Friday, April 24, 2009

jack (is back)

I don't like e-books. I don't want a Kindle. I tried downloading free books onto my iPhone, and it was cool just to know I have books in my phone, but I won't read a book on a screen.

I need paper.

I need to feel the edges of each page between my fingers and see the marks I leave on them. I need to be able to underline and circle, fold a corner, or stick a post-it between something and something else.

And, no, it isn't cool to be able to do all that by dragging your finger or highlighting and clicking. I want to do it myself, on real paper, in a real book.

First thing I do when I finish writing a draft of a novel (which, because of the way I write... first draft is usually final draft)? Have a righteous drink. Like whiskey. While I watch all those pages come out, hot and perfect, from the laser printer. And I'll carry that fucker around with me for days, rereading it the only way that books are ever supposed to be read... off of paper.

I know, I know... there's this deafening chorus droning from every direction about The future of *this* is the new *e-this*, and the future is here now, and it is ultra-hip and cool and talks to you like fucking TomTom so you don't get fucking lost, because God only knows you could NEVER find your way around without it.

See if you can get it on the paper.