Movin’ to a New Online Home

Peter L. Masi — books is moving from this spot (peterlmasibooks.wordpress.com) to a new home on the virtual range:

masibook.com

Please adjust any bookmarks or references to our new Web address. The posts here on wordpress.com will remain here for future reference, but new catalog announcements and the like will be at masibook.com.

Thanks! And we apologize for any inconvenience.

Catalog 264 – August 2023 – fresh summer stock

Click here to read Catalog 264.

well, file last updated May 23 – it’s august 1 – back to mostly pamphlets, some books, broadsides – plenty of new stock from recent shows, ephemera from Maine estate, and a visit to the Reese Co warehouse being emptied – spring and summer have offered new norm of whacky weathers – mostly we’ve had too much rain – garden is a disaster and cellar not much better – few sweltering days, currently lovely cooler stretch – should not have paid attention to pea package which promised 4-5’ vines – they hit 8’, flopped over into major mess – potatoes not looking happy with water – good bed of salad greens – root crops mostly leaf, little root – picking collards – broccoli all stalks and greens, few heads – tomato blight took year off but it’s back – some expired – planted many outside fence thinking deer would not eat – they showed me – eggplant persevere after flea beetle damage – few pepper plants failed to thrive – rest limp along – been picking romano beans, yellow squash, zucchini – cucumber vines starting to wilt – garlic looking solid – turned my back and onions got overgrown with weeds – corn happy so far – first pack basil seeds didn’t germinate – just planted seedlings from round 2 – saw infectious diseases specialist who ruled out lyme, so back to long COVID – symptoms seem worse, enhanced with bout of insomnia – have a carpenter undoing some years of home neglect by yours truly – nice to get work done – shame to redo work done not that long ago – your friendly bookseller a septuagenarian by time you read – early brunch with siblings, spouses and longtime dear friend edie brown last Sunday – baby shower for Zach and Lauren in few weeks – then summer papermania in Hartford – so here’s catalog 264– off to Eagle for hard copies and PDF distribution – sent with hopes you’ll be sufficiently seduced – at your service – peter

Catalog 263 – June 2023 – big book backlog

Click here to read Catalog 263.
well, file last updated March 2 – it’s may 23 – last two having binged on ephemera, bookshelves went full to bursting – Samuel Chamberlain collection bought over a year ago – variety pack from Capen family house in Monson – agriculture, architecture, camping, education – longtime customer’s parents house in Pawtucket – mom taught fashion and marketing at Community College of Rhode Island, dad ran Outlet Store in Providence – more deaccessioned cookery – curious clutch of British military unit histories – larded with miscellany of books sourced variously, not cataloged for wanting repair or research, some can’t recall why – meanwhile the world turns – burned last of firewood not so many days ago – after achieving ninety degrees for a few days – cross-country skis put away – garden tools fetched – plot rototilled, manure hauled, composts turned – much time and money to add 2’ chicken wire along base of wire grid fence to hopefully avoid last summer’s bunny feasting – peas up, potatoes planted, onions, beds of salad greens, turnips, beets, carrots seeded – collard and broccoli seedlings transplanted – Memorial Day on deck – traditional time to plant tomatoes, peppers, other sensitive stuff – thought low-grade symptoms over winter maybe long COVID, seems instead coincidental Lyme infection, so medicating – third time ‘round – highly not recommended – mild winter and ticks abound – zach and lauren visited in April – shared welcome news they expect baby in October – could be a whole new life phase – have yet to hear bad word of grandparenting – cleared spring fair hurdles – will set up at Paper Town in Boxboro early June and Papermania in Hartford in August – hopefully tackle recent ephemera and book acquisitions in between – off to Eagle for hard copies and PDF distribution – sent with hopes you’ll be sufficiently seduced – at your service – peter
cover: item 255

Catalog 262 – March, 2023 – dumpster-diving history’s scrapheap!

 

Click here to read catalog.

well, file last updated February 2 – it’s march – binge-city here mostly inspired by need for fresh stock for Ephemera 43, March 18-19, hyatt regency, old Greenwich, CT – we’ll be in our usual space back of the bus – not much news besides forced marches at laptop – woodpiles continue to dwindle – down with cold last week – decent snowfall few days ago – few days cross-country in montague plains – it’s 40 today – less rain than threatened – maybe more snow tomorrow – herein more pamphlets, broadsides, few books – tackled few accumulated piles – atom bomb, atomic power, more from Connecticut lot, national parks – mixed with more usual fare – sent with  hopes you’ll be sufficiently amused to acquire –

at your service –

peter

cover: item 37

Ephemera Fair, March 18-19, 2023, Old Greenwich, CT

We’ll be exhibiting at Ephemera 43, the annual fair of the Ephemera Society of America, March 18 and 19, 2023, Hyatt Regency, Old Greenwich, Connecticut, Booth 710-712, in the back of the hall.

For more information: https://www.ephemerasociety.org/ephemera-43/

We’ll be bringing thousands of pamphlets, broadsides and other sorts of printed ephemera.

For a list of a small selection of what we’ll be offering, Ephemera 43.

Catalog 261, February 2023: fresh stumbles through the scrapheap!

