Michigan Daily I michigandaily.com t Thursday, November 18, 2010 weekend essentials Nov.18 to Nov. 21 '< ON DISPLAY ' ~The Hubble Space Tele- S scope has taken some of the most fascinating sed bookstores many secondhand book stores, images of the universe possess a certain and that is really unique," he ever produced. In w"q^ inscrutable charm: said. The Special Collections the warm, stale Library, housed in the Hatcher beVii t smellofoldbooks; themaze-like Graduate Library, holds his- by the UM Exhibit rows; the disheveled shelves; torical and culturally sinifi- Museum of Natural the sometimes-surly employees. cant books ranging fron ancient History's Planetarium, These hole-in-the-wall shops, medieval manuscripts to n- AK1 toverflowing with volumes of lit- temporary novels. Amon e the best of the images '. a erature by obscure authors, are collection's more notewothy are constructed into a a paradise for some, daunting holdings are a second folio of tapestry of the most and impregnable for others. the works of Shakespeare and beautiful sights the cos- "You either get it or you a manuscript in Galileo's own ' don't,' said Jay Platt;owner of hand, written in 169. ' mos have to offer. The West Side Book Shop on West "Some of our books, I would exhibit opens at 12:30 Liberty Street in Ann Arbor. argue, are in a very similar con- p.m. on Saturday and And from the look of his shop, dition to the way they were read runs until December A, - it's clear that Platt is someone 400 years ago," Alvarez said. who "gets" the appeal of books. This, according to Alvarez, 18. Admission is $5. Stacks of them surround the allows one to reconstruct the desk in his quaint shop, and reading experience of the book's shelves brimming with them original audience, aprocess that tower over him. A glass case in is only possible with a physical, the middle of the room displays printed book. the store's most prized volumes, "If you see many digital col- including pristine first editions lections, exhibits, very few of of "The Scarlett Letter" and them tell you how big the book "Through the Looking Glass." actually is, and that's very Platt, a University alum with important because you really T H- - |- a degrein naval architecture, need to know whether, for A TH V1I became interested in books instance, the Bible was held in when he went into a used book- only one hand or if that Bible MT&D senior Kacie store in New York City in 1970. was actually meant to be read in Smith will be present- "It was like turning on a light a cathedral," he said. bulb," Platt said. "I like the idea that you could ing her directing the- He got into the business that learn, not necessarily from text, sis, "And Baby Makes year and opened West Side in from the written word, but from Seven," today through 1975. an artifact." Saturday at 7 p.m. and one of the store's most impressive books is a Biblel. tomorrow at 11 .m. printed in 1610. It's a giant vol- Ilike the idea This comedy addresses tme, coe to five-inches thick that you cud learn, issues in the LGBT com- alda t i notnecessarily munity and discusses godinlay on the cover. Hold- notltael ing t t fi ! 4w 'w>fom C1-d lnt hard not to feel some sense of written word but structures. The show, wondeat its history a d 'ee written artwritten by Paula Vogel, substance. from an artifact.wlbeprrmdnth "Wrilieteph cipe-. will be performed in the ec b ai Bil - Pablo Alvarez Walgreen Drama Cen- more, ner of Dawn Treai ' ' ' " ter. Admission is free. Book Shop a few blocks aw-yon East L'ie'rt 1 Gillmore started However, the Internet is his shp the same year as Platt, chaning the wa people bu butthe founing i str was ad rad hbols. 'mthmore and more intal. m' e people toilng t c- "au ' i'' my, y landlord onic readers andperaps ore pushed me into it,"'Gillmore proinently to other types said. media, actual printed b alesA Gillmore had been workin aredectiin as a b kb' inde in the basemet i'ome used bokstres h ae of the Michigan Theater whn tied to adapt to theA hang-. his laidl rd told him he ',!'ad to ing buinss,t llingboks come Apl,%%ih a reail oi°n or online is time-cnsumng. The independent film hslean ' woldntern e'. D"id''Book oni, "iAiamSteet "Cherry" will be playing Anid soDawn Trdr waslorn, as beun todo mot ofits ui and Gilmoe got to eep hisnesvrth ebtonerEd tonight at 7:15 and 9:30 lease. Ktrnsimuchharder than p.m. at the Michigan DawU. n Tr adeare, c'ato t he opy of a crtain book in Ann for a Q&A moderated Spscia I ColectiAn. Library a 'Aorb'rthtanbody had en by Jim Burnstein. heUitrvsity. oryitars, and1" cold Charge "Iui thn Annrbour i %sry htve atdfr it. IThe rtrtatbeau, v wttirat t i th toun,th e so ''e USED BOOKS, P aA4B CONCERT Craving some electro- dance pop vibes? Catch the University alumni of My Dear Disco at the Blind Pig this Saturday. The group's shows are a unique experience, complete with the delightfully bizarre jux- taposition of new-wave synthesizers, Irish bag- pipes and the occasion- al megaphone. After playing a slew of high- profile summer gigs, the band has quite a following. Early show at 7 p.m., late show at 10 p.m. Tickets from $12.