Pocket Book
altered book, leather, zipper
8 5/8 x 13 x 9 in.
1992
A large and a small book are each encased in green leather pouches sealed with brass zippers. The smaller volume is a mystery novel and the larger, a compendium of philosophical essays. The original hard covers of both texts were removed and every page was folded in half, giving the books a cylindrical shape when opened. A shoemaker fabricated the leather cases to my specifications so that these “pocket books” would fit snugly inside their custom leather “purses.” Simply unzipping these purses will not disclose the mysteries and philosophies within, however. Instead, the reader must dig deeper by gently pushing the pages apart to glimpse the text.