Last weekend, while preparing for my trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico for this conference, I realized that I had neglected to purchase a copy of Aristotle's Poetics for my Adaptations of Othello class. Not wanting to spend the time or money in purchasing a copy at the UNH bookstore or the Durham book exchange (equivalent to the AS Bookstore and the College Store, for all the Bellinghamsters out there), I swallowed my pride.
I asked Ian, with much hesitation and a lump in my throat, to download Poetics on the Kindle, so that I could read it on the plane.
He did. And now, here I am in Albuquerque, with this infernal machine on the bedside table in my hotel. I feel as if I've committed a personal affront to Aristotle. A personal affront to all of the many thousands of monks that spent their lives copying and binding manuscripts. A personal affront to Shakespeare, to Wilde, to Fitzgerald.
I think I might throw up.
3 comments:
Um, do you think Gutenberg committed a personal affront to those monk calligraphers when he started printing the Bible on that blasted new-fangled device known as the printing press? I have mixed feelings about this. While I understand where you're coming from and am really worried about the future of bookstores, I also think the world moves on and we have to adapt to and even enjoy the benefits of new technology.
And once again with the "throw up." Maybe munch some ginger or something? ;-)
"Um, do you think Gutenberg committed a personal affront to those monk calligraphers when he started printing the Bible on that blasted new-fangled device known as the printing press?"
Zing, Mom. Zing.
Touche, Dennings. Touche. :)
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