Our good friend George Walker just released his new book A is for Alice via the Porcupine’s Quill and it is absolutely wonderful (we were lucky enough to get a sneak preview copy). It’s a playful alphabet book comprised of a quote and accompanying wood engraving (done by the Mad Hatter himself, George) for each letter of the alphabet. The engravings were selected from the nearly 200 engravings used in the Chesire Cat fine press editions, limited to 177 copies each, of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass that George, Bill Poole and Joseph Brabant designed and printed in the 80’s & 90’s. I count myself fortunate to have a copy of Through the Looking-Glass and show it off every chance I get 
We’ve ordered a dozen copies directly from the source, so if you are interested just drop us a note. Here is a sneak peek at the book.
Also, to celebrate the release of A is for Alice, a video following the book through the intensive production process, which takes place in-house at The Porcupine’s Quill shop on the Main Street of Erin Village, has been made available here. Enjoy!
A few months ago I was interviewed by Nigel Beale for his literary blog Nota Bene on the history of the private press and more specifically the collecting and Canadian aspects of fine press editions and letterpress printed works. The interview lasts about 40mins and was quite fun to do, so hope you enjoy!
The Christmas Turr
Dave Paddon and Duncan Major
Original linocut illustrations for the poem are by Duncan Major.  Letterpress printed in an edition of  360.  Papers were handmade in Czechoslovakia; the endpapers are Japanese, and the cover papers are from St.-Armand. $15 + HSTÂ
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Notes (toward a poem about play)
Don  Austin and Tara Bryan
Tara designed and illustrated the game, which is based on the prose poem; the game board  was silk-screened by Dave Hopley at Living Planet T-shirts  in St. John’s.  The text was letterpress printed at Running the Goat Press, and the books have been assembled at walking bird press.  Printed in an edition of 95 copies, signed but unnumbered. $75 + HST (after Christmas the price will increase to $90)
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Caligula’s Horse and other Creatures Â
Tom Dawe and Gerald Squires  Â
This limited-edition chapbook collaboration by Gerald Squires and Tom Dawe features seven previously published poems and original lithographs. Lithographs printed by master printer Jerry Evans at St. Michael’s Printshop and the poems set by hand and letterpress printed at Running the Goat Press.  There are 50 copies of which 45 are available for purchase, each with seven original lithographs. The books are numbered and signed by poet and artist, and come in a handmade wrapper.   $300 + HST
The book was named best new product at the Newfoundland and Labrador Craft Council’s Fine Craft and Design Fair (November 11-15, 2009).
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Info on ordering books from Running the Goat Press can be
found here.
I was recently alerted to this great new press from Vancouver and am very impressed by their inaugural title. The Bowler Press launched it’s first book at the Vancouver Wayzgoose (which took place October 24th), a beautifully illustrated edition of The Importance of Being Earnest. The book has already had some great coverage so far with the engraver/printer Jarrett Morrison being interviewed on CBC (podcast here) and the book being reviewed by Crispin Elsted of the Barbarian Press for an upcoming issue of the Fine Press Book Association’s quarterly journal. Â
With a limited edition of only 65, this wonderful book will not last long. We will look to get a couple copies for the shop for those interested.
The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde, with ten engravings by Jarrett Morrison, was hand set in Bembo roman, with stage directions composed in Fairbank italic by the Bixler letterfoundry. Printed on Somerset Book Soft White Wove. Quarter bound in burgundy velour with pattern-printed covers and Bugra endsheets. Limited to 65 copies, 6.25″ x 9.5″, 108pp. $300.
Our friend Larry Thompson at the Greyweathers Press did a wonderful interview with Nigel Beale a couple months ago and is now available on Nigel’s site here.
I did an interview with Nigel as well about a month ago discussing the history of private presses and those who collect their works. This interview should be available in the next few weeks.
These beautifully letterpressed broadsides (13″ x 19″), entitled Unexplored Coutry, were printed by Alex Widen at the Alden Press in early 2009.  The broadsides came in over the summer while our website was down and they completely slipped my mind until now.Â
The broadsides were printed in a limited edition of 60 for Al Purdy Day (April 21,2009) and consist of three never before published poems by Purdy which were written while in hospital battling his illness. They are presented with a preface from the printer which is accompanied by a wood engraving by Jim Rimmer is a simple presentation folder with letterpressed titles. We manage to acquire a couple sets at the shop, thanks to Alex, and have them for sale in our shop for the suggested retail price of $125.00.
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