Tryst Press | News & Calendar

Aurora auction for the Nielson family

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:36:19 -0600

“Aurora” broadside to be auctioned for the Nielson Recovery Fund (for details on item and cause, please read our previous News & Calendar blog post):

Tryst Press will join auction action for NieNie Day

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:30:50 -0600

On August 16th, 2008, three very lovely people were involved in a tragic, fiery plane crash in St. Johns, Arizona. Those aboard the flight sustained extensive burns—one of them, flight instructor Doug Kinneard, died from his injuries. Our friends, Stephanie and Christian Nielson, who sustained burns over 80% and 30% of their bodies, respectively, miraculously survived. In critical care for a number of days, the Nielsons are both now in long-term trauma care at the Maricopa Burn Center in Phoenix. They face long months of intensive treatments and many surgeries to aid them in a slow and painful healing process. Their four young children are currently in the care of loving family members in Utah.

The faces of the wonderful Nielson family have become a charming and familiar delight to many in the cyber world, thanks to the NieNie Dialogues, an upbeat, joyful, family-centered blog written by Stephanie. She speaks with a fresh, generous, and celebratory voice, and regularly inspires her readers with the concept that life can be truly beautiful.

Many individuals and groups are stepping forward to offer comfort, support, prayers, and donations to help the Nielsons and their extended families through this crisis. We have joined that effort as friends and now invite you to do the same. Our first fundraising event will be an auction to be held in conjunction with “NieNie Day,” Thursday, August 28th, 2008. Our warm thanks go to Gabi Blair of Design Mom for suggesting and coordinating this event and for providing a list of auction participants. In addition, the godparents of the Nielson children have set up a special website intended to coordinate the various and ongoing fundraising efforts happening all over the web and beyond. Please visit this Nie Recovery blog to see what’s available.

And now, info about the Tryst Press auction tomorrow. We have chosen one of our broadsides, a poem entitled “Aurora,” to offer for your bidding. We chose this because its theme is the relationship between parents and children, an area where the Nielson family shines. We also chose this because Stephanie’s middle name is Aurora. This is especially fitting, because as anyone who’s seen it knows, the Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights, named for the Roman goddess of Dawn, is a magnificent, otherworldly dance of light (usually green, Stephanie’s favorite color) that is a much sought-for sight in the night skies of northern regions. Many people only dream of seeing it.

The “Aurora” broadside generally sells for $65 on our website. We hope that tomorrow’s auction will tempt you to spend much more than that on this piece. 100% of all money spent by the winner of the auction will go the Nielson Recovery Fund. You, as the winner, will pay no tax or shipping; we’ll take care of that.

Look for the auction post this evening and please, be ready to bid generously. The auction will be open till Saturday, August 30th, 2008, at 10:00 p.m. (US MST).

You can donate directly to the Stephanie Nielson Fund at any Wells Fargo Bank, or to the Christian and Stephanie Rehab Fund at any Bank of America, or use the PayPal link below.

Publicity, education, books, and a good movie

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:08:23 -0600

It’s been six months to the day since our last blog post. Let’s get caught up, shall we?

Hot off the letterpress. We’re pleased to announce our latest title, Two Rilke Poems, a translation collaboration between the late poet Leslie Norris and Alan Keele, gorgeously illustrated by Rob Buchert. You’ll definitely enjoy reading about this project and looking though our slideshow of photos. Stop by the Two Rilke Poems page for information and links.

Goin’ public. Since February’s award-winning excitement over The Allegory of the Olive Tree, Tryst Press has been plenty busy with exhibitions and lectures:

Harris Fine Arts Center Faculty Show, BYU. Instructors in the Visual Arts department at BYU are currently displaying their work on the main floor of the HFAC, filling the central gallery as well as Gallery 303. Look for our new book, Two Rilke Poems, encased along the westernmost wall.

5th International Book & Paper Arts Triennial Exhibition. The most recent Tryst Press publication, Two Rilke Poems, is presently on exhibition at the Columbia College Chicago Center for Book & Paper Arts, alongside the diverse offerings of nearly four dozen artists from around the world. The closing reception for the show will be on September 12th, from 5:30 till 7:30 p.m. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, stop by and enjoy viewing this unique collection.

L. Tom Perry Special Collections Gallery, Lee Library, BYU. From mid-June through the first part of August, a broad selection of Tryst Press books, ephemera, bookmaking and papermaking tools, as well as our 2008 Hertzog Award were on exhibition in our second solo show. Thanks to Curator Larry Draper and Cataloger Robert Maxwell for their meticulous care in presenting our work.

