THE SEVENTY-NINTH PAGE

The notion of sifting through the throw-aways of others at the dump may seem unsettling, but it is no different from shopping at a used or antiquarian bookshop, where you must pay for your books.

Internet shopping for older books is a great pleasure, especially if you know what you want. With a tap of the key, all the used book dealers of the world gather to offer their wares and with another tap of a key you find yourself amidst an electronic pile of books in your “shopping cart.”

For all of this convenience and efficiency @ the internet, nothing beats the hands-on, serendipitous moment when you discover just the book you needed when you didn’t know what it was. In some ways, this process is costlier than the internet’s, because you always find another book, which you don’t need, but may need later. Seize the day and the book.

Like an addict of any kind, the book collection addict will find any rationalization for adding to the collection. I probably was fooling myself with the entire vendetta operation, but I was convinced that my primarily literary (sans fiction categorical by any means other than author) collection, would not serve my needs and I required many, many more books. So, I was to hit the road, taking along my manuscripts--for-hire for reading in the dull light of lonely motel rooms.