The Dance Class Book Club - no. 1

Take My Books

Once a week, my daughter takes a one-hour dance class. The studio isn’t far from my apartment, but it's just far enough that going home and back wouldn’t be practical, so I stay.

A few months ago, I made a decision, one I can’t fully explain, as is often the case with my decisions. I chose to read my copy of Danny Lyon’s autobiography exclusively in the overly lit waiting area of her dance studio, and nowhere else.

So that’s what I did. It took longer to finish the book, and along the way I developed this strange connection between Danny Lyon’s life and a kids dance studio—something that exists only in my mind, but I enjoyed it. I had a routine, something to look forward to, and it kept me from mindlessly scrolling on my phone for an hour. So, I’m going to continue with this slow going book club of one.

I bought this one new and only dropped it twice so it’s in good shape.

Next on my reading list was/is Photography After Frank, a collection of essays by New York Times writer Philip Gefter. I’m not too far into it yet, but I’m enjoying it. Many of the essays are adapted from obituaries he wrote for The Times, which have inspired me to explore the work of photographers I wasn’t very familiar with, like Robert Misrach and Paul Shambroom. I have been jumping around a bit, reading the essays I’m most interested in, but they are good, so I’ll probably read them all.

FREE BOOKS!

I’ve also decided to start another new habit —giving away these books after I finish them. My apartment is small and my shelf space is limited, so I usually only keep photobooks. Rather than holding onto these, I’ll share them. Most will likely be text-heavy books on photography, art, or whatever else. I’ll be posting updates here, and once I’m done with each one, I’ll mail it to someone. So if you are interested in getting one of these books, you can DM me, mention it in the comments, email me, or tag a friend who might like it, etc. If there are multiple people asking for a book, I’m going to have my daughter pick someone randomly, that way if anyone is disappointed, they can be angry with her, because it will be all her fault.

This one has a nice Ryan McGinley on the cover. I bought it used and it is possible that it was stolen from the Boston Public Library, but not by me.

OK. So if you’d like my copy of Danny Lyon’s book to arrive in your mailbox soonish, let me know. Like I said you can DM me or do any of the things and you will be “entered”. Maybe after you read it you can give it away too, or stick it in your neighborhood’s tiny library, or give it to a stranger on the street, I don’t know.

Unfortunately, I probably can’t ship it to friends outside the U.S. unless you’re willing to Venmo me the shipping cost. If I spend too much on shipping, I won’t be able to afford new books. But hey, at least you’re not in the U.S. right now, so that’s nice for you.

I’ll let you know when I finish the Gefter book. After that, I’ll probably be reading Daido Moriyama: How I Take Photographs, since I just ordered it.

Thanks, you’re the best.

-Travis

While writing this I was listening to: