Ben Pease began laying out books in 2009 when he put together an issue for the writing workshop he taught at Common Ground’s (now Breaking Ground) Prince George, an early 20th-century hotel converted to affordable housing for low-income and formerly homeless adults. He soon after began designing covers and interiors for Monk Books, doing both for a reprint of Bernadette Mayer’s The Formal Field of Kissing. When Monk began publishing full-length collections, Pease continued to layout the books, forging a close relationship with the authors to ensure that their original vision was represented in the printed matter. Pease is currently the book designer for factory hollow press, Sistrum Books, and the Ruth Stone House.