As No Storm or The Any Port Party, written and illustrated by Johanna Drucker, is a masterpiece in whimsical writing and illustration. It was letterpress printed in 1975 by Rebis Press in an edition of 326 copies on BFK Rives Paper with Van Dijck monotype and is stab bound in heavy canvas with cords through brass grommets and an the extra length of cord decoratively knotted. Drucker was sponsored by Betsy Davids, Professor Emerita at California College of the Arts and a well-known professor of book arts, to create this book.
As No Storm can read as “a snowstorm”, with the sub-title The Any Port Party supplying a twist on “any port in a storm,” adding party to allude to the setting of a New Year’s Party. The text is described as “baffling, impenetrable, an opaque textual object.” Drucker’s images provide relief from the writing and shifts the book into an eccentric gear. The full-page illustrations are iintricate, showcasing cartoonish characters that elevate this piece from incomprehensible into a playful and semi-readable book. Actually trying to read this book feels like an impossible task, but appreciating it in all its quirky glory felt quite doable for another lovely Fine Press Friday.
