Books and records - what do we know about them? They are cultural artifacts - generally rooted in a specific time and place...but not necessarily confined therein. Physically, books and records tend to be somewhat ephemeral - easily damaged by the elements, by excessive heat, by water and other fluids (coffee comes to mind), sunlight and of course the passage of time. Their impact depends on their accessibility, their comprehensibility and their relevance to time and place and the culture within which they exist.
We are Canadians. We grew up with books and records. We coveted books and records...longed for them...strove for them...collected them...adored them... But that was not always the best treatment for the objects of our affections. My copy of Jack Kerouac's "Doctor Sax", originally dug out of a bargain bin at Coles, survived for years in various binders and bookshelves and in my high school locker - worse for wear but readable. And it taught me some of what I know about literature. That copy of Sonny Rollins' "Our Man In Jazz" on RCA, saved up for during the course of a summer job on the farm - and played over and over on the old Garrard turntable - was reduced to unlistenable worthlessness by dint of love and devotion. But it imparted an understanding of how music could be played - possibly in another land where there was no need for lyrics, or in another time when ride cymbals had yet to be invented. That's why cultural artifacts are so important - because they carry the message of culture through space and time. But I digress...
