Ep. 256: Dennis Yuen and an Odd Shape

Bookbinder of the Week

Dennis Yuen

Dennis Yuen is a bookbinder/artist, photographer, and videographer. I ran across him while looking for information about Cai Lun, the inventor of paper back in 105 CE. Mr Yuen ran a blog called Cai Lun until 2012 and it was through that blog that I learned Mr Yuen is from Hong Kong, has an MFA from Parsons, and makes magnificent books:

• Duotone (two books of two opposite colors), and

• Sculpture Books (more sculpture than book).

Aside from being on a variety of social media places, his website is DennisYuen.com

Bookbinding

I’ve spent the last week trying to create a schedule that fits in a jacket pocket but also isn’t a ‘normal’ size aka A5 (5.8 x 8.3 in), B7 (5 x 3.5 in) or one of the many other sizes.

I finally made one 85 x 155 mm (3.34 x 6.1 in) and it only took me way too long to figure out how to print the calendars — this calendar will have a yearly calendar, 13 monthly calendars, and a weekly calendar (one week per page). Printing requires me to waste too much A4 paper.

I print everything in the middle and trim off the edges before folding them over. Fortunately, I have access to a semi-automatic electronic paper cutting machine; one that slices through reams of paper in well fell swoop. I just have to be quick and surreptitious about using it.

Fiction

I’ve written a bit more on Molly Bright and Growing Slurry. Neither are finished although I had hoped the latter would be done by now.

A thought flew across my mind as to how I can end the particular story I’m in at the moment. It looks promising and I’m going to see where it takes me. The mysterious woman who is stealing money from the main character’s employee pretends to be a man in certain situations.

I have, however, managed to read more of Don Quixote. Nearly 80% finished, according to my iPad. For you youngsters we used to eyeball the number of pages read in a real book and say something like, I’m almost finished instead of 82.5% complete.