Thanks for the link. I made a book out of it.

October 13, 2010 4:48 PM

Back in November of 2007 I came across jonson’s fpp about Geoff Manaugh’s blog post on a photographer named Shaun O’Boyle. I really liked the photographs, and sometimes my job allows me to develop a book. So I did. Kind of about that link. I asked Geoff Manaugh to write the intro to the book, and he said yes, and then he surprisingly cited an unrelated Metafilter comment in the essay he submitted.

So, yeah, thanks for the link. The book's just been published. I hope the book does well, and if it does, thanks to the site for help making it happen. I think it would be accurate to say that this book wouldn’t have happened without you. Though it’s a little weird that all the key figures are no longer members. Except me, of course. Jessamyn helped me get cimborg’s permission to use the quote in the book, and at the time I offered him a gratis copy of the book in exchange for the permission. But alas, he’s no longer available through the site to get an address from. If you know who or where he is, let him know that the offer still stands. I've obtained jonson's email and have sent the offer of a free book to him as well. Thanks!

posted by Toekneesan to MetaFilter-Related at 4:48 PM (17 comments total)

Cheers, Toekneesan! Congrats on getting this done. I could have connected you with jonson, but none of the others.
posted by fake at 5:53 PM on October 13, 2010

This is awesome and you should feel awesome.
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:07 PM on October 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

Very nice. Will this be available at locally-owned, independent booksellers everywhere? Or at least Book People? Because I'm a sucker for really nice photo books.
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:36 PM on October 13, 2010

It's unlikely that Book People will have this in stock considering that it's a regional book about the Mid-Atlantic region. But let them know that Ingram has loads of it and they can have stock in a day or two.

Yeah, it's really a delight to see these things released into the wild. I was stunned to discover that Shaun had never published beyond his own efforts at self-publishing. In spite of the fact that pretty much every image in the book is already on his site, viewable by anyone, I recognized what the book and that kind of narrative structure could offer his images. The context I chose was the institutional and industrial history of this region. And then I tried to create a narrative out of that and invited some historians to give it some context. I hope it works. But the fact all of the visual content was already online made selling it to my director and editorial boards a bit of a challenge. I'm glad they were eventually willing to experiment.
posted by Toekneesan at 7:57 PM on October 13, 2010

Great story, classic MeFi!
posted by fourcheesemac at 8:21 PM on October 13, 2010

Congratulations, Toekneesan! This is super cool. (I love my fellow publishing mefites—they make the coolest books.)
posted by ocherdraco at 8:26 PM on October 13, 2010

I miss jonson's tendency to make great fpp's
posted by localhuman at 8:27 PM on October 13, 2010 [4 favorites]

I recently came across this well argued examination of the difference between digital and printed images. Worth a read. At least I keep telling myself that.
posted by Toekneesan at 8:59 PM on October 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

Obligatory "We Are!"
posted by Loto at 5:49 AM on October 14, 2010

That introduction is pretty fantastic on it's own.
posted by empath at 7:31 AM on October 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

Well done! Manaugh's intro is terrific, as of course are the photos. (Also, please tell jonson we miss him!)
posted by languagehat at 8:16 AM on October 14, 2010

mazel tov! happy everything came together so well, and i hope you manage to track cimborg down eventually.
posted by lia at 2:36 PM on October 14, 2010

jonson responded and a copy of the book is on it's way to him. He seemed really pleased that the post resulted in a book.
posted by Toekneesan at 3:38 AM on October 15, 2010

This is lovely and makes me happy.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:24 AM on October 15, 2010

But where are the snows of yesteryear?
posted by otio at 9:43 AM on October 15, 2010

Prince, do not ask me in the whole week
Where they are - neither in this whole year
posted by Toekneesan at 12:10 PM on October 15, 2010

Hey,
I'm going to be in New York this afternoon with a case of books. If you want one, or just an impromptu meet up, figure it out this afternoon while I'm driving and I'll meet folks somewhere at about 5. FREE BOOK! I have a commitment about 6:30 so I can't stay long. I'm posting something in IRL too. Hope to see you this afternoon.
posted by Toekneesan at 5:35 AM on October 21, 2010