Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Art and Literature; my phantom sketchbook



I love to give my grandchildren something to draw on and something to draw with! The easy and focused way they work on a drawing makes me think AGAIN that I need to use my sketchbook more. Just pick it up! I say . . .
I'd love to look through an actual sketchbook of all the sketches I was just about to draw. And now there is Twitter and Facebook, in case I thought of actually creating art or drafting some haiku.

Looking at Sketchblogs tonight, I found a sketcher thinking about getting a Kindle. So I wrote her a quick note, also shared below. You might call this: I love my Kindle, BUT . . .

I got the Kindle for Christmas six weeks before Kindle2 came out. I use it I lot, but miss: 1) color illustrations!!! in art books 1B) the section of pictures in a biography 2) using an index to check on something I read earlier in the book, or identify something 3) looking at the notes or sources AS I AM READING 4) photocopying a quotable page 5) just riffling through the book, and peeking forward or backward 6) the actual feel of paper 7) being able to pass on the book to someone I think will like it after reading.
I should mention that I read more than half non-fiction; Kindle works better for fiction, unless you want to look for a remembered passage.
I am crabby about the costs, many books I want to read cost MORE than $9.99, which seems too high already. I would like about a $5 price point for most items. There are LOTS of free classics available--I have read some great stuff just because I'd always meant to.
I don't like it for the newspaper, yet; reading news online is a MUCH better and richer experience.
The technology is not unproven--it really works and it is REALLY impressive fun to get a book instantly while someone is still recommending it to you!
Don't hang back! Unless you need the money for food. . .

1 comment:

  1. several of the things you mentioned could and should be implemented in future versions. a search function would be easy enough, and replace any need for an index...also clickable footnotes that take you to the note...

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