Abecedarium Anomalous: the story behind photo B

Abecedarium Anomalous: the story behind photo A

Nessebur, Bulgaria 1986: arched antiquities 5th through 17th centuries—some readers find “A” shapes in the arches.

While all borders were closed, requiring a headache of visa forms and long border-crossing waits, I traveled with my spouse Stuart, son Jason, my sister and her spouse in their Volkswagen camper with tent. We five drove through Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, then-Czechoslovakia, and Poland. Most nights we stayed in campgrounds. Often the campers thought we were either English [hearing us speak] or German [reading the license plates]—no Bulgarians thought Americans would sleep in their campgrounds!

Nessebur dates to the Greek colonization of 500 B.C. and is joined to the mainland by a causeway jutting into the Black Sea. A photographer’s delight: narrow cobble-stone streets winding through hilly terrain—old churches with red brick arch trim—crumbling remains alongside streets of houses in national revival period architecture, upper stories larger than lower.

In Bulgaria we visited the capital city Sofia: excavated Roman remains, old churches resplendent with richly decorative interiors and glittering religious icons, the National Archeological Museum dating to prehistoric times, National Art Gallery housing outstanding art from 1800s to contemporary, the Dimitrov Mausoleum where he lay enbalmed since his 1949 death.

We explored other sites throughout Bulgaria: Thracian tomb dating to 3rd–4th century B.C. at Kazanluk, Thracians the first Bulgarians—Pliska remains from the 7oos, first capital of Bulgaria as a unified state—Preslav 10th-century remains, second capital of Bulgaria, under archeological restoration—the colossal Horseman of Madara, carved by an unknown 8th-century artist on a sandstone cliff face, relief sculpture of a horse carrying a man with lance killing a lion underfoot and a dog running behind.

We drove through the Valley of Roses, marveled at the variety of agriculture, stopped at a lavender processing plant where we were given a heady sample of pungent lavender oil. Along the road we saw billboard signs of a peace dove, globe, and the word “peace” in several languages—also watering places that were usually fountains, one in the Valley of Roses shaped like a rosebud in stone.

We visited Etara, near Gabrovo, an architectural and ethnographic open-air museum of structures dating to the national revival period when Bulgarians rebelled against 500 years of Turkish rule in 1876—one hundred years following the American revolution.

Throughout the country we were impressed by the archeological museums and preserved remains of ancient Bulgaria juxtaposed with massive monuments to the heroes of the 1876 revolution: statuary of heroic proportions, kings and commoners and historic figures.

Abecedarium Anomalous: What’s Next???

Ruth Keil Posselt, author/publisher

I just looked at all these postings. If you continue clicking on “older posts,” you can read everything since this blog began in 2008.

I’ve described rewards won and acclaim received, what the book is about and its authors, serendipity enjoyed while selling it and where it’s being read in the world.

I’ve also given you Halloween and Yuletide A-to-Z, shown you some of my negative prints and found-materials sculptures. I described other publications from my press, RoothBooks Intl., offered packs of PuzzleArt!!! at a discount, and signed copies of my book at a special discount of $26.95 including embossed gold foil award seal and priority mail shipping.

What’s Next??? How Abecedarium Anomalous evolved—
First was collaboration with an artist to write an alphabet book—a publisher said my writing was too sophisticated for children. Then a gallery show in Los Angeles: montages of my black-and-white photographs with art papers and my poetry. The show was titled abecedarium anomalous. Then I designed a postcard line featuring my young son’s Picasso-esque drawings.

The first studio edition of Abecedarium Anomalous was a softcover square format, exhibited and sold at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. [see 2008 posting]. Then came desktop publishing and the revised design in hardcover you enjoy today!

Anything else you want to know? Please email me: roothbooks@earthlink.net.

Abecedarium Anomalous: Serendipity P.S.

Here’s an addition to “Serendipity sells our book” [2009 posting]: While we were touring retirement communities in the San Francisco Bay Area, two managers bought books—and one wants to plan a book event for the residents!

Abecedarium Anomalous leaps into Leap Year!

We are offering a Leap Year special for all of you who have copies of Abecedarium Anomalous: PuzzleArt!!!

Designed for young children, the 14 drawings from the book are packaged together in a reclosable archival envelope.

They are printed on 8.5 x 11 white bristol cover stock—color with crayons, pens, pencils, then cut with scissors along the grey lines into six interlocking puzzle pieces.

We recommend covering the drawing with clear contact paper after coloring, and gluing the drawing to cardboard before cutting apart.

We have only a dozen packs left. You may order PuzzleArt!!! for $6.00 per pack to cover the cost of priority mail shipping.

Order from us by Email: roothbooks@earthlink.net -- offer good until the end of Leap Year 2012!