I’m 68 and I pretend to be going through midlife crisis often…because, well it’s just feels good to go back there and think about the stuff I didn’t have to worry about! 😂. Don’t just think about getting a dog, do it! I visited your zine page! Love it…wish I could adequately put into words how inspiring it is to have you share your work with us all the time. Thanks Austin! 👍🏻
I am 42, about to turn 43 and also going through it right now. It's been tough. One thing that has been making me feel a little crazy but also has given me tremendous amounts of comfort is writing letters to myself, to and from different ages. So, earlier this week I wrote a letter from my 42 year old self to my 32 year old self to apologize that I didn't trust her enough to complete the book she started writing. But I also wanted to tell her that 42 year old me fucking finished the book she started and I felt so grateful for all the research she had done at the time. It felt like such a beautiful reunion to have this conversation. Maybe you can ask your future 80 year old to write a letter to current age you and give you some advice on how to live right now when it feels difficult? I bet he will have good things to say. Hang in there. ❤️
this idea of writing backwards from the future is interesting — usually it's the other way! reminds me of something else Beth Pickens taught us in that course: impress two people: you as a teenager, and you as your 80-year-old self
yes, that's exactly it. the older version of you is already so happy with everything you have done and loves the person you are becoming. he would just want you to see THAT too. he is so proud of you and would probably just tell you to take more naps, keep riding your bike...
Nice shout out for paper. When Europe moved from making parchment and vellum out of calf and sheep hides, they moved on to making paper out of linen and flax rags. Rag pickers went through towns looking for rags and old clothing (your tattered underwear often ended up at the paper mill).
It was a laborious and long process that involved throwing the rags in vats of a boiling water stew (cow dung and buttermilk were a part of the solution). Because white paper was desired, and bleach did not exist, the dark rags were spread in the sunlight on fields of grass. I have often wondered what it might look like to see vast amounts of rags bleaching in the sunlight.
After a season in sun, the rags were left in large tanks to ferment, and beaten to a pulp with copious amounts of water. Then the paper had to be formed and sized. But the process and the materials (flax and linen) meant the paper lived "forever," and did not easily rip. I bought a 18th century Italian opera book and the paper is pristine, strong, and still quite white.
Paper-making radically changed in the 19th century. Europe was running out of linen and flax rags. The French started making paper out of wood pulp—a practice that soon spread to the rest of the continent and America.
But this 19th century change did not bode well for the quality of paper. Wood pulp fibers, the new source of material used to make paper, are shorter than linen fibers which means the paper is acidic and fragile. Chemical compounds and processes used in modern paper-making cause paper to discolor, weaken, and become more brittle over time.
Pulp fiction books were made out of the cheapest wood pulp paper (hence their name), and as the owner of several of these books, it is only a matter of time before the paper completely disintegrates. The pages are brown, thin, and fragile.
Fortunately, mills and countries are now using other materials to make stronger and better papers. For example, it can be made from hemp, cotton, mulberry, banana trees, and bamboo, all superior to wood pulp.
Well, I'm sure this is more than you wanted to know about paper making!
Love all this — what I want to know is if it's true that vellum was portrait-sized (taller than wide) because most animal hides are oblong and when they moved to making paper they just kept the orientation.
Sorry, don’t know the answer to your question. But I do know sometimes it would take a whole herd to get enough “pages” on which to write a book. So the question became, do you want to feed your family or write a book? Paper was godsend…
If anyone here ever has the opportunity/time/means to take a papermaking course, I highly recommend it. You can do something with those old clothes you don't really want to use as rags, and end up with fantastic handmade paper for whatever use you want. And the end product lasts forever (or close enough—I have some beautiful paper I made 40 years ago and it hasn't aged at all).
Our much-loved, former SoCal street mutt, Otis, left this world on January 11th. He was probably 13-ish; we only had him for five years. He had been badly abused. Someone had kicked him so badly that his ribs punctured his lungs. He had to use an inhaler twice a day (I helped him with it because I have apposable thumbs.) After a proper month of mourning, we welcomed a 10-year-old abandoned Jack Russell terrier into our family. We named her "George Fayne" after Nancy Drew's lesbian best friend. What does this have to do with Kleon's latest dispatch? Well, I say to you: adopt a dog!
I was literally laying in bed thinking about the details of my first ever physical zine/minicomic (for a class) and this post popped up. Last night I spent a while just folding paper to figure out the right size for my art and text. I folded my first zine thanks to your video this week. Why was the idea of making a little book so scary? And now that I’ve started, why am I completely enthralled with this? Anyway, I wanted to so thank you for your materials on zine making so I subscribed just to comment.
