Michael Suarez's Response at the homage to Terry Belenger

At the end of the RBMS weekend in June there was a "Farewell Reception and Dinner" for Terry Belenger, the founder and driving force behind Rare Book School. A professor at UVA and Honarary Curator of Special Collections (and 2005 MacArthur fellow), Terry is force of nature...and we are all better for it. I had only met Terry once or twice prior to taking my RBS class last week, but had heard many stories from many people...to a one with love and perhaps a touch of awe.

Many people spoke at the reception, all have known and loved Terry for years and it showed in their words. The one that struck me, however, was the last. Michael Suarez will be the new Director of Rare Book School when Terry hands over the reigns. His was one of the best such I've heard in a very long time. I emailed him to ask if I could have a copy of his speech and was told that he had no written text for them...I think you'll agree that they were not bad for extemporaneous comments. He told me that they were recorded and would be transcribed...I received a copy of the proceedings as a Keepsake. I have included the full text of his words below, because I think they are wonderful. I look forward to seeing how RBS evolves and grows during his tenure.

Please note, in honor of Terry's "retirement", RBS has created the "Directors Scholarship Fund", its goal being to raise $30,000...to date, contributions exceed $113,000. This fund will be exclusively used to fund scholarships for students who might not otherwise be able to attend. If you have not already done so, I strongly encourage you to contribute (see the link above)...if you have already given, you might consider giving again, just on principle. Also, "In Praise of Rare Book School, including the full text off all the speakers at Terry's event and a nice history of RBS, can be had at the RBS Store (you'll have to ask for it, as it does not appear to be listed online...$5/copy).

The following is the full text of Michael Suarez's comments. Enjoy.

Thank you very much indeed. I can't tell you what a privilege and pleasure it is to be here. I'm very moved by the testimonials we've all be listening to.

Tonight we've heard many memories: important memories of relationships built over many years. And as I was sitting here, I was thinking about a moment a long, long time ago, when a noble king had a true humanist teacher. And Charlemangne one day asked Alcuin, "What is memory really like? To what could memory be compared? How can I as the leader of a great nation, train and understand the art of my own mind?"

Great humanist that he was, Alcuin took a deep breath and thought, and then he said to the king, "You must understand this. Memory is not like anything at all except for a great library, and everyone has this great library in his mind, in her mind. A great nation has this library even more so. And as leader of the people, you must know that even as memory is a library, so too are libraries memory. They are the precious repository of the past."

Sitting there tonight in the front row - as I was told to do! - I asked myself, to what book in the great world library might we compare this night? To what book is the great world library might we compare Rare Book School and Terry Belanger himself? It seems to me that the most appropriate book of all would be that classic by Erasmus of Rotterdam, In Praise of Folly.

Mr. Belanger, I accuse you - as many doubtless have before - of tremendous and unbridled folly. The folly of founding the Book Arts Press. The folly of starting Rare Book School. The folly, after being crushed by an uncomprehending administration, of starting everything all over again. The folly of collecting 200 lithographic stones and copper plates. The folly of sending out those Valentines! What are they for? Can someone explain? The folly of producing the biggest library address book in the entire world. The folly of evening after evening "Terrorizing!"

Terry Belenger: I accuse you - and I praise you for your folly. You are a fool for books. You are a fool for libraries. You are a fool for collectors and collecting. Terry Belenger is a fool for the enterprise that has been his life. But much more, more than all this, the man who sits before you is a fool for you.

I am a poetry teacher, and I love to teach my students figurae verborum, the classic figures of rhetoric. And when I get to the figure of oxymoron, I explain by saying, "Well, come on, you know, jumbo shrimp! military intelligence! humble Jesuit!"

Yet, I stand before you this evening deeply honored and deeply, deeply humbled to receive this great commission - to carry on, to deepen, and to extend the work of the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia, that has already been so supportive and so generous.

Ladies and gentlemen, the wisdom of the wise is pure folly, but the foolishness of the foolish man turns out to be true wisdom and grace.

A random selection of Terry Belanger quotations from class

One of the many pleasing elements of RBS was Terry's occasional quotations (his and others). Here are a smattering:

"The more you know, the less you say."

"If you can't figure it out, the trolls did it."

"The difference between the original and a reproduction is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."

"The good is the enemy of the best."

"What I know is knowledge, what I don't know is not knowledge." (quoting an Oxford don).

"I've been rich and I've been poor, rich is better." (quoting Sophie Tucker)

MEGO - "My Eyes Glaze Over"

"You can read it, can't you."

"Those who do not read put themselves at the same competitive disadvantage as those who cannot read." (quoting Mark Twain)

"I do not have time to debate whether William Shakespeare wrote the plays accredited to him or whether they were written by another man named William Shakespeare." (quoting another)

"Bibliography is not for sissies."

