Writing in books...

[fajrdrako]

From Nov. 15:

...I'm curious how many of us write notes in our books. Are you a Footprint Leaver or a Preservationist?

The easy answer: I don't write in books. I don't even write in workbooks like Workbook for Wheelock's Latin, which are meant to be written in. I write in notebooks or on pieces of paper, separately.

This isn't to say I never write in books. Sometimes I put a discreet pencilled five-point star in margins to mark passages I want to find again; I did that sometimes as a student. Haven't done it in decades, perhaps. But I might. Not if it were a library book, or someone else's book. There's not much I hate more than finding underlining or highlighted passages in a library book.

Sometimes I love finding someone else's notes in a book, though. It's like a glimpse of another life - like overhearing someone else's secret.

When I was a student in high school, I used to write on the endpapers, the white pages on the inside front and back covers. Because I was bored in various classes, and I had a passion for poetry, I used to write (in the tiniest handwriting I could manage) the poetry I had memorized. Byron, Browning, Eliot, Shakespeare. Once a teacher caught me doing this. He was so so confounded he didn't say a word. I still have some textbooks like this.

In historical works, it can be exciting. I once read about a manuscript from the early middle ages, in which a monkly scribe of the eighth century had written frigiscente mundo in the margin - the world is growing cold. That put chills down my back.

~ ~ ~

Addendum: Not to mislead you here - it's not that I don't mistreat books. I don't write in them, no. I don't turn down corners. I often put on paper covers so they don't get damaged. But I've been known to tear out pages, or cut books into sections so the parts will fit in a pocket or purse, and then I discard sections as I read.

Comments

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

I don't turn down corners but I do sometimes write in the faintest of soft pencil as an aide-memoire. For example, on the end papers of the Penguin "Aesop's Fables" I have listed the ones I will want to refer to time and time again.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes - end papers have their own uses. In the Karin Lowachee books, I carefully wrote the page numbers of all the appearances of Cairo Azarcon, because I kept looking for those (wonderful) scenes. I have my priorities! And in some of the Bujold novels (like "The Vor Game") I did the same: put the page numbers of the appearances of Aral Vorkosigan.

[chatona.livejournal.com]

I do write in books I have to read for school, but I'd never write in the books I read for pleasure and I'd never ever do it to a library book.

I don't turn corners, either. Funny, though. I don't have a problem with most of my books getting a bit.. wrinkled when I carry them around in a bag or so, but with some other books, I can't even give them to anyone else 'cause I'm so worried they might have the slightest flaw afterwards. It's a bit weird.

I've never torn pages or cut a book in sections, though. If it doesn't fit in the bag, I have to take a bigger bag. *nods*

Hi, by the way! I noticed you friended me, so I friended you back :D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

You're right that all books are not created equal. Some books I would never cut up. Others, I don't care. Mind you, I mostly cut them up (if/when I do) before I've read them, so I don't necessarily know beforehand... and if it's one of those books I need to have and keep, I'll buy another pristine copy.

I remember once lending a Dunnett novel to someone and it came back with the cover wrapper torn. For some reason, that really upset me - more than cases where the books never come back at all. When I think back, it seems irrelevant. It's what scotch tape was invented for.

If it doesn't fit in the bag, I have to take a bigger bag.

You are so practical!

I noticed you friended me, so I friended you back :D

Great! Welcome to my LJ.

[chatona.livejournal.com]

That would upset me, too. Honestly, though, I can understand why it'd upset you more than not getting the book back at all. If someone gives you back a ripped book, in a way that means they have little respect for your personal goods (akak the book), if you don't get it back at all, it'll just slip your mind or you'll assume it slipped their minds or that they love the book so much they want to keep it or... Yeah. Tons of possibilities :D

Not all books are created equal. For some reasons, that line amuses me to no end.

Practical? Well, I guess. People only ever tell me I'm very organised. Practical probably fits the pattern...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Being organized is good. I am sometimes organized. I like to be organized, but it never comes naturally to me. It takes a lot of work, a lot of thought. And usually I'm too lazy.

