West Fork

So it's called the 20th Edition Speedball Textbook for Pen and Brush Lettering.

Um, so up here we have a hand-painted sign from a local sign painter down in, I want to say, West Fork.

And, um, as I was putting books in the shelves, I saw this, and at first I thought it was kind of maybe something to throw out, but then I opened it up and saw the really interesting, um, lettering designs.

And whenever I showed this to the sign painter, he was like, "Oh, yeah, that is, uh, the very first book that I got to learn how to do sign painting, was this one right here that you're holding, and that was in the '70s in Detroit." And I was like, "Okay, so this is, like- A, um, a relic of a craft that is kind of dying, unfortunately.

Like, we printed it with Kudzu Books.

They have a operation in West Fork, and, like, every single issue that we printed in this first batch was stapled by hand.

[laughs] Like, you know? I was pretty intent on that being the case even after so many people were like, "Well, you just need to start, you need to charge X amount for each issue from the start." And I was like, "I don't want to," and we haven't.

So [laughs] that's what's happening now, and I don't know what the future's gonna hold, but I hope that we can continue to sort of produce this and get it in the hands of people to connect and, and create space to create together.

Yeah.

People say, "Man, don't speak through West Fork." And I'm like, "Speaking of West Fork-

[laughs]

... do you know Clay Newcomb?" Something.

When Arkansans go to the polls this November, they will see races like governor, U.S. Senate, and secretary of state.

Some will see local issues on their ballot, like voters in West Fork and Winslow who will be voting to allow alcohol sales in their towns.

But there are four issues that all Arkansans will see on their ballot.

Kristen Netterstrom-Higgins is a program associate with the Public Policy Center at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.