"The world's best woodcuts printed side to side with the world's worst halftones." (re mechanical digest (title tbd))

"One chorus girl is 100 times more interesting than 100 chorus girls." (quoting Peter Ustinov (quoting another))

"Anyone who would letterspace blackletter would steal sheep." (quoting Goudy)

"When the clock strikes 13, it casts doubt on the other 12."

I look forward to collecting more in future classes.

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.

Rare Book School 2009 Day 5 in C'ville

Another amazing day at RBS. Started as usual at our lovely inn with a great breakfast (blueberry pancakes, bacon, etc). A quick stop at Para for coffee and we were back in the room discussing color photo techniques.

We spent the morning discussing and looking at aquatints, chromo-lithos, separation (thank you, Gaylord, for your examples from Farmers). [One color=tinted; two or more color/chromo]. When in doubt about how a technique can possibly be done, remember that it might well just be trolls doing it...

"Bibliography is not for sissies." T. Belanger

"Those who do not read put themselves at the same competitive

disadvantage as those who can not read." M. Twain.

Trivia: TB told us "All the Nat. advocates for pulping of newspapers after "scanning" were *all* ex-CIA." Unclear if this is true, but Terry gave the scouts honor sign...it must therefor be true...

We had our final lab, printing the cuts we've been working on. It worked quite well...I'll be posting images of my output later (proof-positive that I am not an artist...or even a copier...).

Lunch was exceptional. Revolutionary Soup should not be missed by anyone coming to Charlottesville. The lunch was great, nice sandwich and *amazing* Spicy Senegalese Peanut Tofu soup. The best, however, was in the Men's Room (how often do you here than?!?). I've included an image, but it is hard to read. On the wall, next to the sink, it read, "Employees Must Wash Thier Hands Before Returning to Work". However, light pen has crossed out "Employees" and written "Petit Bourgeois Labor" above. This, in turn, has been corrected, "Lumpen Proletariat, actually" to the side. Very nice.

Bookseller's night was good fun. Stopped by several shops and met some nice dealers. Did not find anything for us, but some of our group did. Back in for the evening. Resting up for the last day. Very sad that it is almost over...

Rare Book School 2009 Day 4 in C'ville

Another great day in C'ville. Today started with another great breakfast at the Inn (the peppered bacon is possibly the best I've had). Walked up with Chris Lowenstein with the usual stop at Para Coffee on the way to class.

Wrapped up steel engraving this morning (basically, steel plates are engraving with either mezzotint or stipple). The most interesting element is that the ability to engrave steel has effectively been lost as a craft...far easier to work in copper and then coat with (one molecule) of steel. Far easier and longer lasting... Work by Sartain is remarkable. Must find myself a copy of The Ironworker.

Mattoir-A very cool tool used for stippling.

"MEGO"-My Eyes Glaze Over.

RBS moto: "You can read it, can't you?"

Moved on to Lithography. "Mother stones" are used to "save" images (often broken large stones used). Daughter stones used for printing. Very uncommon to find daughter stones with retained image as they are easily cleaned and reused...those that remain tend to remain by accident or serendipity. We were given Necco wafers to "wear" until they split as a means to understand wear and death of daughter stones....

First lithos began circe 1805...common by 1820...started seeing using in the US in the late teens. Intaglio and lithography fight it out for a while (text still dominantly letterpress)...tipping point around 1870 (pre=engraving; post=lithography).

Spent our afternoon lab etching plates. I'll post the results later. Shockingly, it actually worked and the output was not shockingly horrible (admittedly, nor was it good ). Hard to fail to understand the complexities of a process when you actually give it a try (even at a very simple level. We etched zinc plates in nitric acid at a rather high concentration with dip and rinse. A steel plate might take dozens (and dozens) of cycles...amazing craft.

Then moved on to COLOR. Saw an amazing example of "art" color litho...with separation that required 22 unique stones to create the final image. Amazing. More on color tomorrow...

Spent the evening finishing up the detail work on my linocut for tomorrows lab. I really can't recommend this program highly enough...both Suz and I have had a great time, learned a great deal and had great fun with our classmates.

Rare Book School 2009 Day 3 in C'ville

Another great day in C'ville. Spent today looking at various engravings and etchings (copper, steel, etc) and learning about technique and implications. We had a lab in the afternoon where we did dry-point etchings, inked and printed them. Suffice it to say, you can talk about inking a plate and cleaning it for printing....and then you can do it and *understand* what it means. Very cool.

Useful notes:

Mezzotint: Black islands in a white sea.

Aquatint: White islands in a black sea. (also stipple)

Copper plate: approx. 1500 prints at the very most.

Steel plate: approx. 100,000

Steel over copper (1 molecule thick): effectively unlimited as when it wears, you can remove the steel and reapply it.

"A stipple engraver is an etcher."

"Common sense in direct conflict with good taste."

"The good is the enemy of the best."

