Home libraries when you're not 🏠
№ 17 • collections, odd words, and sign language
Every time I visit my family home, I go through boxes of my belongings, opening and displaying them in piles. The majority are books and sketchbooks. I have some memorabilia and photos, but books outnumber everything I have saved. Books I obsessed over when I was a high school student, books that shaped my 20s, and prized zines and artists books with no ISBNs – ones you won't find in bookstores. I have separated them by topic: novels, poetry books, design books, graphic novels, magazines, educational books, books that I have made, and an inspiring risograph collection (that I have used whenever I taught risograph printing). Should I rid myself of the devotion and donate them? What about the copies I still use as resources? Should I create a travel library so people can request books to read whenever I am in a specific city? As a teen, I remember repeating this line from Inkheart by Cornelia Funke: "Books have to be heavy because the whole world's inside them." The risograph collection, in particular, has been weighing me down. I feel compelled to share it as a resource with printmakers and illustrators. I am still in the process of figuring out how to go about it, so I will keep mulling over the idea.
✿ what kind of word are you?
atjimpa: det mystiska ordet
Catarina Sobral
Urax Förlag, 2014
ISBN 9789187208133
This is a story where the main character is the word atjimpa! No one knows what it means, and everyone has a say about it. I read it as a reflection of our obsession with things making sense - a very adult thing. First published in Portuguese, this picturebook was later translated into 11 languages (including this Swedish version). There is no clear or satisfying ending, making me go over the story again, hoping to find any hints. The front and back endpapers are exactly the same — a missed opportunity to engage with the reader by possibly leaving a clue about the ending. 🕵️♂️
PROMPT
- Make up your own Swedish word! It could be a word you misheard or a mash-up of two words. Create an illustration featuring it.
- Design a logotype of the word atjimpa, include patterns, colors, and textures that could embody the meaning of this mysterious word.
- Illustrate 2 - 4 spreads featuring your own version of the ending of this picturebook.
رف الكتب 📖 recent favorite
True Biz
Sara Nović
Random House, 2022
ISBN 9780593241516
This novel skillfully weaves various perspectives from the deaf community. It also features all the different stances regarding sign language education and hearing aids. It has a bit of everything without overwhelming the reader, including ASL1 trivia and even glimpses of students' assignments. The novel included spot illustrations of signing figures, fully utilizing the visual characteristic of sign language. Nović does not shy away from hard topics like racism, white supremacy, CODA2-related circumstances, and issues that arise from limited access for aging members of the community. An engaging story that left me wanting to pick up where I left off with ASL lessons.
Bokmärke 🔖 notable + on my radar
✏️ 🎬 Grammatikbolaget | Säsong 13
I have been watching these episodes while sketching or sewing. The intended audience? Students in grades 4 - 6. Bizarre elaborate production — BUT I am finding it to be a quick way of refreshing and testing my knowledge of grammar rules. Each episode is 9 minutes.
❤️🩹 Slow Factory Superfund Immediate Aid for Palestine and Lebanon
until next time 🔎
When trouble strikes, head to the library. L. Snicket