a review of November, A Map

"November, a Map" is so very beautiful. I just finished spending some time with it.

Aside from imagining a wandering through your autumn world, it brings to mind my life long love of Fall, memories of making similar "puzzle" books with students over the years, and how the honoring of the things we love is a poem. I love that the words "book", "paper", "cloth", "stitch", and "thread" are in it, along with the ten tender stitches that follow the plant printed curve on the page.

It felt like a ceremony-
first reading through it in book shape,
opening it up on a quilt in the sunshine, to see the whole of it, and how the textures and patterns in each page connect,
flipping it all over to see new designs and places to touch.

It is now slipped back into its envelope (blue!), leaning near, on my desk, and shining its peaceful rich autumn moon.

I feel enriched and grateful to have this to gaze at and hold.

wow!

cindy monte's words move me deeply.

i share them here with her permission.

and a few blushes.

this week mark takes the book,

along with his other caliban press books

to the oxford fine press book fair.

a couple copies of it are already in australia,

and with luck, soon in england!