The Howl

It’s a long time I’m attracted by Howl, the poem written by Allen Ginsberg in 1957. I red it some years ago and, sometimes, I take it again and read only some parts. It is so full of scenes and people that every single phrase could be cutted away and used, without losing its own original power. It was time to print one of them, one I like very much, generic and specific at the same time. The first step, as usual, was to look for the right support. The fate helped me: last June, Nestor Ljutjuk – who was in Milan to take part to Letterpress Workers. gave me some handmade sheets he does in his studio Labora. It’s a really soft, thick paper, perfect for lead types, he said. In fact, it was!

I setted up the phrase, using a black condensed sans, 36 pt, and printed with a press proof in two times: using black on both but with few ink in the second, to have a sort of moving shadow on the back.

In this way all of them are different, the perfect result for such a great paper and amazing text!