Kate Morgan Reade: Whew, the reading train that led me to THIS posting! No wonder I LOVE Substack. You helped me discovered Liz Gauffreau. Wow! What a wonderful platform.
I am so happy to see you consult the Second Edition of the Merriam Webster Unabridged.
You know this, but the philological underpinnings of the Third Edition is more, shall we say, empirical:
The above review of "The Third" is fair by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and its narrative gives reasons that lead me to prefer by far "The Second Edition" of Merriam-Webster.
My commentary rambles, but I feel SO STRONGLY about the fine lexicography of "The Second" while still liking some of the updating of "The Third" Merriam Webster.
I LOVE your macrophotography. What a beautiful, inspiring and well-framed sharp image of the honey-bee and blooms. I looked upon that beauty for minutes . . .
And dog-ears in books. Boy, do I join you THERE. I wouldn't dog-ear a trashy novel. There is something about the printed word . . .
Born in the late '40s, during my school years in the fifties, I experienced the joy you express in Second Year Latin if they handed us brand-new textbooks. The scent! The teacher would instruct us in unison to open the brand-new-textbook to properly press the pages softly but firm, starting in the middle; press the page; open a little more and neatly press the page . . . until the whole, brand-new book, which young Armando would sniff, would be in the best condition to preserve.
I am bilingual with German, and a member of the Goethe Institut in Atlanta had visited my home in a Memphis suburb and was moved by something I take for granted: He loved the care that my hardbound editions of German literature were kept with care and like new and my notations in notebooks from my readings.
Sorry to ramble, but you hit a common harmonic frequency with me. By the way, yours is one of my favorite columns, and thanks for having led me to Liz Gauffreau.
AuntyKatie, your modus operandi, books-wise ...is parallel to how I like my universe run too. (...people around me think, I overreact, for any "offense" handling a book. Particularly, eeeekk, them bending them through obtuse angles.
Oh, must hurry...last summer, as I was in Kübler Ross's universe, she highlight texts from Tagore's Gitanjali...my interest piqued, I hunted a copy...and...luckyyyy me, I found, a delicate hardback first edition print 1912 / 13, the year of his Nobel in Literature 😁😎🫂🫂🫂🙃
It is magnificently delicate, just like Tagore's Poetry & Illustrations, in this beauty.
In all my years on this lovely planet, I've only last summer, I remember, that, under duress, I physically disposed off a torn, mangled paperback copy of Tolstoy's "war and peace", donated with a bunchabooks, to my neighbourhood charity shop, I volunteer at.
You give us such a beautiful glimpse into your family and, really, into your soul with this one, Kate. Thank you, my friend!
The coasters are such a small detail but they perfectly capture the story you’re telling. Beautiful, just beautiful.
As the proud owner of a growing library myself, I must ask: do you consider it only proper, or a major faux pas, that I place the embossed seal on the interior cover page?
Friend mudge! So good to read your comment. Thank you for the kindness of your observations! I have catching up do to with your work, but will do so. As long as we all keep showing up, that is the key!
Ah, I am not the authority on library protocols, just my own book ethics; however, if I understand your question, you have something like an embossed book plate? Ex Libris type of thing with your name? I've only used paper book plates (nerdling here had her own by about age 8, I think, lol). If I understand correctly, you're wondering about its placement. I've never thought about it, not having a really cool embossed setup like that. I don't actually know the protocol. Now I'm intrigued and will rabbit-hole this interesting practice! I remember seeing a few with such a seal, but they were from others' collections, so let's find out! Ooh fun fun fun for bibliophiles! Does anyone reading this know the answer/s? I'll copy to Notes to disperse.
Having bought online, some withdrawn for US libraries have embossed inside page or withdrawn from library X or tagged some other way...regardless, makes me happy...
But seeing children's classic, awarded at school, for some distinction, the recognition slip inside, with always, such lovely handwriting from the tutors, principals, is a joy (for me) reliving 50,60,70,80 years later...I'm holding in my hand, an heirloom (why? shouldn't it be, in the family home??) sigh 🙏🏻🧘🏻♀️🌌
So I had to look it up--it's called a "seal press." (Sorry for bringing embossing into the equation, it was unnecessarily confusing--it's just that the only time I've seen a similar machine, it was used for that purpose.)
It doesn't look like I can post an image of the seal in a comment, so I'll tag you in a note!
