Book Creation in idle moments

In the last few days I’ve made some inroads toward getting the collection of poetry that arose from reading Gaston Bachelard’s writings (which I’m referring to as the Bachelard Interpreted series) into presentable shape. I posted on my poetry blog a little while back that it was a massive undertaking.

I’m delighted with progress.

The image above shows the complete Bachelard Interpreted collection structure. Usually with my books I have listed the poems, just as though they were chapters. I can’t do that here, because there are hundreds of poems.

I’ve gotten around the issue of the number of poems by creating an Index and alphabetical listing that will sit at the very end of the book.

The printer (Ingram Sparks) can’t accommodate 1,700 pages in a single volume, and that is just as well, because I doubt that I could manage such a big book comfortably.

I’ll take a look at that issue later today and perhaps create several volumes for this purpose. I’ll mock up a cover theme to go with it/them later today as well, I hope.

Why create books that may only ever be for personal use?

I have a number of reasons for wanting to see Bachelard Interpreted (and other collections) in print form. I’ll list a few:

• The poems have not been edited for print. I’m arrogant enough to believe that they are all nearly perfect, of course, just as they flowed from the pen, but realistic enough to know that is not true and they each will need attention.

I find the prospect of reviewing so much work on-screen to be quite daunting. A paper copy will allow me more freedom to work, I think (and hope).

• The poems in the Bachelard Interpreted collection are laden with imagery. Or should be!

I want to try to experience the work as the reader of my imagination would – book in hand while having a lie-in in bed, or with a coffee.

• I feel a sense of urgency to have my work produced in book form.

Much of my life is bound up in what I have written over the journey and, while I still have access to it online, in my computer and blog archives and here and there, computer records are not proof, in the way that a physical book is proof.

I feel that seeing the work in book form, on a library shelf – even if it is only my own library in my own home, represents the practical recognition of the thing that I have been, or tried to be.

• Further to the previous point, I’m a bit of a sentimental old fool, at heart. That in itself is a reason.

• With each experience of assembling written materials into book form, my skills in this area of black art improve a little. It is necessary, though, to keep practicing to keep improving.

• Finally, a reason particular to Bachelard Interpreted. I have a feeling that I may never write better than I did when I was under the spell of Bachelard, through reading his translated books. I want to find out if I still believe that is so by reading them in a book.

What next for Bachelard Interpreted?

Next will come a decision about how many volumes to cut this big assemblage of poetry into. Probably three volumes, I think, but I’ll look at it a little later.

After that, a cover for each volume.

It’s tempting to make a very utilitarian and simple cover for this set of books. Perhaps plain black, with white cover printing, in keeping with their status as ‘working volumes’, but I’m not sure. Cover art is still a mystery to me and I’ll take the opportunity to play a little with a couple of ideas I have.

Store

In the meantime, don’t forget that I have a number of books that can be purchased through the usual online outlets.

If you are resident in Australia, paperback copies of all my work can be purchased through my store. I’m happy to sign or inscribe these on request.