In fact, I am so much a Ranaphiliac, that it was I who invented the Word back in….when was it.
I wrote The Book on Frogs: I called it “Ranaphilia: Love of Frog.” “Rana” meaning “Frog” and/or “Toad”, and “-philia” meaning “Love of”.
“Ranaphilia” is a set of three miniature books in a hand-painted miniature slip-case with draw ribbon. It sells for thirty five dollars.
All my books are handmade, and all of them have elements of book-arts and/or ‘artist’s-book’ to them –some more than others. “Ranaphilia: Love of Frog” has most of all: unique among all my books, the miniature slipcase features a hand-painted cover.
I think they are beautiful, but then –I would say that, wouldn’t I? “Ranaphilia” is the set –to my mind– that most illustrated the terms “Book Arts” and “Artist’s Book”.
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Because you could say that “Ranaphilia: Love of Frog” is an unusual collection, I have set out to describe it here so that people will have a better idea of what it is: “Being an Eccentric Collection of Frogiana. A Celebration of Frogs. Three miniature books in slipcase– handmade, dated and signed by Malachi McCormick.
[]BOOK ONE:[]
“Letter to a young frog.”What every young frog needs to know about five million years of frog-human relations.
[]BOOK TWO:[]
“Basho’s Frog”. 101 translators take on Basho’s famous 7-word haiku and become trapped in the Tower of Babel.
“The insistence of an irate policeman’s whistle”: a genius –Roger Conant– describes Frogcalls.
[]BOOK THREE[]
“Frog went a courtin’.” A brief musicological history shows the original tune was licensed to be published in London in 1549.
Plus –Assorted Frog Verse. Emily Dickenson, Hillaire Becket, Ben Johnson & Robert Herrick.
Each set, signed and dated, is handmade by Malachi McCormick, who also created the unique, one-of-a-kind decorated paste-paper slipcase,
or the handpainted Dot Paintings & book covers. Price: Thirty-Five Dollars.
Do please let me have any questions –I will get back to you with my best answers.
Thank you,
Malachi McCormick.
[Tomorrow I will post some selections from the books.]
