Books
All Books Are written , printed, illustrated, sewn, bound By Ke Francis ( unless noted*)
New for 2026
The Artist's Fable
Walter finds himself in a familiar place doing an intuitive job he is well suited for.
edition of 150 softbound and hardbound
short story finished in 2015 book made in 2026
Isis and Osiris Reqiuem
A narrative poem about the eternal cycles of nature represented by the Egyptian God and Goddess, as well as the powerful link in S
outhern folklore . Softbound edition of 50
coming soon
Books Made 2020-2025
The Devil and The Mudcat
Isis in a crisis
Small pamphlet style booklet narrative poem by Ke about the mythological goddess . Digitally printed , with images . made in 2025.
$35.
True North
A series of poems and short narrative pieces and images by Ke hand sewn and handbound into a hard cover editionof 150, deluxe version of 50 with hand watercolored images ,2024
The priority
of content
A short essay on the content of the artist /author's work in literature, sculpture, painting , printmaking and book arts. It discusses the artists suject matter and how his vision and stories have developed.
6 digital images and four letterpress pages.
26 pages, letterpress paper cover ,
size 6 1/2 x 9 in.
edition of 200 made in 2023
$150.
Cyclops and the willow
This is the story of a recent book arts graduate with no equipment or studio who is forced to take a job in salesat an office supply store to pay the bills. She meets a tunnel visioned , drug dealing predator with minor musical talent at a art gallery opening . Through a twisting series of events she finds her problems solved. 3 full- page color images from scanned engravings by the artist /author, printed on acid free paper with cloth -over - board binding. 32 pages
edition of 50 books
made in 2023
$1200.
viewing
contemporary
landscape
This book is a short essay that relates the artist/author's work produced during the covid-19 pandemic to his previous series of work and to the work of significant American landscape artists in history. The current paintings, prints, photographs and books adress climate change and the inter-dependancy of all the elements in our natural environment.
Letterpress printed with digital prints and photographs.
made in 2021
$250.
Leonardo syndrome
A sculptor roams the Arkansas mountains to the Mystic Crystal Cave in search of an old friend, a self- trained potter and a part-time preacher. A spelunker falls in the Mystic Cave.
48 pages with 3 full page images, 2 - 2 page images and a fold out unique alphabet based on the story. Smyth -sewn binding with a cloth -over- board cover
made in 2022
edition of 50
$2400.
Plaguetime cosmetology
A short story that follows the timeline of the Covid-19 pandemic ( timeline to the left of the page and story line to the right). Social media celebrity magazines, and the Greek mythology surrounding the concept of beauty lead a cosmetologist on a quest for spiritual and physical unity with her patriotic boyfriend. Inspired by the presidents suggestion this speedy lube mechanic takes frequent and measured doses of Hydroxy- chloroquine to fight the virus. Their relationship takes a strange trajectory as the pandemic death toll tops one -half million people.
The folio contains a hardbound cloth-over-board book, an audio CD of the artist-read story , and a portfolio of 12 individually signed prints on the Covid-19 theme.
Edition of 10
Made in 2021
$7000.
Three friends
A short story about an old river turtle , the magic moon, and an albino catfish with an illuminating conversation between these three friends the catfish faces problems with predators, endangers his catfish peers and struggles to find an understanding mate.
made in 2021
$750.
italy america
A portfolio of 10 digital photographs taken by Ke during the period of 1992-2014 duringHis time a the Belligio Foundation and other travels in Italy. The images are scanned from large format negatives. The folio contains the book Red Boot written by Ke.
made in 2023
$1500.
Books 1992-2020
Jugline
This is the book that started it all!
Ke wrote this story , printed its pages and made etchings and completed the images and had it bound by his friend,and bookbinder , Larry Cooper of Gardyloo Press back in 1992.
Limited edition
1200$
Jugline complete
Original Jugline story plus additional materials containing images of portfolios, installations, and essays that have followed the original publication.
made in 2019
edition of 250
$2700.
The short story of a visionary packer who sends heartfelt packages to family and friends.
A combination of letterpress text with 10 color woodcut illustrations of his surrealistic packages ina faux Museum of the Container catalog.
53 pages. cloth-over-board cover
created in 1994
edition 250
$1200.
PENUMBRA
Bootknife
This book is composed of two short stories about knives. Both stories address the subject of male sensitivity. The first is about a young man who performs a sensitive act and then questions it when a poet on t.v. explains what he thinks are attributes of male sensitivity. The second story is about a man who was a knife and is saved by a heart scabbard.
