Arion Press 2023!

Very interesting 2023 lineup from Arion: Their Eyes were Watching God, Slaughterhouse Five, and Winnie the Pooh!

My thoughts are that Arion is now leaning towards more popular works, as all of their 2023 releases are very well-known (they are even doing a famous children's book, jumping on that bandwagon), perhaps because of declining sales due to the economy (I think this was presaged when they offered the full subscriber discount to everyone during Booksgiving).

Winnie the Pooh will be illustrated by Sandow Birk - "A.A. Milne’s classic characters are reborn in the pages of Arion Press. The “Bear of Very Little Brain” who inhabits the imaginations of generations of readers returns, honey pot and all, with this new edition. Ernest H. Shepard’s original illustrations cemented Milne’s menagerie into popular memory. Now California artist Sandow Birk (who contributed drawings to Arion’s 2018 edition of The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde) brings a more adult vision to the world of the Hundred-Acre Wood."

Interestingly, to become a subscriber now you have to plunk down the full amount for the year's books ($3,300, or $10,000 for deluxe), instead of merely agreeing to buy the books when they are issued.

>2 AMindForeverVoyaging: I see that on their website you can pay for a full years subscription in advance - without the prior requirement that you had to also purchase 3 books from the back catalog. This was offered last year as well. However, I don't think this means you have to pay all at once - you could probably do the same as before - pay for each book as it comes up, but have to buy 3 back catalogue books to start the subscription.

When I subscribed 8 or 9 years ago I had to purchase their three most recent titles, and then they changed to the system you mentioned - choosing three back catalog titles. Now it's pay now for the books to come this year: https://www.arionpress.com/subscriber-program, and there's no mention of being able to subscribe the old way.

>4 AMindForeverVoyaging: I guess one could call or email to ask (I don't plan to do so as I'm not subscribing). However, I'd be very surprised if they did not allow someone to subscribe the old way. It's not like their books are selling out any time soon, why would they turn down more cash flow? Last year you could either subscribe the old way (buying 3 back catalogue titles) or the new way (pay up front without the back catalogue titles).

I suspect you're right. People are being asked to take a real leap of faith with this new model.

Not a bad line-up, though I just got Their Eyes Were Watching God from Folio Society and Slaughterhouse-Five from Suntup. Not sure I need another of either, especially sight-unseen.

What differentiates this lineup from a set of Folio Society LEs? It feels like they are rudderless right now, at least it appears that way to me based on output over the past few years. I do still covet much of the back catalogue though.

>8 LBShoreBook:

"Rudderless" is the perfect word to describe the current Arion Press and it begins at the top. Rolph Blythe, Director of the Press (Andrew Hoyem's replacement), comes to Arion from a traditional publishing background and he has little feel for the aesthetics and decisions that make or break a private press. Hoyem may have had his detractors, especially in his final decade as proprietor, but his editions from 1975 to 1995 remain quite special.

>8 LBShoreBook: I always thought that what distinguished Arion from all the other presses was that they were willing to take risks that other publishers wouldn't - either by publishing massive books like Don Quixote, or publishing lesser known works with literary merit. If they are just publishing the popular books that all the other presses are doing or might do, there is nothing to distinguish them except for higher price (besides the use of fine artists rather than popular illustrators). But I suspect that this change was prompted by poor sales due to the economy.

I spoke with someone recently and I could be wrong but believe their new aim is to pay the full payment all at once for the year with possible installment payments.

I may be in the minority but I have been quite happy with recent Arion publications. Woolgathering was a pleasant surprise and I loved Neruda's Sonnets. My only complaint with Neruda is that I wish they did a better job on their website and photos because I would have purchased the Deluxe edition. The next three titles are intriguing with exception to Winnie the Pooh, but we'll see. Vonnegut may be simple to read but he's an amazing author and deserves letterpress treatment. I only hope Arion does Faulkner who I think is somehow underrated and under read even after all of his accolades.

Also comparing Arion to Folio Society is a HUGE overstatement and couldn't be further from the truth. Folio fully sold out from their past mission to what they are now with extremely expensive limited editions, which, in my opinion, are the biggest rip off if one is a non-UK resident. I think Arion is trying to find themselves and I'm probably overly optimistic but I am happy with these titles compared with The Nose, Messiah, and Morte de Smudgie.

"Honey, de white (publishing)¹man is de ruler of everything as fur as Ah been able tuh find out."

Contrary to what I'm reading here so far, I dig this selection. A first Hurston in letterpress, I believe. Their Eyes Were Watching God is an wonderful and seminal work (ugh, that word. Sorry Zora). An African American woman? One that hasn't been done in private/fine press (I know, depending on your definition,...)? That's an amazing and welcome edition to the paltry number of women writers in letterpress. If I can afford it, an instant buy.

Slaughterhouse Five should keep getting published until we stop war capitalism and the massacring of innocent children and civilians in imperial games in the Ukraine, the Palestine, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, yada yada yada. If a letterpress edition gets Putin and Biden to finally read it (and understand it), I'm all for it. I'll take a review copy please, Arion Press.

And although I've never been tempted to buy an edition of Winnie the Pooh because I'd be just as happy with the one I had as a child, I will probably love what Sandow Birk does if given free reign. I love what they did with Dantes Divine Comedy, although as always in illustration, it was probably not to everyone's taste. Give me the first edition of that book, or better yet, an AP edition, and I'd be ecstatic. I could be tempted by this one too.

All in all, I'd be happy if I was a subscriber this year.

¹My edit...not meant to be a touchstone

>12 jveezer: I do agree that the Zora Neale Hurston release is an important fine press milestone. If I could buy just that I would happily commit to it.

