Bonjour Tristesse (Hello Sadness)
First editions are like virgins in a brothel: sought after, rarely fondled and destined to live out their days in a basement somewhere. Thankfully, these beauties can still be found in second-hand bookstores, or if you're lucky enough (hint), will come to you from a dear friend...
Bonjour Tristesse takes the reader to the South of France through the scheming eyes of Cécile, a 17-year-old hedonist on vacation with her father Raymond, the sensual and fetching widower, and his conservative mistress, Elsa.
The Big Bento Box of Unuseless Japanese Inventions
Meet Kenji Kawakami, designer, pathological mail-order enthusiast and author of this book. Kawakami is the founder of Chindogu, the art of the 'unuseless' idea and the tome's premise. He's developed an entire philosophy around bizarre gadgets. There are 10 tenets of Chindogu; man-made objects that have broken free from the chains of usefulness.
Is Not Magazine issue #11
Is Not Magazine. A magazine. A poster. Known locally for insane parties and lauded internationally for original, prize-winning design: it confused the hell out of passers by. It fostered local artists and writers. Many a parent of Is Not contributors could proudly say "Well, at least my child has stopped burning hedges.
The Walking Dead
Here's something that annoys me about interesting stuff: as soon as it gets juicy, it's all over. This truth I apply across the board to relationships, independent publishing, acne, everything. But especially to zombie movies. So many questions are still left unanswered in this, the greatest of genres.
Canvas Magazine
Canvas Magazine is the love child of a fashion fanatic and her design savvy boyfriend. Straight out of Le’Brisbane, Canvas covets high-fashion and profiles art practioners and well, beautiful things. Captured with brilliant photography from the likes of Martin Bleasdale.
The latest issue houses the wares of jewellery designer Paula Kyle Walden and an interview with Chris Do, the director of design studio Blind.
Good Sex Illustrated
In 1973 French writer Tony Duvert conducted a close reading of a series of children's sex manuals with the aim of revealing how the ‘sex-positive' culture of the 1960s had been officially rerouted into promoting the nuclear family. Perhaps because of his passionate belief in the integrity of unpoliced sex and pleasure and the contention that sex education retards what might otherwise be naturally developed sexual behaviour and attitudes, Good Sex Illustrated was met with controversy.
My Mistress's Sparrow is Dead
Jeffrey Eugenides knows about love. Dave Eggers, the 'Bono of lit', knew that Jeffrey knew about love, and asked him to compile a book of love stories. In 25 parts, My Mistress's Sparrow is Dead charts that many-splendoured thing from its first flush to its final denouement, from 'voyeuristic longing to disenchanted entanglement'.
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