36 pages, woodcut print cover
edition 100
made 1996
$850.
celestial hitchhikers
A poignant story of a young hitchhiker's experience on the road and a portable monument to Jack Kerouac. Letterpress text , lithographic and digital illustrations.
66 pages , Hardbound fabric -over-board with 94 inch fold out.
edition of 50
$2200.
Dixie compass
Dixie Compass is a group of short stories that examine the complexity of the southern spirit. The stories reveal a wide range of environments and emotional experiences that don't quite match the current assessment of southern places and the people who inhabit them.
Octagonal letterpress book with letterpress text and color woodcuts and digital illustrations . Hardbound paper over board cover.
edition of 50
made in 1994
$2700.
BOOGA BOTTOM
A fictional story about a veteran pilot who returns to his Mississippi delta home, finds work as a crop duster , makes friends with the local farming community and pulls a dangerous prank that leads to the naming of the town.
Letterpress book with paper binding and four color woodcut illustrations . There are multiple editions of this book. The edition shown was printed by
made in 1998
$200.
wyndell
A short story of the trials and tribulations of a sculptor and his patient wife.
Letterpress text with engravings,
Cloth -over- board cover, 15 pages
made in 2012
Hoopsnake Press edition of 35
$600.
Kill the messenger
A sequencial, fan fold book (set of
two bindings) with enigmatic digital
photographs and a very short text block.
Hard bound , fabric over-board cover
photography by the artist/author
made in 2016
$500.
Beulah
A folio of individual loose -leaf prints. Four narrative texts with relief prints and 4 hand watercoloured etchings based on the gospel song Beulah Land.
Cloth-over-board Folio
edition of 22
made in 2017
$4300.
molecular prom
A young filmmaker faces and solves pressing funding problems with reductive reasoning . Letterpress text with digital and relief printed illustrations .
cloth -over -board cover
made in 2018
$200.
Rock in a Hard place
This book contains two short stories by Francis with related photographs and prints. The stories explore the paths taken by each of the central characters as they struggle to resolve personal problems that have them caught between a rock and a hard place. The stories deal with southern myth and artistic passion. Sometimes the magic works ,sometimes it doesn't.
Embossed aluminum Hoopsnake Press inset on cover
digital photo , digital prints and transparency , 3 page fold-out , 2- color relief print , letterpress text and hand engraving.
edition of 100
made in 2018
$750.
soulshark
A tent revivalist tells and interesting tale about a shark and the devil.
Letterpress text with one multi-color relief and three engravings. 14 pages hardbound
Edition of 30
Made in 2009
$750.
crescent review
A literary journal with collected short stories. Offset printed publication with twenty woodcut illustrations and twenty woodcut capital letters. Clam shell box includes twenty signed original prints plus the original Crescent Review publication, Spring 1993, Volume 11 number 1.
$75.
Book collaborations
White Shadow
Artistic Version of Michael Hannon 's White Shadow combined with an image of Dark Star by Ke francis , letterpress printed, poems sewn and bound by Ke at Hoopsnake Press, edition includes 100 soft bound and 50 hardbound editions
hunting the crested snipe
A bestiary
five etchings by Robert Rivers
poem and short story by Ke Francis
23 pages, hardbound fabric-over-board with 94 inch fold out
Made in 1996
$NFS
pilgram's
process
Poems by Micheal Hannon and etchings by William Wiley,
letterpress folios in 2 clam shell boxes. Designed by and printed by Ke Francis.
54 pages with 19 etchings
made in 1998
$7000.
idiot wind
A brooding and dark poem by Michael Hannon and apocalyptic engravings and landscape by Ke Francis . The works were completed independently in 2012 (images) and 2020 (poem). The artist and the poet shared the works in the winter of 2021 and decided to combine the completed images and publish this book in the spring- summer of 2021 , the year of the covid-pandemic
$350.
red boot
A selection of unique experiences that are the result of American encounters with European culture, linguistic misinterpretations, and a short , improbable, but almost pre-ordained male/female meeting.
36 pages with 2-3 page foldouts
cloth -over board cover
made in 2019
Collaborative print made with Lujan Perez.
$2700.
A collaborative project with music by Jeff Rupert and art by Ke Francis. There are musical compositions by Rupert ( with an included CD entitled Memphis to Mobile) and regional photographs and woodcuts by Ke Francis
Letterpress text in three folios . The text includes and essay on Rupert"s music by the director of the Institute of Jazz studies at Rutger's University.
Made in 2008
60 pages, edition of 30 books
memphis to
mobile
$2400.