Oak Knoll - Initial Response, Part II

Unfortunately, I did not end up with enough time to properly explore each display in the main room. One press of note is Warwick Press, headed by Carol J. Blinn, a good friend of Mike's.

In fact, Mike knew almost every person in attendance. This is only partly because Mike is a warm, genial guy who manages to befriend everyone he meets. It is a result of the attitude of the book and letterpress community. Most of the exhibitors attend this same festival annually, but more importantly, they all collaborate, exchange notes, visit each other's presses, attend workshops, and help each other start new programs. They are all in this together, and most are not there to turn a large profit. They just love to make books, print, and generally keep these traditional arts alive.

Warwick Press has a great collection of Duck books, like A Poultry Piece, which recounts Carol's memories of raising ducks and geese in her hometown in Massachusetts. She also publishes poetry and fiction, such as Smitty's Cocks, so named because it elegantly presents a collection of eight cuts of roosters.

Sherwin Beach Press had two books that caught my eye. Ballet for Opening Day tells the story of the 1919 'Black Sox' Scandal from a point of view sympathetic to the players (and critical of the owner). It has gorgeous 'baseball card' type etchings that are actually stitched into the paper with red thread. The red thread also runs in curves along the pages like the stitching in baseballs. Saving His Life by Lee Sandlin is the story of a Russian immigrant, who is actually the father of the author. The book has not been printed yet, but the prototype leather cover is supple and flexible, as it is not wrapped around chipboard or similar. It lies flat when you open it, and the proposed paper is soft but strong. The book will come not in a box but in a bag, a silk drawstring bag, which emphasizes that intimate, handle-me feel established with that welcoming leather cover. For some reason, the bag sells the book to me - or it would, if I could afford the listed $2k, that it is definitely worth.

Red Howler Press from Pennsylvania had books of energetic engravings by David Moyer, who has a knack for capturing the character of a face with the feel of a da Vinci sketch, except with more emphatic use of line and a more disturbing tone. On the sample card I took, a creased face stares up at me with uncertain wide eyes framed by large ears and wild, wispy hair. A large, exuberant hat rests its disk-shaped brim just above those ears. This one is from a book entitled Ratio et Vanitas.

The Press on Scroll Road from Carrollton, OH had a book by Edward Lear called Nonsense Cookery that was approximately two inches by three inches. It paired intricate etchings with nonsensical recipies.

And Ninja Press was notable primarily for its name, although I quite like Carolee Campbell's work as well.

Back in the University Press room, Josh Shenk, the Director of the Literary House had finished his extensive rounds and returned to man the table with Mike. I think Josh got a really good idea of how other presses, especially the University Presses, compare to ours. I know I did - I think for our size, we were well-represented.

Mike, Marian, and I headed back home just before 5:00 p.m., early, thanks to the Washington College Dining Hall's early weekend hours. It would not have been fun to miss dinner, although I was very sad to leave the exhibition. I left with a sense that I now have a real place in this community, that even if I don't pursue this art in graduate work (but I'm considering it), I "have ink under my fingernails," and I like it.