Raptors and Wood Type Fun

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Warm Greetings from St Brigid Press!

Well, it's that time of year again -- the cooling days of late summer and early fall that provide the impetus for some of the most spectacular mass-movements of species on the planet:  the annual migration of hawks and other raptors from North America to Central and South America. Those of us in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains are fortunate to live along a major flyway -- the updrafts along the spine of the mountains support a bird highway from Canada and New England south toward the Gulf of Mexico. And Rockfish Gap, near our home in Afton, Virginia, is one of the best locations in the East to watch this magnificent flow of raptors.

To commemorate the birds and the hundreds of people who gather to witness them, I spent the last week joyfully rummaging through the 20+ cases of wood type here at the Press. Most of the type was made in the US between 1875 and 1910, and still in very good condition. The idea for the design this year came from the list of raptors that the official Hawk Watch Counters tally -- there are fourteen species for which they scan the skies, from Broad-winged Hawks (the most numerous) to the rare Mississippi Kite. Other species include Ospreys, Falcons, Eagles, and many different kinds of Hawks. I set the names of all fourteen raptor species in various typefaces of wood type, creating a fun collage of avians.

Each poster is hand-inked and printed on the Potter Proofing Press (circa 1915, Chicago). Paper is Stonehenge Rising Fawn, with oil-based ink in either deep blue or deep green, in 12"x18" size. The posters were printed in a limited edition of 35, all signed and numbered. Each is backed by stiff board and sleeved in protective archival plastic. Price: $30 each, with 20% of the proceeds being donated by St Brigid Press to The Raptor Conservancy of Virginia. To purchase, go to the St Brigid Press Online Store.

With thanks, and enjoy the beautiful days!

St Brigid Press

[ For more information about hawk migration, go to www.hawkcount.org ]

"Hope is the thing with feathers..." Poetry Broadside

Warm Summer Greetings from St Brigid Press!

We are inaugurating our SBP Poetry Broadside Series with a limited-edition print of this beloved poem by Emily Dickinson, decorated with an original block carving by SBP printer Emily Hancock. When Dickinson first penned this verse around 1861, America was in the initial throes of civil war, and through the century-and-a-half since, its themes of courage and ever-available hope have remained relevant, revelatory, and inspiring. (Read the full text of the poem at the end of this post.)

The text-body of "Hope is the thing with feathers..." has been hand-set in Victor Hammer's wonderful American Uncial typeface, with hand-set Lombardic Capitals illuminating the opening word "Hope," in forest-green oil-based ink. The broadside is letterpress-printed with the 1914 Chandler and Price treadled press, on lush Rives 100% cotton mouldmade paper. Decorative Thai kozo-and-banana-bark paper frames the title and the carving. The decorative feather was hand-carved here at the Press, and printed on the Rives paper with warm brown ink. Ready for framing, the broadside is matted with forest-green acid-free board, and backed with sturdy acid-free foamboard (mat is lightly affixed to the backing board with archival artists' tape).

Produced in a limited edition of 40, with 30 available for purchase. $35 each. Finished size: 12"x16". To order, please go to the SBP Online Store. For more information, Contact Us.

With thanks, and good Summer wishes to all!

St Brigid Press

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FULL TEXT of the poem by Emily Dickinson:

Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land, And on the strangest sea; Yet, never, in extremity, It asked a crumb of me.

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"Tasting the Wild Strawberry: Blue Ridge Haiku"

Warm Greetings from St Brigid Press!

We are delighted to announce the publication of artist and author Nancy Maxson's second collection of poetry ~ Tasting the Wild Strawberry: Blue Ridge Haiku.

Nearly sixty new haiku evoke the beauty and surprises of a life lived in these Virginia mountains. With humor and deep insight, Maxson gives us a poem's-eye-view of her journey through the seasons of a year; in the Introduction, she elaborates upon the artful and spirited aesthetic which inspired this work.

