For my 2024 poetry book I chose one of my favorite poems by Rainer Maria Rilke, which appears in “Rilke’s Book of Hours,” translated by Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows.

The structure of this poetry book is simply a folded piece of Okawara handmade paper. I chose this structure for two reasons. First and foremost, it supports the poem’s image of widening circles; with each unfolding of the book, the page enlarges and the curve of the texts grows wider. Second, I wanted this book to be more financially accessible. A simpler binder technique, requiring less time and fewer materials, allows me to sell the book at a more affordable price.

I used three different techniques to print this book. First, I carved into a linoleum block, which I then used to print the blue/green background on one side of the page:

On the other side of the page, which displays the last lines of the poem, I screen printed an image of a falcon’s tail feathers.

I letterpress printed the text using a Universal I press at Minnesota Center for Book Arts. Since the paper I chose is a thin Japanese paper, its transparency allows text from both sides of the page to intermingle in a series of half circles. 

Here’s the full poem:

I live my life in ever widening circles
that reach out across the world.
I may not complete this last one
but I give myself to it.
I circle around God, around the primordial tower.
I’ve been circling for thousands of years and I still don’t know:
am I a falcon, a storm, or a great song?

     – Rainer Maria Rilke

I live my life in ever widening circles
2024
Letterpress, relief, screen printed
2.75″ x 4.25″ (fully folded)
8.5″ x 11″ (fully opened)
Edition of 50
$35