Louise Rennison Dies, Alan Bern’s New “Greater Distance” book of poetry

Author Louise Rennison Dies: Louise Rennison, author of the young adult series that began with Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging has died. The British author was 63 years old, and had a background in performing and writing comedy before becoming a young adult novelist. For the full story, see: www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35690685 or www.slj.com/2016/03/industry-news/ya-author-louise-rennison-dies/ .

Alan Bern’s Newest Book of Poetry: Greater Distance: and Other Poems, Lines & Faces, November 2015, was written by Berkeley librarian Alan Bern (who is also an ACL member). It features illustrations by Robert Woods, a printmaker from Pleasant Hill, who worked with Bern on two previous books.  “In the central section of his book, “greater distance,” which is based on the last years of his parents’ lives, poet, translator, and performer Alan Bern gives us a quiet pathway of observed moments and invites the reader to walk it with him… since we all must travel it. Also included in this volume are adaptations of two broadsides written by Bern and illustrated by his friend and collaborator, the artist and fine printer Robert Woods: under the imprint of Lines & Faces they designed and printed both original broadsides on a Vandercook proving machine, “Dialogue” and “From Futility.” In “Dialogue,” San Francesco d’Assisi and Hildegard von Bingen meet as breezes to speak about their lives and views. Reminiscent of Dante, this poem is translated into Italian by poet and Neapolitan educational theorist and activist, Marco Rossi-Doria. Lines & Faces is a printing and publishing company specializing in the relationships between words and images. In their illustrated broadsides, prints, and books they explore these rich relationships and produce both letterpress and digitally printed materials. Artist Robert Woods and poet Alan Bern present their own original work and the work of other writers as well: both are fine printers who grew up together in Berkeley in the 1960s.” For more on Alan’s new book, see: https://books.google.com/books/about/Greater_Distance.html?id=OVP1sgEACAAJ