2A.M. Gumbo: Age23

Cover and interiors designed by the artist. The book is set in a custom typeface designed by the artist. Printing and binding were commercially outsourced.

Originally released in monthly installments, 2A.M. Gumbo was a per-zine (and currently a newsletter) that documented the daily life and mundanity of my life beginning a month after my relocation from California to Boston in 2017. The book acts as a compilation of the first twelve issues of the zine starting from my 23rd birthday to the day before my 24th.

The zines and personal stories were written with a special emphasis on things deemed to be significantly insignificant: days that a toe was stubbed, walking past roadkill on the way to work, and botching a recipe. A mish-mash of stray thoughts, unedited ramblings, and collaged google images, the book is record of everything that I felt I would be sure to forget.

The books and zines were sold at local zinefests and art book fairs. The book, Age 23, was distinguished by AIGA and Design Observer as one of the 50 Best Designed Books of 2018. Lucinda Hitchcock, head of graphic design at RISD, had this to say:

“This project is more artist book than mass market or trade, and it is a delight. I googled the artist/designer to find out more and discovered a website that matches the book. It is current, funny, readable, emotional, and feels very present. As a professor, I have the opportunity to see a lot of similarly speculative, exploratory artist books, and this one is accessible and smart.”