>12 jveezer: The LEC did a folio-sized collection of Zora Neale Hurston short stories, "Bookmarks in the Pages of Life" illustrated by Betye Saar in 2000. It's as letterpress as it gets: designed and printed by Dan Carr and Julia Ferrari at their Golgonooza Press on hand-made cinnamon and cotton paper. It's a magnificent book.
http://limitededitionsclub.com/bookmarks-in-the-pages-of-life/

>14 Sport1963: Didn't know about that one, looks fantastic!

>14 Sport1963: Didn't know about that either. I've lost track of the present incarnation of LEC. I'll have to check that out too.

Sandow Birk posted about Winnie the Pooh

https://www.instagram.com/p/CosYJdiPAZ-/

He also also did The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde which was published in 2018

https://www.arionpress.com/store/114-the-fairy-tales-of-oscar-wilde

And Dante with a leatherbound edition

https://www.sfelectricworks.com/sandow-birk

as well as from Chronicle Books

https://www.chroniclebooks.com/products/dante-s-divine-comedy-1

Sandow Birk also did

https://sandowbirk.com/american-quran

https://wwnorton.com/books/9781631490187

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t, I guess.

Price :(

Would rather save my money for the next Foolscap book.

Of the three, the least appealing is Slaughterhouse-Five, simply because there have been so many beautiful editions of this work in the past decade, with my personal favorite rendition being the signed Easton Press. As for Winnie-the-Pooh, that is quite exciting! However, I honesty can not imagine Pooh without the iconic illustrations of EH Shepard. I'm trying to keep an open mind, but I really wonder why they did not opt for the Shepard illustrations? Their Eyes Were Watching God is certainly the book I'm most excited about. I just hope the illustrations are not another muddled attempt at Livre d'art which was far too common during Hoyem's days. Also, price-wise, the three are $3300 if you subscribe. Or, $4715 if you do not. Those prices definitely give me pause. Oh, and the price of the three for the "Deluxe Subscription" is $10,000. Considering Suntup lettered editions are often in the $5000-6000 per volume, I actually feel that in some ways the Deluxe Subscription is a good deal - for those with the wallet capacity to spend $3300 on a book (more power to you)!

Sharing a near miss on a huge AP bargain, not worth a whole thread. Estate sale on ebay includes Trout Fishing in America with the Thiebaud litho, listed buy-it-now for something like $2,950. Drops today to $425. I send a message to confirm this edition has the litho (price is way too low with that included) and in the 10 minutes it took for seller to respond, book is gone. Seller had no idea that litho increased value of the book and adjusted price to match AP's price without the litho. Ask first and buy later cost me on this one. 😂 If one of you grabbed that deal, congrats.

>21 LBShoreBook: Wow - that's a helluva steal.

>21 LBShoreBook: Ugh that's a bummer! I, like you it seems, am always cautious and would have done the same thing. There are times though when I wish I wasn't for exactly this reason. Although I have been on the other side and have gotten burned a few times.

Shouldn’t have been a problem for them to cancel the sale.

Not sure if this was generally known already but Slaughterhouse-Five is available for pre-order.

>26 A.Nobody: I did not know that. Honestly, why would you pay $1600 for this edition? Not to mention the fact that the Deluxe is an insane $4100! Or, if you want to purchase a signed print it's $2100... sheesh!

1)You want a nice letterpress edition? Purchase the lovely Suntup Press edition! Even on the second-hand market you're likely to pay half the Arion Press price.

2)If you're looking for a beautiful edition but don't care if it's letterpress -- you can purchase the Suntup Artist Edition for under $200 or the SIGNED (by Vonnegut) Deluxe Limited Edition by Easton Press for again about half the price of the Arion edition.

For Comparison, here is the artwork from Easton Press --


And here is the artwork from Arion Press --


I certainly believe both have merit and both are from talented artists. That said, Arion is clearly going for the "fine art" look while I feel that Easton is going for the "illustrative style" similar in vein to Rockwell etc.

>27 astropi: Price is one of many factors to consider when collecting books. My personal approach to collecting is to answer "yes" to the question "Do I think this book is worth owning?" before I consider the question "Will I pay the requested price to own this book?".

There are a lot of Suntup Press editions I won't purchase because I don't think the illustrations are good or they don't enhance the experience of reading the text. I don't care if it's half the price (or lower) of a book from another press.

The artist for the Arion Press "Slaughterhouse," Vincent Valdez, is fairly well known in the world of contemporary fine art, as are many of the artists who produce original work for Arion editions. Arion has been devoted to producing livres d'artistes for quite some time. They make a high-quality, collectible product that clearly has a following in both individual collectors and institutions, though I don't know whether that following has passed its peak. I don't follow Suntup books. I have handled Easton deluxe ones before, though. Their books and Arion's do not appeal to the same audience.

Just to be clear, I don't own any Arion books.

>27 astropi: Is the question really just “why would you pay $1600 for any version of this book?”

Because the difference in cost and quality factors between this and either Suntup Edition is fairly clear, as are the different markets for them.

I don’t own any of them since it’s not a favorite of mine, but I’ve owned plenty of other Arion and Suntup books for comparison.

>30 NathanOv: I was not really going for a question, more a discussion on what I consider an overpriced Arion Press book -- now to be fair, as DenimDan noted, Arion definitely chooses to go the livres d'artistes route with most of their books. I actually think the artwork for Arion's Slaughterhouse is for the most part quite beautiful -- but not necessarily more beautiful than artwork from Suntup or Easton. I guess if I had to put my thoughts into a question, it would be:

Considering the price, quality, etc. which edition would you choose -- Arion, Easton, or Suntup and why?

