I think one of the saddest sites I see in my hunts and haunts for books are the inscriptions inside the cover or on the fly leaf, the loving words,
"To Ellen, Love Mom and Dad," "To my Wife," " To My Friend . . " which means these were meant to be treasured in someone's private library. While it is true time robs all of us, many of these are newer books, and it is possible that the recipient is indeed alive. It makes me wonder what happened? I can't imagine everyone treasures every book as I do, but how many personally inscribed books does one get in a lifetime? It's something to ponder, and remember, as much as we may love them, it's hard to inscribe an electronic reading device.
Till next time . . .
Helen and Teacher
The Story of my Life
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Books v. Technology?
Food for thought:
Jonathan Franzen's in the news again, this time talking about how e-books are chiseling away at the foundations of civilization as we know it. Absurd, isn't it? That the author of two of the better regarded novels of the past decade (give or take) would be concerned about how you read his books. The problem, according to Franzen, is manifold. E-books and digital readers are a con designed to rob you of money that you could otherwise be spending on paper books; e-books are trivial non-objects that you cannot hold and fetishize; print books are durable ("I can spill water on it and it would still work!" he is quoted as saying); and, most perniciously, e-books are supplanting the gorgeous permanence of book-books. "But I do fear that it's going to be very hard to make the world work if there's no permanence like that," Franzen said. "That kind of radical contingency is not compatible with a system of justice or responsible self-government."
Right. So. Read that again. That free copy of Moby-Dick you downloaded to your Kindle with the full intention of one day maybe starting to read it — that copy of Moby-Dick is the harbinger of some liberties-trampled nightmare world. Somehow.
Look. I think Jonathan Franzen is a talented novelist. I loved Freedom and The Corrections. I thought The Twenty-Seventh City was pretty damned good. But, whatever. People are allowed to say silly things. But can we please, please, please get past the e-books versus print books thing? Please?
There's really no need for a discussion about the technology any longer. Readers like the Kindle and Nook are great. They work. They're cheap. You can put a lifetime's worth of books on one — including a ton of public domain classics for a buck or less each. You can cobble together a virtual classics bookshelf for less than the cost of a round of drinks. Amazing.
Of course e-books aren't perfect. I am a scribbler, and you cannot scribble in the margins of an ebook. Not all books are available in digital editions (Martin Amis' Money, for instance, and most of Saul Bellow). E-books do not allow you to advertise your literary affectedness on the subway. And then there's the matter of all those barren bookshelves, in your home and at the soon-to-be-closed local independent bookseller.
Here's the thing: you don't have to be a print book person or an e-book person. It's not an either/or proposition. You can choose to have your text delivered on paper with a pretty cover, or you can choose to have it delivered over the air to your sleek little device. You can even play it way loose and read in both formats! Crazy, right? To have choice. Neither is better or worse — for you, for the economy, for the sake of "responsible self-government." We should worry less about how people get their books and — say it with me now! — just be glad that people are reading.
Jonathan Segura is an editor at Bookish.com and the author of Occupationa
Jonathan Franzen's in the news again, this time talking about how e-books are chiseling away at the foundations of civilization as we know it. Absurd, isn't it? That the author of two of the better regarded novels of the past decade (give or take) would be concerned about how you read his books. The problem, according to Franzen, is manifold. E-books and digital readers are a con designed to rob you of money that you could otherwise be spending on paper books; e-books are trivial non-objects that you cannot hold and fetishize; print books are durable ("I can spill water on it and it would still work!" he is quoted as saying); and, most perniciously, e-books are supplanting the gorgeous permanence of book-books. "But I do fear that it's going to be very hard to make the world work if there's no permanence like that," Franzen said. "That kind of radical contingency is not compatible with a system of justice or responsible self-government."
Right. So. Read that again. That free copy of Moby-Dick you downloaded to your Kindle with the full intention of one day maybe starting to read it — that copy of Moby-Dick is the harbinger of some liberties-trampled nightmare world. Somehow.
