Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Booked Solid: Some Readers' Cherished Collections Have Nowhere to Grow
The Washington Post ^ | March 23, 2006 | Annie Groer

Posted on 03/23/2006 11:53:14 AM PST by Physicist

Law librarian Rick Ramponi's collection of 3,000 regional cookbooks --including "Talk About Good" from the Lafayette, La., Junior League and "Shalom on the Range," which celebrates southwestern Jewish cuisine -- was manageable while he lived in a large house in Kalorama.

But when he moved to a one-bedroom Dupont Circle apartment with a partner who collects large art and architecture books, Ramponi had to exile those cherished culinary texts to a pair of rented storage units several blocks away.

Since 2002, he has spent more than $5,000 to keep them there, which "may be more than they are all worth," he concedes. "But there is a sentimental attachment and I associate them with places I've been, people I know."

Accountant Jennifer Kimball, who is studying for a master's degree in English, and policy analyst Matt Cail, who has a pair of master's degrees, call themselves "huge bibliophiles." Thus their chief requirement when condo shopping two years ago was enough wall space for shelves to hold their books. Already they have run out of space in their Alexandria flat. "Next year we will start looking for a house to buy that has room for children," she says. And books.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: bibliopath; bibliophile; gentlemadness; hobbyanddisease
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 121-140141-160161-180 ... 321-330 next last
To: Physicist

My husband and I are collectors and notorious packrats...our garage is stuffed, brimming to the top with many of our collections....we love books...have never counted them, but know that they number in the thousands...my parents also were avid readers, and could not stand to ever throw away any book...so when they died, I inherited their books as well...I guess my most cherished books, are my dads books, bought for him when he was a small boy during the 1920s...he had three collections that he loved...his Dickens collection, his Mark Twain collection, and his Tom Swift collection...these three collections were dearly loved by him as a boy, read by him, and passed along to me....

Dads other favorite subjects for book collecting, were books about fishing(his favorite sport), and books about wood carving(his favorite hobby), and the Civil War( a special interest of his)....oh, and tho they are not books, Dad was especially proud of his Mad Magazine collection, bought right from the beginning(beginning actually with issue #24 I think, which is when Mad went from comic book form to magazine form)...

I just love reading books, having books all around, and never ever will get rid of any book I own...

Now, dont get me started on my doll collection, that collection takes up the greatest part of my garage...


141 posted on 03/23/2006 1:14:22 PM PST by andysandmikesmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RadioAstronomer
engineering, astrophysics, nuclear physics, math, chemistry, geology, etc

I bet you know how to party! ;-)
142 posted on 03/23/2006 1:15:12 PM PST by BJClinton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Physicist
--including "Talk About Good" from the Lafayette, La., Junior League

Oh my gosh, I just about did a double-take when I saw this! My mom has this cookbook and it is awesome. :) How funny to see it here.

143 posted on 03/23/2006 1:15:34 PM PST by Kaylee Frye
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tokra
This here's a Website you will love.
144 posted on 03/23/2006 1:16:15 PM PST by Xenalyte (You're not the boss of Tiger Bot Hesh!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 125 | View Replies]

To: Borges
It's hard to draw a bright line.

The classic definition that medievalists would use is that the Scholastics (literally "Schoolmen") were those who studied and taught in the theological faculties of the universities like Paris, Oxford, etc. and who wrote in the expository style called quaestio. Not all Scholastics were friars - members of the Domincan and Franciscan orders - but almost all were and this is also traditionally considered a mark of Scholasticism.

Many medievalists see Peter Lombard as the first true Scholastic - he taught at Paris and he compiled a textbook called The Sentences in the 1140s which, along with the Vulgate Bible, Plato and Aristotle, was the main source work that all the great Scholastics studied and wrote commentaries on.

The Summa Theologiae, considered the greatest work of Scholasticism, was an attempt to create a new textbook for beginning theologians that would surpass The Sentences.

Since Anselm and Eriugena were not attached to any university faculty, were not friars and wrote in dialogue form and not quaestio form they are usually not considered true Scholastics, but important forerunners of the intellectual movement centered in the high medieval university. Anselm especially, because he was focused on logical analysis and because he corresponded with university lecturers.

145 posted on 03/23/2006 1:16:33 PM PST by wideawake
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 105 | View Replies]

To: absolootezer0
shelf in the garage for repair manuals, shelf in the basement for gun manuals/ reloading books

Kirk: Another technical journal, Scotty?
Scotty: Aye.
Kirk: Don't you ever relax?
Scotty: I am relaxing.

