I had a terrific time chitchatting with Ed and artist Mary Kay Watson about books, favorite authors, book blogging, and bookstagramming. We had a lively discussion! We dug down a bit into how traditional blogging differs from bookstagramming and the visual focus of Instagram.
We also mused about whether bookstagram makes people more creative and if, as a digital platform, it is contributing to the death of the paper book. What do you think?
Click to watch the video. Follow the Rare Book Cafe on Facebook for more bookish conversations.
Click to watch the video. Follow the Rare Book Cafe on Facebook for more bookish conversations.
Mary Kay went on to discuss James Audubon and his bird paintings. That may seem like a 180-degree switch! But Audubon's bird paintings were originally made to order and delivered to subscribers who came to love his beautiful and informative pictures of birds. He went on to inspire Audubon Societies for the preservation of birds and their habitats. That is not unlike bookstagrammers who inspire their followers with beautiful pictures of books!
Mary Kay is the creator of the Tangled Shakespeare series, a retelling of Shakespeare plays in gorgeous illustrations. Check out her work!
THE RARE BOOK CAFE
Rare Book Cafe a weekly live-streamed program about antiquarian books, ephemera, and related materials, and the people to collect, curate, and sell them. The producers describe it as "the book lovers' rendezvous."
Usual topics include antiquarian books, rare books, collectible books, unusual books, vintage photographs, antique maps, rare prints, and ephemera. Guests typically include antiquarian booksellers, authors, collectors, and anyone else with an interest in these topics.
Rare Book Cafe is live streamed every Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Facebook. You can find replays on YouTube and on the Rare Book Cafe page on Facebook.