I wanted to give you a sneak peek at what’s currently on my Vandy SP-15 over at the synaesthesia press. I alluded to it a few Five Things, Right Now posts ago — Scot Sothern’s Sweet Adeline. Like all my letterpress books, it’ll be limited. Whatever you do, don’t call me a numerologist; however, I love the number 125. I love 99’s. I love 26’s. Go figure. And, as collectors, we all love knowing exactly how many are out there.
I’m leaning into a French fold. Same approach I used years ago with Tim O’Brien’s Friends & Enemies. We all love letterpress. And we really love that heavy kiss on the page — printer’s speak for a deep impression into the paper. What we talk about when we talk about letter press. The problem is printing back-to-back while kissing those pages. Too much bite (unless you want a complete mess). French fold solves that issue. Print one side then fold it, and now the impression really lives. It feels like something. Without interfering with the rest of the book.
Follow Scot Sothern on Substack. I love his stories. I love his pictures, too. He makes a photograph the way Bukowski made a poem — direct, sometimes dangerous, and certainly not for everyone. Same goes for his stories. They’re not for everyone.
125 copies total. 99 numbered. 26 lettered. All signed. The lettered copies will have five of Scot’s photographs of Adeline laid in.
I’d love to see this land in your mailbox by the end of March. We’ll see how that goes. I’m already a month behind. For now, this is what it looks like on the press.
Just started following. Paul Schuett 👍🏻
Right on Paul! Thanks!!!
Hey Jim, thanks for the update! – Like the content of “Heavy Kiss” printing. I am kinda sad that consideration to things like this, paper stock, folio size, etc. are kinda disappearing? thanks for keeping this craft alive & breathing! – I remember sitting in HR meetings a few decades ago, listening to the execs talking about things like this when planning ad and promo materials. – – – – the hand feel makes a difference! – – – – Hope all is well with you? I am fucking DIGGING retirement! Time is a whole different concept for me now – strangely, though I am doing much less – some days almost nothing – time seems to pass more quickly – which is OK with me. I am still (vaguely) cognizant of what day of the week it is, but hoping that slacks off soon!
Hey Jeff! Not just “kinda” disappearing…pretty much gone, for the most part. Of course an audience still exists, but nowhere near what it once was. All is well here thanks for asking!! Staying busy hustling books, paper and pictures and making them, too!!