Got a nice note from Troy Litten inviting me to his book launch par-tay for WANDERLUST (Chronicle Books), and wish we could be there, but his nibs is -- as we speak -- having some outpatient surgery and although I'll be picking him up in a couple hours, he doesn't think he'll be feeling like nobhobbing and noshing tonight.

Oh, well.

We do plan to get over to Den, where the party is being held tonight, sometime in the next month. The nice folks there are putting on a gallery exhibit of Litten's photographs, which I've only ever seen via his Web site.

Litten's photographs are very cool and interesting, sometimes a bit odd and quirky. He has, f'rex, a collection of signs from around the world -- traffic signs featuring people. You know the type: "children at play," "crosswalk," "construction workers ahead." The photos of signs are gridded together, each with a brief "where the photo was taken" tag: Istanbul, London, Ohio.

Litten also shares photographs of an array of fire hydrants and, not to be missed, Troyland's collection of vintage airline bags (including Varig, believe it or not!). I know passions, I've written about passions, but this is the first instance I've found of this particular passion.

Check out the Troyland Cultural Awareness Programs, including "Traveling China with a blank book and a glue-stick" and "Death at Christmas," a collection of photos of the traditional post-holiday street corner magic that makes our city by the Bay what it is. Great stuff.

Maybe he should start shooting photos of mattress and box springs abandoned in odd locations, -- more local magic, as this photograph from www.whileseated.org a San Francisco-based photolog and blog attests.

   posted by Sal Towse at  11:00 AM|| |