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Creating Handmade Books and Writing Fiction in Kanazawa, Japan 金沢市
Episodes
Saturday Apr 24, 2021
Saturday Apr 24, 2021
Bookbinder of the Week
Akai Miyako is a miniature bookbinder in that she makes miniature books not that she’s a tiny bookbinder. Her miniatures have won awards in Japan and deservedly so as they are exquisite.
She is also a writer who has won prizes in Japan. She also produced her own small magazine in 2002. One of her prizes is for writing a 1000 character novel – This doesn’t mean there are 1000 characters in her novel (surpassing even Tolstoy for speaking parts in novels) but the characters are the equivalent of words. She wrote a 1000-word flash fiction and won a prize for it.
She is on Facebook and has a web presence in English & Japanese at Kototsubo.com
Bookbinding
I’ve been asked to make a schedule for 2021. The customer wants the schedule to start and end in April (I have to hurry), and have no yearly calendar, but 13 monthly calendars, and a weekly calendar. I am also waiting for the client to tell me what color paper I should use for the weekly calendar.
Also, the client asked for an orange cover. I sent jpegs of five different book cloths that could be considered orange. I included a sixth jpeg of one I thought was too yellow but it had a touch of orange. The client took that one.
Fiction
Two things. First, in the last few months I finished reading Melville’s Moby Dick and Cervantes’ Don Quixote. I am now several chapters into Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. In comparison to the story-within a-story structure and ramblings of Don Quixote and the minutia and dry biological/humanistism of Moby Dick, Anna Karenina is a relaxing pleasure to read. I think in part this is because you can read ten pages of Tolstoy, stop, and pick it up and know where you are and who is in the scene. With both Melville and Cervantes you might find yourself in a completely different world.
But this is about reading and not writing.
Second, in writing (and influenced by my reading of Anna Karenina) I have written a few pages of my so-called long novel, Molly Bright, but no, Molly Bright is nothing — Absolutely Nothing — like Tolstoy’s masterpiece. But reading Tolstoy has given me the permission to include character insights, my own observations about people, and interior monologs that I most often keep to a minimum or avoid all together.
Plus, while technically Molly is a thriller, it can be read in smaller chunks. Chapter One, for example, is ten pages. It looks like Chapter Two is going to fall within that landscape as well. I’m also writing Chapter Three and in my head that seems to clock in a bit longer. The three chapters introduce the three main characters and the intrigue and action.
I’m also looking for a better cover.
Thursday Apr 01, 2021
Thursday Apr 01, 2021
Bookbinder of the Week:
Don Etherington is a British bookbinder and conservator who did an apprenticeship and journeyman work in England, waded through the floods of Venice in 1966 to rescue old manuscripts and books, has created conservation programs in Texas and North Carolina, influenced both Bookbinders and Conservators on at least two continents, and has influenced the fields of bookbinding and conservation. Here is his website: Etherington
Bookbinding
Busy week.
• The 1/2 Accordion. And the Video
I started (and badly) an accordion book. I made a video of it and plastered it on YouTube for your viewing pleasure here. I started two more for the practice.
• I have four A6-sized blank notebooks to give away.
Last last week I made two softcover A6-size blank notebooks with page numbers using thick orange paper as covers. Previously I made two softcover A6-size blank notebooks without page numbers using purple book cloth as covers. For those who reside in the inch bubble A6 is about 4" x 6".
Yours for free!
Send me an email!
Put “Blank Notebook” in the subject line.
Request color (Orange or Purple).
One Notebook per customer; but First Come, First Serve.
If the Notebook you requested is already gone, sorry.
My only request is If you get a notebook and use it, tell me how it holds up.
Fiction
I finished Growing Slurry. Yeah! The last three chapters were written Simultaneously! Why? When I got stuck in one chapter, I slipped into another chapter. When I ran into a road block there, I escaped into another chapter. Eventually, by sitting and typing until I was finished, I finished! Yeah!
Now, the editing and rearranging begins.
The ending is less than conventional on the one hand but is sort of conventional on the other. It ends. With a question. And it is neither happy nor sad. On the other hand, it leads nicely into a sequel, except this isn’t a movie; it’s a book.
Next week, perhaps I shall give you more information — A Plot Summary‽ Perhaps? — about this novel including Including! The current title.
Saturday Mar 20, 2021
Saturday Mar 20, 2021
Bookbinder of the Week:
Adela Yustas Romo is a Spanish paper artist/marbler available on Facebook and, perhaps Pinterst. She is creative, has an interest in Japanese design such as suminagashi, Turkish/Cnetral Asian erbu and creates a wide variety of paper suitable for either covers, endpapers, or decorative designs.
Bookbinding
This week I made another small sketch book. A6 (105x150 mm or 4" x 6" for our American brethren) in size with 64 pages or four signatures of four folios each.
The cover is made of thick paper which matches the fake headbands in color. I placed a bit of scrap construction paper to indicate the front and trimmed everything off nicely.
I also made a video of me making it here: Compendium Sketch Book.
