References that struck out with students this week: Trogdor, “it’s a baby whale,” and phonebooks. Thing that did not strike out: comparing the apocalyptic mood of the late 15th century to our current times. (I swear, we talk about book history.)

A glimmer that keeps me going: Learning someone in my professional sphere is also quietly a poetry person. More of us could do to conclude long correspondence chains by sending relevant or seasonal poems.

Come work with me! We have really cool collections that are still growing! ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/614... #SpecialCollectionsJobs #RareBookCataloging

This scholar in his study got me pondering: who is the first living author in the west to appear in print? Many incunables are of medieval or classical texts, but who is the earliest living writer to see their works in print? Woodcut from Lyons in 1498. @theulspeccoll.bsky.social Inc.5.D.2.10[4435]

Applications due January 16th! Apply for research fellowships at Houghton Library! Work with collections including Printing & Graphic Arts! Bother me irl with your ideas, questions, and quandaries! (It’s not a bother.)

Come do research with Printing & Graphic Arts! library.harvard.edu/grants-fello...

Speechless.

I think about this almost everyday lately, rounding the age some of my mentors were. How busy they were, and in turn how generous their investments in my person were. How *young* they were to be looking out for me the ways they did.

Brb, I’m going where your email can’t find me. (My lunch break, roasting in the sun’s warmth for the first time since November)

Horologien, or: Time is a flat circle. Have some sundials.

Merry marmots to all who celebrate! blogs.loc.gov/folklife/202...

Take a moment, take heart, take what you need. From a class today titled Empire, Nation, and Immigration using 1968 Paris Protest posters from the Ludlow-Santo Domingo collection:

Today I drafted, “Hope is important, but since you’re asking, your e-mail finds me awash in a sea of nonsense,” before I thought better of it.

Reading one of the messiest fictional-character assassinations I’ve ever encountered in a book series/sequel on my lunch break. AMA (except the name of the book, ofc)

Teaching with amazing stuff today. (MS Typ 201) Tag yourself:

Exhibition selection week is vacillating between “Elmo against the backdrop of fire” and “Dog holding his coffee in a room on fire.” So here, have this picture of my chaotic table full of badass prints:

Bookish friends: Have you taken a papermaking intensive? Do you teach a papermaking course? Where might one begin to look for such a thing?

Today, I talked with students about asemic writing, which is a thing I learned about in grad school and can never remember the name of when I need to. Here, now you can look at this and always forget what it’s called, too:

Bookstores? Always a hit. The farmer’s market? Lovely. But there’s something about the vibe at the hardware store on Saturday… *chef’s kiss*

As per usual, seeking serious answers to silly questions: What is the printer’s equivalent of the cutting room floor? Is there a name for it?