Thoughtful Thursday-Art Lessons II

I don't keep a journal but I do jot down notes and write to help me understand what I am thinking about my work. When I want to take my writing beyond the notebook or computer, I find that I work best when I can envision the final format in which it will be read. One of the reasons I like having a blog is because the format is there, ready and waiting.

From the start, I knew I would be publishing the not-yet-named Art Lessons myself. I also knew I wanted to do it Print On Demand. I am trying to make my life as light as possible—light as opposed to dark and light as opposed to heavy. I am going to really try to put this new book out there and sell copies but my track record is not good. I have a hard time making the effort to get finished work out of my space and into someone else's. The Spirit Books, Emily Dickinson pieces, the boxes of Handmade Books For A Health Planet, the edition books from 20 years ago still waiting to be bound—I love them all but they hold weight. Art Lessons is going to be done at my own pace, in my own time and way—as light as I can make it.

When I started thinking about POD, I remembered reading about the Book Espresso Machine at the Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, MA . I had always thought the idea of what they call "a book-making robot" was cool and I really liked the idea that the book would be printed and sold through a real bookstore with four walls and a physical presence. I adore bookstores and anything I can do to support and be a part of them is good with me. The book will be able to purchased online through the Harvard Book Store.

I've made several trips to the Harvard Book Store to visit Paige and Jamie Dondero, manager of the bookstore’s print-on-demand department.



The cover is printed on a Canon printer (color).





The text block is printed on a xerox.





The text block gets glue and then is placed on the cover.





The book is trimmed to size



and then comes out the chute—



just a few minutes and a book to hold!





Art Lessons: Reflections From An Artist's Life will launch next Thursday. I'll be posting a link for ordering.