Look. I think Jonathan Franzen is a talented novelist. I loved Freedom and The Corrections. I thought The Twenty-Seventh City was pretty damned good. But, whatever. People are allowed to say silly things. But can we please, please, please get past the e-books versus print books thing? Please?
There's really no need for a discussion about the technology any longer. Readers like the Kindle and Nook are great. They work. They're cheap. You can put a lifetime's worth of books on one — including a ton of public domain classics for a buck or less each. You can cobble together a virtual classics bookshelf for less than the cost of a round of drinks. Amazing.
Of course e-books aren't perfect. I am a scribbler, and you cannot scribble in the margins of an ebook. Not all books are available in digital editions (Martin Amis' Money, for instance, and most of Saul Bellow). E-books do not allow you to advertise your literary affectedness on the subway. And then there's the matter of all those barren bookshelves, in your home and at the soon-to-be-closed local independent bookseller.
Here's the thing: you don't have to be a print book person or an e-book person. It's not an either/or proposition. You can choose to have your text delivered on paper with a pretty cover, or you can choose to have it delivered over the air to your sleek little device. You can even play it way loose and read in both formats! Crazy, right? To have choice. Neither is better or worse — for you, for the economy, for the sake of "responsible self-government." We should worry less about how people get their books and — say it with me now! — just be glad that people are reading.
Jonathan Segura is an editor at Bookish.com and the author of Occupationa
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: I'll be Back
Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: I'll be Back: Too sick to write, but I'll be back. Look for a new blog, soon. I miss you all, please take care
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Anti-Piracy Bill Shelved
Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Anti-Piracy Bill Shelved: Here is the link for this piece; http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-01-20/anti-piracy-bills-halted/52698192/1the For anyone wh...
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Rosalie Whyel Sale Reminder
Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Rosalie Whyel Sale Reminder: Just A Little Reminder... Our Thank You Sale! EVERYTHING In the Museum Store IS ON SALE! 30% OFF (40% for Members)! ALSO- Our...
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Asian Dolls and Web Doll Museum
Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Asian Dolls and Web Doll Museum: On our Web Doll Museum, I will be featuring asian doll, from ancient to modern times, in keeping with our informal chronology of doll histor...
Monday, January 9, 2012
Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: January Writing World Free to Share
Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: January Writing World Free to Share: W R I T I N G W O R L D A World of Writing Information - For Writers Around the World http://www.writing-world.com ...
Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: Help Writing Raw
Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: Help Writing Raw: Go to writingraw.com: Looking for something special? Try our internal WritingRaw Google search.WritingRaw is a monthly literary maga...
Writing Raw and Glitches; Holiday Heirlooms Spark Memoir
There have been some problems with cutting and pasting information on this blog, but not on my others. I was trying to write about using holiday ornaments to spark memories, as well as using photos and recipes, but I didn't get very far. I lost the post. I'm sorry.
My other blogs have similar newsletters and the Writing Raw.com online literary magazine. I also posted the latest Writing World, which I could not post here. So, visit Dr. E's Doll Museum, Dr. E's Greening for the Common Person, Miss Bronte meets Miss Pym.
Happy 2012.
My other blogs have similar newsletters and the Writing Raw.com online literary magazine. I also posted the latest Writing World, which I could not post here. So, visit Dr. E's Doll Museum, Dr. E's Greening for the Common Person, Miss Bronte meets Miss Pym.
Happy 2012.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: From Strong National Museum of Play
Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: From Strong National Museum of Play: Meet Dorothy and Friends at The Wizard of Oz Exhibit Opening! Follow the Yellow Brick Road to The Wizard of Oz exhibit opening Saturday & S...
Monday, January 2, 2012
Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Barbie Mouthwash and Some Doll and Toy Memoirs on ...
Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Barbie Mouthwash and Some Doll and Toy Memoirs on ...: OK; I've seen it all. I bought Barbie Listerine Smart Rinse, complete with a photo of herself. I love it! It is one of many products of t...
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