>31 astropi: Well, if it were just a matter of which is the cheapest, premium editions would not exist. If money were not a factor, I'd of course go for the Arion edition, though that's not a fair comparison since the others have good value within their own price ranges.

They are just in different price ranges for a reason, and again as far as any $1600 book is "worth it," the cast metal type, mix of what sound like mouldmade and handmade papers, highest possible quality of art reproduction (not to mention the art project behind the edition) and likely the binding all factor into the cost.

It's not just priced to make a higher profit than the Suntup edition.

>31 astropi: I'm curious...do you still think the Arion Press edition is overpriced at $1600? If you do, what price do you think it should be? I'm asking for the price you would set if you were selling the edition, not the price you'd be willing to pay for it.

One thing which puzzles me is the price of the print at $2,100.

Anyway, I think this is an absolutely brilliant edition and the best Slaughterhouse 5 I've seen by any press. The artwork is a real plus for me.

>33 y_reads:

The standard edition of the Arion Press 'Slaughterhouse Five' would be fairly priced at $700 - $750. Note that the binding is pedestrian, inexpensive quarter cloth with paper over boards and the 'slipcase' is a manila/cardboard envelope with letterpress titling. For comparison purposes, consider the following:

1. The Story of the Fisherman, Foolscap Press ( 2015). $775 - it is still available at that price.
http://www.foolscappress.com/fisherman.php

2. Stardust by Neil Gaiman, Lyra's Books, Numbered Edition in full dark blue calf binding with 'gold dust' (2020) - $600.
https://www.lyrasbooks.com/shop/stardust/leather/

3. Peter Pan, Conversation Tree Press, Numbered Edition in full morocco binding (2023/2024). $775.
https://conversationtreepress.com/products/peter-pan-letterpress-limited-edition...

4. The Life of Pi by Yann Martel, Suntup Press (2024). Numbered edition with orange full morocco binding with elaborate tooling, foil blocked, with leather onlay by Roger Grech - the same binder who does all of James Freemantle's St. James Park Press editions. $750.
https://suntup.press/life-of-pi/

The quarter cloth bound standard Arion Press edition of Slaughterhouse Five suffers greatly by comparison to all of the above.

>35 dlphcoracl: First off, 100% agreed that all of the books you’ve listed are a better value than the Arion Slaughterhouse Five. It is interesting to note, though, that each one is printed from polymer plates. Do you think that handset or monotype (like most of Arion’s output) should command a slight premium over polymer set? Granted not to the extent that Arion charges, which I do think is exorbitant.

>36 Nightcrawl: An important observation. It all depends on what you value. If everybody valued looks alone, and not substance, my girlfriend would have dumped me long ago for a cardboard cutout of Robert Pattinson.

>35 dlphcoracl: Your point is about value proposition, and you may be right! But I take exception to your characterization of the binding.

The binding style is an unusual (I don't even know what to call it) "reverse Bradel"...? Definitely not pedestrian. Unless by "pedestrian" you mean aesthetically bland, which may be true – but that's the aesthetic it's going for. You'll see fifty full-leather case bindings for every one fine press book you'll see in this style.

The enclosure is, again, unusual, and I'd imagine quite a bit more work than executing a standard slipcase. The Arion bindery can probably make standard slipcases in their sleep; this required new processes, new methods.

>36 Nightcrawl:

My answer to your question is: "Not necessarily." The only letterpress printing I would consistently pay up for is metal type that is entirely handset, e.g., the Arion Press Moby Dick, and probably work done on the handpress. Otherwise, I think it is more important to see what each private press does with their specific letterpress technique. This would require having all four books side-by-side and comparing directly. Absent that, one can infer or guess what the results would be from seeing examples of their work in other private press editions.

>38 dlphcoracl: The Folio Society Letterpress Shakespeare series was hand set not polymer plate.

Okay, I went back to the brochure and it’s a combination (still no polymer). It’s entire cast in hot metal. The italics are cast separately and then inserted by hand. I had correctly remembered the sales brochure picture of a hand inserting text with tweezers. This was done by Stan Lane a master compositor and type caster with 50+ years of letterpress experience.

>39 kdweber:

Thanks. Correction made above.

Actually, I deleted it due to other inaccuracies in my post.

>36 Nightcrawl: >38 dlphcoracl: This is such a timely discussion for me personally. Earlier today I visited André Chaves' studio (Clinker Press) and had the privilege of standing next to him as he cast my name in type from his pristine Intertype machine. The 1,200 moving parts of the machine, working in perfect harmony, literally gave me goose bumps. If you haven't witnessed them firsthand (let alone practiced them!) I completely understand not valuing one method of letterpress over the other. But personally, I am awestruck by the difference, and certainly willing to pay for it.

My advice: Take your earliest opportunity to see the different letterpress methods in action yourself. If you aren't converted after that, more power to you!

>41 grifgon:

The Clinker Press is a misnomer if ever there was one.

I have several of André Chaves' splendid editions and there is not a "clinker" in the lot. His editions represent one of the great bargains in the world of private press and I strongly recommend visiting his website and feasting on several of his publications.

https://clinkerpress.com/clinker-press-books/

>42 dlphcoracl: Ten thousand percent correct, my friend.

Collecting "Clinker" is a must for any serious collector.

Just to make it easy:

https://clinkerpress.com/product/scipios-dream-by-cicero/

https://clinkerpress.com/product/the-grand-inquisitor-by-fyodor-dostoevsky/

Both set with Intertype (the aforementioned 1,200 moving pieces machine). The Dostoevsky is one of the earliest works by Vladimir Zimokov, who is now so well-known in our community. The Cicero is printed on nineteenth century handmade paper. Editions of only 100 and 30!