The book's design and hand-crafted execution seek to reflect the nature of the poetic form, as well as Maxson's mindful sensibility. Each edition is 6-inches square, with black covers of Nepalese Lokta paper, decorative interior papers of red Thai Unryu, and a warm-white text block of bamboo paper. Binding is in the traditional Japanese style of 4-hole stab binding, with red linen thread. Cover and interior art is from Maxson's original watercolor, "The Strawberry Seeker." Produced in a limited edition of 100 numbered books.

Available now in the St Brigid Press Store, and, for those of you near Waynesboro, Va, at Stone Soup Books and Cafe. For more information, contact us at stbrigidpress[AT]gmail.com.

Best wishes to all for a lovely summer!

St Brigid Press

The First Day of Summer at St Brigid Press

Come, shamanic bee,

turning light into sweetness:

pollinate this dawn

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Warm Greetings, Friends,

The above haiku is the opening poem of Summer in a new book by Nancy Maxson, Tasting the Wild Strawberry: Blue Ridge Haiku, forthcoming from St Brigid Press. In this, her second collection of poetry, Maxson explores the seasons of the year and of the heart in fifty-six wonderfully distilled, 3-line gems. Known throughout the region for her fine watercolor paintings, we are thrilled to collaborate with Maxson to produce this limited-edition, letterpress printed, hand-bound collection of her written work.

Below are a handful of photos from some of the stages of creating Tasting the Wild Strawberry. If you are in the Waynesboro, Virginia, area, please drop by Stone Soup Books next Saturday, June 29th, for Maxson's art opening and book launch reception. Books will be available for purchase at Stone Soup and through our website here, as of the 29th.

Very best summer wishes to all,

St Brigid Press

Letterpress PocketNotes

Now available from St Brigid Press -- Letterpress PocketNotes!

We are glad to introduce a sweet little line of letterpress printed journals, in five dandy designs and one handy size. At about 4.5" tall and 3.25" wide (closed; 6.5" wide open), these blank booklets are perfect to slip into a pocket or satchel and go wherever you do. Printed on our 1909 Golding Pearl treadle-powered press, the sturdy cream-colored covers brightly display five themes: "Fly Fishing," "Piper Airplane," Golden Sun," "Sailing Ship," and "Notes." Inside, 40 pages of warm-white paper await your thoughts, lists, ideas, and art. All are hand-bound with linen thread.

Offered only through our website, please see our SBP Online Store for ordering information.

Thanks, friends, and all the best from St Brigid Press.

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Letterpress Coasters from St Brigid Press

Hello and Memorial Holiday Greetings from St Brigid Press!

Summer is just around the corner, and we're celebrating two of our very favorite things here -- warm weather and great literature -- with today's launch of "LETTERPRESS COASTER CLASSICS: American Novelists Series." In time to adorn your deck, home library, or to gift the bibliophiles in your life, we are now offering one-of-a-kind coaster sets. Each package includes 6 different designs printed on the 1914 Chandler and Price press, using vintage wood type and featuring the names of some of our most beloved American authors: "Mark Twain," "Willa Cather," "Richard Wright," "Harper Lee," "Ray Bradbury," and "Louisa May Alcott" are hand-set and printed with elegant fun on extra-thick coasters that are durable, reusable, and color-fast.

If you are in the Waynesboro, Virginia, area, these coasters can be purchased at Stone Soup Books. Otherwise, head over to the St Brigid Press Online STORE and order direct.

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Whatever you're sipping this summer, slip a little literary history under your glass with these handmade Letterpress Coasters!

All best to all,

St Brigid Press

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"A Commonplace Book" journals now available

Warm Spring Greetings from St Brigid Press!

Hope this post finds you all well and enjoying the Beauty of the Season. In honor of April's designation as National Poetry Month, St Brigid Press has collaborated with Blue Ridge Mountain artist Nancy Maxson in the creation of "A Commonplace Book" journals. These lovely blank books are part of the tradition of personal notebooks that date back to the Renaissance -- providing a place to write down and remember the quotes, poems, recipes, insights, and inklings that we come across in our reading life. It's like creating a portable treasury of favorite literary pieces, something folks have done for centuries.

