2026 Full Speed Ahead

Happy New Year from First Bite Press. Given the depressing state of the world at the moment, it’s challenging for most of us to comprehend the past year - much less avoid fearing the year to come. That said, it is an important function of artists, printers, and publishers to resist and soldier on. Literature and the book arts can help us frame our collective experience, shed light on what’s going on around us, and/or provide the occasional break from the chaos and uncertainty.

As a publisher, I’ve chosen to push forward with several limited edition book projects and bring this work into the new year. I wish all our collectors and readers a safe 2026. As I put on our holiday card, may you and your friends find joy where you can - perhaps it’s between the covers of a good fine press book.

Now for the Press Update…

Two talented women have joined me at the Press. Fera Rose, a bookbinder, has been working in the bindery designing and completing the limited and deluxe bindings for The Token of Dorian Gray as well as finishing up the bindings for the Banned Books Written by Women card deck project. Sharon Kallenberger, printer and owner of Offshoot Works, joined me in finishing up the printing of The Token of Dorian Gray on the Vandercook, and we will be lucky to have her print the next book in our queue on the Victoria Parallel Platen.

The CODEX Book Fair is around the corner. If you are visiting Oakland for the fair, please stop by our Table #81. We will have copies available of The Token of Dorian Gray and Victoria, both the limited and deluxe copies. We will have the standard edition available of the Banned Books Written by Women with the card deck integrated into the text, as well as several fun items of hand printed ephemera and the prospectus for limited edition books that we will be working on in 2026. We look forward to seeing many of our friends, collectors, and fellow book artists in a few weeks!

Below are some videos of work at the Press:

Sharon and I printing in the Pressroom. She is printing on the Victoria, and I’m on the Vandercook. We are both printing components for the prospectus for the upcoming book by Liza Daly, Before We Say Ayon Mûya, which will include paper mechanics to translate the Interactive Fiction novel.

Casing in the limited edition book, The Token of Dorian Gray, in the bindery.

Sewing signatures on the sewing frame for The Token of Dorian Gray.