I’ve discovered some awfully cheesy literature over the years, but Ben Denzer’s 20 Slices is the most original work. Composed of twenty slices of individually wrapped actual American cheese* pieces and bound in bright yellow covers, the “book” was published in a limited edition of ten copies by Catalog Press. The “author” also runs the publishing company, which has issued such literary classics as $200 In Order, a book of two hundred $1 notes in order of serial number, and Stamp Compositions, 3000 postage stamps without any text. Then there is the iconic work 200 Fortunes a bound book of two hundred actual Chinese restaurant cookie fortunes. If you’re interested, Denzer’s website reveals more about the art book publications.
* for readers outside of North America, American cheese is a pseudo-dairy product that has the texture of latex, the taste of rubber, and the nutritional value of cardboard.
Some people are so clever and this person also has a great sense of humour. I experienced American cheese at a café at Pearl Harbour, where it was liquid and squirted out of a big dispenser onto my hot dog. I never thought I’d ever eat squirty cheese. 🙂