These Interviews with
book artists and poets, are hosted by Steve Miller, coordinator of the MFA
in the Book Arts Program at The University of Alabama. The
lively conversations are about
craft, inspiration, careers, and aspirations. For your feedack please click on the MyChingo box at the bottom of this page and tell us what you think.
You may want to download iTunes to properly listen to these. To subscribe to our free podcasts in iTunes click the iTunes icon below, or click the "Play Podcast" icon below each photograph to listen on your computer. 
A conversation between book art historian Betty Bright and long-time book artist and educator Betsy Davids, as introduced by Kathy Walkup on January 12, 2008 at the founding meeting of the Collegiate Book Art Association. Betsy says the leading edge of books is interdisciplinary and to nurture the practice of criticism. With music by Sonic Deviant.
As director of the Idaho Center for the Book and professor of English at Boise State University, Tom Trusky promotes book arts and book arts education in Idaho. The book as control and consolation in this January 12, 2008 interview, with a piece Metamorphosis by mr.tunes.
As part of its emerging podcast series, Robin Dreyer of the Penland School of Crafts interviews visiting book artist Steve Miller on November 12, 2007 in the Penland coffee shop, with a song, Nina Hatshe, from The Listening Room by Neo Nuyanga.
Dieu Donné, founded in New York City in 1976 and dedicated to the creation, promotion and preservation of contemporary art in the hand papermaking process, has as its artistic director Paul Wong. He discusses its history and his life in papermaking on September 8, 2007. Music Ha Ha Nae Joy by el dog.
A September 3, 2007 conversation with type founder Michael Bixler at his shop in Skaneateles, NY. Michael says the problem with some printers is that they're trying to save their type. Music is Library of Babel by Disparation.
Rich Hopkins of Hill and Dale Private Press and Typefoundry in Terra Alta, West Virginia, fell in love with letterpress printing in high school and hasn't quit. He became intrigued with the Monotype composition caster and founded Monotype U. An August 10, 2007 interview with Steve Miller at Penland School of Crafts.
Slightly off topic, Steve Miller is sitting cross-legged in front of the clay brick baking oven at OxBow 5am May 26, 2007, feeding logs to a fire to bake sourdough bread with Jon Hook, for breakfast at Paper and Book Intensive. He relives his formative days as a boy scout who was not able to light fires. Included is Galadrials Dance by dt king.
Andrea Peterson, hand papermaker and instructor at Columbia College Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts, helped get the paper studio at OxBow ready for Paper and Book Intensive. She is working to make the world green. Hear the voice of a devoted teacher and artist in this conversation on July 27, 2007 with Steve Miller in a canoe at dawn on the OxBow lagoon. Music Hubble ii by Guardian Mind Mix.
Sitting in the hand papermill at Oxbow during Paper and Book Intensive, Michael Durgin speaks with Steve Miller about the excitement of co-founding HAND PAPERMAKING and what it has been like to edit this critical publication.
A May 25, 2007 interview of Ann Arbor letterpress printer and book artist Jean Buescher Bartlett by Steve Miller at Paper and Book Intensive, interrupted by workmen, dogs and leaping turtles. See her Bloodroot Press. Music introvert 4 by base-box.
Amanda Degener, hand papermaker, artist, and co-founder of HAND PAPERMAKING in a May 23, 2007 conversation with Steve Miller at Paper and Book Intensive. Light Year by Guardian Mind Mix is also featured. She is co-proprietor of Cave Paper.
What is the responsibility of the craft artist of the 21st century? On June 15, 2007, book artists, poet, and deep ecologist Paulus Berensohn spoke in Steve Miller's letterpress printing class at Penland School of Crafts. Music by Guardian Mind Mix.
Renate Mesmer, Assistant Head of Conservation at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, DC talks on June 28, 2007, with Steve Miller at the OxBow Paper and Book Intensive about her bookbinding apprenticeship starting at age 16, and a life in bookbinding. Song by Torchomatic.
Steamboat Springs, Colorado book artist Laura Wait speaks about her views on the craft of making artist books in very limited editions, and teaching. Karmyn Tyler's beautiful song Drifting ends this piece.
Jim Croft, Idaho book artist, tool maker, and educator is on his "Old Way" tour, interviewed on December 6, 2006 at the MFA in the Book Arts Program, The University of Alabama. Included is the Tom Waits song, Hold On.
Andrew Hoyem, proprietor of Arion Press and M & H Type in San Francisco, presented "Bible, Blake, Baseball, and Beckett" at the King Library Press 50th Anniversary Celebration November 18, 2006.
A recording of San Francisco printer Peter Koch speaking at The Book Club of California on the occasion of his exhibition "KALOS: in search of Herakleitos & Parmenides" June 2006. Linocut by Tony Green from A Ore Perse.
Carol Blinn is proprietor of Warwick Press, Easthampton, MA. In this interview at the celebration of the 50th birthday of the King Library Press in Lexington, KY, she traces her life as a letterpress printer as she worked with Harold McGrath, Leonard Baskin, and Arno Werner. Included is a song You Are Right There by blue number nine.