And Bottoms was amazing and I felt a little old too but also not old because I’m watching Bottoms with delight. Theatre Camp was another comedy that might be up your alley.
My favorite James Hollis books are Finding meaning in the second half of life and Hauntings, dispelling the ghosts who run our lives. Can’t recommend them enough!
I love all of Maira Kalman’s books — they almost all have dogs 🐕 in them, especially “Beloved Dog.” It’s a delightful/quirky read and reminds you of the joy of owning a dog. When a close friend or family member loses a beloved dog, I place pictures of the dog throughout the book in remembrance and honor of the dog. I’ll send you pix via email as a sample. I don’t think I can post photos in this comment section, can I? Also, the “Good Dog, Carl” books are my favs and never get old. I loved “reading” them all to my kids and now grands, making up the story to the illustrations.
I spent all day yesterday working on a new collage that just didn't light my fire, no matter how I played around with it. What to do? What to do? And then here you are this morning with the six words that told me the answer: "Throw it on the compost heap." I just did. and on to the next one....
Commonplace book metaphors are the best! I love the botanical varieties: sylvae & florilegium are my favorites. Seneca also compared it to a stomach digesting food. Not so pretty, but kind of accurate.
i note the bone folder - after seeing you use one, i picked up two at my local art store - i work days preparing wills and boy howdy does it help me fold them neat and tidy to put in their envelopes, and such a satisfying sound - i tell the clients what it is and why i love it at every opportunity, not sure if they are as interested as i am ;)
tania: I love bone folders, although I've switched mostly to those made out of Teflon. I still call them bone folders, though, no matter what material they are made out of. I probably have about 10 at this point.
Thank you for leading me to the piece on David Carr in The New York Times. I read The Night of the Gun years ago, but haven't thought much about him since. I didn't know he was so great! Or that he was a mentor to Ta-Nehisi Coates, who is incredible!
I love his description of himself as a professor in the NYT piece:
“Your professor is a terrible singer and a decent dancer. He is a movie crier but stone-faced in real life. He never laughs even when he is actually amused. He hates suck-ups, people who treat waitresses and cab drivers poorly and anybody who thinks diversity is just an academic conceit. He is a big sucker for the hard worker and is rarely dazzled by brilliance. He has little patience for people who pretend to ask questions when all they really want to do is make a speech."
Following your owl updates from the past, wanted to recommend "Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest - Cam"; the nest is the current home for Jackie and Shadow, a local bald eagle pair. What's happening at the nest: Congratulations, Jackie & Shadow! Egg1 was laid on 1/25 at 16:55. Egg2 was laid on 1/28 at 13:59. Egg3 was laid on 1/31 at 17:58. Pip watch begins on 2/29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE
now THAT is a nest cam. Meg keeps asking me when we're going to put a camera in ours — I figure two good owlet seasons and I'll finally make the effort
My pool has a fitness challenge December-February. We log our minutes in a notebook. Seeing the time add up one swim at a time is very motivating. Between COVID #2, snow, and general malaise, I would’ve given up swimming if I wasn’t filling out that paper.
Thanks for the sharing Austin, especially her mid life related comment about being away from our practice reducing our life quality. I am mostly at home these days rather than my large studio, battling lung cancer. I paint large canvasses as journals so now your books as journals has helped me tremendously. They are home studio sized compatable and ideal for a stop take a break and rest production line.
In return for your generousity, check out the mid life crisis benefits that a friend recommended... consider practicing the 11th Step of A.A. in your own way.
I got lost in the conversations (in a good way!) and then remembered I wanted to share something about commonplace books. I created an online commonplace book for myself that I call "Rat's Country," because I love this quote from Loren Eiseley: "Everthing in the mind is in rat's country...Nothing is lost, but it can never be again as it was. You will only find the bits and cry out because they were yourself..." nancyharrismclelland.com
I’m 68 and I pretend to be going through midlife crisis often…because, well it’s just feels good to go back there and think about the stuff I didn’t have to worry about! 😂. Don’t just think about getting a dog, do it! I visited your zine page! Love it…wish I could adequately put into words how inspiring it is to have you share your work with us all the time. Thanks Austin! 👍🏻
So great!!!
