Jed- Xu/to rel'r ar~re/eueac mnd~ JESSICA SULLIVAN talks about her first foray into creating and an Alcuin award-winning limited , and how the experience compares to her equally successful career as a commercial book designer.

r.-P he name of one winner from this The book is sort of an exploration of how ..:.-Z,,, year's annual Alcuin the English language is open to interpreta­ Awards appeared in several categories, and tion, or how language isn't necessarily black not for the first time. Jessica Sullivan's cov­ and white. One word often has many differ­ ers and layouts for Vancouver's Douglas & ent meanings, depending on its application, McIntyre have garnered 18 awards over the whether used properly, colloquially or in a past five years, including four of her different connotation. This is an alphabet from 2007 singled out for attention. One book of these sorts of words, words that have of these books was in the Limited Editions multiple definitions, one of which defines a category, for Sullivan's first foray into the human body part. In some cases I think some field : A Body of Parts, Vol. 1, Allusion. As interesting comparisons come across. Sullivan is a first-time limited editions cre­ In terms of doing all the work involved ator/publisher, but also one with an estab­ myself, I didn't necessarily have a choice. In lished reputation as a commercial book de­ the same way that it would be great to have signer, Amphora wanted to talk to her about a maid or a cook, I wasn't really in a position how the two realms compare. to be hiring anyone to take over those chores. And I'm always up for an unreasonable chal­ Can you name any designers or imprints that have lenge, and it seems especially if it's time-con­ been particularly influential, if not to your work suming and painful. itself, to your interest in book design? The book was laser printed, on 8. 5 by r r So many people and things have been influen­ sheets, trimmed and folded in a French fold tial to my design aesthetic, and probably lots fashion. The side-stab binding was an inter­ that I'm not even aware of. Anything old, not esting process. As I desperately tried to solve of this time, not computer generated or reli­ the problem of how to punch smaller than ant on futuristic technology. So lots of dead "hole punch" holes, I happened to mention people have been influential: William Morris, the dilemma to my dad, who immediately Charles and Ray Eames, Paul Rand, the un­ ran downstairs and appeared with this bizarre known artist, hand-painted signs. Stuff from tool he'd picked up at a garage sale. We have the '20s, '30s and '6os: couches, phones, wall­ no idea what it's actually for. His basement paper, objects. And then we have Chronicle, is sort of like that, filled with things whose Knopf, Penguin, Peter Cocking, Chip Kidd purposes and origins are unknown. I've often and Gabriele Wilson. looked around down there for a letterpress. The finished book is 5.5 by 6.75 inches, 58 Describe A Body of Parts, Vol. 1, Allusion, per­ pages. The copies are not signed. I thought haps starting with why you wanted to create a book about that, but I guess it felt a little too pre­ entirely yourself, from content through creation. cious for the object. And it's hard to sign What is it, what is it about, and why did you blood, sweat and tears. want to produce and issue it yourself? Well, I think like any creative person you al­ How long have you been designing books? How ways have ideas running through your head, (and/or why) did your interest in design take you and at a certain point you just decide to try to to books? do something with one of them. I thought it I have been designing books for five years would be fun to try to produce a limited edi­ now. I ended up in the field for two reasons. tion book, because it would allow me to play One is Peter Cocking, who was and is the art with an idea that didn't require a "market." director at Douglas & McIntyre. He was also Something I didn't need to hone for a certain one of my instructors at Emily Carr Institute audience; the audience could just be me, and of Art + Design, and as well as being a book maybe two or three other people. designer was quite the inspirational instruc-

6 tor. Two is that although I always wanted to be a designer, I never wanted to take part in advertising or the design of selling. I wanted to design "the thing" instead of "the stuff' to Jessica sell "the thing." I also love books, so when S ULLIVAN Peter presented me with the opportunity to design that sort of "thing," it wasn't some­ thing I could pass up.

