There is no greater compliment for an author than being asked to sign a book that is just WRECKED. Binding cracked. Pages curled. Finger grooves in the edges. A book that has been read to death, and is still a prized possession.
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Once I was asked to autograph a book that the reader's dog had gnawed on with obvious delight. After I stopped laughing, I inscribed it, "Who's a good boy?"
I was psyched to go to a Lydia Davis book signing and instead of a fresh new copy of her newest thing I handed her a 10 year old ratty copy of one of her earlier books, & I felt like I had to explain that this one was the one I brought because the ten others I wanted to bring weren't first editions
Heinlein, "Time enough for love", an anthology. The various stories eventually broke out of the cover, so I made new covers and bought another copy to read.
Anthony Bourdain signed my, dirty AF copy of Kitchen Confidential, he drew on his face, making devil horns and a beard. It was hysterical. Unfortunately my book was "borrowed" never to be seen again. I totally feel this vibe.
My son had Stan Sakai sign his beat to s**t copy of Usagi Yojimbo at ComicCon one year. Stan looked through it and said much the same thing as you. He then spent about 10 minutes with my son talking and drawing in the book. It's still one of his prized possessions.
My daughter got her books signed(new ones) the author saw her books that had been read to death (she was reading in line) and had a whole conversation with her, signed them too and gave her a present.
I was just talking to my ex about this this afternoon.
I went to pull out my copy of The Talisman, by @stephenking.bsky.social , and it nearly came apart. You can barely make out the title with imagination, the bindings so bad.
I love that book...
A couple decades ago Ursula K LeGuin signed my ratty, dog eater copy of Left Hand of Darkness. I felt embarrassed at the time but I hope she took it as a compliment. It's one of my most treasured belongings
The moment your bookshelf turns into a morgue of the ripped, torn and absolutely savaged is when you know you did a good job at getting them to the afterlife. 😅
I once took a well-read copy of a book with yellowed pages to a talk by historian Rana Mitter. I arrived early and he saw me and asked if I’d like it signed. He was thrilled to see it had actually been read, unlike the brand new copies he was selling on the night.
For me that book is The Princess Bride by William Goldman. Purchased as a paperback in the late 1970's and now held together by masking tape. That book saved my adolescent tuchis.
A friend and i definitely got told off over the state of our discworld paperbacks at a signing though! (Sir Terry then conceded that those 90s paperbacks were almost impossible to keep pristine if being read often)
Onto my 4th copy of LOTR. Two have been destroyed, one is almost too beautiful to read, so have to buy preloved copies for "every day reading" also have 3rd edition of the Hobbit which is in great condition, so I have a "everyday" copy of that too.
There are several reasons why I'm inching more towards digital these days (namely, lack of space for more books) but I understand the appeal of the physical factor completely. I also hope this doesn't get completely lost in future generations — most authors don't dream of publishing a PDF. 🥲
I have many books that I purchased years ago from my favorite bookstore (Northern Lights in Fort Collins, CO, which also sells incense and candles), and when you fan the pages of any one of those books, they still smell like the incense and candles that that bookstore sold! 💜
I always get little bits of hair in the fibers - I've learned to let it be cause if try to dig it out just end up with a hole in the page. So if you ever get a book with little ginger bits it was mine ha
I had a very dear little old lady author admonish me for the state of my book then give me detailed instructions about how I could protect it. In my defence, it was a book about riding & used much in the arena with the horses.
Oh, she did sign it. 🤣
I’m not saying books have no place, but when you’re in the ring working with the horse, best you’ve done all your reading up because at that point both you and the horse are equal parts student and teacher
There’s no greater compliment than signing a book that’s been loved to death—binding cracked, pages curled, every inch of it lived in. Once, a guy handed me a battered, dog-eared copy of Harvester he found in a doctor’s surgery. He apologised. I was honoured.
James O'Barr said this exact thing when he signed my copy of THE CROW. Was so worried when in line that I'd be handing him a dog-eared copy and he was overjoyed at it.
Absolutely true. When ex-Disney animator Tom Bancroft came here I handled him a dog-eared copy of one of his character design books I still have for signing. He actually congratulated me for having such a worn copy. 😅
I took a somewhat worn paperback to be signed by Walter Mosley & worried that it was a faux pas. But getting the copy I had already read signed meant more than getting something new signed.
Ursula K. LeGuin gently chided me so, when I sheepishly handed her my corners curled, spine broken, battered old Earthsea paperbacks to be signed, decades ago.
