The art of writing
Recently I’ve subscribed to my morning read on my kindela. I miss the classified adverts which were fun to read, but pointless as I rarely replied to them. I miss walking over to the corner shop, saying hello, and picking up the paper. But this morning a copy of the morning paper was presented along with a latte and I thought- Aha! It’s jolly good to see you old friend!
It felt so good to have paper in hand. That satisfying snap as I opened it. The crackle of the paper. The smell of pulp turned into words with ink. Well, not really ink. Ink in the old days would not rub off your hands as I was cruelly reminded. I had to stop reading the paper and wash up the soy muck before I could sip the latte. Black fingertips are just not my thing.
I miss the smell, and the sounds of reading. There is just something that is indescribably satisfying to reading with a proper book or paper. Will the kindela kill the hard book or paper. I think not. I like going into bookshops and having a chat. I love the feel and the smell of books. I like their weight in my hands. The tactile and the physical does not exist in cyber world, no matter how hard we try to replicate it.
Will the kindela fade away in the years to come? I seriously doubt it. It’s too convenient. I don’t enjoy reading the newspaper on the train, far too many eyes have been poked out and far too many sorry’s have been said whilst my paper obliterated my fellow passenger’s view. The kindela is happily here to stay, and with this surge of e-publishing, so many books that were not affordable to publish for main stream publishing are available. If one wants to read about the mating habits of an obscure South American Fly, there is something out there that you can download. With brick and mortar publishing, that’s not a viable option. The two formats will move forward as companions to the world that only a reader can create.
As for my morning coffee and paper, my coffee will be real and hot, and my paper…will be sent to me through space and time into a little machine I affectionately call my kindela.
Kindela= a e reader with brand name not mentioned. Kind from the German for child, and ela just to make it friendly.
A camera travels 
Your posts are often oddly timely for me. Just last night I sat down and read a paper book for a long stretch of time, the first time I’ve done so in a while. Usually I just get to read in snippets, and lately, everything I’ve read has been on the Kindle. But as I was reading last night, I realized how much I missed the feel of a fiction novel in my hands rather than on an electronic device. I will still use my Kindle. A lot. But every now and then, I’ll take a book vacation and read the old-fashioned kind.
As for newspapers? Sure, I can read the news on my iPad, but my 30 minutes every morning spent with my paper and my tea is not something I plan to give up. Ever. 🙂
I hear you! There is something “real” about reading with a proper book or newspaper. The rest at times I have to agree with you feels like a sound bit. I am not sure if my ereader newspaper is the full thing. I feel as if half of the paper is missing. It may not be, but it feels like that! I love that idea a book vacation! How utterly decadent and wonderful!
Plus, the electronic news gives me too many options. “Click this link for more,” “See image here,” “For related articles, click here.” Brain overload!
Gosh, Yes Carrie, Brain overload. It’s so easy to do! Those related articles do me in each and every time.
I love reading on my iPad, Susan, but I cannot read the paper any other way but as THE PAPER. It just simply won’t do any other way. 🙂
I love my ipad! I love being able to make the text bigger. I have loads of books in my bookshelves that now need a little help to read! A torch, a massive magnifying lens, and the patience of all time! 😉 The newspapers I have to agree, just begs to be read in hand!
I know just what you mean, Susan. Newspapers have had a magic about them not just in our lifetime, but for centuries.
Kate, you just triggered a thought. We can go down to the British Library and read newspapers from the past, what will happen in the future when all is digital? Will we have a digital library at our hands? I will miss the awe inspiring atmosphere of the British Library when that happens.
A few of the folk I know have those e-reader devices, but I don’t think they’re for me, Susan. I think they look quite good, the ‘pages’ look just like the pages in a book… but I love the feel of the book; the turning of the page; the texture of the paper; the smells of both old and new books. The same with newspapers too, for that matter, but I too am not keen on the print getting everywhere afterwards.
Hi Tom, same here! Kate though triggered a thought for me, I will miss going to a real proper library when the world is finally digital. Wonder how long that is going to take. I plan to live for a least 50 years…stand a good chance of avoiding all digital? Not going to take a bet on that! 😉
Blimey, Susan, what a thought!
We do seem to be heading that way quite quickly, don’t we?
Isn’t it just a dreadul thought? Next time I am in the BL I will absorb every molecule I can!