But my intentions are ery organized!

Yes, there are any number of reasons books might not be returned - simply forgetting being one of them. And one can always ask. I am (embarrassingly) in possession of several books which ought to be returned to their owners, if only I could remember who their owners were. Or in one case... I haven't seen the person in decades. Have no idea how to track her down. I'm sure she's not still waiting breathlessly for one old paperback. (Or maybe she is!) And I have a DVD belonging to someone who has left the city, and I don't know her current address.... I'm keeping it safe for her, anyway!

[chatona.livejournal.com]

I'm rather organised 'cause if I don't keep some sort of order, I'll feel like I don't know what I'm supposed to do and like I'm losing control over everything and that rather freaks me out. Bit of a control freak sometimes, but only a bit. Nowhere near as bad as it could be. As long as I have a list of all the things I should be doing and some sort of plan as to when I'll do them, I'm perfectly fine :D

I'm lazy, too, but never to lazy to make lists. I like lists *bounces*

I have one book I should give back to someone, but I think the rest is all mine *nods*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I make a lot of lists too. I love making lists. I have a little notebook for daily lists and notes, and use it often.

I currently have four books borrowed from people, that I know who they're from and will return very soon.

I also have one library book taken one on someone else's card, which is an interesting sort of borrowing-by-one-remove. It too will be returned (to the library) on time.

[chatona.livejournal.com]

Lists are awesome. I have one notebook for my to-do list and I write lots of little notes on random sheets and leave them lying around on my desk with all kinds of stuff that I just want written down before I forget them :D

I have one book borrowed from a guy from school that I've been meaning to give back for.. a few months now and I just keep forgetting it. On the other hand, he doesn't exactly want it back, either *laughs*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes. I adore making lists. I have a little notebook - a certain shape and size - I used to be able to buy very pretty ones cheaply at the university bookstore, but they stopped making them. So my life has become a long hunt for perfect little notebooks, sturdy but small enough for purse or pocket. I found some lovely ones in Malta, tiny hardcovers, they were great.

This year I splurged and bought the deluxe model from Chapters, a strong but tiny little book (3" by 6") and it's perfect. Cost $12 - but I'm happy with it, so that's okay. I used to try to spend no more than about $2 on these items, but inflation got the better of me - for its quality and its fake-leahter finish, $12 is a good deal!

[chatona.livejournal.com]

I love notebooks. I adore them. Same with pens. I keep saying that I love all things written on, used to write or used to write on, 'cause that pretty much sums it up. I love books, I love notebooks of all sizes and I love pens and pencils and.. Yeah. Leave me in a book store that also sells office supplies and you'll literally have to drag me out of there.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes. I've already confessed about the gorgeous little notebooks. Pens are wonderful things too. For some reason, I have a weakness for purple ink. But all sorts of pens - I love fountain pens. Haven't used on in years. Writing with them always feels like a bold statement.

[chatona.livejournal.com]

fountain pens are love. I think I have five of them and some are really, really gorgeous. I adore fountain pens *bounces* and ink is a wonderful thing, too :D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I once had a fountain pen with gorgeous turquoise ink - using it was such a pleasure that I smile to remember it.

[chatona.livejournal.com]

Pretty! I think I have ink in several colours around here somewhere, or at least I used to. I had... violet and turquoise and blue and black and green, I think.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It's easy to get colour ball-point now but it doesn't quite have the panache of fountain pens. But I don't write as much by hand any more - I'm not sure a fountain pen would be appropriate for my wonderful little notebook. Messier, anyway.

[chatona.livejournal.com]

ball point isn't the same as fountain pens, though. I mean, I still love them, but there's a huge difference and fountain pens are way more gorgeous. ... messier, too, though, you're right :D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

That fountain pen with the turquoise ink - it had a tendency to leak a little and I went for months with a turquoise splotch on my finger. Didn't matter that I washed my hands frequently - I used the pen frequently, too.

