Personal Geographies by Jill K. Berry

Greenwood Drive by Jane LaFazio

"When I was a little girl, I lived on Greenwood Drive. My whole world existed in about 5 square blocks. My best friend lived down the street, two doors down from the lady that handed out candy all year long, across the street from the mean man who yelled when I rode my bike on his lawn. The next door neighbor’s granddaughter would visit every year, and we’d string up tin can telephones to talk across the driveway. Burton Park was a few blocks where I’d wade in the children’s pool, play on the swings and attend birthday party picnics. Seems like every day an ice cream truck’s music alerted me to ask for dimes from my mom. Good memories of life on Greenwood Drive."

Jill K. Berry's new book "Personal Geographies"

Jill K. Berry has a brand new book!  Personal Geographies is really packed with every type of map imaginable. Some, look like real maps, until you take a closer look. Others are 3-dimensional or in a heart or body shape. Jill's a well-known book artist, and she's got some fold-out, booky maps too. She's got guest artists, so you see their take on the map theme, and how truly free wheeling it can be. Maps of experience, maps of places, maps of dreams, of possibilities.There are 21 (!) mixed media map projects in this book. And references to traditional and contemporary maps, and how they can inspire you. Plus, a gallery of maps from contributors. (Full disclosure, my map, Greenwood Drive, is on page 91)
Jill's wit is apparent through out the book. Her head map "My idea of a neighbor's day" with extra long eyelashes and a mouth that closes after 1500 calories.
At the same time, I'm wowed by her sensitively. There's another head map called "A Map, Perhaps, of Nancy" depicting how Jill imagines her friend's brain, after she'd suffered a stroke. So many maps, all different, ALL inspirational. Oh, and directions are included too!