Los Angeles book fans, counting down the days until the start of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books next Saturday, received an early treat at the Shelf Life: Small Press bazaar at USC's Roski School of Fine Arts on Saturday, April 18th.

Vendors from a variety of small, independent presses were on hand to sell their publications and discuss the DIY literary movement. I missed the panel discussion but enjoyed hanging out, taking photos and asking questions.

Wacko/Soap Plant proprietor, Billy Shire, manned his table alone. I told him how much I like the updated ads for his store now running on the Time Warner Cable system. "I don't know if I can afford any more," he answered.

I then ambled over to the Re/Search table to examine the J.G. Ballard books for sale. I thumbed a copy of The Atrocity Exhibition, unaware that the literary giant would pass away the next morning. Speaking of missed opportunities, I scanned a dozen vintage 1978 issues of Slash magazine for sale at the Yes Press table.

"How much," I asked the kohl eyed hipster table attendant.
"50," she answered.
"Fifty cents?," said I.
"Fifty dollars!," she shot back.

Ouch. I should have saved all my old copies from 1979 to now sell on Ebay.

Editors Marc and Bobby Herbst hold court at the Journal of Aesthetic and Protest table. They are about to finish a new issue.
James Hoff, editor of Primary Information press, came all the way from New York for this event.