Leavin’ on a jet plane
One of my favorite things in the world is getting on a plane, grabbing my window seat (no preference where on the plane, though I gravitate toward the front), and curling up with a good book. I don’t tend to get nervous before or during flight. When I step in, I leave any of my thinking and worry processes in the terminal.
My favorite part of any flight is checking out what other folks are reading. Did they bring their own titles? Are the books clearly ones purchased from the airport bookstore? I’m interested in seeing what other people find interesting, and I love a brief chat with my neighbor if they’re reading a title I tend to like myself. The last flight I took, going from Nashville to Austin, my seatmate was an older gentleman who was reading Glenn Beck’s “The Christmas Sweater.” Though I learned little more about the man himself besides his final destination (Amarillo), I learned a lot about him in that short interaction and not in a judgmental sense.
One thing, though, that is and will continue to impact this small pleasure of mine is the growth and ubiquity of e-books and e-book readers. While I’m not against them, they do change how very public activities, such as flying, taking the train, or riding the bus, become more individualistic. Plugging in an iPod gives people a sense of solitude (and is a clear signal for leaving an individual alone) the physical book another person is holding and reading tells you a lot about them. It’s a peek into their interests and an opportunity to interact. Even if you never talk with the person, you can see the title of their book and, well, that they are engaging in the act of reading.
The e-book, however, limits you ability to do that. If you try to catch a glimpse at your seatmate’s book of choice, you’d likely be slapped for being nosey, and it’s unlikely you’ll have a conversation starter. The e-book is another step in the direction of anonymity and maybe even solitude. Sure it’s convenient and — maybe the best perk — it’s easy to pack and tote, the e-book limits social interaction and furthers us from one another. I probably wouldn’t stop a person on my way off a plane from row 1 with a book that sounded interesting to chat, but if I see my neighbor’s reading a book I’ve never heard of (or one I have!) I’d love to say something. It doesn’t need to go anywhere. It’s just a moment of cooperative interaction.
I find my biggest problem in bringing a book with me on an airplane is choosing which book to bring. I get a bit overzealous and ambitious. Maybe that’s where the e-book is ideal since you can port several hundred titles, where my under-the-seat carry-on only allow so much.
That said, I’m heading to Denver to go to the ALA Midwinter conference. I’m pretty jazzed to be surrounded by fellow librarians and I’m eager to see just what everyone around me is reading, both on the plane and at the conference. And I managed to limit my book selection to two — The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp and Towelhead by Alicia Erian.
