As screens now dominate the world, the art of deep reading is suddenly fading. However, note making in the margins of books is again rediscovered by readers. It is called “marginalia” and considered as a form of art. In this modern era, scholars are now reincorporating this kind of reading practice. Consequently, literature is being made more interactive and personal again.
When Readers are Co-Authors with Notes
Marginalia is an active dialogue between one and the text. Readers comment, emphasize and respond on the page. This generates a distinctive meaning that transforms each time one rereads it.
Following the Intellectual Footprints over Pages
Historical characters tended to make notes which showed the way they thought. These notes give us a glimpse of the development of ideas with time. This tradition is still being pursued by modern readers in their individual ways.
Why Hardcopies Continue to Elicit More Intense Interaction
When writing in hardcopies, it becomes an experience as it is touched and felt. Handwritten notes are deliberate and permanent unlike digital highlights. This makes readers take their time and digest the material.
The Digital Marginalia: The Next Generation of Annotation
E-readers have become capable of highlighting and commenting. Although convenient, they are not as intimate as using pen on paper. Nevertheless, they present new opportunities of sharing and co-operation between readers.
Final Thoughts
Marginalia is not a simple scribble in a book. It is a more serious involvement in the world of literature and thought.