Can a Papermaker Help to Save Civilization.docx

Can a Papermaker Help to Save Civilization.docx

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CanaPapermakerHelptoSaveCivilization

CanaPapermakerHelptoSaveCivilization?

EachNovember,apapermakernamedTimothyBarrettgathersagroupoffriendsandstudentsonthegroundsoftheUniversityofIowaResearchPark,aonetimetuberculosissanitariuminCoralville,Iowa,forwhathebillsasaharvestevent.Armedwithhook-shapedknives,Barrettandhispartyhackawayatagroveofbare,shrubliketreescalledkozo,aJapaneserelativeofthecommonmulberry.Athisnearbystudio,whichishousedintheformersanitarium’slaundryfacility,thebundlesofcutkozoaresteamedinasteelcaldrontoloosenthebark.Afterthebarkisstrippedfromthekozo,itishungonracks,whereitshrivelstoacrispoveramatterofdays.Eventuallythebarkisdehydratedandslicedapartfromitsmiddle,“green”layer,andthatlayer,inturn,isshearedfromtheprizedinnerlayer.Ittakesaboutahundredpoundsofharvestedkozotreestoyieldeightpoundsofthis“whitebark,”fromwhichBarrettwillultimatelymakeafewhundredsheetsofwhatconnoisseursconsidertobesomeoftheworld’smostperfectpaper.

Barrett,whois61,hasdedicatedhislifetounlockingthemysteriesofpaper,whichheregardsasboththeelementalstuffofcivilizationandanendangeredspeciesindigitalculture.Forhisrangeofpaper-relatedactivities,hereceiveda$500,000fellowshipfromtheMacArthurFoundationin2009.“SometimesIworryaboutwhataweirdthingitistobepreoccupiedwithpaperwhenthere’ssomuchtroubleintheworld,”Barretttoldme,“butthenIthinkofhowourwholecultureisknittedtogetherbypaper,anditmakesakindofsense.”TheLibraryofCongressandtheNewberryLibraryinChicagoareamongtheinstitutionsthatoftenusehispapertomendtheirmostimportantholdings,fromilluminatedmanuscriptstomusicalscorespennedbyMozart.In1999,officialsattheNationalArchivescommissionedBarretttofabricatepaperonwhichtolaythefragileparchmentoriginalsoftheU.S.Constitution,BillofRightsandDeclarationofIndependence.AvisitortoWashington,Barrettsaid,wouldbeunlikelytonoticehispaperrestingbeneaththefoundingcharters.“Butifyoukindofturnyourheadsidewaysandsquint,youcanseeit.”

IfirstmetBarrettlastwinter,whenIwenttohisstudiotoseehimmakewashi,thelustrous,translucent,tissue-thinJapanese-stylepaperthatisthefruitofhismulberryharvest.Washi,hetoldme,wasacenturies-oldwintervocationofJapanesericefarmers.Athermostatonacinder-blockwallread50.2degrees,andBarrettwaswearingathicklong-sleeveundershirt,aflannelshirtandadownvestbeneathhisheavyapron.Hemakeswashionlysixweekseachyear,andformssheetsofpaperonlyonThursdays.Muchoftherestofthetimeheispreparingthewhitebarkaccordingtoaregimenthatincludescookingitinasolutionofwood-ashlye,laboriouslypickingthestrandsfreeoftinybitsofdebris,beatingthemwithamechanicalstampingdevice,poundingthemwithmalletsandthenmaceratingthestringyclumpsinatuboutfittedwithS-shapedbladesthathesaysaremodeledonamedievalJapanesesword.

Hesteppedinsidean8-by-10-footcornerofthestudiothatwasenclosedbycurtainsofplasticsheetingandscoopedafewlitersofwetwhitebarkfibersintoavatofpurifiedwater.Thenhepouredinwhathecalleda“formationagent”—plantsecretionsthat,hesaid,werethekeytotheamazingstrength,softnessandflexibilityofsheetsnothickerthanaKleenex.Hestirredthevatwithafour-footpole,thenpushedandpulledtheprongsofahuge,rakelikewoodentoolthroughthesolutiontodispersethefibersevenlyinthewater.“Ahundredandfiftystrokes,”hesaid,thoughhedidn’tappeartobecounting.Hestirredwiththepoleagainandpaused.Nowhewasreadytomakeasheetofpaper.

Hetookholdofarectangularwoodenframe,ormold,thathadabamboomatanddippeditintothevat.Helifteditout,letexcesswatersplashoverthesides,thenplungeditbackin.Heshookhisarmsrhythmically.Smallwavesformedonthesurface.Hemighthavebeentakenforsomeoneatawashtub,thoughheswayedinalanguid,trancelikemanner.Finally,hebenthiskneesdeeply,tookonemorepulloutofthevatandquicklytossedtheexcessoff.Nothingbutawetsheenwasleftonthemold.Ithoughtthattheprocesshad,forsomereason,failedtoproducepaper.Butsoon,fromacorneroftheframe,Barrettpeeledoffapaleyellowsheet,whichresembledalargedamphandkerchief.“Peoplearealwayssurprisedwhentheyseeitforthefirsttime,”hetoldmeafterward.“It’sasthoughitcomesoutofnowhere.”Bytheendofthedayhehadastackof100sheetsorso,whichhewoulddrainovernight,clampinascrewpressanddryonawallofsteam-heatedsheetmetalthefollowingday.Thefinishedproductwasarectangleofra