A SHORT STORY BY EDGAR ALLAN POE⠀•⠀PEN-AND-INK ILLUSTRATIONS BY RUTA KUZMICKAS

The Press got its start with an edition of Poe's The Masque of the Red Death, funded only a month before the Coronavirus pandemic began in earnest. Eerie timing. Two years later, the Press announced an edition of The Cask of Amontillado. Now, to complete a trilogy of sorts, we are happy to share with you our edition of The Tell-Tale Heart!

Poe is the quintessential American author. As one scholar put it, “Whether or not America has produced a greater genius than Poe, it would be hard to prove that it has produced one more original.” In The Tell-Tale Heart, he presents once again a story of captivating simplicity — of a man driven mad by an obsession, of guiltless admission. It is perhaps Poe's most famous story because it is so disorienting. 

The No Reply edition has been designed as a reaction to the story. We have employed colors, tones, textures, and an artistic vision to make Poe's writing visceral for the reader. Exceptionally fine papers from Papeterie St.-Armand, Velke Losiny, and master marbler Claire Guillot should mark this edition for distinction.

Few artists are as suited to illustrate Poe as Rūta Kuzmickas. Her signature style blends the real with the unreal. With six full-page pen-and-ink artworks (as well as two large ornaments and a calligraphed title), reproduced with a crisp letterpress bite, Poe's story comes to life. The sinews of the heart, the film over the eye, the folds of guilt and paranoia all come together in a stylistic tour de force. In our estimation, Kuzmickas is an illustrator second to none because she not only illustrates a story but reveals its heart.

Very few copies remain. If this edition interests you, we suggest placing your order soon or reaching out to hold a copy.