Welcome ...
Welcome to Variety Arts Press, an award-winning independent publisher of non-fiction books on under-the-radar history; performing arts specialties; and the crafts of editing, typography, and design.
Note that this website purposefully retains its fixed-width design and logical organization ... so you can easily find what you're looking for. (Warning: Strenuous scrolling may be necessary!)
From this page you can:
BROWSE BOOKS BY TOPIC via the left-side menu ...
OR ... GO STRAIGHT TO THE BOOK YOU WANT
from the list of titles and their links below.
At each book's FULL DESCRIPTION PAGE, you can also read the contents and introduction, view full-size front-cover and back-cover images, and purchase-and-pay securely via PayPal. Happy reading!
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Available titles ... listed by publication date:
Click on a title and you'll go straight to the full description page.
HOT OFF THE PRESS! Jazzin' On 4 Strings: Hot Jazz in Chicago Tuning for Tenor Banjo, Tenor Guitar, Baritone Ukulele, Banjo Uke, and More (2023) by Reginald W. Bacon ... a.k.a. "Mr. Slim."
The Juggler's Anthology of Venerable Veracities: Practical Instruction, Applied Physics, & Insightful Observations from Early Published Works on the Juggler's Craft (2021) (Compiled with context & commentary by Reginald W. Bacon). (A title in The Throwback Series on acrobatic juggling technique, history, training, practice, and performance.)
The Juggler's Trilogy of Timeless Techniques: All Three Rare Books of Arcane Early-20th-Century Juggling Artistry in One Volume (2021) by Anglo (Thomas Horton), Will Goldston, & Rupert Ingalese (compiled with context & commentary by Reginald W. Bacon). (A title in The Throwback Series on acrobatic juggling technique, history, training, practice, and performance.)
The Juggler's Alphabet Book: The ABCs of Inspiration, Encouragement, History, and Fun for Literate Jugglers of All Ages (2019) by Reginald W. Bacon. (A title in The Throwback Series on acrobatic juggling technique, history, training, practice, and performance.)
The Micro-Historian's Guide to Research, Evidence, & Conclusions: Step-by-Step Research Planning & Execution (2018) by Reginald W. Bacon.
Chauncey Richmond & "The Old Buckbee": The Story of a Banjo, Its Maker, and Its Player (2018) by Reginald W. Bacon.
The HABs and the HABs NOTs: Documenting the Architecture of Newburyport in the Historic American Buildings Survey (2017) by Reginald W. Bacon.
Vintage from Vinyl: Early Recordings of the Goodtime Ragtime Vaudeville Revival (Book & CD set) (2017) by Reginald W. Bacon.
The Visitor's Guide to the Weeks Brick House & Gardens (2015) by Reginald W. Bacon.
The Wesley H. Bacon Reader: Pursuits, Passions, & Peregrinations of a 20th-Century Autodidact (2015) by Wesley H. Bacon (memoirs, short stories, & scripts compiled & edited by Reginald W. Bacon).
The Cranky Typographer's Book of Major Annoyances: Helpful Graphics Tips for Do-It-Yourself Designers (2014) by Reginald W. Bacon.
The Cranky Editor's Book of Intolerable Fox Paws (Oops! Faux Pas!): Helpful Writing & Style Tips So You Won't Look Stoopid (2014) by Reginald W. Bacon.
Early Families of Middletown, Conn. - Vol. I: 1650-1654 (2012) by Reginald W. Bacon.
Just a Tot in Tannersville: The Recollections of a Railroad Avenue Boy on the Busy Summer Life of the 1950s (Two books in one, incorporating A Micro-History of the Tannersville Four-Corners) (2011) by Reginald W. Bacon.
3 1/2 Centuries in Greenland: The Weeks Brick House Farm of Greenland, N.H. (2010) by Neill DePaoli, Ph.D.
The Juggler's Manual of Manipulative Miscellanea: The Classic Skills with Top Hat, Cane, Plates, Nesting Cups, and Assorted Objects (1984) by Reginald W. Bacon a.k.a "Mr. Slim". (A juggling "best-seller" now part of The Throwback Series.)
The Juggler's Manual of Cigar Box Manipulation & Balance (1983) by Reginald W. Bacon a.k.a. "Mr. Slim". (A juggling "best-seller" now part of The Throwback Series.)
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Variety Arts Press authors include:
Authors published and/or anthologized by Variety Arts Press include (in alphabetical order): Fred Allen, Reginald W. Bacon, Wesley H. Bacon, Hardin J. Burlingame, Caroline Caffin, Harry Cameron, John Campbell, Paul Cinquevalli, William DeLisle, Neill DePaoli, W. C. Fields, William G. Fitzgerald, Will Goldston, Jack Greene, William Hazlitt, H. J. Holmes, Albert A. Hopkins, Thomas Horton, Rupert Ingalese, Frederic LaDelle, Hugues Le Roux, Carl Martell, Henry Mayhew, Robert J. McConkey, Frank E. Miller, W. Ellis Stanyon, Alfred G. Steprens, Percy T. Tibbles, and Solomon Weiland.
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Looking for R.W. Bacon, showbusiness version?
To those looking for the veteran acrobatic juggler/unicyclist, jazz tenor banjoist, and comic dancer --- Yes, that's me. I am several years retired from a 35-year career in commercial showbusiness, but still keep much of the repertoire stage-ready, and include performance excerpts in the Vaudeville history presentation for museums, "A Vaudeville Retrospective." My wife and partner, the sensational club-juggler L.J. Newton, retired from 25 years on stage in 1999. We are still happy, healthy, and injury-free after a well-traveled career. (See the Variety Arts Enterprises web site for additional information, especially the profiles on selected mentors and friends.) Since I was a journalist, editor, and publication designer before showbusiness, and a researcher, historian, and author during that career, the transition to publishing and the museum/history field was a natural fit. To distant friends, longtime fans, fellow performers, and former juggling/circus arts students, I would be glad to hear of your recent adventures. To new friends and museum/history colleagues intrigued about the performing arts career, please feel free to explore the various links at the Variety Arts Enterprises web site. Thank you. --- Reg Bacon
