Curators of Fine Words since 1976... or 2016.

In May of 1976, Hiram "Hi" Kerlin and his assistant Hattie Pilcrow ran up 500 copies of a pamphlet entitled "The Energy of Significance" by a young chemist named Patrick Lemorder to be distributed at bicentennial celebrations. This mostly-forgotten article argued that significant events generate their own elemental force, akin to a planet's gravity. Although Lemorder would go on to greater successes outside of theoretical physics (although perhaps you could better describe the work as philosophy), a handsome, hand-bound copy found its way into the hands of a young Harry Hardiner as he and his family visited Atlanta on Independence Day, and the idea so profoundly affected the writer that, later in life, he hunted down those who helped disseminate the message, the now-married Hi and Hattie Kerlin, to exclusively print and distribute his works in small batches. 

This first booklet, its single signature sewn with lime green thread, marked the first official venture of Pinkum Press. Kerlin incorporated in September 1976 and began limited-run hand-bound prints of significant southern writers. By 1982, Kerlin's trade had predominantly moved to university printing: dissertations, poetry chapbooks, and vanity projects made up the bulk of his product. Eventually, demand for Pinkum services dipped, until 1991, when the Kerlins came dangerously close to selling their equipment and moving to Florida. In fact, they had papers drawn up to buy a house in Key West when, as the story goes, Harry Hardiner knocked on their door with an original copy of "The Energy of Significance", and asked the Kerlins if he could buy their services... indefinitely. 

Thus began a printing relationship that would last until the author's disappearance in 1999; for a short while into the new millennium, Pinkum Press honored requests to reprint Hardiner's works in limited hand-bound editions, and the income this generated for the Kerlins fueled several good real estate investments that, unfortunately, turned not so good just a few years later.

Facing bankruptcy proceedings, Hi and Hattie Kerlin liquidated their assets, dissolving Pinkum Press and divesting themselves of all their printing equipment, in January 2011. For all intents and purposes, Pinkum Press, a small publisher of no great renown but of enormous significance to its initiates and scattered fans for over 30 years, had died.

Until 2016.

After a 5 year hiatus, Pinkum Press is back. We are under new management—and at the moment, we are unable to process requests for handbound books. Pinkum Press has left Atlanta and gone digital! Printing physical copies will temporarily be outsourced to 3rd-party on-demand print shops, and ordering information will be highlighted when it becomes available.

Currently, rights to Pinkum Press's entire pre-2011 catalogue are tied up in litigation or have been ceded back to the original rightholders—so you'll notice the only author featured in our store is David Silvester. We hope to expand our offerings in the near future. Until our selection grows, we will remain here at DavidSilvester.com as a welcome guest.

Here at the new Pinkum Press, we don't want to replace or lessen the memory of the Kerlin establishment, but only wish to continue their mission as curators of fine words. To that end, below you'll find a link to a few words with the original owners of Pinkum Press, Hi and Hattie Kerlin. The linked interview has been edited for length and clarity.