Tiny Books, Big Ideas
"These little books are just the right size to keep handy in pockets, purses, cars and rooms."
They are usually stocked at the marvelous shop at Minnnesota Center for Book Arts.
Here is the text of a favorite:
Reasons for Art
"to awake the living"
"to comfort the dead"
"to know migrations of seasons, of birds, of fish"
to feel the essence of shadow and light
to laugh, to love
to lament
to invite reflection
to inspire action
to honor the Earth
to cultivate beauty, gratitude, joy
to knit an expanding web of community
to give voice
to touch
to connect
About a decade ago, I heard a radio interview with artist, Mary Frank. She described a list she keeps of her personal reasons for art. Since then, I have assembled many lists of reasons for art — with students, with Michael, and alone. The first three lines of this particular list are Mary Frank's. She inspired us all.
Tiny Book Titles:
Famous
with a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye
Advice from a Bird
with a poem by Yvette Nelson
Big Project Manifesto
a collaboration with Monica Edwards Larson
Gospel in a Nutshell
with a poem by Alla Renée Bozarth
The Double Meaning of Yield
with a poem by Yvette Nelson
Reasons for Art
Tiny books feature hand-lettering and are letterpress printed at Minnesota Center for Book Arts.