An Abandoned Shack

Each individual, at one moment or more in his lifetime, has perhaps wondered, if a complete escape from the society that had fostered him might not be an answer to his problem of that moment. Few of us have the courage for such a step. There is the uncertainty that comes with setting out, all alone, on an unknown adventure. Worse, there is, in most of us, a fear of failure. Still worse is the fear that there can be no escape. If a man lives in one place long enough, his story may be told by the things that are left behind. – Todd Walker Todd Walker is perhaps best known for the many books he published through The Thumbprint Press, a private press he founded in the 1960s and under whose imprint he published limited-edition books until his death in 1998. The Story of an Abandoned Shack (1968) was one of Walker’s first such publications: a hand printed portfolio of loose sheets, only a few sets of which survived time and the elements. A short piece of fiction comprising 12 sentences and 13 photographs, this work was considered by the artist to be one of his most successful published pieces. We are pleased to make it available once again in book format, printed in an edition of 1,000 copies.