In 2004, the classical pianist Lang Lang came to our East Village neighborhood music school during a summer piano workshop. Young and totally without affectation, Lang Lang arrived in socks and sandals with his father as his manager. He was great with the kids, easy-going, engaged and entertaining. As a kind of wrap-up to the afternoon, our director had suggested that students bring a copy of the music they were currently working on for Lang Lang to sign.
I happened to be standing near-by as the first student approached. Lang Lang looked pained. He demurred. He politely shook his head no and said that he couldn't sign the music. Perhaps thinking he didn't understand, our director cheerfully explained that it would be a souvenir of the workshop and that the students would appreciate it. Lang Lang, still troubled and with careful language returned the explanation that he didn't want to sign the music because it would be disrespectful to the composer and disrespectful to the music if he were to scribble up the score with his autograph. I was mildly surprised at the nature of his concern, but I think of his response every time I consider the matter of writing in books.
Writing in books was something I was taught not to do so I suppose I actually agree with Lang Lang after a fashion. Except for writing your name or a brief dedication on the inside cover, writing in a book was tantamount to 'ruining' the book, messing it up and demonstrating a careless disregard for one's belongings. To the extent that I've even given thought to writing on a music score, I suppose I don't go for that either. Except for fingerings or extra dynamic markings, my opinion has always been that all that scrawling on your music meant that you didn't know the piece very well!
No more! I still don't like mussing up my music, but as for books, I attribute my change in outlook to C.S. Lewis who wrote that writing in the books you're reading is a way of making them your own. How true. What better evidence that I've been round the block with a book than finding my notations and pencil markings among the pages! A little question mark here or there means I'm confused about this or that and need to re-visit the passage. Underlining can be used to highlight new vocabulary, a name, date or important idea. Bracketing is nice for an important paragraph that contains a summary or pivotal idea. An exclamation point usually means That's weird or Who would have thought. Occasionally, I offer an opinion in the margins or a brief phrase that summarizes the subject covered on that page.
I do now and again still find the idea of marking up a book objectionable particularly if the book is printed on fine paper stock or if the book is just beautiful or very old. In these circumstances I may still use faint pencil markings, though faint pencil markings is generally all I use. No pen whatsoever. I do admit to finding it easier to mark up a paperback. I do not write in library books or books that I borrow from others and I generally do not bother much with writing in a book of fiction. Writing in a Bible is a bit off in my estimation though writing in a study Bible is fine. I don't like to see writing in children's picture books. I think it's only good discipline to tell young children not to write in their books.
You can see that there is judgment to be exercised when it comes to writing in books. I acknowledge that one does have to make certain considerations. Overall, however, writing in books is a practice that I can endorse as a worthwhile and enjoyable adjunct to reading. It would be useful to hear what others have to say on the subject.
As for Lang Lang on that long-ago occasion, it should be added that he had brought along promotional materials. For the students, there was an over-sized sort of post card with a picture of Lang Lang standing in front of a grand piano. On my son Phillip's card Lang Lang wrote 'To Pillip,' and Lang Lang did not seem to mind that his big, loopy letters were written all across the picture of himself on the front of the card.
No comments:
Post a Comment