CEJ said
I seem to be odd man out here.I god rid of all my records, VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and books a few years back, with the exception of some rare books.
I was remodeling and realized they were mostly just collecting dust and taking up a large amount of space. And digital copies could be downloaded or streamed when called for.
It was a liberating experience.
HEATHEN!!!! Send him to the gallows . . .
CEJ said
Of course, among the rare books I kept was my signed, first edition of the classic Historical Accuracy by the great Steve Campbell.
Some things one just can’t part with, ya know?
. . . try as we might.
JAS said
CEJ said
I seem to be odd man out here.
I god rid of all my records, VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and books a few years back, with the exception of some rare books.
I was remodeling and realized they were mostly just collecting dust and taking up a large amount of space. And digital copies could be downloaded or streamed when called for.
It was a liberating experience.
HEATHEN!!!! Send him to the gallows . . .
CEJ said
Of course, among the rare books I kept was my signed, first edition of the classic Historical Accuracy by the great Steve Campbell.
Some things one just can’t part with, ya know?
. . . try as we might.
LOL.
Robert said
CEJ said
I seem to be odd man out here.
I god rid of all my records, VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and books a few years back, with the exception of some rare books.
I was remodeling and realized they were mostly just collecting dust and taking up a large amount of space. And digital copies could be downloaded or streamed when called for.
It was a liberating experience.
For the past 10 years or thereabouts I’ve bought electronic versions of books whenever available, and print versions only when electronic versions were not available. I really like being able to search electronic texts for specific ideas, or being able to have access to a rather large library when I’m away from home, but I still much prefer reading print versions. I could never get rid of my print library. Having them all around me in my study is like being surrounded by old friends.
Yup. Electronic editions have some clear advantages, but there is something about a good old print copy that can’t be beat.
Do you ever have your local library order a copy through the interlibrary loan system? I do for the purpose of finding out if it’s one I want for myself or to give as a gift.
Also, you can request new books for the library to buy for the library and then given first dibs on checking it out.
Judith said
Do you ever have your local library order a copy through the interlibrary loan system? I do for the purpose of finding out if it’s one I want for myself or to give as a gift.Also, you can request new books for the library to buy for the library and then given first dibs on checking it out.
I’ve used the interlibrary loan system a very few times.
But I’m not much of a library guy at all anymore.
I’m a digital/analog amphibian. I haven’t bought hardcopy music in years. I download music onto my laptop then create files and playlists and then move them to my little clip-on Sansa digital player which I can take anywhere. On the other hand I cannot read off a screen. So I have tons of books. You never truly realize how many books you own until you go through a move like the one I just completed. For the first time I will have a house with an actual library instead of just rooms with bookshelves. Despite the added space I do feel the need for a purge, even a Stalinistic purge. I am a bit of a packrat and I do have books I don’t really need. But even if I pare my collection down to the essentials that will still be a lot of books. I look at it like pruning a tree. It grows back stronger than ever.
If we are still celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the blog, could we think of a way to do something similar to what Stephen set up with books but instead what the blog has meant to us? What comes to mind off the top of my head is why we consider it worthwhile, what we’ve learned, how we feel about its purpose, do we think if it were more generally known and attracted many many more, would that be good? Actually, it would be better if on the order of how the book questions were but am not sure how to do it.
Judith said
If we are still celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the blog, could we think of a way to do something similar to what Stephen set up with books but instead what the blog has meant to us? What comes to mind off the top of my head is why we consider it worthwhile, what we’ve learned, how we feel about its purpose, do we think if it were more generally known and attracted many many more, would that be good? Actually, it would be better if on the order of how the book questions were but am not sure how to do it.
Judith it seems to me you have the basis of what you want in your post. Open a new thread and ask the same questions you just asked. I adapted my questions from an article I read. The only question I made up myself was the one about classics we despise. Sooo.. open a new thread. Ask your questions. Answer them yourself (if you want) to get the conversation started.
Stephen said
Judith said
If we are still celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the blog, could we think of a way to do something similar to what Stephen set up with books but instead what the blog has meant to us? What comes to mind off the top of my head is why we consider it worthwhile, what we’ve learned, how we feel about its purpose, do we think if it were more generally known and attracted many many more, would that be good? Actually, it would be better if on the order of how the book questions were but am not sure how to do it.
Judith it seems to me you have the basis of what you want in your post. Open a new thread and ask the same questions you just asked. I adapted my questions from an article I read. The only question I made up myself was the one about classics we despise. Sooo.. open a new thread. Ask your questions. Answer them yourself (if you want) to get the conversation started.
Thanks! Ideally, a platinum post would be submitted by someone who appreciates the blog and celebrates its anniversary in such a way as to expound on why it’s worthwhile, what has been learned etc. It could end with easy-to-answer questions for other blog members wanting to share why they find it worthwhile, what they have learned and so on. They could be invited to answer on The Forum where it could be set up for them. The post would have to be chosen as one for the whole blog to do that, of course.
Stephen’s questions about books were so easy to answer. How do we replicate that for this?
If done right, this could draw sufficient participation to provide useful information for Professor Ehrman. Also, it might introduce some to The Forum!
It would help if I were a writer and knew how to do all this. If the idea has merit, there are plenty of writers here who would know how to do it! 🙂
I’ve emailed Diane to see if the celebration of the tenth anniversary is still ongoing.
1. What was the first book you remember?
Nelson’s West Indian Readers First Primer
2. What was the first book you bought for yourself?
Hardy Boys
3. What was a book you thought of as a discovery that nobody else seemed to know about?
On Human Nature
4. Name a book that changed you.
Vanity Fair
5. Name the weirdest book you’ve ever read.
Ubiq
6. Name a classic work that everyone tells you is a work of genius that you dislike.
N/A
7. What is the book you own that you treasure most?
Les Miserables
Here are Prof Ehrman’s responses to the Questions for Readers.
1. What was the first book you remember?
2. What was the first book you bought for yourself?
3. What was a book you thought of as a discovery that nobody else seemed to know about?
4. Name a book that changed you.
5. Name the weirdest book you’ve ever read.
6. Name a classic work that everyone tells you is a work of genius that you dislike.
7. What is the book you own that you treasure most?
1. Hardy Boys; 2. Don’t know; 3. None. 4. Hundreds. One of the first, Lord of the Rings (I first read it in 8th grade) 5. Don’t know; I don’t read ones that are weird. 6. I love most classics. I had a hard time with Romola. 7. Probably David Copperfield.
When I cut and pasted the questions one of them seems to have been missed. Oh well.
First, welcome turbopro!
I find it extremely interesting how often the Hardy Boys books are mentioned. I read them too. A little online research reveals that the series still sells more than a million copies a year. They were originally written in the 1920s. They were substantially revised in the late 50s and throughout the 60s which were probably the editions I read. They were purged of problematic racial stereotyping apparently. (Too much Yellow Peril type stuff popular in the 20s. See Sax Rohmer.) A new series was begun in the 1980s but that would have been too late for me. New books are being composed and several TV shows have been produced. I had no idea. I think I still have a couple of mine buried in a box. I would be curious to find one of the original 1920s series just to see how different they were.
BDEhrman
FreedomBen
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