That's Gneiss! #122 ~ A (too quick) glimpse of Nashville
Also: A creative rendition of Blue Monday and a car on the wall...
So much can happen in a week!
I’ve done so much that I’m having trouble deciding how to write about it. Should I give a high-level skim over all the things I did and saw while in Nashville, or should I delve into one or two things more in depth?
I had better decide quickly, as it’s getting late and I’m running out of time to write! Today has been a busy day, catching up here at home and running errands. It’s back to work tomorrow and there was a lot to get done. I think I’ll go high level…
Last Tuesday I flew to Nashville for the Public Library Association (PLA) Conference.
I always get the wing seat! The sun was so bright I couldn’t really see anything anyhow. I was in the exact same seat (18F) coming home, and it was dark. Two flights without being able to enjoy the thing I like best about flying - looking at the large scale ground features from above. There is not much else to like about flying.
I stayed at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown, just a couple of blocks from Broadway, where all the excitement happens. 8,700 librarians descended on Music City Center for several days of learning between meals and checking out the sights and sounds of downtown Nashville.
The conference was pretty good, but let’s be honest. That’s not what you want to hear about, is it?
I will spare you those details.
I know you’d rather hear about all the fun things I saw - right? Of course.
There was SO MUCH to see. So many restaurants to try. Too many.
It was a bit overwhelming at times, but I made the most of the free time I had.
Broadway is the home numerous honky tonks, bars, and eateries, as well as other interesting shops worth a visit. I had an hour to kill on Wednesday, so took a quick stroll around.
One stop was the Ernest Tubb Record Shop, where the memorabilia was the main attraction. The walls were plastered with old photos, and in the back there was a display that included a couple of Loretta Lynn’s dresses.
Not too far away was my #1 must see attraction during my visit - Nudie’s Honky Tonk, named for Nudie Cohn, the Ukranian tailor who designed the sparkling suits worn by many performers over the years. Nudie’s Cadillac hangs above the stage where a stream of cover bands plays each day beginning before noon.
Several full suits and jackets were on display throughout the venue. Too many to share here! It was well worth the visit to see them all.
Nudie’s quickly became a favorite stop for me, and I visited a couple more times during my stay in Nashville. One night we caught the tail end (literally) of a burlesque show that was a lot of fun. The live music quality varied, but it was always fun.
As the days passed, the mood on Broadway got wilder and wilder. It was fairly quiet on Tuesday, then each day there were more people and the action started earlier and earlier. By Friday, it was getting pretty wild - kind of like a junior Las Vegas. So glittery!
One morning I spent an hour wandering the Nashville Public Library. WOW. I could spend an entire newsletter talking about the library, so I’m going to hold off until next week for that. It deserves full attention.
Something else that deserves more attention than I’m going to give it here is Hatch Show Print. I am in love with this place, and treated myself to a tour on Friday afternoon.
Hatch Show Print, a working letterpress print shop since 1879, uses its collection to educate diverse audiences and to create iconic designs that express and commemorate America's evolving cultural identity. By maintaining a focus on preservation through production, Hatch Show Print will remain a vital artistic force, working at the highest level of excellence.
A letterpress print shop?
*SWOON*
The shop can be seen through windows, and you can watch the designer/printers at work. One man was working at carving a large wood block for a future poster. Each job is worked by one person from the design stage through the finish. If carving of a block is required, they do it. They work with the client, and print all of the posters that have been ordered.
There are several letterpress printers in the shop, ranging from large to small. The smaller presses are good for printing items like postcards and greeting cards. Someday I would like to own one of these myself!
Even if one doesn’t take the tour, there is much to see at Hatch. The hallways outside the shop are filled with displays that explain the printing process and show examples of old posters and printing paraphernalia. Oooooh, antique carving tools!
Hatch developed a design style that you’re likely to recognize. The design for each poster is carved in a wooden block (or a photo plate is developed), the movable type is set, and the posters are printed.
I can only imagine how long it took to carve each of those plates!
All of the Hatch displays inside the shop and out were eye candy for me. I bought myself a poster - can you guess which one?
As part of the tour we got to print our own poster with this device - the Line-O-Scribe. I want one.
