If you’re after gettin’ the honey,
Then you don’t go killin’ all the bees.
–Joe Strummer

I’m hoping that some of my readers, particularly those who have taught at the University of Maryland, can point me in the direction of essays that present definitions as arguments. At different points in time, particular terms come under debate (e.g. marriage, patriotism, justice); what I’m looking for are essays that argue for or against a particular definition of some term. It doesn’t matter so much what the term is.

What you’re looking at, dear reader, is a rather large piece of paper upon which rest several items (counter-clockwise from the top):

• A single signature made by folding the large piece of paper 4 times (thus it’s been folded in sextodecimo to make 16 leaves), then stitching through the folds that will be facing the spine of the eventual book of which this signature will be a part. (See WikiPedia on bookbinding terms and techniques)
• A tool known as a bone-folder, which makes creating smooth folds easier – and reportedly, glue does not stick to it.
• An awl, which punches the holes through the paper, making stitching easier.
• Beeswax, to coat the thread and make it less likely to tangle.
• A needle and thread.

Not shown: the knife I used to trim the pages after folding and sewing them. You end up with many folds that prevent you from opening the pages, so you have to “trim” the paper along those folds. Try it: take a big piece of paper and fold it four times: horizontally, vertically, horizontally, vertically. See?

Yes, I went to bookmaking class tonight. No, it’s not a class on how to take bets on the Superbowl.

Bonus Link! Check out Evil Rooster’s Bookbinding Pages.

I saw myself in a dream,
and I just wanted to tell you,
Everything is all right.
-Velvet Underground, “Beginning to See the Light”

This body turns 38 today. Can that be right? Happy Birthday to me, to Mike, and to Johnny Rotten.

Remember that scene in High Fidelity where Rob is organizing his music collection autobiographically…?

In the summer of 1989 I moved to Nashville to try to salvage a romantic relationship that died pretty much the day I arrived. This made for an interesting three months. In order to pay the rent I worked at a place called the Pasteria with several interesting coworkers, including one of the guitarists for a band called Rumble Circus, who were good but apparently never found much success. I probably have the details a bit wrong, but some of the members of Rumble Circus went on to join at least three Atlanta bands: the Black Crowes, Drivin’ ‘N’ Cryin’, and Mary My Hope.

The Black Crowes you have probably heard of as they had a few national hits over the years, and those of you in the Southeast probably know Drivin’ ‘n’ Cryin’. Mary My Hope were a band that should have made a bigger splash than they did, frankly, but perhaps their timing was off. To me, they merged the aesthetics of ’70s glam rock with the vision of self-styled prophets like Jim Morrison and Patti Smith. Their sound verged at times on heavy metal. Too many cooks spoil the soup? I don’t know.

Fast forward a few years, and I’m sitting on the porch with Sheila Doyle, who had worked with me at the aforementioned photocopy place and who played violin for Big Fish Ensemble. We used to have lunch and play some songs together; one of them was Mary My Hope’s “I’m Not Singing” (mp3, 5.7MB), which is one of the best tracks on the band’s debut CD Museum. I can only remember doing this a few times, and I guess I talked myself into thinking I wasn’t very good, but Sheila was always pretty happy about our informal collaborations. Once her boyfriend, BFE’s drummer, came home and sang along with me on one song; I did a pretty good harmony vocal (he even said so).

I was never more than a satellite on the fringes of the margins of the periphery of the Atlanta music scene. But this is one of those moments in my life that I look back on and think, “Why did I quit doing that?”

I’m not sure that you can even buy Mary My Hope CDs anymore, but if you see one, be sure to take it home. I do know that singer James Hall has a release out on Daemon Records, and it looks like his current project is Pleasure Club.

MP3 files are posted for evaluation purposes only. Availability is limited: usually 24 hours. Through this site, I’m trying to share and promote good music with others, who will also hopefully continue to support these artists. Everyone is encouraged to purchase music and concert tickets for the artists you feel merit your hard earned dollars. If you hold copyright to one of these songs and would like the file removed, please let me know.