about cuckoo grey

Welcome. I'm Rebecca Resinski, and I design and produce pamphlets and chapbooks under the imprint Cuckoo Grey.

There are a few guiding ideas behind what I do:

- I'm interested in books as physical objects. When designing a pamphlet or chapbook I consider what it will feel like in the hand and how a reader will interact with it in three dimensions. That's not to say that I'm against online or digital formats--for instance I'm one of the editors of Heron Tree (an online poetry journal) and I've volunteered as a proofreader for Project Gutenberg--but Cuckoo Grey is a venue in which I explore the physicality of print media.

- This is a venue in which I explore the physicality or materiality of words and letters, as well. I like to experiment with found poetry techniques and other ways of getting inside language and texts.

- I also like to experiment with ways in which form and content can reinforce one another. While I love clever book-binding forms in theory, I don't want the formats I use for particular pieces to take over, so I'm always trying to find a balance.

- I choose my materials carefully, but I prefer supplies that aren't luxe or super-specialized--for me, that's another thing that can get in the way of content. I try to see how I can work within the parameters set by what's (fairly) readily available.

- I'm a proponent of less is more.

- I'm committed to making my work available for FREE upon request. A few years ago I read an article about the epistolary circulation of texts in the 19th century as a radical alternative to the economy of "traditional" publication, and it really resonated with me. So: if you see something mentioned on the site as available, please do not hesitate to ask for it! Just email me with your snail-mail address (at cuckoogrey [at] gmail [dot] com) and let me know what title(s) you'd like.