Not a straight line
Contributors: Naughty Dog Press; Al-Mutanabbi Street Coalition; Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here Artists' Books Collection (Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library)
Edition: [Standard ed.].
Publisher: Naughty Dog Press
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Iowa City, Iowa]
Language: eng
Number of pages: 268
Subjects: Violence; Pictorial works; Booksellers and bookselling; Bombings; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Protest movements; Books and reading in art; Intellectual life; Social conditions; Censorship; Terrorism in art; In art; War and civilization; Vehicle bombs; Visual literature; Specimens; Artists' books; Al-Mutanabbi Street Coalition
Description: This collection supports and promotes awareness to the important mission and framework of the Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here Coalition's focus on the lasting power of the written word and the arts in support of the free expression of ideas, the preservation of shared cultural spaces, and the importance of responding to attacks, both overt and subtle, on artists, writers, and academics working under oppressive regimes or in zones of conflict, despite the destruction of that literary/cultural content.
Notes: Artist's book by Emily Martin.

Title from cover of first book.

"A book comprised of 10 linked Coptic bound books with one line of the text in each of the books. This book was made for the Al-Mutanabbi Street Artists' Book project. The project aims to 're-assemble' some of the 'inventory' of the reading material that was lost in the car bombing of al-Mutanabbi Street ... One complete set of the books from this project will be donated to the Iraq National Library in Baghdad, the other two sets will be exhibited throughout the world ... To read the book the viewer must find their way along the linked books that turn this way and that way much as a meandering street would."--Artist's website, viewed Dec. 5, 2013.

"Letterpress printed on stained Rives BFK heavyweight paper. The covers are made with moriki and University of Iowa flax paper. The individual books are hinged together with walnut crackle paper from Cave paper and housed in a cloth covered hinged box [with elastic closure]."--Artist's website, viewed Dec. 5, 2013.

Limited edition of 20 copies, signed by the artist.

Rare Book (BOOKART) copy: No. 4; signed.

Gift; Beau Beausoleil; 2019-2020.