New W. A. Dwiggins book- Athalinthia stories and pictures

I think this may be of interest to people here given Dwiggins' importance in the history of fine press bookmaking: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dwiggins/new-w-a-dwiggins-book-athalinthia-...

'From 1910 to 1926, Dwiggins created a series of stories about an imaginary place he named Athalinthia, and the people who lived there. A place perhaps akin to Persia a thousand years ago, or Uzbekistan in the 1920s . . . he never said. He drew and painted more than 100 pictures expressly for these. This is WAD at his most fanciful, his most personal.

Dwiggins was fascinated by human nature. He also loved to describe exotic places, buildings, costumes, cultures, and rituals. These stories gave him the chance to write about all aspects of the human condition: love, pride, envy, whimsy, pageantry, curiosity, duplicity, adversity, celebration . . . and adventure!

The other day a friend summed up WAD’s Athalinthia stories as . . . “Game of Thrones meets The Twilight Zone meets One Thousand and One Arabian Nights” . . .

The 100+ illustrations display Dwiggins’s ever-changing experiments with styles and materials from 1910 until 1950. Pen-and-ink drawings, watercolor paintings, prints in multiple colors from woodcuts or stencils, and even split-fountain silkscreen.'

The deluxe edition will be bound by Gray Parrot with a leather spine.

Well worth supporting!

For any book/typography/design-interested person who hasn't familiarized themselves with Dwiggins, this is an excellent opportunity.

His "Reform of the Paper Currency" is probably the book which I would say is a MUST for ANY fine press collection.

The problem is the shipping cost for those outside the US. The $60 book has a shipping cost of $126 for the U.K. (so a total of $186) which looks exorbitant

>3 DMulvee: Yeah, I saw that, that's nuts!

Shipping *is* expensive, but not that expensive. Four pounds shipped from the U.S. to U.K. is about $60 from UPS. I doubt this book is much heavier than that?

(For what it's worth, media mail shipping within the U.S. for four pounds is $4.45 and the project is charging $12. The packing materials for a book cost a buck fifty, so I sort of suspect they're using the old "Calculate the actual shipping cost and double it" formulation.)

Thanks for this, I've gone ahead and backed for both versions. I do enjoy these sorts of private universes, like the one created by Henry Darger. There's a liberating quality to an imaginary world born of personal passions.

I asked about the shipping costs, and this is the reply I received -

"Here's my math for the shipping. The US postal system is raising prices by as much as 20% on July 10. Therefore the campaign launched during the existing prices in the postal system, but delivery of books this fall will be 15-20% higher. I had to account for this in my pricing. Penmor (the printer) also does the fulfillment. They charge me $9 to fill out all the customs paperwork for international shipments. They also charge $1 for protective wrapping around the book, $1.40 labor to apply that, $1.50 for the cardboard tube to protect the poster. That comes to $12.90. The cost right now to ship a box using international priority mail is $88.30 to countries fairly close by such as UK, France, etc. Bump that up 15% because of the July price increase and you get *at least* $101.00 (some services may go up 20%, they haven't yet announced which). So the very least this will cost for postage and handling is $114. To many countries it will be higher than that, yet I felt to avoid complexity I could only list one price beyond US and Canada.

I will finish this note to you by saying that I have hundreds of hours of time in this. I do not expect to see any compensation for that time financially (although plenty of it emotionally) if the project succeeds. But I cannot afford to run this project and **lose** money. I only want to break even. I know that the shipping companies have increased their prices 1000% since the beginning of the pandemic. Indeed, the cost of sending a container from China to Los Angeles is now TWELVE times higher than it was in 2019. That is outrageous. I wish it could be different. Setting the prices I did was the only way I could manage this, knowing full well that if *I* lived abroad, I, too, would gasp at the shipping costs and probably say uh, no thanks. Is there anyone in your circle with whom you could share a pledge, with both books sent to one address? As I explained, two books will fit into one box and thus go for the same price (except for minor additional charge for extra packing)."

