This class has truly been a cornerstone in my education so far. Coming into my first ECL course, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had always thought of books as simple vessels of knowledge, objects whose primary purpose was to deliver information from the author to the reader in a straightforward, linear way. Because of that, I initially felt skeptical about what more there was to say about “bookishness.” But after our first class session when we discussed, “Marginalia in the Library of Babel” by Mark Marino, where I was getting lost in the hyperlink marginalia, I knew this class was going to challenge me to think beyond the dominant norms of learning. This course opened an entirely new world for me, one that reshaped how I think about books, reading, and materiality.
I want to thank Dr. Pressman for guiding us through that shift in perspective. Her approach pushed me to think beyond the norms taught to us, especially regarding books as physical, cultural, and even ideological objects. For the first time, I found myself discussing course readings at the dinner table because they felt so thought-provoking and had me thinking about our course at all hours of the day. My dad even started reading The Book by Amaranth Borsuk after I wouldn’t stop talking about it
What I valued most was how each reading felt purposeful and built toward a larger understanding of bookishness as more than just “loving books.” I learned to see the book as an interface and a dynamic space where meaning isn’t just absorbed but actively co-created between reader and object. The material aspects of books that I once ignored, like binding, typography, cutouts, and format, now feel central to the stories they tell. A book isn’t just the text written on a page. it’s a historical artifact, a piece of art, and an archive of cultural practices and personal relationships. By the end of this course, I realized that reading is never passive. Every book invites an embodied interaction, and the form carries a narrative beyond the words. This class expanded my understanding of what literature can do and what books can be, and I’m incredibly grateful for how it challenged and transformed my thinking.
This is an extraordinary response, and I am grateful for it. Thank you for taking the time to share with us how impactful this class was for you. I’m deeply moved by the fact that your dad is reading the book BOOK because you won’t stop talking about it! And, also, by the way that you articulate your learning. This is a wonderfully articulate reflection on important learning. I sincerely hope I get to have you in another classroom soon.
Hi Micaela! I agree with the sentiment of thinking I knew a lot about books. I thought this class was going it be more history focused than anything, but I was glad to be proven wrong. I feel like I no longer see through books, but now look right at them as they are, and what they could be.