jdworth wrote earlier, before taking up the cudgels:
Quote:The only complaint I have with such books is when they are the only edition made available of a particular writer or work. That sort of thing does seem wrong to me, simply on a selfish level of being able to read a work for a reasonable price [...]
I have no idea why you are debating with me on this subject--force of habit, perhaps?
I intended the statements you find objectionable to fall entirely within the context of the statement you made earlier, and which I quote above. In other words, while it is true that I do not care for such limited edition "quality" presses, I couldn't care less whether they exist, or whether people are willing and able to spend hundreds of dollars on collectors' item books. I have a
serious problem with them
only when the titles are, as Jim says, not available from any other publisher in any other format.
Now, to supply the context of my original remarks that you omitted: I am objecting to such a publisher being the exclusive current publisher of CAS's prose poems.
And now, while we're at it, let's supply the context you omitted from my comments that are specifically critical of Centipede Press. I posted them after reviewing the site and not being able to find anything there priced less expensively than a $50 paperbound book. It was the fifty-or sixty-dollar paperbound books which prompted that particular post, and not the "art books". If you are now going to defend fifty-dollar paperbound books as "examples of the bookmaker's art", then, well, feel free, but don't expect to be taken seriously.
Jim:
Apologies, as I was editing my reply just as I saw your recent response, below.
Anyway, I understand your point, but I would say that the fault lies equally with the small presses. I can see no justification for fifty- or sixty-dollar paperbound books (and this applies to mainstream academic presses, as well, who are some of the worst offenders in this regard). I dearly love books, but, if times for print materials are really so hard that publishers can try to justify such prices even for paperbound works, then perhaps print does have to die.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 6 Sep 11 | 07:31AM by Absquatch.