II was browsing around on the net yesterday and was reminded of the fact that I have two poems that are going to be published at the end of the year from the poetry contest I entered on LinkedIn over the summer. I found a copy of the previous year’s anthology on Amazon and looked through the “Look Inside This Book” pages to see what my writing will look like in print. It was an absolute thrill to see that and imagine my own work in a published volume very soon with copyrights and everything!
I also came across a post on BuzzFeed this afternoon related to books and why they are better than eReaders. Don’t get me wrong, I didn't hate reading a book on my iPod Touch as much as I thought I would and actually did manage to finish one last month, but this post is absolutely right that there is something magical about holding a book. The smell, the feel, the weight of it; all are part of the experience and while I think we are absolutely moving to a more digital age in terms of publishing, I truly hope that there will always be a place in the world for physical books.
If you have never had the opportunity to explore the bowels of a library (especially an old one) I highly recommend that you do as soon as possible. Go to the oldest university in your area and visit their library, ask at the front desk where “the stacks” are and follow the directions they give you to an entirely new world. You will be glad you did!