Dan Wagstaff
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danwagstaff.bsky.social
Dan Wagstaff
@danwagstaff.bsky.social
Book stuff. Manager of expectations. Toronto. He/him.

www.casualoptimist.com
Reposted by Dan Wagstaff
My latest @newscientist.com cartoon.

p.s. my new book of science cartoons 'Physics for Cats' is out now! Order from your local bookshop or online: www.tomgauld.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:20 PM
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From 1973, Ed Emberley’s Little Drawing Book of Weirdos. www.presentandcorrect.com/blogs/blog/e...
October 31, 2025 at 3:27 PM
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A halloween cartoon for @newscientist.com
October 31, 2025 at 11:27 AM
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New post: Updating Albertus for the City of London wemadethis.co.uk/blog/2025/10...
Updating Albertus for the City of London - We Made This
The story of the updated version of the Albertus font, designed by Toshi Omagari, used on the City of London's street nameplates.
wemadethis.co.uk
October 29, 2025 at 6:26 PM
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Opens tomorrow!
October 27, 2025 at 1:02 PM
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Today is Robert Rauschenberg's centenary; a wildly inventive & influential artist, he was born on this day in 1925. To mark the occasion, a thread celebrating his love of animals. First up, Rauschenberg working in the studio with his dog Laika, in about 1968. Laika looking really chill here
October 22, 2025 at 2:08 PM
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“Books need to have someone loudly clamoring behind the scenes to rise above the general masses"

The NYT talks to founders Naomi Huffman and Julia Ringo about their indie press Hagfish (Gift link) :

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/s...
They’re Trying to Publish the Best Books You’ve Never Heard Of
www.nytimes.com
October 14, 2025 at 1:44 PM
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László Krasznahorkai covers by the Office of Paul Sahre for @ndbooks.bsky.social
October 9, 2025 at 2:51 PM
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the absolutely terrific @ndbooks.bsky.social is responsible for every happy english speaking nerd (on this continent) right now
László Krasznahorkai
New Directions was founded in 1936, when James Laughlin (1914–1997), then a twenty-two-year-old Harvard sophomore, issued the first of the New Directions anthologies.
www.ndbooks.com
October 9, 2025 at 1:35 PM
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Lászlóóóóóóóóóóóóóó!
October 9, 2025 at 11:03 AM
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This is of niche industry interest, but here goes:

The digital catalog platform most independent bookstores use to peruse and order new books for their stores (called Edelweiss) has jacked up their prices on publishers to catalog new titles 200-300%.

Why does this matter?
October 7, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Reposted by Dan Wagstaff
RIP Patricia Routledge one of the best ever to do it.
October 3, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Here is my late look at some of September's more interesting book covers:

www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/09...
Book Covers of Note, September 2025
Hey. I hope you’re keeping safe and well. I’m posting this late on the last day of the month, but hopefully it was worth waiting for. I will let you get to the covers posthaste, but bef…
www.casualoptimist.com
October 1, 2025 at 1:10 PM
My book covers post is late again. It should be done by the end of the day but it does feel a little redundant after SPINE and LitHub have already posted 30 or so covers for the month between them...
September 30, 2025 at 5:13 PM
These new illustrated covers by Neasden Control Centre for the Vintage Classics editions of Julio Cortázar are great! Art direction by Suzanne Dean.

www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/09...
Vintage Classics Julio Cortázar
I like these bright and bold covers by Stephen Smith, AKA Neasden Control Centre, for the new Vintage Classics editions of Julio Cortázar a lot. It feels like an inspired match of illustrator to au…
www.casualoptimist.com
September 25, 2025 at 1:33 PM
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My latest cartoon for @theguardian.com books
p.s. My new book of science cartoons is here: www.tomgauld.com/comic-books-v2
September 25, 2025 at 9:46 AM
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RESTORATION is a "masterful - a ghost story where the ghost is capitalism’s oldest accomplice: patriarchy."

morningstaronline.co.uk/article/lett...
Letters from Latin America with Leo Boix: September 23, 2025
“I REMEMBER the first time Zuri showed me the house. He took my hand as we crossed the street, stopped on the corner, then said suddenly: This is it.” So begins Ave Barrera’s masterful ghost story Res...
morningstaronline.co.uk
September 25, 2025 at 9:10 AM
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Delighted to contribute to this article. I got to talk about CROWN, but honestly this is a very good list in and of itself. The readalikes are particularly choice. Well done, Slate! slate.com/culture/2025...
The 25 Greatest Picture Books of the Century
There’s been a revolution in children’s storytelling—and it’s not just that the stories are more diverse.
slate.com
September 23, 2025 at 12:51 AM
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My latest cartoon for @newscientist.com

p.s. this week I am on a USA/Canada tour with my new book. Details and preorder links at tomgauld.com
September 15, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Reposted by Dan Wagstaff
On the NBA Longlist for Translated Literature--
WE ARE GREEN AND TREMBLING by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, translated by Robin Myers
ON THE CALCULATION OF VOLUME (Book III) by Solvej Balle, translated by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell
September 9, 2025 at 9:11 PM
“Her essential insight is that people and things are completely insane, and she speaks from inside the whale.”

What a life.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/b...
Rosalyn Drexler, Artistic Whirlwind Who Defied Categories, Dies at 98
www.nytimes.com
September 4, 2025 at 1:33 PM
I don't have lots to say this month, but there are lots of great book covers all the same...
August 28, 2025 at 7:57 PM