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PowerHouse Books

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PowerHouse Books (stylized as powerHouse Books) is an independent publisher of art and photography books founded in 1995 by Daniel Power, in Brooklyn, with its headquarters in Industry City. PowerHouse Books is closely affiliated with Powerhouse Bookstores, a chain of independent bookstores also owned by Daniel Power, with its flagship location on the waterfront of DUMBO in The PowerHouse Arena at 28 Adams Street. Powerhouse Books also operates a children's' publishing division, "POW!" [2][3][4][5]

PowerHouse Books
Founded1995
FounderDaniel Power
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationBrooklyn, New York City
DistributionSimon & Schuster[1]
Publication typesBooks
Nonfiction topicsphotography
Official websitewww.powerhousebooks.com
Interior of PowerHouse Arena Bookstore, 2019
Photobooks – by Max Kozloff (ed), Christoph Bangert, Mark Cohen, Larry Fink, Jeff Mermelstein, and Michael Spano – from PowerHouse (among unrelated Pelicans)

Publishing and other activities

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Founded in 1995 by Daniel Power from his apartment on the Lower East Side, PowerHouse Books is known for its "Image Driven" publishing, particularly in street culture, popular culture, fashion, politics and fine arts. Its first best-seller was Women Before 10AM, by Veronique Vial, with a forward by Sean Penn, published in 1998. In 2011, PowerHouse published Vivian Maier: Street Photographer, which brought posthumous attention to the previously unknown photographer, including the Academy Award-nominated film Finding Vivian Maier. [6][7][8][9]

In 2006, powerHouse Books launched The PowerHouse Arena, a gallery, bookstore, and event space often used to promote artists working with the publisher. Initially located at 37 Main Street, Powerhouse Arena moved to 28 Adams Street in 2015. In 2020, PowerHouse Books opened a new location in Industry City, and moved its corporate publishing headquarters there.[10][11][12]

It also publishes artists known for work in other fields. It partnered with Charlie Ahearn on Wild Style: The Sampler, a behind-the-scenes look at Ahearn's 1982 Wild Style, considered the first hip hop film.[13] Visual artists published include John Lurie, Francesco Clemente, Richard Prince, Kehinde Wiley, and George Condo.[14] Actors and filmmakers published include Diane Keaton, Jeff Bridges, Richard Lewis, Jessica Lange, David Lynch, and Brett Ratner.[15] Musicians include Richard Hell, DJ Stretch Armstrong, Mike McCready, KRS-One, Gene Simmons, and The Beastie Boys.[15]

PowerHouse Books launched, "POW! Kids Books" in 2013, which it described as "a woke kids' book line"[16][17]

In 2020 it established a literary imprint for "millennial fiction and non-fiction" called Archway Editions with Chris Molnar (of The Writer's Block) and Nicodemus Nicoludis, which has or will publish work by Ishmael Reed, John Farris, Masha Tupitsyn, Paul Schrader, Mike Sacks, Stacy Szymaszek, Blake Butler, Alice Notley, and more, including anthologies from cokemachineglow as well as the Unpublishable and Archways reading series.[18]

Controversies

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Thug Kitchen

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In 2014, PowerHouse Arena hosted a booklaunch event for "Thug Kitchen," which was criticized for racism when its anonymous authors were revealed to be a white couple living in Hollywood. Owner Daniel Power defended the event in an email to Gawker, writing, "Asserting a clever book of parody of being a ringing endorsement of racism and police brutality is not going to convince the people you need to your side. Come to the event tonight and voice your opinion, and try to convince others. You’ll be able to do that because it won’t be banned."[19][20]

War is Beautiful

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In 2017, PowerHouse Books published "War Is Beautiful: The New York Times Pictoral Guide to the Glamour of Armed Conflict* (in which the author explains why he no longer reads The New York Times)," by David Shields. Shields had licensed photography from the Times to support his book's thesis that the Times over-glamorized conflict, especially the Iraq War, promoting popular support for the war and elongating the conflict. Although the photos had been properly licensed, The Times invoiced PowerHouse Books $19,000 for the book's inside back cover, which featured 64 thumbnails depicting the photos on the front page of the Times. When PowerHouse refused to pay, the Times sued to collect.

PowerHouse sued Shields for claiming that the thumbnails were covered under fair use, but defended the book, claiming that the Times was attempting to chill free speech. The Daily Beast reported that the Times had initially wanted change the book's subtitle and insert a disclaimer making clear the book wasn't affiliated with the Times, but that PowerHouse refused to do so.[21][22][23]

Incident over cancellation of event

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On August 20, 2024, store manager Hannah Hayes cancelled an event at PowerHouse Arena featuring Progressive Jewish American author Joshua Leifer in conversation with Reform Rabbi Andy Bachman. Leifer recorded Hayes saying "The moderator that your publishing team sourced is a Zionist and we don't want a Zionist on our stage," and "He is a Zionist… Please leave my store."

