I pre-ordered the most recent issue of 111O, a journal published by the stellar micro-press MIEL, and it was delivered in my mailbox recently. This issue contains a beautiful set of postcards created by different artists—
and words from different writers responding to the images on the back of each card. It was such a pleasing package to receive, unwrap, and read. The whole project is so carefully executed and crafted. There are back issues here of 111O and I can tell you they are just as special as this one. Éireann (half of MIEL) also sells her artwork in this shop, which I continue to love and look at daily—pinned up around the house.
I've been so excited by MIEL's publishing concept since it's started. This is taken from their website:
MIEL was established in 2011 to promote and publish difficult, innovative, intelligent, and deeply felt writing and visual art. We publish poetry, short prose, photographs, and prints in forms that bridge the trade edition and artist's book.
MIEL is hosting a writers retreat this Fall, and have started a fundraiser to help writers travel there and participate. I am jumping up and down cheering, hoping they meet their fundraising goal to make this happen. This wonderful and funny video explains it all, and of course the words below it do, too. Watching and reading about this and imagining the difference it would make in an artist's ife really moves me. This is just the type of thing that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy about artists and the internet and humans in general. I contributed to this fundraiser and had a huge grin on my face the rest of the day.
