Years ago I worked for a trade association whose boss was a recovering alcoholic who seemed to enjoy the art of smashing people. Now, he didn’t always do it, but often enough to let each of us realize he was the top dog. I think about him from time to time, but basically try to […]
A Robinson Jeffers broadside bonanza
I have been silent for a few weeks, and for that I apologize. I have had a heavy load of book work and, to top that off, I was presented with a treasure-trove of broadsides printed by my friend Linomarl Marlan Beilke who asked me to offer them for sale. Most of the broadsides he […]
How hand sewn books add to the beauty of your work
By Mike Coughlin on June 7, 2017 in Letterpress poetry books, News about Letterpress Printing, Self Publishing the letterpress way
When finishing the hand binding of a single signature book, a decision must be made where to tie off the knot: inside or outside of the cover. On the outside, the knot and the extending thread will be immediately visible. If tied off at the center […]
Robinson Jeffers lives through these recently uncovered broadsides
Years ago two Californians crossed paths–one a writer and the other an old-time printer–and together they immortalized each other. The two are Robinson Jeffers and Marlan Beilke. Last summer Oak Knoll Press published His Place for Story: An Annotated Robinson Jeffers Bibliography compiled and written by Michael Broomfield. Charles Simic described the book as a “A marvelously […]
When letterpress was king! A look back through the eyes of Otto Boutin’s great book
Sometimes I chance upon stories that fascinate me and today was one of those days. In my “spam” folder–why it ended up there I have no clue–I found a copy of Mark Michelson’s column in the on-line version of Printing Impressions. It’s about Otto Boutin’s captivating book Otto’s Night Watch. Michelson reproduces there “Love Letter to an Old […]
Thirty-five words that explain so much about life
When I happened upon a quote one day many months back, I realized I had to know more about the man, Antione de Saint-Exupery, who had penned it. My research revealed that he was a rather amazing guy. This French author, pilot, journalist and aristocrat was born in 1900 and died forty-four years later when […]
Rudolf Rocker bibliography available
Rudolf Rocker’s Nationalism and Culture offers unmatched insights into the origin, development and influence that the State has had on human culture and freedom Back in 1978 when I republished Rudolf Rocker’s magnificent Nationalism and Culture, I felt that a most useful addition to the 1947 edition would be a comprehensive bibliography to help readers locate other […]
Ken Burns’s Eulogy on “The War”
Ken Burns’s History–stories that need to be told better! For years I have watched Ken Burns’s PBS documentary-style television shows on the Civil War, the Roosevelts, and “The War.” There may have been others, but these come to mind and are sufficient for the matter at hand. Mr. Burns is a charming story teller, the […]
A South Dakota Cowboy’s Story
The open range is no longer so open, but there are still cowboys who spend their days horseback–long days herding cattle, mending fences, fixing water tanks and all the other chores that go with horse and saddle. While he is now retired and a bit beat up from all the years he worked as a […]
Frank Chodorov book The Economics of Society, Government and State newly re-published
This was the book I had been looking for. This was the author. This was the time. Finally, it is back in print! The Economics of Society, Government and State by Frank Chodorov has been a long-ignored treasure waiting to be pulled from oblivion back into print again. It was 1946 when the book […]