Tuesday, October 22, 2013

singing shifu

my four selvedge lokta shifu
it's almost ready for us all,
a definitive work about my heart's delight!
here's my story:
a very long time ago i read an article
in (the sorely missed) journal fiberarts... it was about a paper textile
japanese made, called shifu.
 written by dorothy miller.
well, as a weaver and papermaker, i was captivated.
thus began my search for the elusive textile shifu.
not long after this event, i found that dorothy miller was teaching a class 
in indigo dyeing and in paper spinning for shifu.
so i made my way to that midwest fiber conference and spun and dyed.
thus began my journey.
 susan byrd's new book, A SONG OF PRAISE FOR SHIFU
will be available very soon for purchase.
i have been a privileged first reader.
 i have seen the faces of the weavers,
photographs of the ones
susan studied with.
 i have seen their brilliant hands
 spinning and weaving.
susan has asked me
to send you all to her site through the hot link above.
her text is rich and detailed
the photographs, copious
the footnotes are worth a book of their own (almost).
this book kept ringing out peals of music
YES! YES!
as i read. 
~~~
now, here's really really good news:
this book is pricey
and the proceeds, all of them,
are going to the shifu weavers themselves.
susan is taking the book to japan
(the money, too)
a gift to her teachers, the traditional shifu weavers themselves.
amazing, a full circle.
another gift:
the first copies will have
samples.
amazing and beautiful samples
paper and shifu.

10 comments:

  1. I've been watching and waiting - have already pre-ordered. at that price it better be good!

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  2. jean, i read it...and i'm still buying one! it's really good.

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  3. it will be good, certainly, and plus those samples!! so glad you were chosen to blurb; makes so much sense.

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  4. aimee, i had forgotten about the samples, and when i read the blurb from legacy press i did your happy dance!

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  5. Wow, what an AMAZING thing - to tithe the profits back to the traditional craftspeople - I'm in awe! And the book with samples, sounds inspiring.

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  6. valerie, susan is that kind of person.
    fiona, indeed
    india, thank you, i wish i could do the book justice.

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  7. What a magnificent garment!It sounds like a beautiful book especially if you receive one with the samples.

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  8. robyn, it is, and the samples, well the shifu sample was made by mrs sakurai!

    ReplyDelete

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