[Alyson Kuhn] The first printing of Good Mail Day, by Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler, sold out before its official publication date. Amazon accepted pre-orders, and the authors, might we say, did a terrific job of promoting their oeuvre.
They also practiced what they preach – and extended their brand – every which charming way at their October 9 book-signing soirée at the San Francisco Center for the Book. Pam DeLuco baked and decorated theme desserts; wine bottles were dressed up with “a blend of airmail etiquettes and motifs.” Cory Reisbord’s five-year-old daughter Anna had her artistic hands full, as she had brought her freshly-colored homework crayon box with her. {Three-year-old Meghan brought hers too.} Tom Ingalls brought some postage with him, and selected the perfect pair to affix on the inscription page of his book.
Tom also snapped all of the event pix. Check out the pair of postal pocketbooks – That’s my La Poste bag on the left and Alice So’s chic envelope on the right. Alice {whose work is showcased on p. 114} asked Tom to take her photo with John Held {aka The Perforator} and the Cinderellas – she happily happened to have in her tote – that he had recently perforated for her. On page 71, John answers the question, What is the strangest or most interesting piece of mail that you’ve received?
Back to the book: It’s a heady blend of how-to, why-to, and look-who-does. Jennie and Carolee put out a big Call for Mail at the beginning of the project, and were richly rewarded. Then, they deftly divided and conquered to fulfill their vision. Carolee says, “Jennie was the mastermind behind the how-tos, being skilled in paper-arts instruction. As the postal and mail-art-history authority between us, she also took charge of most of the Networking and postal etiquette chapters. In turn, I approached the handwriting, pen-palling, and treasure-hunting chapters with the intent of drawing people’s attention to certain subtleties that seem to have gotten lost in our workaday world. How do we connect with our surroundings and with other people in a more lively and engaged way?” Good Mail Day is arty and crafty and witty. For me, Jennie’s captions for the beautifully photographed projects are the frosting on the proverbial cupcake. What a treat this book is!
The authors also offered their guests three postally perfect raffle items: a custom mail art travel kit; a copy of For the Love of Letters, by Samara O’Shea; and a Pod Post Mail Art Bento, filled with seals and elements straight from Japan. The pièce de résistance was the party favor! Jennie and Carolee put together a little “bonus book,” a behind-the-scenes look at the production of Good Mail Day. It’s the zenith of zine-iness: typed, with typos, all black-and-white, simply saddle-stitched and totally terrific. The kind of thing I would pay 5 Euros for and buy two of at the Musée de la Poste in Paris, and then wish I had bought more than one to give away. Let me close with this bit from Jennie: In places ranging from public libraries to zinefests, vendor expos and sidewalk corners, Carolee and I have told people about the excitement generated by the something as humble as a letter sent via the USPS. My sentiments exactly.
Event photography: Thomas Ingalls
Page 74 close-up: Courtesy of Quarry Books
The editor of Felt & Wire has recently received mail from both of the Good Mail Gals. She will share it with you in a post of its own quite soon, rhymes with Kuhn.
