun.
Yesterday morning, I heard the church bells ringing, loud and long, commanding everyone to come to church -- or at least remember that there was something else to do that day except have a barbecue on the beach. Without planning it in advance, I threw on a dress and headed to the Basilica. That, too, is a little miracle -- that I can dash off to the Basilica of San Marco if the mood strikes me.
I caught the tail end of one service, and decided to stay for the next. I asked one of the ushers for some candles so I could light them at my favorite Byzantine icon, the Madonna Nicopeia, who also stars in
Harley's Ninth. The Madonna Nicopeia used to march at the head of the army of the Holy Roman Empire, so I think she is not a shy girl.
I gazed at all the images inside the magnificient Basilica and thought about the state of the feminine in this day and age. To me, it feels like we are about to start spinning in another direction -- that the heavy hands that have been driving the world are about to lose their grip on the wheel.
Here is a blurb from StephanA. Hoeller's
The Gnostic Jung and the Seven Sermons to the Dead about how Carl Jung (one of my heroes) felt about Pope Pius XXII's decision in 1950 to declare Assumption Day a dogma of the Church:
"Toward the end of his life Jung perceived a sign of the times of great significance in the declaration of the assumption of the Virgin Mary made by Pope Pius XXII. At the same time when Protestant theologians, and even some Catholic ecumenicists, threw up their hands in horror because of this new evidence of old papal mariolatry, Jung hailed the Pope's apostolic constitution,
Munificentissimus Deus, as an evidence of the long'delayed recognition on the part of Christendom of the celestiality, if not outight divinity, of the feminine. In
Answer to Job he went on record, writing that this recognition was welling or pushing upwards from the depths of humanity's unconscious and that it could have a deeply beneficial effect on human affairs in terms of world peace. The elevation of the Virgin, he said, was an evidence of a very real 'yearning for peace which stirs deep down in the soul,' and it would act as a needed compensation to the 'threatening tension between the opposites.'
I'm with Jung on that one. I think it would be nice to make August 15th an international holiday.
In any event, it is a rare occasion when the Pala D'Oro faces out toward the congregation, and something awesome to see, If you are ever in Venice on one of the high holy days, I strongly recommend you make an effort to see it.
From Wikipedia:
"
Pala d’Oro (literally, "Golden Pall") is a high
altar retable of the
Basilica di San Marco in
Venice. It is universally recognized as one of the most refined and accomplished works of
Byzantine craftsmanship."
It was quite an honor to kneel at the tomb of San Marco, directly in front of one of the Pala D'Oro, one of the world's most sacred icons, which is about 900 years old. The sheer power of a wall of gold beaming at me... I felt all that power, all that sacred energy wash over me.. it was like taking a cosmic shower... I am optimistic for the future.
Ciao from Venice,
Cat
http://venetiancat.blogspot.com
Greetings from sunny Oxford (and for once, it really is sunny). It’s my turn once again to regale you with all things British and linky. So, let’s get down to business, what has been tickling my fancy this week in the world of the web…
Now, this is a big thing to confess. Especially in a forum as public and as respected as the OUP blog. But… here goes. I’ve never, ever seen a James Bond film. I know! However, I have plenty of friends who are committed Bond-o-philes, and who have not only seen the films, but read the books as well. As it’s nearly 100 years since author Ian Fleming was born, Sam Jordison of The Guardian takes a look back at the novels that triggered a film phenomenon.
Speaking of Mr Bond, Sebastian Faulkes - who has been given Official Permission to write a new Bond novel - reveals the books he couldn’t live without. For what it’s worth, I can’t imagine a life without Jane Eyre or Mrs Dalloway. I’m not sure I’d want to.
Out of all the essays I wrote when I was doing my English Literature degree was the one I wrote on Christopher Marlowe. I just love pretty much everything he wrote. The Reader Online posts an excerpt from Dr. Faustus.
A great jacket can be a winner for a book. Similarly, a bad one can spell disaster. The Caustic Cover Critic knows this, and has written my new favourite blog.
In a similar vein, I just can’t get enough of PhotoShopDisasters.
Madonna’s done it. Jordan’s done it. Now ex-Ginger Spice Geri Halliwell has gone and done it. They’ve all written books for children. The Independent asks: “They can sign autographs, but can they actually write?”
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One of a series for FHM Holland about ATM skimming while on holiday - be careful out there!
And then this little number - Old Madge still kicking it.
