Evanston Print and Paper: Book Lovers Who Love to Make Books

By Victoria Scott

For years Eileen Madden's job involved distributing and discussing books.

Now she makes them.

"I love books inside and out," says the former English teacher. After 13 years at Maine East High School, Ms. Madden has a new job: She is co-founder of the Evanston Print and Paper Shop, which opened at 1125 Florence Ave. on June 25. She has the help of one employee, her 9-year-old daughter Lily.

At Evanston Print & Paper, Madden and Shaf hope to nurture a community of people who are as passionate as they are about letterpress printing and book arts.

In this airy, bright space Ms. Madden and her business partner, graphic designer Vanessa Shaf, hope to nurture a community of people who are as passionate as they are about letterpress printing and book arts.

With its indented lettering, letterpress printing has an old-fashioned look and a texture that begs to be handled. "You can feel it," Ms. Madden quotes Ms. Shaf as saying.

Ms. Madden, who says she was "attracted to the tactile quality" of bookbinding, identifies with those who are drawn to letterpress printing. "A person who likes to touch things is our kind of person," she says with a grin.

She and Ms. Shaf are looking at three different ways to serve their potential clientele: custom printing, press rental and classes.

A custom order, letterpress Christmas cards printed in two colors, is stacked by the desk and ready to go.

Starting in November, Evanston Print and Paper will hold classes for both novices and experienced printers, says Ms. Madden. She hopes to bring in her own favorite teachers, along with other experts in the field.

The shop also plans to rent its space and equipment. She praises the facilities at the Columbia College Center for Book and Paper Arts, where she took classes. But the college's presses are available first for its graduate students. She and Ms. Shaf see a need for a "community-based" print shop, she says, not as a competitor of Columbia but serving the non-academic community.

The shop welcomes people who want to learn about printing, whether they are eager to learn the procedure from start to finish or just want to try printing.

Their four massive printing presses are up to the task. Difficult to find nowadays, they date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and recall the days before automation sold the world on speed and quantity.

The Chandler and Price clamshell press, nicknamed for the way it opens and closes, was the standard in 1895, says Ms. Madden. "Schools had these for kids to learn the printing trade," she says. Ms. Shaf bought the press from an individual who was moving to Boston and could not afford to ship it.

The shop's other three presses were built by the
Chicago-based Vandercook Company. One, dating
from 1920, was once owned by the famous Cunio Press. Another came from a woman who was closing her stationery business and advertised online.

The third "came out of a Berwyn basement in pieces," says Ms. Madden. Ed Reagan and his son, who specialize in moving presses, took it apart and reassembled it in the Evanston shop.

Ms. Madden says she spent years telling her students to slow down and enjoy words. And while the print shop is an expression of this philosophy, it also incorporates modern technology.

A shiny new machine called a polymer platemaker has taken up residence beside the old behemoths in the shop.

Classic letterpress procedure uses old wood and metal type of the kind Ms. Madden found in the garage of her uncle, a printer. A different plate is required for each design and color, which is very costly, says Ms. Madden.

A new process allows the artist to design on a computer. The digital file then goes to a specialty company that converts it to film.

The polymer platemaker exposes the film onto plastic, creating a plate with a raised design that is the equivalent of old-style type and can be used with traditional presses. The polymer is cheaper and more flexible than wood or metal type, says Ms. Madden. And it can be used on a one-time basis.

She is currently working on a book employing both the old and the new letterpress printing techniques. The slim book, only a few copies of which will be printed, consists of a Gerard Manley Hopkins poem handset in traditional letterpress fashion and her reflections on the poem, printed in her handwriting as captured by the polymer platemaker.

Another of her books, a poem by a friend called "Learning to Read in the British Library," was included in a show by the Chicago Hand Bookbinders. Violets spill from Ms. Madden's book, as they did from a letter her friend found while researching Thomas Hardy.

The personal quality of such a book is attracting more and more admirers, says Ms. Madden. "There is growing interest in artists' books," she says, perhaps in "response to the immediacy and overwhelming volume of [contemporary] communication."

She says many artists come to books from photography or printmaking; they appreciate books as a form of art that "requires interaction with the viewer, something more than a piece on a wall."

