The Blog Of Andy Smithyman
Luke Ives Pontifell carries a Blackberry. He owns an iPad and writes a blog. He harbours no aversion to the bytes and tweets that whirl through the modern world. He has also devoted his life to the production of handcrafted books that will be around long after he’s gone.
When everything is disposable, it’s a powerful way of communicating ideas - of saying, this is something that matters - this is something that you should keep and save.
Perfect summation.
Thornwillow Press have their own series of libraries: a perfect match up to their approach to literature.
I love this detail of craftsmanship.
Thornwillow Press is a small publisher that produces finely crafted, handmade, limited-edition books. Letterpress printers work on 24 antique and modern printing presses - the oldest press dating back to the 1800’s, and the bindery still uses historic binding equipment.
Jony Ive grew up in Chingford, a town on the northeast edge of London. His father was a silversmith who taught at the local college. “He’s a fantastic craftsman”, Ive recalled. “His Christmas gift to me would be one day of his time in his college worship, during the Christmas break when no one else was there, helping me make whatever I dreamed up”. The only condition was that Jony had to draw by hand what they planned to make. “I always understood the beauty of things made by hand. I came to realise that what was really important was the care that was put into it. What I really despise is when I sense some carelessness in a product”.
SPJ pg:341
A story of an attention to learning, from a parent to a child.
A story from a craftsman, that learnt the beauty of care and attention.
I came across a quote today that seems to capture the honesty and vulnerability of writing. A helpful reminder as I begin shaping the next book.
” There are few activities more cooperative than the writing of history. The author puts his name brashly on the title-page and the reviewers rightly attack him for his errors and misinterpretations; but none knows better than he how much his whole enterprise depends on the proceeding labours of others”.
Christopher Hill.
