Emerging in the 1960s from the American minimalist movement inspired by John Cage and Morton Feldman, Harold Budd has become one of the country’s most prolific, consistent and influential composers and musicians. Throughout his career, poetry – or what Harold refers to as “something like poetry, but not the same thing” – has been an occasional companion to his music. His “something-like poetry” now takes center stage in Colorful Fortune, the first published collection of Harold’s poems, issued in both paperback and a deluxe, hand-bound and signed editions.
The first half of Colorful Fortune presents the debut of an extended cycle in 18-parts titled ‘Poem Sketches 2007-2008.’ The second half presents 11 poems which first appeared on three of his albums from the 1990s: By Dawn’s Early Light, She is a Phantom, and Glyph. The book also includes 14 original drawings by Harold, inspired by the music of Monteverdi and Tristano. The drawings are variations on a theme that could be described as a visual expression of his music: a string, or line, or thread, that travels, meandering across a page, entering at one point and departing at another.
Colorful Fortune is being issued in two editions: a limited-edition of 50 copies co-published by Heavenly Monkey Editions and MoonLiner Books, signed by Harold and hand-bound by Keith Lowe; and a trade paperback published by MoonLiner Books. Harold’s “arabesque” drawings are incorporated throughout the text, in some cases entering and exiting from the edges of pages, printed a light gray that reproduces the graphite originals. Both editions were printed letterpress in three colors by David Clifford at Black Stone Press in Vancouver, B.C. using a vintage German Heidelberg windmill press. The limited edition was printed on special Rives printmaking paper from France, and then hand-sewn and bound into a translucent paper vellum binding. This binding was done by musician Keith Lowe, and marks the debut of his new imprint MoonLiner Books. (Ten of the fifty copies will be bound by renowned book artist Claudia Cohen, and include one of the original drawings reproduced in the book.)
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THE LIMITED EDITION
The limited edition of Colorful Fortune was printed on Rives Lightweight, a classic French mouldmade paper. Each of the 50 copies will be signed and numbered by Harold, and separated into two issue states.
Copies 11 – 50 form the Press state. These are hand-bound in limp paper vellum by Keith Lowe, based on the traditional limp vellum binding used for books throughout the Renaissance. The vellum paper was specially made for the project by papermaker Reg Lissel. Made from abaca fiber, it is a tremendously tough, with a feel remarkably like vellum. It is also semi-translucent, a characteristic exploited in the design: the case is lined with a sheet printed with the title and one of the drawings. The printed text sheets are folded into three signatures and hand-sewn by Keith on to paper vellum supports; the spine is lightly pasted and lined with gampi; and the book is then pasted into the paper vellum cover. $325
Release date June 12, 2009. To reserve a copy(s) of the Limted Edition please click HERE
TRADE PAPERBACK EDITION
The trade paperback edition total of 200 copies, printed from the same setting as the limited edition on Mohawk Superfine acid-free paper. The book is Smythe sewn and put into a stiff paper wrap printed in two colors (black and silver). Except for the paper and binding, it is identical in content to the limited edition. The paperback will be released on June 11th, coinciding with a rare performance by Budd (accompanied by Keith Lowe) in Seattle. A book signing will be held the following day at Wessel & Lieberman Booksellers, the exclusive distributors of the paperback edition of Colorful Fortune. The debut publication from Seattle’s MoonLiner Books. $35
Release date June 12, 2009. To reserve a copy(s) of the Trade Edition please click HERE