"Also, I forgot one other important factor. Kickstarter extracts just under 10% in fees from *all* money raised (that is rewards *and* shipping). Therefore, if I charge $126 for shipping to international addresses, after they skim off their fees I end up with only $113.40. So I'm already losing money on the transaction, even to close-at-hand European addresses, and with the hop that the PO does not raise prices by 20%. I've tried to shave prices everywhere I could, to see this project get out into the world, not to make money on it! Thanks for your understanding. Bruce"

Part of my surprise is that I supported a different campaign this week which was $70 for a hard bound book that included shipping (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/showmethewaytogo/show-me-the-way-to-go-to-home?). That book is being printed in Spain which perhaps explains the difference, but if the cost of shipping is at least $114 I don’t see how others can include shipping and charge $70

>3 DMulvee: I think this might be the creator's first Kickstarter campaign, and the structure of shipping fees looks like a rookie mistake, or at least suboptimal. First, the campaign is taking on currency risk, which is especially volatile right now due to inflation and supply chain challenges. And for a product which likely will take some time to make after the campaign concludes. One way to handle this is to build in a buffer, which looks like price gouging to the customer. The standard solution to this problem is to provide shipping estimates but charge via a tool such as BackerKit at time of shipping at market rates rather than at pledge time. I suspect the BackerKit percentage is also lower than Kickstarter, though I haven't checked that in a while. Additionally, it looks like they are pricing based on retail shipping rates. If they wait until the size of the print run is determined, they can negotiate with the courier to get a corporate job rate, which will also likely bring the cost per item shipped down.

What an interesting project, thanks for sharing! The deluxe looks particularly nice. For those overseas (like myself) who are feeling the pain of US shipping prices (along with the strong US dollar and US inflation), I highly recommend looking into forwarding services. I have recently started using Shipito, and have often found their rates to Japan to be reasonable, about the same or slightly less than what >4 grifgon: quotes. Naturally, it adds an extra step and time to delivery, so I don't use it every time, but if you save half the cost of shipping...

Ordered! I have several books of Dwiggins work from the 20's and 30's that are collections of his drawings, some with images from Athalinthia. I also hold the matrices for Electra, a very nice typeface made for the Linotype exclusively.

Reminds me of Robert Morris's Bird and Bull Press printing of further material from the Republic of San Serriffe. The Republic of San Serriffe began as an April Fool’s joke printed in 1977 by The Guardian. Dwiggins was first of course!

>1 SolerSystem:

Excellent find!

Thank you for posting this Kickstarter campaign. I have purchased one of the fifty Deluxe copies in the Gray Parrot binding. Fortunately, the shipping cost for residents in the United States is quite reasonable and this offering was a no-brainer.

>1 SolerSystem: Thank you. It looks very interesting. I also ordered a deluxe copy.

>1 SolerSystem: Thanks for sharing, I think Dwiggins sense of humor is perfect for this group - for example


:)

>4 grifgon: Four pounds shipped from the U.S. to U.K. is about $60 from UPS
Nope, not even close. Just a few weeks ago I looked at shipping a small package to the UK, it was over $200. The guys at UPS, which I know quite well, even told me that anything international is extremely expensive with UPS and I would be best served to ship it USPS, which is what I did.

>1 SolerSystem: Thanks for sharing this! I found one of the stories online, and after confirming it was exactly the sort of thing I like, I backed the standard edition.

>13 astropi: I mean, I ship over 2,000 packages a year using USPS and UPS, so I think I've got a pretty good handle on the costs. I just got a quote right now to ship a 4 pound package to Chris Wakeling (of Corvus Works) in the U.K. from my place in Oregon. $70.25 via USPS Priority for 6 to 10 days. $50.25 via UPS for 1 to 3 days. UPS is usually cheaper for heavier international packages. Not sure what was going on with your experience, perhaps something weird about the package or huge upcharging for in-store shipping versus a postage meter (which is what businesses use).

>15 grifgon: Yeah, I don't know. The price was absolutely insane. Maybe you ship so often you get a big discount? Or maybe because I'm on the East Coast? Actually, you would think it would be cheaper from here... well I have no idea but it was prohibitively expensive :)

>16 astropi: I think it's an individual-customer-at-the-store versus professional-postage-meter thing. I once shipped a liter coke bottle filled with Tunisian olive oil from Arlington Virginia to Portland Oregon via UPS in-store and it cost $80. Nuts nuts nuts. The big disadvantage of shipping overseas via UPS, I've found, is the amount of paperwork required. Three copies of all documents affixed in a clear pouch to the outside of your package – ugh. The USPS stores all the customs information electronically, on the other hand. I actually think the handling side of shipping & handling is one of the biggest costs to small publishers, and nearly always un- or undercompensated. There's barely any economy of scale. (You might save a few cents per box by buying in bulk, but each box takes the same amount of time to package.) So it's just a huge drain on time (which could be spent printing, binding, designing, etc.)

>2 grifgon: Agree that on "Towards a Reform of the Paper Currency" - is key for a fine press collection. One of the more difficult LEC titles to find in NF shape (it took me nearly 10 years) with a like slipcase. The fragile black spine leather is prone to rubbing and deterioration, but it's a great little book.

