“Marginalia” refers to scribblings, doodles, arguments, exclamations, symbols, and annotations written in the white space on the fringes of a page.
I’ve been a regular contributor of marginalia since I read a book on reading comprehension which advocated for active reading. Active readers engage the text as if they were having a conversation with a friend. This doesn’t require you to write in your books, but the practice of scribbling on the pages you’re reading is the closest you can get to sparring with an author without actually stepping in the ring.
I have a friend who is staunchly opposed to highlighting passages or writing in the margins, especially in his Bible. Marking up a book, he argues, forces you to think in the same patterns when you return to it, trapping you in old cycles, preventing new thoughts and growth. I get the argument, and his position may point to a weakness in marginalia, but I think it’s worth the risk.
Notwithstanding the protests, everyone has marked in a book from time to time. Billy Collins writes,
We have all seized the white perimeter as our own
and reached for a pen if only to show
we did not just laze in an armchair turning pages;
we pressed a thought into the wayside,
planted an impression along the verge.
Mark Twain was a famous contributor of marginalia. His vast collection of books is covered with commentary just as colorful as the tales in his novels and short stories. One of my favorite examples was found on the title page of his copy of Plutarch’s Lives, where he changed the inscription to “translated from the Greek into rotten English by John Dryden.”
Twain’s copy of Plutarch’s Lives is one-of-a-kind. If you had the opportunity to read it, you’d not only benefit from Plutarch’s views but also Twain’s subjective responses to them. In this way, marginal notes illustrate one of the most fascinating points about books—each one is like a snowflake or a thumbprint. No two are alike because we bring our own experiences into what we read. Together, the author and reader create something unique.
I love buying used books, not just for the savings but also for the markings previous readers leave behind. From underlined passages, to asterisks, to arguments with the author, the scribblings in previously owned books remind me of how personal the reading experience should be. I get these used books and add my own notes, collaborating with ghosts who never knew I existed.
Maybe someday after I’m gone, someone will run across my old copy of All the Pretty Horses at a yard sale and take it home. Maybe the new owner, Cormac, and I will have a conversation in the afternoon on a back porch over a cup of coffee. Cormac will say, “A horse has got two brains. He don't see the same thing out of both eyes at once. He's got a eye for each side.” A breeze will blow as I silently ponder this observation. “Yes,” I’d say, “that reminds me of the relationship between faith and doubt. We eventually let one win and the other one go.” Then the new acquirer will chew on his pencil thoughtfully, sigh, and underneath my shaky script write, “It’s not that deep.”
Lying To Ourselves
Ishmael ignores his suspicions about Captain Ahab.
But when a man suspects any wrong, it sometimes happens that if he be already involved in the matter, he insensibly strives to cover up his suspicions even from himself.
-Herman Melville in Moby Dick: or, the White Whale
Novel Coming In October 2025
My debut novel, Out of the Thicket is set for release in October 2025. What’s it about? Well, it’s full of action, mystery, and intrigue and is set in an ancient world where anything is possible. A nightmarish singularity called The Seizing robs parents of their twelve-year-old sons, and a colorful cast of characters made up of cantankerous old women, sarcastic priests, dubious town elders, miracle-working prophets, devoted mothers, and big-hearted boys struggle to cope with their environment. There’s so much I could say and will say in the coming months as I tease the book’s release.
But the most important thing I want you to know ahead of time is that Out of the Thicket is a book about sacrificial love.
I’m very excited about this book. I’ve been working on it since January 2022. I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard on anything else. Be watching this newsletter for excerpts, quotes, information about characters, and behind the scenes exclusives.
What I’m Reading/Watching
I’m currently about halfway through my second attempt at The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I’m particularly interested in the theme of beauty. Prince Myshkin famously declares, “Beauty will save the world,” but reading through the book carefully, I can see that the truth is more complex than this quote, taken out of its context, reveals. Earlier, Myshkin says, “Beauty is a riddle.” I believe I’ll find that it remains a riddle by the end of the book. The Idiot is full of beautiful women, art, and landscapes, but these provide only momentary transcendence. Prince Myshkin, Dostoevsky’s Christlike figure, provides a more substantial beauty with his innocence, but nobody seems to know what to make of him. I’ll reserve my conclusions about him until I get to the end. I’d love to do a video podcast about the book. It depends on whether I’ll have the time, which has been in short supply lately.
I’ve discovered a great podcast on literature called The Literary Life. I have particularly enjoyed the episodes on Flannery O’Connor. The hosts approach her work from a Christian worldview. Check out their introduction to O’Connor or their review of her story, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.”
This Week on Passages
When I was away a few weeks ago, the guys surprised me by covering a passage from Burdens, my collection of short stories. It was such an honor.
Here’s the quote:
People speak of truth as if it were royalty riding on our shoulders, as if it would be an honor to carry it. I’ll tell you what the truth really is. It’s something nobody really wants to hear. Truth is nightmare. We try to lock it away in dark corners so we can ignore it, but if we sit still long enough, it breaks free and haunts the deep chambers of our minds.
Listen to the discussion here:
Listen: Apple Podcasts Spotify Audible Amazon
What Others Are Saying
A few months ago Sufficient Grace was mentioned on the Couple of Bees Read podcast. They hadn’t read it yet, but they said some really nice things about my stories.
Kayla (writing as Elisa Burke Brown) has a new crime thriller out called Chase Harlem. She’s a gifted writer who has created a fantastic detective operating on the streets of New Orleans. If you like mystery or crime stories, check it out!