Category: Books

Books, Ideas, Nontraditional3 Comments

why do we do the things we do?…

kineticprose

So, I’ve been working on a project for more than a year now, mostly in my head. It’s a trio of book dolls based on poems I’ve written which are based on characters in the Günter Grass novel The Tin Drum. (Pretty meta for poem-y book arts, right?) Among the plans: a pull-out eel, skirt pages and, um, a sort of fabric molting situation. It’s going to take a while longer, but I thought I’d post some in-progress photos to 1) prove I’ve been up to something book-y and 2) provide myself a public record of progress that will hopefully … Continue reading why do we do the things we do?…

Banned Books Week, BooksLeave a comment

bbw #1: thank you, mrs. walker…

kineticprose

It’s National Banned Books Week, a time when my husband notices a little extra rouge in my cheeks, a little extra fire in my tone. To be honest, it takes a lot to get me angry — I’m a pretty laid back lady — but challenge a book’s very existence, along with anyone’s right to read it, and you’re going on my own special sort of list. In honor of my love of the freedom to read whatever I want, I’m going to write a post each day this week about banned books and the people in my life who … Continue reading bbw #1: thank you, mrs. walker…

Books, NontraditionalLeave a comment

seeing things differently…

kineticprose

I made a little book a while back. It’s about a little girl looking up at a stained glass window from a parking lot, seeing what she thinks is Jesus waving to her, when in fact it’s the window washer moving behind the glass portrait. The book is a “magic book,” so when it’s folded, you can only see a small portion of the whole. You have to pull the thing apart to see the entire picture. I asked some friends to do just that…then color what they saw. Here’s what I got: If you’d like a copy, let me … Continue reading seeing things differently…

BooksLeave a comment

with cat, without cat…

kineticprose

So, last April, my friend Meredith ran a wonderful “Poetry Out of Nothing” contest in honor of National Poetry Month, and I promised to make a blank book for one of the winners. The winner in question happens to be another friend of mine, and as her poem concerned the mischievous adventures of a cat (pouncing on stink bugs, running through cilantro), I wanted to reflect the poem in the book somehow. Sadly, I’m terrible at drawing, so a literal interpretation was out of the question. Happily, the idea of a cat book inspired me in another direction… I was … Continue reading with cat, without cat…

Books4 Comments

i made a little book…

kineticprose

Actually, 50 little books. They’re “magic books,” the kind of one-sheet-of-paper-plus-one-strategic-cut-equals-six-pages book I absolutely love because they’re fun and easy to make, easy to copy, and full of fold-y secrets. This one, “Window Washer,” contains a poem about a guy washing a very significant window, and a little girl looking at him from the parking lot outside. That’s all I’ll say about the poem, but I will mention there’s a secret in this book. A secret in its construction and its entirety. And a secret instruction for the reader, which I hope will result in something cool down the line. … Continue reading i made a little book…