I am 42, about to turn 43 and also going through it right now. It's been tough. One thing that has been making me feel a little crazy but also has given me tremendous amounts of comfort is writing letters to myself, to and from different ages. So, earlier this week I wrote a letter from my 42 year old self to my 32 year old self to apologize that I didn't trust her enough to complete the book she started writing. But I also wanted to tell her that 42 year old me fucking finished the book she started and I felt so grateful for all the research she had done at the time. It felt like such a beautiful reunion to have this conversation. Maybe you can ask your future 80 year old to write a letter to current age you and give you some advice on how to live right now when it feels difficult? I bet he will have good things to say. Hang in there. ❤️
this idea of writing backwards from the future is interesting — usually it's the other way! reminds me of something else Beth Pickens taught us in that course: impress two people: you as a teenager, and you as your 80-year-old self
yes, that's exactly it. the older version of you is already so happy with everything you have done and loves the person you are becoming. he would just want you to see THAT too. he is so proud of you and would probably just tell you to take more naps, keep riding your bike...
I'm going to write some letters to me! Thanks for the idea!
42, soon to be 43, also going through it. I may try this!
This is wonderful! So glad you completed the book. In its own time, right? And how delicious to have that research already done for you. :D
I love this Petya! Great idea.
Nice shout out for paper. When Europe moved from making parchment and vellum out of calf and sheep hides, they moved on to making paper out of linen and flax rags. Rag pickers went through towns looking for rags and old clothing (your tattered underwear often ended up at the paper mill).
It was a laborious and long process that involved throwing the rags in vats of a boiling water stew (cow dung and buttermilk were a part of the solution). Because white paper was desired, and bleach did not exist, the dark rags were spread in the sunlight on fields of grass. I have often wondered what it might look like to see vast amounts of rags bleaching in the sunlight.
After a season in sun, the rags were left in large tanks to ferment, and beaten to a pulp with copious amounts of water. Then the paper had to be formed and sized. But the process and the materials (flax and linen) meant the paper lived "forever," and did not easily rip. I bought a 18th century Italian opera book and the paper is pristine, strong, and still quite white.
Paper-making radically changed in the 19th century. Europe was running out of linen and flax rags. The French started making paper out of wood pulp—a practice that soon spread to the rest of the continent and America.
But this 19th century change did not bode well for the quality of paper. Wood pulp fibers, the new source of material used to make paper, are shorter than linen fibers which means the paper is acidic and fragile. Chemical compounds and processes used in modern paper-making cause paper to discolor, weaken, and become more brittle over time.
Pulp fiction books were made out of the cheapest wood pulp paper (hence their name), and as the owner of several of these books, it is only a matter of time before the paper completely disintegrates. The pages are brown, thin, and fragile.
Fortunately, mills and countries are now using other materials to make stronger and better papers. For example, it can be made from hemp, cotton, mulberry, banana trees, and bamboo, all superior to wood pulp.
Well, I'm sure this is more than you wanted to know about paper making!
Love all this — what I want to know is if it's true that vellum was portrait-sized (taller than wide) because most animal hides are oblong and when they moved to making paper they just kept the orientation.
Sorry, don’t know the answer to your question. But I do know sometimes it would take a whole herd to get enough “pages” on which to write a book. So the question became, do you want to feed your family or write a book? Paper was godsend…
If anyone here ever has the opportunity/time/means to take a papermaking course, I highly recommend it. You can do something with those old clothes you don't really want to use as rags, and end up with fantastic handmade paper for whatever use you want. And the end product lasts forever (or close enough—I have some beautiful paper I made 40 years ago and it hasn't aged at all).
this is exactly what i wanted to know about paper making - thank you :)
I agree. this was great!
Our much-loved, former SoCal street mutt, Otis, left this world on January 11th. He was probably 13-ish; we only had him for five years. He had been badly abused. Someone had kicked him so badly that his ribs punctured his lungs. He had to use an inhaler twice a day (I helped him with it because I have apposable thumbs.) After a proper month of mourning, we welcomed a 10-year-old abandoned Jack Russell terrier into our family. We named her "George Fayne" after Nancy Drew's lesbian best friend. What does this have to do with Kleon's latest dispatch? Well, I say to you: adopt a dog!
RIP Otis — what a great dog name!
I was literally laying in bed thinking about the details of my first ever physical zine/minicomic (for a class) and this post popped up. Last night I spent a while just folding paper to figure out the right size for my art and text. I folded my first zine thanks to your video this week. Why was the idea of making a little book so scary? And now that I’ve started, why am I completely enthralled with this? Anyway, I wanted to so thank you for your materials on zine making so I subscribed just to comment.
And Bottoms was amazing and I felt a little old too but also not old because I’m watching Bottoms with delight. Theatre Camp was another comedy that might be up your alley.
Zine-making is addictive!! Enjoy :)
My favorite James Hollis books are Finding meaning in the second half of life and Hauntings, dispelling the ghosts who run our lives. Can’t recommend them enough!
