Sender: Rare book and manuscripts <EXLIBRIS-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Favorite quote, on this very ancient destruction-of-books subject:
"Who, what authority will decide which books to retain?
Plato and Dante have known their periods of disgrace,
although they have been able to transcend the centuries."
-- Umberto Eco, interview in Le Nouvel
Observateur no. 1406, 17-23 Oct, 1991.
Jack Kessler, kessler@well.com
p.s. One theory circulating occasionally holds, historical
depredations being what they have been -- including simple user
malfeasance, such as jam-on-fingers & gum & so on -- that the
books which survived are the ones which didn't get read. So much
for letting "society" and "civilization" do Eco's sorting-job...
On Tue, 29 May 2007, Larry Sterne wrote:
> Notwithstanding some comments to the contrary, there is in
> fact is nothing immoral, evil or even improper about destroying
> books; it's a necessary fact of life...
<snip>