Curating Art, Photography, and Life | Show Clip

Curating Art, Photography, and Life | Show Clip

Lee Kaplan shares heartwarming memories of the late Diane Keaton, highlighting her unique spirit and her status as a devoted patron of independent bookstores. He recalls a curious anecdote about Keaton window-shopping at his former location—a behavior he notes was shared by the great painter Richard Diebenkorn—offering a glimpse into her idiosyncratic charm. The conversation then shifts to the core of Arcana Books’ identity, as Lee explains his "visually driven" philosophy. He details the store's extensive curation—spanning photography, modern art, design, fashion, cinema, music, and even cookbooks—affirming why Arcana remains a premier destination for visual culture enthusiasts in Los Angeles and beyond. Show Clip from The Paris Chong Show with Lee Kaplan https://youtu.be/lHTJIxcMj44 https://www.theparischongshow.com 🎵 Music by ⁠Andrew Raiher⁠ https://andrewraiher.com/ 📸 Shot & Edited at ⁠Visible Audio Studios https://www.visibleaudiostudios.com #books #artbooks #podcast

The Reality of Running a Bookstore | Show Clip

Lee Kaplan and host Paris Chong discuss the realities of running a long-term business, with Lee candidly describing the transition from the thrill of the hunt for rare books to the daily "grind" of operations. The conversation shifts to the history of Arcana Books’ home within the iconic Helms Bakery complex, which Lee reveals was built for the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. They explore the building's previous life as a high-end mattress showroom and share a mutual understanding of how challenging it can be for business owners to find the time and energy to engage with the art and culture scene outside of their own daily work environments. Show Clip from The Paris Chong Show with Lee Kaplan https://youtu.be/lHTJIxcMj44 https://www.theparischongshow.com 🎵 Music by ⁠Andrew Raiher⁠ https://andrewraiher.com/ 📸 Shot & Edited at ⁠Visible Audio Studios https://www.visibleaudiostudios.com #arcanabooks #artbooks #podcast

40 Years of Curating Arcana | Show Clip

Paris Chong chats with Lee Kaplan, the owner of Arcana Books, about the evolution of the independent bookselling scene in Los Angeles. Lee shares the story behind starting his iconic store in 1984, operating initially from a small one-bedroom apartment in Westwood, and explains the strategic reasoning behind choosing the name "Arcana" to stand out in the pre-internet Yellow Pages. Throughout their conversation, they reflect on how the industry has shifted over the last four decades, the disappearance of many historic and metaphysical bookstores, and Lee’s personal journey of building a long-lived, all-consuming business with passion and energy. Show Clip from The Paris Chong Show with Lee Kaplan https://youtu.be/lHTJIxcMj44 https://www.theparischongshow.com 🎵 Music by ⁠Andrew Raiher⁠ https://andrewraiher.com/ 📸 Shot & Edited at ⁠Visible Audio Studios https://www.visibleaudiostudios.com #books #artbooks #podcast

The Original Rhino Records Insider | Show Clip

Paris Chong sits down with Lee Kaplan, the owner of Arcana Books and a former fixture at the legendary Rhino Records. Kaplan shares his memories from 1975, when he served as one of the record store's original employees during its pre-label era, and details his role in scouting rare imports of creative improvised music, free jazz, and Jamaican reggae. Beyond his music industry roots, Kaplan reflects on his lifelong connection to the West Los Angeles area, offering a nostalgic look back at the neighborhood's history and his evolution from musician and visual artist to a cornerstone of the LA bookselling scene. Show Clip from The Paris Chong Show with Lee Kaplan https://youtu.be/lHTJIxcMj44 https://www.theparischongshow.com 🎵 Music by ⁠Andrew Raiher⁠ https://andrewraiher.com/ 📸 Shot & Edited at ⁠Visible Audio Studios https://www.visibleaudiostudios.com #arcanabooks #photography #podcast

Lee Kaplan: Arcana Books, Art, and the History of Los Angeles Book Culture

Paris Chong welcomes Lee Kaplan, owner of the long-lived Arcana Books in Culver City, a destination known for its vast selection of visually-driven material, including modern and contemporary art, photography, music, and fashion. Kaplan discusses his eclectic background, revealing he was a musician and visual artist before opening his store. Notably, he was one of the original three employees at Rhino Records starting in 1975, where he pioneered the store's renowned selection of jazz, world music, and reggae imports. Kaplan founded Arcana Books in 1984, originally operating out of a one-bedroom apartment in Westwood. The name "Arcana" was inspired by an avant-garde composer (and was strategically chosen to start with "A" for the pre-internet Yellow Pages). He reflects on the dramatic transformation of the book-selling landscape since the 1980s, noting the closure of many original, small used bookstores. Kaplan contrasts the early days of "the thrill of the chase" when hunting for used books with the modern grind of managing the business, sharing that his wife and partner, Whitney, assists with the operations from an annex in the Helms Bakery complex. Today, Arcana is situated in the Helms Bakery complex, in a building rebuilt on the site of the official bakery for the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. Kaplan emphasizes that the store serves as more than just a retail space; it acts as a "confluence and meeting place" that connects artists, photographers, and publishers for various projects, an aspect he finds very rewarding. They also discuss the importance of books as a tangible calling card for photographers, mentioning the legendary initial success of Ed Templeton’s “Teenage Smokers*”*, and reflect on the patronage of late client Diane Keaton, who was a passionate book lover and photographer. Show Notes: www.theparischongshow.com/episodes/lee-kaplan-arcana-books-art-and-the-history-of-los-angeles-book-culture Chapters: 00:00 Show Intro and Guest 01:27 From Music to Books 03:24 Rhino Records Deep Dive 06:00 West LA Food Detour 07:27 Family Roots and Influences 11:09 Why Arcana Books 15:10 Bookstore Life and Partnership 24:32 Old Hollywood Holdouts 25:03 Diane Keaton at Arcana 29:22 Arcana’s Book Universe 31:11 Famous Faces and Connections 34:45 Selling Books and Being Cut Out 40:04 Why Photographers Need Books 44:17 Martin Parr Pick and Final Plug 🎵 Music by ⁠Andrew Raiher⁠ https://andrewraiher.com/ 📸 Shot & Edited at ⁠Visible Audio Studios https://www.visibleaudiostudios.com