Deconstructing that artichoke and other bookmaking tales

A reading for Deconstructed Artichoke Press

We had a reading yesterday at Bird and Beckett Books and Records. I should have posted it, but I didn't even think of it.

Anyway, it went really well. Colby started us off, then I read, then Judith, followed by Opal. I thought the readings all went well together, even though they were really different. A friend of Judith's said to me afterward that everyone's poetry was very accessible. I agree, no one had that obtuse poetry where you're just like, huh! Although I do like that poetry sometimes too (I love Mei-mei Berssenbrugge!)

Miscellaneous things

Well, I'm trying to improve my website sales. Google sent me a coupon for $100 to use AdWords, so I tried it out. I've gotten some clicks, but no one's bought anything yet! I don't think my listing is very good, so once I get the chance, I'm going to do some research.

...but, right now, my time is completely taken up with those chapbooks I've been working on. I've got 25 left to sew together. My fingers are bloody from the needle, no, just kidding. But man, 200 is a lot of chapbooks to sew together in a short period of time.

I'm so excited, tomorrow is the release party for Good Mail Day, Jennie and Carolee's book. Yea!

Roadworks: Steamroller Prints and Street Fair

Back to blogging, I'm trying to be good.


Roadworks was on Saturday, so I went with my boyfriend, Colby. I had a good time, saw lots of old friends: Macy Chadwick, Carolee Gilligan Wheeler, Lucy Childs, and more. It is a little disappointing to me though how few book artists have tables. There are a lot of crafters with things like jewelry and handbags. I think there's a place for that at other venues, such as the Mission IndieMart and the Bizarre Bazaar, but not at SF Center for the Book. Ah, well. But I think Katherine and all the volunteers are doing a great job on Little Linos and the printing.

This weekend I'm working on a project for the Athenaeum of Philadelphia. Artists are supposed to respond to books in their collection with a book. The books all have to do with architecture, so I thought, perfect, most of my books deal with archictecture. So I'm developing a dummy to submit to them; they'll choose 6 artists; and if I'm one of the artists they choose, I have to have a finished book by February 2010. I figure, deadlines are good. Wish me luck!

"Marking Time"

I haven't written in a while, bad me. But I have some exciting bookarts news to report: I went to "Marking Time" at the San Francisco Main Library on Friday (more about that below); Roadworks: Steamroller Printing Street Fair is at San Francisco Center for the Book this Saturday; and my friends, Jennie and Carolee of PodPost, just came out with a book, Good Mail Day, and are having a release party on October 9 at SFCB. I'm going to try and figure out how to link their book to my page, but if I can't get it right, you can click here, and go to Amazon.

The Guild of Book Workers show, "Marking Time," was really something. The work was very high quality. The Skylight Gallery at the Library is a really amazing space--lots of sunlight and skylights (imagine!), very open, so it's always nice to go to a show there. Lots of books with goat skin. I was a little taken aback by that, being vegetarian and all, but that is what books are often about. My favorite book was A Short Course in Recollection by Susan Collard. It reminded me a lot of Joseph Cornell, one of my favorite artists. Looking at her website, I had to laugh; she's also an architect. It would figure that I loved her book!

School's out!

Today was the last day of school for the kids (for those of you who don't know, I'm a special ed teacher for a continuation school during the school year); tomorrow is my last day. Yes! Summer here I come.

I'm going to teach bookarts this summer at Redwoods Shores Library and at 826 Valencia. Then, I'm going to work on the tarot cards and start a new book, plus finish some other projects. I'm looking forward to it.

Visit to Donna Seager Gallery

Yesterday I went to the Donna Seager Gallery to see the Art of the Book show. It was a great show. There were some phenomenal books. Some of my favorites were The Topography of Home by Macy Chadwick, Beyond Questions: Why Go? by Casey Gardner, and a birdcage by Lisa Rappoport. My book, Collapse, was there too.

It turns out, Donna, the gallery owner, has sold two copies of my book, Collapse. One copy, she sold to Charles Hobson! He's a professor at San Francisco Art Institute and has a great collection of artist books. Actually, to my amazement, I was at the Legion of Honor, checking out the book room that's there, and all the books right now are from the collection of Charles Hobson.

Shipping and reconciling

It's been a week of unexciting book arts things, but very important. I've been packaging and shipping boxes to Minnesota Center for Book Arts and Vamp and Tramp. For Vamp and Tramp I also shipped a box to the UCLA Art Library. I think I probably have to get faster at shipping, but I not sure how. You have to put the box together, bubble wrap the books, put the peanuts (or whatever you use, I've been using scrap paper from book projects and some cool green confetti I got at a packing store) in the box, and then label the box (which takes me a while with my stroke, I'm writing with my right hand now, but slowly). I could probably computerize some of it, but not much. I'm open to suggestions!

Then today I had to reconcile my inventory with what Vicky at Vamp and Tramp had. Oh, my gosh, it's like balancing your checkbook, but worse, because you can't say, oh well, it's only off by a dollar or two.  You have to figure out the inventory exactly.

Printer's Fair

Well, the Printer's Fair was this weekend. It was fun. I didn't get to go around and say hi to everyone like I wanted to. I should have gone around to say hi to everyone in the morning, but I waited until the afternoon, and by then I was too tired. I'm actually still tired today, and it's Wed.

But it was lots of fun. A bunch of friends came by, bookarts friends and non-bookarts friends alike. Kate stood by me and offered support (you know, if I passed out or anything). She sewed a huge number of chapbooks together (thanks, Kate!), while I attempted to sew some chapbooks, but soon gave up. I learned that my email list works; one person said that was how he had heard about me. Anyway, all in all, it was a good day.

Procrastinating again

Ah, yes! I'm supposed to be getting ready for the Printer's Fair (which is May 9, and all of you who live or are visitng San Francisco should come! It'll be a blast!), next weekend. And I am getting ready, really I am. I'm just taking a quick break from cutting down paper for my chapbooks. It's a great way to use up the paper that's sitting around my apartment, but of course I did have to go to the art store yesterday and buy more paper. My boyfriend said he didn't believe I was getting rid of the paper. He thought I was just using it at as an excuse to buy more paper! Sheesh!

Making chapbooks

So I've been making chapbooks for the Printer's Fair. It's fun, but I forgot how difficult it is to get the imposition right. I'm working with InDesign 2.0. I know, I know, it's old, but it works, so I use it. The imposition itself isn't hard, but on the computer I have so much to think about. For example, I used automatic page numbers, which I shouldn't have, because now I have to redo the page numbers. And then I used autoflow for the text, so now I have to redo that too. Aargh!

But anyway, I'm hoping to have four chapbooks done by the Printer's Fair: chapbooks for Judith Serin, Colby Phillips, Opal Palmer Adisa, and myself. I'm going to sell them on my Etsy page after the Fair.