In Defense of Bookworms worm created this epithet to mock some­ to suffer withdrawal. A bookworm with­ one who was. My guess is that the person out anything to read starts to get nervous By David Isaacson, who first used this term was an illiterate and itchy. Deprive us of print too long Professor & Humanities Librarian or semi-literate lazy person who envied and we may have panic attacks about am a bookworm. I say this proudly, the bookworm's elated state. Not willing where our next reading fix is coming but also a bit warily. Bookworms to admit he didn't have such an ability from. l belong to the same genus as himself, this killjoy pretended that the Non-bookworms cannot really booklovers, but we are in a separate bookworm was what Jonson calls a "per­ empathize with us. Where they might get species. Librarians have traditionally verse whoreson." Prejudiced people put tired if they've been too long with Mark catered to booklovers. After all, many bookworms in the same mental sideshow Twain down the Mississippi, bookworms librarians are themselves booklovers. But as nerds, dweebs, wonks, pointy-headed resent coming back. Reading something is not all of us who know we are book­ intellectuals, absent-minded professors, more important than reading any particu­ worms are ready to come out of the closet. and other wierdos, who, they insist, don't lar thing. If I can't have Twain, I will settle I'm going to risk outing myself here. have real lives. for Agatha Christie. In a pinch, a I'm not a literal bookworm, defined by Harlequin romance is better than no book the Oxford English Dictionary as "a kind of at all. Any kind of reading-even in a lan­ maggot, which destroys books by eating guage I don't understand - is better than its way through the leaves." However, I no print at all. am the figurative kind, which the same There are stages of bookwormishness. learned source defines as "one who seems The first stage-a mere preference for to find his chief sustenance in reading, one reading over other activities-is virtually who is always poring over books." It sur­ indistinguishable from bookloverliness. prised me to learn that the first recorded But the second stage-when one just has allusion to a literal bookworm was not to be reading something, anything, in until 1855, although as early as 1599 Ben print-at a certain time every day-is a Jonson, in The Fountaine of Selfe-Love, or critical turning point. The third stage is Cynthia's Revels, refers to the human vari­ the reading binge. For some, this is an ety when he describes a character as being occasional spree of round-the-clock read­ "perverted and spoiled by a whoreson ing. For others, bingeing occurs every day. bookworm." Bookworms frequently are in denial. They Neither kind of bookworm gets a good make quite a fuss over saying to others press. From Jonson's time on, the figura­ that they prefer television or some other tive bookworm has been regarded as at pastime to reading. But the non-book­ best eccentric, but sometimes downright worm does not have to ration his reading, crazy. To add insult to injury, it seems that or fixate on where he will find his next the insect bookworm that actually book, newspaper, or magazine. Some destroys books is named after the human The Bookworm: aka David Isaacson bookworms, disguising themselves as being who treasures them. I'm usually on book connoisseurs, will talk a good line a soapbox defending animals against all Direct manifestations of this prejudice about loving special books, or certain the vile associations with which we help to make us bookworms even authors, or only liking to read at certain metaphorize them: the dirty pig, the wormier. My preference for reading over times of the day. Don't believe them. The skulking dog, and the sneaky cat. But most other activities goes way back to real bookworm has to read an hour or two human bookworms do no harm to books. childhood. I preferred to read because I before leaving the house to go to the In fact, some books, like Burton's Anatomy liked taking imaginary trips. I was not an library to study, because she just can't be of Melancholy, were written just for us. especially odd or lonely kid. But I think I sure even the library has enough books for One can only speculate about the origin was even more self-absorbed than many her, or will give her all she wants when of this word. Whether Ben Jonson made other kids were. At this point in my life I she wants them. up the term or borrowed it, back in don't know or care whether my book­ Bookworms in the last stage of this cun­ Elizabethan days, when books were much worminess was more the cause or the ning disease are completely anti-social. scarcer, people who were overfond of effect of self-preoccupation. But I still feel Now, a bookstore or library becomes books were said to be worming their way as if I need to justify my passion for read­ threatening and oppressive. The pure into them. Worms serve a useful purpose ing, even though, as a librarian, I make bookworm does not have time or patience in nature. Worms who literally eat books my living tending to bookish things. to talk to other people. He