A. Dean Larsen Book Collecting Conference, BYU. For the second year in a row, Tryst Press was commissioned to design and print a keepsake for conference attendees. Rob reproduced a beautiful early 20th Century Yellowstone pamphlet cover as a companion piece to Dr. Susan Rugh’s historical and highly entertaining presentation on tourism in Yellowstone National Park. Anyone who received this keepsake who would enjoy reading Rob’s notes on the piece are encouraged to email us and we will be pleased to forward those to you.

Paper Mill Workshop (and a short film). Our papermaking intensive this spring was a terrific experience. Originally scheduled to take place at the Scrub Oak Bindery in Salt Lake, the workshop became an in-house project, and what a joy it was! Our studio was filled for days with fun, intelligent people who were excited (and quick) to learn and to cooperate. We attribute the success of the workshop to the quality of these participants, even more so than to our own preparation. To see photos, read more about the workshop, and to view our first-ever Tryst Press documentary(!) visit the Tryst Press Paper Mill page.

We will likely schedule another of these papermaking intensives sometime during the next year. If you are interested in signing up, are simply curious about the particulars, or would like to hire us to give a workshop elsewhere, please contact us with your queries.

And here’s a note to our Paper Mill pioneers: If any of you would like to share feedback or testimonials about the workshop, we welcome your thoughts. Thanks again for your company and spirit. (So sorry to have forgotten the soup recipes. You’ll just have to join us for another pot luck sometime and we’ll start afresh!)

Tryst Press goes YouTube. Now that we’ve gotten a taste of the fun to be had in creating short films, our heads are filling up with ideas related to our work and beyond. Our first documentary is now posted on YouTube for the whole world to see, and we invite you to keep an eye on our channel, maybe even subscribe. It’s only a matter of time before Tryst Press projects a few more moving pictures.

Rendezvous with UVU. On the final scheduled day of our show at the BYU Lee Library Special Collections Gallery, a squad of talented Marketing & Communications folks from Utah Valley University invited Rob to be the “appetizer” for a design forum lunch. The group met at the library and toured our exhibit, then honored Rob with their attention and questions as he made his presentation there in the gallery. Bonuses for us were hearing Jory Dayne’s interesting report on the recent Icon5 Illustration Conference in NYC, and enjoying the company of these creative minds at a local Indian buffet.

Photo by arbyreed, used under the Creative Commons license terms.

Tryst Press hits the glossies. We are told that we will be written up in the Fall 2008 issue of BYU Magazine, A small article will focus on our recent title, The Allegory of the Olive Tree, and winning the 2008 J. Carl Hertzog Award for Excellence in Book Design. Thanks, BYU!

At long last, an update!

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:24:25 -0700

Go ahead, admit it. You thought this day would never come. But it has, and we’re now celebrating because we’re finally out of the construction zone; our long-awaited Tryst Press web page renovation is complete. Hurrah!

We’ve added and subtracted a few pieces and hopefully made it easier for you, gentle reader, to navigate through our pages. We believe you will enjoy exploring our offerings even more. Please remember that your feedback is so welcome. Now, on to our news!

Winning the gold. It is with the greatest pleasure that we announce that The Allegory of the Olive Tree, our latest book title and long-time labor of love, has just received the 2008 J. Carl Hertzog Award for Excellence in Book Design. The Allegory was chosen from among over 90 contenders for this coveted prize, and becomes the 11th winner in the history of the award, now entering its third decade. Loud, proud congratulations go to Robert Buchert for his wonderful achievement and a hearty thank you to all our new friends at UTEP. That good ol’ Texan hospitality can’t be beat!

A new alliance. Being long-time fans of WGBH podcast Morning Stories, we jumped at a chance to show support for our friends who produce this one-of-a-kind show. Morning Stories is devoted to telling “unforgettable stories from everyday people”—a cause we can really get behind—and so we are thrilled to present for your reading pleasure the full transcripts from three-and-a-half years’ worth of archives, with occasional new stories and notes contributed by transcribers. We’ve set this all up in blog form so that the public conversation can continue to grow. We invite you to spend time with Morning Stories: subscribe to the weekly podcast, listen to old episodes, check out their videos, peruse their Flickr page, and of course, leave your comments on Tryst Press’ Morning Stories Blog. We feel certain you’ll think of some stories of your own to share. Join the fun!

