Meet the maker… Jennifer Anna Rich of Poustinia Press! We have long been admirers of her beautiful letterpressed products and thoughtful, intentional sharing on social media, and this interview was a lovely way to get to know her better. You can find a selection of the prayer cards she creates here and here in our Marketplace, and her book and more are available at her Etsy shop.
hi there, i'm jennifer anna rich of poustinia press, a small private press set on our small farm near portland, oregon.
here we tend to horses, sheep, chickens, dogs, cats, fruits and vegetables.
we give thanks for the delicious kale, strawberries and lamb chops, and i make parchment from the skins of our saint croix sheep skins.
at poustinia press i print letterpress prayer cards and bind prayer books, as time allows.
in 2019 i authored a book called 'prayer spa: ancient treatments for the modern soul', published by paraclete press.
as an extension of that work, i lead prayer spa pilgrimages to places like hawaii and greece, with daily gatherings for prayer, stillness, watercolor journaling, and daily talks by beloved author, frederica mathewes-green. we belong to a beautiful greek orthodox parish here, st. john the baptist.
during the week i oversee oblation papers & press with my husband, which we founded over 30 years ago.
it is a papermaking studio, letterpress print shop and stationery store in portland's pearl district.
What is your go-to drink at your favorite coffee shop?
occasionally i treat myself to the creamy taste and pale green color of a matcha latte.
years ago i bribed myself to love green tea, with a little bit of honey on my tongue, a little bit of honey in my tea... now i like it plain, as a cup of antioxidants each morning to accompany my morning prayers.
What are you currently reading?
well, we just traveled to nashville to get an australian shepherd puppy (with a tail!), so i have been pouring over 'the art of raising a puppy' by the orthodox monks of new skete.
great practical ways of approaching dog/wolf psychology, while expanding my appreciation of God's creation, in this new relationship with our little ruby.
Who is your patron saint, and is that a meaningful person in your life?
saint anna, the mother of the theotokos, is my saint.
i love her patience and affection for her husband, and honoring her craft: an early weaver of fine cloth.
How did you get started doing what you do now?
ron and i started making paper on our month-long honeymoon on the oregon coast ... tossing sea pods and grasses into a blender, then offering the rough handmade papers at the eugene saturday market. a few years later, in 1994, we bought our first letterpress and learned how to print from an old printer's manual. some years ago, for my 50th birthday, i jumped in my car and headed to telluride, colorado, to learn bookbinding for my next chapter.
What is your favorite part of what you do?
i love being in my quiet studio, printing prayer cards and praying the jesus prayer to the rhythm of the press.
What do you try to communicate with your art & work?
i do love being quiet in prayer, and having a way to share the beauty of simply being with God through the time-honored prayers of our ancient church.
i hope my prayer cards and prayer books will be a useful tool to move people toward closer connection with their Creator.
What is your favorite project that you have completed?
my first parchment prayer book was very rustic, with many pages printed slightly unevenly.
but my parish chose to offer it as a gift to our metropolitan, gerasimos.
this was such an honor for me to be able to give, and to let go.
What is your dream project for the future?
i would love to make a letterpress prayer book of occasional prayers.
this was my first idea, when i was pregnant with my first daughter, 25 years ago!
but such a huge project, and open-ended.
still, nice to have a dream project in my back pocket.
