Smaller than a breadbox, bigger than a TV remote, the average book fits into the human hand with a seductive nestling, a kiss of texture, whether of cover cloth, glazed jacket, or flexible paperback.
I used to do calligraphy, and I'm afraid that has lapsed, but I've always been interested in book printing.
I have a private press. I'm a book artist. I publish books of other authors and artists. I do the illustrating. I set the type. I print it myself on my press. I do everything but bind it.
You can do so much crazy stuff with books that isn't necessarily being done. That's how culture stays alive - by doing new things with it.
During the Middle Ages they understood that words accompanied by imagery are much more memorable. By making the margins of a book colorful and beautiful, illuminations help make the text unforgettable. It's unfortunate that we've lost the art of illumination.
How long a book tends to illustrate depends on the book. 'The Awful Aunty' took me 10 days.
I became interested in making books, starting about 1965, when I did the Serial Project #1, deciding that I needed a small book to show how the work could be understood and how the system worked.
But I hang on to books. I love them. I even think they're very nice decor in a room - far better than paintings... That's not quite true!
It is a truth universally acknowledged that M. Dirda is a sucker for anything bookish in the way of artwork.
There is nothing on earth more exquisite than a bonny book, with well-placed columns of rich black writing in beautiful borders, and illuminated pictures cunningly inset. But nowadays, instead of looking at books, people read them. A book might as well be one of those orders for bacon and bran.
Bantam has an incredible team working on my books, and I'm so thrilled that the art department is so amazing, since those covers are the 'face' of my stories!
