Book Design
Old Growth
This book started with a single conversation. In May 2025, poet Maggie Olszewski reached out to Cassie Premo Steele with an idea — a book that could offer something positive in response to the budget cuts and uncertainty facing the National Park Service. The concept grew into a full anthology: more than 60 contributors from across the United States, including poets, essayists, photographers, painters, musicians, and hybrid artists, all creating work inspired by the unique history and ecology of Congaree.
Published by Liberation Is Lit with 100% of proceeds going to Friends of Congaree Swamp, the book launched on April 30, 2026 to over 150 people at One Columbia for Arts and Culture in Columbia, South Carolina.
I came on as lead designer and joined the Congaree Anthology Team early in the process. My role covered the full visual scope of the project: book layout, typography, photography, and the brand identity for both the team and the book itself. Every piece of this mission fell into place at the right moment in time. It was a dream design project that I will cherish forever.
An Anthology Inspired by
Congaree National Park
Initial Logo Designs
The Book Moodboard
The moodboard referenced nature books and field guides, prioritizing negative space and a clear typographic hierarchy that could flex across poetry, essays, photography, and mixed media without losing consistency. The color palette draws directly from Congaree, with enough range to maintain contrast and variety across 126 pages. The design intent was twofold: to create something meaningful for the contributors and to produce a book compelling enough to pull in someone who knows little about the park. The result needed to function as both a celebration for those who already love Congaree and a coffee table book worth picking up.
On April 30, 2026…
After a year of work, we gave birth to something we are really proud of. Old Growth arrived as a 126 page hardcover, full color book filled with poetry, essays, photography, painting, collage, fiction, and hybrid art from over 60 contributors across the United States. On April 30, 2026, we celebrated the launch in Columbia, South Carolina with over 150 people who came out to share in the moment. It made local news and has since found its way into hands far beyond the Carolinas. Every copy sold goes directly to Friends of Congaree Swamp.
