A self-described “humble negro printer,” Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr., is internationally recognized for his type-driven messages of social justice and Black power, emblazoned in rhythmically layered and boldly inked prints made for the masses. Borrowing words from civil rights heroes such as Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, Frederick Douglass, and Sojourner Truth, Kennedy issues fearless statements on race, capitalism, history, and politics—along with plenty of witty truisms—in his exuberant, colorful, and one-of-a-kind posters and handbills.
A vital monograph on a trailblazing contemporary Black artist, Citizen Printer features more than 800 reproductions representing the breadth of Kennedy’s letterpress prints (including rarely seen artist’s books), plus original portraiture of the maker at work, a powerful manifesto, and a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Austin Kleon, all presented in a dynamic and type-forward design from AIGA medalist Gail Anderson and Joe Newton.
With essays by scholars Kelly Walters and Myron M. Beasley, Citizen Printer tells Kennedy’s inspiring story and contextualizes his work within the entwined legacies of Black printing and Black protest—and offers readers tools for lifting their voices so they too can agitate, agitate, agitate for a better TODAY.
About Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr.
Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr., was working a corporate job when, at nearly forty, he discovered the art of letterpress printing on a tour of Colonial Williamsburg. Kennedy then devoted himself to the craft, earning an MFA in graphic design at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He now operates Kennedy Prints!, a letterpress printshop in Detroit. He has been featured in outlets like Hyperallergic, the New York Times, and the Economist, and he has exhibited in dozens of museums and galleries across the United States, including Poster House, the Brooklyn Public Library, the Library of Congress, and the libraries of the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Pagethrough
Contents
Foreword Austin Kleon • 11
My Manifesto Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. • 12
Lessons from the School of Bad Printing Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. • 17
ESSAYS • 40
Incorrigible Disturber of the Peace! Ink & Equity! Myron M. Beasley • 43
Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr., & the Legacy of Black Printing in American Kelly Walters • 58
SOCIAL JUSTICE • 83
SHARED WISDOM • 172
COMMUNITY • 241
Notes • 284
Index • 285
Credits • 288
Acknowledgements • 289
Praise
“Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr., is not only one of the country’s most gifted and prolific printmakers but also a major historian and theorist of print as democratic art. Like an antislavery broadsheet or country almanack, Citizen Printer is an overflowing compendium of biography and philosophy, jokes and arguments, sage advice and visionary manifestos. While ample reproductions showcase work from across Kennedy’s storied career, the essays and book design activate the joy of printing as a social experience. Readers will discover the meaning of citizenship in the grain of paper, the viscosity of ink, the weight of type.”
— Chris Dingwall, Assistant Professor of Design History, Washington University in St. LouisAmos Kennedy, Jr. is both a poet and printer. For Amos, language functions as action, and he has spent a career making words move.... [A] vital and timely monograph, Citizen Printer features more than 800 reproductions representing the breadth of Kennedy’s letterpress works. At a time of global social and political upheavals and conflicts, an artist dedicated to making art accessible and available to all isn’t just an essential practice but one of the important acts of resistance we have.
— Juxtapoz
Details
| Publisher | Letterform Archive |
| Publication date | September 17, 2024 |
| ISBN | 978-1-7368633-8-1 |
| Size | 9 × 12 inches |
| Printing | 4 colors throughout |
| Pages | 292 |
| Format | Hardcover |
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“Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr.: Citizen Printer” Runs June 29, 2024 – January 2025
Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. on Tour!
Get a chance to meet Amos as he travels the country over the next few months. More dates and details to come. Join our email list for updates.
| Sep 19, 2024 | Online | Print Book Club | Online interview |
| Sep 19, 2024 | Richmond, VA | Shop Two Three | Pop-up print sale |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Richmond, VA | Shop Two Three | Talk and book signing |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Detroit, MI | Source Books | Book signing |
| Sep 29, 2024 | Oak Park, MI | The Book Beat | Book signing |
| Oct 10, 2024 | Detroit, MI | Next Chapter | Print your own card with Amos |
| Oct 22, 2024 | North Adams, MA | MCLA | Print meet & greet |
| Oct 23, 2024 | North Adams, MA | MCLA | Talk |
| Oct 24, 2024 | North Adams, MA | Mass MoCA | Conversation & book signing |
| Nov 9, 2024 | San Francisco, CA | SF Center for the Book | Letterpress workshop |
| Nov 10, 2024 | San Francisco, CA | SF Center for the Book | Letterpress workshop |
| Nov 11, 2024 | San Francisco, CA | Letterform Archive | Exhibition tour & book signing (details soon) |
| Nov 12, 2024 | San Francisco, CA | SFPL Main Public Library | Conversation with publisher Lucie Parker |
| Nov 14, 2024 | Portland, OR | Portland State University | Conversation & book signing |
| Nov 16, 2024 | Pasadena, CA | Art Center | Conversation & book signing |
| Nov 16–17, 2024 | Pasadena, CA | Art Center | Letterpress workshop |
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