There is, she says, "a powerful physical and spiritual connection with a book."

Ms. Madden herself has always loved books - "the older the better," she says. Her suggestion for a lovely afternoon is to visit a special collections library such as the Newberry or University of Chicago. Or go to the Evanston Print and Paper Shop.

Lighting the Way to a Greener Environment

By Eleanor Revelle

It's on every Top Ten list of things-to-do to save energy and help fight global climate change: Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).

The benefits are compelling. CFLs use less than one-quarter of the electricity of an incandescent bulb to produce the same amount of light. This means savings for consumers through reduced electric bills. And by reducing the demand for electricity, it means less global warming pollution from coal-fired power plants.

Roughly one-third of global warming pollution in the U.S. is caused by coal plants generating electricity. And lighting accounts for 20 percent of the electricity used. For consumers whose electricity is produced from coal, replacing a single incandescent bulb with a CFL will keep more than half a ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb.

Evanston residents, whose electricity is supplied primarily by nuclear power, can make an impact as well. Illinois nuclear plants regularly sell their considerable excess base-load capacity to electrical distributors in other areas that depend otherwise on coal-fired power. Reducing demand for electricity in Evanston, therefore, makes more emissions-free nuclear power available to replace carbon-intensive coal-fired power elsewhere.

Is Mercury a Problem?
CFLs do contain a very small amount of mercury-about 5 milligrams, enough to cover the tip of a ballpoint pen. The mercury is safe while the bulb is intact or in use, and even if the CFL should break, it poses little risk.
Far more serious are the 50 tons of mercury emitted annually from coal-burning power plants in the United States. To generate the average 10,660 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity used by the typical household each year, a power plant will emit about 245 mg of mercury (roughly 0.023 mg of mercury/kWh of electricity produced). By using CFLs instead of incandescent bulbs, homeowners will reduce their electrical demand and cut mercury emissions as well.

Assessing the impact
A 23-watt CFL compares to an incandescent bulb that produces the same amount of light, namely a 100-watt bulb. Since ENERGY STAR-qualifed CFLs last five to ten times longer than incandescent bulbs, this example compares one 23-watt CFL with five 100-watt incandescents, equivalent to the minimum expected lifetime of the one 23-watt CFL.

Making the switch
For those who have not made the switch to CFLs yet-or who were unhappy with fluorescent lights in the past-it is time to check out the nearest lighting display.
• CFLs now come in a variety of shapes and sizes-mini-spirals small enough to use in table lamps, sconces and ceiling fixtures; globes for bathroom vanity fixtures; chandelier bulbs; recessed downlights; and more.
• CFLs can replace incandescent bulbs in almost any fixture. Some are specifically designed for use with dimmers or in three-way fixtures.
• The amount of light that any bulb will put out is measured in lumens. A 100-watt incandescent bulb will put out about 1,600 lumens. Replacing that bulb with a 23-watt CFL will also produce 1,600 lumens, but it will require much less power.
• CFLs are available in a range of color temperatures. For a warm (yellowish) light, look for a CFL labeled soft white, with a color temperature of 2,700K (degrees Kelvin). CFLs labeled bright white and daylight will have a cooler (bluish) light and higher Kelvin numbers (e.g., 3,500K or 5,500K).
• Look for ENERGY STAR-qualified bulbs. These have been tested to meet stringent performance criteria; they will use 75 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb and last up to ten times longer.

Disposing of CFLs
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin, and proper disposal of CFLs is a must. Recycling options are expanding. Lemoi's Hardware in Evanston accepts used CFLs, and the bulbs can also be disposed of at the regular, one-day, spring and fall household chemical waste collection events organized by the Illinois EPA.

 

 

 

If a CFL should break, scoop up the glass fragments and fine particles with stiff paper or cardboard and put them in a plastic bag. Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel and place that in the bag, too. Seal the bag, place it in a second plastic bag, and dispose of it properly. Do not use a vacuum or broom.

* Energy Star's comprehensive CFL webpage: www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls.

* Household Chemical Waste Collection Schedule www.swancc.org/hcw/hcwcollection.html.

* US EPA information on cleaning up mercury spills www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm.

