This is a story of an ending meeting a beginning.

After That August is what came after the end, after the "happily ever after" was over.

Through Michelle’s photography, personal written reflections, and ephemera, an intimate portrait of a moment in time is revealed. This private journey to love following a divorce comes presented in an thoughtfully-designed and hand-finished, limited edition artist's book.

Book Specifications

• 156 pages

• 65 images

• Linen-wrapped hard cover, stamped with holographic gold foil

• Lay-flat, Smyth Sewn binding

• Includes one gate fold

• Dimensions: 6.25” wide x 9” tall x 0.875” deep

• Presented in a custom slipcase.

Each book will be signed, numbered and hand-finished by the artist.

Edition size of 250

The Back Story

The road to After That August was long.

I've been writing since childhood. And while I'd established myself as a photographer, I'd always harboured a secret belief that, one day, I'd be a writer too.

It was January 1st, 2015 when I'd finally decided: it was time to write my book.

Three. Years. Later.

I was still writing that book. Meanwhile, my entire life changed. The house was sold and the divorce became final. After 14 years in Toronto, I finally pulled up my Canadian roots and moved to New York City to start over at 40. 

And while I continued to write through the change, that book was nowhere near finished.

The Story

Then, August 2018. I went on an unplanned, last-minute, month-long, bucket list trip with a man I'd been seeing. Upon our return, I made a photo album-slash-trip book, with nice pictures of pretty places.

Everyone smiling no matter what.

But I knew: there was another story.

Not everything was pretty. And so in my mind, a question lingered: If I was ever going to tell this story, how would I do it? 

After That August is that story.

The Book as Art

I've always loved books, especially ones that could surprise and delight like the books I'd experienced as a child. As a storyteller and artist, I loved the notion that a person's understanding of a story could be deepened or somehow affected by a book's physical qualities, the idea that a book could be designed as a reflection of the very story it carries within. 

I wanted to create art in the form of a book.

The Craft of Bookmaking

Producing books of this calibre is an artisanal craft; many facets require a human touch. It is in those elements of handwork -- the stamping, the sewing, the bindery process itself -- that renders each book unique and its own work of art. While still made to exacting standards, by virtue of the process itself, no two books will be exactly alike.

Hand Finishing 

As an archivist and diarist, dates are important to me. I am especially interested in the meanings that we give to specific dates and how the cyclical nature of our yearly calendars allows for these dates to acquire layers of meanings over time. 

I wanted to communicate this through physical layering in the book and it is only possible to execute this idea by hand, one book at a time.