Showing posts with label Irish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Irish. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Malachi McCormick, "vox audita perit littera scripta manet" (Artist's Book Series III)

2013.10.10-IMG_6035
I was first drawn (May 1991) to the small, finely printed, bound and illustrated miniatures of McCormick by his title, Snores (1986).

A few months later (November 1991), I picked up my second and third McCormicks, Pangur Bán (1990) -- the small black book with the print of a cat on it was irresistible -- and Hail to Your Coming, O Herring! (1984). The fine printing, calligraphy, and print work and complimentary printing combined with the overall craftsmanship make these miniatures true jewels. 

From his website, McCormick gives a full autobiography, it begins:
"My name is Malachi McCormick, and I make handmade books. I started The Stone Street Press in 1980 and have published some 50 titles since. 2006 was the 25th Anniversary of the press, and now I’m looking forward — if my presumption doesn't offend the actuarial deities– to the next 25 years of books and book-making and small-press publishing, and book arts. " (Stone Street Press site).
Read more about McCormick and his works at his website, The Stone Street Press. 

Malachi McCormick
Hail to Your Coming, O Herring! (1984)
New York, The Stone Street Press
Small illustrated version of Irish poem in English and Irish; stamped herring on cover; signed and numbered 116/495
Cost: $3.00 | The Stone Street Press
48111-IMG_6036 48111-IMG_6040 

Malachi McCormick
Snores: An Anonymous 17th c. Poem (1986)
New York, The Stone Street Press
“This little book was made for the Fifty Avenue Book Fair in New York City, September 14th, 1986”; translation of an anonymous 17th century poem; dual text (Irish and English); hand-tooled cover and colored illustration; signed: 310/495
Cost: $4.95 | The Stone Street Press
mrk05-IMG_6044 mrk05-IMG_6041

Malachi McCormick
Pangur Bán (1990)
New York, The Stone Street Press
Small illustrated version of 9th century Irish poem with stamped cat on cover
Cost: $3.00 | The Stone Street Press
mrk04-IMG_6037 mrk04-IMG_6039

Saturday, March 17, 2012

If you had the luck of the Irish, you'd be sorry and wish you were dead

A visit to the craft store(One of John Lennon's least inspired songs! But, if the Irish have to live with all the corny St. Paddy's day paraphernalia, well ... I guess it could be worse!)

Lennon "Luck of the Irish" continues ...

You should have the luck of the Irish
And you'd wish you was English instead!
A thousand years of torture and hunger
Drove the people away from their land
A land full of beauty and wonder
Was raped by the British brigands!
Goddamn! Goddamn!

If you could keep voices like flowers
There'd be shamrock all over the world
If you could drink dreams like Irish streams
Then the world would be high as the mountain of morn

In the 'Pool they told us the story
How the English divided the land
Of the pain, the death and the glory
And the poets of auld Eireland

If we could make chains with the morning dew
The world would be like Galway Bay
Let's walk over rainbows like leprechauns
The world would be one big Blarney stone

Why the hell are the English there anyway?
As they kill with God on their side
Blame it all on the kids the IRA
As the bastards commit genocide!
Aye! Aye! Genocide!

If you had the luck of the Irish
You'd be sorry and wish you was dead
You should have the luck of the Irish
And you'd wish you was English instead!
Yes you'd wish you was English instead!