>17 grifgon: Agreed! One can lose entire days just packing books to ship. Though I wish my PO was modern enough to retain my information - I must fill out customs forms every single time!

>17 grifgon: For individual customers shipping via UPS or USPS, I highly recommend looking into Pirate Ship, Shippo, or one of the other shipping service resellers, which allow individuals to buy at commercial rates. The price differences can be pretty extreme.

>18 Sport1963: Mine is in OK but not great condition. You're absolutely right: A fine condition copy easily goes for over $1,000 these days. The lether used on the book is "the cheap stuff"; just leather sawdust mixed with glue if I remember correctly. I'm thinking of rebinding mine. It's such a magnificent book – in my opinion it represents everything great about private presswork.

20 Yes! In my experience these work great for individuals trying to send packages at better rates, especially if you've got a home printer.

14 days to go and we're $6000 from the goal. I'm optimistic we'll make it, but if you haven't pledged, now is a good time :)

>22 astropi: and share! There are only 250 backers so far and another 100 are needed at the $60 price to reach the goal.

Why should this interest a fine press collector? It's not about typography, nor is it letterpress printed.

>24 ultrarightist:

The stories and illustrations are imaginative and unique - especially the range of illustrations and graphic techniques employed in their creation. FWIW, I pledged one of the 50 deluxe copies immediately.

>24 ultrarightist: Some fine press collectors are interested in this new Dwiggins book and some aren't. I have a copy of the first edition of WAD's Layout in Advertising. Not fine press for sure, but it is a classic in the field of layout and design, which, if not your cup of tea, would be of no interest to you, but I am glad to have it.

They should have allocated more deluxe copies.

>24 ultrarightist: Yes, it's not strictly a fine press book, but the deluxe edition is a limited run of an obscure title, and it appears it will be well made. So there are ways in which it might be considered fine press adjacent, and thus of potential interest.

>27 kdweber: Agreed. I was able to get a deluxe reservation when 10 were left, and I don't doubt this would have made goal by now with a bit larger limitation.

>27 kdweber: >28 Shadekeep: First thing I thought of. It's sad, a rookie mistake. There should have been at least 100.

I've met Bruce, the author, I was going to cast some Electra for reproduction in the last book but he found someone closer and with matrices in several sizes. There was quite a stir around the community, especially around Codex, Book Club of CA, Letterform Archive when his last successful Kickstarter happened for his Dwiggins biography. I don't think Bruce really knew what kind of response he'd get from this book so 50 deluxe probably seemed excessive.

This book IS quite niche among niche but I don't think Dwiggins gets nearly the amount of appreciation that he should historically. His illustrative work, especially the abstract typographic work was way ahead of its time. I'm glad Bruce has been passionate enough to follow up with another book. I'll be happy if it is as well produced as the bio.

>30 DWPress: “ I'll be happy if it is as well produced as the bio.”

The printer is Penmor Lithographers in Lewiston, Maine. They also printed Bruce’s biography of Dwiggins, on Sappi Opus Matte, using stochastic screens, on a 40-inch Lithrone Press with a UV system that has the inks dry much faster on the sheet. I expect this new book, if realized, will be equally well-made since it’s the same skilled and experienced crew. My worry is that, absent “angel” donors, the goal won’t be met.

I think this one is likely to make goal, though it may not go over goal as much as it could in other circumstances. It currently stands at 91% funded and there is virtually always a second spike in backing at the end of a campaign (in echo of the first spike at the start).

I'm curious if anyone here is familiar with the paper being mooted for the standard edition, Cougar Natural Smooth. The deluxe edition is using Mohawk Superfine, which I do have experience with, so I'm wondering how Cougar compares.

>32 Shadekeep: the Suntup numbered edition of A Scanner Darkly is printed on Cougar Natural. I'm not sure if that's exactly the same line, but it would probably give some idea. (I've never seen this edition in person, so I can't give my direct opinion; I just recalled the name of the paper.)

>32 Shadekeep: - I have a few books printed on Cougar Natural/Opaque. There is a noticeable difference in the books I have between the Cougar and the Mohawk Superfine. The Cougar is very smooth, almost glossy and a few shades whiter than Superfine; though not as white as the Finch paper that SubPress use though. At the price point for the regular edition, I wouldn't be unhappy.

>33 abysswalker: >34 jeremyjm:

Thank you both. It does sound like a professional, and agreeable, paper. I've ordered both editions of the book, so will be able to compare directly once they're complete. The Cougar paper one will most likely be my reading copy, so I'm glad to hear it's a friendly paper.