I love all of Maira Kalman’s books — they almost all have dogs 🐕 in them, especially “Beloved Dog.” It’s a delightful/quirky read and reminds you of the joy of owning a dog. When a close friend or family member loses a beloved dog, I place pictures of the dog throughout the book in remembrance and honor of the dog. I’ll send you pix via email as a sample. I don’t think I can post photos in this comment section, can I? Also, the “Good Dog, Carl” books are my favs and never get old. I loved “reading” them all to my kids and now grands, making up the story to the illustrations.
I spent all day yesterday working on a new collage that just didn't light my fire, no matter how I played around with it. What to do? What to do? And then here you are this morning with the six words that told me the answer: "Throw it on the compost heap." I just did. and on to the next one....
Commonplace book metaphors are the best! I love the botanical varieties: sylvae & florilegium are my favorites. Seneca also compared it to a stomach digesting food. Not so pretty, but kind of accurate.
if you say "florilegium" three times Maria Popova appears
(KIDDING. I love Maria)
Hahaha. I love her too.
i note the bone folder - after seeing you use one, i picked up two at my local art store - i work days preparing wills and boy howdy does it help me fold them neat and tidy to put in their envelopes, and such a satisfying sound - i tell the clients what it is and why i love it at every opportunity, not sure if they are as interested as i am ;)
Haha that is excellent — they’re so handy!
tania: I love bone folders, although I've switched mostly to those made out of Teflon. I still call them bone folders, though, no matter what material they are made out of. I probably have about 10 at this point.
Thank you for leading me to the piece on David Carr in The New York Times. I read The Night of the Gun years ago, but haven't thought much about him since. I didn't know he was so great! Or that he was a mentor to Ta-Nehisi Coates, who is incredible!
Another great Carr-ism: “Keep typing until it turns into writing"
KEEP GOING, am-I-right? 😅
I love his description of himself as a professor in the NYT piece:
“Your professor is a terrible singer and a decent dancer. He is a movie crier but stone-faced in real life. He never laughs even when he is actually amused. He hates suck-ups, people who treat waitresses and cab drivers poorly and anybody who thinks diversity is just an academic conceit. He is a big sucker for the hard worker and is rarely dazzled by brilliance. He has little patience for people who pretend to ask questions when all they really want to do is make a speech."
Plus yes, PAPER RULES
Following your owl updates from the past, wanted to recommend "Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest - Cam"; the nest is the current home for Jackie and Shadow, a local bald eagle pair. What's happening at the nest: Congratulations, Jackie & Shadow! Egg1 was laid on 1/25 at 16:55. Egg2 was laid on 1/28 at 13:59. Egg3 was laid on 1/31 at 17:58. Pip watch begins on 2/29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE
now THAT is a nest cam. Meg keeps asking me when we're going to put a camera in ours — I figure two good owlet seasons and I'll finally make the effort
let us know when you start streaming!
Today an article came across my feed that introduced me to another bald eagle cam, but over here in NJ. https://www.youtube.com/user/dukefarmsfdn/live
The post that lead me was "The bald eagle’s recovery has been remarkable, but threats lurk" https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2024/02/bald-eagle-new-jersey-continues-population-increase-but-new-challenges-lurk/
Live Recap & Observations journal: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gx7VP85Gwp1jhHRilStcZMrnUPszHQ0-w1czkjnf9bc/view
My pool has a fitness challenge December-February. We log our minutes in a notebook. Seeing the time add up one swim at a time is very motivating. Between COVID #2, snow, and general malaise, I would’ve given up swimming if I wasn’t filling out that paper.
Thanks for the sharing Austin, especially her mid life related comment about being away from our practice reducing our life quality. I am mostly at home these days rather than my large studio, battling lung cancer. I paint large canvasses as journals so now your books as journals has helped me tremendously. They are home studio sized compatable and ideal for a stop take a break and rest production line.
In return for your generousity, check out the mid life crisis benefits that a friend recommended... consider practicing the 11th Step of A.A. in your own way.
Sorry to hear you're going through that — sending you my best thoughts!
You've just reminded me that I keep meaning to do a whole load of James Hollis reading. Thanks for the nudge!
I got lost in the conversations (in a good way!) and then remembered I wanted to share something about commonplace books. I created an online commonplace book for myself that I call "Rat's Country," because I love this quote from Loren Eiseley: "Everthing in the mind is in rat's country...Nothing is lost, but it can never be again as it was. You will only find the bits and cry out because they were yourself..." nancyharrismclelland.com