There is a quiet craft to writing in books — and our members are some of its best practitioners. A practical case for marginalia, with photographs from a few of our favorite annotated copies.
Why we write in books
The argument against marginalia is mostly about preservation. The argument for it is about presence. A book you've written in is a book you've truly read — your past self in conversation with the page, leaving a trail for whoever picks it up next. We collected examples from members across the network and the results were surprisingly moving.
"The best annotations aren't conclusions. They're questions held open." — Mei Chen
Bring an annotated book to your next chapter meeting. Pass it around. You'll be surprised what you learn from someone else's pencil.
