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I hope you all are having an amazing Summer. It’s been hot all over–stay cool out there. We’re back in the flow (I think), and the skate books just keep on coming. If there’s anything we’re missing–holler.
It’s summertime and the days are long and hopefully warm and dry, perfect for spending quality time outside skateboarding and taking some days off work for a road trip or two. Sitting down to read a book may not be at the top of your list of summer activities, and since the majority of skate-related books are not exactly in the “beach reads” genre, it may mean that your reading momentum will take a hit. Fortunately, some of our favorite titles were made available as audiobooks, perfect for multi-tasking and long drives. I’m usually a bit of a snob about reading physical books (it’s the librarian in me!) but after an illness that affected my eyesight, I’m a new convert to the format and wish more publishers would transform their print titles to audio.
They’re accessible and sometimes it’s easier listening to a narrator bring a story or concept to life. Definitely consider these audiobooks for your listening pleasure this summer:
Contradictions can be a back and forth, an opposite, a reversal, or a change of heart. Everywhere we look, contradictions abound, arousing questioning thoughts; the ones we ask as we expand to discover the limitations within ourselves. I could list contradictory elements like education and money, government and anarchy, order and chaos, walking and cycling, trains and cars, safety and freedom – in fact I just did, and left a lot off. Sophie Yanow’s Eisner-winning graphic novel The Contradictions examines the contradictions we must internalize every day as we move about the world and struggle to learn and grow. The Contradictions is an autobiographical tale both written and illustrated by Sophie, following a younger version of herself and a shoplifting anarchist buddy on the
spring break of a study abroad year in Paris. The panels and drawings contain their own opposites and contradictions, with ample use of negative space and strong, direct lines. The words and lettering are arranged to annunciate the contrasts inherent in the black and white drawings, teasing out their own meanings and subtleties in each page’s story content as well. It all builds a mesmerising world of potential mixed with the piercing pain of inactivity. The throwback elements in the story – from blackberries to fixed-gear bikes to couch surfing – scratch a very specific millennial itch. The nostalgia and period-setting of the story, however, are enhanced by the clarity of its drawings, indulging in a classical hue enhanced by the European art and literature-enhanced setting. What seems like an economical way to tell an
epic story is sneakily complex. There’s a craftsperson’s care and balance in the weight of each drawing – a storyteller’s pause in the scarcity of words, each one slyly placed. Key to Sophie’s effectiveness in her storytelling is this physical and metaphorical use of blank space, which itself becomes a contradiction because instead of emptiness it allows for the swirling connective thought impulses of the reader to embody the space. It’s a clever technique that may come off as overly measured or even cocky in the wrong hands and requires a master illustrative artist to pull off, which delightfully, Sophie is, and what could be a saccharine tale of privileged learning is layered in with the bittersweet, the hopeful, the nostalgic, and the ambitious. In the end, was Sophie’s journey epic? Another contradiction to consider – but even if it
wasn’t, the panels echo and linger in the mind. -Abada
A few new books to check out
Elsewhere: The Story of UK Skateboarding 1987-2002
By Neil Macdonald
$70.00
True World Skate: The Culture of Indie Skateboarding
By Ryo Sanada and Suridh Hassan
$39.95
OK / BW
OK / CL
By Jason Lee
$60.00
CL is Sold Out
I’m a subscriber. When I started flipping through the August issue of the skateboarding Bible, Thrasher, who did I see? None other than our own Adam Abada! Hell yeah. Congrats Adam! Get the issue, check out the multi-talented writer, artist, creator, and contributor to the Skate Book Club. -Freeborn
Tails Of… #5 is not available anymore
We’ve closed the books on issue #5, Tails Of… Photographers. The work has started on #6, and I can’t share too many details just yet, but it’s going to be good. Trust me. Every subscription helps keep Tails Of alive and growing, subscribe now and support the Tails Of project.
– Freeborn
Who’s putting this together, and why?John Freeborn, Natalie Porter & Adam Abada
John Freeborn began skateboarding in 1986 and still tries to do tricks today. He is the publisher of Tails Of… an art and skateboarding zine that features a rotating curator for each issue. In the early days, John published The Media Locals Zine, The Kill Rocco Zine, Milkcrate Digest, and several others. During college, he founded Good&Evil skateboards. Later, he co-founded the artist co-op SPACE1026 in Philadelphia. In 2012, he self-published Big Kids/Little Kids which showcased the emerging art scene in Philadelphia.
Natalie Porter began skateboarding in 1995 and continues to skate today. She is a public librarian and founder of the Womxn Skate History archive and Instagram account @womxnsk8history. In 2003, she wrote the thesis, Female Skateboarder and their Negotiation of Space and Identity and has been collecting resources on women’s skate history ever since. Natalie also contributed to the skate zines Armpit (2002-2004) as an OG member of
the Skirtboarders crew in Montreal, and Idlewood (2009-2014) with Michelle Pezel of Antisocial skateshop in Vancouver. ECW Press will publish her book Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides: a history of badass women skateboarders in Fall 2025.
Adam Abada is a skateboarder, artist, filmmaker, and writer from New Jersey who is currently living in Los Angeles, CA. Along with lifelong friend Zach Baker, he has directed the travel skate documentaries Backstreet Atlas and The Backstreet Atlas Guide to New Jersey. He’s also a contributing writer at Quartersnacks and has done commercial work for Vans, ESPN, Sundance TV, Bon Appétit, Pepsi, Nickelodeon, MTV, Adidas, and too many more to name.
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Tails of...
