Slightly off topic, but still related to Chris's comments on books as
technology: books are actually a much better technology than kindles
or iPads or other electronic readers, if you think about the purpose
of the book, which includes the idea that each publication is a work
of art. I have this notion that electronic devices won't succeed as
technology when it comes to reading for pleasure or as an experience
of art for this reason. It's because books "deliver the content" much
better than any kind of screen, to use the language of technologists.
Chris, I share your "book as art" idea, obscure or not, and can't
imagine anyone publishing a book of poetry without fancying the whole
package as a work of art in itself. Why else would you do it? To
deliver the words, I guess that would be one answer. Or to make a
fortune?!
On 21/05/2013, at 3:48 PM, Chris Jones <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> On 21/05/13 17:13, Andrew Burke wrote:
>> But isn't it a good track record! I was in the very early days when it was
>> Folio/SALT and published from Western Australia.
> Yeah, I feel sad that Salt has to stop for now.
>
> I would very much like to get to the understanding that a book of poetry by a single poet is itself a work of art. And this requires a collaboration from many different artists, thinkers, whatever.
>
> In thinking through how I write Barbecue a lot of thought goes into how it will work as a small book and this includes typography and book design, which I hope to leave open to designers. (I do some quick mocks to see how it may look on a printed page and as a bound book and my first book was presented in ReadySetGo format to give some ideas to the designer.)
>
> I would like very much to hit on the head and do away with the idea that thinking through what I am writing as a book is being sentimental for a gone by era. I do not in any way think that books are an old technology and that poets need to think of other ways of writing other then the 50 to 70 page book, as I have seen argued elsewhere and rather short sighted and lacking in imagination. Sure there are other ways, but this is not the end of the book. It is the way that books are thought of (or not thought of) that is the problem.
>
> I guess what I would really like to see is a discussion about books as an art media and the fact that we do not live in the era of the end of the book (contra crude misreading of Derrida.)
>
> Am I making sense here... I worked in publishing as a book designer and director, after leaving art school, so maybe my background in the ideas that books are works of art is a little obscure?
>
>
>
> It would be nice if we can talk about books as art.
>
> --
> BLOG http://abdevpoetics.blogspot.com.au/
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