This is all new to me–creating a book, exploring internet publishing, having a reading, signing books. Something about turning 60 this spring–gives me the impetus to get out there and do what I want to do.

Next step is to start sending the books to members of Congress (thanks, Mary, for subsidizing the postage!) on the relevant committees, i.e. Health Care Reform, Finance, etc. That will be a new experience, as well. Wouldn’t it be great if this project actually had an effect on health care reform? Public health care, anyone?

I’m planning on having another reading in August–will try to pick a different evening, for those of you who were working/working late this time. Will let you know. Meanwhile, Spinal Diary is at the Art Barn at Grassroots this weekend–stop by and check it out!

Here are some photos from the event, courtesy of Liz Frantz:

Signing Mary's book.

A wide shot of the reading room at Buffalo Street Books.

Reading an excerpt from Spinal Diary.

Q&A

Showing the original collage sketchbooks.

Showing the inDesign layout.

More Q&A.

This self-published 50-page 8 ½ x 11 paperback has been four years in the making. Subtitled “Back Surgery in the Age of the Uninsured” Spinal Diary is a one-of-a-kind take on the universal themes of physical vulnerability, health and healing, community support, and government irresponsibility. The narrative portion is part personal history and part political critique, while the images are a blend of collage, painting, digital photography and digital manipulation…Mickey Mouse meets Eliot Porter meets Lee Krasner?

The Spinal Diary project began as late night scribblings in a hospital room August 2005, progressed to a series of inkjet panels at State of the Art Gallery in Ithaca in 2007, and then, with the blessed support of a Light Work Regional Award in 2008, to seemingly endless drafts  in the Adobe Creative Suite, and finally! to the internet publisher this month. The reading and book-signing will also feature a demonstration of the actual layout process, some words about internet publishing (another hot topic!), and a sampling of fine art prints from various stages of the project. (Oh yes–and refreshments….)

For those of you  who don’t know me, I’m an artist, photographer and yoga teacher. I grew up in NYC,  received my Master of Fine Arts in a (slightly unorthodox) combination of painting and photography from Cornell University in 1976, and returned to settle in the Ithaca area in the mid-1980s. My painting, mixed media work, installations, and photographic prints have been exhibited and published in a wide variety of venues, and over the years have received numerous grants and awards. I’m also the staff photographer for Tompkins Weekly, and teach photojournalism at Tompkins Cortland Community College. My studio (think portraits and weddings) is on the Ithaca Commons.

You can see additional aspects of my life and work  at www.kathymorris.net. Thanks to Liz Frantz for help setting up this blog!

SPINAL DIARY front cover