Interior Skies: Late Poems from Liguria

The inaugural publication of Two Ponds Press brings together the work of American poet Anthony Hecht (1923-2004) and contextual remarks by Philip Hoy, friend and founder of The Waysider Press, the English publisher of Hecht’s work. The seven-poem collection was written during the final year of Hecht’s life while in residence at the Bogliasco Foundation, an American non-profit in the Liguria region of Italy offering residencies to those who have made significant contributions in the arts and humanities.

With the mission “to forge a collaboration with writers, artists, photographers, designers, printers, and bookbinders,” Two Ponds Press released Interior Skies: Late Poems from Liguria in a demonstration of highly skilled bookcraft that elevates the haptic experience of reading poetry in print form.

New York-based letter designer and letterpress printer Russell Maret created Two Ponds’ ligatured pressmark and designed the book. The type selected for the project includes Bruce Rogers’ Centuar, inspired by Venetian Nicholas Jenson’s 1470 Eusebius, and first drawn as title capitals for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1914 and expanded the following year to include minuscules for the limited-edition publication of Maurice De Guérin’s The Centuar. Frederic Warde’s Arrighi was commissioned by Rogers in 1929 as an italic compliment to his Centaur and is used throughout Interior Skies. The type was cast at the letterfoundry of Michael and Winifred Bixler in Skaneateles, New York where the Bixler’s have been devoted to book arts since 1965.

Master printer Art Larson completed the presswork at Horton Tank Graphics, drawing additional connections between Two Ponds and Gehenna presses: Larson established his press to print fine press books for Leonard Baskin. In addition to Baskin, Larson has worked with many fine press imprints including Barry Moser’s Pennyroyal Press and Michael Kuch’s Double Elephant Press, in addition to larger publishers such as the Limited Editions Club. The paper, which includes the
Two Ponds watermark, was handmade at the Velké Losiny Paper Mill in the
Czech Republic.

The two engravings that illustrate Interior Skies include a portrait of Hecht and the Ligurian seascape in relief engraving by American wood engraver Abigail Rorer. Rorer herself is publisher of limited-edition fine press books and a practitioner of the fine art of silverpoint. The illustrations are printed on Zerkall paper, mould-made from part cotton rag and designed for woodblock engraving.
Maine’s own Gray Parrot bound Interior Skies in quarter leather with handmade paste papers. As one of the country’s foremost bookbinders, Parrot trained under the master bookbinder Werner Arno. Parrot founded his bindery in Hancock, Maine in 1973 and he is now based in Warren, Maine where he has served
individual collectors, libraries, and publishers, including Gehenna Press.