Why A Book?

Why not a duck or a pineapple? A book can be made as waterproof as a duck or as juicy as a pineapple, but it will always be easier to store than either one, unless you are pickling books in jars or setting them on fire. But those aren't the books I'm talking about here. I'm talking about turning pages. I'm talking about reading. I'm talking about story. You don't think you tell stories? What do you talk about? What do you dream? What conversations do you overhear? There are so many stories swirling around that you might not even notice them. Pay close attention to your day and you will find at least one story in it. This story can be the beginning of a book. Write it down, draw sequential pictures, take photos--however you like to work. Look over the story and see how it will naturally divide into sections. Then pick a book structure that helps you tell that story and make it. You could write your story on the back of a duck or on a pineapple, but I think making a book out of paper will be easier.

So, welcome to my blog. It corresponds to the publication of my latest instructional book, Making Handmade Books (Lark Crafts, 2011), which you can actually pre-order right now.  I'll be musing about structures, words & images, writing explorations, printmaking, letterpress printing, the creative process, teaching, etc. I'll also answer any questions that might come up in conjunction with this book, or with the previous ones.