collaborative publishing

••• NEW  •••   Carol Matthews & Mayita Mendez

Writer Carol Matthews and
photographer Mayita Mendez come together in this beautiful tribute to island life.

In a beautiful tribute to her late husband, Mike Matthews, and to the island the shared for many years, Carol Matthews begins a journey to figure things out. 

“Once or twice a week I pick up a coffee and drive to a spot on the waterfront where I can sit on a bench and look across the water to the place where I lived for so many years and talk to myself about what it all meant. Island. Protection. Here, on the other shore, perhaps I can figure things out.” 

” ‘You are always trying to figure things out’, you used to say.
‘Just enjoybeing here now’ “

“At first, the island apppeared to be a mirage. Set between the mainland and Vancouver Island where I now live, it seemed ephemeral. Through the mists were trees, coves, bays, beaches and a few small cottages.”

When Carol envisioned this book, she could see it supported by the stunning black and white photographs taken by her friend and fellow island dweller, Mayita Mendez. 
Mayita’s images are etheral and thought-provoking. They are calming and stirring at the same time. They are a perfect companion to Carol’s words. 

ART/iculate: a light in the dark
 art and poetry by andrea bird

in andrea’s words …

During the past decade, to say that poetry has become important to me would be an understatement. It started slowly, with an occasional poem working its magic: ‘Wild Geese’ by Mary Oliver, or ‘Birdwings’, by Rumi. These I learned by heart (Kim Rosen shares how to do this in her wonderful book Saved by a Poem) and I found solace having these poems with me all the time. But it didn’t stop there, new poems kept showing up – like Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer’s ‘The Way It Is”, or Albert Huffstickler’s ‘The Cure’.

These and others like them met me where I was: grappling with a terminal cancer diagnosis. Each was a light in the darkness. I felt seen and understood by the poems that resonated with me.  Imagine yourself in a new landscape and it’s so dark that any movement seems impossible. Even knowing what direction to step is difficult. Then a light – in this case, a poem – appears and you suddenly have a sense of where to go.  T

his illumination guided me forward. Then another appears, and another. This was my experience of having other people’s poems help me.  The words they spoke settled in me, anchored me to here and now – inviting me to be present for this life. I felt like I finally understood the power of poems – oh this is what a poem can do! A beautiful surprise.  What was even more surprising was that poems began bubbling up from my subconscious. 

andrea bird ~ artist & poet

Diana’s work is so beautiful and flowing, an adventure of the soul …
Language of Light, poems by Diana Hayes

“The Language of Light eluded me for many years after my mother passed away.  A few poems surfaced now and again but it took me much longer to process the murky layers of grief that form after losing a loved one, a mother, a best friend …”

“… it was poetry that lifted the veil for my inconsolable heart and revealed the indisputable oness of our true nature.”
Diana Hayes

THIS IS A LIMITED EDITION
OF 80 COPIES

You may explore more about Language of Light with the link below. Enjoy!

It is such a pleasure to share these three gifted poets with the world and
welcome their new chapbooks into existence.
Mary Ann Moore, Mending
Marlene Dean, Because Things Are
MJ Burrows, Sea-Washed Stone

To read more about them and order …

 After years of exploring my connection to my publisher grandfather,
Franklin Fletcher Appleton, I have decided to combine my love of design, words, story & books, to start a small but mighty publishing imprint.

[This makes me the fourth generation in the business of books.]

The idea came about quite quickly, when three poet friends asked if I would design their chapbooks.
Suddenly I thought, “we need a common imprint for these” … and in that moment, everything came together to take this next step.

Like my grandfather, I am passionate about good presentation.

I love printed materials.

The feeling and connection of a book in one’s hands. Tactile, intimate, quiet and even gentle. A true connection between writer and reader.
To slow down and be fully immersed, taking the words and images in with ALL of your senses.

house of appleton is a tribute to my grandfather, although he might not like that the name is all lowercase.He was one of a few publishers who never had an imprint named after him. Well, now he sort of does.

Writing a book is tough work.

You’ve poured your heart and soul into crafting something to share with the world.

I think the design part of the equation should equal the writer’s dedication.   

Providing a comfortable design experience is something I am very familiar with, my work over the years has focussed on graphic design for entrepreneurs. Taking new ventures and designing for their future requires a big picture vision.  This is very much like book design. To capture the essence of the work and illuminating it in just the right light. To see what the writer can’t see and bring it into full view of the reader.

Each project will be carefully chosen, to make sure the writer and I are “on the same page”. 

I will provide cover to cover design, coordinate all the printing details, and deliver a beautiful finished product into the hands of a joyous author.

Click here for a handy guide to some of the next steps you will want to consider …

These are all books I have designed, before creating my own imprint.  Save the World from Mediocre Design I also wrote. Writing Home: A Whole Life Practice and Haiku Moments on the Camino, I designed from cover to cover.  Fishing for Mermaids I designed the cover, and wrote the brief book description bit for the back.

These are all books I have designed for Raven Chapbooks publisher, Diana Hayes of Salt Spring Island, BC.
It has been an incredible pleasure to work with Diana and these fine poets to create a finished piece that truly represents the artistry inside.

You can read about ALL the amazing books that Diana has published at: Raven Chapbooks

If you would like to read more about my grandfather, and see why I am so taken with the legacy of this man, here’s a longer story.
Franklin Fletcher Appleton Publishing History

I’ve written a little about the development of the logo, because it does have a distinct story.
house of appleton – logo story