"You can have Good, Fast, or Cheap in any combo of TWO...but only TWO."

And my favorite: "The difference between an original and a reproduction is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."

Highlight: We handled the original plates for the hand-painted aquatint edition of Oliver Twist.

We lost power in early afternoon...exciting in a classroom effectively underground. We continued on thanks to our very cool Zemco lights (see image in prior post). We had a nice tour of the Albert Small Special Collections and Movie Night in the evening.

I finished the evening at a wonderful Mediterranean bistro with five lovely and brilliant biblio-women. Had a great meal, a very good beer (Arrogant Bastard Ale) and outstanding company. It was a great day and wonderful evening. Can't wait until tomorrow.

Rare Book School 2009 Day 2 in C'ville

Our first full day at RBS started with a wonderful breakfast at our inn. While they generally do not start breakfast until 8am, they were ready to serve those of us attending RBS at 740 so we could make it by our 830 start. Breakfast included a pesto and prosciutto strata, fresh melon, apple crumble muffin and peppered bacon. What a great day to start the day.

The class is just great and I can, after one day, not recommend it highly enough to anyone so inclined. The class is small (12), the instructor brilliant (Terry Belanger) and the subject matter extremely interesting. Getting to handle examples of everything while discussing it is great. Being handed blocks and tools and told we have three days to carve the block should be interesting...if not "good".

The day ended with a wonderful presentation by Stephen Greenberg of special collections at the National Library of Medicine. He spoke of treasures and exhibits at NHL, like Turning the Pages Online (allowing the examination of selections from their collections); the wonderful exhibit "Harry Potter's World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine" and, the famed Disney, ADA project, "Clara Cleans Her Teeth". It was good fun and very interesting.

Dinner with friends. About to start carving my block (image, at some point, to follow). What a great day.

Rare Book School 2009 Day 1 in C'ville

Day one has been great fun. We made it down to Poplar Forest at about 1015 and spend a few hours there. We took the tour and then explored the grounds. It is a remarkable house and, in many ways much "nicer" than Mont. (that is, it is livable and a rational scale). If the universe treats us right, we will rebuilt it one day as our home. Hope springs eternal.

I've included images that show a tulip poplar (apparently among the tallest trees in North America) from the north porch (front) of the house (showing the circular brick columns). The image of the south of the building shows the sunken garden...if you look closely, you can see the triple hung windows at the rear. The last Poplar image shows one of the

two brick privies (octagon, even).

The last three images show sites from UVA and/or RBS. The Rotunda in the background during our tour of campus (Suzanne and Chris are in the center). E.A. Poe's room on The Lawn. Terry Belanger offering us a welcome and an overview of RBS.

Lovely reception, yummy dinner of cold salads (lovely, as it is hot and humid...my favorite). We start bright and early tomorrow at 830 am. more to follow.

En route to Rare Book School...

We have made it safely to the DC area. It was a long drive, about 10 hours. A bit of rain and an amazing electrical storm...bolts ripping the sky apart for half an hour or so. We passed on bad, multi-car accident north of DC (at least a dozen cars, traffic backed up for miles, glad it was on the northbound side). Must be to bed as tomorrow is Poplar Forest (Jefferson's second home and Suzanne's favorite place on earth)...RBS welcome tomorrow afternoon. More to follow.

Ready to hit the road to RBS, 2009

Suzanne and I are packed and more or less ready to leave tomorrow morning for Rare Book School (not counting the myriad of minor loose ends). We should be able to load up the van and be on the road in the early AM tomorrow with a destination of Washington, DC (to spend the night with a friend of Suzanne's). We will leave early Sunday to spend the day at Poplar Forest (Jefferson's second home) before return to C'ville for a Sunday afternoon/evening gathering of the RBS attendees.

I will be taking Book Illustration Processes to 1900 with Terry Belanger.

The identification of illustration processes and techniques, including (but not only) woodcut, etching, engraving, stipple, aquatint, mezzotint, lithography, wood engraving, steel engraving, process line and halftone relief, collotype, photogravure, and color printing. The course will be taught almost entirely from the extensive Rare Book School files of examples of illustration processes.

Suzanne will be taking The Printed Book in the West since 1800 taught by Eric Holzenberg.

This course will survey the technological advances in papermaking, illustration processes, composition, printing, binding, and distribution which fueled the development of the modern book industry. It will also give an overview of those phenomena – William Morris and the modern fine press movement, artists' books, the rise of book-clubs and organized bibliophily – which have arisen to balance this industrialization. The classes will make extensive use of RBS's strong collections of books and periodicals embodying the advance of printing in the West since 1800, as well as the plates, tools and other artifacts that enabled that advance.

Needless to say, we are both extremely excited and I may not sleep at all tonight. I'm going to go reread sections of Gascoigne. [Edited to correct Suzanne's course. I am a twit.]