>27 kdweber:

Additionally, Bruce Kennett underpriced these editions. He could have easily asked for $95-$100 for the standard edition and $400 for the deluxe edition without it affecting the number of subscribers.

I went ahead and pledged for the standard edition based on the input here. I would have pledged for the deluxe edition, but it was already fully subscribed. I suppose I'm taking this one on faith, but for $60, it's a small risk.

I broke down and pledged as well, though I know nothing about the author. Hope it reaches its goal.

I ordered this, and it seems to me that it will meet its goal at the current pace.

$3000 left to go!

I ordered as well, you all are a bunch of enablers! haha!

For those curious about Dwiggins and his retinue, there is a book called Strings Attached - In the Shadow of W A Dwiggins: Dorothy Abbe that may be of interest. Abbe was a longtime friend of Anne Bromer, who wanted her to take credit for her collaborations with Dwiggins, but Abbe always refused. After her death, Bromer published this book, highlighting Abbe's accomplishments and work with Dwiggins. Typography and design by John Kristensen of Firefly Press, printed letterpress by Dan Keleher at Wild Carrot Press. Readily available from Bromer Booksellers.

$432/7 days to go......

$144, or less than three books, from goal now.

I just had the pleasure of putting this one over the top by getting a second copy. Will make for a great gift.

This is the trade book I'm *most* excited about in the coming year.

>45 grifgon: Well done! And it's a stand-out release for me as well. Very much looking forward to it.

>45 grifgon:

Well done indeed!!

This will be a delightful and unique book that will be carefully produced by someone fully invested in the project.

>21 grifgon: Haha that’s funny, I actually pledged at the same time and it seemed that mine was the last me that tipped it over!

>48 What_What: 😂 Its yours!

Bruce seems thrilled. Very happy for him and for Dwiggins. To add to the earlier question, "Why should a fine/private press collector be interested in this edition?" – it's a good question. W. A. Dwiggins is probably among the ten most important figures in the fine press movement, so although these imaginative writings are a bit incidental, they lend color and give us a greater appreciation for Dwiggins' splendid mind. It's a bit like a World War II buff reading "Savrola: A Tale of the Revolution in Laurania", the only novel of Winston Churchill.

$48,000 goal ACHIEVED !!!

Campaign is closing in just over an hour and is at 106% funded, in case anyone wants to get in before it ends.

I love this project. I have the original editions of the Athalinthia Tales in my collection. They are little gems. Perfect little books. Beautifully designed and printed. Very special. If you can find an original to complement this edition, grab it. They are fabulous books.

>52 FvS:

Agree entirely.

I was certainly pleased when this Kickstarter campaign reached its $48,000. funding goal. The success and quality of this edition are assured by the enthusiasm, expertise and emotional investment of Bruce Kennett. I cannot understand how anyone in the U.S., i.e., not subject to the extremely expensive international shipping costs, could pass on this one for $60.

An update was posted on Kickstarter, there will be a slight increase in the deluxe limitation, most likely from the current 50 to 90. The additional deluxe editions will be offered to existing backers first, and any unclaimed will go on sale later (though I'd be very surprised if all the new ones aren't gone soon after the offer goes live). So there will be a chance yet for those who missed the initial window.

Does anyone prefer the cover design of the Standard to the Deluxe? I'm considering an upgrade due to the superior paper, but the lack of letterpress printing dampens my motivation. A superior stock (Finch Fine 80-pound, soft white vs. Mohawk Superfine white text, eggshell finish) may better display the large variety of illustrations, however.

>55 PatsChoice: yes. I initially pledged for the deluxe and then changed my pledge to the standard because I like the colors and design better and I didn’t feel that the upgraded binding (though it will certainly be excellently done) and paper were worth it to me. I’m very excited for the edition but I don’t expect to read it more than a few times and I can put the extra $300 toward something else.

>55 PatsChoice: I asked if there is any way to have the deluxe edition use the same cover as the standard, because like you, I feel the standard cover is more attractive.

Or maybe you could ask for a custom binding just the way you like it. Jeez, the guy has enough problems to deal with without trying to cater to every little whim you guys have. Give him a break, willya???

>58 Glacierman: Not sure if you're actually serious... but okay, let's pretend you are. Let's see what are his problems? Oh yeah, the fact that people gave him over $51,000 to help him with his personal project! You know, I wish I had problems like that :)
Also, no one is yelling, threatening, or anything of that nature. As patrons who are financially supporting the project we have every right to ask questions and make requests - again, all done very civilly. He of course has the right to not accept the requests. And you know what, I bet he would be interested in knowing that people may prefer the cover of the standard edition.

