Third Print Bombing and Upcoming Zine Release

In another visit to that undisclosed West Philly location, Book Bombs printed the third print in our series this past weekend. Watch for us this First Friday as we once again bomb the city. This time, we will target areas in and around Rittenhouse Square, Louis Kahn Park, and Christ Church Park.


A preview of the print, printed on paper made from mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris).

In addition, stay tuned for the Book Bombs culmination - the zine bombings towards the end of this month! And join us at Nexus Foundation for Today's Art, located in the Crane Arts building at 1400 North American Street, from 6-9 PM on March 26 for our zine release party! While there, you can also check out numerous other Philagrafika exhibitions and events.

Thanks to Rebecca Gilbert and Nexus for this opportunity for Book Bombs.

Mugwort Paper (Part 2)

To make mugwort paper, we first cooked the stems in soda ash (see above). While they were cooking, a load of abaca was beaten. At the end of the beating, the cooked fibers were well rinsed and then added to the load. Below, Mary forms a sheet.

Below, the results of the paper when dried:

Mugwort Paper

Mugwort-abaca paper.

Michelle lets a freshly made sheet drain.

Mugwort Harvest

Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris) is a common invasive weed that is found alongside roads and in abandoned lots. It is one of the most prolific weeds found in unmaintained spaces in North Philadelphia.


Mugwort has a number of uses, including Chinese medicine. However, most notably for Book Bombs, its stems can be made into paper. This plant was harvested in order to make the paper for some of the prints that will be part of the Book Bombs series. Through this, imagery and the paper itself will combine to tell a narrative of the cityscape, both its manicured and neglected spaces.

The stems will be stripped of leaves and roots, and all materials that cannot be made into paper will be composted.