Agree. Agree. Agree. Though must confess the cookbooks I’ve used most often kind of look like they’ve been through the kitchen wars. They have. And my highschool hardback of Moby Dick is heavily annotated in the margins - in ink.
Oh, absolutely! Many fine cooks have marinara-stained cookbooks! No judgment there...at all. Also, books used for study are workhorses, like your Moby Dick. Highlighting, pen, markers are all part of the learning process in our own copies. I still have a few faves, too...all heavily marked! ❤️
I love libraries! I actually stopped buying books and donated every book I was done reading to the public library. They are such important institutions of public knowledge. I hope they never go away.
I thank you for your commendable enthusiasm, Mr Clay. I agree with your sentiment and wish similarly.
Unfortunately, the public libraries in London at least, are under immense pressure of government budget cutbacks, et cetera, so a whole bunch of them are closed, closing, reshaped, slimmed...it's a sad state. Often they are newly bulked out with (tatty) fiction. So one has to really hunt for nonfiction / classics, what have you...
Enhancing, accentuating literature and knowledge, now on the back burner. That's how it feels to me. Sigh.
I grew up surrounded deep in books at home. And still am (yippee)...
I'm reminded just now, of Christopher Hitchens's study / studies...overflowing, floor - ceiling in books - knowledge 🤓😁😵💫... Same with innumerable Substackers here...no doubt... stacking books around themselves.
Oh, let's watch fahrenheit 451 for the heck of it, again. 🙏🏻🌞🧘🏻♀️🌌
Oh that is sad. I have very mixed feelings about the ways libraries have changed to be more like media hubs, yet I try to remember that I'd rather have people go into them than anywhere else. On a par with parks, perhaps. To read. But I do feel that sense of loss. I wonder whether there is a canon of classics remaining, however. At least that must remain.
Only an hour's (direct) ride on a nice London bus, meandering its jolly way through slow moving traffic - sun or fog or rain (or snow! London?)
Wow. It's midnight.🦇 Rolling into Tuesday 🐒🧘🏻♀️🌌
(just earlier speaking with a friend about Challenger & Columbia, ascending, descending, rolling...) pls excuse my trains of thought...🧘🏻♀️🌌
🌖 - four & half days to full. Lucky you guys, gals...second solar eclipse, quick succession, across your land (no no, the paths of totality do not signify confederate flag - maga wakeywakey) 🙏🏻🥸
🛤️🚂💭⬅️Trains of thought. I can relate, especially when late. Not the train, the hour...🕰️ London snow? Ooh, as much of a mess as it likely can make things, I bet it is stunning as it highlights the architecture...the chiaroscuro!
Oh yah, it's that too! Definitely. But it snows on the city so frustratingly rarely. I'm jealous of other locales where it falls.
I was gonna attach a photograph of a snowfall, couple of years ago, our street... The colour, light, contrasts that morning I captured, hmm, not bad...even if I say so. But I do not know how to upload my snow pics 😕
Substack is so weird. Sometimes I can upload pics but likely only within my own world of wordwoof waft. You can email them to my katemorganreade@gmail.com if you like. I bet they are stunning.
What a generous and novel (😂) idea! Libraries are here to stay. I especially enjoy the LFL Little Free Library movement and the many I see popping up. Is this something that is occurring in your area? https://littlefreelibrary.org/about/
We do have those!! Someone is hoarding all of the books though. They are always so destitute. Haha. I'll monitor the ones near my house more thoroughly though, just to see.
I'm so glad that it's widespread. I hope more books end up in the ones in your area. I enjoy seeing how people decorate and customize them. I even saw one outside a church, decorated like a mini version of the church. Good sense of humor!
To me, books for the most part represent knowledge, and for that reason are to be treated at very least with respect. That includes even those containing ideas I disagree with. History shows that those who burn books generally regress to burning people.
Kate Morgan Reade: Whew, the reading train that led me to THIS posting! No wonder I LOVE Substack. You helped me discovered Liz Gauffreau. Wow! What a wonderful platform.
I am so happy to see you consult the Second Edition of the Merriam Webster Unabridged.
You know this, but the philological underpinnings of the Third Edition is more, shall we say, empirical:
https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2009/julyaugust/feature/ain%E2%80%99t-the-truth
The above review of "The Third" is fair by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and its narrative gives reasons that lead me to prefer by far "The Second Edition" of Merriam-Webster.
