Tara McLeod of The Pear Tree Press is recognized as ‘the best limited edition hand-print book-maker in the country’. His private press works are held in libraries and collections all over the world.
It is a great privilege to work with him and I have engaged his expertise on a number of occasions with beautiful and fine results which have always given joy and pleasure.
I was delighted therefore to be asked to submit a poem for his recent 2014 printing of 8 POEMS. This book, described by Tara as ‘Typographical illuminations set in metal type’ is letter press printed in a limited edition of 30.
It is an unusual book, comprising nine thick black card pages ( ring bound) wrapped in a cardboard cover ( 240 x 210 ) printed in two bright colours – blue and red. Inside, printed on separate, and loosely glued-in pages,
we find poems by David Howard, Peter Olds, Judith Haswell, Paul Thompson ( see Shards of Silver ), Denys Trussell, as well as Brian and David Gregory. My own contribution, ‘ Being There’ is a fold out ( 360 x 210 like the
other poems). Set in italics ( except for the title which is in bold and a haunting, faded sea-urchin shell green), the poem, coloured a deep carmine or rust red, seems to float on water as if capturing the essence of the Venice
setting in which the scene moves among ‘gondola / bold as a bird gliding through moonlight / watching the sights preen themselves in reflection.’ There’s a lovely elusive quality here suggested both by the type and the colour
and the way Tara has drawn green lines of waves to move the poem along on the page. Another wonderful treasure from The Pear Tree Press and Tara McLeod’s imagination and skill.