Poetry in Motion: Poet Mary Brown Creates Book Arts
Melinda Palacio -- June 14, 2006
Book Arts add an extra dimension to Mary Brown's poems. After the words have been cast and chosen, her poems sometimes beg for added texture. The fun and freeing art of the handmade book has also become the basis of Mary Brown's MFA field study from Antioch University.
Mary Brown began writing as a child. Her writing expressed a way to stay
sane and her words were unique and cryptic as she tried to journal in code. She later
realized that her so called code was poetry.
Although she's been writing all her life, she's only recently, in the last five years, called herself a poet. The Santa Barbara resident has attended numerous workshops and joined the local community of writers. However, two years ago, she quit her job to earn an MFA in Poetry through Antioch University's low residency program. "I wanted to become a better poet," says Brown of her decision to pursue an MFA in Poetry. "I feel I have gotten better, but it's a Catch-22; the more you learn, the more you know you don't know."
As a practical person and poet, Brown was uncertain about learning Book Arts. However, she was drawn to their beauty as well as their dynamic and tactile qualities.
"Book Arts are gorgeous. If I see a book, I need to touch and feel it. In addition to words, these books have texture and dimension, like toys." The Adult-Ed course, taught by artist Sally Timlin Cherry had always intrigued her, but it wasn't until Brown started thinking about incorporating her poetry that the idea of Book Arts became more purposeful. Further studies into Book Arts revealed that the craft has an entire discipline beyond the Adult-Ed course she took through Santa Barbara's City College. Book Arts are also a popular tool for teaching literacy.
Book by Charles Little
Book Arts can take many different shape and media. The tactile arts are gorgeous and are sometimes complicated-looking puzzles. "It is magic because it's so much easier than it looks," said Brown. Brown has learned a lot about her writing by adding this tactile and artistic dimension to her poetry. "Ideally, you want the content of a poem to be reflective of the structure of the book." With so many choices beyond the flat page, the revision process raises questions such as layout, form, font and illustration.
"My writing has a form, a shape on the page. You see it differently because you can't keep it in the same structure. I've ended up revising poems because the structure of the book is another element superimposed on the physical poem."
Book by Charles Little
The liberating experience of book arts has taught her both to honor the white space on the page and to allow herself the freedom to manipulate and adhere a poem to an artistic structure. Her teacher taught her that you can make a book out of anything and you don't have to be a perfectionist. It was tempting for Brown to spend money on expensive papers and fabrics, but she soon learned to economize on papers and use rubber stamps and clip arts.
One of her favorite structures is the Flag Book, perfect for time-sequences, found or list poems. Poet Mary Brown can now add artist and teacher to her collection of titles.