Mary Risala Laird

Mary Louise Laird, a native of Milwaukee, founded Quelquefois Press in 1969 at Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, where she also worked with her former husband, Walter Hamady, at the Perishable Press. In 1988 she moved to Berkeley, California, where she continues to print under the Quelquefois imprint. Her deep interest in mysticism and Sufism is evident in much of her later work.

Seven of Aesop’s Fables
Translated by Rev. George Fyler Townsend
Illustrations by Samantha Hamady/Subtext by Mary Risala Laird
11 ¾  “ x 9 ¼” : x 1 ¾ “    32 pages. Edition currently: Three

This book began as an invitation to participate in a Banned Books Show in both Oakland and San Francisco, in the summer and fall of 2008. Each artist chose from a list of books banned at one time in history. Initially I chose Aesop’s Fables because  I thought it would be rich in imagery. Then I became fascinated with Aesop’s biography. Soon I found myself more interested in collaborating with my daughter Samantha Hamady, who agreed to do the illustrations. For fun I used a pendulum to choose seven stories. A subtext arose in me and words became important. Translucency evolved. I printed the subtext and Sam hand drew all the illustrations on drafting film. Then Sam chose metal dingbats which I printed letterpress. I liked the timeless nature of the themes and the marriage of computer and Vandercook proof press: printing processes which spanned almost 600 years.The text and subtext were all computer generated and laser printed on Mohawk 100 pound text. Susi Schneider gave me the goat vellum from Pergamom Tannery which I used for the binding. Lastly, I engaged the artistry of friend Joel Tabachnick who made the magnificent welded copper boxes.

     A final fleeting thought about the stories: It may be that a modern day Aesop would also face censorship and death for obstructing the path of greed and materialism.
Mary Laird/Quelquefois Press Berkeley 2008

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