Walking into Winter

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One of the greatest gifts my parents and grandparents gave to me as a girl was the gift of walking. Of taking strolls along sandy roads at dusk, watching bats and stars appear. And hours-long rambles through rolling fields and woodlands—ears tuned to the drum of woodpeckers, eyes following threads of light among stands of hardwoods or pine. These walks wove the senses, and patterned the language that would eventually make poems from such experience. 

One of these poems is “Walking into Winter.” Included in my forthcoming book, The Open Gate: New & Selected Poems, it seemed a fitting piece to also offer to you all now, as the late November days begin to darken early and the last wild seeds are being cast to the wind. It’s a time of letting go, and of gathering in. 

Below, you can read “Walking into Winter,” listen to an audio clip as I read the poem aloud, and watch a brief movie of butterfly-weed pods opening in our field. As we journey into this winter season, may we each carry light and warmth within, tending the seeds that will sprout again come spring.

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Listen as the author reads her poem:

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Watch butterfly weed seeds in the breezy field at St Brigid Press. This native species of milkweed is slowly expanding on our land, providing food for insects.

If  you are in the area, please join us for the official book launch this coming Sunday, December 3rd, at 2pm, at Black Swan Books (Staunton, Va.). We'll have light refreshments, read some poems, and celebrate together.

If you can't attend, you may pre-order the book on our website here: 

News from St Brigid Press!

Greetings from the blustery Blue Ridge Mountains!

Though the warm sun is drizzled all over us today like honey, the empty trees and biting breeze signal winter’s steady approach, here in the Rockfish River Valley. At St Brigid Press, we’re also moving into a new season of work, hunkering down with several longer chapbook projects and a new series of prints. 

Speaking of books, we are thrilled to announce that Emily Hancock’s collection of haiku & carvings, Soundings, recently won a prestigious award at the Oxford Fine Press Book Fair in England. This volume, letterpress printed and hand-bound here at the Press, took home the Oxford Guild of Printers’ 2015 Prize for Best Fine Press Book under £50. 

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We are very honored to receive this award. Hopefully some day we can travel to Oxford in person to attend this yearly gathering of fine printers and bookbinders — the oldest fair of its kind in the world.

Created in a limited edition of just 85 books, Soundings is nearly sold out. If you are interested in reserving a copy, please let us know. For more information and photographs, click HERE.

Our current stock of holiday cards and gift tags is likewise dwindling. See available items HERE.

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In the meantime, peace and pace to you all!

With thanks,

St Brigid Press 

Summer News from St Brigid Press

Greetings, Friends!

Summer is in full-swing here at the Press, and we have a few new projects to debut: 

• Blue Bird Greeting Cards
• HIKE Virginia Postcards
• Gone Fishin' Coasters

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When we first spied this wonderful ornament of swallows in flight, we knew it had to be a feature on our next greeting card project. Not only do the birds appear on each design, we decided to name the whole line after them ~ Blue Bird Greeting Cards!

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Available in two styles at the moment, "thinking of you" and "happiest of days," these letterpress printed cards can carry your well wishes near and far.

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Next up: postcards!

Inspired by the natural beauty out the Press's front door, we've created two postcards that celebrate Virginia's mountains:

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Each are USPS-compliant, and come pre-paid ~ all you have to do is pen and send!

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Lastly, here is our brand new coaster design, perfect for slipping under a drink at the end of a lazy summer day by the river:

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Found in the back of an old typecase, we love this vintage copper print block! And, as with all of our coasters, these are extra-thick, color-fast, and biodegradable.

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Thanks for taking a look at what's happening at the Press this summer! If you'd like to see more photos and information about these items, please see the listing on our Products page!

All best to all,

St Brigid Press

"Soundings" ~ a new book of haiku from St Brigid Press

We are pleased to announce the publication of Soundings, a new book of haiku by Emily Hancock. Inspired by the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where Hancock makes her home, this lovely book collects over 30 of her poems and 3 original linoleum block prints.

