COURTESY BADLANDS UNLIMITED
Badlands Unlimited, the publishing house founded by Paul Chan, has opened a “one-of-a-kind retail outlet” (its tagline) on Manhattan’s Lower East Side called Y.oung P.ublisher 99¢ & Up. This store—I’m going to go ahead and call it a store, though the release prefers the synonym “experience”—will open in partnership with neighborhood business owners Mr. and Mrs. Yu.
What delights await inside the 800-square-foot space, which features a sidewalk entrance on Rutgers Street? I quote from the release:
“The main façade consists of a carefully curated assemblage of mops, plastic planters, and a dazzling ‘lotto’ light display inspired by the vibrant nature of the Lower East Side. The interior of the store is the result of a collaboration with Mr. and Mrs. Yu. One highlight is the series of mannequin heads displaying various hats and wigs that are installed on top of the shelf where the Badlands books are stocked. There is also a curious selection of insect repellents and school supplies on aisle one.”
Essentially, you can purchase books published by Badlands, including but certainly not limited to: Marcel Duchamp: The Afternoon Interviews, Poems by Yvonne Rainer, Think Like Clouds by Hans Ulrich Obrist, and all of the volumes in its erotic novella series, New Lovers. Customers may additionally find items such as toilet paper, vases, colorful plastic flowers, Woolite, vanity mirrors, lottery tickets, and wigs at “unbeatable prices.”
Micaela Durand, director of Badlands, had this to say: “Badlands publishes books that are as essential as toiletries.”