The incident received widespread media coverage. Daniel Power, owner of both PowerHouse Books and PowerHouse Arena, told the New York Jewish Week, "It's hideous, it's uncalled for, and it was completely unauthorized," that he had terminated Hayes, and that Leifer and Bachman were invited back "anytime." Power initially told journalists at The Forward that Hayes told him she had asked the book's publicist to replace the moderator because she believed that Bachman would be inflammatory, and that the book's publicist had chosen to cancel the event in response. On August 22, PowerHouse issued a statement on their X account apologizing for the incident. The statement said that the manager had "unilaterally derail[ed]" the event and called it a "case study in the shocking re-emergence of anti-Semitic hostility." In a blog published in the Times of Israel, Bachman recounted his surprise at the event being cancelled; confirmed that Hayes was the one who had cancelled the event, rather than the publicist; and announced the event would be rescheduled for the next week.[24][25][26][27][28][29]

Publications

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  • All of a Sudden by American photographer Jack Pierson, 1995[30]
  • The Destruction of Lower Manhattan by American photographer Danny Lyon, reissue of 1969 book in 2008[31]
  • Yes We Can: Barack Obama's History-Making Presidential Campaign featuring work of Armenian-American photojournalist Scout Tufankjian; the first printing of 55,000 copies sold out a month before its scheduled release, prompting a second printing of 25,000.[32]

References

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  1. ^ "Simon & Schuster". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  2. ^ Reid, Calvin (10 July 2006). "PowerHouse sets up shop in Brooklyn". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  3. ^ Gefter, Philip (10 June 2007). "36 Hours in New York". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  4. ^ "About pH Books". powerHouse Books. 2024-08-23. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  5. ^ "powerHouse Books moves headquarters to Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn". sendy.powerhousecultural.com. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  6. ^ "Daniel Power". Photograph. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  7. ^ "Women Before 10 A. M. by Veronique Vial". www.shakespeareandcompany.com. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  8. ^ Books, powerHouse. "Vivian Maier: Street Photographer". powerHouse Books. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  9. ^ Saperstein, Pat (2014-03-26). "'Finding Vivian Maier' Reveals Life of Mysterious Street Photographer". Variety. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  10. ^ Deahl, Rachel (1 December 2008). "PowerHouse Sees Green with Event Space". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  11. ^ "PowerHouse Books Dumbo: Literary Behemoth Moving to New Space". www.brownstoner.com. 2015-10-30. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  12. ^ "powerHouse Books moves headquarters to Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn". sendy.powerhousecultural.com. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  13. ^ Wignall, James (2 October 2007). "A walk on the wild side". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
  14. ^ "Art Archives". PowerHouse Books.
  15. ^ a b "Celebrity Archives". PowerHouse Books.
  16. ^ "POW! Kids Books". powkidsbooks.com. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  17. ^ "powerHouse Books moves headquarters to Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn". sendy.powerhousecultural.com. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  18. ^ "Digital Catalog". PowerHouse Books.
  19. ^ Merwin, Hugh (2014-10-07). "Bookstores Scramble to Deal With the Thug Kitchen Controversy". Grub Street. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  20. ^ "Read a Publishing CEO's Condescending Defense of Thug Kitchen". 2014-10-06. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  21. ^ Collins, Ben (2016-02-12). "Why Is the New York Times Suing Over an Art Book?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  22. ^ Steinhauer, Jillian (2016-02-05). "New York Times Sues PowerHouse Books for Copyright Infringement". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  23. ^ Roberts, Jeff John. "Is This a Big Free Speech Fail by the New York Times?". Fortune. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  24. ^ Bellafante, Ginia (2024-08-21). "A Bookshop Cancels an Event Over a Rabbi's Zionism, Prompting Outrage". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  25. ^ Tress, Luke (2024-08-21). "Brooklyn bookstore to fire employee who nixed event with progressive Jewish author and 'Zionist' moderator". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  26. ^ Harpaz, Beth (2024-08-21). "Brooklyn bookstore parts ways with worker who canceled event over pro-Israel rabbi as moderator". The Forward. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  27. ^ Beeferman, Jason (August 22, 2024). "Zionists aren't welcomed in this Brooklyn bookstore". Politico.
  28. ^ PowerHouse Arena (August 22, 2024). "Our Statement on Tuesday night's incident". X. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  29. ^ Bachman, Andy (August 24, 2024). "When a Brooklyn bookstore canceled my event over my Zionism". Times of Israel.
  30. ^ Goldberg, Vicki (24 December 1995). "Photography View; Intimate Snapshots from the Underground". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  31. ^ Banks, Eric (10 June 2005). "When a Neighborhood Fell, and Barely Made a Sound". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
  32. ^ Andriana, Lynn (18 November 2008). "PowerHouse Sells Out First Printing of Obama Book". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 26 November 2009. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
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