The Minnesota Center for Book Arts has announced the 2008 Winter Book, Winter Ink, the twentieth annual in MCBA’s series celebrating the handmade book. Under the direction of MCBA Artistic Director Jeff Rathermel, three editions of Winter Ink are being produced, each letterpress printed by master printer Paulette Myers-Rich with assistance by numerous artists, interns and volunteers. This year’s text was by Laotian American poet Bryan Thao Worra, a long-time contributor to Bakka Magazine.

The book release party on Saturday, December 13th at the Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave. S, Minneapolis, and the public is invited from 6 to 9 PM.

As the largest and most comprehensive center of its kind in the nation, Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) celebrates the book as a vibrant contemporary art form that takes many shapes. From the traditional crafts of papermaking, letterpress printing and bookbinding to experimental artmaking and self-publishing techniques, MCBA supports the limitless creative evolution of book arts. The MCBA was established in 1983.

Winter Ink is described by Thao Worra as a meditation on ink, the voice and spirit in the world, across cultures and time.

The most expensive and elaborate edition of Winter Ink is the Deluxe Edition (26 lettered copies signed by the poet). It was designed and bound by master artisan Jana Pullman. It is composed of letterpress printed text and imagery on kozo paper with French folded pages bound in green silk and presented in a threefold wrap around case covered in poppy Asahi book cloth. The frontice illustration, created and printed by Cathy Ryan, is on gampi paper and tipped into the book block. A suite of three additional prints by Cathy Ryan and original sumi ink work by Michael Waltz are presented in a similar case. Other illustrations in the edition were contributed by Patrick Vincent, Harriet C. Lievan, Scott Helmes, Sara Parr, and Elizabeth A. Riggle. An additional poem by Bryan Thao Worra, “Wisdom,” is presented in the Deluxe Edition with accompanying illustrations by Michael Waltz. The two components of the deluxe edition are presented in a green Asahi book cloth covered slipcase. It sells for $475.

The Standard Edition will have only 50 numbered copies signed by the poet, and was designed and bound by Sue Bjerke.

The more readily available Chapbook Edition will be available in December in a total of 150 numbered copies. The frontice illustration is by Cathy Ryan and other illustrations, by order of appearance, were contributed by Patrick Vincent, Harriet C. Lievan, Scott Helmes, Sara Parr, and Elizabeth A. Riggle. The Chapbook Edition was designed by Paulette Myers-Rich and Jeff Rathermel and bound by volunteers under their supervision.

For more information, you can visit The Minnesota Center For Book Arts. Congratulations, Bryan!