Buy these right now. If you receive them and don't like them, I will personally buy them off you at 10 percent over what you paid. I'm not kidding!

Don't hesitate – buy them now!

>42 dlphcoracl: P. S. Oracle: André today told me the origin story of his press' name. The press started in a garage which was made from "clinker bricks" – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinker_brick

I'm telling you, don't wait! Get yourself a nice Christmas gift!

If you tried to buy just the A. Patin & Cie. paper that Scipio's Dream is printed on, it would cost you more than these books combined.

>43 grifgon:

LOL.

Great minds think alike. 😀

Scipio's Dream and The Grand Inquisitor are two of the Clinker Press editions I own. Others I heartily recommend:

1. The Summit of the Years by John Burroughs.
2. The Idle Singer of an Empty Day by William Morris

Grrr, I ordered these immediately after reading >42 dlphcoracl: post. With all the hype, we’ll see if the order actually gets executed ;-)

>46 dlphcoracl: Ahem:

>45 grifgon: >48 grifgon:. It should be noted that all the artwork you're seeing on the Burroughs, the Morris, and the Cicero, were all hand-drawn by André himself. A true private pressman.

>47 kdweber: After visiting with André today (and pillaging his broadsides cabinet) I noticed maybe ~10 of each of these editions still on his shelf. Honestly, place an order as soon as can.

>48 grifgon:

Yup.

>47 kdweber:

If these are the first Clinker Press books to enter your collection, you are about to slide down a very slippery but very enjoyable slope.

Clinker Press website does not allow delivery outside North America. Sent an email and will await developments.

>42 dlphcoracl: I purchased one of their books (Nature by Emerson) and, while the aesthetics and typography are top notch, the number of grammatical errors was hard to overlook. I don't think he cares too much for those kinds of details.

>52 wcarter: If André can't ship an order to you, feel free to ship your order to me, and I can package it with your Ivan Ilyich.

>53 LBShoreBook: There's no need to overlook them! André has a great sense of humor. The colophon from his Nature reads: "Naturally, this Colophon should transcend all other Colophons of the past, in the spirit espoused by Emerson. Well it doesn't. But it does reflect the effort of the designer who printed the book and the printer who designed the book. They were both involved in proof-reading it, with expected disastrous results."

I love the work Arion does. I'm a subscriber and look forward to receiving Slaughterhouse Five. Here's a nice YouTube video showing some of the background of their work including the casting of type: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1xKcRrn_i4

>52 wcarter: Please, inform us when you get a response. Just, errrm, in case...

>54 grifgon: >56 Lukas1990:
Thank you very much, I will let you know the response.

>43 grifgon: Thank you for the recommendations. I just put in an order for both. The Brothers Karamazov is one of my favorite novels, and I remember getting goosebumps the first time I read the Grand Inquisitor passage. How I did not know this existed until now is beyond me...

>42 dlphcoracl: >43 grifgon: I also didn't know about Clinker Press, and I'm pleased with the recommendation along with the discussion here around letterpress printing. Thank you.

I would also recommend The Pre-Raphaelite Poetry of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The Yellow Wall-Paper is nice too but that one seems to have doubled in price and then finally gone out of stock.

I placed an order last year via email and André seemed happy enough to ship internationally. Postage was quite reasonable because the books are slim.

Also some lovely 'clinkers' or bits of ephemera came along with the order. This one is printed on a beautiful, thick and soft paper. I would love to own some works of literature printed with such a deep impression.

>43 grifgon:
>60 GardenOfForkingPaths:

Inexplicably, although I currently own five of the Clinker Press books it had fallen off of my radar screen. I meant to add several additional books last year, procrastinated and then forgot. However, I practice what I preach >42 dlphcoracl: , revisited André's site, and quickly ordered the following:

1. The Pre-Raphaelite Poetry of Dante Gabriel Rossetti
2. The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
3. The Speech of John Ball by William Morris
4. Aphorisms from Oscar Wilde

The latter is one of three books still available that are not on the Clinker Press website. The other two are: a bio of Aubrey Beardsley and Song of Myself by Walt Whitman done in prose.

I have a few Clinker books (and a lot of ephemera), including the Scipio and Yellow Wall-Paper. It was one of the first presses I got into with fine press. Haven't seen anything new in a while, is anything in the pipeline?

RIP, Arion.

>33 y_reads: I'm asking for the price you would set if you were selling the edition, not the price you'd be willing to pay for it.

Obviously it depends on the production costs. That said, Suntup is able to publish letterpress books for under $200! Point being, that if it truly costs Arion $1000 to produce such a book, then I would argue they need to figure out how to cut costs. All that said, based upon everything I've seen and know, I think somewhere between $600-800 would be reasonable.

>63 Lukas1990: Arion Press isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Despite grumblings here, there is a substantial following and subscriber list for their books. On top of that, they're supported by a 510(c)(3), through the Grabhorn Institute, and that funding and association aren't going anywhere. Apart from the Bixlers, I am unaware of anyone in the U.S. who can supply as extensive a variety of metal type, and M&H are the last hot-metal type foundry of any real size in the Western hemisphere.

But as for this thread, it does seem as though the 2023 lineup of Arion Press books has fallen by the wayside. No dog in this fight! I don't buy any reprinted fine press books anymore, and tons of libraries have good holdings of Arion Press' output (although I do like the look of Arion's "The Nose"...). My 8th grade Vintage Int'l paperback version of Slaughterhouse will have to suffice for me!

