Sara McCall Ephron, Pisschair (2018), Wake Up and Smell the Coffee (2018), Outside (2018), New York City.

A series of 3 really lively accordions by this artist, illustrator and teacher living in New York City. I'll let Sara describe her work and interests and how she came to be using the accordion/concertina format in her recent letter to me:

"My personal interest is metaphor, expressed in words and image, exposing the emotional underbelly-the nebulous caldron of subjective reality. The work I am sending you is part of a series of concertina formatted salty/sweet "Zines" or illustrated rantings I've created under the title PISSCAT, the character thread linking all the stories. Pisscat is representative of the underlying Id-pissed on, pissed off, marking territory, homeless disenfranchised. The stories range from psychedelic rantings to political commentary.

I found an amazing printed, Barefooot Press, that both prints and folds these juicy tidbits into gorgeous, full color, double sided, 4x6 card stock accordion books. So, it is finally possible to begin releasing my little PISSCATS into the wide wide world, to find new homes and new spheres of influence. Thank you for adopting one (or two, or three) I hope you enjoy this spicy, slyly subersive diversion from tapping and scrolling, -and making this pussycat purr."

All 3 publications: 10 pages, double-sided, individual pages 6" (h) x 4" (w), when fully opened 3' 4".

Chinese Pillow Book, China, nd (contemporary)

I purchased this "Chinese Pillow Book" on a whim when I came across it for sale on Etsy for $33. What I received was a contemporary pillow book constructed from sturdy pages that features reproductions of 5 paintings illustrating different sexual positions and scenarios, including one threesome. Historically pillow books appear to have been given to future daughters-in-laws by mother-in-laws on their wedding days. The books served as a kind of sexual manual for the new bride. The tradition is a long one and they can be found in India and Nepal as well other countries. Other types of pillow books move beyond being sexual manuals and are created as places of intimacy in which the writers feel safe to reveal deeply private feelings and experiences. 

8 pages, 7.5" (h) x 4.5" (w), when open 28".