Click here Catalog 261.

well, file last updated November 2022 – it’s whole new year – garden under thin crusty snowcover – basic new England weather platter – maybe more rain than snow, but few modest snowfalls – enough for 2 installments of cross-country skiing – mostly montague plains – short commute – some serious temperature swings – coldest few to date on deck for the weekend – survived fall fairs and papermania in January – thanksgiving at sister’s in westwood – traditional Christmas tree cutting, decorating, gifting here with edie – Christmas day at brother’s in Amesbury – zach and lauren spent Christmas with her family then flew to Israel for five days, five more in morocco – woodstove-centric life here – probably burned through two of four cords – lapswimming at Hampshire athletic club snowless days – we’ll be selling at ephemera 43, march 18 & 19, hyatt regency, old Greenwich, ct – this year’s conference focus is travel – herein we’ve focused on accumulations of various aspects of travel – automotive, hotels, destinations, world fairs, menus, viewbooks – as well as much recently acquired ephemera relating to Connecticut – leavened with more usual fare – off to eagle for hard copies and PDF distribution – sent with best wishes for year ahead and hopes you’ll be sufficiently amused to acquire – cover item: 155 – at your service – peter

Catalog 260 – fallen leaves from scrapheap of history

Click here to read Catalog 260 PDF.

well, file last updated September – it’s early November – garden reduced to some hardy greens, mustard, turnip, broccoli raab, cilantro – first frost few weeks ago –  mostly mild, wet fall – pulled final tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, corn – cleanup time – heating season underway – woodstove-centric life – laptop cataloging, dining table, reading chair all nearby – Halloween in montague seven-ring circus, haunted houses, storyteller, kiddie train, blazing cauldron, several sorts live music, barbecue, jack-o-lanterns, tons of trick-or-treaters in latest character crazes – passed out peck of candy – few fall fairs been here an’ gone – pretty productive purchasing – Boston on deck and Northampton in December  – herein bit unusual masi mix – montague library deaccessioned civil and Spanish-american war regimentals – significant collection of early cookery – chef’s collection of menus and paul bocuse new year greetings – many dye swatch folders – leavened with more usual fare –- sent with best wishes for coming holidays and new year ahead, thanks for all your past commerce and hopes you’ll be sufficiently amused to acquire – at your service –

peter

cover: item 136

Boston Book Fair Time!

Dear Friends,

We’ll be participating in 2 book fairs this week:

From Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at noon through Friday, November 9, 11 pm, we’ll be selling at Getman’s Virtual Boston Book, Print and Ephemera Satellite Show: https://getmansvirtual.com/

On Saturday, November 12, 2022, we’ll be exhibiting live at the Boston Rare Book and Ephemera Fair, Back Bay Events Center, 180 Berkeley St, Boston, 8 am – 4 pm: https://www.rarebooksboston.com/

For a list of some highlights we’ll be bringing to the live show, click here.

Catalog 258. Summer stock.

Click here to read Catalog-258.

well, file last updated just over  month ago – been a bit of a binge on my end – inspired by upcoming ephemera show where we will have a booth – plus usual critical mess of material awaiting cataloger attention – much has been put on hold – housekeeping most evidently – and it will be a tight squeeze – but here it is –  things happen quickly these days – Ukraine has displaced the virus above the fold – rare opportunity for western unity – virus number headed south hopefully for good – basic new England weather platter – bit of snow few weeks ago – got in few days of cross-country – today near sixty degrees – tomorrow rain – firewood down by over half but plenty on deck – last of apples in latest pan of apple crunch – some onions and potatoes still in storage – even a pumpkin – bit of pesto in freezer, maybe a jar of pickles – been swimming at Hampshire athletic club, jogging over taylor hill, even few bike rides for exercise and fresh air – zach and fiancée lauren planning july 1 wedding in lansing, ny – edie finally closed on sale of owl pen books – new owners young couple from southern California with no experience as booksellers – boot camp time – edie plans to sell online from home – fair season for yours truly – 3 in a row – Ephemera 42, march 19-20, hyatt regency, old Greenwich – paper town, april 16, Boxboro regency hotel, boxborough, ma – Allentown paper show, april 30-may1, Allentown fairgrounds, Allentown, pa  – masi mix 257 in hand – predominantly pamphlets, broadsides – bit strong on architecture, books about books, cooking, travel, textiles, some more dye books, bit of politics – odds’n’sods – hopefully just the thing for you

at your service –

peter

Catalog 257 – Forced March into March Madness

Click here to read catalog-257.

well, file file last updated just over  month ago – been a bit of a binge on my end – inspired by upcoming ephemera show where we will have a booth – plus usual critical mess of material awaiting cataloger attention – much has been put on hold – housekeeping most evidently – and it will be a tight squeeze – but here it is –  things happen quickly these days – Ukraine has displaced the virus above the fold – rare opportunity for western unity – virus number headed south hopefully for good – basic new England weather platter – bit of snow few weeks ago – got in few days of cross-country – today near sixty degrees – tomorrow rain – firewood down by over half but plenty on deck – last of apples in latest pan of apple crunch – some onions and potatoes still in storage – even a pumpkin – bit of pesto in freezer, maybe a jar of pickles – been swimming at Hampshire athletic club, jogging over taylor hill, even few bike rides for exercise and fresh air – zach and fiancée lauren planning july 1 wedding in lansing, ny – edie finally closed on sale of owl pen books – new owners young couple from southern California with no experience as booksellers – boot camp time – edie plans to sell online from home – fair season for yours truly – 3 in a row – Ephemera 42, march 19-20, hyatt regency, old Greenwich – paper town, april 16, Boxboro regency hotel, boxborough, ma – Allentown paper show, april 30-may1, Allentown fairgrounds, Allentown, pa  – masi mix 257 in hand – predominantly pamphlets, broadsides – bit strong on architecture, books about books, cooking, travel, textiles, some more dye books, bit of politics – odds’n’sods – hopefully just the thing for you

at your service –

peter

cover: item 168