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Potential Poet Laureate at Work

Hark! Ye Harold’s Baskerville sings.
“No other type can do MY thing.”
Piece by piece it spreads the word
Like no other voice you’ve ever heard.
Fancy frills it certainly lacks;
Power and simplicity it really packs.
Ever more we’ll repeat the score –
Campane never, never will bore
(At least typographically)!

Rich Hopkins

In any hobby one meets nuts – in AJ one meets nice nuts. Now take this crowd here! Whew – We’re glad we were asked – flattered, in fact. – Bob & Louise Williams

It is very gratifying to see the type stacked up neatly in Segal’s cases thus making it easier, for me at least, to set it. It was 25 years ago that I began doing and advocating that sort of thing. – Alf Babcock

The Official, Authorized, Unadulterated, Unexpurgated, Organic NAPA Ticket

President: Jake Warner
Vice President: Gale Sheldon
Editor: Ralph Babcock
Recorder: Keith Gray
Exec. Judges: Ann Vrooman, Bill Boys, Robert Williams

For Auld Lang Syne

This will be our first New Year celebration without Verle, so our midnite toast for “auld Lang Syne” will be double poignant. The loss of three loved friends this past year, Verle, Milt Grady, and Em Duerr makes us realize our human frailty, and come warmer weather, we plan on visiting with others we think much of. No more saying “Let’s go sometime.”

What Do We Need a Head For?

Here we are again, our seventh consecutive New Year’s Eve in Bristol, wallowing with printers. Again, that man from Niger, Sri Swami Boys is here threatening to go back to Nigeria to take the word of NAPA with him. Missing among us are the Fred Liddles and the Wessons who are at this moment probably preparing APC 125½ in Florida. We understand Fred is now printing with a new forehand single-barrel Kelsey shotgun (with 30 brass shells) and that Wesson is walking his Tibetan dog that looks like a Tibetan cat. As we stand around the TV, champagne glasses in hand, and as we watch the ball on the Times Tower go crashing down on Guy Lombardo’s head, we will think of you who are not here! – L & PW

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Fossilize the NA

What would be the feasibility of printing The Fossil as a section of The National Amateur? The Fossils could make a contribution to the printing and mailing expenses. Fossil members who don’t belong to the NAPA might appreciate getting The National Amateur, and many National members would enjoy reading the Fossil articles.

Lame Duck’s Wise Quacks

106 NAPA members were publishers in 1972. That’s a whopping 20 percent over last year’s 90, but the output only jumped 9 percent, to 1,428 pages. Plaudits are due to Illinois and Southern Cal members; both areas more than doubled their activity.

Bob Kunde becomes Historian at midnight. Wish I could say we have a Centennial Coordinator and a Librarian too.

Since local custom nixes hyphens at the ends of lines I think visiting typesetters should cheerfully observe practices like this. – WEB

The Segals run a half-way house
Where transient printers always grouse:
“Where’s copy?” “Where’s the beer?”
“Who’s got the slate?” “Who’s here?”

But if you took a Gallup poll
These inky jerks would all extol:
“Our hosts! Let’s give a cheer!”
“And we’ll be back next year!”

The Welkin Ringers

For its tenth re-run, the by-now traditional New Year’s Eve APC roundup hosted by Hazel & Harold Segal has attracted a virtual convention.

Here’s NAPA Prexy Bill Boys (and Ruth, from Ohio) discussing Nigerian language limitation with Editor Jake Warner (Leah and Dave) along with his December cover artist, Bob Williams (and Louise) and Recorder Alan & Louanne Wheeler, Vicki and Beth Anne, from Virginia.

From New York City way Al Lee and Ralph Babcock with Alf Babcock and Bill and Till Haywood from New Jersey. Others from nearby include Jeanne and Ed and Holly Harler and Lillian and Parker Worley.

From way out west in West Virginia came Lynda & Rich Hopkins with Kathy and Laurie.

Erratum

Leah, Dave, and I finally got to an APC meeting at Segals. For a group of printers, there’s an awful lot of eating, drinking, and talking but damn little typesetting. Enjoying every minute. – JLW

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Laureate Entry

Snow falling without a sound.
Falling, falling to the ground.
A fresh white world out there;
A fresh world we can share.
Snowballs, snowmen, lots of fun
But in the springtime – out comes the sun.

Kathy Hopkins, age 9

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