The Tempest. Printed and Designed by Mark McMurray. Bound by Donald Glaister

Canton, NY: Caliban Press, 2001. One of two copies in original designer binding by Donald Glaister, from an edition of 125 copies all on various handmade papers by Velma Bolyard, La Papeterie St. Armand, and Barcham Green, with Arches, Frankfurt and Mexican amate paper. The text is set in 14pt. Dante by M & W Bixler; rain cut by Greg Lago. The book was designed, printed and bound by Mark McMurray, using the text from the 1623 First Folio (with a few liberties). Page size: 8 x 12 inches. Bound by Donald Glaister: full grey morocco with deep blue morocco onlay cutout to reveal underlay of aluminum with onlays of mesh, copper, mylar, painted in silver, gold, red, and black, the cutouts, while seemingly abstract, spell out the title of the book, TEMPEST, on the front panel and the same on the back panel - but in reverse mirror writing, spine smooth with two sets of tooled red and gold-gilt vertical lines and one set of horizontal lines spelling out the word THE, cork endpapers, blue and grey silk headbands, top edge in palladium, original wrappers bound in, signed in blind stamp on inside back cover with date and gold dot, "Donald Glaister 2013." An ingenious binding perfectly executed and perfectly suiting this beautiful book.
The text is illustrated with woodcuts, gatefolds, a volvelle, pop-ups, onlays, text printed on various papers in various shapes. This is a tour de force from master bookmaker, Mark McMurray. Certainly this is one of his most ambitious and satisfying books in his long and distinguished career. It is quite wonderful and a worthy vehicle for the Bard. With the extraordinary binding by Donald Glaister is a treasure for any library.