Paper Angels

Strangely, I am about to write in a paperless world about the wonder of – paper.

This March 31 at King's Books is their now officially annual Wayzgoose event. (It's been three years, which makes it not a one-time event or a fluke, but an official annual event -- yippee!)

By definition, according to the Yale University library, a "wayzgoose" is a long-standing tradition in the history of printing, generally a dinner where printers gather to talk about the art they love.

While any eats at the King's Books event will likely be those you consume (and/or imbibe) before or after at the nearby Doyle's, Stadium Bistro, or St. Helen's Cafe, the event will be an interesting gathering and showcase of local letterpress printers and book artists that should pique the interest of Tacoma's growing nerdy/artsy population.

I went to the first one at King's Books, and was treated with a roomful of folks who love the look, the feel, the smell, the art that is paper. They are the reason paper will always be, no matter how much the Internet impedes upon the "printed word" world.

This year features a wide range of pulp enthusiasts ... from underground poster artists and cult-following-favorites Beautiful Angle, to Guinea Pig Press' 6-year-old emerging artist prodigy Abby McDermott (yes, her dad works at the bookstore, and that's probably how she got the spot -- but as the mom of a different 6-year-old Abby, I'm smitten).

And that's just the beginning. Be prepared for art, for information, for a chance to purchase some really cool cards and other paper arts -- and to mingle with those who are nearly as nerdy as you.

Celebrate pulp fact; go interact.

In Tacoma.