On October 27, 2006 John Horn gave an action-packed platen press workshop at The University of Alabama MFA in the Book Arts Program. John began letterpress printing in 1963 in high school, and is a passionate fine press publisher of small books and broadsides, as proprietor of Shooting Star Press. The song Human by Russell Wolff is included.
Jerry Lamme is a digital printmaker and Visiting Artist in the MFA in the Book Arts Program at The University of Alabama, summer 2006. He discusses his printmaking process and equipment, as well as the Gordo Mule Day & Chicken Fest. The tune Garden by Torchomatic is included.
An August 14, 2006 interview of book artist Mary Ann Sampson. She explores her roots in printmaking and surface design, and the book as personal narrative. A song No More Mondays by Melissa Forbes ends this podcast.
Lynn Mclure, North Carolina book and fiber artist, is interviewed at the Penland School, northeast of Asheville, NC, on July 3, 2006.
Clarissa Sligh, Philadelphia book artist and photographer, ruminates at the Penland School in North Carolina on July 1, 2006, and surrounded by the song Acoustic Dream by Acoustika.
This is a Promotional Piece by host Steve Miller describing the BOOK ARTISTS AND POETS podcast.
On April 22nd UA Book Arts students and faculty participated in the 2006 Alabama Book Festival in Montgomery. Steve Miller interviews students, Dr. Joan Atkinson, and letterpress printer Amos Paul Kennedy Jr..
During this part of the Cuba bookmaking trip, UA students and faculty have finished printing the book project, worked on lithographic prints, and end the day at artist Tato's studio being entertained by Tato and a friend. Music by Ichiro Nakagawa.
In this 2nd Cuba podcast, the UA book artists begin their first day of printing at Taller Experimental de Grafica in Old Havana. Other adventures surround that event. This includes music by Ichiro Nakagawa.
Jesse Meyer, upstate New York parchment maker, presented his work to the Alabama Book Arts students. He describes the process of vellum making. The skins are used in bookbinding, printing, and book conservation. Music by Ichiro Nakagawa.
From November 11-20, 2005 UA Book Arts faculty and students worked in Cuba with artists and papermakers on a handmade book project. From printing to bookbinding to discovering Havana this series explores our experience, beginning at the Miami airport. This first podcast has us landing in Havana. Included are musical snippets from Ichiro Nakagawa.
We recorded nineteen podcasts during the national Book Arts Educator's meeting held at UA from January 13-14, 2006, and are pleased to present this audio archive of book artists speaking about their work.
Pamela Barrios, Brigham Young University book conservator, in this interview with Laura Thomson, talks about training with conservators and artists, beginning at the New York Botanical Garden. "There is one book arts, and it has a range."
Betty Bright, an independent Minnesota scholar, speaks about the writing of NO LONGER INNOCENT: BOOK ART IN AMERICA, 1960-1980, with Patrick Masterson. She articulates her fascination with book arts, and new books on her mind.
Inge Bruggeman, in this interview with Sarah Bryant, discusses her Texturaprinting and Ink-E Press, and the juggling act of teaching and book projects. Inge has suggestions for the future of Book Arts studies. Her interview is followed with a song, "Like A Magnet," by Amplifoco.
Julie Chen of Flying Fish Press, in this interview with Sarah Bryant, talks about how she starts making a book, the organic process of design, and how her life in books began.
Terrence Chouinard of Wells College is interviewed by Lisa Robinson about starting a Book Arts Program in an academic setting. What is a "service publication"? Lisa asks Terry one hundred questions.
Betsy Davids of Rebis Press speaks with Terry Chouinard about book arts in the 70s, and the alternative materiality of her early books. "More of us should be writing about what we do in the ways that *we* think about it--our own critical language." [Note: Betsy gave a wonderful short presentation to set the tone at the educators' book exhibition.]
Brad Freeman is interviewed by Patrick Masterson about his life as a book artist and working in offset printing. Freeman is the founder and editor of JAB, the Journal of Artist Books.
Julia
Leonard, in this interview by Misty Harper, talks about why
making books by hand is hard, favorite books she has made, and what
is so great about the number 52. Julie teaches bookbinding at the University
of Iowa book arts program.
Kitty Maryatt talks with Steve Miller about how to whip a group of twelve newbies together to create a collaborative book. Kitty calls it finding the "connective tissue". She has done it forty times at Scripps College. How does one become a book artist? "I wasn't out to make books." Listen to "Crayon and Ink" by Allison Crowe.
Daniel Mayer talks with Steve Miller about an Arizona-based collaboratibe book venture with a Harley-riding internet radio personality poet at Pyracantha Press. His focus is publishing work he believes is important for the culture. What is "Black Printing"?
Clifton Meador speaks with Colin Rafferty about beginning to make books in the 70s, Nexus Press, and offset printing. Does text or image drive the book? Cliff scratches the itch of the phrase "democratic multiples".
Mary Phelan is interviewed by Katherine McCanless Ruffin. Through printmaking Mary discovered a love for thousands of pieces of metal type and letterpress in Philadelphia. Included is the tune "Cottonstar" by Torchomatic.