In addition to winning in the Limited Editions category, books you designed also won for Pictorial, Prose Fiction and Pros Non-fiction. As a designer, do you have to consciously approach these broad cat­ egories differently, from a creative perspective? ls there one category that has greater appeal to you? Each category certainly requires a slightly dif­ ferent approach. The content drives the design, so every genre requires a certain amount of specific consideration regarding how the read­ er is going to use the text and what elements

Tokyo Exhibition Alcuin Book Design Award winners travelling farther and farther

Thanks to the efforts of the design awards being exhibited, but they were shipped to committee members, the 2007 winners Tokyo free of charge by JAL, and once the will be seen farther and wider than any pre­ exhibit is over they will form part of the vious year. In addition to being displayed in the embassy-the largest library at book fairs at (October '08) and of books from and about Canada outside of (March '09), a set of the winning Canada," Collins proudly reports. books will also be on display at the Cana­ Within Canada, the books will be more dian embassy in Tokyo in July. The Tokyo widely exhibited than ever before, with 19 exhibition was organized by board member stops organized across Nova Scotia, New Nick Collins, who had visited the country Brunswick, Newfoundland, Quebec, On­ in the early 1990s. tario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta "On my first full day in Japan I was and British Columbia. See the Alcuin So­ taken to a mulberry farm and papermak­ ciety Web site for the complete list of dates ing factory, in Obara. We actually made and places. paper ourselves and wrote characters on our Two ceremonies will be held to present sheets. I wrote innu (dog) on mine and still the awards in October. The first (October have it," Collins remembers. 2) will be in Vancouver, at the Emily Carr The memory of this trip, and the Design University of Art + Design. The evening Awards committee's interest in expanding the will feature a keynote lecture by the de­ circulation of the winning books, prompted signer and author C.S. Richardson, plus a Collins to contact Christine Nakamura, coun­ presentation by Robert Bringhurst about sellor in charge of cultural affairs in the em­ his new book, The Surface of Meaning: 2 5 bassy in Tokyo, wondering whether the So­ Years of Book Design in Canada. The second ciety could mount an exhibition to coincide ceremony (October 6) will be at Toronto's with the Tokyo Book Fair in July. Arts & Letters Club, with Richardson again "The Japanese co-operation has been at appearing as the keynote speaker. These the highest level. Christine has been a de­ evenings are free and open to all members; light to work with. Not only are the books see the Web site for derails.

7 DESIGN AWARDS

A WAYSON CHOY SECRETtJ~t,(,J, -u

DANIEL POLIQUIN 4

Some of the covers J essica Sullivan has created for Vancouver-based Douglas & McIntyre over the past five years.

