"The sanded & disjeweled." Bam!
WORK
“Help”
From the inlet
surf a father
pulls in a crab—
a wonderful machinery
but
not a fish: kicks
it off the line &
up the beach
where three daughters
and two sons take
turns bringing cups
of water
to keep alive, to
watch work, the sanded
& disjeweled.
—A. R. Ammons
—from The Selected Poems: 1951–1977
WORD(S)
quire (quair, quer, queer). noun. Originally, four sheets of paper/parchment folded to form eight leaves. Now 1/20th of a ream (24 handmade or 25 machine-made sheets) of paper.
“If here I should, all skirmishes expresse..Of paper sure, a quere would not suffice.” (Thomas Churchyard)
“Nor is this anything to be proud, or ashamed, of; I do not think any better of a verse because it takes weeks, and quires, to complete it.” (Dylan Thomas)
“I want at this moment a quire of writing-paper on which to drop sugar-cakes. He is terribly miserly of his writing-paper, and on that very account I must have some now.” (Kate Sanborn)
“In order to prevent mistakes in the putting together of the quires a quire mark was put on each quire, sometimes on the first sheet and sometimes on the last sheet. In the 11th century catch-words were used to show the connection of the quires.” (Frederick Hamilton)
WEB
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“Book cover design is a fine art. Here are some standouts.”
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Does book criticism need a Poptimist Revolution?
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“Everything is one. You have nothing to do with it.” ► “1956 Housewife on Acid: Veteran’s Hospital LSD 25 Testing.” A tip-of-the-cap to Reader S.
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Literary Prints and Bookish Paper Goods by ObviousState on Etsy. No affiliation, I just really like the designs.
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Today in 1902, Georges Méliès releases the 14-minute production Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon), generally considered to be the first sci-fi film. Considering the time in which it was made, the special effects were jaw-dropping. It’s no wonder Thomas Edison bribed officials and stole the film for distribution in the US. You can watch the black and white or hand-colored versions on YouTube…Méliès
REPRISES/RESPONSES/REJOINDERS/RIPOSTES
- Reader B. thought my link to the White Helmets was “odd and political.” — I intentionally compose this newsletter such that it is usually detached from current events, but I don’t see the White Helmets as a political cause, just a good one.
I welcome comments, suggestions, thoughts, feedback and all manner of what-have-you. Just press ‘Reply’ or email to: clippings@katexic.com.
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