Harry Reese of Turkey Press speaks about a life full of books, book creation as expressions of collaborative relationships, the true tale of the "Sandragraph" with a bow to Sandra Reese, and James Joyce's "Thunderclaps" in this interview with Steve Miller.
John Risseeuw, of Pyracantha Press and an Arizona State University faculty member, speaks with Colin Rafferty, tracing the roots of book arts in the past decades, and discusses what role book arts plays in university setting. Risseeuw discusses how he combines printmaking, bookmaking, and handmade papers in his project "Land Mine Prints."
Special Collections Librarians Bob Blesse, Janice Braun, Ruth Rogers, and Judy Harvey Sahak, hold a roundtable discussion about their collections of artists books, why they are attending a book arts educator conference, what they look for when acquiring books for their collections, and advice they have to book artists and educators. This is a passionate discussion with Steve Miller. Included is the podsafe tune "Winter Sky" from Torchomatic.
Barbara Tetenbaum, director of the Book Arts Program at Oregon College of Art and Craft, speaks about early book arts influences, and what inspires her work, in this interview with Claudia Hamilton.
Kathleen Walkup, Professor and Director of the Mills College Book Arts Program, talks about the women's letterpress printing shop in San Francisco, and her ongoing "Library of Discards" project, with Misty Harper.
Eileen Wallace talks with Sara Owen about the path she followed from librarianship to book arts. She practices and teaches in Ohio, and in places like Cortona, Italy. Wallace discusses how working and living at The Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina influenced her vision of book arts.
Phil Zimmerman, an artist who works in the book form teaches at SUNY-Purchase where his passion is in the making of narrative, photo-based books, in an interview with Colin Rafferty. Phil discusses Space Heater Editions, Chicago Books, Franklin Furnace, and what makes books tick.
Sleepily driving the van on the way back from taking people to the Birmingham airport, Steve Miller thinks about the Book Arts Educators meeting held at The University of Alabama from January 13-14, 2006.
And back to our regular podcasting...
Glenn House Sr. has spent a lifetime making art. From his studio in Gordo, Alabama, he spins clay objects, handmade paper, and printing projects, as well as tales. The interview was done as part of StoryCorps. This podcast includes a song by Chub Creek.
Rory Golden talks about the murder he is investigating in West Virginia, as well as experiences directing the Center for Book Arts in New York City, and his life as a roving artist and book maker, in this December 2005 interview. Also featured in this podcast is a terrific song by Adrina Thorpe. Her work can be found at www.adrinathorpe.com.
The touring team from projet Mobilivre talks about life on the road in an Airstream, with its on-board curated exhibition of zines and handmade books, during its September 2005 Tuscaloosa stop.
Katherine McCanless Ruffin, in a conversation at breakfast in Wellesley, Massachusetts, talks about her letterpress printing projects, influences on her work, and teaching book arts at Wellesley College.
Scott Samuelson, Idaho poet, talks about and reads his work, and of the joys of book making. PBI 2005.
Rich Spelker taught a unique ink making class at Paper and Book Intensive 2005. In this conversation he talks about handmade inks and concrete books.
Bea Nettles, renown photographer and book artist, talks about her work and what inspires it. This conversation took place at Paper and Book Intensive 2005.
Mina Takahashi, Editor of Hand Papermaking Magazine, hand papermaker, and teacher, speaks about her life in hand papermaking. She was teaching a class at paper & Book Intensive when we caught up with her.
Jim Canary, papermaker, bookmaker, educator, and an instructor at Paper & Book Intensive 2005, speaks about his passion for things Tibetan, especially bookmaking. Jim covers the materials for Tibetan books and his work on books in Tibet, in this interview on June 9, 2005.
A May 2005 interview with Cindy Bowden, director of the Robert C. Williams American Museum of Papermaking in Atlanta, GA. The interview was done at the museum. Cindy is pictured with UA students on a recent visit.
A May 2005 introduction, by Paul Moxon, to his "Letterpress 101" workshop - a public workshop given at the Book Arts Program, The University of Alabama. We ask some further questions of this inspired letterpress artist. Paul (l) talks with participant Hal (r) during the worshop.
A
May 2005 slide presentation and remarks by North Carolina hand papermaker
Ann Marie Kennedy, as part of a public workshop she gave at the Book
Arts Program, The University of Alabama. Ann Marie talks about her development and experiences as an artist working in paper and related media.
A March 2005 interview with UA bookbinder Anna Embree, seen here with a bookbinding colleague in Havana, Cuba. Anna talks about her background, plans for a working trip to Cuba, and her vision for bookbinding students in the program.
A March 2005 conversation with Wisconsin poet Mary Wehner, seen above
in her writing room. Mary reads some terrific poems, and then talks about process.
These interviews are available as podcasts by going to iTunes and subscribing to our free feed, Book Artists and Poets.
Some of the podsafe music surrounding the new podcasts was found at the Podshow Podsafe Music Network, and we thank them.
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