Reading with a pen
Observations from years of writing in my books
- Pen is better than pencil—the latter fades quickly
- It’s best to use blue ink, for it stands out
- I can write big, small, and I’ve many types of scrawl
- The guilty feeling fades fast
- Though I may never reference the notes I write, making them helps me better understand what I’m reading in that moment
- Some of my friends apparently enjoy reading my notes
- It now feels weird (wrong, even) to read a book without a pen in hand
- Books with wide margins are the best
Mandy Brown wrote about this some time ago; I believe it was that post which convinced me to pick up the pen. I also enjoy this speech by William Lyon Phelps on the subject.