A look at Winter Ink

At the November Book Roundtable at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, we finally got to see a look at this year's Winter Book, Winter Ink, which features a 10-poem set of original work by me and highlights the best work of Minnesota's master printers and artisans.

The members of the Minnesota Center for Book Arts really broke new ground in many ways for this, the 20th anniversary Winter Book and it's been a delight to collaborate with them. Having seen these in person, I can say that I'm deeply honored and impressed by the craftsmanship that has gone into the art and printing of these books. This is a preview of some of the work inside the Chapbook edition. The Standard and Deluxe Editions are even more amazing: 

Under the direction of MCBA Artistic Director Jeff Rathermel, Winter Ink is available in three editions, each letterpress printed under the supervision of master printer Paulette Myers-Rich. The frontice illustration of each edition is by Cathy Ryan, with additional illustrations by Georgia A. Greeley, Scott Helmes, Harriet C. Lievan, Sara Parr, Elizabeth A. Riggle and Patrick Vincent.

The Chapbook Edition ($30) is limited to 150 copies. It's composed of French-folded kozo paper pages between linen cardstock covers. Indigo Moriki and Navy Orgura Lace papers serve as end sheets. The Chapbook Edition was designed by Paulette Myers Rich and Jeff Rathermel and bound by MCBA staff and volunteers under their supervision.

The Standard Edition ($150) is limited to 50 copies and signed by me, and designed and bound by Sue Bjerke. It is composed of French-folded kozo paper pages stab-bound between soft Chiyogami covers. Cover art and end sheets incorporating original sumi brushwork are by Georgia A. Greeley. The illustrations are augmented by slip-sheets of olive Ogura Lace paper. The Standard Edition is presented in a tri-fold case covered in Indigo Asahi bookcloth and lined with Indigo Moriki paper.

The Deluxe Edition ($475) is lettered A through Z and signed by me, and designed and bound by Jana Pullman. It is composed of French-folded kozo paper pages with tipped in frontice illustration on gampi paper, bound in green silk and presented in a threefold wraparound case covered in poppy Asahi bookcloth. A suite of three additional prints by Cathy Ryan and Original sumi ink work by Michael Waltz are presented in a similar case. An additional poem of mine, the classic, "Wisdom" is presented with accompanying illustrations by Michael Waltz. The two components of the Deluxe Edition are presented in a green Asahi bookcloth-covered slipcase.

The release party is scheduled for Saturday, December 13th, from 6 to 9 PM with a reading at 7:30 PM at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts at 1011 Washington Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN. Everyone is invited to come!

Here's the opening poem that helped me organize the rest of the poems in this collection, Ink: A Recipe, that makes its debut in Winter Ink.

Remarks on Outhine Bounyavong's "Mother's Beloved"

Outhine Bounyavong was one of the first Laotian writers translated into English since the end of the war for Laos in 1975. His most widely available collection is Phaeng Mae, or Mother's Beloved, a collection of 14 stories that emphasized Laotian virtues of simplicity, compassion, respect for the elders and other village beliefs. 

These short stories examined his own memories and how to behave with compassion and as part of the great chain of being.  He positions most of his stories as discussions on the lives of ordinary people, which allowed him a lens to examine the subtle textures of Lao culture. It was published in 1999 by the University of Washington Press. 

It also includes an interesting essay by Peter Koret that is essential for anyone starting to understand the current scope of contemporary Laotian literature around the world.

Bounyavong's story "A Voice From The Plain of Jars," covers familiar territory for those of us engaged with issues of UXO and leftover munitions from the War For Laos, but should be recognized as one of the first short stories to actively present the plight of Laotians who face the problem on unexploded bombs over 40 years since the end of the war.

In the coming months ahead, I hope to discuss more of these stories in greater detail and what we can learn from them and expect of ourselves in our own writing.

Interviewed in Tales of the Unanticipated #29

I'm interviewed by the amazing Catherine Lundhoff in Tales of the Unanticipated #29 this season. It's a good interview. Check it out if you can!

Milwaukee In November

A very special thanks to all of my readers and fans who made the trip to Milwaukee this month so exciting and enjoyable! 

We had an audience of nearly 50 who came to hear me present and I deeply appreciated meeting all of you at Wisconsin Lutheran College for my first public reading there. 

Milwaukee and I go a long way back, but this was a very special occasion.

During this time I also had a chance to complete Barrow and it's now in a final stage of editing at Sam's Dot Publishing. The text was finally finished at the Harry Schwartz Bookstore in Milwaukee. 

Later this month, we'll be getting a sneak preview of Winter Ink in its final stages just before its December release from the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. 

I've got to express my thanks to Sam's Dot Publishing for being a great and patient press with my process. For those of you who've seen earlier drafts of Barrow I think you'll be even more amazed at the ambition of the new text.

I went to the Milwaukee Art Museum this month, and had the opportunity to see a great new exhibit of interactive art that really inspires me for some future projects in mind, and reminds me of the joys of 3 dimensional work. The exhibit runs until January, 2009 and I highly recommend it for anyone.

Time for me to get back to Minnesota, but thanks again everyone, and I hope it's not too long before I get to see you all once more!