>65 DenimDan:

Arion Press must have considerable institutional support to continue as a viable enterprise. The price points for both their standard and deluxe editions seem far removed from nearly all of the other private presses I follow and purchase from.

Since you mentioned "I don't buy any reprinted fine press books anymore", out of curiosity - what are examples of the works of literature or poetry you would like to see the Arion Press publish?

>66 dlphcoracl: No disagreement about Arion's needing institutional support. I don't think their tours are covering costs! And certainly, there seems to be a disconnect between what a lot of people here would expect to pay for a reasonably-comparable product and the prices that Arion is asking. I know a couple collectors who either love or despise Arion/Hoyem, and even they agree a lot of Arion's choices and designs have been lackluster since ~2010 (after Don Quixote). Of the ones I've handled, their works by American authors have been pretty poor, whether because of the overall design (The Waste Land), or the illustrations (Exit Ghost).

I really like some of their more bizarre (and unpopular) books; if I didn't have a debilitating addiction to Perishable Press books, I'd buy "Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor" secondhand, no problem. And I very much like the look and concept of "The Nose."

One of the things that lurking on this forum has showed me is that there were probably a good number of collectors who bought Arion Press books because they were full-length classics printed letterpress, who have now found an embarrassment of riches with the numerous newcomers who have filled the same role. I thought Thornwillow's Ulysses was going to be the beginning of the end for Arion, but Arion apparently has more staying power.

If I were still collecting literary classics, I would probably grumble about being an Arion subscriber, simply because I don't like some of their books that are not any cheaper than the good ones.

As for my choice, if I still collected reprinted works: probably something wild that only Arion could pull off, like "Infinite Jest" set in their typewriter face (Speidotype Bold) with no illustrations. I'd pay up for that one!

>65 DenimDan: Nah, I just meant that the thread has gone waaay off-topic :D

>68 Lukas1990: It's organic for conversations to veer around. Posting back on topic is usually sufficient to steer them back, if one feels it's necessary. I for one enjoyed the side trip into Clinker territory, since it's a press I actually can comment on owning things from. 😊

There are a couple Arion titles I would still like to get during the next sale, assuming they remain for offer by then. They just, for me, occupy a kind liminal zone where I feel like "if I'm going to pay that much, I'm going to get a Barbarian or Foolscap or..." instead. Their titles never quite appeal just enough to push me across that line.

>67 DenimDan:

Current Arion Press pricing issues aside, I do agree with your comment regarding current Arion Press choices and designs since they parted ways with Andrew Hoyem. However, I do not think the attraction of earlier Arion Press books stemmed from the desire of collectors to "acquire full-length classics printed letterpress". The George Macy LEC books could have filled the gap in that respect. Additionally, Arion Press and Thornwillow remain the only private presses that can print and publish works of substantial length on a consistent basis and in some respects Arion is 'the only game in town' in that regard.

FWIW, I own a substantial number of Arion Press books with only one acquired under the direction of their new regime, and I carefully scanned the list of Arion editions I own. As strange as this may sound, I could not put my finger on any one feature that accounts for this and the reasons I acquired each Arion Press edition varied greatly. They seemed to have an "It" factor that I cannot adequately describe that is no longer present.

>70 dlphcoracl: I'm a newbie when compared to many others on this forum and for someone who is collecting Arion titles for a few years I have wholeheartedly agree with you. Some of their titles are the best fine press books I will ever own, but those are mostly published years ago. A lot of their recent titles are lackluster and this is probably the last year I subscribe unless the 2024 list blows me away. I just don't get why they don't go more in the direction you point out because when they do those are the titles will sell well and still hold their value on the secondary market. If they continued the Don Quixote route I think it would be a massive hit and people would be much more enthusiastic and change the mediocre reception like on this forum. Imagine if they did a beautiful editions of The Brother's Karamazov, In Search of Lost Time, And Quite Flows the Don or The Adventures of Augie March. It doesn't even have to be those books but something of the sort.

Unlike others I am excited for Slaughterhouse-Five, but I am biased and love Vonnegut. I like the way it looks but it certainly isn't worth the full price tag of $1600. For subscribers $1100 isn't awful and for someone who bought the Suntup Numbered version on the secondary market, being the first and only Suntup I own, I think it's really nice but wasn't blown away with the production at the retail price tag of $700.

>71 Joshbooks1: Back when I subscribed I had a few conversations with AP about the questions you raised - why not more like DQ/Moby Dick swing-big books. Answer at the time is that puts a lot a pressure on them - DQ would be like a year tied up in one publication. At the time they had recently hired someone from audible who had their rolodex and AP wanted to use that as a differentiator - look, an original Morte de Smudgie and a signed Woolgathering!

>71 Joshbooks1:
>72 LBShoreBook:

Don't say that the dlphcoracl didn't foresee this coming when Rolph Blythe (former Counterpoint publisher with a background primarily in marketing and as a literary agent) and Susie Bright (author and creator of the Audible podcast 'In Bed with Susie Bright') were chosen to lead the 'new and improved' Arion Press following Andrew Hoyem's retirement, but.........

If you read through these threads dated November 16, 2018 and May 14, 2020, I predicted dire things for the Arion Press going forward because neither Blythe nor Bright had their finger on the pulse of the private press world and its collectors. They remain firmly behind a subscription model that is a disaster, their editions remain severely overpriced and their selections and book design are spotty, at best.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/298829#6631329

https://www.librarything.com/topic/320308#7160266

Note that grifgon and I had a spirited debate following their decision to publish another private press edition of Willa Cather's 'A Lost Lady' as we approached this from different sides on the aisle, grifgon as a private press proprietor and I as a private press collector.

