Poetry Month-Walking Haiku by Ann McCrea

I have done several books of haiku with poet friends related to a workshop I teach, Keepsake Books: DIY Bookmaking for Writers, Poets, and Graphic Novelists. The binding—punched holes, small sticks, and crochet cotton—was straightforward,

but the layout was complicated. I started by hand-lettering the words

and then scanned in the images. The book was made from two sheets of copy paper. Because we were printing on a color copier, I needed to leave a 1/4" border all around and cut the paper after. I worked in indesign and put the poem on the verso (left ) page with a pale reverse version of the collage as a background and the collage image on the recto (right) page. I always make paper mock-ups of the books. There is no way I could keep track of the placement in indesign.

Here are the pages:

Ann assembled some friends for a binding party and we bound 100 copies in a morning. I believe Ann still has some copies for sale. If you are interested in purchasing one, contact Ann McCrea.

This is the last post for Poetry Month. Studio Sunday will be on vacation for a few weeks and return on May 21. You'll hear from me before then. I have some event info to share.

Poetry Month-Deep in the weave by Paul Marion

I exhibited this at the Whistler House Gallery in Lowell in a show with stained glass artist Karen Bingley in the early '80s. I drew the weaved pattern with a technical pen. In those days I signed my work with a swan with a quill.

Poetry Month-Winter Hawk by Paul Marion

I did "Winter Hawk" sometime in the early '80s. The photo is terrible but I always liked this one. I was quite a fan of sweeping descenders.

Poetry Month-Salmon Ladders by Paul Marion

"Salmon Ladders" was one of the earliest pieces I did of Paul's poems, probably in 1979. I think I was still primarily using an Osmiroid cartridge pen. The lettering was reasonably even and well-shaped but I hadn't managed to invest any personality in it yet.

Poetry Month-Union River by Paul Marion

Bootstrap Press has just published Union River, a collection of writing spanning over 40 years by my friend Paul Marion. Poet Kate Hanson Foster has written an insightful review on the Boston Small Press and Poetry Scene blog. Do check it out.

Paul and I have been friends since the late '70s and fellow travelers in the worlds of books, words, art, and Lowell. We collaborated on South Common Haiku and hope to find another project to do together. Here's a calligraphed version of his poem Green Windows. I'll be sharing examples of his poems with my calligraphy for the next few days. The writing was done with gouache and pen and the hands with acrylic.

The book is available here.

Poetry Month-Quote from Adrienne Rich

Here's a quote from Adrienne Rich for Poetry Month. It is one of the pages in a fan book called Women's Words that I made for a friend's birthday. I used Shizen paper from Artist & Craftsman and Dr. Matin's bleedproof white with a Speedball nib. I love fan books—easy to make and dramatic in presentation. You can find directions at The Joy of Making Books on my youtube channel.

Poetry Month-Emily for Easter

As I look forward to a visit to the Emily Dickinson exhibit at the Morgan Library in May and A Quiet Passion, the new film about her life and work, it seems appropriate to share this image from my series, The Wondrous Nearer Drew, for Easter. The line is from poem 322; the flower is a delphinium.

There came a Day at Summer's full,
Entirely for me -
I thought that such were for the Saints,
Where Resurrections - be -

The Sun, as common, went abroad,
The flowers, accustomed, blew,
As if no soul the solstice passed
That maketh all things new -

The time was scarce profaned by speech -
The symbol of a word
Was needless, as at Sacrament,
The Wardrobe - of our Lord -

Each was to each The Sealed Church,
Permitted to commune this - time -
Lest we too awkward show
At Supper of the Lamb.

The Hours slid fast - as Hours will,
Clutched tight, by greedy hands -
So faces on two Decks, look back,
Bound to opposing lands -

And so when all the time had leaked,
Without external sound
Each bound the Other's Crucifix -

We gave no other Bond -
Sufficient troth, that we shall rise -
Deposed - at length, the Grave -
To that new Marriage,
Justified - through Calvaries of Love -

You can see the series on my website, and purchase the book at my etsy shop.

Poetry Month-April

Chaucer and Eliot for April. This is an oldie from 1981. I believe I used Dr. Martin's watercolor. Definitely Dr. Martin's something.

Poetry Month-Spring Slat Book

Here's a slat book with a spring acrostic poem. It's one of the projects in my Homes for Poems pdf ($5. for download in my etsy shop). There are eight projects, each for a different kind of poem. I created this material as part of my Making Books With Children series, but it works for adults as well.

Homes for Poems on etsy

Poetry Month-William Carlos Williams

Studio Sunday is on vacation for the month of April and is replaced by posts for Poetry Month, mostly on Sunday. I recently visited the Woodberry Poetry Room at Harvard with members of the Ticknor Society, a delightful Boston-based organization which describes itself as "a fellowship of book lovers."

During a presentation by Christina Davis, Curator, and Mary Walker Graham, Assistant Curator, we heard a recording of William Carlos Williams' opening remarks for his Morris Gray Poetry Reading on December 4, 1951. You can hear them in The Listening Booth on the Woodberry website. You'll find lots more great poetry to listen to there.