New Letterpress Book: Words Collide

Inspiration lately has come from Hedi Kyle's Fishbone Fold (I've posted about it here and here and here), creating poems searched for and found in dictionary definitions (more examples here), and the photographic work of Erica Baum, who takes fascinating pictures of printed materials, some of which may be found in her book, Dog Ear. It all came together in this new handmade book, Words Collide. I set the type by hand and printed it on my letterpress, then wrestled with the ruler, using blue tape to mark it like a template so I could create uniform scores and folds for all twenty-five copies. 

The slipcase is open-ended, since the book can only safely slide one way. It also has a window that shows a glimpse of the title. I'm still interested in books that breathe, that flow, and I find that covers and slipcases can stop the flow I'm searching for, unless they have windows or holes.



This side has six poems with words taken in order from the dictionary definitions for:
meet, opposition, collision, violent, direct, oppose.

The opposite side has all the same lines, but rewoven: colliding and creating six new poems. 

Inside, the poems collide with themselves and with their dictionary word.
Titles are part of each definition as well.

Ask to see it next month at the Seager Gray Gallery table at the Codex Book Fair,
Craneway Pavilion, Richmond, CA, February 8-11, 2015.
And it should be available soon as well through Vamp and Tramp Booksellers.
For now, I can take checks or money orders.
$65 each (+ sales tax for CA deliveries).
Website for address: http://neverbook.com/contact.htm

Addendum 2/1/15: Order a copy on ETSY at this link.

Comments

Daria said…
Alisa, This book is beautiful! I cannot wait to see it at Codex.
Velma Bolyard said…
this one looks really fine. it's been quite interesting seeing you ideas and explorations with this structure.
Alisa said…
Thanks Daria, Sharmon and Velma! Your comments are much appreciated. Love to meet anyone going to Codex. I generally wear book earrings when I go.

I wish I could say this book was easy to make, but the measuring had to be excruciatingly exact for it to work. The ruler and I continue to glare at one another. But we're still friends.