The blame cannot be entirely cast at the feet of Blythe and Bright because the Arion Press selections and editions were already hit or miss from 2001 until Hoyem's retirement in 2018. There were occasional high points but Hoyem's disastrous and ultra-expensive edition of Hart Crane's 'The Bridge' as a 50-foot long scroll, which enraged numerous Arion subscribers, and a controversial edition of Eugene Onegin with Vladimir Nabokov's translation ultimately did him in. However, anyone expecting the Arion Press would regain its former luster under the new Arion Press directors was (imho) overly optimistic.

>64 astropi:: I hear you.

I don't have much to add to what DenimDan has already said here. Arion is producing what they consider to be artist's books. In this context, Arion editions don't seem overpriced. If I had a bigger book budget or was focused on collecting artist's books, I'd purchase Slaughterhouse. I think their design is lovely and that Valdez did an excellent job with the illustrations.

What makes Arion stand out to me is that they will produce the standard edition of 150 or 200. For many artist's books, you get the edition of 40 (or less) and that's it. I'm a casual observer, though, so maybe this isn't notable.

>54 grifgon: >56 Lukas1990:
Andre Chavez has replied to my email and will post to Australia. Thanks for your offers.

>74 y_reads: You have the right of it. In fact, the masthead on their main web page plainly states Fine Artist Books Handcrafted in San Francisco.

My collection has recently been enriched by the addition of several stunning Arion Press editions. Focusing on earlier works has certainly yielded exceptional results.

>77 RogerReads:

If you are about to head down the Arion Press slippery slope and acquire their earlier (1975-2000) editions, there is a wealth of information to guide you on your journey. The LibraryThing FPF link below will help you get started:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/193767

You should also bookmark and familiarize yourself with Chris Adamson's now-dormant website 'Books and Vines', which features fifty (!) Arion Press book reviews with extensive sets of photos (see link, then scroll down to 'Arion Press'):

https://booksandvines.com/index-of-book-reviews-by-publisher/

Remember: On the Books and Vines website, if you left-click over a photo it will enlarge. If you then left-click again (a 2nd time) over the enlarged photo, it will enlarge further providing you with the equivalent of a macro photo to closely examine the letterpress printing and wood-engravings / illustrations.

>78 dlphcoracl: I sincerely appreciate these valuable resources. I plan to devote significant time to exploring Books and Vines.

>77 RogerReads:
See also the Fine Press Forum wiki at https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Groups:Fine_Press_Forum#Fine_Press_Forum...

>79 RogerReads: there is also https://www.thewholebookexperience.com/ who has reviewed a couple of Arion Press books (and more!)

>60 GardenOfForkingPaths: Thank you for reminding me that I'd always meant to pick up a copy of Clinker's The Yellow Wall-paper. Happily, I was able to find a used copy for a very reasonable cost (which reflects that the cover is a bit worn, but the presswork inside remains a delight).

>73 dlphcoracl: Hi. I'm a longtime subscriber to Arion Press, own both standard and deluxe versions, and have been really happy. Yes, they've gone through ups and downs but I really feel they've been on a much better track lately. As others have pointed out, some of their old work like Moby Dick, Ulysses, The Physiology of Taste, DQ, Maltese Falcon, South of Heaven, and Porgy & Bess, are outstanding and represent some of my favorites among my collection of fine press books. Recently, I've really enjoyed the Sea of Cortez, Frankenstein, 100 Love Sonnets, Poe's Phantasia, and Their Eyes Were Watching God. I'm very much looking forward to Slaughterhouse Five. I'm not sure where you draw the conclusion that things remain "dire" for them.

The quality, craftsmanship, artwork, and creative expression are top notch. . .to me. While some of the literary work isn't up my alley, some are, and some works I'm really glad i was exposed to for the first time. I understand that not everyone will be a fan, and some will say it's not worth it. But trying to preach about their books being "overpriced" is, to me, like trying to say DRC Pinot Noir wine ($10,000+ a bottle) is overpriced compared to Rousseau Pinot at $5,000 or an Oregon Pinot priced at $50. You can disparage DRC all you want (or any other high priced wine like Soldera, Petrus, Dujac, Salon, Harlan, etc) but people seek, buy and covet them, despite that all wines are made from the simple grape. All three Pinots both could be over or underpriced based on checkbook size and what an individual values. It would also be like saying the Dodge Challenger Demon (fully loaded at $130k) is more attractively priced versus a Ferrari F8 Spider (fully loaded at $550k) simply based on the speed and horsepower advantages of the Dodge. In fact, the Dodge "beats" the Ferrari on almost every performance metric. But for most, I suspect the Ferrari is viewed as much more desirable despite the performance disadvantages. And for anyone who says the Ferrari charges more simply based on material costs, the net profit per Ferrari is about 30-40x more than per Dodge net profit.

I'm starting to wonder about the upcoming Pooh from AP. I love Sandow Birk's illustrations for Dante. I love how he modernized them and placed them in LA. Based on what I'm seeing on IG, I'm wondering if he is doing the same thing to Pooh. Pooh with a honey jar stuck on his head on the boardwalk at Venice Beach? Owl in a palm tree in Beverly Hills? Hmmm...

I love the classic Pooh illustrations and others that follow that tradition. But I also like the quirky illustrators like Birk. I would actually be more inclined to consider adding the book to my TBR Library.

Haha, Sandow Birk messaged me back but didn't answer my question about the illustrations. But apparently it's out next Thursday, so we'll know soon. Wonder if they'll be at CODEX now that Andrew's ego is out of the way?

> Wonder if they'll be at CODEX now that Andrew's ego is out of the way?

