Paper time capsules
The surprise and delight of finding clippings in books
Hey y’all,
Years ago I borrowed this copy of Italo Calvino’s If On A Winter’s Night A Traveler from my father-in-law, and when I opened it up I found Calvino’s 1985 NYTimes obit and stories from a 1983 Harper’s.
I was so surprised and delighted by these unexpected artifacts that I decided to start saving clippings in my own books. Here’s my copy of John Ashbery’s They Knew What They Wanted, in which I stuffed a NYTimes review and a photo of his collage desk.
Saving clippings this way turns your books into little time capsules. The next time I open one of these books, a paper treasure will fall out. A little surprise gift for my future self. (Or whoever else cracks it open.)
Years ago, I discovered a key to instant happiness:
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