Rejoice, Book Lovers. The Bibliophile Society of Rochester revitalized!

Rejoice, Book Lovers. The Bibliophile Society of Rochester revitalized!

From Eugene Kramer’s collection. He wrote the Society Newsletter for about twenty years.

Founded in 1986, the Bibliophile Society of Rochester  has been a literary Gem on the Genesee.

With a diverse membership and following — serious book collectors, modest and haphazard collectors, local historians, curators, librarians, academics, and people who just enjoy being around interesting books and book lovers — the programs and meetings have covered of wide range of subjects.  More than anything, the mission of the Society is its motto ~ “Good Books, Good Friends.”

IOBANL-RochesterA-11-03

At the 31st Annual Rochester Antiquarian Book Fair Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson (right) and Society member, local historian and author Donovan Shilling. Johnson was a guest speaker several times.

Bib Soc Roc - 1

Some of the books discussed by Society bibliophiliacs over the years from member Ed Hahn’s bookcase. Ed say: “I have many of the BSR newsletters to turn over to the new regime. I saved them because I am a book collector, and by extension , a saver. I was an original member when the BSR started in 1986. Good to see it become active again.”

To name just a few, topics have included Pulp Literature of YesterYear  from the Syracuse University library archive, Collecting African-American-Americana  with  broadcaster and journalist Wyoma Best, Rochester Printers  with RIT’s Herb Johnson, Hospital History: RGH and Other Myths  with curator Philip Maples, and From Incunabula to Sibelius: A Brief History of Music Printing with Sibley music librarian G. Dale Vargason.

On occasions, authors have debuted new fiction from all genres. I recall enjoying literary talks by University of Rochester Professors Paula Backscheider and Frank Shuffelton.

And field trips! RIT’s Printing School, Eastman House, University of Rochester’s Department of Rare Books & Special Collections, the Cornell University library, and Mark Twain sites in Elmira.

Sadly, however, about three years ago the Society disbanded.

But the hiatus — the descent into The Dunciad— is over!

On Wednesday February 24th at 7pm at the Brighton Town Hall the revitalized Bibliophile Society of Rochester  is reconvening.  At the very least, 40 bibliophiliacs — of all generations — will be there. Speakers are being arranged as I write. And you can see my father’s newsletter archive as well as other material saved by Ed Hahn.

For more information call 244 – 2505.

UPDATE: From the February 24th event at the Brighton Memorial Library

Brighton Memorial Library, 1/25/16 (back) David Kramer (front” Harvey and Pat Granite [Photo: Biliophiliac]

ON OTHER LITERARY HAPPENINGS

Guys, dolls and apples at the Writers and Books Scavenger Hunt for Rochester Reads

A little bit of the Moulon Rouge and Greenwich Village

About The Author

dkramer3@naz.edu

Welcome to Talker of the Town! My name is David Kramer. I have a Ph.D in English and teach at Keuka College. I am a former and still active Fellow at the Nazareth College Center for Public History and a Storyteller in Residence at the SmallMatters Institute. Over the years, I have taught at Monroe Community College, the Rochester Institute of Technology and St. John Fisher College. I have published numerous Guest Essays, Letters, Book Reviews and Opinion pieces in The New York Times, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, the Buffalo News, the Rochester Patriot, the Providence Journal, the Providence Business News, the Brown Alumni Magazine, the New London Day, the Boston Herald, the Messenger Post Newspapers, the Wedge, the Empty Closet, the CITY, Lake Affect Magazine and Brighton Connections. My poetry appears in The Criterion: An International Journal in English and Rundenalia and my academic writing in War, Literature and the Arts and Twentieth Century Literary Criticism. Starting in February 2013, I wrote for three Democratic and Chronicle  blogs, "Make City Schools Better," "Unite Rochester," and the "Editorial Board." When my tenure at the D & C  ended, I wanted to continue conversations first begun there. And start new ones.  So we created this new space, Talker of the Town, where all are invited to join. I don’t like to say these posts are “mine.” Very few of them are the sole product of my sometimes overheated imagination. Instead, I call them partnerships and collaborations. Or as they say in education, “peer group work.” Talker of the Town might better be Talkers of the Town. The blog won’t thrive without your leads, text, pictures, ideas, facebook shares, tweets, comments and criticisms.

Donate

Like what you see on our site? We’d appreciate your support. Please donate today.

Featured Posts

Loading