in a name?

Guess I'm feeling pretty thankful these days, cause I'm gonna have to give props to a couple more people before I can go on with new stuff...

Before I even bought my press, there came the question of naming it. There are lots of great press names out there, but stealing another press name is generally frowned upon, and hoo boy, watch out if you anger a letterpresser with arms thick from lifting trays of type. So, I began to stir some things in the organic stew I call a brain, and here's what came out...

1. The first press I bought is called a Pilot. I got mine at a pretty skeazy flea market in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Most of the place was full of 8-track tapes and old video cassettes, knives, used records by unheard-of boy bands from the 50s, temporary tattoos, and strangely, baby clothes. But there in the back of the market was a skinny old guy who collected letter press stuff when he saw it. I also bought a bucket of type from him which ended up only causing me hours of confusion and resulted in nothing too usable.

2. My first name is Emily, which is close enough to Amelia.

3. I'm a chick. Sometimes chicks are called ladies.

4. There's a great song by Neko Case called Lady Pilot.

5. There's another great song by the Handsome Family called, "Amelia Earhart vs. the Dancing Bear."

6. My great friend Ben suggested calling my press Lady Pilot.

And so the name is stuck, and thanks to Ben, and to Neko Case and the Handsome Family for writing such cool songs, and to Amelia Earhart for being such an inspiring chick. If the greatness of any of these folks rubs off just a little on my press, the world is soon to be my ink-stained oyster.