Three Papery Updates

Hello, dear readers! Wrapping up my graduate degree has been an incredible time suck with incredible rewards. I’m back now, and to start I will give a few updates about what’s to come for me in my paper journeys and for this blog.

One of the graduating seniors made me a paper crane from the program. Maybe you can spot it in my tassel!

1) Have any of you heard of (or attended a course through) the Rare Book School? For those of you haven’t:

The Rare Book School (RBS) “provides continuing-education opportunities for students from all disciplines and levels to study the history of written, printed and digital materials with leading scholars and professionals in the field.” The school offers nearly 30, five-day, non-credit courses each year “on topics concerning old and rare books, manuscripts, and special collections. The majority of courses take place in Charlottesville, but courses are also offered in New York City, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Bloomington, New Haven, and Washington, DC”

And. . .I’M GOING!

I applied and won the Fath Scholarship for Artists and Artisans of the Book, a scholarship specifically for people who engage in hands-on work with printed artifacts. The scholarship covers the costs associated with attending a course of my choice and, for me, the choice was a no-brainer. From June 14-19 I will be at Timothy Barrett and John Bidwell’s course, The History and European and American Papermaking. Timothy Barrett is a paper research scientist at the University of Iowa and the author of Japanese Papermaking: Traditions, Tools and Techniques (1983). John Bidwell is a paper historian and the Astor Curator of Printed Books and Bindings at the Morgan Library and Museum. I’m looking forward to a week of geeking out with other paper lovers, learning from these two men, and sharing that wealth of knowledge with you!

2) On my drive down to the RBS course I will be stopping in McLean, VA to meet and chat with the fine folks behind the new paper check-off campaign. Like other commodity check-off programs (e.g. ‘Pork, The Other White Meat’ or ‘Got Milk?’) the paper check-off is an industry backed initiative run under the US Department of Agriculture designed to promote and increase consumer appreciation for a commodity, in this case paper and paper-based packaging. I’ll be posting about my interactions with them – I’m especially curious about what the catchy tagline will be. Any ideas?

3) Finally FYI- a head’s up, a justso-yaknow – I am resuming a regular posting schedule and Tuesdays are the day. You wake up in the morning, Monday in the bag and the rest of the workweek ahead of you – I hope it will cheer you to know you have some fun new paper stuff to read about, watch, or listen to on The Fiber Wire! Also, there will be a sprinkling of longer posts here and there (interviews and the like) so make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a single one!

Glad to be back! ❤