CCA POETRY SOCIETY
   ANTHOLOGY CHAPBOOK

Type:Books Arts/Design

Duration: 4 Weeks*


Collaborators:N/A
Instructors: Dan Shaffer, Gala Bent

The CCA Anthology Chapbooks were designed for use of my college’s newly founded poetry society as part of a Design Research class.

Community connection was important to the society, so a range of cuts from the colleges extensive letterpress collection were handprinted, then digitized for illustrative use. Bringing in the history and off-beat charm of the school itself.

The chapbooks are saddle-staple bound within a cover that folds up to become a self-containing, functional envelope so chapbooks can be quickly stamped without added cost of envelopes and sent- to students families and friends (although it looks cute enough on a shelf too)

Within the context of the class, this was a learning experience regarding the art of the pivot. A four week duration, where two weeks in I realized my original plan and research for a different book all together was not working conceptually  or logistically. Rather than force that project into an unsatisfactory conclusion, I scrapped the idea entirely and pulled off the chapbook in the remaining two weeks.

Research consisted of both visual/historical research into the history of chapbooks as well as first hand research in conversation with the society founder and local poets. Some competitive analysis was done surrounding other small scale and DIY poetry anthologies in Seattle. Browns and greys keep the chapbook feeling soft .