Comments on: Don’t Take Away My Memory Theater

By: Nathan

Nathan — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:22:40 +0000

See the expanded essay published at Open Letters Monthly.

By: The Memory Theater, Revisited | The Row Boat by Nathan Schneider

The Memory Theater, Revisited | The Row Boat by Nathan Schneider — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:12:15 +0000

[...] last year, I published the sketch of an essay here called “Don’t Take Away My Memory Theater.” The feedback that came in the comments from you readers was enough to encourage me to try [...]

By: christian m

christian m — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:43:31 +0000

Technology will never replace the True Value of actually Holding a Book and Reading Moderator For Casino Galore

By: Nathan

Nathan — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:47:23 +0000

Sarah, thanks so much for the encouraging note! After all these comments, I’m expanding this essay into something much more substantial. It has been a lot of fun. Thanks for your kind words.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:47:39 +0000

I have been a back-of-the-book indexer for 17 years. When I started, I used actual index cards. As you might imagine, there is much discussion about becoming “information architects” as the physical book disappears. I am in that liminal space where if I could, I would find a new profession where I am not required to discard the idea of the book/page proofs, etc. Unfortunately, I am old, and as I read yesterday on Susie Bright’s blog, where she lamented the end of publishing as we’ve known it, and her work diminishing by 80 percent this year, the idea of “What Color is Your Parachute?” is daunting. As it is, I am trying to migrate from the business book rut I found myself in, and marketing (online, tweeting, etc.) for the first time in a decade. Still buying books, and carving out time to be offline and reading.

I love reading you, and Killing the Buddha. I wish Rachel M. would mention it when she gives Jeff Sharlet’s bio. It is always “The Family” and Harpers. How about da blog. PS., I bought my father “The Family” for Christmas. Hope he enjoys it.

By: Quentin Kirk

Quentin Kirk — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:51:36 +0000

A slow silent social earthquake may have rocked our inner being when recorded music came in. Here in Mexico live music is still common but is gradually being replaced by recorded “big name” bands. Sad. Today when a good live band plays people dance, When the band takes a break and plays loud famous music, dancers stop.

By: Brian K

Brian K — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:17:22 +0000

Nathan,
This is a WONDERFUL article, both well written and most importantly, a message that needs to be heard. I suggest this be published widly so that we “bookish types” aren’t left with empty shelves and erased memories!

By: Nathan

Nathan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:29:26 +0000

It’s likely that “free” is already a word they’d rather not hear, I think.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:24:13 +0000

Exactly. And, not to get too apocalyptic, but: what if free exchange of information suddenly becomes not in the interests of the companies we’ve entrusted it to.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:12:56 +0000

Ah, now I see. So if things continue to go the way of the cloud, we won’t really “own” anything. In thinking about it, it makes me worry about what they might be scheming. On the surface it seems like a great thing – no space issues to worry about with our hard drives and ipods! We then agree to have our library moved to this cloud and all is well until one day they state that we’ll have to pay a subscription fee in order to access that cloud. But that’s our library! And if we refuse to pay? What happens then? Suddenly this cloud seems very ominous.