Winter Reader (2003 Winter Book)
This piece was featured in the February 2023 issue of The Fore Edge, a quarterly newsletter from MCBA that highlights new artist’s books and zines for collections, universities, and libraries. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter, there is a sign up available here. Past featured pieces can be viewed here.
MCBA’s fifteenth annual Winter Book publication is entitled Winter Reader 2003 – 2004 and features five meditative texts by Louise Erdrich.
“. . . Writing on a bus through Pennsylvania as the deer graze, slim on black wire legs, the green pastures, and the stone barns. Writing in the women’s bathroom of a bar, a restaurant, a train station. Writing stupidly, with gratitude, the day’s events on an outbound plane delayed and de-icing. Writing to shut out the prayerful thoughts, the pilot’s voice, writing for the joy of seeing words fill neat lines physically traveling the page. Writing for the texture of the handwriting and the feel of the pen, writing for my sanity. For truly, without writing, I would be lost and diminished. I would be empty. I really don’t know how else I would bear the joy of living.”
The provocative introspection and poetic observance offered in these stories are characteristic of Erdrich’s writing. Fear, angst, anticipation and joy are revealed in otherwise ordinary events. Life’s complexities are fundamental in discovering simple, transcendent beauty.
Erdrich’s texts provide the foundation for the 2003 Winter Book project and a starting point for designers, printers, binders and papermakers.
Winter Reader 2003 – 2004 editions are designed by Michael Lizama under the direction of MCBA Artistic Director Mary Jo Pauly. Standard and Deluxe editions feature Minnesota papermakers, with tipped-in original paperworks by artists Rebecca Alm, Amanda Degener, Mary Hark, Bridget O’Malley, and Jeff Rathermel. Text in all editions is letterpress from monotype Ehrhardt under the supervision of Sara Langworthy.
The Standard Edition
The Standard Edition, numbered 1 through 100, is signed by the author and paper artists. The 5 5/8” x 9 1/8” is printed on Mohawk Superfine and quarter-bound in Japanese Saifu cloth with Japanese cloud paper sides. Binding and the accompanying slipcase, designed by Greg Campbell, are by Campell-Logan Bindery.
Text by Louise Erdrich
Illustrations by various artists
Designed by Michael Lizama under the direction of Mary Jo Pauly
Printed under the direction of Sara Langworthy
Hand-made paper endsheets by Mary Hark
This piece was featured in the February 2023 issue of The Fore Edge, a quarterly newsletter from MCBA that highlights new artist’s books and zines for collections, universities, and libraries. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter, there is a sign up available here. Past featured pieces can be viewed here.
MCBA’s fifteenth annual Winter Book publication is entitled Winter Reader 2003 – 2004 and features five meditative texts by Louise Erdrich.
“. . . Writing on a bus through Pennsylvania as the deer graze, slim on black wire legs, the green pastures, and the stone barns. Writing in the women’s bathroom of a bar, a restaurant, a train station. Writing stupidly, with gratitude, the day’s events on an outbound plane delayed and de-icing. Writing to shut out the prayerful thoughts, the pilot’s voice, writing for the joy of seeing words fill neat lines physically traveling the page. Writing for the texture of the handwriting and the feel of the pen, writing for my sanity. For truly, without writing, I would be lost and diminished. I would be empty. I really don’t know how else I would bear the joy of living.”
The provocative introspection and poetic observance offered in these stories are characteristic of Erdrich’s writing. Fear, angst, anticipation and joy are revealed in otherwise ordinary events. Life’s complexities are fundamental in discovering simple, transcendent beauty.
Erdrich’s texts provide the foundation for the 2003 Winter Book project and a starting point for designers, printers, binders and papermakers.
Winter Reader 2003 – 2004 editions are designed by Michael Lizama under the direction of MCBA Artistic Director Mary Jo Pauly. Standard and Deluxe editions feature Minnesota papermakers, with tipped-in original paperworks by artists Rebecca Alm, Amanda Degener, Mary Hark, Bridget O’Malley, and Jeff Rathermel. Text in all editions is letterpress from monotype Ehrhardt under the supervision of Sara Langworthy.
The Standard Edition
The Standard Edition, numbered 1 through 100, is signed by the author and paper artists. The 5 5/8” x 9 1/8” is printed on Mohawk Superfine and quarter-bound in Japanese Saifu cloth with Japanese cloud paper sides. Binding and the accompanying slipcase, designed by Greg Campbell, are by Campell-Logan Bindery.
Text by Louise Erdrich
Illustrations by various artists
Designed by Michael Lizama under the direction of Mary Jo Pauly
Printed under the direction of Sara Langworthy
Hand-made paper endsheets by Mary Hark
This piece was featured in the February 2023 issue of The Fore Edge, a quarterly newsletter from MCBA that highlights new artist’s books and zines for collections, universities, and libraries. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter, there is a sign up available here. Past featured pieces can be viewed here.
MCBA’s fifteenth annual Winter Book publication is entitled Winter Reader 2003 – 2004 and features five meditative texts by Louise Erdrich.
“. . . Writing on a bus through Pennsylvania as the deer graze, slim on black wire legs, the green pastures, and the stone barns. Writing in the women’s bathroom of a bar, a restaurant, a train station. Writing stupidly, with gratitude, the day’s events on an outbound plane delayed and de-icing. Writing to shut out the prayerful thoughts, the pilot’s voice, writing for the joy of seeing words fill neat lines physically traveling the page. Writing for the texture of the handwriting and the feel of the pen, writing for my sanity. For truly, without writing, I would be lost and diminished. I would be empty. I really don’t know how else I would bear the joy of living.”
The provocative introspection and poetic observance offered in these stories are characteristic of Erdrich’s writing. Fear, angst, anticipation and joy are revealed in otherwise ordinary events. Life’s complexities are fundamental in discovering simple, transcendent beauty.
Erdrich’s texts provide the foundation for the 2003 Winter Book project and a starting point for designers, printers, binders and papermakers.
Winter Reader 2003 – 2004 editions are designed by Michael Lizama under the direction of MCBA Artistic Director Mary Jo Pauly. Standard and Deluxe editions feature Minnesota papermakers, with tipped-in original paperworks by artists Rebecca Alm, Amanda Degener, Mary Hark, Bridget O’Malley, and Jeff Rathermel. Text in all editions is letterpress from monotype Ehrhardt under the supervision of Sara Langworthy.
The Standard Edition
The Standard Edition, numbered 1 through 100, is signed by the author and paper artists. The 5 5/8” x 9 1/8” is printed on Mohawk Superfine and quarter-bound in Japanese Saifu cloth with Japanese cloud paper sides. Binding and the accompanying slipcase, designed by Greg Campbell, are by Campell-Logan Bindery.
Text by Louise Erdrich
Illustrations by various artists
Designed by Michael Lizama under the direction of Mary Jo Pauly
Printed under the direction of Sara Langworthy
Hand-made paper endsheets by Mary Hark
Since 1988, Winter Book has engaged artists, designers, papermakers, printers, bookbinders and community volunteers in producing a handmade, limited edition artist’s book featuring poetry or prose by a Minnesota author or editor. The artistry and hand craftsmanship of each Winter Book makes it an avidly collected series, included in museum and rare book library collections across the country and around the world.
Winter Books of the past have featured such treasured Minnesota writers as Robert Bly, Louise Erdrich, Kevin Kling, Bill Holm, Louis Jenkins, Carol Bly, Larry Millett, Patricia Hampl, Judith Guest, Jon Hassler, and Bryan Thao Worra, among many others.
