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V4 2001 INDEX       E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 4, Number 33, August 12, 2001, Article 11 THE LOT OF A BIBLIOPHILE'S SPOUSE Malgorzata "Gosia" Fort, wife of Asylum Editor E. Tomlinson Fort, writes in response to David Lange's piece about living arrangements when both a library and spouse are involved: "A word of support for all book collectors' wives. Yes, we do need to have an "open and uncluttered home". This usually has little understanding on the part of our significant other. Tom and I had books absolutely everywhere in our old apartment. SO, when we bought the house, WE decided to change the biggest room in the house into OUR LIBRARY. A truly wonderful idea! I think it would work fine, if we had the same understanding what OUR LIBRARY means. As it quickly turned out our views on the library were slightly different. I cherished the idea that we would have a room full of books, a room where our collections would be joined and where, in the evenings we could sit in comfortable armchairs and enjoy our mutual passion for books. [The rest of the house would be free of books, of course] Tom's idea of the library was to have a place for his numismatic books only! And, I must admit, they really look gorgeous neatly arranged on shelves by topic with a little room in each section reserved for growth. But it is also very obvious that, now we have both, the library and the books in every other room! The only argument that I won (a rather teary one) was to extend the room for my books from three shelves to eight, which means that the rest of my collection would stay indefinitely in my parents' house. All other arguments ended up as arrangements of compromise between two different approaches to book collecting. I need the light to fully appreciate my books. I take enormous pleasure in petting spines of my books, enjoying different colors, textures and smells. Tom sees in light solely its damaging powers, so we had to have curtains in the Library. ["No curtains" was not an option, but I got the right to choose one] My "economy of space" approach helps me manage better the limited space I have. My shelves are adjusted to different heights and books are arranged by size. In my parents' house I had my books arranged in two rows and from time to time I would shift them to enjoy the books from the second row for a while. Oh, what fun it was! This approach is "criminal" in Tom's eyes. All shelves should be of equal size and the only reasonable arrangement of books is by subject. [He still complains that I forced my idea of designing a small section in one of his bookcase with shelves adjusted to the height of his tiny Loebs] And then it comes the last difference. Shall I admit that I bought quite a few books in my life that I did not care for the text at all and I had no intention to read. I bought them because they were fine specimens of the art of printing and looking at them gives me equally great pleasure as reading. I have couple of books from 1932, low circulation editions with uncut pages and I am going to preserve this original state. [And when I am writing this, Tom's voice with "if I paid so much money, you can bet, I am going to read it" rings in my ear] I would prefer any original first edition to the finest reprint [but he already knows this] Anyway, have a little bit more understanding for your wife's desire to fight your passion. If not fought, it would sneak out from under control and spread around leaving not much more room than for old traditional 3 Ks (Kinder, Kuchen, Kirche). Fighting for "uncluttered" house, she is actually fighting for the room in your heart."

Wayne Homren, Editor

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