The St Brigid Press editions of "A Commonplace Book" are hand-bound with fine papers and linen thread. Each book includes a hand-set, letterpressed cover and an introduction to the history and usage of commonplace books, 4 reproductions of Maxson's exquisite original watercolors, a colophon signed by the printer and the artist, and approximately 84 open pages. Book size: about 7 inches by 5 inches. Book colors: choice of gold cover with blue thread, or green cover with gold thread (interior pages are light cream). (Cover artwork may vary; all pieces will be watercolors by Maxson.) Available now in the St Brigid Press Store!

Below is an excerpt from the lovely introduction in "A Commonplace Book" --

From John Locke to Virginia Woolf to Lemony Snicket, folks have collected favored sayings, sonnets, recipes, and whatnot in handy companion books. Emerson encouraged people to "make their own Bible" of words that mattered to them, and Thomas Jefferson began his first Commonplace Book when he was fifteen years old. A Commonplace Book celebrates the lasting effect a piece of writing has on us, and is a way to remember and curate the wisdom, humor, and beauty we find in the world. May this little book help you honor the threads of your own life, show you what is important to you, and keep it all in one place!

~Nancy Maxson

   along the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia

   April 2013

First book published by St Brigid Press

Warm greetings from the Blue Ridge of Virginia!

The New Year has already brought much work and excitement here at St Brigid Press. On New Year's Day itself, I moved into the little room at the Penland School of Crafts (in the mountains of North Carolina) that would be my home-away-from-home for the next two weeks. I had been notified last autumn of my acceptance to Penland's 2013 Winter Residency in Letterpress Printing. At their wonderfully equipped printing studio, I had the honor of studying letterpress and hand bookbinding with Master Printer Rory Sparks of Em Space Book Arts Center in Portland, Oregon. My three fellow residents and I spent an intense fortnight bringing to fruition the project-proposals we had submitted with our applications. We had very little sleep, but a whole lot of fun! The experience was tremendous, and I came home with new skills and confidence in this art.

I also came home having published a book -- "The Poplar Tree." It is a small, limited edition volume, the centerpiece of which is a poetic meditation upon trees. I had been working on this short essay for some time, and it seemed a good fit for the letterpress process. All of the text is set by hand using historic typefaces and printed on a cylinder proof press. The binding is hand-sewn with linen thread. It was a joy to create, and I hope it may bring joy to those who experience it.

Of an edition of forty books, twenty are now for sale at $12 each. "The Poplar Tree" is available in the St Brigid Press Store (with additional pictures). If you are in the greater Augusta/Nelson County area of Virginia, please contact Emily directly for purchase.

Photos from my time at Penland School of Crafts may be seen <here>.

Blessings and best wishes to all in 2013!

Emily

The J-O-Y of Printing

As I stood at the old Pearl treadle-press yesterday, listening to the rhythm of the turning gears, the spinning flywheel, as we printed more holiday gift tags, I was filled with the sense of participating deeply in the Season. As each little tag bearing the word "JOY" came off the press and onto its stack to dry, I couldn't help feeling joy myself, welling from within.

How wondrous to be part (in whatever ways -- small or large or unique) of that Mystery which rises and weaves and creates in us and between us, the Peace and Joy which lift off the page and enter any of us who come bearing the gifts of an open heart, open mind, open hand,  and which can heal us, within and without.

I give thanks this Season for the connection I have with each of you, and hope that your Hanukah, Christmas, and New Year are filled with Light and Love. And lots of JOY :-)

With gratitude,

Emily

St Brigid Press STORE NOW OPEN!

Warm greetings to you from St Brigid Press! In honor of "Small Business Saturday," a movement to promote the patronage of local shops this holiday season, we are delighted to announce today's launch of the St Brigid Press online STORE. Now you may purchase our handmade items directly from this website — simply click on the page entitled "SHOP the St Brigid Press Store" in the menu to the right. On sale immediately are our selection of bookmarks, holiday gift tags, and the Welcoming Prayer print.

To go directly to our Store, click **HERE**.

Thank you so much for your support of St Brigid Press, and we wish you a lovely holiday season!