August redux

Well, thanks August - it was certainly fun and exhilarating, but I think I'm ready to get off this wild ride. I'm finally stepping out of the whirlwind and seeing everything that swirled around me (and I swirled around) for the past 4 weeks, and I'm surprised that I've managed to emerge fairly unscathed. Exhausted, yes, muddled and disorganized, most definitely, but breathing in the crisp fall September air and ready to move on. Well, maybe after just a few more days of cleaning, re-organizing, and breathing.

So here goes: it started with a six-week workshop at BookWorks, The Printed Book (still ongoing, with just two classes left). It's with a phenomenal group of super-talented women overflowing with ideas for book projects. They're in the final stages now, moving into printing and binding the books they've been planning for the past few weeks.

During this time, I was finalizing lesson plans for my first semester-length class at Warren Wilson College, Intro to Papermaking followed by BookForms. This school really blows me away, with a working farm that feeds the students and top rankings as an eco-centered campus. I'm so thrilled to teach here for a semester, and hope that it will continue for many years. My students have really impressed me already with their creative thinking, and the faculty have been incredibly kind and welcoming. I think the Papermaking class is going pretty well so far, but I'll be checking in with my mentors Tim Barrett and Frank Brannon for suggestions and advice.

An then, the biggest event by far was getting married, to my long-time partner Scott (we've been together for almost 10 years). We had a small, quiet ceremony with family at Lake Lure, NC, and spent the week with them in a cabin on a nearby river. It rained on the day of the wedding, but the rest of the week was perfectly beautiful. The idea was to spend a lot of time in the water, and that's exactly what we did - riding on inner-tubes down the river more times than I can remember. It was the perfect weekend of quiet relaxation mixed with thrills.



And then, a week after the wedding, I taught an Introduction to Letterpress workshop at BookWorks. It was one of my favorite workshop yet, because nothing really beats the fun of three days of letterpress printing, and showing other people how. By this point, I had completely lost my voice from a combination of constant talking and a little cold I picked up from Oliver. It was a strangely quiet workshop with lots of whispering and hand motions, but still fun. I just feel bad for the students who had to listen to my troll voice when it started coming back on the last day.

And just when I thought August had reached maximum capacity, the September issue of Verve Magazine comes out, with an article about me and my books, and a photo of me on the cover, trying my best to be the 'sexy librarian' they were looking for to grace the "Get Smart" issue. It was a lot of fun to be interviewed and photographed, and it was a special treat to have someone do my makeup and hair in preparation for the big cover shoot. I was feeling very rock-star that day, albeit a little out of my element.

So, if you're one of the people wondering why I still haven't answered your email, I hope this explains my MIA status. I'm slowly getting back to my non-rock-star life, and really looking forward to some quiet time in my studio.

Get smart, have fun

Upcoming workshops I'll be teaching at Asheville BookWorks are now officially posted! Go to their website here to register. Sorry for out-of-town folks, but these are evening classes most convenient for locals. If you want these classes made available as weekend classes, let them know!

Stiff Leaf and Drum Leaf Bindings
April 7, 14, 21, 28, 2010

Image-making on the Vandercook: Variations on Relief
May 4, 11, 18, 25 and June 1, 8, 2010

The Printed Book
August 11, 18, 25 and September 1, 8, 15, 2010

Introduction to Letterpress Printing
August 27 - 29, 2010

Summer events

Upcoming summer events for Heroes & Criminals Press:
July 3rd & 4th: Scott and I will be giving letterpress printing demonstrations on Friday and Saturday nights at ConVergence, a annual sci-fi convention in Minneapolis. Prints will be made on the handy-dandy Kelsey 5x8, and given away like candy. In the spirit of the convention's theme this year, "A Celebration of the Funny Side", we'll make one print of a Dalek-vs-squirrel showdown, and another of a flying squirrel (the inventive kind, that helped people create their flying machines). Let me know if you want dibs on any leftovers.


July 18th: H&C Press will have a table at the first annual Iowa City Book Festival! I'm so excited that I get to be a part of this, and let's face it, isn't it really about time that IC had its own book festival? It'll be held in Gibson Square, outside of the library's south entrance, and will include music, vendors, food, demonstrations, readings, and panel discussions. Come out and celebrate books with us!

July 28th: The Big Move. We'll be relocating to Asheville, NC and setting up a print studio and bindery in West Asheville. On to new adventures!

August 5 - 9th: Thanks to the Grabhorn Fellowship, I'll be spending this week at Arion Press in San Francisco to learn the in-and-outs of how to run a fine press, along with a visit at the M&H Typefoundry. I'll be sure to post details and photos of this trip on my blog, so check back in mid-August for the nitty gritty.

August 29 - 30th: I'll be teaching a workshop, (Nearly) Non-Toxic Intaglio at Asheville Bookworks. We'll cover the basics of intaglio printing, plus we'll focus on using simple and clean materials like plexiglas and water-based inks. Printing that can be done in your very own kitchen, even if you have kids or pets! Go here to sign up. This will hopefully be the beginning of a long friendship with the wonderful people at ABW.

Starting in September, I'll be cranking out new work that'll be added to my Etsy site, and also will be making the rounds in various art and crafts shows in & around the Appalachians. I'll keep you posted on the details at my blog, and I hope you'll come visit me at one of these events.

Until then, I hope you're staying cool and enjoying the summer!