posted
***Read Treason last night straight-through for the umpteenth(sp?) time and got to thinking***
So this isn't *really* meant to be a brown-nosing thread.
But I just wanted to say that I've never posted here although I've read every fiction work Mr. Card has put out, as well as checking in on the forums from time to time over the last (oh jeez, I almost hate to say how long) years...
Reading over these posts, I know I appreciate (and I know you all do too) how interactive OSC is with his community.
I was able to see Mr. Card in Kansas City a couple years ago, get books signed, and was always at a bookstore the first day when a new book came out.
Just wanted to say a big "thank you" to Orson Scott Card who has probably taught us all a thing or two in one way or another. Wanted you to know how much you've influenced this reader...
So if you've got something to post about how Mr. Card has touched you, or just wanna give a 'heck yeah!' - although this kind thread has probably been done before - I'm sure he wouldn't mind hearing it again. ;-)
Posts: 1 | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Here, here (or is it "hear, hear"?). I'd like to give a hearty second to at least two of your points.
#1: Treason is an awesome book. One of my all time favorites by any author.
#2: I got to meet Mr. Card at a book-signing myself once, and he's a genuinely down-to-earth and fascinating fellow.
Further, I love how he encourages people (even potential competition) to start writing careers, or even writing hobbies. I love how he encourages people to read books by other authors, even though the people that take his advice could choose to buy another person's book instead of his own. I love how he encourages people to check his books out of the library even though that'll cost him a sale because, unlike most artists, he cares more about people enjoying his work than about gold-plating his bathtub. I love how he can appreciate various works of art (movies, TV shows, books, plays, music, etc.) without the cynical critical mindframe adopted by most "professionals", as evidenced by the fact that the clear majority of the reviews he gives out are unreservedly positive.
Those are just a few things I can think to add to your thread. And about it being a brown-nosing thread, well it's about time. That's another thing I like about Mr. Card. He has a forum that he pays for and participates in that is so conducive to free thought that people feel no remorse about ignoring him or even openly disagreeing with him on a variety of subjects. For there to be only one brown-nosing thread open on an author's forum has got to be some kind of record, so I don't think it's anything to feel bad about.
Posts: 2804 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
You're very kind, and it's churlish of me to quibble, but in fact most authors that I know share my affection for libraries. Not everybody can afford hardcovers or even paperbacks, and libraries are wonderful places for people to sample a writer's work without that commitment of buying a book. I don't think it costs us ANY sales - I think it finds us new readers, to have our books in libraries. So please don't conclude that I'm altruistic - Libraries are a free marketing campaign for those authors whose books they stock. <grin>
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
That makes sense. I guess I'm just so saturated by the RIAA's patron-punishing paradigms that it's hard for me to imagine anyone having that much faith in their audience. I'll have to remember that all artists are not Metallica. Posts: 2804 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
It's "hear hear", a call from within the surly crowd to get said crowd to quiet down and listen to the speaker, I think.
Posts: 89 | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
When I think about Ender's Game, it was as if I was actually there, in Battle school. I "remember" being in Battle School. It is astonishing to me how "real" the memory is. Each time I re-read the book it reinforces that memory, and I praise God that I am able to read such awesome books... to escape into other universes...
Thank you Orson for all of the magnificent, moving memories that glaze my dull, cyclic life.
Posts: 39 | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I wish I had more time to read in my life right now. I was also a confirmed non-reader as a teen. I have a goal to someday complete his recommended reading listPosts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I don't like libraries. Or rather, I like the IDEA of libraries, for other people. But I don't like reading used books. It's my one (well not ONE) weird quirk. I love new books. New book smell, look, feel. Knowing that it's MY book. And I rarely ever let people borrow my books, or if I do, I make them swear not to crack the spine (I HATE that, it's like book rape) or dogear the pages, and even then I tend to just rebuy the books after they've been tainted.
Books are special, and should be treated as such, with respect and dignity. And should only rarely be loaned out to unsavory individuals.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Anne Fadiman has an essay about "carnal" versus "immaculate" book lovers. It's quite amusing. I find myself firmly in the carnal category. My favorite books end up like my favorite stuffed animals did years ago: loved to pieces. Which is why I only buy used and mass market paperbacks if I have the choice. And because they're smaller, so are easier to carry with you everywhere.
posted
LOL -- I remember quite a to-do many years ago in college, when I was trying to persuade my then-boyfriend to read Lord of the Rings. I was horrified when I discovered that he planned to read my books with his ever-present highlighter in hand. No way! Buy your own! He said something to the effect that if we got married they would be "our" books anyway, so what was the difference? And he was quite taken aback to learn that in my mind the marriage contract most certainly does NOT give one permission to deface their spouse's books!
