Ruled

[cbertsch]

People sometimes ask me why I don't write in my books. "I don't write in my books anymore," I tell them. This is why:

The underlining in red is from the fall of 1994. It postdates the underlining in black by several years. What you can't see here are the eraser marks that indicate where I erased a line for not being straight enough or a word for being too sloppily formed. Yes, "the distracted person, too, can form habits," particularly when those habits constitute the perfect distraction.

Comments

[art-thirst.livejournal.com]

I don't often write in my books. If I do, it's usually to mark a item for quotation. I usually have a notepad and write something like footnotes with the text and page numbers. One of the recent library books I scanned the quotes since there were many. The book I'm reading now has marking on almost every page, underlining, short notations, etc. But, it's a library book and VERY annoying to read. I've tried to erase the pencil underlinings but lots of them are in ink. I think that's disrespectful of the institutions property.

[cbertsch.livejournal.com]

I'd never write in a library book!

[art-thirst.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm saying!

[jakemacalister.livejournal.com]

There are two books one should never write in: a library book or a book you borrow from a prof. If you borrow a book, it doesn't belong to you (although library books seem to belong to everyone). My dad is a professor and he hates it when he gets books back from students with markings. They used pen, as well.

[cbertsch.livejournal.com]

Evil!

[art-thirst.livejournal.com]

I mark lightly in books where I want to get a quote but, I never underline, not even my own books. I also erase my penciling of 'brackets'!