§ Journal · Vol. XI, entries 01–24
Long-form,
from the
sewing bench.
An occasional essay on paper, cloth, the fold, the fold's history, and the small arguments a bookbinder has with the rest of the world.
Craft · Featured
In Praise of the Signature
March 14, 20256 min
In Praise of the Signature
Why we still fold sheets by hand into gatherings of sixteen, and what the fold remembers that the perfect-bind has already forgotten.
Read essay → · by Iona Merrick
History
A Short History of Endpapers
The two pages nobody reads have done more to define the character of a book than the thousand pages between them. A field guide to the front matter.
February 2, 2025 · Sébastien Roux8 min →
Notebooks
The Case Against the Daily Planner
Grid-ruled boxes, hour markers, gratitude prompts. Why the pre-printed planner is quietly hostile to the way most people actually think.
January 18, 2025 · Iona Merrick5 min →
The Marginalia
A short letter, four times a year.
New essays, new bindings, and the occasional standing invitation to the studio. No more than four sendings a year. Unsubscribing is one click.