Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Wretched Excess


Click on the title of this post to be transported to the personal library of Priceline.com owner, and all around rich-guy, Jay Walker.

Yes- I said it's his PERSONAL library. I'm serious. Click on the link and see what I'm talking about. Otherwise this post is just a bunch of blather and remarkably indistinct from my other post containing blather.

It makes me wonder what the personal library of other "famous for being famous" celebrities would look like? Can you imagine Paris Hilton's personal library? Nah, she would likely see it as a waste of closet space.

How about your own personal library?

My writing table sits next to a four-shelf bookcase with about 90 or more books crammed into it like subway riders. So what if Mr. Walker's library is "eclectic?" My library is eclectic...also. It features authors from a wide and diverse range of talents. All the way from Douglas Adams (The Complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) to Christopher Vogler (The Writer's Journey). There are a few Michael Connelly paperbacks, my coveted copy of Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff (Signed! -by the guy who gave it to me. Thanks David!) and a near messianic volume which no one is allowed to touch; a hardbound copy of To Kill A Mockingbird. Also signed! ...by my Governor's School Drama coach.

My friend Kevin Sean Raper's first book, Elise Eingebildet is actually signed by the author, and so is my copy of SPLIT. Well, naturally. I wrote that one.
Oh, Okay. Fine. I was a contributing author.

There are also several Bibles and books on writing which, I admit, get more page turning time than my NIV. Some self-help books are taking up valuable space, and when I get time, I'll take a look at the one on procrastination. Stevenson's The Study of Human Nature sits right next to my college Psychology textbook, which I think cancels them both out nicely. And somehow, the last book in the Harry Potter series (The Deathly Hallows) has taken residence between my 1938 edition of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, and my 1929 edition of English Poetry and Prose of the Romantic Movement. Both tomes are beautifully aged and look like they could easily have come from the Hogwarts Library.
How appropriate.

Anyway- the point of this post was to point out that Mr. Walker has a damned fine library. Personal Library -that is.

I only hope that his beautiful treasures do not end up sitting in the long-forgotten darkness after Mr. Walker takes a sudden interest in model railroading.

Like any treasures stored on earth- they can't last forever.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What? You have a four shelve with only 90 books?...Piker!

LOL,
LH

GmanD said...

Did I mention it is only three feet tall? I'm telling you- it's packed!

Gary

Anonymous said...

That is impressive. With that much shelf space, I bet half of the books aren't even colored in yet! :)

LH