If studying marginalia ISN'T considered a valid, historical field of study, it DEFINITELY SHOULD BE ! I am getting hooked on these witty, interesting, even ENLIGHTING posts.
FORGET ROHRSHACK BLOTS. Seriously, this should be an area of study.
I’m a reader who has yet to write in books. This post may be the nudge to try one of these methods. Loved learning how Bill Gates approached it. Thank you!
As always, this is so dang beautiful and wise! I'm so delighted to be included, Jillian! Me, Dickens, Poe, and Bill Gates! Since doing that interview, I've felt lousy about throwing out my notebooks full of questions...but I still do!! ❤️
No, Jane, noooo!!!! Don’t throw out your notebooks! Just kidding, I admire that kind of non-attachment. Especially as my piles of notebooks get larger and larger!
Thanks for the reminder about S.! I have had this in my library, but never read it. (Not uncommon with 2600) it has so many fun ephemera tucked in its pages. Now might be it’s time to be read. I love opening a book of mine that I have made notes in…mostly i underline in pencil and put an X or * in the margins. My most noted is Discrimination by Design, A Feminist Critique of the Man-made Environment.
You make Monday mornings enjoyable with your articles! Thank you.
When I was younger, in my 20s, I liked new books, so new that make us think that nobody had read them. But now, books that are written on a lot, even aged ones are my favorites. I love marginalias.
I enjoyed this, Jillian, but it did remind me of Stephen Potter's suggestions of how to use marginal notes to make other people feel relatively uneducated. He calls this 'marginaliaship', which is in a section called 'Well readship', which is a subsection of the chapter on 'Litmanship', which is defined as the art of knowing about English Literature without actually reading any books. I've taken a screenshot of the relevant page, which I think you and others might enjoy, but as I cannot include a photo in the comment I've posted it as a Note: https://substack.com/profile/75249017-terry-freedman/note/c-52414499
Having a conversation with a book makes a huge difference. I'm re-reading Anna Karenina, but it's my first time reading it for pleasure rather than a sense of literary duty.
So many great passages to highlight. But I also like to notice here and there some times I think Tolstoy defies some "rules," about being too obvious.
There's this obvious prelude to a mini-biography of Levin's brother during a long sled ride: "All the long way to his brother's, Levin vividly recalled all the facts familiar to him of his brother Nikolay's life."
Anna Karenina is one of my favorites, but I haven’t re-read it in ages! Your comment makes me think how the best way to become a better writer is to read great books and really engage with them —in the margins!
Such a fun exploration of marginalia! I particularly loved the octopus, which made me think I need to be much more creative in my own annotations…! These seem like a way to connect us really tangibly with other readers, including those in the distant past. Loved this!
So that’s how it’s done, Jillian! I still have some of my school set texts which are full of the most banal comments and random underlines. ‘Banalia’, to coin a new term!
I was just thinking this past weekend how there are two things I wish I could do in Substack. One is to save, then write notes/marginalia to myself in posts that I need to revisit and the other is to have a history function.
I love all these cryptic symbols as reading notes! My only thing is I have such a hard time writing in a book as it feels somewhat sacrilegious - so I have many notebooks dedicated to reading notes and quotes!
My books are filled with alien symbols and notes -- whether questions, objections, exclamations, or action items. It's a great brain stretch and a memory boost, but also that numinous feeling when you drop a book by accident and it reveals upon impact your exchange with it from the past on some random page.
I learnt how to give myself permission to annotate in the margins from my grandfather, whose books and library were my only comfort, since I had no friends as a child. Two short lines and a tick mark was the ultimate praise from him, and I would always look for passages that evoked those. That little passage in your post by Taylor Hazan made me realise how much I enjoyed that delayed, sideways communication with him. I do realise, however, that all his books were non-fiction and hence I tend to annotate non-fiction books, while totally surrendering to the flow of fiction -- staining those pages with ink is sacrilege in my book :)
If studying marginalia ISN'T considered a valid, historical field of study, it DEFINITELY SHOULD BE ! I am getting hooked on these witty, interesting, even ENLIGHTING posts.
FORGET ROHRSHACK BLOTS. Seriously, this should be an area of study.
Oh, it definitely is! Lots of scholars focus exclusively on marginalia.
Big fan of marginalia. All my books are full of notes and doodles. (both kinds.)
Ooo! I bet your marginalia is fascinating!
Something that can't be done using an iPad or smartphone. YES !
I’m a reader who has yet to write in books. This post may be the nudge to try one of these methods. Loved learning how Bill Gates approached it. Thank you!
