Yesterday, National Public Radio had an interview with artist Caitlin Phillips who makes purses out of discarded books.

Like most of us, Phillips was hesitant initially to cut books apart. But a job in a used bookstore opened her eyes to the huge numbers of out-of-date and damaged books that end up in dumpsters every year.

"It kills me to throw anything away," Phillips says, "and throwing a book away just seems like the worst thing ever."

Recyling books into art isn't...

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Book publishers are releasing classic works of literature with appealing feminine covers--but is the artwork misleading?

The New York Times has an article in their Real Estate section today about the Minnesota Center for Book Arts and the role it has helped play in the revitilization of a Minneapolis neighborhood.

I had the opportunity to visit MCBA last year and was really impressed with their Open Book building. The building is owned by 3 non-profit groups who joined forces to create a book and literature mecca. Want to learn letterpress printing or how to make paper? Take a class at MCBA. After class, head on upstairs to the Loft Literary Center to attend a writing class or hear an author talk. Milkweed Editions, also in the Open Book building, is an independent non-profit literary publisher.

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