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A Sublime Keynote
Yesterday’s Keynote was probably one of the best talks on any topic I have ever heard. Inspiring, elevating, and hilarious, Paul Holdengraber delivered a wonderful message about reading, conversation, and libraries that has to be seen to be appreciated. Have a look at it here. There are some other reports as well here, here, and here. Also, he had a nice anecdote on Obama’s first job.
Paul Holdengraber heads up the New York Public Library, and is extremely entertaining. I managed to catch the end via the livestream, and look forward to watching the whole thing when I have time.
He is quite pithy and therefore extremely quotable. My favourite quote from the keynote:
“I feel like I’m being twittered. It’s a new kind of pleasure.”
He also talked about the library experience as an analogue of “being alone at play in the presence of the mother,” and also mentioned that “digression is the sunshine of narrative”. The talk really went to a wide range of places.