You know what I find hilarious? Bookmarks. Not the concept of a bookmark itself, but what we use to mark our book's page.
I remember reading an article once about libraries and the bookmarks the librarians find with all the returned books. Banana peels, toilet paper, pens. You name it, they are the lucky recipients of it.
The bookmark is as individual as the person using it, as much as the book choice of each person.
And as a vintager, one who buys, sells and wears vintage, I also pick up used and -- sometimes vintage -- books. Because, second-hand books are the best invention ever.
The bookmarks I find in said books are comical. If not insightful.
For example, here's one from a middle-grade read. And I have a few questions: Was the reader reading this in the kitchen? Why the torn Ziploc box bit? Why not a plastic bag? Or was the Ziploc box headed out to the recycling? A foil or plastic wrap bookmark would've been great, too.
Then there's this book mark, from a favorite book called Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. Side note: This book, if you're a writer, is an absolute must in your "how to" writing arsenal. I laughed more from this book than any I've ever read. And it was written 25 years ago. (I'm a little slow). All I could hear was the haunting voice of Garrison Keillor; the style, the humor, except with an even more authentic, feminine touch. (If you're a mom, you're as authentic as they get). I think both she and Keillor frequent Lake Wobegon and drink deep from the water -- I need that water in my life.
Anyway, this bookmark is a Post-It note and here are my thoughts: Post-It notes add up, you know. They aren't cheap. So, this bookmark was a deliberate thing. She was investing in her reading (I say she, but it could've easily been a he reading it). Yes, as the note says, being in print is an achievement. It is validation. But what else? Isn't that what it says, on the Post-It? What else did the note-taker want to know? I guess I'll never know.
I remember reading an article once about libraries and the bookmarks the librarians find with all the returned books. Banana peels, toilet paper, pens. You name it, they are the lucky recipients of it.
The bookmark is as individual as the person using it, as much as the book choice of each person.
And as a vintager, one who buys, sells and wears vintage, I also pick up used and -- sometimes vintage -- books. Because, second-hand books are the best invention ever.
The bookmarks I find in said books are comical. If not insightful.
For example, here's one from a middle-grade read. And I have a few questions: Was the reader reading this in the kitchen? Why the torn Ziploc box bit? Why not a plastic bag? Or was the Ziploc box headed out to the recycling? A foil or plastic wrap bookmark would've been great, too.
Then there's this book mark, from a favorite book called Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. Side note: This book, if you're a writer, is an absolute must in your "how to" writing arsenal. I laughed more from this book than any I've ever read. And it was written 25 years ago. (I'm a little slow). All I could hear was the haunting voice of Garrison Keillor; the style, the humor, except with an even more authentic, feminine touch. (If you're a mom, you're as authentic as they get). I think both she and Keillor frequent Lake Wobegon and drink deep from the water -- I need that water in my life.
Anyway, this bookmark is a Post-It note and here are my thoughts: Post-It notes add up, you know. They aren't cheap. So, this bookmark was a deliberate thing. She was investing in her reading (I say she, but it could've easily been a he reading it). Yes, as the note says, being in print is an achievement. It is validation. But what else? Isn't that what it says, on the Post-It? What else did the note-taker want to know? I guess I'll never know.
But, I suppose I'm not much better at my choices for bookmarking. Take a look at this book mark, currently in use. Yes, a nail file. I was filing my nails, this was on my nightstand. It was the closest thing to me when I needed to mark the page. So, clearly book marks are what's convenient. I think this one is rather ingenious. Because every time I read, I can do some filing. Two birds, my friends. Two birds.
And then, there's my legitimate bookmark. A mark that is designated and intended to mark a book's page. This one is from Washington D. C, and quoted by the famous Thomas Jefferson, "I cannot live without books."
Side note: This book here is my book, which is why it's covered in such elegant scribble. This is a fantastic theological/apologetic book called "The Reason for God; Believe in an age of Skepticism," by Timothy Keller. I have to read it slowly, though, almost as though I'm just learning to read ... it's that thought-provoking. Much like all of C.S Lewis' works.
Read on, my friends. and be creative with your bookmarks. You never know who's going to come across yours one day and wonder why you chose what you chose.
The weirder the bookmark, the better, in my humble opinion. Let me know in the comments below what you use. I'd love some new ideas. The water bill isn't ideal, you see...
-HJS
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