Fifty-two pickup
10 August 2015
On April 28th we received from our top candidate printer the new digital proofs (output on photographic paper) of the 16-page art test featuring Neil Kvern’s treatments of the art; we are very pleased with the results. Comparison of the works included in the test that are also found in the book collection Peter Milton: Complete Prints 1960-1996 (Chronicle Books: San Francisco, 1996) convince us that we are on track to fulfilling our promise to Mr. Milton: that the reproductions of his art in Little, Big will be superior to those found in Complete Prints.
Layout of the Little, Big press test – 19 pieces of art spread over 8 pages, one of which includes text – was completed on June 7th. Our plan is to have our top two candidate printers run it on their presses; the decision as to which printer gets the job to print the book will be largely based on the results of that test. We’re working out various logistics, some of which I am not at liberty to discuss, but including, among many other things, arranging for delivery to both printers of the requisite quantity of 23 by 35 inch sheets of 80-pound Mohawk Superfine Smooth Soft White acid-free paper, and securing openings in the respective printers’ press schedules once the paper is in hand. That’s as much detail as I can go into at the moment; our immediate goal is to run the press tests, assess the results, choose a printer, and work out the other requisite details so we can deliver the book to the printer of our choice asap.
On a personal note, in late March, after two months of being confined to bed 22/7, I finally had surgery on my right knee to repair and reattach the quadriceps tendon, torn when I fell on the ice in late January. The process of regaining range of motion and strength in my right knee has been rather slow, though the doctor reassures me that this is as expected; the good news is that in the last two months I’ve been able to get around pretty much without assistance, get dressed etc., and get out of the house on my own using a pair of ski-pole-like walking sticks. When my right leg is strong and versatile enough, the doctor will then schedule surgery for my left knee, to repair and reattach the quadriceps tendon torn in my second fall in early February. The doctor tells me that in her fifteen years of practice my case is the first she’s seen with a matching set of tendon injuries. The irony, to me, is that a pair of soft tissue knee injuries is looking to take nine or ten months for a full recovery, whereas apparently if I had had both knees replaced with artificial knees, the recovery time would have been less than a month for each.
It was a slow July, for various reasons, many beyond my control, but Little, Big-related things are moving along in the right direction, on several fronts. More news soon.
If you haven’t already, I recommend you read the Update for 2/22/15.
Thank you again for your support, patience, and perseverance.
Ron Drummond
Publisher