Category Archives: Reading

WRITE IN YOUR BOOKS!

If you scroll down to the post for Dec. 19, 2018 you will see a heavily annotated copy of Finnegans Wake.  My friend and regular reader of this blog, Dr. Dave McCoy, made a comment about his own copy of Finnegans Wake.  I asked Dave to send me a picture and he has.

I love looking at the marginalia people put in their books and Bibles so enjoy a real pro at work here.  And make sure to click the picture to enlarge it!:

C.S. LEWIS WRITING IN BOOKS!

A handwritten annotation in one of C.S. Lewis's books (a Latin one) from his personal library, now owner by Walter Hooper.

When I spoke at Wheaton College I paid a visit to the Wade collection.  It houses collections from the libraries of C.S. Lewis and many others.  I asked to see a few of the books that were in the library of C.S. Lewis.  The curator made the decision, but to my delight she brought up a copy of one of my favorites: Paradise Lost by Milton.  I could not believe how many notes Lewis made in the margins, all in his meticulous penmanship.  Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take a picture.

The picture you see is a Latin text where you can see the written notes of Lewis at the bottom in both Latin and Greek.

Lesson learned: If a scholar like Lewis finds it helpful to write in books, what does that mean for the rest of us?!

Picture: HT Timothy Willard’s Instagram account

 

OIL WELL NOT ORWELL!

We spent several days last week visiting with friends from Brenham Bible Church.  This is the church I preached at from 2010-13.

During a break between visits, Doreen and I went to Starbucks to read.  I met a man there from New Orleans with a thick accent.  He was curious about about the books I write.

During our conversation he said he “liked to read about oil wells.”  I thought he said Orwell so I enthusiastically replied how much I “loved Orwell.”

He laughed and said my confusion was due to his heavy accent.

MY FAVORITE DEAD PEOPLE…WELL THEIR BOOKS

Augustine, Confessions

Kempis, Of the Imitation of Christ

Pascal, Pensées

If you purchase this book, make sure to get the edition that is edited by A.J. Krailsheimer.  For some reason, Amazon is not allowing me to link to that edition.

Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress

Kierkegaard, Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing

Chesterton, Orthodoxy

Lewis: Loads to pick from, but I choose Surprised by Joy