I just finished a hand-printed (letterpress), hand-bound fine press book edition of the former North Carolina poet laureate's work.

Southern Fictions is a series of Kathryn Stripling Byer sonnets reflecting back upon her time growing up in the Deep South during the Jim Crow era.

The first sonnet references her Dad having a battle flag up in one of their windows. I thought it would be interesting to cut up some old cotton battle flags and mix into the pulp to recontextualize the flag and turn it into something different, and something that readers touch and hold while reading Kay's words. My friend Ann Marie Kennedy made flax/cotton blend handmade papers for the covers.

A few pics here, there's a bunch more, along with more info about the book and Kay's writing at the Horse & Buggy Press blog. (I worked on this for a fellow publisher, Jacar Press, a community active press that will be using a portion of the proceeds to fund youth writing workshops).

New fine press book edition: Southern Fictions by Kathryn Stripling Byer « Retro-Grouch Ramblings

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