146 posted on 03/23/2006 1:17:09 PM PST by fzx12345 (Three lefts don't make a right; they invent one.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 118 | View Replies]

To: js1138

I have never come across that one in my travels.


147 posted on 03/23/2006 1:18:30 PM PST by wideawake
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 108 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy
tried to insure my collection for $10K. The State Farm agent laughed me out of his office.

In terms of replacement cost coverage, that could be accurate for a personal collection.

If I were to attempt to replicate my modest collection, I'm sure it would set me back a few grand. What you pick up for $1 at library and garage sales over a 20 year period will cost $30 per to replace on demand via alibris.

148 posted on 03/23/2006 1:18:59 PM PST by JohnnyZ (Happy New Year! Breed like dogs!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: HKMk23
"I have an extensive shell collection, which I keep scattered on beaches throughout the world."

-- Steven Wright, Comedian

His next line is just as good:

"Perhaps you've seen it."

149 posted on 03/23/2006 1:19:19 PM PST by Interesting Times (ABCNNBCBS -- yesterday's news.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 113 | View Replies]

To: wideawake
I used to try to track it down by who taught who. Anselm was taught by Lanfranc...but good luck finding much info about him. This is a good place...

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/
150 posted on 03/23/2006 1:21:09 PM PST by Borges
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 145 | View Replies]

To: wideawake
I own several thousand books - my wife put her foot down and now I am on a strict maintenance program.

Well, if I ever have another wife, she better never even think of saying, "either the books have to go or... "

I might miss her.

151 posted on 03/23/2006 1:23:12 PM PST by Publius6961 (Multiculturalism is the white flag of a dying country)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: wideawake
I own several thousand books - my wife put her foot down and now I am on a strict maintenance program.

Well, if I ever have another wife, she better never even think of saying, "either the books have to go or... "

I might miss her.

152 posted on 03/23/2006 1:23:14 PM PST by Publius6961 (Multiculturalism is the white flag of a dying country)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: JohnnyZ

I was calculating replacement cost. The agent told me that it's not impossible to attach a rider onto a typical Renter's Insurance policy, but the bean-counters at corporate would look askance at it due to the possibility of fraud. He said they would fear me simply taking a match to the apartment.


153 posted on 03/23/2006 1:23:37 PM PST by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 148 | View Replies]

To: tx_eggman
I can borrow one of yours anytime I want.

Unless I've got it first :-).

154 posted on 03/23/2006 1:23:40 PM PST by Tax-chick (If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: HKMk23

Great quote! I'd never heard that before.


155 posted on 03/23/2006 1:24:28 PM PST by Tax-chick (If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 113 | View Replies]

To: Publius6961

The funny thing is my wife is a collector of first editions - she has a very small, very valuable, focused book collection. We represent exact diametrical opposites of the bibliophile spectrum.


156 posted on 03/23/2006 1:25:25 PM PST by wideawake
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 152 | View Replies]

To: Xenalyte

I just found a 1953 recipe booklet put out by the Faygo Pop Company. The most bizarre recipe has to be the Tuna Casserole made with tuna, canned peas and Faygo Black Cherry Soda. Yum!


157 posted on 03/23/2006 1:25:46 PM PST by Tokra (I think I'll retire to Bedlam.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 144 | View Replies]

To: Xenalyte

Why yes I have stacked books high enough to use them as end tables. Not only that I have enough books placed by the side of my bed that should I tumble out they would cushion my fall quite well. The only disadvantage is the under the bed black hole the some books get sucked into.

I also have on occassion decorated with my dogs. They are just the right size to use as large sofa cushions and if need be foot rests.


158 posted on 03/23/2006 1:25:52 PM PST by lastchance (Hug your babies.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 126 | View Replies]

To: Physicist
Well, this thread answers several questions for me about Freepers, but one of the answers is unsettling...

Most Freepers are nutz!

159 posted on 03/23/2006 1:26:07 PM PST by Publius6961 (Multiculturalism is the white flag of a dying country)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Xenalyte

We looked at a house like that when we moved here. As soon as we got to the top of the stairs, both of us said, "Bookshelves!" But we decided the house was too expensive, leaving us with inadequate book space. We've added two small cases since we moved here, and overflow storage in the top of a closet.


160 posted on 03/23/2006 1:26:13 PM PST by Tax-chick (If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 122 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 121-140141-160161-180 ... 321-330 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson