Exclaim Books (a division of tNY Press, formerly theNewerYork) is a publisher of experimental fiction of all shapes and sizes, combining words and images to generate a gestalt which is challenges the reader to examine the interplay of art and literature in new and exciting ways.
One of their latest publications is Sharpen, a collection of short pieces by author Rich Ives. Each chapter (most of which are a page or less in length) is illustrated with pen and ink drawings by Jack Callil, with additional diagrams by designer Nils Davey. The cumulative effect for the reader is a mix of familiarity and confusion; as Exclaim Books describes on their website:
It’s a catalog that you can’t order anything from. A manual with no instructions. In Sharpen, Rich Ives takes the reader through a series of meditations inspired by tools, bodies, and stranger things. A mix of the surreal and the mundane, these short fictions deal with father-daughter relationships, communication, and intellect, sometimes discarding conventional grammar in favor of a language of emotion.
In Sharpen, Rich Ives takes the reader through a series of meditations inspired by tools, bodies, and stranger things. A mix of the surreal and the mundane, this book explores father-daughter relationships, communication, farm life, and intellect, sometimes disregarding conventional grammar in favor of a language of emotion. Made up of flash fiction, diagrams, captions, and illustrations, Sharpen is a pastoral work of fiction with a healthy dose of experimentation.
Sharpen is presented as a Mega Scout Book, 5″ x 7″ with a generous 48 pages of words and pictures for the reader to explore. The handsome chipboard cover features a design by Nils Davey in bold Black and Orange inks. Surprisingly hefty and substantial feeling, Sharpen is sure to please literature lovers and design aficionados alike!
Sharpen is available to purchase at the Exclaim Books website, along with other tNY projects such as theEEEL (The Electronic Encyclopedia of Experimental Literature) and the literature magazine The Shrug.
Cover Printing – Black, Orange