Designed, hand-set, letterpress printed, and hand-sewn here at the Press in a limited edition of 85 books. Pre-order a copy HERE; books will be shipped on November 10th.

If you are in the area, please join us for the official Book Launch Reception and Signing ~ this Friday, November 7th, at 5:30pm at Stone Soup Books (908 W. Main St., Waynesboro, Virginia).

With thanks, and all best!

St Brigid Press

"O, the places you'll go…" for great arts and crafts!

Here in the Central Blue Ridge region of Virginia, we are blessed to have an array of wonderful galleries and shops that curate and highlight the rich, diverse art and craft being made here. From pottery to book arts, painting to textiles, wood turning, jewelry, and much more, there is a veritable cornucopia of handmade beauty to explore.

Including, we must say, lovely letterpress printed items ;-)

St Brigid Press is fortunate to be included in the artisan offerings at a number of fine establishments. We thought we'd share their info, so the next time you're looking for art or crafts for your home or for giving, stop by and see what awaits!

Not in the area? No problem. Many of these shops ship anywhere in the world.

All best to all,

St Brigid Press

* Click on the gallery and shop names below (in green) to be directed to their website *

The Barn Swallow Artisan Gallery

More than 80 artists' work, including pottery and glass and fabrics, curated by Mary Ann Burk and Janice Arone and beautifully displayed in an early-1800s barn near Charlottesville, Virginia.

The Barker Gallery of Staunton

The area's newest fine art gallery, founded and curated by artist David Barker, featuring the work of Ann Deutermann, Sharon Morris Kincheloe, William Bishop, and many more in a gorgeous loft in Staunton's historic Wharf District.

Stone Soup Books and Cafe

Wonderful collection of books (used, new, and vintage), homemade locally-sourced food (soups, salads, sandwiches), beautiful gardens, and artisan goods ~ all tucked into a 1895 farmhouse in Waynesboro.

The Market at a.m.FOG

Food is an art and a craft, too! This new market, located in Afton, offers a wide selection of local organic fruits, veggies, meats, and now artisan goods from jewelry and painting to iron-work.

Black Swan Books and Music

Excellent stock of used and vintage books and vinyl records, including local/regional authors' works and regular live music events, in a great location in Staunton's historic Beverley Street shopping and dining district.

Barrister Books

Thousands of excellent used and rare books, curated by Anthony Baker, in a sweet little shop near Staunton's historic courthouse. On display currently: miniature hand-made books from the Virginia Arts of the Book Center.

The Sacred Circle

"Enlighten the mind, nurture the spirit," is this shop's motto, and they live up to it with a space packed with handmade fair-trade artisan gifts from around the world ~ books, CDs, wood crafts, jewelry, and much more.

Summer News at the Press

(Yes, we think it's so lovely here that we just camp in the front yard.)  ;-)

Warm greetings, Friends!

We are entering the high, hot summer here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia, and we've got many irons-in-the-fire at St Brigid Press. Our summer docket is jam-packed, and we wanted to give you a sneak peek at what's coming up ~

* We are in the early stages of the next broadside in our "Poetry in Translation" Series. (Learn more about this Series HERE.) Poet Jeff Schwaner will again be lending his translation skills to this project, rendering into English an 8th-century Chinese poem that will be a companion piece to "Sky Dream," the first production in the Series.

* Photographer James R. Plitt and the Press are teaming up to produce a limited-edition book that shares, in word and image, the beauty of Appalachian mountain creeks. Plitt's stunning color photography of the region will be paired with a moving original poem by Emily Hancock, letterpress printed and hand bound.

* Resident printer-poet Emily Hancock has three poems featured in the current issue of Appalachian Journal (Vol. 41, Nos. 1 & 2), published at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. For more information about that, click HERE. She is also at work finishing a small manuscript of haiku, which will be forthcoming from St Brigid Press in Fall 2014.

