By: Lisa Anne Auerbach
Los Angeles: Self-published, 2012
Pages: 16
Dimensions: 8.5" X 11""
Cover: soft
Binding: staple-bound booklet
Process: digital
Color: b/w with 4 color pages
Edition size: 250

Many people are aware of Lisa Anne Auerbach's work through her well-known knitted political sweaters, but we are fans of the full range of her creativity which includes no shortage of 'zines and other printed things. Lisa was good enough to send us some copies of her latest small edition 'zine "Bookshelf" and it's lots of fun. As the cover photo suggests, Auerbach loves books and this short but writing and photo-packed booklet surveys her shelves through dozens of reflections on the books she owns.

Some books are remarked upon with opinions about their words and contents, but Auerbach is just as likely to reflect on where she got the book, who gave it to her, whether it's worth keeping or giving away, and what bits of paper or ephemera she found stuffed between the pages. She writes of the great essay and story collection "High Risk", edited by Amy Scholder and Ira Silverberg: I got this book soon after moving to Los Angeles and it introduced me to a lot of fucked up and wrong writing. I wonder if there is a contemporary version of this book. Who would be in it?"

The four color pages in the center of this 'zine are filled with detailed scans of odds and ends found inside books. These include Lisa's old personal photos and ID cards as well as various notes, receipts, and even a $50.00 bill. It's hard to imagine a book-lover that wouldn't enjoy this glimpse into one person's stuff. It's also kind of a goad to revisit one's own shelves and either do a little re-reading or a little weeding. Auerbach writes: "Since the last time I moved, last April, I've been going through the books one by one, making decisions about which books should stay in my life and which ones should seek other shelves. "Bookshelf" is a record of that process."