Donna Quixote

The musings of a disappointed idealist

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Lost & Found

A year or so ago, my friend David found a really touching inscription inside of a great NPR book that he picked up at a used bookstore. It was amazingly heart-felt and honest, this inscription from a son to a father. When we read it, we were of course very moved, and then we thought, "Oh no, I bet the father was ill, passed away, and someone just traded or gave the book away. How sad." And then it made us wonder how many other inscribed books are just sitting around waiting to be read and pondered? Well, we started searching for them in earnest a little while ago, scouring used bookshops, antique/thrift stores and the like. We're amazed at how many we've found so far!

The following posts contain a variety of books and inscriptions, and we’ll keep updating as the quest continues. Please have a look through them. I encourage you to share your own thoughts about them. And if you have found some inscriptions of your own, by all means, click here and share them! I’d love to be able to include them!

Thanks!

- Donna Q

The Sketch Book (oldest version)

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The Sketch Book
The Sketch Book

Our oldest book to date. With a 1895 inscription, the book is even older, containing Washington Irving stories published in serial form in 1819 and 1820 and then issued as The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. I clearly paid insufficient attention when I found this gem at the beach (and I’ll use being at the beach as my excuse), as I thought it was a sketchbook in which one might, you know, sketch. But, no, it contains “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” English major mea culpa.Continue Reading