……………..(Addressograph)…………… Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1960 from wood s lot
about book reading
“Physical books and e-books are both text at their cores. Book designers long ago established rigorous rules for laying out text blocks so they disappear to the reader. They took pride in turning the physicality of a book into a tool for efficiently and elegantly getting information into the mind of the reader. As any good typographer knows: the best typography goes unnoticed.
Our e-readers seem to have forgotten this heritage. They’ve forgotten that their core purpose is simply to present text as comfortably as possible; to gently pull the reader into the story. Every other aspect of experiencing a book is predicated on this notion.” Craig Mod
The elegance of truth and an expose of the book reading distinction between back and front lit display. Here the more silent display of front lit (Kindle) is compared with the chattier back lit display (Apple iPad). There is the equally important projection of the ease and challenge of the destiny of electronic book delivery. All presented in fine style, good telling and clear graphic. A classic. See also Books in the Age of IPad and the endless comment scroll.
Also watch the Text 2.0 video.
book about book
The Thread That Binds tells of interviews and visits with hand bookbinders. The interviews are gracefully conveyed and written by Pamela Luetz and the editing flows along both as a road trip and a happy parade. The weaving of the stories is a happy work of bookbinding itself.
The book does tell a compelling story and the voices of Pamela’s subjects are each authentic. I have had the wonderful privilege of knowing and working with many of them and can I recognize them each. The compelling part is how tangential, yet fulfilling each of their lives has been. Each of these bookbinders has invented themselves and each has a deviant streak. This tells us all something.
indeed…
I have this note from Kristin: “I found this david levy talk on youtube… thought you might be interested…”
Layers of meaning here. Levy’s initiative to bring mindfulness to the on-line experience is so refreshing and suggestive; a sudden breeze. His identification of the library as a contemplative space that is everywhere rings a bell. His rapport with the Google geeks is way cool, his timing is impeccable and the voyeur youtube presence is fun.
homestead rocket
“Volunteers are invited to participate this summer in the operation of the 1950’s Print Shop in Homestead Iowa. We will be demonstrating small town letterpress and be printing our fifth edition of the Homestead Rocket. This is a great opportunity to learn and teach and feed the goats.
The Homestead Print Shop is a joint project of the Center for the Book and the Amana Heritage Society. We will be participating in a larger Saturday program of Amana heritage interpretation and we will also augment the Friday Farmers’ Market newly relocated to Homestead. The proposed dates for Homestead Print Shop operation are June 18/19, July 2/3, 9/10, 16/17, 23/24, 30/31, August 6/7, 13/14, 20/21 and September 3/4. Our sessions run from 10am to 4 pm. Homestead is about 14 miles west of Iowa City. To volunteer contact Gary Frost.”
Each time I step into this old shop there is a lovely surge of smell of animals, smithing and printing. We look out of the windows on scenes shared by the Amana Colonists; unchanged except for the location of the geese. The Linotype starts again and we publish all the News that can be gathered in that place.