Cascadian Prophets (Interviews 1999-2023)
Client: Paul E. Nelson, Seattle, WA
Timeline: October-November 2023
Overview: Cascadian Prophets is the second volume of transcribed interviews drawn from the long-running history of the Cascadia Poetics LAB, conducted by found Paul E. Nelson and edited by poet Sharon Thesen. While the interviews themselves span the years 1999-2023, the collection emerges from a broader, decades-long cultural project rooted in the Cascadia bioregion.
The book brings together conversations with poets, artists, and thinkers whose work reflects the literary, geographic, and philosophical contours of Cascadia, offering scholars and readers a record of voices shaped by place, language, and sustained inquiry.
Design Approach: The cover design needed to convey both geographic scope and intellectual continuity. I created a hand-painted watercolor silhouette map of the Cascadia bioregion as the central visual element, using location markers to indicate the geographic distribution of interviewees across borders and regions.
Analog watercolor was paired with restrained, textured typography to balance clarity with material presence. The mixed media approach reflects the book’s dual nature as both archival record and living cultural document—founded in place, shaped over time, and held together through thoughtful structure rather than visual excess.
Additional Collateral: The book cover was featured as part of Cascadia Poetics LAB’s 30th anniversary print collateral, including a commemorative poster and accompanying bookmark. Both pieces incorporated the cover imagery to maintain visual continuity across the anniversary materials and highlight the publication with Cascadia Poetic LAB’s broader history.
Cascadian Prophets (Interviews 1999-2023), by Paul E. Nelson, full book jacket mock up