We’re now half-way through our first year of publishing the Periodical and we’re delighted to share another quirky gem – Hard Hearted Hannah : The World of the Strange and Bizarre by Cartoon de Salvo. Back in 2009, Alex Murdoch, Artistic Director of theatre group Cartoon de Salvo, had a residency with Proboscis to explore using bookleteer. The Salvos were then touring their innovative, long form improvised theatre show, Hard Hearted Hannah and Other Stories, around the UK (and abroad). Each show began with a title suggested by the audience, which they then improvised a whole show around. As Alex and I discussed ways to record some of the ideas from the show a plan was born to create a series of books that would explore themes that ran across and through them. With over 100 shows performed, there was a wealth of material and six books emerged, which are now collected together here. We have chosen this book to give a sense of the extraordinary creativity that this form of improvisation takes and how the immediacy and presentness of a live performance can also find new life in being re-told and illustrated by the artists who performed it.
From the Archives
This month we have selected small numbers of 5 books (of over-prints and tests) to be distributed among the subscribers. They are by very different users of bookleteer as well as representing dramatically different subject matter and range in date of creation from early 2010 right up to February 2013. From whimsical tweets, to researched blogging, artists working alongside people with disabilities and researchers working with communities to document and record their heritage, to a catalogue of art and craft practice.
Stories in Their Place 1 : The Makers of Leeds by Matt Edgar is the first volume in a projected series of three collecting together blog posts written between 2009 and 2013. This book gathers together some stories of Leeds’ heroes, its industrial and scientific pioneers.
My Brother, My Sister by Joyce Majiski. A group of young people who have siblings with disabilities were brought together in a series of gatherings and asked about their lives. They were asked the following questions: list the things you like or admire about your sibling, create a timeline of your life, list the things that you don’t like, or things that annoy you about your brother or sister. What things do other people say about your sibling? This book is a compilation of these responses.
Greenhill Historical Society : Digital Storytelling Guide by Gillian Cowell is a practical guide to recording and sharing stories with and by communities. It was part of a research project by Gillian with the community in Greenhill, Stirling.
Cosmo China 20th Anniversary by Josie Firmin. Our neighbour and friend, Josie Firmin (daughter of Bagpuss creator Peter Firmin) has run the Cosmo China shop in Bloomsbury for over 20 years. To celebrate their 20th anniversary exhibition we helped Josie put together a book of works by ceramic artists featuring in the show.
Cummerbundery Volume 1 : The Collected Tweets of Brandon Cummerbund by Russ Bravo. Brandon Cummerbund was the Henry Pooterish alter ego of Russ Bravo. The book collects about a year’s worth of tweets written in the persona of Brandon Cummerbund during 2009/10, with illustrations culled from Victorian magazines.
Click on the links to find out more about each one, read them online or download, print out and make up your own copies.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE PERIODICAL HERE
Treat yourself to something lovely each month – an enigmatic, eclectic package of beautifully printed books dropping through your letterbox. Get inspired and create and share your own publications on bookleteer to take part too. We’re currently aiming to reach 50 subscriptions – with free copies of artists bookworks for every new annual subscriber.