CANDACE SAVAGE

8 JESSICA SULLIVAN are involved. An instructive book (cookbook, AWARDS CATALOGUE guidebook) is used very differently from a pic­ torial book or a , so the creative or design decisions should reflect that. A loud YES! from members Fiction for me has the greatest appeal. Earlier this year Alcuin Society mem­ It's interpretational, requires the most criti­ bers were asked about their interest in cal thought, and demands the designer to be continuing to receive a printed cata­ very familiar with the text. It affords me an logue featuring winners from the annual opportunity to find that hidden gem in the book design competition. The question text that's not necessarily the most obvious was sparked by the significant cost and choice for the cover. I'm also given a lot of effort required to put the catalogue to­ freedom and consideration when designing gether. Awards chair Leah Gordon and fiction titles, which is always appreciated. catalogue editor Marlene Chan were heartened by the number of people who What are some of the most important things you've responded, and by the almost unani­ learned about book design? Or what would you say mous opinion that the catalogue remain are some ofyour foundational beliefs or philosophies a regular publication of the Society. as a book designer? I think the single most important part of "More than a third of our members re­ book design is the interior. If the text is not sponded to our question. We'd always set with readability in mind, with nice mar­ hoped that the catalogue would act not gins and colour, in a comfortably readable only as a vehicle for each year's winners, face, printed with adequate quality, the book but also raise awareness of and appre­ is a useless object. If you can't read a book, ciation for book design in Canada. The all you can do is prop up a couch that should responses indicate the catalogue is suc­ probably be let go. ceeding on both fronts," says Gordon, I also think it's important that the design offering a sampling of the responses. reflect the actual content, not the content it 'Tm a new member and this is one of should have been, or you wish it was, but what the main reasons I decided to join!" it truly is. So, if it's not funny, it shouldn't 'Tm surprised that any member would look funny; if it's not happy, it shouldn't look not be interested in the catalogue. It is happy. In fact this rule sort of works across the sort of the flagship publication of the or­ board: a couch shouldn't look comfortable if ganization in my opinion." it's a back breaker. I don't understand why so many uncomfortable couches are produced, but "The catalogue is one of the main rea­ I guess you could say the same about books. sons I renewed my membership in the Alcuin Society." What has been the single greatest piece of book de­ "I have actually bought several books sign orthodoxy that you have come to reject (or at solely on their being included as win­ least question) as a professional designer? ners (or second or third choices), so the That's a good one. I work on intuition, so I catalogue is occasionally more than just don't give a lot of conscious thought to rules a pictorial record to look at and enjoy." and systems. That doesn't mean I don't un­ "As I live in the east, I cannot make it to derstand them, comprehend their usefulness, the actual competition, so the catalogue especially in teaching, and it doesn't mean I is the only form I have of viewing, at don't apply them. But I don't think any piece least, the winners." of orthodoxy should inhibit one from trying anyway. Especially, and most importantly, if "I very much appreciate receiving the you can make it work. catalogue, which I think is one of the best I have seen. I like the comments Working on A Body of Parts, I'm assuming you from the judges and the layout and de­ had almost none ofthe kinds ofconstraints and con­ sign and attention given to each of the cerns that attend a trade publishing project. If so, winning books. It is easy to see why it is how did that affect or alter the designing experience a money-burner." for you?

9 LEIPZIG AWARDS limited edition-limited in terms of your produc­ tion abilities, and time and energy available to put Continued success into and binding copies? I would love to create limited editions, in The 2006 Alcuin Book Design award terms of limited availability. I think it al­ winners appeared last February at the lows one to explore ideas that aren't going Leipzig Book Fair, as part of the an­ to be vastly popular, which is the essence of nual Best Book Design from All Over their charm. And also to produce objects that the World exhibition and competition. would not be possible on a large scale, in terms From a total of 626 registered books of the production. I would love to be able to on display, two of the '06 winners were create books by hand in the traditional sense. shortlisted for prizes: Dawna Rose's I just have to learn how to use a letterpress, Smoking with My Mother CTackPine Press) get some land and find me some machines. I and Robert Majzels' Apikoros Sleuth figure by the time I'm old and retired I might (Moveable Inc.). Both books were pro­ be able to get something going. filed in Amphora 146. Will there be subsequent volumes? At the outset my plan was to do one a year. I think the only similar constraint was bud­ Now that I've actually produced one, and I get. So, the same as any smaller Canadian realize the magnitude of such an undertaking, publisher, I needed to figure out how I could I may have to revise this plan. But we'll see. I produce this in an affordable manner, know­ really am a sucker for punishment. ing I wasn't going to make any profit off of it (ha ha). Other than that, which was a fairly In addition to placing in the Limited Editions affecting constraint, the design was pure joy. category, Jessica Sullivan won third (with Lisa It's not that I am hugely constrained at my Hemingway) in Prose Non-fiction for An En­ job, but it's certainly nice to have the free­ chantment of Birds: Memories from a Birder's dom to implement any and all ideas that Life, tiedfor second in Prose Fiction for The Silent come to mind without numerous depart­ Raga, and received an honourable mention ( with ments weighing in. Naomi MacDougall) in Pictorial for Spotted Owls: Shadows in an Old-Growth Forest. Are you particularly interested in creating limited editions, or was A Body of Parts more ofa de facto

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