Why do you say that? I met Andrew Hoyem at a CODEX several years ago.

>86 ultrarightist: Did you meet him walking around or tabling? Yes, he usually "went" to CODEX but if they ever had a table there, it was only once in the years I've been going. Something going on with another big pressman, I think I heard. CODEX too small for the two of them.

>87 jveezer: He was tabling. He showed me the new (at the time) Don Quixote.

>85 jveezer: Arion Press should have a table at CODEX this year. They're on the exhibitor list: https://www.codexfoundation.org/codex-2024/2024-exhibitor-list

Well, there you go. New management, new changes. Hope to see the new Pooh there, among others.

>86 ultrarightist: Arion Press had a table (at the front of the hall on the left) last time CODEX was in the Bay Area (2022).

Ah, that's the one I missed...

Well, I think that answers my question. "10,000 Acre Wood," by Sandow Birk. Hope to see the Pooh at CODEX.

>93 jveezer: is there information out about it now?

>94 trentsteel: Just hints from Birk on IG. Book Launch this Saturday at a gallery in SF.

Oh. My. That is going to be hard for me to live without but harder for me to afford, I expect. Maybe a disgruntled subscriber (and I expect there will be quite a few) will let one go for a song, ha ha. Christopher Robin on skid row. A punk Pooh.

I really like Birk's artwork in the AP Oscar Wilde book and would purchase immediately if I remotely liked Oscar Wilde. Unfortunately, Winnie the Pooh (????!!!) holds the same level of interest for me. Perhaps a future collaboration.

>96 jveezer: "Honey and Loathing in Las Vegas", subtitled "Oh Bother, This is Bat Country"

There are some illustrations on Instagram, and while they appear to be from the book, you wouldn’t know it just by looking at them.

Anyone notice AP pulled older titles still in stock from its website? Maybe marketing team figured the optics of publications from 1987 still showing as available online is not a good look. 🤷‍♂️

>100 LBShoreBook: Oh wow, they sure did. Nothing older than Oscar Wilde Fairy Tales available now. That’s unfortunate. I wonder if you can still order their back catalogue titles if you reach out via phone or email…but regardless, that’s a shame for anyone who may have stumbled upon (for example) their beautiful edition of Paradise Lost, but now would be none the wiser and miss out.

>100 LBShoreBook: Yes. I'm hoping it's just reorganizing the website. It's pretty annoying.

I read somewhere they are moving, so it could be because of that.

But speaking of books that are years old, you’d think by now they’d put them on 50% off so they could get the warehouse space back, and at least get some money, as year after year time erodes the value of the dollars the hope to get.

>100 LBShoreBook: I guess if the storefront listings don't come back one will have to rely on this page to see what is still available. If they are actually purging stock, I (self-interestedly) agree that they should have a warehouse clearance event.

EDIT: Okay, something further must be in the works, because almost none of the links in the above page actually go to books.

I have to imagine they're just storing most of their stock during the move and only keeping recent titles on hand for new orders.

I would be shocked if they were preparing to off-load so much of their back catalogue.

My speculation: Anyone expecting Arion Press to offer an "everything-must-go" sale will be disappointed. Arion doesn't want to devalue their own product (back-catalogue and future titles), which would probably be the result of putting old stock on sale. The company gets money from sources other than book sales, so I doubt they're hurting for cash. My guess is that, since there's a new sheriff in town, new tactics will be tried, and pulling editions that haven't sold out in 20 years might be one of those experiments. I am almost positive that if someone were interested in buying one of the titles no longer listed online, a quick phone call would get them that book.

>106 DenimDan: Aye, I suspect you are correct. Any reductions will only be those which are part of the annual sale in all likelyhood. The change does appear to be along the lines of a reframing of the catalogue instead.

I periodically go to their online store to drool over Paradise Lost. Hoping it pops back up eventually.

Laurelle Swan is working with Arion Press to sell their "Classics." There is information on her website here, and she is offering several AP press books at Firsts Online.

https://www.swansfinebooks.com/arion-press.php

Flaubie The Arion Press books that Laurelle is selling are purported to be from Andrew Hoyem's personal collection and not from Arion Press remaining stock.

I'd need to be a Morgan or a Rothschild to afford those books!

>109 Flaubie: Very interesting development. Thanks for sharing the link.

Swan's page has a lengthy quote from Robert Bringhurst, who wrote what is now the standard textbook on typography, and who I always pay attention to, because #1 he is an authority on a lot of type/design work, and #2 he sometimes gets away with making stuff up.

For instance, here he credits Hoyem with "the revival of the French livres d’artiste tradition through collaborations with some of the most prominent writers and artists of his era," which is patently false. Perhaps Bringhurst would do well to look around the SF Bay area, where the Allens were making livres d'artiste about 20 years before Hoyem's tenure at Arion began. There were also, of course, places outside SF where printing livres d'artiste continued soon after the form's hitherto heyday ca. 1940s. But are New York and Europe really important places in the 20th century world of books? Naw, I didn't think so either.

Bringhurst also overstates the extent to which that tradition was supposedly revived in Hoyem's work with contemporary writers. (Granted, the part about artists is definitely true.) Take a look at Arion's first 15 years' of books: the only "contemporary" authors are Hoyem (x2), John Ashberry (1984), artist Jim Dine's poetry (1987), and artist Fred Martin's "Travel Book" (1976). Of these, only Ashberry's was influential (or even memorable). It was only in the 1990s that Arion started regularly publishing contemporary writers, frequently to the dismay of many collectors. And no right-thinking person would claim that Arion's most influential, great books were written by "the most prominent writers" of Hoyem's era. So to put him in the same category of printers/publishers who were wholly committed to producing fine press volumes of original, contemporary poetry/prose is pure revisionism.

