my first letterpress book

a real edition

for my friends who say to me

"edition, edition, edition"

samples

to see what works

(one of the first drafts-many typos, some words got changed!)
how it unfolded:

i wanted to work with mark mcmurray

friend and magician/archivist/printer

essential to november
who once upon a time, long, long ago,
called me up after seeing my book Winter Papers
(a sample book of botanical papers)
in the collection at SLU's Owen D Young Library,
and came to visit

bringing me a gift of one of his letterpress books.

we've know each other

for years, and on occasion

i help him with a book
(like making day lily paper for his edition of The Tempest)

or he helps me with a book

and i go to the special collections where he presides

with an assistant called paul (also very cool).

they let me look at the special books.

mark used some of my earlier ecoprints in his ADIRONDACK SUTRA.

(sampling)
so i asked him if we could print a "simple" project

a one piece of paper, LARGE paper, book,

printed on two sides

a meander/map fold book

making a meandering map of autumn.

november.

figuring out layout
he said yes, what was my text?

i wrote that poem, actually i had written that poem,

(sometimes it seems that i only write about november)

and i ecoprinted 50 or so half sheets of arches velin (text wove)

which took some time,
in fact all winter,

and brought them to the press.

he had me setting type and making errors and fixing them.
(he fixed most)

printing on a VERY old press posed some challenges,

but it was also great pleasure

here you see the large sheet folded down to half the original size
except when mistakes, a couple big ones, happened.

then there was that big stack,

we folded and tore down.
i sewed up map envelopes,

die cut (on the press) moons
27 holes on each side
punched with the awl i made(well over 2,500 holes in all)
green, blue, brown (and two purple) with linen thread.

after he cut lovely moons in them

and here they are.

what began in march

was intended to be complete for the summer solstice,

was complete on the autumnal equinox,

and edition of the odd prime number: 41.

and now are ready for sale.

i have 22 available,
(mark and priscilla juvelis get some)

three with some stitching on the paper

and two with stitched on titles and/or colophons.

they are $225.00.

you can purchase from me
using the SHOP button at the top of the page.

(or from the press or eventually from priscilla.)

the flora in these maps include:
berries from staghorn sumac, wild grapes, blueberries, black raspberries, rose hips, juneberries, leaves from maple, sumac, cherry, buckthorn, rose, aspen, ginko, black walnut, apple, flowers from black eyed susan, bergamot, dandelion, hawkweed, rose, petunia, aster, goldenrod, hibiscus, lilies, st johns wort, milkweed and many more,
a few lichens and fungi,
ferns of many kinds with their fruiting bodies.
hard well water and occasional pickle jar leavings were the brew licquor
and metals of copper, steel, iron, aluminum, brass, nickel, and many old graters and tin lids helped the pigments come home and stay put
(with a few clamps and string).

a wet sheet,
unfolding.