I've heard this question so many times you'd think books were as impossible to find as dinosaurs. In peril is the publishing industry as we know it, not the book, and with the advent of print-on-demand publishing, some are finding new models to create and distribute books. One such innovator is Matthew Stadler, who appeared in conversation last night with author and curator Lawrence Rinder at Kadist Art Foundation. In 2009 Stadler cofounded the Portland-based Publication Studios with Patricia No. Now with six imprints spanning North America, Publication Studios offers a glimpse of the possibilities of independent outfits producing handcrafted books.
Stadler is also an innovator in literature itself. He discussed at length his new novel, Chloe Jarren's La Cucaracha, which is what he calls a "cover novel" -- much like a cover song, essentially writing over and expanding upon an established work.