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By Kirsty OUP-UK
Saturday 16 June 2007 saw the Oxford offices of OUP transformed for one night only: the Oxford University Press Ball. These momentous nights only take place every few years, so it really is a special occasion. Below, for your viewing pleasure, are some photographs from the night in question. (more…)
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Did you know there is a collection of clothing based on Madonna's The English Roses? (Press release via EarthTimes.org.) Here's the scoop:
"The English Roses line was first unveiled in the US in the fall of 2004 and has been consistently hailed as 'the hippest line of girl's clothing inthe US market.' The bold use of colors and trendsetting designs, which are inspired by the illustrations of the five young friends portrayed in The English Roses children's book series, became an immediate sensation in theUS."
I guess this line isn't carried at Target, 'cause I've never seen it before. (I'm lucky in that--so far--my 11-year-old daughter has not noticed there are other clothing retailers out there.)
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Brilliant, Michelle! And how sad about the book: I would love to have read it and seen all the illustrations. And wouldn't it make a wonderful Christmas gift for a cat-lover? I shall be on the look out for Madonnas and cats in galleries from now on.
But perhaps it's mainly because pictures of the Madonna are usually domestic interiors, and what other animal is as likely to be indoors?
Miaou! I am glad you understand and appurreciate the impurrortance of our purrlace in the overall scheme of things!
Kath, I didn't want to overburden the post with details, but one theory about why the Madonna's companion is a cat is this: it's said a cat littered under the manger in Bethlehem and that the cat's maternal tenderness mirrored the Virgin's, while the cat and kitten provided entertainment for the baby Jesus. There's a story in Italy that pregnant women go to buy a tabby cat as soon as they conceive, and that the 'M' marking on the tabby's forehead signifies 'The Madonna'.
(In the case of my cat, it signifies 'Mischief'.)
Similarly, Mary came to embody the virtues of the Roman goddess Vesta, who ruled over the home and hearth. The cat, being the cleanest of animals, is associated with good housekeeping.
The sleeping cat is said to symbolize the Virgin's calmness at the Annunciation. Lotto's Annunciation, however, has a cat scurrying away central to the scene - the fleeing cat could symbolise the devil’s terror at the approaching Incarnation – or is it symbolising Mary’s own natural fear at both the news of the great spiritual revolution and her own impending pregnancy?
And a cat often seen stalking a goldfinch in Holy Family scenes may be less positive: the goldfinch was thought to be fond of thistles, thereby associating it with Christ’s eventual crown of thorns … a cat like this in a scene of Christ’s childhood could prefigure the threat not just to Christ but to humanity’s salvation at his hands. In this case the cat might be seen to be on the diabolical side of things.
I could go on ... but this is already in danger of turning into another post. Sorry!
Well, Michelle, I think the book should be published, and that your adult agent - is it someone at A.M.Heath? should pursue the matter.
On the topic of the Other Domestic Friend, we were in Paris for a wedding the other weekend, and as always when in Paris, nipped in to look at the Lady with the Unicorn tapestries. No cats there, but this little Maltese-type terrier, showing that lapdogs already existed in the late Middle Ages.
Goldfinches do indeed love thistle seeds - not myth.
I see you think of the cat as feminine ("gatta"). This is very common in the UK - cats referred to as "she" and dogs as "he". Very confusing for my poor Lorenzo, although he is not entirely male!
Fascinating topic and can I have the book please?
Thank you for all the nice comments!
Yes, the paintings are superb. And the research is all done, if ever anyone ever wanted to take it up in a more prosperous future.(Meanwhile I continue to check every Annunciation, every Birth of Virgin and Holy Family that comes my way on my travels). In this climate, sadly, gift books are getting smaller and smaller.
Leslie, A.M. Heath represent my fiction for adults and children (and do so superbly) but not my illustrated non-fiction. All the mistakes I make in the that department are my own.
Mary - now I have a female cat, they are all female to me. When I had males ... I suppose they were all Lorenzos.
I'd have to say that many of the cats in the paintings look female to me, with the notable exception of my favourite Barocci at Urbino. He is the cat that mitigates the entire narrative from the bottom left hand corner, with a direct and challenging gaze set upon the viewer.
And now we all see the danger of cat talk and cat world ... look how greedy it is of our time!
Cats do tend to be the sex of your current cat(s), it's true, until proven otherwise. Not sure if this works with children too.
That's an amazing story! I had no idea. Thanks for enlightening me. I smell a devinci code like conspiracy - throw a little cat nip on it and the cats will sniff it out!
The more I think about this the more I am coming to believe there IS a story in all this. I even have vague ideas as to a plot. Please do not waste all that research!
Amusing, this popular assumption that all dogs are male dogs and all cats female cats. How do the species reproduce, I wonder? Msybe with each other, and each cat produces a litter of half dogs and half cats. The big dogs have a lot of growing to do..