The Decherd Turner Bibliophiles Lecture
and Workshop Series
at Bridwell Library for 2007-2008

In 1994, Bridwell Library inaugurated a series that combines lectures on the history of books and printing with hands-on workshops in the book arts. Renamed in 2002 for Bridwell’s founding director Decherd Turner, the Bibliophiles Series consists of six or seven events a year on topics ranging from incunabular printing to contemporary artists’ books. In addition to lectures and presentations by bibliographic experts, we also organize three hands-on workshops each year to teach such skills as paper-making, marbling, and binding techniques. By mingling the scholarly with the creative, this series is designed to appeal to a broad audience and foster a love and appreciation of books.

The Decherd Turner Bibliophiles Series brings well-known scholars, artists, and craftspeople to Bridwell Library for public lectures and workshops. All events are free and open to the public, though reservations are often necessary for workshops. We hope you will enjoy the series. Please scroll down for this year's schedule.

2007-2008

Thursday, October 25, 2007 4 P.M.

Jan Sobota, Master Bookbinder, J & J Sobota Book Arts Studio,

"New design bindings of Jan and Jarmilla Sobota: projection of photos and an exhibition of bindings from the collection at Bridwell Library"

Bridwell Library, Blue Room

Thursday, February 28, 2008 4:00 P.M.

Kitty Maryatt, Director, Scripps College Press and Assistant Professor of Art, Scripps College, Claremont, California. 

“From Gutenberg to Iliazd: Printing at the Scripps College Press”

Bridwell Library, Blue Room
 

Thursday, April 10, 2008, 4:00 P.M.

Jace Graf, Cloverleaf Press

"Caring for Your Book Collection"

Bridwell Library, Benefactor's Room, 2nd floor

Past Lectures

2005-2006

Wednesday, 14 September 2005, lecture, 4pm
Daniel De Simone, Curator, Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection at The Library of Congress

The Woodcut in Early Printed Books

Daniel De Simone's lecture on the use of woodcuts in book illustration during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries officially opens the exhibition "A Heavenly Craft: The Woodcut in Early Printed Books," on loan from the Library of Congress.

Thursday, 3 November 2005, workshop, 10am-4pm
Maria Sol Rebora, Argentine Design-Bookbinder

Creating a Simple Artist's Book

Maria Sol Rebora will offer a step-by-step workshop on making an accordion-structure book decorated with a unique crumple paper technique. Class size is limited to fifteen; please register early: 214 768 3483.

Friday, 20 January 2006, lecture, 4pm
John Ganim, Professor of English, University of California, Riverside

Libraries and Architecture

Professor Ganim will lecture on themes he originally explored at the opening of the Bibliotheque nationale de France. His multimedia presentation will include views of famous and lesser-known library spaces and clips from cinematic representations of libraries.

Thursday, 23 February 2006, workshop, 10am-4pm
Emily Martin, Proprietor of The Naughty Dog Press and pop-up book artist at the Center for the Book, University of Iowa

Pop-Ups, Moveables, and Paper Engineering

Emily Martin will lead a workshop on creating pop-up and moveable books. Participants will assemble models and construct a sample book of paper engineering techniques. Class size is limited to fifteen; please register early: 214 768 3483.

Other Bridwell events of interest to booklovers:

Wednesday, 9 November 2005, 5pm
Lourdes Alvarez, Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures, Catholic University of America

Boasting for God: Shushtari and the Pleasures of the Text

The most informal registers of medieval popular Andalusian song/poetry featured quite a lot of boasting (not unlike today's rap music or, for that matter, the music of Cuban dance bands). Towards the end of a poem, after poignant accounts of failed love affairs or hilarious descriptions of ill-fated seduction attempts, the poet would launch into hearty self-praise for his witty composition, sometimes adding scathing insults directed at lesser poets.  This phenomenon is in itself quite interesting; it not only reverses the usual poetic praise of a (hopefully generous) patron but also underscores the informality of the poem, praising as elegant and refined what would never be considered elegant in polite company. Needless to say, this is not a common feature of Arabic mystical poetry (nor any mystical poetry of which I'm aware). So it is quite innovative in Shushtari and ultimately serves to advance his religious message.

This lecture is the 2005-2006 SMU Bridwell Medieval Lecture.

Bridwell Library
Perkins School of Theology
6005 Bishop Blvd., Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
Parking available at Meadows Museum.
For more information call (214) 768-3483.