Mystery Girls' Circus and College of Conundrum: The 1991 Route Book, Season of 1991

Ames Lake, Portland, and Washington, DC: The M Kimberly Press, 1991. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine. An artist's book from the author of Geek Love, illustrated exuberantly with original color prints by Mare Blocker. The book was published in an edition of just 125 copies in conjunction with the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The late Katherine Dunn is best known for her circus novel, Geek Love.

"This limited edition artist's book was inspired by circus route books, popular in America at the turn of the century. The book chronicles the exploits of an imaginary circus during its spring/summer season. Letterpress printed, illustrated and bound by Mare Blocker, text by Mare Blocker and Katherine Dunn. Illustrations are color linoleum and magnesium cuts representing circus performers, one fold-out color lithograph of performing lions and tigers, and two die-cut pages in the shape of animal heads. Book is numbered on the last three digits of the pink ticket on the colophon page. This book was ...selected by the NMWA Library Fellows as a winner for the 1991 Artists' Book competition."

[56] pages, with a large fold-out plate. A fine copy. This is no. 061 of 125, signed by author and artist below their portraits at the front of the book. A really lovely book.