Prehensile Pencil Publications specializes in short works of a singular nature—essays, stories, poems— that gain strength from being isolated or suitably interpreted by visual artists working in black and white media. All productions of the press are strictly black and white, both texts and the drawings, collages, engravings or photographs that accompany them. While many private presses focus on hand-made papers and letterpress printing,  Prehensile Pencil imprints deliberately use of ordinary materials—acid free commercial papers and cover stock, non-rust staples, digital images and computer production.  The emphasis, therefore, is on the work itself, the information and the message rather than the materials and craft generally associated with small and private presses.

PPP is particularly interested in black and white as a design aesthetic and is open to texts and images on any aspect of this subject, including artists’ booklets of pure illustration.  The philosophy of the press encourages artists to go beyond illustration into the visual interpretation of texts. Thus one aim of the press is to promote the work of press artists in gaining galleriy and museum exhibitons. With respect to texts, cultural studies as diverse as possible, philosophical and informal essays are as welcome as poetry and short fiction.  This is not a vanity press. All submissions are reviewed and if selected the cost of publication is the sole responsibility of PPP.

Prehensile Pencil Publications take their inspiration from the great variety of unusual mammals, rodents, reptiles and amphibians with prehensile adaptations.  The word Prehensile  means “to grasp,” which expresses exactly what the press seeks: works that are clear, direct and able to be grasped with enjoyment by readers.   The press symbol is an ordinary Pencil, a most basic tool composed of graphite, a form of carbon that takes its name from the Greek, meaning “to draw or write.”  PPP gives equal weight to both word and image in limited edition booklets illustrated in black and white media—pencil and ink drawings, collage and photography—reproduced by carbon transfer. Thus from ordinary materials and computer reproduction many diverse and engaging species of publications come to light.

Prehensile Pencil Publications produces an  imprint of 100 numbered copies. Booklets are not reprinted.

Prehensile Pencil Publications continues the work of The Feral Press, which has now migrated to the new imprint, along with Poet’s Farthing Cards.  PPP publications are collected by university libraries and are available through private dealers.

Print run: 100 copies.  Author/illustrator receive a certain number of  copies. Prose manuscripts of up to 3,500 words and poetry manuscripts of up to 20 pages may be sent as e-mail attachments in Word (  Times New Roman 12 pt.). Illustrations should be sent as high resolution TIFF or JPEG attachments.
 

Contact PP-PUB:

E-mail enquiries and submissions should be sent to: info@pp-pub.com

Hard copy manuscripts, including artists’ portfolios in reproduction, preferably with DVD/CD enclosure, can be mailed to "The Editor" at:

Prehensile Pencil Publications
P. O. Box 358
Oyster Bay, New York 11771