The 12
by Dave Paddon
with illustrations by Duncan Major
Consider, my friends, if you will for a bit,
A debate in which you will have to admit
Disagreements about and tempers get frayed –
What’s the greatest invention that ever was made?
– from The 12
Dave Paddon celebrates the greatest invention that ever was made in this riotously funny recitation. It’s a paean to a snowmobile, unlike any you’ll have heard before. Unless, that is, you’ve caught one of Dave’s wonderful performances, with his typical élan, of this fabulous piece. Like the machine that it immortalizes, this recitation is pure gold, and has been eagerly awaited by Paddon’s growing retinue of fans. The chapbook includes original linocut illustrations by Duncan Major.
The text papers were Velké Losiny Moravia, handmade in Czechoslovakia; the endpapers are Uwa Senka, and the cover papers are specially made Bombardier-yellow Canal paper from St.-Armand in Montréal.
The text was set by hand in Fournier with the kind help of Christopher Howse, and letterpress printed in an edition of 400. Presswork, rubberstamping, hand-tinting, and binding were completed at Running the Goat Press.
Reprinted February 2016.
Check out the great video below of Dave giving the recitation; used with the kind permission of director Riel Warrilow.
