Events

Alphabettes Soup and Identity Is Variable: The Boston Book Launches

September 10, 2026

We’ll introduced Alphabettes Soup and Identity Is Variable to Greater Boston and the greater world as Amy Papaelias, Dyana Weissman, Dina Benbrahim, Jesse Ragan, and piles of their books will be present for a book launch party without further formalities. Learn more »

The Lorem Ipsum Mystery

September 19, 2026

Emily Zhang will deliver our forty-ninth Standing-Room Only Lecture. Her topic and title could not be better: “The Lorem Ipsum Mystery.” Learn more »

Past Events

Maine Design Fest ’26: Curiosity Conference

August 7, 2026

Residents of Maine might not be able to vote for Graham Platner, but on Friday, August 7, they’ll host a Curiosity Conference, and we’ll be there offering new, used, and rare books about graphic design, typography, and lettering. Come say hello—or whatever it is Mainers say when greeting people. Learn more »

Typographics Book Fair 2026

June 26–28, 2026

We’ll be packing our Volkswagen with boxes of books and heading down to NYC so we can exhibit at the Typographics book fair at Cooper Union on June 26 and 27 and 28. Pack your bags and meet us there. Learn more »

A Visit with John Gall and Paperback Records

April 25, 2026

Sometimes it’s nice to just drink drinks, bite bites, and hob nobs with friends, strangers, and countrypersons. To that end, we invited John Gall and his Paperback Records to do all of the above with us and you. Learn more »

Letterforms of a Continent: Latin American Posters in the Gráfica Latina Archive

April 11, 2026

Tatiana Gómez and José R. Menéndez delivered our forty-eighth Standing-Room Only Lecture. Their topic and title could not have been better: “Letterforms of a Continent: Latin American Posters in the Gráfica Latina Archive.” Learn more »

First (Sun)Day of Spring: A Radar et Picpus Partagé

March 22, 2026

Sometimes it feels like we take and we take and we take. But on the first (Sun)Day of Spring, we’re gonna give and give and give. Learn more »

A Short Talk on the 8½ × 11 Piece of Paper

February 7, 2026

Kyle Winston and Jonathan Toews delivered our forty-seventh Standing-Room Only Lecture. Their topic and title could not have been better: “A Short Talk on the 8½ × 11 Piece of Paper.” Learn more »

The Shape of Fortune

January 8, 2026

Lynne Yun delivered our forty-sixth Standing-Room Only Lecture. Her topic and title could not have been better: “The Shape of Fortune.” Learn more »

Meet the Owner: Holiday Edition

December 7, 2025

Have you ever wondered who’s responsible for everything that goes on at Katherine Small Gallery? That person is The Owner. Come in and say hello as The Owner comes in to answer questions and show of rarities from The Back. Learn more »

El Lissitzky for the Hand

December 5, 2025

María Matilde Morales delivered our forty-fifth Standing-Room Only Lecture. Her topic and title could not have been better: “El Lissitzky for the Hand.” Learn more »

More If You Can, Less If You Can’t: The Coalitional Color Theory of Come!Unity Press

November 14, 2025

Nat Pyper delivered our forty-fourth Standing-Room Only Lecture. Their topic and title could not have been better: “More If You Can, Less If You Can’t: The Coalitional Color Theory of Come!Unity Press.” Learn more »

Kelli Anderson’s Alphabet in Motion: The Boston Book Launch + a Talk

November 11, 2025

Kelli Anderson delivered our forty-third Standing-Room Only Lecture. Her topic and title could not have been better: “Alphabet in Motion: The Boston Book Launch + a Talk.” Learn more »

A Printer with My Hands: The Life and Work of Carl P. Rollins (The Boston Book Launch)

November 6, 2025

We introduced Katherine M. Ruffin’s A Printer with My Hands: The Life and Work of Carl P. Rollins to Greater Boston and the greater world as both Katherine and a pile of her books were present for a book launch party without further formalities. Learn more »