The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page D2

Time: 02-03-2014 18:12 User: mstockwell PubDate: 02-04-2014 Zone: KY Edition: 1 Page Name: 2 Color: Bftacnta D2 III TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 ky THE COURIER-JOURNAL III FEATURES The Night for Writers Maureen Morehead I Li. I-. -J itt. fritfex -t. reel rt ttM ir.

i ti-)T i vuiil.ff tii-j i Art it. i ri lpl i pfl II "You can't rush. You start rushing, you start making mistakes." GRAY ZEITZ, whose Larkspur Press takes about two years to publish a book LARKSPUR: Small Kentucky press celebrates 40 years Continued from Page D1 tucky. His mentor, Carolyn Hammer of the Margaret I. King Press at the university, gave him a printing press and a drawer of type to get Larkspur started.

At first, Zeitz worked agricultural odd jobs on the farms around Monterey and worked on books in his off hours. After a few years, Larkspur was busy enough that he could work on it full time. Now, the press's activity is booked about a year in advance, with several projects in the works at any given time. In 1991, the press moved into the current studio after the first location, in downtown Monterey, flooded twice. The new studio is located on a windy country road, across two narrow bridges over Sawdridge Creek.

A few years ago, a friend built a website for Larkspur so people could find the books online. "People say it's very nice and it is nice," Zeitz said of the site. But if you want to order a book, you still have to go to a bookstore like Carmichael's in Louisville or Poor Richard's Books in Frankfort or call the studio directly because it doesn't take online orders. The books themselves have the feel of a fine piece of craftsmanship, from the nice paper to the detailed, engraved illustrations. Zeitz designs all the books, and most Larkspur books share a spare style.

Their understated appearance manages to attract the eye despite and maybe because of their lack of flashy design and bright colors. "His work is very classical, and that's becoming more and more interesting as letterpress is taking off editions can get pricey, the paperbacks and hardcovers don't cost much more than the mass-produced variety. And Zeitz has managed to keep his prices low, despite the hours of work by hand and high-quality materials that go into each book. According to Fox, that's unusual among sellers of handmade books. "In the fine press world, what makes them different is that Gray has insisted on keeping the prices at a rate that's reasonable for the avergage person to consider and outrageously inexpensive compared to most fine press work," she said.

Upstairs in his light-filled studio, Zeitz looked over the different editions of a recent Larkspur book. "None of these are e-books," Zeitz laughed. And as long as he's got anything to say about it, it's likely to stay that way. Reporter Matt Frassica can be reached at (502) 582-4502 or on Twitter mattfrassica. Ilk, it lU V.Ji-.t l-JT rt1f.

til rtiii. Vrri yprl. rin 1P)T IV (hfr(j iVtl r- Pi HrifK4 tV frit (J 3 Ui i 111. I J.JJf. lection of poems by Nicho-lasville, poet Charlie Hughes.

Line by line, Shane selected each letter from a drawer and slid it into place on a plate. "I like the rhythm of setting type," said Shane, a former Montessori school teacher who started helping out at Larkspur after taking a bookbinding workshop decades ago. According to Fox, Larkspur is "one of only two or three" presses in the United States that still set type by hand. Once all the type is set and the paper cut, Zeitz will print the book, one page at a time, on a Chandler and Price press. Zeitz slides a clean sheet of paper into place, while rollers in the available for group rates and table sponsorshsips.

For more ticket information and reservations, call (502) 456-3233 or go to www.kyhemo.org. Reservations are due by Feb. 28. Roaring back to the '20s Pandora Productions will hold its annual fundraiser, "Masquerade: Roaring '20s," Feb. 22 at The Pointe, 1205 E.

Washington St. The local theater company that focuses on cutting-edge, rarely seen theatrical pieces will re-create the era of jazz, flappers and speakeasies from 7 p.m. to midnight. Guests are encouraged to dress in '20s attire and masks. The event will feature appetizers, live music and a silent auction.

An open bar will be sponsored by Absolut Vodka, Four Roses Bourbon and Schlafly Beer. "This is the seventh year Pandora Productions has held the Masquerade fundraiser," press ink up the plate of type. Paper meets inky type for a moment. Then the press opens again, Zeitz removes the page and replaces it with a new one. "It's a dance," Zeitz said of printing on the letterpress.

It's about a two-year process for Larkspur to publish a book, from manuscript to finished product. "You can't rush," Zeitz said of the process. "You start rushing, you start making mistakes." Although Larkspur books aren't distributed nationwide, Zeitz said he's selling more books than ever. Why? "More people know about us," he said. "All the advertising has been word-of-mouth." Most of the titles the press puts out are available in three formats: paperback, hardcover and a "special edition," which has heavier, often handmade paper and covers hand-painted by bookbinder Carolyn White-sel in Cincinnati.

Although the special THINKSTOCK.COM said Todd Mercier, chair of this year's event. "The proceeds from Masquerade are a big portion of what keeps Pandora alive and their ability to create artistic pieces that inspire diversity amongst all people." Tickets are $50 at www.pandoraprods.org or $60 at the door. again and a lot of it is very experimental," said Gabri-elle Fox, a Cincinnati-based designer and bookbinder who is working on a history of Larkspur. From the beginning, Larkspur has specialized in Kentucky poets, including Wendell Berry, Bobbie Ann Mason, James Baker Hall and Maureen Morehead. Although the press has put out many first books by authors who have gone on to larger audiences, Zeitz doesn't consider himself a talent scout.

"I've missed a lot, too," he demurred. At the studio, while Zeitz worked on bindings, fellow Larkspur employee Leslie Shane was setting the type for the next book, a col- was selected as one of 15 finalists. Finalists were then required to create a video responding to questions posed by Young. Lewis' winning video can be found with this article at www.courier-journal.com. "It was just unbelievable when I found out that I was the winner," said Lewis.

"This definitely proves that you have to believe in good things and dreams can come true. This is truly a dream for me." Raising funds Vegas-style The 2014 Vegasville Gala Fundraiser will be held March 8 at the Olmsted, 3701 Frankfort Ave. The Vegas-themed evening, a benefit for the Kentucky Hemophilia Foundation, kicks off at 7 p.m.; dinner is at 7:30. Participants can enjoy live entertainment and play roulette, blackjack and poker. Single tickets are $75; $140 for two; several options are BUZZ: Vegas-themed evening will benefit Hemophilia Foundation Continued from Page D1 job interview," Young said in the statement.

"We received entries from all over the country and many, many deserving candidates; however, Cameron's personality and style truly stood out. I am really looking forward to having him join my off-the-field team for a week." The online competition kicked off in October, when candidates were asked to submit a photo that illustrated their personal style, along with an elevator pitch explaining why they would be the best candidate for the internship. Lewis, already a fan of Van Heusen on Facebook, saw the contest on his news feed and applied. In early January, he A-List event EMMYLOU HARRIS RODNEY CROWELL When: 7:30 p.m. today Where: Brown Theatre, 315 W.

Broadway Admission: $45 and $55 Information: (502) 584-7777 Birthdays Comedian: David Brenner 78. Actors, Gary Conway 78. Michael Beck 65. Lisa Eichhorn 62. Musicians, John Steel 73.

Florence LaRue 70. Alice Cooper 66. Tim Booth 54. Clint Black 52. Noodles 51.

Dave Buchanan 48. Rick Burch 39. Natalie Imbru-glia 39. Cam'ron 38. Gavin DeGraw 37.

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