Not sure there is enough interest in Arion Press to start a new thread for 2024 titles, list is on the site. Two titles this year:

https://www.arionpress.com/store/annual-subscription-fp-2024

>113 LBShoreBook: Wow - Kindred is the most interested I’ve been in an Arion Press title in a while. I suspect this might be their first quick sellout in recent memory as well.

Am I seeing correctly that they’ve removed the back catalogue requirement for subscriptions?

>114 NathanOv: Appears to be the case - no additional requirements reflected if one puts the 2024 subscription in the purchase cart.

Well, the Deluxe Subscriptions are "only" TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS --



Sad what Arion has become. To be fair, the "regular" subscription is $2400 or $1200 per volume. You could argue it may very well be worth it. I'm just not convinced. As I said previously, Arion now caters to the rich all but exclusively.

The Barry Moser Gilgamesh coming in 2025 may be of interest to some folks here.

>116 astropi: Hmm, it would be nice if I could afford the Aesop's Fables book on its own, since it involves Lemony Snicket himself.

>117 SDB2012: That'd include me, though another that's likely to remain out of reach.

>116 astropi: Did Arion ever appeal to anyone but the rich? They were never as egalitarian as LEC. The majority of Arion's books have been livres d'artistes, which are not exactly cheap, regardless of the publisher. Certainly, they have upped their prices in recent years, but then again, so has everyone. I'm not sure Arion has shifted its audience. Of course, whether someone thinks their books are worth the high price tag and whether the company will actually be successful are very different issues.

>116 astropi: Believe it or not, I think this years “fine press” subscription is them trying to be more accessible.

>120 NathanOv: I can see where you may be correct. A number of fine press new releases have come out in the $700-$800 range, so I don't see $1,200 as a bridge too far in that regard. Though that's also relativistic, such as seeing an $7,000 bottle of wine as "affordable" when compared to a $20,000 bottle.

>118 Shadekeep: Meanwhile, Kindred is the only one of the two I'm tempted by, so maybe we should talk...

("tempted by" and "have funds for" are unfortunately some distance apart)

>122 ambyrglow: Perhaps we can split the subscription and then time-share the books. For $100 each person can have one of the books for a month out of the year.

>121 Shadekeep: Oh I sure wouldn’t call it affordable, but they did slash the buy-in amount at least in half.

My guess based on them leading with Kindred, a recently adapted work from a popular modern author with strong literary and genre crossover interest, is that this is to open it up to that exact audience of $700+ “numbered edition” collectors you mention. Though it’s still a stretch.

>124 NathanOv: I think it is because they are moving and only producing two books this year at 1200 instead of three last year at 1100. Not sure about buying three from the back catalogue but i always felt that was the easy part. The subscription risk being what crazy title they would publish that year.

>125 Joshbooks1: That could also be all it is.

Unless the back-catalogue rule change is just to cut down on shipping demands while they’re moving, though, it really feels like this is all to attract new subscribers.

They actually changed the back catalogue rule last year. This will be the second year they have waived the back catalogue requirement.

>119 DenimDan: Did Arion ever appeal to anyone but the rich? They were never as egalitarian as LEC. The majority of Arion's books have been livres d'artistes, which are not exactly cheap, regardless of the publisher.

Great question. I agree that AP has leaned towards livres d'artistes -- BUT, I feel that circa 2015 and earlier they always produced books that were "affordable" to a collector that makes an average salary. My favorite examples are The Sundial and South of Heaven which were $400 or $500 (I don't recall the actual price and Arion has removed prices from their archives -- I think they did this because their books were far more affordable back then). Accounting for inflation that means the books today would be between $535 and $670. So let's say $700 per book -- very much on par with many of today's fine press works.

>120 NathanOv: You might be right. It just doesn't feel that way. Let's think of going to an opera at the MET. Average tickets hover around $300 -- so if you and a significant other are going that's $600. Obviously expensive, but doable. You can't do it ever week or even every month, but you could do it a few times a year especially since you can budget. Now, the really expensive seats at the MET can be over $1000 -- so you're not going to do that, but again, fortunately you have other options. With Arion Press, it feels like they did away with average tickets and just want everyone to pay the $1000-plus for any ticket. Anyway, that's my analogy for today :)

>128 astropi: They only raised edition prices by $100 for subscribers this year vs. last if I’m not mistaken.

>127 zachp: pointed out that they changed the subscription model last year, but a better analogy would be the MET flex subscription, where they’ve drastically reduced the minimum buy in to be a subscriber.

>128 astropi: "I don't recall the actual price and Arion has removed prices from their archives"

Easy to check on the Internet archive.

First find an archived capture of the full catalog. List of captures:

https://web.archive.org/web/20240000000000*/https://www.arionpress.com/arion-cat...

Here's one specific capture:

https://web.archive.org/web/20190912082857/https://www.arionpress.com/arion-cata...

From that, you can find the work-specific URL and find a capture of that:

https://web.archive.org/web/20200417170124/https://www.arionpress.com/store/91-t...

That shows the price of The Sundial was $500 in April 2020, when the capture was taken.

You don't need to know any special URL format. Just go to archive.org and enter the URL of which you want to find archived captures.

Been a while since I've been to their back catalogue, I don't recall seeing the Out of Print stickers before (or at least so numerous). Guess I won't be waiting for The Sundial or The Leopard in their next sale.

>130 abysswalker: Thanks. I've never had much like with that site, although I certainly appreciate it. Well, my OS of choice is Ubuntu, I wonder if that's why it always seems to hang-up.