Sunday, January 28, 2024

Grief is a Stone book-ets

And they are done. 

The book-ets have all been folded and prepared and stitched and signed and are ready in their editions of 15.




I blind embossed three different pebbles/stones on each cover - making them individual yet each being an integral part of the three works. I chose to stitch each edition in a similar vein, but with a variation so that each poem can be distinguished from the others; yet is clearly related.

The three poems evoke grief at different stages and how it can feel.

On opening, the title appears behind the beautiful, feathery, soft Japanese paper.



The centre opening has the poem, printed in Spectrum 18pt type.


The return has my name and the press website on it. I think I photographed them before I wrote the edition numbering on them, but they are numbered 1-15/15.


Poem II and the book-et has exactly the same layout and process, with the second poem on the central opening page.



Each book-et also has my mark embossed ever so gently on the Japanese paper at the back of it.


And poem III.


I like the way they feel in the hand - they are personal, intimate and gentle. Each of the poems follows a similar style and structure, but hopefully there is a sense of movement from I to III.

4 comments:

  1. These are beautiful, together and separately. I have a close friend who lost her 18 year-old son to an accident many years ago and she has always taken unusual stones she finds over the years to the roadside spot where he passed. We have talked of her grief often and these poems beautifully illustrate the journey it has taken her on.

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    1. That is so lovely to think that I may have captured a part of somebody's grief journey with this work...it is a long and winding and circuitous road. Thank you.

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  2. each poem stands on its own, but taken together they become something more

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    1. Thanks Liz - they began as a single poem, and then jumped to the final, yet somehow there was something missing in the middle and as you say collectively they do mean more. Each can be oh so right for that point in time, but I think there is comfort to either look back and realise that the shape has changed; or to be able to look ahead with some hope. Go well.

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I appreciate your thoughts and comments; thanks for taking the time.