I was browsing in our small, comfortable library — perfect for book people, a light rain from gray skies. Gazing at faded maroon covers of The Harvard Classics, I found my way to Vol.39, Prefaces and Prologues.Why pring prefaces? “No part of a book is so intimate as the Preface. Here …the author descends from his platform, and speaks with his reader as man to man, disclosing his hopes and fears, seeking sympathy for his difficulties, offering defence or defiance, according to his temper, against the criticisms which he anticipates,” the introduction states.
Nice to note that prefaces and prologues made it into “the most comprehensive and well-researched anthology of all time … both the 50-volume “5-foot shelf of books” and the the 20-volume Shelf of Fiction.” The Harvard series was compiled by retired Harvard University President Charles W. Eliot, LLD and English professor William A. Neilson and published by Collier between 1909 and 1917. It can be found online at Bartleby.com ”Together they [The Harvard Classics] cover every major literary figure, philosopher, religion, folklore and historical subject through the twentieth century,”continues Bartleby.
Hmmm. Prefaces. Here in the age of blogs, of Facebook, LinkedIn and more, prefaces are nifty personal peaks into the personal views of the writers of long ago. Fascinating to read long past the publication and the authors themselves.
They are a great reminder that a personal touch is often a valuable connector in many forms of communications.
Photo by guldfisken
Tags: Communications, personal touch