I mean might be related to writing and the printing press being two of the most important inventions in history, if I had to hazard a guess. Transfer of knowledge through books was a complete gamechanger for humanity.
I understand the history and impact of printed media. But let’s be honest - a book you’re buying in 2026 is generally not a rare tome with limited copies, with an artisan’s attention paid to its crafting as an object. It’s just another mass produced item, following a path that generally looks like ‘purchase -> use -> discard (whether that’s to another reader, a used book store, or a shredder)’. They can cycle for quite a while, sure, but eventually most books end up in a bin.
Given this, I personally feel a book is subject to the whim of its current owner, and that’s ok. Want to keep it in pristine condition with an eye to maximum amount of cycles before bin time? Can’t fault you for that. Want to take advantage of its physicality to make it more convenient for your use, like in this image? Fair play. Want to use that physical material for something more creative? Fuck yeah dude, go for it.
Where I pause a bit is just tossing it into a shredder once you don’t want it anymore. Does that logically follow from my approach here? Yeah, but it does seem like a waste compared to the other things you can do with it.
Edit: a question, actually. With all of this in mind, how do folks here feel about collage, blackout poetry, cut-up technique, etc.?
I mean might be related to writing and the printing press being two of the most important inventions in history, if I had to hazard a guess. Transfer of knowledge through books was a complete gamechanger for humanity.
I understand the history and impact of printed media. But let’s be honest - a book you’re buying in 2026 is generally not a rare tome with limited copies, with an artisan’s attention paid to its crafting as an object. It’s just another mass produced item, following a path that generally looks like ‘purchase -> use -> discard (whether that’s to another reader, a used book store, or a shredder)’. They can cycle for quite a while, sure, but eventually most books end up in a bin.
Given this, I personally feel a book is subject to the whim of its current owner, and that’s ok. Want to keep it in pristine condition with an eye to maximum amount of cycles before bin time? Can’t fault you for that. Want to take advantage of its physicality to make it more convenient for your use, like in this image? Fair play. Want to use that physical material for something more creative? Fuck yeah dude, go for it.
Where I pause a bit is just tossing it into a shredder once you don’t want it anymore. Does that logically follow from my approach here? Yeah, but it does seem like a waste compared to the other things you can do with it.
Edit: a question, actually. With all of this in mind, how do folks here feel about collage, blackout poetry, cut-up technique, etc.?