This November, Atelier26 will proudly publish The Beauty of Ordinary Things,
the powerful new novel by acclaimed writer Harriet Scott Chessman.
The story of the unexpected love between a young Vietnam veteran and a Benedictine nun, The Beauty of Ordinary Things is a deeply felt, luminously moving book, and we know readers will love it as much as we do. Here’s what Debra Dean, celebrated author of The Madonnas of Leningrad, has to say about the novel:
The story of the unexpected love between a young Vietnam veteran and a Benedictine nun, The Beauty of Ordinary Things is a deeply felt, luminously moving book, and we know readers will love it as much as we do. Here’s what Debra Dean, celebrated author of The Madonnas of Leningrad, has to say about the novel:
“Like Annie Dillard, Chessman plumbs the mysteries of the spirit and celebrates the quiet grace notes of the earth. The Beauty of Ordinary Things is deep as a prayer, a meditation on two people seeking their right place in the world. This book speaks softly, but oh how it lingers in the mind. I can’t praise it enough.”—Debra Dean, author of The Madonnas of Leningrad and The Mirrored World
THE CAMPAIGN:
New, flexible printing technologies have made it more widely possible than ever for unconventional publishers without huge capital (that's us!) to produce finely designed paperbacks, and we’ve got a nice, practicable print-run set to go for Chessman’s novel. The challenge of monetary resources, however, is no small one for a micro-press founded on the belief that idiosyncratic works of quiet merit have an integral place in literary culture, that literary history is largely built upon such works, that independent bookstores deserve to have a hand in the game, and that print books remain relevant and irreplaceable.
We've tossed our hat in the ring for grants, etc., but in the end nothing beats the straight-up support of readers making a direct purchase. That’s why we’re hoping you’ll help us give us Harriet Chessman’s rich and moving novel the powerful launch it deserves by helping us bolster its starting print-run and our promotional capacity.
By simply pre-ordering through this campaign and receiving for your enjoyment the book itself (along with one-of-a-kind perks!), you’ll be investing in the life of a wonderfully unconventional and, yes, beautiful novel, and you’ll be helping us realize our quixotic editorial vision to bring you the finest contemporary fiction in strikingly designed paperback editions. Attaining even half of our stated goal will greatly augment the novel's launch (we make good use of all funds).
THE DEAL:
New, flexible printing technologies have made it more widely possible than ever for unconventional publishers without huge capital (that's us!) to produce finely designed paperbacks, and we’ve got a nice, practicable print-run set to go for Chessman’s novel. The challenge of monetary resources, however, is no small one for a micro-press founded on the belief that idiosyncratic works of quiet merit have an integral place in literary culture, that literary history is largely built upon such works, that independent bookstores deserve to have a hand in the game, and that print books remain relevant and irreplaceable.
We've tossed our hat in the ring for grants, etc., but in the end nothing beats the straight-up support of readers making a direct purchase. That’s why we’re hoping you’ll help us give us Harriet Chessman’s rich and moving novel the powerful launch it deserves by helping us bolster its starting print-run and our promotional capacity.
By simply pre-ordering through this campaign and receiving for your enjoyment the book itself (along with one-of-a-kind perks!), you’ll be investing in the life of a wonderfully unconventional and, yes, beautiful novel, and you’ll be helping us realize our quixotic editorial vision to bring you the finest contemporary fiction in strikingly designed paperback editions. Attaining even half of our stated goal will greatly augment the novel's launch (we make good use of all funds).
THE DEAL:
- A
pre-order of $17.00 (cost of book, plus shipping) gets you The Beauty
of Ordinary Things along with a special letter-pressed excerpt from
Harriet Scott Chessman’s work, signed by the author.
- A pre-order of $35.00 gets you the above, plus a copy of Atelier26 publisher M. Allen Cunningham’s limited-edition short story collection Date of Disappearance, signed and numbered by the author, and featuring ten illustrations by artist Nathan Shields (this offer limited to 30 recipients).
Note: please disregard the "donate" language on the campaign page (it's a quirk of the
interface we're using there). Simply click on either the $17 pre-order choice,
or the $35 one.
In addition to the gifts mentioned above, everyone placing a pre-order through the campaign will be entered in regular drawings to receive any of a number of lovely and distinctive prizes throughout the life of the campaign. Follow the campaign's progress at the Atelier26 site, where we'll be posting frequent updates.
In addition to the gifts mentioned above, everyone placing a pre-order through the campaign will be entered in regular drawings to receive any of a number of lovely and distinctive prizes throughout the life of the campaign. Follow the campaign's progress at the Atelier26 site, where we'll be posting frequent updates.
The Beauty of Ordinary Things pre-order campaign closes on Sunday,
September 8th, 2013.
Many thanks for your solidarity, and your support of independent publishing.
Viva, readers!
M. Allen Cunningham, August 14, 2013
Advance Praise for Harriet Scott Chessman’s The Beauty of Ordinary Things:
“A profoundly moving story of love’s possibilities, powers, and consolations.”—Priscilla Gilman, author of The Anti-Romantic Child
“Quite simply stunning. In an exquisite few pages, Harriet Scott Chessman delivers a gigantic story.”—Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Wednesday Daughters
“Stays with one, hauntingly, long after one finishes reading.”—Maud Carol Markson, author of Looking After Pigeon
The Atelier26 Motto: "A magnificent enthusiasm, which feels as if
it never could do enough to reach the fullness of its ideal; an unselfishness
of sacrifice, which would rather cast fruitless labour before the altar than
stand idle in the market." --John Ruskin
