Books. They’re delicious Autumn morsels. Take a Fall day with wind blown leaves skittering along the sidewalk, sit yourself in the warmly-colored interior of a cozy bookstore with cool air outside, hot coffee inside, fiery sunlight shining through tall glass, and get lost in the pages of a fantastical adventure surrounded by a million other tomes waiting to be dusted off and explored. Tell me that isn’t perfect. To misquote a famous movie: “Is this Heaven?” “No, it’s Autumn.”
This year’s season of delightful rainy decay has already delivered on the book front. I don’t necessarily mean new releases. We’re talking actual, physical, hard-spined books landing on one’s doorstep, delivered from the far corners of the webby wide internet world packaged in tan cardboard and bubbly bubble wrap. I’ve had the pleasure of opening two such packages in the past few weeks, and I’ve been dying to show them off.
The first I shall keep secret for now, as it requires a more thorough reveal.
The second is a Kickstarter project from the same folks who brought us the illustrated “Ravings of Love and Death” by Edgar Allan Poe. Their name is Play Attitude, and the primary artist is a man named David G. Forés. I stumbled onto their original Kickstarter project after writing Amontillado, when my FB feed oozed Edgar Allan Poe related page updates and news. Their Poe book was so perfect I’ve since pledged to their follow-up Poe Kickstarter project, which hasn’t yet shipped.
In any case, the book that fell onto my doorstep this week is their first foray into original storytelling. It’s a collection of illustrated stories called Forgotten Colors. Here’s how they describe it:
FIFTEEN STORIES WITH A GREAT AFTERTASTE. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT CHANNELING YOUR CONVICTIONS TO CHANGE THE FUTURE, ACCEPTING DIFFERENCES, QUESTIONING RECEIVED KNOWLEDGE AND ABOUT RESPECTING OTHERS… AND DOING IT WITH THE SMILE! THE AIM? TO BUILD A FAIRER, MORE COMPASSIONATE AND BRAVER WORLD.
While I haven’t yet read it, I’ve gazed admiringly at much of the artwork. To be honest, the artwork is why I bought it. I’ll read the stories eventually, but I do so love Forés’ illustrations. Here are a few examples, but photos don’t do justice to the print quality.
Anyway, it's a gorgeous and well-made book with an awesome slip cover. Definitely a worthwhile addition to the bookshelf.
And if you like it, there's good news. Play Attitude just launched a Kickstarter follow-up book called Inspiration Dormant. Check it out.
