Commune Diverge Shift Connect: Press Press’s Organizational Handbook

Sliding Scale: We encourage folks to pay what they can. If you are able to pay at a higher scale, this helps us keep cheaper options available for others. These books are handmade with a lot of love and care. A free PDF download of the book is also forthcoming. 

Commune Diverge Shift Connect: Press Press’s Organizational Handbook develops, collects, and shares emergent models and methodologies for collective work that aid in the efforts of cultural organizers. Co-published by Institute for Expanded Research and Press Press, the publication traces the relationships, projects, and historic events that have shaped Press Press since its founding in 2014. 

This incomplete and intimate archive of Press Press’s body of work includes case studies of past projects, conversations between core collective members, and interviews with Yellow Jackets Collective, Devin N. Morris, Cameron Shaw, among others. The publication also includes Toolkit for Cooperative, Collective, & Collaborative Cultural Work, a guide for collective processes that centers the insights and learnings of Press Press’s community members.

Commune was produced through a close collaboration between Press Press and Institute for Expanded Research throughout 2019 - 2024. During this time, we, the makers of this publication and our communities, underwent multiple significant transformations that deeply impacted what this project has become. Ultimately, Commune attempts to reflect the shifts, incongruencies, ambivalences, and messiness of our collective practices, while honoring all those who have brought Press Press into being. 

The making of Commune was guided by Press Press core collective members, Vale Cabezas, Kimi Hanauer, Lo, and Bilphena Yahwon, in collaboration with Lu Zhang, artist and founder of Institute for Expanded Research. Designed by Sonnenzimmer, the publication is composed of four perfect-bound books gathered in a varied edition of handmade letterpress printed slipcases. 

For libraries, museums, archives, and other institutions: If interested, please reach out to presspresspublishing@gmail.com for institutional sales. We are excited to work with libraries, archives, museums, and other institutions to make our work accessible. However, all sales on Phila Print are priced at a discounted rate for individual buyers only. Please contact us directly to initiate this process. Thank you for your interest and support. 

Contact info: 

Press Press: @press_press_bmore / www.presspress.info / presspresspublishing@gmail.com 

Institute for Expanded Research: @expanded_research / www.expandedresearch.org