We here at Transient Books are very saddened to announce the passing of Judith Havas on February 15, 2017 in Salem, Oregon (USA). If you ordered from us anytime since we began in 2001 up until February 2016 when Judith, my mother, was diagnosed with leukemia, hers were the hands that put your package in the mail from Salem.
(Mom and me back in 2001, in Icho Cruz, Prov. de Cordoba, Argentina--working out the details.)
Mom loved Transient Books. She loved the packages, the details, the crazy dream come true: custom handmade books created by her daughter and son-in-law in Argentina and then shipped to clients all over the planet, via her home base in Oregon, USA. We had to work a lot of glitches out of the system along the way! Mom, of course, was in the front row every time, cheering the loudest, offering up creative solutions.
(Mom working on a shipment of books from her den in Salem, with her US granddaughter Olivia. Always, a family affair.)
We were very fortunate that Mom could come visit us each year in Argentina. (Photo: 2012)
We always had our priorities straight on those visits. Swings:
Books:
On her last visit in October 2015, she even wanted to sew copies of The Janos Letter--branching out from her usual favorite task which was rolling up thread and organizing ribbons:
She loved the clothes line most of all:
So much so that during her last year, portraits of the clothesline and its view continued to be a favorite for her:
Transient Books, from the very beginning, was made possible because of Mom's unfaltering faith and support. Because she said: of course this is possible. And so we believed it, too. We miss her infinitely.
Mom and Magu, at her favorite coffee shop in Salem, Oregon. January 4, 2017.
In parting, we leave you with a special Transient Books production. Mom was diagnosed in February 2016. One of her requests soon after was that we send a recording of her favorite lullaby from down here. Because Magu's recording studio is part of the binding studio, it was an honor for Transient Books to be able to create this video for her.
