An NYTimes article about marginalia, how could I not post it?!
A note on my own use of marginalia: I usually try to get fresh copies of books because I consider marking up the book an act of conversation between myself and the author, and I get distracted by other peoples' comments, underlinings, and highlightings. If, however, I get hold of a copy that was marked up by somebody I know (either a fellow student or, better yet, a prof), then the marginalia can be very helpful. I do like the feeling that I'm entering into a conversation with other readers. Even though I do own an e-book reader (given to me by a friend), I don't use it much because I can't mark up what I'm reading on it.
Ok, gotta go make some serious marginalia in Mauss, Srinivas, and Marriot for my Hierarchy class... in less than 4 hours... sheesh
love the article! thanks for sharing. I love writing in margins myself, but are often embarrassed reading them back! smiley faces are a common notation of mine!
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