Blue Bluer Books ~ North Carolina
(Josh Hockensmith)

Googled English Frontier Deedbook
By Josh Hockensmith
Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Blue Bluer Books, 2008. Edition of 30.

5.5 x 5.5"; 20 pages. Printed on archival papers. Hand-stamped text using hand-set rubber type. Bound in Japanese side-sewn style traditionally used for ledgers and account books. Available with red, black, or black and white script covers.

Josh Hockensmith: "Googled English Frontier books consist of 2- and 3-word combinations that bring up no results when searched on Google.

"Because of the enormity of the Web - especially a number of random word generators - it's surprisingly difficult to come up with combinations of words that aren't out there somewhere. Here are some of the rules I followed when creating these groupings and searching them:

• Each word in the combination must bring up Google search   results when searched by itself.
• No proper nouns; no foreign words unless they've been   adopted into English usage; no consulting the dictionary.
• No quotation marks around the phrases, in order to cast as   broad a search as possible.

"Own a piece of virgin linguistic territory while it lasts. Each book contains 10 of the word combinations turned up by the project, stamped on a variety of weighty, archival papers."
$25 (Six copies remaining)

Given Timbuk #1
By Josh Hockensmith
Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Blue Bluer Books, 2009. One-of-a-Kind.

7.5 x 10.25 x 1.25"; altered book. Inkjet printed on Mohawk Superfine text weight. Two accordion-fold pamphlets (each 9 pages) attached to the back board feature questions and answers from the project. The text block of Marshall Lee's 1965 textbook has been consolidated and hollowed out, forming a container for new questions and answers to be added. Blank slips of paper and pencils provided for readers to contribute.

Josh Hockensmith: "I started the Given Timbuk project after reading Pablo Neruda's' Book of questions. Neruda's question-poems ask the unanswer-able, and provoke lightning-quick glimpses of another possible order of reality. After reading them, I couldn't help but start to write my own question-poems. Eventually I began adding answers – not to the questions themselves, but rather hints from the world that there might be small answers here and there.

"Given Timbuk #1 is the first artist's book based on the project. It's an altered book made from a copy of Marshall Lee's 1965 textbook, Bookmaking: The illustrated guide to design and production. Two accordion-fold pamphlets attached to the back board feature questions and answers from the project. The text block has been consolidated and hollowed out, forming a container for new questions and answers to be added. When displaying the book, I provide blank slips of paper and pencils for readers to contribute.

"Given Timbuk #1 debuted at 2009 BookOpolis at Asheville [NC] BookWorks, and the interactive element was a big hit. By the end of opening night, the book was stuffed with readers' thoughts. I've been sharing the contributions on my blog . If the new owner displays the book in the future, I'd like to continue to gather contributions".

Neruda's Book of questions included: "Tell me, is the rose naked / Or is that her only dress?" Hockensmith's readers have posed the following: "What is the speed of dark?" and "How many more miles?"
(SOLD)