Manhattan Fifteenth Year Reader. 1995: The Grim Years.

Mark Beard

[New York]: Feard Press, 2002

[Art of the AIDs Epidemic: the Gay Experience in America] Beard wrote this book as a sequel to his "Manhattan Third Year Reader," the artists' interpretation of the ravages of HIV/AIDs.  Super limited edition of only 25 copies, signed by the author.  Oblong folio; 30 x 39 cm (11 3/8 x 15 inches).  Hand-bound by Judith Ivry, in cloth, lettered in silver. Cloth dulled to gray. Internally fine. 40 unnumbered leaves. 17 pages of text silkscreened (on versos only) in the artist's handwriting; collaged linocuts hand-colored by the author. From the colophon: "Over fifty-one reduction print linoleum cuts and regular linoleum cuts were pulled, collaged, and hand-colored by the artist. Over fifty different papers were used."  A rare view of AIDs from a gay artist that lived through it.  From the work: "Georg and Craig are my daily dead... They died in 1995.  Georg was my lover and best friend... Craig was Georg's roommate.  He became our little brother.  We were a family.  I made scenery for Georg's plays. Craig taught me photography and bound my books.  Georg and I had hideous fights, Craig mediated.  He was gentle and kind, though sometimes aloof.  His death was cruel and horrible.  Georg comes to me regularly in dream and I am happy, only sad in waking.  When Craig comes it is with anger and guilt."  Beard concludes his work with these words, "Hope triumphs over corrupted endeavor."  This is a special book of emotion, sadness, and memory of those lost.