My commentary rambles, but I feel SO STRONGLY about the fine lexicography of "The Second" while still liking some of the updating of "The Third" Merriam Webster.
I LOVE your macrophotography. What a beautiful, inspiring and well-framed sharp image of the honey-bee and blooms. I looked upon that beauty for minutes . . .
And dog-ears in books. Boy, do I join you THERE. I wouldn't dog-ear a trashy novel. There is something about the printed word . . .
Born in the late '40s, during my school years in the fifties, I experienced the joy you express in Second Year Latin if they handed us brand-new textbooks. The scent! The teacher would instruct us in unison to open the brand-new-textbook to properly press the pages softly but firm, starting in the middle; press the page; open a little more and neatly press the page . . . until the whole, brand-new book, which young Armando would sniff, would be in the best condition to preserve.
I am bilingual with German, and a member of the Goethe Institut in Atlanta had visited my home in a Memphis suburb and was moved by something I take for granted: He loved the care that my hardbound editions of German literature were kept with care and like new and my notations in notebooks from my readings.
Sorry to ramble, but you hit a common harmonic frequency with me. By the way, yours is one of my favorite columns, and thanks for having led me to Liz Gauffreau.
AuntyKatie, your modus operandi, books-wise ...is parallel to how I like my universe run too. (...people around me think, I overreact, for any "offense" handling a book. Particularly, eeeekk, them bending them through obtuse angles.
Oh, must hurry...last summer, as I was in Kübler Ross's universe, she highlight texts from Tagore's Gitanjali...my interest piqued, I hunted a copy...and...luckyyyy me, I found, a delicate hardback first edition print 1912 / 13, the year of his Nobel in Literature 😁😎🫂🫂🫂🙃
It is magnificently delicate, just like Tagore's Poetry & Illustrations, in this beauty.
Excuse me, I'm puffing here😍 oh, utmost respect 🙏🏻nite nite 🧘🏻♀️🌌
Ooohh what a find! A treasure, indeed! 😻❤️
I agree wholeheartedly that books should be treated with respect, particularly library books.
All books, I think.
In all my years on this lovely planet, I've only last summer, I remember, that, under duress, I physically disposed off a torn, mangled paperback copy of Tolstoy's "war and peace", donated with a bunchabooks, to my neighbourhood charity shop, I volunteer at.
Sorry Sire, Tolstoy, it was doa / no resus 😕
You give us such a beautiful glimpse into your family and, really, into your soul with this one, Kate. Thank you, my friend!
The coasters are such a small detail but they perfectly capture the story you’re telling. Beautiful, just beautiful.
As the proud owner of a growing library myself, I must ask: do you consider it only proper, or a major faux pas, that I place the embossed seal on the interior cover page?
Friend mudge! So good to read your comment. Thank you for the kindness of your observations! I have catching up do to with your work, but will do so. As long as we all keep showing up, that is the key!
Ah, I am not the authority on library protocols, just my own book ethics; however, if I understand your question, you have something like an embossed book plate? Ex Libris type of thing with your name? I've only used paper book plates (nerdling here had her own by about age 8, I think, lol). If I understand correctly, you're wondering about its placement. I've never thought about it, not having a really cool embossed setup like that. I don't actually know the protocol. Now I'm intrigued and will rabbit-hole this interesting practice! I remember seeing a few with such a seal, but they were from others' collections, so let's find out! Ooh fun fun fun for bibliophiles! Does anyone reading this know the answer/s? I'll copy to Notes to disperse.
Rabbi Thole...🙃
Having bought online, some withdrawn for US libraries have embossed inside page or withdrawn from library X or tagged some other way...regardless, makes me happy...
But seeing children's classic, awarded at school, for some distinction, the recognition slip inside, with always, such lovely handwriting from the tutors, principals, is a joy (for me) reliving 50,60,70,80 years later...I'm holding in my hand, an heirloom (why? shouldn't it be, in the family home??) sigh 🙏🏻🧘🏻♀️🌌
So I had to look it up--it's called a "seal press." (Sorry for bringing embossing into the equation, it was unnecessarily confusing--it's just that the only time I've seen a similar machine, it was used for that purpose.)
It doesn't look like I can post an image of the seal in a comment, so I'll tag you in a note!
