Water by Shu-Ju Wang

Water —more precisely H2O—changes between liquid, solid and gas easily. In this book of poems, Portland poet and transgender activist Emily Newberry celebrates the two forms, rain and snow, that have a very direct impact on our well-being. But beyond that, the fluidity with which water changes can also be interpreted as a metaphor for the complexity and fluidity of our identities, and Newberry addresses this more succinctly with a second poem. Using the meandering structure with hexagonal pages, the book forms a whirlpool when opened. It allows the poem to be read in the round; text of the poem is letterpress printed. On the reverse side, text of the second poem is silkscreen printed with the Print Gocco. Each book is a uniquely hand-painted and each pattern is a variation around the theme of water, molecule, and navigating through our complicated and nuanced world. The back covers are Gocco printed with an illustration of H2O as it changes from solid to liquid to gas.