August 25 - McLeod Books, Vancouver

Yep, just about my favourite place of all is McLeod Books in downtown Vancouver. It's an easy place to spend money, so principles have to go out the window. For example, I've long bought every 1940s edition I see of Robert Swanson's poetry, because I don't see them very often: except at McLeod's this time, where there were five softcover copies of the first volume (between the first and eighth edition, with the eighth edition signed by the author) and two hardcover copies of the second volume. And not even I'm spending $200 on a bag full of Robert Swanson! Instead:

• Brian Aldiss, Hothouse ($5, 1962: "In the far distant future, humans are tiny, green-skinned beings living in a vast tree")
• John Berger, Pig Earth ($7)
• Canadian Forestry Association of BC, British Columbia's Timber Harvest ($10, 1950: brochure heaven!)
• Canadian Pulp and Paper Association, National Asset - Native Design ($20, 1956: I'd call this also an example of brochure heaven, except that words thus far fail me for this exploitative puff-piece for More Logging Now that pretends to honour Indigenous art)
• The Mentor, no. 181 ($5, 15 June 1919: "American Naturalists," by Ernest Ingersoll, with several prints suitable, as they say, for framing)
• Alfred R.C. Selwyn, Journal and Report of Preliminary Explorations of British Columbia ($20, 1872: geological survey report to Parliament)
• George R. Stewart, Earth Abides ($5, 1949: "A novel about tomorrow that could happen today ... the aftermath of a catastrophe that has wiped out almost the entire population of America")