I've just made two fab discoveries, both unexpected. Yesterday I came across State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America at the Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle's Pioneer Square District. I was engaged in a little consumer waffling when my sister took it out of my hands and bought it for me. I'm happy she did. An anthology edited by Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey, State by State includes great material on all 50 states, each by a different writer—or, in the case of Oregon (Joe Sacco) and Vermont (Alison Bechdel) by artists. I've been drawn to the Deep South and the Plains chapters; thus far, Louise Erdrich's North Dakota, George Packer's Alabama, and Alexander Payne's Nebraska have thrilled me.
I don't think I've ever been more excited to explore the United States than I have been since November. This huge country that is mine has always been interesting to me for its corners, subcultures, and regional variations that have somehow escaped national homogenization. That interest stands. As of late, it's simply broadened. And now, with an eye toward a possible cross-country road trip next summer, I've begun to chart out week-long itineraries across the country. State by State certainly inspires.
I've also made a new magazine discovery in Canadian House & Home, the January issue of which I picked up at the Vancouver airport earlier this week while waiting for my bus shuttle to downtown Seattle. The magazine is clever and quite fresh, with loads of interesting articles and profiles. Of note: the "Storewatch" feature on Anne Pearson's Vancouver Special, a design shop with great modern inventory—including, among many other things, this chair—and a round-up of four Canadian design blogs (Kim Johnson's co-authored Desire to Inspire; Marie-Eve Best's Lake Jane; Arren Williams' Arren Williams Design Lab; and Jan Halvarson's Poppytalk.) They're all great blogs, quite divergent in sensibility and orientation. Best of all, in my estimation, is Claire Tansey's article "25 Things to Eat, Book, Buy and Read in 2009," which focuses on some outstanding Canadian food products. Among the products that got me smacking my lips: artisanal butter from Fromagerie Le Détour in Notre-Dame-du-Lac, Québec; a list of Canadian craft and microbreweries; and Avonlea clothbound cheddar cheese from Prince Edward Island.
In my head, it's been a very sea-to-shining-sea few days.