* If you missed the official air-time on June 6th, tune in to NPR-affiliate WMRA's interview with Emily Hancock HERE. It's a 9-minute piece produced by long-time NPR reporter and host Martha Woodroof, who speaks with Emily about St Brigid Press, bookbinding, letterpress printing, and poetry.

* Last but definitely not least, we are in the design and production phases of a host of new stationery items: cards, bookmarks, coasters, gift tags, postcards, and journals.

*WHEW!*  That's all for now ~ we'd better get back to work! We'll let you know as the above projects become available.

Until next time, all the best from the Press.

SBP

Twitter: @stbrigidpress   /   Facebook: www.facebook.com/StBrigidPress

Winter Notecards

Greetings All,

Inspired by the Blue Ridge Mountains that surround us and the deep starry skies that glisten above us, we are glad to offer our new series of greeting cards for the winter season: "Peace Be."

Originally commissioned by Blue Ridge Life Magazine, these cards were designed and letterpress printed in our shop from vintage wood type, metal type, and a hand-carved linoleum block. Cardstock is thick, 110lb, 100% cotton paper, in Pearl White with matching envelopes. Printed in rich blue ink on the 1914 Chandler and Price foot-powered press.

Limited edition. $4 each, or $12 per set-of-four.

Only available online, order direct from our STORE.

Autumn blessings,

St Brigid Press

Raptors and Wood Type Fun

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Warm Greetings from St Brigid Press!

Well, it's that time of year again -- the cooling days of late summer and early fall that provide the impetus for some of the most spectacular mass-movements of species on the planet:  the annual migration of hawks and other raptors from North America to Central and South America. Those of us in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains are fortunate to live along a major flyway -- the updrafts along the spine of the mountains support a bird highway from Canada and New England south toward the Gulf of Mexico. And Rockfish Gap, near our home in Afton, Virginia, is one of the best locations in the East to watch this magnificent flow of raptors.

To commemorate the birds and the hundreds of people who gather to witness them, I spent the last week joyfully rummaging through the 20+ cases of wood type here at the Press. Most of the type was made in the US between 1875 and 1910, and still in very good condition. The idea for the design this year came from the list of raptors that the official Hawk Watch Counters tally -- there are fourteen species for which they scan the skies, from Broad-winged Hawks (the most numerous) to the rare Mississippi Kite. Other species include Ospreys, Falcons, Eagles, and many different kinds of Hawks. I set the names of all fourteen raptor species in various typefaces of wood type, creating a fun collage of avians.

Each poster is hand-inked and printed on the Potter Proofing Press (circa 1915, Chicago). Paper is Stonehenge Rising Fawn, with oil-based ink in either deep blue or deep green, in 12"x18" size. The posters were printed in a limited edition of 35, all signed and numbered. Each is backed by stiff board and sleeved in protective archival plastic. Price: $30 each, with 20% of the proceeds being donated by St Brigid Press to The Raptor Conservancy of Virginia. To purchase, go to the St Brigid Press Online Store.

With thanks, and enjoy the beautiful days!

St Brigid Press

[ For more information about hawk migration, go to www.hawkcount.org ]

The First Day of Summer at St Brigid Press

Come, shamanic bee,

turning light into sweetness:

pollinate this dawn

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Warm Greetings, Friends,

The above haiku is the opening poem of Summer in a new book by Nancy Maxson, Tasting the Wild Strawberry: Blue Ridge Haiku, forthcoming from St Brigid Press. In this, her second collection of poetry, Maxson explores the seasons of the year and of the heart in fifty-six wonderfully distilled, 3-line gems. Known throughout the region for her fine watercolor paintings, we are thrilled to collaborate with Maxson to produce this limited-edition, letterpress printed, hand-bound collection of her written work.

Below are a handful of photos from some of the stages of creating Tasting the Wild Strawberry. If you are in the Waynesboro, Virginia, area, please drop by Stone Soup Books next Saturday, June 29th, for Maxson's art opening and book launch reception. Books will be available for purchase at Stone Soup and through our website here, as of the 29th.

Very best summer wishes to all,

St Brigid Press