Red Hydra Press

I love process and games. Creating a set of rules for  book to abide by. The rule for this book was 100 haiku split into ten chapters, with a drawing to start each chapter. Poet Jeff Hardin gave me over 300 haiku and I whittled it down to 100, with he and I pleasantly arguing about the final few. Katie Baldwin created the drawings––some one color and some multiple colors. I chose where in the book they would appear and in which order. So there was the need to create a color chart to repeat various colors throughout the book. Making the plan, as you can see below, is part of the process excitement. Diagramming the sections of folded pages/folios and noting exactly what is printed on each page is critical. It's especially important when printing multiple colors on a page. The paper is carefully cut ahead of time and separated by numbered flags, to keep everything straight.

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You probably notice that I am a pile guy. I like to see and work with straightened up piles of sheets to be printed or bound. It drives me crazy to see sloppy piles of sheets.

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You probably also note the presence of my good luck bear with a small wrench for fixing the press and sandals that help feet standing on concrete while printing all day. This talisman was given to me by former student Betsy Cluff who, after her graduation, has remained a good friend over the years. You need all the luck and good fortune that can be mustered when printing a book!