Amazing homage to books, thank you! Both those quotes are exquisite too, sharing!
Thank you for restacking, Lorraine!
Of course! 🙏🏻💕
Agree. Agree. Agree. Though must confess the cookbooks I’ve used most often kind of look like they’ve been through the kitchen wars. They have. And my highschool hardback of Moby Dick is heavily annotated in the margins - in ink.
Oh, absolutely! Many fine cooks have marinara-stained cookbooks! No judgment there...at all. Also, books used for study are workhorses, like your Moby Dick. Highlighting, pen, markers are all part of the learning process in our own copies. I still have a few faves, too...all heavily marked! ❤️
I love libraries! I actually stopped buying books and donated every book I was done reading to the public library. They are such important institutions of public knowledge. I hope they never go away.
I thank you for your commendable enthusiasm, Mr Clay. I agree with your sentiment and wish similarly.
Unfortunately, the public libraries in London at least, are under immense pressure of government budget cutbacks, et cetera, so a whole bunch of them are closed, closing, reshaped, slimmed...it's a sad state. Often they are newly bulked out with (tatty) fiction. So one has to really hunt for nonfiction / classics, what have you...
Enhancing, accentuating literature and knowledge, now on the back burner. That's how it feels to me. Sigh.
I grew up surrounded deep in books at home. And still am (yippee)...
I'm reminded just now, of Christopher Hitchens's study / studies...overflowing, floor - ceiling in books - knowledge 🤓😁😵💫... Same with innumerable Substackers here...no doubt... stacking books around themselves.
Oh, let's watch fahrenheit 451 for the heck of it, again. 🙏🏻🌞🧘🏻♀️🌌
Oh that is sad. I have very mixed feelings about the ways libraries have changed to be more like media hubs, yet I try to remember that I'd rather have people go into them than anywhere else. On a par with parks, perhaps. To read. But I do feel that sense of loss. I wonder whether there is a canon of classics remaining, however. At least that must remain.
The British Library 🤓😎...no?
Only an hour's (direct) ride on a nice London bus, meandering its jolly way through slow moving traffic - sun or fog or rain (or snow! London?)
Wow. It's midnight.🦇 Rolling into Tuesday 🐒🧘🏻♀️🌌
(just earlier speaking with a friend about Challenger & Columbia, ascending, descending, rolling...) pls excuse my trains of thought...🧘🏻♀️🌌
🌖 - four & half days to full. Lucky you guys, gals...second solar eclipse, quick succession, across your land (no no, the paths of totality do not signify confederate flag - maga wakeywakey) 🙏🏻🥸
🛤️🚂💭⬅️Trains of thought. I can relate, especially when late. Not the train, the hour...🕰️ London snow? Ooh, as much of a mess as it likely can make things, I bet it is stunning as it highlights the architecture...the chiaroscuro!
Oh yah, it's that too! Definitely. But it snows on the city so frustratingly rarely. I'm jealous of other locales where it falls.
I was gonna attach a photograph of a snowfall, couple of years ago, our street... The colour, light, contrasts that morning I captured, hmm, not bad...even if I say so. But I do not know how to upload my snow pics 😕
Substack is so weird. Sometimes I can upload pics but likely only within my own world of wordwoof waft. You can email them to my katemorganreade@gmail.com if you like. I bet they are stunning.
What a generous and novel (😂) idea! Libraries are here to stay. I especially enjoy the LFL Little Free Library movement and the many I see popping up. Is this something that is occurring in your area? https://littlefreelibrary.org/about/
I accidentally creased the page of a library book last night. I was trying to get my reading light to cooperate.
As soon as it happened I thought, *Kate would kill me* 😂
😧Yikes 😵💫🥸😂
LOL no way, it was an accident! But it's still funny, I agree. 😂
Haha
We do have those!! Someone is hoarding all of the books though. They are always so destitute. Haha. I'll monitor the ones near my house more thoroughly though, just to see.
I'm so glad that it's widespread. I hope more books end up in the ones in your area. I enjoy seeing how people decorate and customize them. I even saw one outside a church, decorated like a mini version of the church. Good sense of humor!
To me, books for the most part represent knowledge, and for that reason are to be treated at very least with respect. That includes even those containing ideas I disagree with. History shows that those who burn books generally regress to burning people.
Well said! I could not agree more, Stephen.