Ep. 255: Kyle and Two Active Novels

Bookbinder of the Week:

Hedi Kyle

A giant among bookbinders, Ms Kyle has, among many other things, a wikipedia page: here. She co-founded the Paper and Book Intensive (with Timothy Barrett and Gary Frost) way back in 1983, she has influenced hundreds if not thousands of bookbinders, and she has taught at a number of schools and book centers. 

Bookbinding

Continuing learning by attaching the endpapers completely onto the page rather than just an edge for the text block side and completely on the cover side. This time A5 in size (8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches for the one country that doesn’t understand the metric system) sewed on cords (just to see what happens).

In the last three weeks I made four books. One graphic notebook (A5), two small blank notebooks using this new (for me) technique, and, just yesterday, an A5 blank notebook using this new technique. 

All leading up to me making an A5 2021 schedule for a client who requested a soft cover. I’ve been looking for material for a soft book board but this new (for me) technique is perfect for it; that’s why I practiced making it.

Fiction

In the works and hopefully coming soon are Growing Slurry and Molly Bright (well, maybe not so soon). 

Growing Slurry is about Gina and Sliven. Gina is a hardworking woman who dragged herself up from an abusive childhood, homelessness, and murder. Sliven is a forensic accountant who pulls out of the consumer economy to enjoy life. 

Both enjoy reading Moby Dick and meet in a Starbucks (of course) when Gina notices Sliven reading the novel. As they converse, we learn about their lives through flashbacks. Yes, flashbacks.

Molly Bright is about Early Mather, Sawako Kado, and Molly who meet by chance while surfing off the coast of Japan. Sawako is kidnapped by a murderous religious cult. Molly and Early find out the police don’t care, so they work to save her.

In the process they run into illegal immigrants, homeless workers, and bartenders who both help and hinder them.