smell words by ex libris odoratis

smell words by ex libris odoratis, seattle

Describing a smell is an act of imagination. Smell Words is a place to begin.

We lament that our vocabulary to describe scent is finite. Compared to the rich language we have for sight, sound, and touch, smell is sadly bereft. “The mute sense,” Diane Ackerman calls it. “The one without words.”

Our words for scent are stolen from other senses. We rely upon the language of flavor, texture, landscapes, and weather. We talk about smells as though they are art and music, or mood, or place. And so they are. 

Gathering 384 terms, the book offers new ways of speaking about olfaction and includes three scented blotters misted with limited-edition perfumes.

About Ex Libris Odoratis:

Ex Libris Odoratis is a small press dedicated to releasing limited-edition chapbooks, zines, and ephemera that celebrate our sense of smell. It was created in 2020 by Aubrey Gurtovenko and Noele Lusano, two scent enthusiasts living in Seattle, Washington.