What Do You Do When You Have Too Many Books?
You sign and gift wrap them
Last fall, I participated in a few book events across the Midwest alongside my friend, James Spooner. James is the brilliant mind behind the 2003 documentary, Afro-Punk and the founder of the festival of the same name (though it has since changed hands). He’s also written two excellent books, including the recently published, Black Punk Now.
During a drive from Iowa City to Champaign-Urbana, James and I listened to Descendents and Fishbone, and I found myself venting about the hassle of hauling around bulky boxes of books to various events. While bookstore events were convenient, as the stores handled book orders and sales, at colleges and other venues, I was burdened with transporting my own inventory. The more college events I undertook, the less I felt the carefree author persona I aspired to project.
After my diatribe, James offered a simple revelation: for college gigs, you can order books directly from your publisher to be shipped straight to the college. After the event, if you have surplus books you'd rather not carry to the next location, a polite request to the college staff can result in them shipping the extras back to you—at their expense.
This worked, and before I knew it, I was again in and out of my events with pretty much no stuff. But after a busy fall, I now have a shitload of books at home. My wife and I are moving next week (no, not to California, just 0.6 miles away from our current Brooklyn apartment). So all of this is to say…
I will happily sign and gift wrap copies of my book and ship to anyone, anywhere.
You’ll need to order from Bandcamp, which is pretty easy, and also a great place to buy music—often directly from artists. Oh, and it’s a mere $20 per book.
The top photo showcases my gift-wrapping skills, while below, you'll find a picture my mother-in-law sent me last year. She's mastered the art of lighting, but I believe I nailed the composition. As you can see, this book makes for a splendid addition under the tree.
I’m excited about my upcoming conversation with Hanif Abdurraqib on Wednesday December 13 at Two Dollar Radio in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. I’ve been likening the event to my band opening for Nirvana, but with the added bonus that we’re on at the same time. I hope we get into the real shit, but it’s entirely possible that we’ll just talk about ‘90s rock, which, honestly, sounds like a worthwhile trip.
You can now listen to the My Life in the Sunshine audiobook on Spotify. I wish there was a way to integrate my book-related Spotify playlists with the audiobook… maybe someday.
I hope to see you somewhere soon. Upcoming events are always listed here.
Nabil Ayers / Brooklyn