Three more readers chime in on “About Last Night”‘s topic du jour:
– “Reading your post on the effect of technology on the written word, I
noted your statement that no one in his right mind would write a 5,000-word essay with a fountain pen. My personal preferences aside, I feel
obliged to point out that Neal Stephenson, an author known for his
cutting-edge science fiction, wrote all three of his most recent books
(totalling nearly 3,000 pages) by hand, with a fountain pen. Whether
Mr. Stephenson is in his right mind or not is up for debate, I
suppose, but he is, at least, proof that the fountain pen can keep up
with the modern age.”
– “I fall heavily in favour of using the library. I survive on a single
income, so hard cover books fall on the wrong side of the budget for
me. The library comes through for me every time. In fact, I found 4
out 5 of your suggestions for new jazz listeners at my library and I
currently have ‘The Skeptic’ signed out. (And no, I can’t find ‘The
Terry Teachout Reader’ at the library either.) The other thing my
library has is movies – including DVD’s.
“One thing that has made my library experience even more enjoyable is
the online catalogue. If I discover a book, CD or movie I want to
explore while surfing the web, it’s a quick click and search to see if
my library has a copy. Then I simply reserve it and when it is
available they notify me. I think they are even going to e-mail
notifications. Between my computer and my library card I can continue
to learn and be entertained without a large bill at the other end.”
– “A friend just pointed out something else about ebooks. You can’t get an author’s written signature on it!”
I promise to let you all know at once if anybody ever asks me to inscribe an e-book….