The Printer of Island Castle

In the printer's world ink is the ultimate judge: if she prints a poem of quality the ink stays fixed on the page. If the work is inferior, the ink disappears. Few poets can please the ink and the printer is resigned to producing pages that quickly become blank. Then she meets a poet who will not accept the judgment of the ink. At first the printer has only scorn for this poet. Then his relentless need to express himself draws her into his world and the printer may not come out of it the same. Or even whole. (This short story originally appeared in Space and Time magazine.)