Two Ponds Winter and Spring Review

Dear friends,

Spring always arrives with fits and starts here in Midcoast Maine. We’re not quite ready to put the down coats away, but the hint of tiny green leaves are shyly painting the trees; daffodils and forsythia are a golden promise of the glorious summer that will explode around us too fast. Peas are being planted to have for July 4th and last night we were served tempura fried Hosta shoots (50,000 deer are not wrong! They are delicious!) at one of our favorite local restaurants, Primo. It all begins. Bring it on!

But not so fast because a little catch up is in order. Last week Two Ponds exhibited at the Manhattan Fine Press Book Fair which was bustling. Joining us from Ottawa, Canada, was Lesia Maruschak, whose new book, Translations 19,456, Vol 1, tells the current tragic story of Ukrainian children rescued from Russian captivity. 19,456 children and counting. Volume 1. Let that number sit for a moment........

Thank you to our many friends who stopped by to see books and say hi. It truly warms our hearts to see you all.

Photos: Seeing all our good friends at the Manhattan Fine Press Book Fair in May!

Across the aisle from us was bookbinder Sol Rebora (pictured below) from Buenos Aires who has done stunning one of a kind bindings for two of our editions–Gold Trees and Caponigro Conversations, both sold. Going Down Singing upcoming.

Photos: Sol Rebora at her table.

Above: Seeing more good friends at CODEX in February!

Back in February we were in Oakland, CA at CODEX! Our tables were bristling with esteemed Two Ponds collaborators and surrounded by a cast of thousands, including fellow exhibitors, friends, collectors and the curious. There were terrifically interesting speakers at the symposium, many good meals and general exuberant excitement for the art of the book. Thanks to all who came out to see us and thank you to all who make it happen every two years.

Enough on book events past. This Saturday, May 16 at 3:15, we will be presenting at the Camden Festival of Poetry. We are celebrating our 15th year of the press and will briefly share our history, projects and how our work centers around the art of collaboration. Joining us on stage will be four of our poets, Richard Blanco (Boundaries, 2017), Claire Milliken (Gold Trees, 2024), John Paul Caponigro (Caponigro Coversations, 2025), Mihku Paul (Katahdin, 2026). They will be reading as images from these Two Ponds books unfold on the screen. We will have a table with books to show before and after.

Above: Newly published: Grandson Calvin Coleman Fair (with mom Olivia and big brother Lochlan).

A NEW PUBLICATION: On a personal note, we have a new grandson who entered the world two and a half months early on March 25, turning our world upside down. Calvin Coleman Fair is still residing at Mass General Hospital, doing well slowly but surely and hopefully able to go home to his brother and parents before too long. It has been a tough long road and we’re looking forward to this particular chapter being over. His parents have been nothing short of heroic. Cal is our most precious new unique edition and deeply loved family addition.

Warmly,

Liv, and my Ponder partner, Ken

Two Ponds Press