A book about a pothole full of flower petals

And other world wonders

Hi, everybody. I’m announcing a new book today. It’s the second installment of my Observations series that started in 2019 (and maybe the last?¹).

Observations is/was a daily list blog where I shared something I experienced out in the world every day. A lot of found objects on the street, a lot of mundane acts of beauty and oddity witnessed at festivals and venues and in the regular course of life.

Anything that rose out of the ordinary and made me feel like I have to put it somewhere ended up on the website. And now the cream of the crop, the most memorable items from its second year, are in this book.

There are strands of lampshade fiber dancing in the air-conditioner wind, dump truck drivers eating ice cream on the job, fathers and sons riding hoverboards, and even a tiny hairless chihuahua whose penis was so big it had trouble walking. (Sad ☹️)

I noticed when I was compiling the first Observations book that the notes take on more meaning when they’re juxtaposed with others from the same week. Connections can be drawn and some sort of unconventional constellation of narratives emerges from the book as a whole.

In Year Two like in Year One, each week is paired with a risograph illustration from designer Lauren Gallagher that reflects, through a mix of Lauren’s astuteness and talent and the Rorschach effect, the stories it accompanies.

The edition is limited to 250 copies and it’s printed in the United States. I sign every copy. I’m opening pre-orders now to fund printing, and the books will ship in June.

Am I a dingus for announcing a preorder campaign on a Sunday afternoon? Maybe. Am I excited anyway? Yep.

Thank you for reading and considering and making all of these creative experiments possible!

—Spencer

1. Unless I get the gumption, the capital, and the editor to compile all five years of the blog someday.