The Canon of Aphrodisia in Four Volumes

A four volume collection of short stories written by Miranda Culp and Jef Delman and illustrated by Laurelin Gilmore.

Limited to 100 copies:

The price is $800 for the limited edition and includes the four volumes bound in cloth with stamping on the spine, housed in a slipcase.

Limited to 25 copies:

The price for the Deluxe is $2100 and includes the four volumes each with a hand painted frontispiece, leather spine, leather headbands, and decorative stamping and titling. The collection is housed in a telescoping box with an acrylic window to show the spines. Details include handmarbled endsheets and a portfolio of hand printed erotic illustrations not included in the limited edition.

Typefaces used are Eric Gill’s Joanna and Perpetua. The books are printed on Arches Rives Lightweight Paper using Hanco Raven Black Ink on a Vandercook Universal III. Limited and deluxe bindings by Amy Borezo.

[Payment plans available. Please inquire.]

Synopsis: The Canon of Aphrodisia is a collection of 12 short stories contained in four volumes. The authors explore a variety of classic tales from a more feminine and modern perspective. From the Authors’ Note: “Unlike much erotica or fan fiction that concludes with happily ever after, in these stories we let classic horror, fantasy, noir, fable, tragedy, sci-fi, fairy tales, and Americana maintain their organic integrity. We used sex as a fresh way to explore familiar character arcs and thematic elements, taking great care to present each tale in the idiom and voice of the original author when possible, so that each story might work on its own terms….It isn’t particularly novel to blend eros with classic stories. Erotic fan fiction abounds, after all, though much of it focuses on the prurient. Our approach was to ask, how would these beloved characters express that secret part of themselves? How would they attempt to transcend? Therein lies the g-spot between the smart and the sensual.”

MIRANDA CULP grew up in Los Angeles among artists, booksellers, actors, and teachers. She got her B.A. in radical thought from Goddard College in Vermont and enjoyed her salad days in the Bay Area working at bookstores by day and singing in dive bars by night. She authored a short story collection entitled, The Brunt, and a local history book called, Becoming the City of Citrus Heights. Miranda co-owns Amatoria Fine Art Books in Sacramento, CA, and she'd like to thank you for not shopping at Amazon.

JEF DELMAN is a writer, filmmaker, and lyricist based in Los Angeles. Some of his writing credits include Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Showtime originals, in addition to several film scripts (a few of which were actually produced and made it to the screen.) His song lyrics have been heard in commercials, movies, and on the Walt Disney Records label. Jef’s first film, the unhinged horror-comedy Deadtime Stories, is now considered a cult classic, which is what they call a movie that barely did okay upon its initial release but has since developed an enthusiastic following.

LAURELIN GILMORE is an award-winning painter, writer, and mixed-media artist, best known for her fantasy oil paintings. Ms. Gilmore holds minor degrees in Fine Art and Library Science, and is co-owner of Sacramento's only art book bookstore, Amatoria Fine Art Books. She has been featured in many print publications and has shown her art across the United States, including on Showtime's 'The L Word: Generation Q', at the Crocker Museum for the 2022 Black Artists on Art exhibit, and on the cover of the Sacramento Open Studios guide. She is represented by Artize Gallery in Palm Springs, California, and she keeps a working studio at Sacramento’s Verge Center for the Arts.