(I'm actually probably somewhere in between carnal and immaculate--but any markings are highly personal and I certainly don't want to read someone else's! And most definitely keep your marker outta my Tolkien!)
quote: P.S. I have a bit of time on my hands due to a freak playground accident.
ummm . . . are you OK pooka? thanks for the link to that reading list, BTW.
posted
I'm a bit of both, as far as "carnal" v. "immaculate." Paperbacks get torn to shreds, hardcovers get preserved. It's really that easy.
Posts: 3932 | Registered: Sep 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
If "carnal" means I loved used books more than old, prefer paperbacks (slightly), and read books over and over -- that's me. But you may NOT write in my books (even I will do so only very rarely, and mostly in scholarly tomes), or highlight in them (*SHUDDER*) and people who dogear books should be taken out and shot.
If you can't find a bookmark, use a scrap of paper, or just remember what page you are on. Bend over the corner of the page, and I will disown you (as my sister almost discovered, but I stopped her in time ).
So I guess that puts me in the middle.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, I guess I'm not really carnal because I get murderous urges when anyone writes or highlights or whatever in one of my books (unless its appropriately sentimental/meaningful and before the actual text starts). I'll turn down pages though, and I'll put them upside down openface in lieu of a bookmark. And I'll take them on hiking trips, like in one of the anecdotes in the book I linked to. A friend of the author took a copy of Poe's stories with her on a backpacking trip, and whenever an interesting specimen of insect landed on the page, she'd slam it shut and preserve it. Actually, that kinda appeals to me on some level...but in practice I'm too much of a prude. ;D The occasional accidental spider or no-see-um is it.
Also, phooey on you all for making me think of this book! Because now I want to read it again, but it's at home and the library here doesn't have a copy! Grr.
Posts: 866 | Registered: Dec 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
It doesn't matter to me how a book looks or what condition it's in. What I care about is my experience with the words. Which is why I don't mind if it gets used or scuffed or bent or a little torn, but I'll get really upset if you mark it because your highlights or comments in my book change my experience with the words that are already there. And that I won't have.
I will get irritated if the book comes back to me in pieces because then it's inconvenient to read while trying to keep things together. And I'll get bothered if any of the tears or scuffs cause any of the text to be lost or illegible.
Posts: 270 | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I used to never highlight any books, including textbooks. Now I buy my law school books used and just use a different color of highlighter than the last guy did
posted
I generally don't mind too much if a book comes back to me damaged, as long as all the pages are in place and are legible. I was irritated when a friend's mother returned my formerly pristine copy of Maps in a Mirror, and I discovered that her puppy had gnawed its cover pretty badly, but I can't say that my cat hasn't done worse to books on occasion, so I can't really be too mad about it.
That was years ago, though; these days I only loan out books that I'm willing to never see again. If I see a copy of a book I love but already own at a library book sale, I'm quite likely to buy it just to loan to people.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I guess in the paying for hatrack, I really appreciate the writer's forum (though to be honest I hadn't thought of it really). So far it is my favorite writer's forum. I enjoy his books, but I figure buying them is a pretty obvious thanks! I know I mentioned to my mother in law, an english teacher the site and how much osc posts and she wished more authors did that. She would then be able to incorporate it into her classes (with very few authors being that involved, she can't really do that).
Posts: 1001 | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
someone let me know if I am carnal or immaculate. There is nothing I love more than when I get a very brand new right off the shelf book. I read about 5 books a week and getting a brand new hot off the shelf book everytime is not conducive to the checkbook. I will read and read a book to where it is torn in shreds and I will give any book I have to anyone who asks for it, and if it comes back that makes me happy, if it does not come back well then I hope it made it's way to the next person to be enjoyed. Keeping books to myself whether new or old seems wrong in some way to me. My best friend and I have a rule for birthday's, christmas, anniversaries...etc.. the only acceptable gift from one of us to the other is a book that the other has already read. When you think about it, what greater gift is there than to share something as special to your heart as a book. When I open the present and see a book she raved about a few months before, and I think of the sacrifice of her giving me her copy, and sharing that experience with me it brings tears to my eyes. I know the sacrifice she made becasue when her birthday comes around as muh as it will hurt me to part with a great nbook, I know she is deserving of the book. Just my $.02
Posts: 63 | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
My mother in law and sister in law and I all have similar tastes in books (well, overlapping tastes) so at Christmas, we get books and I rush to read through it during break and then leave it with one of those two. Then over summer, we exchange back and I let my mom read it. Then I get it back. I am probably closer to immaculate. I like books to be new and undamaged. I actually enjoy the book less if the cover is torn. Posts: 1001 | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Heh heh....I lied... Fadiman uses the term "courtly", not immaculate.
I tricked you all! Um, um, on purpose! Yes... it was my plan all along to reveal the truth on April Fool's... Mine is an evil laugh...WHA HA HA.
Posts: 866 | Registered: Dec 2003
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
).
