Concealed view: the front read.

Revealed view: the back read.

Watergate Coverups is a book that invites its reader to look a little closer, to become curious and to discover a deeper read that what appears to be a surface read. The red side, which is clearly doctored up with black binding tape, tells the covered-up version of the story of the Watergate scandal. This reading is vague, fragmented, and mentions few names or specific facts related to the case.

The clear doctoring of the spreads invites the reader to become curious enough to peak beneath the red acetate covers of each page. When the red layer is lifted, the second read –the back read– is revealed. This second read is complete with facts, names and conspiracy theories. In addition to the full story each verso page has a word and its definition which cast a judgemental reading on the spread. Each definition is linked to the one that precedes it. This helps to build a forward momentum in the reading of this version of the story.

[developed in the class, Concrete Books, with Tom Ockerse]