Anna, by Isaac Marion and Sarah Musi (2008) E

Date Read: 2.2.09
Book from: Personal collection
Reviewer: Emera

book anna

Anna is the wistful tale of a young ghost who falls in love with a human boy. When I first stumbled upon Isaac Marion‘s short fiction online, it was one of the stories that most enchanted both Kakaner and me. In 2008, Marion self-published a 50-edition print run of Anna, with illustrations by Sarah Musi.

I love the size and feel of the book, especially the old-fashioned font and heavily textured, off-white paper cover. There’s something very individual-feeling about self-published books, and with their slight imperfections, you somehow you get more of a sense of the author, and of the effort that went into making the book. Instead of it being A Copy of a Book, it’s A Book, if that makes any sense.

Musi’s ink illustrations are delicate, charming, and perfectly suit the feel of the story with their elegant, expressive minimalism. Her elongated forms, fine linework, and use of negative space struck me as being faintly Gorey-esque. The story unfolds simply and gracefully, with quiet gravity. The details of Anna’s existence as a ghost are particularly captivating: my favorite moment of the story might be when she sinks into a mountain, seeking the comfort of its solidity.

As of July 2009, about 25 copies of Anna are still available for sale on Marion’s site. You can also see previews of the text and art at the same link. I treasure my copy, so if you’re at all tempted, I would buy one while you still can.

Go to:

Isaac Marion
Isaac Marion’s fiction online
Warm Bodies, by Isaac Marion [E]
Warm Bodies, by Isaac Marion  [K]

5 thoughts on “Anna, by Isaac Marion and Sarah Musi (2008) E”

  1. Edward Gorey? Yea you’re crazy

    okay fine I’ll give you some credit. I think that same whimsical minimalism is there. I guess in order to really compare we’d have to get Musi to illustrate some of Gorey’s works.

  2. We’ve definitely talked about this before. :P Yeah, I’m not talking about the actual look of her art/characters, just the visual ambiance.

  3. Please could someone please tell me where I would find Anna, and The inside by isaac Marion please as I have been searching the web if some one could just give me a link or something please thanks for your time x

  4. Hi, I’m looking for a Sarah Musi who in the early 1980s has designed a record cover for a band named “First Planet” and who was lived in the UK at the time. I know, this is a long shot but if this is the same Sarah Musi or a relative, can you please contact me? My email address is “my first name” “at” “voodoofunk dot com”

    Thank You!

    Frank Gossner

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