Curated by Jen Hofer and Dolores Dorantes; translated by Jen Hofer
Los Angeles: Libros Antena / Antena Books
Pages: 72
Dimensions: 8.5 in x 5.5 in
Cover: soft
Binding: sewn binding
Color: b&w letterpress and digital with mixed papers and various paper cover colors
Edition size: 333 numbered copies
ISBN: none

We are thrilled to help our multi-talented friend Jen Hofer and her equally multi-talented collaborator John Pluecker launch their new Libros Antena/Antena Books press by distributing this beautifully-designed and produced first book from the press by distributing this beautifully-designed and produced first book from the press - an illustrated and bilingual collection of works by six contemporary Mexican poets and eight visual artists. The poets are: Karen Villeda, Myriam Moscona, Mónica Nepote, Pura López Colomé, Carla Faesler, Claudina Domingo. The visual artists with work in this book are: Kaia Sand & Jessi Wahnetah, JT Tamayo, Minerva Harris Lerner & Sara Harris, Lucy Raven, Hillary Mushkin, and Renee Gladman.

Libros Antena / Antena Books describes its work as follows:

"Libros Antena/Antena Books is an imprint for small-scale bilingual DIY bookmaking. Our books are home-made, hand-bound, accessibly priced, and intended for live human touch. We are committed to enthusiastically celebrating the work of other small and tiny presses, and to supporting others in making their own publications by sharing our bookmaking skills through workshops, web-based tutorials, and how-to pamphlets."

Here are the details for En las maravillas / In Wonder, straight from the publisher's hand and heart:

"This small book was hand-made to celebrate a reading at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in conjunction with the exhibition “In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States.” Jen Hofer—who was born in San Francisco and lives in Los Angeles—and Dolores Dorantes—who was born in Córdoba, Veracruz, came to consciousness in Ciudad Juárez, and lives in Los Angeles—invited six contemporary Mexican poets to write ekphrastic texts in response to specific images from the exhibition at LACMA; Jen then translated those texts into English and invited six contemporary USAmerican artists to make ekphrastic pieces in response to those texts.

This book was designed in conversation with Lila Burns and Rob Ray and was digitally typeset by Jen as she struggled to learn InDesign, using Spartan for the titles and Baskerville for the text. The covers were letterpress printed in Spartan and Joanna on recycled/repurposed stock using Amelia, the Chandler and Price pilot press at Stamped Books. The interior of the book was photocopied and guillotined, then hand-sewn at the kitchen table at 2905 Elm Street in Cypress Park and on Jen’s lap at numerous readings, lectures, and community events in Los Angeles. This book was made in April and May 2012 for the Literary Citizenship: Tiny Press Practices class at CalArts. It is the first-ever Libros Antena/Antena Books book.

Este pequeño libro fue hecho a mano para celebrar una lectura en el Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Ángeles, junto a la exposición “En el país de las maravillas. Las aventuras surrealistas de mujeres artistas en México y Estados Unidos”. Jen Hofer—quien nació en San Francisco y vive en Los Ángeles—y Dolores Dorantes—quien nació en Córdoba, Veracruz;llegó a la conciencia en Ciudad Juárez, y vive en Los Ángeles—invitaron a seis poetas mexicanas contemporáneas a escribir textos ekfrásticos en respuesta a imágenes específicas de la exposición en LACMA; Jen, entonces, tradujo los textos al inglés e invitó a seis artistas norteamericanas contemporáneas a hacer obras ekfrásticas en respuesta a esos textos.

Este libro fue diseñado en conversación con Lila Burns y Rob Ray y la composición tipográfica digital fue realizada por Jen mientras batalló por aprender InDesign, usando Spartan para los títulos y Baskerville para el texto. Las portadas fueron impresas con una máquina de tipo móvil en Spartan y Joanna sobre papeles reciclados/redestinados utilizando a Amelia, la máquina de tipo móvil Chandler and Price pilot en Stamped Books. El interior del libro fue fotocopiado y guillotinado, y luego cosido a mano en la mesa de la cocina de la calle Elm #2905 en Cypress Park y sobre las faldas de Jen en diversas lecturas, pláticas y eventos comunitarios en Los Ángeles. Este libro se hizo en abril y mayo del 2012 para la clase Literary Citizenship: Tiny Press Practices en CalArts. Es el primerísimo libro de Libros Antena/Antena Books."

More on Antenna's website: http://antenaantena.org/