OVER THE YEARS I have enjoyed going to a library with open stacks and wandering among the collection, picking out books that seem interesting, and then returning with a pile of books to a desk. There I can skim/read books on a wide variety of subjects. My favorites are books on language, translation, art and poetry books...and unusual books from any number of categories.

 

SINCE I NOW LIVE in the Bay Area, I have been going to the Bancroft Library at the Berkeley campus. This is a wonderful library with thousands of books, all open shelved, on every conceivable subject. Recently I found myself in the journal-magazine room which had copies of journals on every subject from around the world. I was able to pick out a pile and happily skim through them. Real bound journals printed on real paper. Beautiful objects. Just wonderful!

 

IT´S A STRANGE TIME to be a creative person--robots, AI, Donald Trump, Algorithm-- but there is nothing you can do if you have the drive to make things, write or any other creative activity. WHAT is your creative life like? How does it relate to your work or the rest of your life? I am collecting people´s comments of these questions and I hope you can spare a few minutes to give me your take on creativity in your life. Please send to arnstrasser@gmail.com.