Our current class project is to make an accordion book, which differs from the traditional idea of the book through the way the pages are formed by folding a long piece of paper in an accordion style shape. Here is a link to a blog showing a cool example of a finished book. My book is still in the very beginning stages of its creation, and the process of that creation is a very fun one to be a part of.
I wanted my book to carry a more personal connection, so I decided to center it around the idea of relationships and connectedness—specifically the relationships in my own life. The current plan is to add various pictures of the people connected to me in some way, including people such as my great-grandparents or friends I don’t see all that often anymore. The blank space of the pages surrounding the pictures will feature an entanglement of continuous lines representing each person’s connection to me. My own line will stand out to red, while the lines of others will appear in black ink.
I’m incredibly sentimental and have a habit of saving every single handwritten letter ever given to me, so I decided to include a few of the letters from my “collection” in the accordion book as well. It is my hope that the letters will make the book all the more personal to me. I even had to involve my mother in the project since all the photos and letters are at my house back in my hometown and I’m here at college.
Even though I’ve only been working on the accordion book project for a few days, it has already begun to challenge my perception of the book. Books can be any type of codex, not just the traditional novel that immediately comes to mind when I hear the word “book.” In my case, a book can be as simple as pages of lines and photographs.
EL 230: Small Press Publishing 
What a great way to utilize the concept of accordion books!! “Connectedness”, “relationships”, “entanglement”….all various ways we are to understand how these things are connected together–cool! This scrapbook concept of letters and photos is great material to fit in the pages and use as content. The sepia tint and muted colors could be quite interesting when looking at the blank background pages…just some food for thought. I think the considerations can be made for how this is going to be held together/held closed….a cover? a ribbon? a piece of string? simply folded closed? Just something to think about!
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The use of the Accordion Book as a personal scrapbook is ingenious. It seems to create an even stronger personal bond with the book when you not only create the inside theme of it but also the actual physical book holding the context. I’m very excited to see how you develop the theme and aesthetic of the book, whether it be an older look keeping with the pictures’ color tones or modernizing the color scheme.
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Your connection to family in your accordion book sounds really cool! Already the planned pictures look incredible in it. I cant wait to see them connected by your colored lines idea. I think it will tie everything together perfectly.
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Your idea for your accordion book sounds so cool! I love the route you’re taking with your book, and how you’re using all the folds, and strings, and such to put it all together. Choosing to make your line a different color from the rest and keeping the other lines one collective color is really smart, since it won’t overwhelm the book and pages or make it difficult to navigate. I’m excited to see what you turn it into!
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I love love LOVE your theme behind your book’s content, the concept of connectedness — an accordion book would be the absolute most appropriate medium for such a concept, since the book itself consists of connected pages, simply folded over one another. I’m excited to see how you translate your ideas into the physical form of your book!
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I like how you highlight the intimacy and sentiment in this form, with its many dynamic folds. The line, as a vein of blood inside other entanglements, is something that I’m hoping you’ll discuss more in your final post about the project.
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