Rare Book School 2009 Day 6 in C'ville and the Return Roadtrip

Final day of RBS...a sad thing, indeed. We made our last morning trip to Para Coffee with Chris and made it to our classes on time. We finished up photographic processes and reviewed our various soft-spots in the morning. After a quick lunch (Bodo Bagels, very good), we tood our Print Identification Humiliation...sorry...Test again. I did considerably better on Friday than I did on Monday. That said, what I really learned is a good sense of the depth and breadth of what I *do not know*. In the end, this is probably a very good take-away (that, and how grateful I am to know people who *really* know prints).

In the late afternoon, they opened the Notions Store and we picked up some interesting/fun things. Picked up an apron, some books and the like...the most fun was a full page of "A Study in Bibliography" in linotype (the last trade edition to be printed in linotype). Our various printing projects were hung during the wee wine & cheese gathering at the end of the day. Fun was had by all.

Following the wrap-up, we when to Heartwood Books. I tried to sate my sense of loss by buying books...as usual, it worked quite well. We picked up a number of interesting things...the most interesting one one being an early Time Magazine advertising "book" (double elephant folio...the "history of Time as told through heraldry"). Though the 18th century book on handwriting was a treat, too.

We left C'ville around at 730pm or so and made our way to Suzanne's parents' place in Annapolis. We left this morning with an arrival ETA (per Eva, our GPS) of 6pm...but traffic and two quick stops for gas brought us home at 930pm. A very long and painful drive is over. We are home safe and sound.

I can not recommend RBS highly enough. It was a remarkably great experience. I can't wait to go back. That said, if you do go, make certain you take it seriously and embrace it in all its elements. The "seriously" part is...er...serious, we had a student "expelled" for failing to attend class (having been warned that not attending would have consequences). The issue, of course, being that each space at RBS is competitive...there are always other students who *would be* in your place if you were not. Show up and learn.

I just attended one of Terry's classes in his last year as Director. I'm hoping to be able to return next year to take a class during Michael Suarez's first year as Director. Hope springs eternal.