New short fiction: The Pecan Tree.

It’s so hot here.

Ice water and lime, the stars fading out for this new dawn, song birds in the orange trees, no sleep no sleep no sleep but instead: a new short story: In the Borough of Queens.

I’m kicking it at The Hangar the next couple of days while Sister Crayon records. This space is fantastic and the environment is facilitating my work in a big way.

Here are a few photographs I took in April at SFCB of Werewolf II in process. I’m sloppy and chaotic when I work, existing best it seems in sprawl and clutter.

California job case, galley, composing stick, my bling, etc.

Notes and first run, Pantone chart and quoin key.

Mixing ink.

I essentially took the month of May off from doing anything creative. Spent my time restfully, regenerating, read a great deal, spending time with good friends. I volunteered yesterday at the Center and checked out some fantastic books on typography and book design that I hope will inspire me to conclude some long standing projects. June’s going to be intense.

In the spirit of good endings, here are the last batch of photographs from my time in Nashville. Right before the internship concluded, B took us on a tour of Bowers Ink Company. It was exciting and visually stunning to watch the process of ink production.

Vats of pigment. The ink fellas have recipes for every type and color of ink under the sun. This is the straight pigment that is then mixed with different kinds of binders and bases (in letterpress that’s either oil or rubber base) to produce the right consistency, composition and color. Close ups:

Mixing.

To package, the ink is run through this machine which gives it one final “smoothing out” before pouring it into buckets.