Comments on: The Solitary Hunter

By: Ian Stuart

Ian Stuart — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:55:03 +0000

But books do run in herds. In second hand bookshops, the classic paperbacks huddle in one corner, mangey and thumbed, their coats torn and their pages thumbed. The newish hardbacks have pushed their way into the window, preening their coloured dustjackets and proud of their price tags. The ones I feel sorry for are the old stagers from the fifties and sixties, battered and faded, bumped and dusty. They lurk in corners, ashamed.

By: MuseArticles

MuseArticles — Fri, 23 May 2008 01:23:50 +0000

That was very entertaining. When you talked about hunting, it brought images to my mind due to my misinterpretation. I imagined herds of books.

By: Ian Stewart

Ian Stewart — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:36:26 +0000

Hey, Greg! My dad actually wrote that. I’ve got to update this place to make that more clear…

By: greg oakes

greg oakes — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:47:43 +0000

that was a good read. reminds me of going shopping/hunting for drawing pens; years ago when i actually had money to buy art supplies. *ha* hope all is well with you my friend!? say hey to your better half for me; it’s been too long! peace bro ~go

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:20:51 +0000

Great, thanks. I look forward to it.

Best regards

By: Ian Stewart

Ian Stewart — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 02:05:01 +0000

There’s no public version of Essay with 3 columns, although I plan on releasing something similar sometime on ThemeShaper.com.

By: Richard

Richard — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:36:09 +0000

Hi Ian - Sorry for posting this here, but I couldn’t find your email address anywhere. I was wondering whether there’s a 3 column version of your excellent Essay Sandbox theme available by any chance please. I think I’ve seen one on the web somewhere but a search for a 3 column version is yielding nothing. Do you know whether there is a 3 column version around (with 2 sidebar columns to the right)?

Many thanks
Best regards

Richard

By: Ian Stuart

Ian Stuart — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:54:44 +0000

The booklover hunts alone- at least this one does.I’m lucky because I live in a city with lots of second hand book shops.And I know the owners- so you drop a hint ..” Have you got a copy of..?” and if he hasn’t, then he’s heard of someone who has..so you set off on the trail again. From time to time I look after a second hand bookshop for a friend.It is the best thing in the world. I sit there and read; I chat to people who come in and then, at the end of the day..I get paid..in books.Could anything be better ?

By: Brad K.

Brad K. — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:21:48 +0000

Graham, I think the most significant factor for me is ‘distraction’ vs. ‘interaction’. Hunting books I find I concentrate, recall what I remember of this author, that title, try to remember favored authors that *Really Ought To* have another volume out by now. Anyone I can’t ignore is a distraction - disrupts my thought chain.

Buying apples is easy. I am standing at the bin, don’t need to recall any history. Find ‘apples’ on the list, pick however many I need for whatever reason. Someone talking, other thought disruptions? Fine! Recapturing all the attention needed to get the right apples is easy.

Remembering whether that ‘Kris Longknife: Audacious’ is the last one I read, or the next one I am waiting for? Conversation, etc. is irritating.

Books are about escaping, or engaging the reader in the author’s world. Like talking in a movie (or during TV), the disruption *violates* the altered way of thinking I have established to interact with *this* author. Leave me to myself until I finish, thank you very much.

I find parents are especially prone to expecting obedience and attention to their every (blessed!) word, rather than having respect for their kid paying attention to something else. Arrogance or discipline (on the part of the parent)? Rebellion or concentrating (on the part of the reader or book hunter)?

Restoring the concentration, the immersion into a different frame or reference takes effort. Distractions that make extra effort for me, without having a benefit that I consider valid - is wasteful of my time, and disrespectful of my values. I think this has to do with homework as well as book hunting and movies. And probably is the reason for the anger of people in the hospital, “You mean you woke me up to take a sleeping pill!?”

By: Alea

Alea — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:51:12 +0000

I completely agree. The experience is usually much more satisfying when hunting alone. Even when you go with someone that wants to browse forever with you, you still end up in conversation and forgot what you were looking for/at and lose your concentration.