>59 astropi: I backed for both editions because I like them both, but I imagine he could use one cover and another interior. It depends on how small his operation is as to how much of a logistics headache this would be. Plus the chance that the custom version might go to someone else, if packing and shipping is being done by staff based largely on the cover design.

From a collector standpoint I can also see the desire not to have these kinds of hybrid versions out there either. At present there are two distinct versions by cover and paper type, and having one or more copies which are a mix of the two could create ambiguity later. Doesn't hurt to ask, but if I were the publisher I'd be disinclined to do it for the reasons outlined here. Not everyone is me, thankfully. ^_^

I heard back from Bruce, this is what I expected - no hurt feelings :)


As for the design of the deluxe, my goal is to have the deluxe edition resemble as closely as possible the book that Dwiggins made in physical form in 1928. He used this dummy to shop around his idea to Knopf, Harpers, Limited Editions Club, etc. Therefore all copies in the 2022 deluxe edition will be alike, in having a red spine, and boards covered with that blue-and-green design, to match the 1928 design. Sorry we cannot make a substitution.

Received the standard edition yesterday, looks quite nice. Still looking forward to the deluxe edition bound by Gray Parrot, of course.

I received my standard edition copy today and am beyond impressed! The typography is fantastic, very easy to read, and there are a ton of illustrations in both B&W and color. I'm very much looking forward to reading it! It gives me a tinge of regret that I didn't splurge on the deluxe edition, but I'm still very pleased with the standard copy.

Still waiting........

>64 Glacierman: Did you back for both? The standards are shipping but the deluxe are coming later.

>65 Shadekeep: Just the standard.

>67 Glacierman: Hopefully wending its way towards you, then. A number of publishers send them out in batches, which in turn depend on their staff size and number of orders.

Based on the last communique from the publisher, it may be that my copy has not yet shipped. It would appear they are going out in batches and I did get on board rather late. So, I just have to be patient.

Wait two days and I love it! My copy has arrived and I am tickled pink. Lovely book! Glad I backed it.

>62 Shadekeep:
>63 ExLibrisDavid:
>70 Glacierman:

The success of this edition was predictable. Bruce Kennett is an expert in the life and career of W. A. Dwiggins (WAD) and he is passionate about realizing WAD'S dream of publishing the Athalinthia stories. W. A. Dwiggins was one of the most creative and innovative minds in 20th century American private press with more than a passing similarity to Bruce Rogers.

Fantastical stories, beautiful illustrations, and Kennett's attention to detail - sourcing every aspect of this edition to top-tier people, then carefully supervising their work. Toss in a Gray Parrot binding for a very reasonably priced ($300) deluxe edition and this was the proverbial no-brainer.

>71 dlphcoracl: And it's still available for purchase, for anyone who feels they missed out, although at a higher price. The standard is still only $70

>72 AMindForeverVoyaging:

The standard edition at only $70 is a wonderful Holiday Season gift for a special friend or relative that enjoys reading.

Looking forward to this! I've always loved Dwiggins' art, and this book was unexpected and most welcome
Now, who are some other similar artists that deserve a similar beautifully produced book?

Personally, I can think of a number of deserving artists that are relatively obscure, such as Charlotte Joan Sternberg... sigh :)

For some reason I received an extra standard edition and, after trying to contact Bruce Kennett and getting no response, have decided to offer it up to someone here who wants it. We could do a trade, if you have something you no longer want and are seeking a good home for it (I would be open to just about anything), or I would be fine with just sending it to you as a post-Christmas gift. Please PM if you are interested.

>75 AMindForeverVoyaging:
Nice of you!

For anyone in or near Chicago, Bruce Kennett is giving a talk to the Caxton Club about this project on April 19th.

Book is magnificent! I was honestly surprised by just how many colorful illustrations are found throughout the volume -- wow! The deluxe edition is also numbered and signed by Bruce Kennett and is an absolute joy. Some pictures-

>78 astropi:

Agree entirely.

Bruce Kennett is an expert on the life and work of W.A. Dwiggins and he carefully supervised every aspect of this edition, e.g., choice of text paper, high quality printing, choice of Dwiggins' Caledonia type, and a Gray Parrot binding for the deluxe edition. The seven Athalinthia stories are wonderful and the illustrations by W.A. Dwiggins (130 drawings and watercolor paintings!) are beautiful. At $75 for the standard edition you cannot go wrong.

>78 astropi: Gorgeous! I'm waiting on my deluxe, but the standard is quite fine itself. Still, I'm really jazzed for this version.

>80 Shadekeep: I have the standard edition, and it is very well done. I do wish I'd had the wherewithal to afford the deluxe, but am quite happy with the standard.