Fall Bulk Trash Days Ahead

The City of Evanston Division of Streets and Sanitation announces the fall dates for the bulk trash pick-up days. Replacing the Neighborhood Dumpster Program, bulk trash pick-up days provide all residents with the opportunity to remove six cubic yards of garbage twice annually at no charge.

Bulk trash dates depend on when regular trash days occur: All trash must be out by 7 a.m.; City crews will not return for late set-outs. If crews are unable to complete routes on Fridays, collection will continue on Saturdays.

No garbage carts will be emptied on these dates. Bulk trash must be less than six cubic yards per household, which is roughly equivalent to two couches, four chairs, one mattress and box spring, or 25 medium garbage bags. Quantities exceeding six cubic yards will be tagged as special pick-ups, and residents will be charged for removal.

Bulk trash must be placed out in an orderly fashion, bagged, contained or bundled; no loose garbage will be accepted. The items to be disposed of must be placed on the alley lines or parkways; crews cannot go on private property to remove trash.

No construction materials or hazardous materials will be collected, including batteries, gas, oil asbestos, medical wastes, paint, etc. Glass should be broken up, boxed, taped and labeled as glass.

To remove tires or appliances, call Streets and Sanitation at 847-866-2940 to arrange for separate and free removal of these items.

Special pick-ups are still available any time from Streets and Sanitation for a minimum fee of $25. A special pick-up is needed for an unusually large amount of garbage or trash.

Community members can call the Streets and Sanitation office to arrange for special pick-ups. Residents will be asked to describe the debris when they call and asked to agree to the fee that will be placed on their water bills.

Special pick-ups will no longer be confined to a resident's garbage collection day. The Streets and Sanitation Division will take reservations for special pick-ups 24 hours in advance. Special pick-ups will occur Monday through Thursday

Trash Day	Bulk Day
Tuesday	Friday, Sept.21
Wednesday	Friday, Sept. 28
Thursday	Friday. Oct. 5
Monday	Friday, Oct. 12

Grand Opening of the Teen and Children's Rooms

Sept. 8 was a gala day at the Evanston Public Library. Mayor Lorraine Morton cut the ribbon, flanked by library director Neal Ney (far right), City Manager Julia Carroll (second from right), Marybeth Schroeder of Leadership Evanston (third from right) and  (from left in back row) aldermen Ann Rainey, 8th Ward; Delores Holmes, 5th Ward; and Cheryl Wollin, 1st Ward. (Photo by Laura Rust)

 

Children enjoy the coziness of Mac's Café.

 

 

 

 

 

 

District 65 Superintendent Hardy Murphy tells a story to children during the grand opening of the children's room on Sept. 8. (Photo by Laura Rust)

 

 

 

Evanston Arts Week Set for
October 5 - 14

 

 

 

Celebrate Evanston's newest work of public art on Friday, Oct. 5, the opening night of Arts Week Evanston 2007.

 

 

 

The festivities will feature music and other live performances as well as food and other surprises. Artist Takahi Sog's sculpture, "Sea of the Ear-Ring" at Sherman Plaza will be dedicated at the opening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last year's Arts Week Evanston featured more than 100 arts activities throughout the City, many of which provided Evanston residents with opportunities for hands-on involvement in the art-making process.

 

 

 

 

A complete schedule of Arts Week activities will be listed on the Speial Events hotline, 847-448-8058, and posted at www.cityofevanston.org.

 

BOOK REVIEW

"The Shadow Catcher "

A Book Review By Sue Brooke

"The Shadow Catcher," by Marianne Wiggins, is a novel written in prose so rich the reader will be tempted to recite paragraphs out loud.

The author weaves the story of Edward S. Curtis, a well-known photographer of the American Indian at the turn of the 20th century, with a similar story about the author's father, set in the present. In both cases a father took off, leaving his young children to wonder and fantasize about him and to assign him mythical attributes.

Mr. Curtis, drawn to the glories of the West, immortalized the Indian with his portraits. He became so well known that President Teddy Roosevelt chose him as the official photographer at the wedding of his daughter, Alice.

Henry Morgan commissioned him to capture the "disappearing West." Yet for all his fame, Edward Curtis died broke. His wife finally divorced him after suffering his continual long absences. He neglected his children, seldom seeing them.

