Faced Out, with Brad & Liz

Hi everybody --

It's been a very long time between recordings. Much has been happening -- in our bookselling world and the world beyond bookselling.

In today's episode, we crack open a few beers and discuss both. 

Arguably, things really get going about halfway through when we finally land upon the topic of the war in Gaza and the issues that attain to booksellers/bookstores taking vocal stands. At the time of this recording, only a few had really done so -- for reasons we discuss. And even now, arguably only a few more have done so -- also, perhaps, for reasons we discuss. 

It is a heavy way to end what is usually a pretty light-hearted podcast. But it was a conversation we wanted to have, and thought that perhaps others were (& are) having as well. 

Greetings! Liz & Brad are back & recuperated from Winter Institute, and they're ready to go with the podcast they thought they might record there ... but sociality and frivolity got in the way. 

In this episode, they discuss the happenings in Seattle, frivolous & otherwise, as well as other goings-on in the greater bookselling world -- like the goings-on recently at Small Press Distribution, Brad's ongoing lament about the state of distribution in general & the hopeful cry for something different. 

We're loving things, lamenting others. All in a day's work at the Faced Out Podcast. 

It's a rainy day .... so very rainy! Our heroes have parked a ways away, and consider the possibility that perhaps they might wait it out for a lull. They did not fully realize that the rains would continue for some eighteen days. Fortunately, the podcast they recorded while waiting is not that long. But it does have the feel (& sound) of a rainy evening, in the semi-dark, no longer in the confines of their posh conference room. The conversation is expansive -- it drips and torrents somewhat randomly. It does what it does. 

We took a bit of a break after our blow-out 20th episode way back in April. 

A break from podcasting, that is. In this episode we talk about what we've been up to in the meantime: e.g., Brad stirring up a tempest (not really!) his comments about in-store events, our recent trip to New York, and Liz's mouse of the mind. 

It's a fun episode! Gather the children for a family-friendly activity together.

Episode 20! That sort of number feels sort of monumental, so we opted for a super-sized episode to truly reward your patience and attention!

Ah, but there are goodies along the way, fear not. What do we talk about this episode? Let's see -- certain PW & Shelf Awareness op-eds currently being discussed at length, the ongoing toxicity of Ingram, Liz references Captain Bligh again, Brad finds special joy in marking up the price of magazines. All this would normally be enough for a proper episode, but this is no proper episode! Stick with us for forty+ minutes, and then our calling card invitation to chat with Hannah Oliver Depp (Loyalty Books) again is accepted and things get really good & going. 

It's a great episode. We hope you enjoy. 

Brad & Liz explain what they've been up for three months (not much), discuss their feelings about Zombie Winter Institute (aka Snow Days), and talk with Matt Keliher from Subtext Books (Saint Paul, Minnesota) about  the NAIBA "Basic Bookselling" course. 

A Faced Out Podcast tradition has been born, a New Years special!

This episode was very quickly put together, and it sort of snowballs. If you think it starts of kind of meek and mild ... eh ... stick with it, I guess we'll say. There are thoughts expressed, even an Open Letter read. We discuss the year that was, with its friends & enemies, and what we anticipate about the year to come. 

Onward, 2022 ... it'll happen with or without us! 

Liz & Brad talk to the one & only (maybe there's more, but the only one near & dear to them as booksellers), Gary Lovely. Gary is currently at Prologue Bookshop in Columbus, Ohio. Gary schools them about Midwestern university town bookselling -- and dives into some of the challenges of distribution and mayhem that was 2020. Brad reminisces about Kentucky. Liz gives critical insight into the art of day drinking at the bookstore. It's all like a cacophonous musical suite that somehow works! We hope you enjoy and/or reach the aesthetico-spiritual 12-tone heights.  

Brad & Liz are back from their vacations, they're rested (more or less), and they're still keen to talk about bookselling! Today's episode includes a discussion of the ABA tomfoolery, supply chain hijinks, and sideline shenanigans. 

Brad & Liz dig into the various ways "normal" is said to be nearly upon us, whether we like it or not. Unsurprisingly, they have thoughts about how all normalcy is taking shape. They take special issue with new developments in corporate distribution, and risk some hope (or maybe just wishes!) for a different way forward.