Everything about this book stills my soul, or does it steal my soul?
I hold the book close, against my chest, the final images still fresh in my mind. I am sad, confused, and challenged and. Most of all, I am devastated.
First, as a book, in my hand, it just feels good, a tad larger than a paperback. The front and back covers are heavy paper, turns out, it is ecofriendly. On the front is a fabulous piece by Jessalyn Brooks, an artist who depicts the female form. This is one of 21 books in a classic scifi series from Penguin, under the art direction of Jim Stoddart.
Last, but certainly not least, this book, these stories were written by Andreas Eschbach.
Last night, I found a hair on my jacket. Long. Slightly curled. I held it up to the light and tried to tie a knot in it. Just one, little, simple knot. My feeble attempts sent the unknotted hair falling to the ground, never to be seen again. The idea of making a whole carpet, one hair at a time, is mind boggling. I look at the hairs on my brush and wonder how easily I discard it as annoying. I saw a small antique bowl once. It had a hole in the lid. A note in the bowl explained that women used to place their hair in it. They were saving it to stuff pillows and such.
In The Hair-Carpet Weavers, each story is as fleeting as one hair. Yet all together, a universe takes shape and it's history is revealed.
I keep very few books on the “read it again” shelf. This one will go on that shelf, not just for the story but for the beauty of the cover and the way it feels in my hands.
Andreas Eschbach - Author and story weaver
Jim Stoddart - Art Director
Jessalyn Brooks - Cover art