Yet when he died, they buried him in Forest Lawn cemetery with a marker reading "Beloved Father" and chose their own burial plots next to him rather than their spouses.

Though this is a work of fiction, the author has included several photos by Mr. Curtis, remarkable shots of stoic, unsmiling Indians.

The author muses on the fact that the photos are portraits. Pictures of daily life, the smiles and glimpses of love, are missing. She notes that Hollywood Westerns of the 1950s and 1960s featured cowboys and Indians, omitting the story of Indians fighting the cavalry who were invading their land.

The author wonders whether a photographer can skew an image to fit his preconceived notion of its subject.

And she compares men who abandon their families for adventure to Huck Finn escaping his Aunt Sally.

 "We all have our own Aunt Sally - call her loveless marriage. Call her thankless job. Call her parenthood. Domestic mess. Daily reminder of debt and obligation," she writes. Both Edward Curtis and the author's father had their own "Aunt Sally" and left it to their children to understand.

The book offers many possibilities for reading group discussion.

FILM REVIEW

"Halloween "

A Film Review By Brian Murphy

When a filmmaker decides to remake a film, comparisons with the original are bound to surface. These days, the remake trend seems to have settled in the horror genre, where filmmakers have an itch to explore the pasts of some of cinemas most notorious villains.

 "Psycho," "The Exorcist," "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Friday the 13th, and "A Nightmare on Elm Street" are all horror films that have or are about to have been given a retooling. 

Director Rob Zombie ("House of 1000 Corpses," "The Devil's Rejects") turns his attention on Michael Meyers, the white-masked killer from John Carpenter's 1978 scream-fest, which has since spawned no less than eight sequels. 

Mr. Carpenter's acclaimed original, a classic among horror films, worked because of its brilliant score (created by Mr. Carpenter himself), unrelenting suspense and an evil force that is never explained.

Mr. Carpenter chose to exclude the origin of Michael Meyer's savagery; Mr. Zombie gives us his vision of the origin of this evil. Mr. Carpenter taunted the audience with suspense; Mr. Zombie wishes to shock us with brutality and gore. 

The new "Halloween" almost works as two separate films. In the first half, we see Michael Meyers as a young boy (Daeg Faerch) struggling with school bullies, a drunken, berating step-dad (William Forsythe), a mean sister and a stripper mother (Sheri Moon Zombie, the director's wife).

When Michael starts wearing masks and killing animals (like young Leatherface in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre:  The Beginning"), it's not hard to figure out why.  In fact, nothing in the film is left in question. Mr. Zombie smacks you in the face with whatever he wants you to understand. Forget looking for subtext or hidden plot devices; there are none.

When young Michael commits his first homicide, the school principal decides he wants Michael to speak with a local therapist, Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell). It is ironic that an actor who played one of cinema's truly great psychopaths (McDowell's Alex in Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange") should take on the role of psychotherapist. Unfortunately, sub-par dialogue and over-the-top acting make his character a joke here, and sully an iconic character once embodied by the brilliant Donald Pleasance.

After his family gets their just desserts, the homicidal Michael is placed in a mental institution where things go from bad to worse. After years of therapy, Michael withdraws into silence and mask-making.  Seizing an opportunity, he escapes, now a hulk of a man, leaving bloody carnage in his wake. 

After his escape, the second half of the film is a hurried retelling of the first film, with Michael stalking a group of babysitters including Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton is no competition in a role played by the original Scream Queen, Jamie Lee Curtis). 

This is Rob Zombie's most accomplished film to date, but it still lacks the proper set-up to be scary. His shots and cinematography, on their own, are often well done, but as a whole, his shot sequence and editing need work. True, the brutal violence will attract an audience, but to those of us who go to see a horror movie to jump out of our seats in fear, Zombie has a long way to go. 

Devout fans of both Rob Zombie and the "Halloween" franchise will be delighted by endless cameos from Mr. Zombie's past films, allusions to past "Halloween" films, and the casting of "Halloween 4" and "5" star Danielle Harris as Annie. 

Rated R for strong brutal bloody violence and terror throughout, sexual content, graphic nudity and language.