Links to Tryst Press Artists. Painter Brian Kershisnik will be showing a new collection of his recent works in an exhibition entitled Leap at the Meyer Gallery in Park City, Utah. The show opens, appropriately, on Leap Day (Friday, February 29th) 2008 and the reception is from 6:00 till 8:00 that evening. The Meyer Gallery is located at 305 Main Street, tel. 800-649-8180.

Classes and workshops. Currently, Rob is teaching an advanced letterpress class at Brigham Young University, through April 2008. Also during the Winter Semester, Rob taught a one-day workshop on papermaking to Dr. Royal Skousen’s History of the the Book class for Linguistics majors.

Sign up for a four-day intensive papermaking workshop entitled, “Paper Mill,” hosted by Scrub Oak Bindery in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Date, time, class size, and cost are still to be fixed and announced, however, be advised that the workshop will be take place Wednesday through Saturday. In this workshop, we will create sheets of handmade paper from cotton, flax, and hemp fibers, and the end-products will be suitable for printing as well as for painting. Participants will enjoy using professional papermaking moulds, and will produce paper in either an antique laid or a wove finish. Each student will leave the workshop with plenty of paper to use. To reserve a seat in this workshop, please contact Ethan or Betsy at Scrub Oak Bindery, 801-718-4874 or scruboakbindery@gmail.com.

Papermaking. As an outgrowth of his book-in-process, Rob has been invited to author an article on papermaking—specifically on the subject of constructing moulds—for an upcoming issue of Galley Gab, a monthly online publication devoted to letterpress printing. Mike Anderson, one of Galley Gab's Contributing Editors, will submit a corresponding write-up on papermaking, using Rob's handmade moulds in his pictorial demonstrations.

Rob is also busy putting the polish on 13 papermaking moulds for in-house use. Recently in conversation, he mused that he has already created over 70 moulds, and that perhaps these will be his last. If 70 doesn't sound like many to you, you may be curious to review the construction and finishing processes that each mould and deckle require; they are highly time-, labor-, and detail-intensive. When Rob's article is published, we'll point you toward it.

Typography. A man who wears many hats, Rob recently finished designing a stunning new typeface called Psalter. A beautiful hybrid, its lower case is based on insular miniscule, and its upper case is indirectly based on capital letters found in Edward Johnston's classic text on calligraphy and illumination. Psalter grew out of a common case—a typeface with no upper or lower case—designed some years ago by Rob, one for which he cut matrices. It currently awaits casting. Psalter will make its debut in The Book of Ruth, coming soon.

Forthcoming fine press book titles. The Book of Ruth. This visually and typographically tender treatment of a well-loved scripture story is offered up by three talented artistic collaborators. Illustrations will consist of woodcuts by Brian Kershisnik which will be interpreted by French stencil illuminator Richard LeRay and letterpressed by Robert Buchert. The book will be printed on handmade paper. Like the characters in the narrative, this singular piece overflows with beauty and integrity. The Book of Ruth will debut a unique new typeface, called Psalter, created by Rob. This book promises to be a strong and satisfying piece. We can hardly wait for you to see it.

Prester John's Letter. Something special is on its way: a new translation of a letter from an anonymous hand. The letter, which was purported to be from a powerful monarch in the Far East, began circulating throughout Europe sometime during the 12th century, and described the fantastical realm of a mythical warrior-king. Though it was proven to be a hoax, in time it spurred interest in European exploration of the world which eventually culminated in Columbus's voyages to what later became known as the Americas. The letter remained in print until the 1500s, but since then has become increasingly difficult to find translated in its entirety. This new rendering from Latin and French into English by Robert Maxwell is a combined translation of what are considered the oldest copies of the text. Look forward to this beautifully produced revival of an historic fascination, printed on handmade paper.

Psalter. In the tradition of the great manuscript psalters comes this book of sacred songs from The Holy Bible. Illustrated by Robert Buchert, printed on handmade paper from a proprietary type face, and bound in boards milled from cedar of Lebanon, this work promises to richly satisfy the soul.

Technical book in the works. Rob is currently drafting a new book, with the working title: Mould & Deckle, Vat & Press. It will be a technical manual, with ample line illustrations, devoted to the topic of making and amassing the necessary equipment required to set up a small handmade paper mill. True, this book will be geared toward a very specific audience, but borrowing from Rob's wealth of experience with papermaking, it will be a treasure trove for anyone desiring information on the subject.