[chatona.livejournal.com]

I have splotches on my fingers all the time frmo writing with fountain pens *grins*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It's just one of their characteristics. I don't seem to have ever got it on my clothes, thank goodness. I guess there's an art to it.

[chatona.livejournal.com]

It is and I sort of like it. I never get any splotches on clothing or the paper, but my hands, yeah, definitely. All the time.

Streepjes (by Kees Torn)

[wijsgeer.livejournal.com]

There is a beautifull song (and I looked for the lyrics but couldn't find them). The singer tells about his father, that he was persona non grata in his family and therefor he didn't know anything about him. At a certain moment he decided to make contact but his father had cancer and died shortly after the meeting. All he had left where his fathers books, with in them little dashes in the margin. Now he wonders if these are a clue to his fathers personality, where these things he wholeheartedly agreed with, or did they make him angry? Or nothing like that and were the books second hand after all.

Re: Streepjes (by Kees Torn)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful theme for a song! Yes, someone could come and look at one of my books and wonder why I put my little five-pointed stars at various places. Like a series of clues to something.

I like a song with a good story.

[beccaelizabeth]

I used to have a Thing about how books must be kept Perfect. Which met college library and got wound up. But then I've been at this college for 5, 6 years now and one of the study skills they teach is strategic use of highlighter. And once I got over not-drawing-in-my-books my own textbooks have become a total mass of pretty colors. Actually sometimes I get carried away, I mean the Ibsen play from last year I was trying to do something clever with color coding themes and then I forgot which pen was which and I ended up with about a dozen different colors (some in metallic ink, some glittery, some just fluorescent) and, er, no clue what they meant any more...
But regular highlight-the-good-bits and keywords is so helpful now.
Plus, it helps me remember if I've actually read that bit or just a bit in another book on the same topic.

As for writing actual words... I have arguments in the margins. Usually in silver pen, because if you tilt it one way you don't got to read it but if you tilt it the other it's quite clear. Some books just need arguing with.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

When I was in university, coloured highlighters didn't exist. Sometimes I feel antique! Those were the dark ages.

The point being, I never learned how to do that sort of meaningful highlighting, and even now find it more useful to make notes, and then do whatever I want to with my notes. Highlight 'em, burn 'em, rearrange them... It feels less passive.

And it sounds as if you've created another kind of art.

Yes, some books do need arguing with. Some of them need it a lot!

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

"There's not much I hate more than finding underlining or highlighted passages in a library book."

Or a gazillion turned down page corners, or a gazillion tab markers stuck to many papers and then never removed. Drives me insane at the library...

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

*pages, not papers

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It must be very frustrating!

It does amuse me sometimes, though, to find a list of books with the due dates - such as the OPL gives us every time we take out a book - that someone else has left in a book, either as a bookmark or just because they never removed it. Then I get to see what batch of books someone else checked out. That's fun.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Haha. Our patrons often leave those slips in cause they seem to think we at the library need them in order to check in the item. I once had a patron FREAK OUT cause she lost the slip and she thought we really needed it.

lolz

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I always throw my slip away as soon as I leave the library. I check due dates online on a constant basis. The paper just gets in my way, and it's never sturdy enough for bookmarks. I like to use fannish bookmarks - or postcards from exotic places.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

The receipt is our way of covering our butts. Generally, we direct everyone to the internet for this sort of thing nowadays. It's the way to go.

[rosiespark.livejournal.com]

But I've been known to tear out pages, or cut books into sections so the parts will fit in a pocket or purse, and then I discard sections as I read.

Gggnnnnggghhh! You...Vandal!

I think I'm still as horrified by this habit of yours as I was the first time I heard about it. ;)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Gggnnnnggghhh! You...Vandal!

Horrifying, isn't it? - the depths to which I can fall. The utter evil of it.

Funny how so many of my friends are horrified by this. My general habit of kindness to grandmothers and small animals is no compensation.