The Child With A Bent Spine
The Child With a Bent Spine is an illustrated fictional diary of a ten-year-old Victorian named Eliza K. Blackwell. Her story opens with an event that sets off a string of tragedies; the death of the child with a bent spine. Haunted by delusions, Eliza follows a peculiar path that inevitably leads to her own demise. The text is typeset in a handwritten script that mimics a penmanship style popular in the 19th century. The illustrations are bold yet detailed black and white line drawings that bleed through to the other side creating a ghostlike effect further accentuating the haunting nature of the tale. The cover depicts an archetypal white horse symbolizing Death, a recurring theme throughout the book.
Edition of 20 – Handmade Book & Box: handmade, signed and numbered by Eileen Arnow-Levine – 2006
Handmade Book – offset lithography, black ink, silver ink, black silk bookcloth, Bertini paper, Neenah Patriot Blue 80 lb. linen cover, 60 lb. Cream text, 60 lb. Cream text, Davey’s binder's board, Lineco mouselline, Lineco binder's tape, 5.25” wide x 7.25” high x .25” deep, 32 pages. Handmade Box – offset lithography, silver ink, Bertini paper, Neenah Patriot Blue 80 lb. linen cover, U.S. Silkscreen paper, Davey's binder's board, ribbon, PVA glue. 6.375” wide x 8.375” high x 1.875” deep – $100
Edition of 200 – Chapbook with inside illustration – 2006, staple saddle stitched/mock perfect binding, offset lithography, black ink, silver ink, Neenah Patriot Blue 80 lb. linen cover, silver ink, 60lb. Cream text, black ink, PVA glue, 5.125” wide x 7.125” high x .125" deep, 32 pages– $8.00