As early as middle of last year, it was clear to me both as an organiser and a small press publisher that the next step in the continuing development of the Philippine small press movement is to explore actual physical brick-&-mortar retail (compared to online retail and events-based retail). I knowingly joined and initiated conversations and partnerships with institutions like NBDB, Visprint (via the first Aklatan event), and even guesting Mountain Cloud in the 2013 BLTX discussion on book distribution with this plan in mind, slowly developing notions and plans leaning towards an exploration of the possibilities of the small press working with an actual physical bookstore. One of the areas/ideas I wanted to explore was the collision of the capitalist requirements of (smallish) businesses and the anti/extra-capitalist notions of the (smallish) independent arts community that has developed around BLTX, the compromises involved from both sides, the personal push to develop a responsible rapport between the two. And even inside of only three weeks, co-running Uno Morato with Harris and Carl and analysing the nitty-gritty details of balancing debt with earnings with the nitty-gritty details of the reality of the small independent press ... it has been an interesting and important three weeks. Which is why this coming July 19s BLTX, happening in Uno Morato, is going to be very interesting for me, not to mention very important to me. Im planning on doing a discussion about small press and retail and responsible business practices for the BLTX after this Julys, hopefully sharing some of our findings, practices weve developed. But for now - the fifth BLTX, now on its fourth year, this coming July 19, Saturday, at Uno Morato, from 3PM to whatever hour we feel like it, as were running the store now, my goodness! CC: Chingbee, Katrina, Beverly, Josel, Carljoe, Harris!
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 02:32:45 +0000
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