I wanted to post a blog about my visit with Camilla Beck right after I saw her on Saturday, August 7th. However my blog, “Surviving the Dreaded Book Signing,” needed to be written first.
Almost two weeks ago I finally reconnected with Camilla Beck, the first editor of my book. Until August 5, Camilla didn’t know I had finished the book. That’s when I called her and broke the news. Jim and I were planning our escape from the Arkansas Valley that weekend…the weekend of the Sculpture Show in Loveland, Colorado. Camilla lives in Longmont, about half an hour south of Loveland. There was no way I was going to travel to Loveland without seeing her.
Camilla and I met in 2002, when my book was still going to be just a poetry book. A mutual friend, Nancy Rossen from Buena Vista, was working with Camilla on her first book of poetry and art. Nancy ended up with three beautiful books of illustrated poetry, edited by Camilla and published under Camilla’s business name, fosilpress. Here’s a picture of Nancy’s third book, Shades & Privilege: Yarns From A Blue-Nosed Maverick, published by fosilpress (yes, the initial “f” is in lower case).
When I met her, Camilla was an artist, poet, gerontologist and a lover of paper, type faces, ink, color, book design and old people. Back in 2002, when she owned fosilpress, she was in the business of preserving elders’ arts and stories through print and electronic media. You might expect someone with this interest to be an oldie herself, but quite to the contrary. Camilla was a petite young thing, a jumping bean of energy, with long dark hair and a North Carolina accent.
I wanted her to help me make a real book out of my deceased mother’s poetry collection. I called it This Lively Dust. In 2002, I thought that Mom’s poetry was all it would ever be. Then I started writing poetry back to my mother. I took a poem of Mom’s that pushed my buttons and contradicted her with caustic words that would never have come out of my mouth as a teenager. Camilla said what we had was “Call and Response” poetry. Mom’s poems were the call and mine, the response. I finally released all the old stuffed teenage emotions out of my system by writing response poetry to my mother. Then the book changed.
By now it was 2004. I wrote an introduction to the book of poems. That introduction grew longer and longer, and eventually became the core of my current book, I’ll Be There to Write the Story: A In 2005, Camilla took all 17 chapters and chopped them up with scissors, removed the parts that she thought didn’t fit, and taped back together everything that did seem to fit. That November, I received a bundle from her and a letter explaining what she had done and why. I was stunned, but amazed that she could accomplish such a feat. She had whittled the book down to six new sparkling chapters. In hindsight, I declared the woman a genius. Here’s a picture of the edit I received from Camilla. It took me several months to breathe life back into the Frankensteinian manuscript.
After that, Camilla and I talked once in a while, mostly about publication, although I was still writing. As the time passed, her life changed. She fell in love, married, and let go of fosilpress. She encouraged me to write a book proposal and try to find a publisher. I wrote the book proposal, but in the end, decided to self publish.
Fast forward to 2010. Camilla is married with a baby girl named Isla. I have not talked to Camilla in over a year. The moment of truth happens two weeks ago when we finally reunite around 6:00 pm on Camilla’s patio. Hugs, squeals and laughter all around. Camilla’s laughter is unbelievably infectious. I give her a copy of my book and she allows me to put pictures of her and Isla into my blog. I ask her if she would consider editing again. “Do you have something in mind?” she asks. With a child it’ll be difficult, she says, but Camilla is a night owl. Yes, she will be up for editing again, but it will be slower. I stash that info away. Who knows when or if I’ll need her services, but it is comforting to know she is still interested.
Besides a handful of ripe apricots that are falling off the tree overhead, as a final gift, she presents me with one of her artist “books”: a glass jar containing a decorated leaf, a hummingbird feather, and a slab of mica glued to the lid. If you don’t know Camilla, you might wonder why this is so special. Camilla has taught classes at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Borland Library on the creation of art books. One form is a jar, like this one, containing some precious or ordinary items, which in some fashion tells a story or simply expresses aesthetic delight. As I leave Camilla’s house, I can see that Isla is in for a treat with Camilla as her mom.
As a postscript, the title of this blog is Camilla Vanilla because when she and I emailed back and forth, she would often make up names for herself. Camilla Vanilla was one of them.
How wonderful to hear all about Camilla. I participated in her workshop about five years ago, made available through the Chaffee County Writers Exchange, which you have supported as an officer all these years.
Love,
Debby
Thanks for commenting! It’s good to know that the blog made it to the right “door” this time!
I love the idea of an “art book jar”. I will have to put some time and energy into this idea. Thank you for sharing Camilla and her family with us. 🙂
Thanks for reading, Lindy! It’s a nifty way to use a clear glass jar that you can’t bear to toss.
Camilla (Camille as I knew her in college at ECU) was my friend and roommate at college for 4 years. I am so happy to hear that she is doing so well. As so often it happens, we lost touch. I came across her fosilpress website one day in 2004 and emailed her. We communicated via email a few times, but again lost contact. I would love to get in touch with her again. I have two little ones…a son and daughter. If you could please forward this to her with my my congratulations on her marriage and the birth of her beautiful daughter.
By the way Camilla looks the same as she did in college.
Regards,
Bonnie Young (nee Jordan)
Hi Bonnie,
I forwarded your comment to Camilla–the email address I have for her. I hope you reconnect. Merry Christmas!
Maria
Where, oh where has my old friend gone? I’m another college friend of Camille’s and need her email, please!
Dear Allison,
You have asked for Camilla’s email. I don’t have it anymore as I lost my entire email address book about 6 weeks ago. She lives in Longmont, CO. Does that help?