Portrait: Aphorisms by Cathy DeForest

Beloved poet, William Stafford, is being celebrated throughout the US during 2014. In honor of his Centennial celebrations, Derek Pyle and I created a letterpress artist book of Stafford's previously unpublished aphorisms. The source for the aphorisms are from, The Sound of the Ax: Aphorisms and Poems by William Stafford, edited by Vincent Wixon and Paul Merchant, published by University of Pittsburgh Press in 2014. Portrait: Aphorisms by William Stafford is an artist book featuring a photograph of William Stafford taken by his son, Kim Stafford. Inside the three-fold artist book is a series of aphorisms indicative of Stafford's depth and wit. I want viewers to hold Stafford's work in their hands so they can be moved by the element of surprise not only in Stafford's words, but also in the experience of discovering his words. I chose typography reminiscent of the year of Stafford's birth, 1914. I hope viewers will enjoy interacting with Stafford's poignant words. Click here find the second Stafford aphorism book titled Hidden and Revealed.