Monday, June 15, 2009

Inside a Book

I borrowed a library book whose previous reader left a bookmark inside. It's a torn piece of paper that reads in large font,

Being Polite is
for the estranged


The book was This Book Will Save Your Life by A.M. Homes. Just so you know, it won't save your life. The title is fiction just like the story inside.

I probably should return the bookmark with the book. Right now it's marking a spot inside the Chicago Manual of Style, which I checked out with the Homes book. I've seen job ads for copy editors that request familiarity with it.

I don't want to be a copy editor but who doesn't want to have more style? I've visited Chicago only once and don't remember it to be particularly stylish — at least no more stylish than other cities I've seen — but the book was free to borrow so why not look.

It is a labor to carry. Who knew style could have so much substance?

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