Try using a pencil first! That always feels less daunting to me.
As always, this is so dang beautiful and wise! I'm so delighted to be included, Jillian! Me, Dickens, Poe, and Bill Gates! Since doing that interview, I've felt lousy about throwing out my notebooks full of questions...but I still do!! ❤️
No, Jane, noooo!!!! Don’t throw out your notebooks! Just kidding, I admire that kind of non-attachment. Especially as my piles of notebooks get larger and larger!
Thanks for the reminder about S.! I have had this in my library, but never read it. (Not uncommon with 2600) it has so many fun ephemera tucked in its pages. Now might be it’s time to be read. I love opening a book of mine that I have made notes in…mostly i underline in pencil and put an X or * in the margins. My most noted is Discrimination by Design, A Feminist Critique of the Man-made Environment.
You make Monday mornings enjoyable with your articles! Thank you.
Awe, thanks, Karen!
When I was younger, in my 20s, I liked new books, so new that make us think that nobody had read them. But now, books that are written on a lot, even aged ones are my favorites. I love marginalias.
Same here! It’s like revisiting a younger version of myself.
It is kind of reading what other people are thinking at the time they read the book. Extra points if I agree with the note.
Yes! And extra extra points if the note helps me see something different in the text that I might have missed!
I enjoyed this, Jillian, but it did remind me of Stephen Potter's suggestions of how to use marginal notes to make other people feel relatively uneducated. He calls this 'marginaliaship', which is in a section called 'Well readship', which is a subsection of the chapter on 'Litmanship', which is defined as the art of knowing about English Literature without actually reading any books. I've taken a screenshot of the relevant page, which I think you and others might enjoy, but as I cannot include a photo in the comment I've posted it as a Note: https://substack.com/profile/75249017-terry-freedman/note/c-52414499
🤣hilarious!
🤣 He'd clearly come across people who did that!
I loved this post, Jillian!
Having a conversation with a book makes a huge difference. I'm re-reading Anna Karenina, but it's my first time reading it for pleasure rather than a sense of literary duty.
So many great passages to highlight. But I also like to notice here and there some times I think Tolstoy defies some "rules," about being too obvious.
There's this obvious prelude to a mini-biography of Levin's brother during a long sled ride: "All the long way to his brother's, Levin vividly recalled all the facts familiar to him of his brother Nikolay's life."
Anna Karenina is one of my favorites, but I haven’t re-read it in ages! Your comment makes me think how the best way to become a better writer is to read great books and really engage with them —in the margins!
Such a fun exploration of marginalia! I particularly loved the octopus, which made me think I need to be much more creative in my own annotations…! These seem like a way to connect us really tangibly with other readers, including those in the distant past. Loved this!
So that’s how it’s done, Jillian! I still have some of my school set texts which are full of the most banal comments and random underlines. ‘Banalia’, to coin a new term!
They must be so interesting to look back on!
🙃
Lest we forget Maria Popova! My favorite marginalian.
Mine too! I referenced her in a footnote, but probably should have said more about her.
I think your post is perfect as is :-)
I was just thinking this past weekend how there are two things I wish I could do in Substack. One is to save, then write notes/marginalia to myself in posts that I need to revisit and the other is to have a history function.
That would make such a difference! I’d love that! And as an author it would be cool to see people’s marginalia on my writing.
Have you reached out to Substack? We need this innovation!
Love the Poe quote! (And, all of this) thanks, Jillian!
💛
I love all these cryptic symbols as reading notes! My only thing is I have such a hard time writing in a book as it feels somewhat sacrilegious - so I have many notebooks dedicated to reading notes and quotes!
I know the feeling. I read so many library books, that most of my marginalia has migrated to notebooks.
What a lovely read!
My books are filled with alien symbols and notes -- whether questions, objections, exclamations, or action items. It's a great brain stretch and a memory boost, but also that numinous feeling when you drop a book by accident and it reveals upon impact your exchange with it from the past on some random page.
I love this description, Will!
I learnt how to give myself permission to annotate in the margins from my grandfather, whose books and library were my only comfort, since I had no friends as a child. Two short lines and a tick mark was the ultimate praise from him, and I would always look for passages that evoked those. That little passage in your post by Taylor Hazan made me realise how much I enjoyed that delayed, sideways communication with him. I do realise, however, that all his books were non-fiction and hence I tend to annotate non-fiction books, while totally surrendering to the flow of fiction -- staining those pages with ink is sacrilege in my book :)
Your comment reminds me that I did something similar with my mother’s books. It was as though she was quietly shaping my taste.