Fiction
Last week I worked – again – on Growing Slurry but I did not finish it as I had hoped. Primarily because I didn’t put my butt on the chair and do it; I got distracted by ill relatives. Yes, plural. Another one was rushed to the hospital with a serious non-coved 19 problem. They may be out of the woods, but no one is certain.
But I worked on both the final chapter and what looks to be working out to be the penultimate chapter. I will not promise to finish it these week but I will allow as how when I do finish it, my faithful audience will be given a chance to read it.
Coming Soon! (I hope): Growing Slurry!
Plot & Characters
Two people meet in a coffee shop but neither of them are as they appear. Sliven, dressed as a homeless creature, helps people in trouble. Gina, for all outward appearances seems to be a company employee has a hidden past frought with violence and survival.
During the course of an afternoon, they talk. They remember. They let us know more about their past.
Video of the Making of Compendium of Outlines & Art, a sketch book.
Saturday Mar 13, 2021
Saturday Mar 13, 2021
Bookbinder of the Week:
Buzz Spector
Former Washington University (St Louis MO in the US) professor Señor Spector is less a bookbinder and more of a book sculptor/manipulator/artist who uses books as his medium much like painters use paint and potters use clay. He’s had exhibitions world-wide and has two books you can check out if you find his art alluring: Buzzwords and The Book Maker’s Desire.
Bookbinding
This week I finished my cellphone-size schedule (finally) and shipped it off to the customer. It looks good, I think, and is definitely capable of being put in a suit pocket (the one requirement).
Secondly, I made a sketch book for an artist who wanted a small book he could carry around. This one has a soft cover that is easily folded so he can fold it back and draw (mostly portraits of people he sees in the street). It is 64 pages, A6 (4" x 6") in size, with a portion of a map of the artist’s city as endpapers, and a nifty title:
Book of Thoughts & Memorabilia.
(with a pay phone booth in the background for the memorabilia)
Fiction
I wrote the final chapter of Growing Slurry. However, the book is not finished. I must get from where I am now, stranded in Chapter 13, to Chapter 15 which is the final chapter. The subtitle has been changed from the very generic ‘A Love Story’ to the more accurate ‘An Accountable Love Story’ as the male main character (Sliven) is a forensic accountant and the female main character brings people to account for their transgressions.
When I eventually finish this novel I promise to make a special edition available to my listeners.
Saturday Mar 06, 2021
Saturday Mar 06, 2021
Bookbinder of the Week:
Sol Rébora
Ms Rébora is a bookbinder out of Buenos Aires, Argentina where bookbinders are few. She has some excellent work – French style, multi-leather, and fascinating designs – that can be seen on her website: Estudio Rebora.
Here’s an interview with her at Herringbone Bindery which has two more interviews with her.
There’s an interview with Ms Rébora in the Pamela Train Leutz tome The Threads That Bind. She is also on Facebook here.
Bookbinding
I worked on a cellphone-sized schedule that took me way too long; days and days of arranging, rearranging, and manipulating days, dates, and weeks to fit in the smaller size. I didn’t want to make the numbers so small they were invisible, but I didn’t have all that much room to work with either.
It was a challenge that came at a time when I either didn’t need a challenge or it was exactly what I needed. Last week I said a family member was taken to the hospital; they are still in the hospital so my area of concentration is not on bookbinding (or fiction). However, a distraction away from the medical might just be the medicine I require.
In any case, it worked. I fudged yearly, monthly, and weekly calendars around until everything fit nicely. I eliminated some decorations and reduced the number of fonts to make it smoother and more elegant (?). I printed out five copies until I finally got a copy that was good. I cut them out of the B5 page they were printed on. I folded them up to make sure everything matched (they did). I checked them and, of course, found four copies had mistakes and had to be discarded.
Fiction
I didn't so much as write much as read and consider. I tweaked. I added to the outline. I thought about it some more. This has already been designated as My Long Novel but how slow should it develop?
One thing I considered was the sun. I had an entire section where the three main characters are facing the sunrise. One minor problem: They were facing the wrong way. They are on surfboards and facing land. The sun comes up in the east in Japan and they were facing west. Oops. Decided to have them watch the sun’s rays hit the land instead of watch the sun rise.
By the way, this happened to me in real life, too. I sat at a train station to wait for the sun to rise up over the city I was facing only to have the sun rise up behind the station.
Monday Feb 22, 2021
Monday Feb 22, 2021
Bookbinder of the Week
Emily Martin
Emily Martin is a bookbinder, artist, printer, and teacher. Her works are spread across the globe in museums and universities. She teaches at Bookbinding and Book Arts at the University of Iowa and runs Naughty Dog Press. She has a wide variety of techniques and styles from pop-up to sculptural books, artist books, and types of printing.
Bookbinding
I changed the size of a schedule and totally messed up everything. I’m starting over and working fast. Kind of. Other than that? Nothing.
Fiction
Nothing. Well, not nothing. Simple thinking mostly. As always, nearly finishing Growing Slurry.
Thursday Feb 11, 2021
Thursday Feb 11, 2021
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.
