My experience as a poet, teacher, professional editor, librarian, and bookseller (as well as typographer, curator, and small-press publisher) gives me a broadly informed and open-minded perspective on the interdependent practices of reading and writing.
Through the Text Garage, I offer ongoing workshops and short-term intensives, and am also available for tutoring, mentoring, manuscript development, and small group courses on special topics.
With good humor and sensitivity to student needs, David provided me and my peers with a supportive, respectful and stimulating learning place for poets, beginning to advanced, who wanted to develop and deepen our understanding and craft of the art. Able to tune into the needs of his students, drawing upon his long history in the field and related topics, he used a broad spectrum of poetry and variety of techniques in a workshop setting so that we could reflect back on our own work and grow. I am grateful for that time.
— Hilda W
Since 1998, I’ve worked as a freelance editor, proofreader, and project consultant for a wide range of clients, including authors and artists; museums and galleries; academic and trade publishers; compositors, designers, and production houses; organizations; and individuals.
In the 1980s, I worked for prominent New York City advertising typography shops (Cardinal Type Service, Boro Typographers, JCH, Manhattan Graphics). At the service desk, I handled customer service, type specification, proofreading, and quality control.
In the early 1990s, I was the production manager of a high-quality book typography shop (Sarabande Press), in charge of customer service, scheduling, production, quality control, and training, for such clients as the Metropolitan Museum, MoMA, Knopf, Pantheon, et al.
In the later 1990s, I was a math and science typesetter, sales rep, project manager, and copy editor at textbook publishing production companies in Albuquerque (Integre Technical Publishing), and Portland (Interactive Composition Corp.).
In addition, my experience as a bookseller, librarian, writer, teacher, and curator gives me an unusually broad perspective on the constantly changing world of publishing and the arts.
I’ve been a bookseller for more than twenty-five years, beginning with the Bridge Bookshop – a poet’s bootstrap venture – in New York’s East Village in the late 1980s. When the Bridge closed, I moved to Granary Books where I catalogued, wrote, designed, and curated. In the mid 1990s, I opened Passages Bookshop & Gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico; in 1997, I moved the shop to Portland, Oregon. At the beginning of 2016 I opened a new retail storefront with regular hours.
Passages Bookshop is located at 1801 NW Upshur, Suite 660 in Portland, two blocks north of the Oregon Convention Center, convenient to all forms of transit. We are open Tuesday through Saturday, 12:00 to 6:00 pm, and by appointment or chance.
Passages specializes in fine, rare, and unusual books and graphic art, with a focus on poetry, literature, art, fine printing, and artist's books.
If you are in Portland, please stop by; otherwise, for inquiries and orders, to add your name to the mailing list, or for any other reason, contact me via the bookshop site.