Poetry book

Daniel Ladinsky is one of my favorite mystical poets, and for my 2025 poetry book I chose his poem, “How did the rose,” inspired by the Persian poet Hafiz (c. 1320-1389).

The structure of this artist book is a 8.5″ x 11″ piece of Japanese paper folded several times.

The book unfolds to reveal an image of a rose. The image is a linoleum cut relief print. Text is letterpress printed.

The red of the rose shows through on the reverse side of the print, where I’ve printed a yellow reverse image of the rose.

How
did the rose
ever open its heart
and give to the world all of its beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light against its being,
otherwise we all remain too frightened.

-Daniel Ladinsky

This poem appears in Daniel’s book “Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West.”

How did the rose
2025
Letterpress, relief print
2.75″ x 4.5″ (folded), 8.5″ x 11″ (fully opened)
Limited edition of 50
$40