Books
I wrote two books,The Gentleman Bat, illustrated by Piotr Parda, and Too Many Tables, illustrated by Micah Monkey, both published by Ripple Grove Press, and available at bookstores and online booksellers. I have several other books in manuscript and sketch form that I hope to have published soon, some for which I plan to do the illustrations, and some for which I plan to partner with other illustrators. One project I illustrated and turned into a handmade book and Japanese-style handscroll, can be found in the scrolls gallery here.
In 2012 I edited and did graphic design work for Vera Pilgrim and the Ritual of the Dolphins, a powerful novel by Bryant Rollins.
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The Gentleman BatShare a nighttime stroll down cobblestone streets with the charismatic Gentleman Bat. Illustrated by Piotr Parda, published by Ripple Grove Press, October 1, 2014 www.RippleGrovePress.com/the-gentleman-bat Sometime around 2005 or 2006, I was working at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, cataloging the museum’s spectacular collection of Japanese prints, and found among them an 1880s-era woodblock print of bats by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, which became the seed of inspiration that grew into The Gentleman Bat. Keep an eye out, and you might find the image hiding inside the story. Piotr and I met in 2002 when we were both attending the master's program at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. I recruited him because he is an awesomely skilled painter. He and I collaborated for several years to refine the characters and aesthetic of book, first off-and-on in our spare time, then very closely for the final year. We are extremely excited to finally bring it to you, and if we sell enough copies of the first book, I have at least 3 or 4 solid sequels in the queue, ready to finish up and print. |
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Too Many TablesPreparations are going smoothly for a new restaurant in town until the owners realize they are missing a key ingredient. Watch what happens when word gets out that tables are needed for opening day. Illustrated by Micah Monkey, published by Ripple Grove Press, April 28, 2015 www.RippleGrovePress.com/toomanytables This book began as a simple, silly idea a couple of years ago. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it. I recruited my cousin Micah for the illustrations, because he has a lot of illustration experience and a really wild, comical style. We had recently reconnected and had been looking for ways to collaborate on artistic projects. I have several sequels roughed out for this book too. Some of them have a similar feel, and some spin off in vastly different directions. If we sell enough of these, I look forward to sharing some of the next crazy stories in the series. |
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Vera Pilgrim and the Ritual of the DolphinsBy Bryant Rollins, Outskirts Press, 2013. Vera Pilgrim and the Ritual of the Dolphins is a novel that comes out of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. The book is an epic survey with psychological and cultural contexts. It spans history from the African slave trade to the contemporary challenges of an increasingly multicultural America. Against the backdrop of myth, it vividly brings back the powerful music of the 1960s, the political tensions, the energy and tumult of the movement, the dramatic force of voter registration drives, marches, protests and rallies as the winds of change swept the country. The book employs elements of magical realism to evoke the spirit of that era. Vera Pilgrim, who has survived an abusive childhood to become a charismatic national leader, heads a cast of indelible characters. Parallels between Vera’s life and character, and those of Sojourner Truth, the 19th-century abolitionist and feminist, are central to the novel’s mythic dimension. So are the two compelling dolphins Vera encounters, and the ancient ritual they are destined to fulfill together. The book is structured as an extended metaphor. Vera is an archetypal figure who strides across the stage of history engaging historical and fictional people and situations. Flashbacks, twists and turns ultimately lead to an unanticipated and uplifting conclusion. For this book, starting in 2012, I did extensive editing of the manuscript, and did the paperback and hardback cover layouts, working with the central image painted by Stephanie Sipp, as well as supporting graphic materials such as business cards, bookmarks, t-shirts, and fine art print posters. |