Via Carl Little of The Ellsworth American:

The tradition of small-size small press books is a time-honored one, and Maine authors and publishers are consistently adding to the rich mix.

Poet Gary Lawless’s recent “Cuban Heart,” for example, offers a dialogue in verse between himself and Manuel Alberto Garcia Alonso from Trinidad, Cuba, sister city to Brunswick, Maine. It’s the slimmest of productions — 12 pages plus cover — with the largest of messages: “You cannot embargo the human heart.”

In a decidedly lighter vein, Brenda Gilchrist’s collection of five illustrated booklets, gathered in a handsome slipcase under the title “Opuscula” (which means minor works, usually of a literary nature), offers a lively assortment of word play. Its own directive to the reader might be: you cannot deny the punster.

Gilchrist, of Deer Isle, is a charmer with language, willing to risk the silliest jeu de mot to trigger the funny bone. A poetic tribute to peas ends with “Peevishly, I say: Go in peas/into the pot!” while “Beets” concludes thusly: “Preserved is preferred/ Beta than borscht.” The language is lively, multilingual, full of esprit de wit. Chuckles, giggles and groans are provoked.        

A senior editor in art book publishing in New York City for 30 years, Gilchrist brings a wide-ranging knowledge base to her current pursuits. With its litany of fancy furniture, “Flim Flam for a Nephew — A Tale of Chairs,” another of the opuscula, no doubt reflects the author’s experience editing the Smithsonian Illustrated Library of Antiques.

Read the rest of the article here.

Source: The Ellsworth American

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Recommend this article...