resents having can be presumed to be doing so because Later, from about junior high on, most to emerge from whatever reading matter the cellulose and glue are tasty (and nutri­ people get the idea that a lot of reading has him enthralled at the moment. Even tious). We don't have to go further than should be serious. We bookworms say we the company of fellow bookworms is frus­ Francis Bacon's famous essay "Of agree with this, but this is just a dodge. trating. Locked into an imaginary life Studies," with memorable lines like What a drink is to an alcoholic a book is to bounded by a book, the bookworm does "Some books are to be tasted, others to be a bookworm. The normal book reader has not want to share that world with anyone swallowed, and some few to be chewed other things to do with his life-even if he else. Any other person may be a false and digested, ... " to realize the profound is a college professor and is paid to read. friend, one who might try to steal her accuracy of this association of reading and But the bookworm is obsessed. Reading is book. The bookworm re-make of the eating. Human bookworms find suste­ an end-in-itself. The non-addicted reader movie Leaving Las Vegas would be one nance by consuming books, but even enjoys reading, but also enjoys other long, progressively more depraved and when we have to eat our words we don't things. The bookworm, on the other hand, disgusting gulping and gorging of books, usually masticate actual books. does not want to come down from his I bet someone who was not a book- reading high. To be deprived of a book is Continued on page 6

Page 2 WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY "Shared Waters," Bookworms ... we had to have. But, one day at a time, a normal reading life begins to seem livable, Shared History Continued from page 1 and then, by slow degrees, wonderful. I Continued from page 1 have finally discovered that I don't have newspapers, scholarly journals, popular to hide from the world in a book. There additional resources, including materials magazines, newsletters, printouts, leaflets, are many books I will never read. That's geared toward university students. These cereal boxes-anything in print. OK. Conversely, some books, I'm con­ resource materials are available to teach­ Fortunately, there is help for book­ vinced, probably will get along, "equally ers and faculty interested in incorporating worms, and for those who care for them. OK," without my reading them. I think "Shared Waters" into classroom activities. But it must start with a sincere, complete it's even safe for me to attend a library Experience "Shared Waters" for your­ decision by the bookworm himself to give convention again, although I cannot trust self. The exhibit includes numerous panels up all forms of excessive reading. For years myself just yet at all those publishers' with text and artwork from 25 museums I was able to hide my addiction to reading booths. I can have a few books, of course, and archives in the United States, Canada, from family, friends, and colleagues. But I but not nearly as many as I thought I and France. The artifacts include some could not, finally, hide my addiction from needed. Now I have the capacity to choose spectacular pieces of trade silver on loan myself. In the last years of my increasingly books. Before, books chose me. from several museums. One particularly downward spiral, I lost all sense of reality If this sounds familiar to any reader I striking artifact is a birch bark canoe con­ unmediated by reading. I finally attended encourage her or him to call, write or e­ structed using traditional methods. A a meeting of Bookworms Anonymous. I mail me. You don't have to suffer alone. canoe cradle, developed by WMU's am not going to say anything more about Together, we can survive without being Physical Plant, provides a wonderful this organization that saved my life hopeless bookworms! venue for viewing the interior and exte­ because I don't want to risk compromis­ rior of this artifact. It has proved to be ing it, or my own biblio-sobriety. [David Isaacson, Professor and Humanities extremely popular with all of the groups But I do want to thank all my fellow Librarian in the University Libraries, came to visiting the exhibit. The exhibit is located librarians who supported me during this WMU in 1973 and is retiring, after 32 years on the second and third floors of Waldo sometimes agonizing period of recovery. of service, in January 2006. He has been a Library and will be in place through the The first days and weeks of carefully major contributor to Gatherings since it was end of February 2006. For additional infor­ rationed reading are horrible! Bookworms first published, and will, one hopes, continue mation on the exhibit or to schedule a typically need a lot of time to come to to bring his love of reading and writing to group tour, please contact Kathy Gerow, terms with a world that seems empty future issues as he ventures beyond library University Libraries, at 269-387-5202. without the constant reading we thought walls to the wider world.]

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