Wild at the Edges

I don't usually review books here in the main body of my blog but instead there is a regular feature in the right side bar called Reading Now. But Virginia Spiegel's book is too important for that!

It's such good news that it is so easy nowadays to self-publish your own words. It means that authors can write the books they want to, rather than the books publishers would like to see the light of day. This means that books about art and/or quilting are blighted by "projects" which publishers seem to think are what we buy books for. Well, not in my case and I suspect in the case of many other artists.

Instead I (and I'm sure many others too) want to buy the sort of book that Virginia Spiegel has self-published using Blurb. It's called Wild at the Edges; inspiration from a creative life. It also illustrates that self-publishing does not mean skimping on the illustrations because this book is rich with the most beautiful photographs featuring both Virginia's art and pictures of the place that has so inspired her, the Boundary Waters. It is also beautifully written.

Virginia shows us her life and her trips to the Boundary Waters together with her sister and how these trips provide her with the time to recharge her creative batteries, as well as with endless inspiration. Fellow artists will recognize her description of the creative process which can be both a struggle and a joy. She encourages artists to really look amd see our surroundings, write haiku, to persevere with our art, work hard and be stubborn.

Finally I would highly recommend that you buy this book from Blurb in hardcover. I know I will be looking at it again and again and re-read various chapters when relevant to what I'm doing. And I also want to make sure it's there whenever I want it. The difference in price is small and the benefits of hardcover great!! Go for it!