I spied this poster outside the shop. If you don’t hear from me, you’ll know I’ve run off to join the print shop to print circus posters.
This is all I have time for today my friends. I haven’t even talked about the food! Nashville is a lovely city, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to visit. I’d like to return someday with Michael to explore beyond downtown, and to visit Memphis and other areas. So much to see.
Until next week…
WASH YOUR HANDS.
AGAIN.
LONGER.
Tidbits
Making: plans for the apocalypse.
Recently eaten: too much
Reading: one of the great perks of librarianship is access to books before they’re published. Publishers hand out upcoming books like candy, and the librarians grab them up with vigor. I brought home only (ONLY!) ten. Carrying capacity is an important consideration. Heh. Anyhow, on the flight home last night I started reading With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt. This was one of the books recommended during the Book Buzz session, and I recently enjoyed one of her other books - Cruel Beautiful World.
Video of the Week
The song Blue Monday by New Order is 33! To commemorate, Orchestra Obsolete plays the song only with instruments available in the 1930’s. Included are a zither, a musical saw and a theremin! Great fun.
Question of the Week
If you feel like answering the question, hit reply to this email. Answers will be shared in next week’s newsletter - anonymously. Don’t be shy! General public commenting is available too.
In the unlikely event of a quarantine, what will you do to keep yourself entertained?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last week I asked about your favorite mail-order catalogs.
My answer to glossy catalogs - I can't believe you asked this question because it's a shameful, guilty pleasure how much I like looking at the Costco Connection catalog. It's got articles about the producers of goods that are sold at Costco (Weatherproof makes all the 32 Degrees clothing and in an article about them they billed it as a family-owned business and, at the time, gave me all these good feels about their clothing) and interviews with their travel writers who live on four hours of sleep and other gems. I know they're just ultimately selling me more stuff and I'm a total sucker for it. Good thing this is anonymous!
Catalogs! Oh boy. I was heavily into weird/underground catalogs in college and just after. I've still got them all in a box buried in my garage. My favorites that I can remember without digging out the box:
Archie McPhee (https://mcphee.com/), of course, which was kinda underground back then.
Amok Books (http://www.amokbooks.com/)
Last Gasp Comix (https://lastgasp.com/)
Canyon Cinema (http://canyoncinema.com/)
RE/Search (https://www.researchpubs.com/)
Industrial Supply (https://indsupply.com/product-catalog-download/)
I still get palpitations just thinking about all the wondrous and weird things you can find in them!
have a couple of favorite print catalogs. One comes from Levenger (I stumbled across them because of their amazing bookish stuff). Another is from Balsam Hill (artificial Christmas trees and related paraphernalia). Both of these companies sell pricey stuff, but they have good sales sometimes and I can dream, can’t I?
As for catalogs of yore, how could I ever forget the mammoth Sears catalog that came just in time for annual Christmas dreaming? My siblings and I had a complex system by which our parents would know which of us wanted what. Man, you could find everything from dolls and trains to musical instruments and telescopes within those hallowed pages
I used to love the ‘Whole Earth Catalog’and more recently ‘Cheaper Than Dirt’ (International military surplus).
But I really miss ‘Columbia House’ the most.
I might be showing my age with this answer, but of course as a kid who graduated from high school in the 90s, I eagerly awaited every new Delia's catalog! We didn't have a lot of shopping opportunities on the island, and Delia's and other catalogs were a life saver. My other favorite was The Pyramid Collection. I would pore over them for hours, creating the most amazing outfits in my head. I kind of miss a good catalog. Scrolling online isn't quite the same.
When I had a garden, I loved the arrival of gardening catalogs. Nichols Garden Nursery was a fave, and Raintree Nursery. I may have just ordered a catalog from Emigre, a font store (that’s right, a font store), and The J. Peterman Company. For high-end odd, Hammacher Schlemmer is great. Uh-oh, I’m going down a rabbit hole and finding NEW catalogs to order… there’s something for everyone here.
Current Temperature: 38.8 F (3.8 C)
Current Humidity: 97%
Wind (max gust): 8.1 mph
Precipitation: 0.18 in
Number of Subscribers: 140