PROJECT COMPLETION AND FULFILLMENT JULY 2018
Sighs in a Shell is a deep dive into the introspective thoughts, words, and ideas often left unsaid by author Tylor Traxler. Much like we turn to the seashells to hear the soft whispers of the waters, we also look within ourselves to hear our own considerations in their purest forms. Abstract in its’ construction, Sighs in a Shell inspires readers to give a voice to their silent moments through well crafted, vivid imagery and reflection.
CONTENT CREATION AND IDEATION
Sighs in a Shell is composed of 15 poems written from January 2018 - June 2018. At the surface level, I understand how the pieces could come across as simply poems about love and loss. What I was hoping to achieve with the overall title, structure, and poem selection, is something that can be referred back to by readers in order to better examine introspective thoughts and feelings. I like to think of this as picking up the author’s seashell and hearing the substance and content, hence the name, Sighs in a Shell.
DESIGN AND FORMATTING
The cover image is very clean. It is of a house in Santorini. This is a picturesque island in the Aegean Sea, which I commonly see in photos with blue domes, and accents in their architecture. Blue to me is the most emotional color, and I wanted to be able to evoke emotion at the cover;s first glance. The photo is by Mark Oldermen, but edited by me to better fit the theme. I also love the use of strong lines that seem to guide the eyes smoothly into the title going from bottom left to top right.
The back cover design to me ties the whole project together very well. I often reference the sea, the moon, and the relationship between them in many of my poems. I took an excerpt from the book’s poem, “Out of Tune” to represent this relationship. The water gives a great sense of movement and depth, and the moon strongly in the corner, actually foreshadows the book’s order and structure.
STRUCTURE
The book is divided into three, five poem sections, variably increasing in emotional intensity and following 3 simplified phases of the moon. The sections are titled, “Rising”, “Resting”, and “Setting”. I wanted to do this because I thought the organization and selection of poems by emotional intensity was very cool. I think the section pages can provide a pause or rest for readers as well. (Pages below)
FULL BOOK
