BREAD AND WATER by Alison Knowles

Left Hand Books, 1995, First edition, 70 pp., 5" X 10 3/4", Softcover

Near fine

While baking bread, Knowles became fascinated by the cracks, bumps and depressions in the bread's surface and began photocopying the loaves. Studying them she noticed that the patterns resembled waterways - rivers and lakes. She collected maps and began finding river systems that matched the patterns in her bread. These created templates to edit words and phrases - a cut-up poetry of sorts - from literary and naturalist sources.


Annual high density valuables travel the motor road

Sediments clearly express the rapids of white water

Weathered diversity enhanced by micronutrients

Narrows or Pongos no less missionary the little steamer

Lewis and brother-in-law to Matthew slave and wealth the rubber

Backwater latex trade expands three million miles


The book features reproductions of the prints she made of the bread, alongside the resulting poems.