Tuesday Feb 02, 2021
Tuesday Feb 02, 2021
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.
Wednesday Jan 27, 2021
Wednesday Jan 27, 2021
Bookbinder of the Week:
Karen Hanmer
A most famous bookbinder and educator who even the most beginning binders probably know about, have taken classes from, or at least heard about as she was prominent in the periodical Bonefolder. Her website is KarenHanmer.com. She has amazingly artistic covers and a wide variety of classes.
Bookbinding
I made three books this week. The first one is a repeat of the notebook from last week: a A6-size, 100-page blank notebook with 25 doodles of animals with their Japanese and English equivalents. But with a different cover, of course, and, I think at least, better.
Second two are different in two different ways. First, they’re blank. Nothing fancy on the inside. Plus, they are small. They’re A6 (4 x 6 inches for our American brethren) and four signatures of four folios each (64 pages).
Second, they were inspired by Sage Reynolds’ video A Book In Less than An Hour. For me, a new way to adhere endpapers and the cover. The video also taught me a better way to glue on the spine paper without pain: glue the paper on the spine, fold it over, glue it again, and fold it over again.
Fiction
Continuing to work on a whole bunch of lies i.e. fiction.
First, Growing Slurry. The main character is a forensic accountant who makes a life-changing discovery and abandons the consumer lifestyle for one of acceptance and positivity. He cute-meets a woman who has lived a hard life; on her own in the big city by age 10, killed two men who tried to rape her, surrounded by alcoholics and drug addicts, abandoned by her mother. Both are lovers of Moby Dick.
Second, Molly Bright. The three main characters get trapped in a kidnapping. The kidnappers are after one of the three because she can McGyver bombs out nearly anything. The kidnappers are also working for a religious doomsday cult that is planning to wreak havoc on Tokyo. As planned, this is going to be a long novel. Most of mine are about 250 ~280 pages but this looks like it could be closer to 400.
Third, The Posthumous Biography of Agnes Grout, Death Weaver. (which I think I will re-title: The Agonizing Biography of Agnes Grout, Death Weaver). Agnes is a widowed mother of three in 18th century New England struggling to raise her family by working as a weaver in a textile mill; a job usually done by young, single women in need of a husband.
One of her children has autism and epilepsy (obvious signs of being a witch), one has what the neighbors call “the evil eye,” and one is sensitive to the needs of others.
Agnes sees the when, how, and where people die one year before they shuffle off.
And fourth, but not really, is Caraculiambro. Started a long time ago, it is a detective investigating the murders of two seemingly innocent people caught in a land developers squabble. The detective is a giant and named after a giant in Don Quixote.
Hopes? To finish Growing Slurry soon.
Wednesday Jan 20, 2021
Wednesday Jan 20, 2021
Bookbinder of the Week:
Robert Wu
A Toronto-based bookbinder, marbler, and architecture graduate. His specialty is French-style design fine art leather bookbinding but he marbles, makes miniature books, boxes, and plays the cello. He has studied design for decades and bookbinding since the 1990s. His works are in a lot of different collections. His covers are intricate, delicate, colorful, and amazing to look at. He can be stalked at his website (studiorobertwu.com), Facebook, and Instagram.
(Webiste)
https://www.facebook.com/StudioRobertWu/
https://www.instagram.com/studio_robert_wu/
Bookbinding
I finished casing in three books in the last three days.
Book 1: the purplish A6-size, 100-page blank notebook with 25 doodles of animals with their Japanese and English equivalents.
Book 2: the bluish 2021 schedule for the Japan islands with two yearly calendars (2021 & 2022), thirteen monthly calendars, and a weekly calendar with photos of the Tokyo area.
Book 3: the brick-colored 2021 schedule for Belgium with the same details as the Japan schedule but with different pictures gleaned from free sites on the web.
I learned a bit about calculating the width of the book cover while taking into account the spine and space between the spine and the cover. What I learned was what I think is too big, isn’t.
Fiction
This has a little to do with my fiction. I finished reading for the first time Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. It has a little to do with me because the two main characters in Growing Slurry meet when one notices that the other is reading Moby Dick. And a couple of chapters of my book mimic and/or copy Melville’s style or construction in his book.
A bit sad to say I read it on my iPad rather than purchase a Real Book as I hope others do with my books (buy a real book And an ebook). Now I am nearly finished reading Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Book 2, by the way, is much better than Book 1 when it comes to writing (or at least translating).
Also in fiction I am writing what I have planned to be about a 500-page novel. This will necessarily include a lot of observations about life and living plus have a strong plot and characters. If I pull it off.
I’m continuing to write Growing Slurry and am sneaking up on the end where the two main characters decide to have a relationship (based on their mutual love of Moby Dick).
I am also re-reading one of my unfinished novels that I really want to finish: Caraculiambro, a detective novel about land speculators and murder. The main character slash detective is a giant and yes, since you ask, his name did come from Don Quixote; he is the giant Don Quixote imagines he will defeat if he ever runs across him, which he doesn’t (spoiler alert).