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Dawn/Water

Eastbourne, Wellington: Hawk Press, 1979. McNab 821 MAN. On loan from Dunedin Public Library.

Alan Loney’s perfectionist qualities are summed up by his now classic statement on printing: ‘One chooses either to simply muck about in the shed with an old printing press, or to acquire at considerable labour, cost, and some risk to one’s emotional stability, standards of excellence comparable with the finest anywhere in the world.’ Loney, a New Zealander, has had successive presses in various locations: Hawk (Christchurch, Wellington), Black Light (Wellington, Auckland), and more recently, Electio Editions (Melbourne). His collaborative craftsmanship is evident in Bill Manhire’s Dawn/Water, a ‘minimalist poem’ in action, which consists of a descending ‘a’ (almost ready to break through the line) and a moving fly. This is no.92 of 200.