"Never apologize for a well-loved book," she said. "Nothing makes us happier than to know it is treasured!"
My favorite is this one - they printed it out and bound it ( infinite printer at library , limited funds ). I negotiated to trade it for a normal book & got them to sign it
I honestly do this to almost every book I read. It's why I can't library. I gotta bend the spine, dog ear the pages, and love it until it shows the signs of a well loved book.
In your case, I'm sure the book was wrecked because it was well read. But, I have a friend who used his thick paperback copy of Brothers Karamazov to fight off attackers in prison. Sadly, Dostoevsky was not available to autograph it
This is the closest I can come to recapping all of the touching things I've seen and heard from students on this Japan trip without revealing volumes worth of private information that made me cry. I'm happy that our book has been so meaningful for so many people.
I figured the best compliment was to have them sign a book from a completely different author to give as a gag gift for a friend that loves the signer but hates the other book.
That's why the GOP wants books banned they contain knowledge. Trump said "he loves the uneducated" also "I don't care about you I just want your vote" it's easier to control the uninformed, you can tell them anything!
When I was a kid in the UK I went, with my dad and sister, to a reading of Puckoon by its author Spike Milligan. At the break I nervously asked Spike to sign my book and told him it was my favorite. He gave a sigh of awe, blessed the battered paperback with a sign of the cross and signed it for me.
I dreamed last night that I randomly met George R. R. Martin in a fancy restaurant where we’d both been seated in a communal dining room with other people who didn’t have reservations, and I told him how The Armageddon Rag was the first book I read so many times it fell apart, back in the mid-1980s.
So much this. I once got to hand my favorite book to one of my favorite authors to sign. It had been through the wringer through AP English and was filled with highlighter marks and flags of key moments and archetypal references.
Greatest signed book I have ever achieved! I hope it touched him too
I hope that is true. I had Robert Anton Wilson sign the Illuminatus! at Starwood, a gathering sponsored by ACE, a Tim Leary group, and it was the old ragged copy, tho I used to buy copies and give them away.
I kinda felt I should be seen putting a few bucks in his pocket.
Terry Brooks was such a dick to me at a book signing over my worn out, cover less copy of “The Sword of Shannara” I refused to read any more of his work. Totally embarrassed embarrassed me in front of a line of 30 or so people.
He wouldn't wanna see my battered copies then, handed down from my Dad to me (perhaps less handed, more borrowed, well flitched), they have covers, just 😂🙄
I found his book on the sidewalk, in the rain, totally soaked. The cover was in shambles and came off as I tried to dry it out. The rest of the book was fine.
Not to excuse him, that was rude. However, he likely thought you had a "stolen" copy if the cover was completely gone. See, when a store needed to return books, that would be costly to actually ship the entire thing so instead, they would remove the cover and "destroy" the cover-less inside.
And of course, sometimes those cover-less books end up slipping through the cracks. I don't know if this is how things still go, but if you ever see a guy selling books out of the back of a van and they all happen to be missing their covers, you know why now.
I found the book, opened and face down in the rain on my way to the HS bus stop. I felt bad about a book being treated like that and took it home, and dried it out. LOVED IT!
I’m so glad to see you say this. Years ago I went to a Canadian flower show were a famous British garden Designer was the keynote speaker. I brought my copy of one of his most famous books to have him sign.
I did this to Terry Brooks with my 30+ year old copy of Sword of Shannarah. Spine falling apart, yellowed and dog-eared pages, and that musty old book smell. He looked happy to see it.
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I went to pull out my copy of The Talisman, by @stephenking.bsky.social , and it nearly came apart. You can barely make out the title with imagination, the bindings so bad.
I love that book...
getting the authors to sign my Bible…
Just the feel of the paper and turning the pages.
Its part of the experience.
Oh, she did sign it. 🤣
Jokes aside, must be the greatest feeling 💜
"Never apologize for a well-loved book," she said. "Nothing makes us happier than to know it is treasured!"
Which title was it, please?
Metaphorically, of course. *goes back to reading her book and sipping her tea* Good heavens, excuse me…
To get a old book signed I had to stalk an author for a hot minute.
That's just called taking care of things you care about. Prized possessions should be cherished and protected as you use them.
If not I'd still like it
Greatest signed book I have ever achieved! I hope it touched him too
I kinda felt I should be seen putting a few bucks in his pocket.
So, I read it! 😊
I found the book, opened and face down in the rain on my way to the HS bus stop. I felt bad about a book being treated like that and took it home, and dried it out. LOVED IT!
He MOCKED my story in front of everyone.