In describing the way she reads, Tharp writes, “I have to ‘own’ it. I scribble in the margins, I circle sentences I like and connect them with arrows to other useful sentences. I draw stars and exclamation points on every good page, to the point where the book is almost unreadable. By writing all over the pages, I transform the author’s work into my book — and mine alone.”
I, too, am a raging narcissist, which is why I paste print-outs of my blog posts over the pages of my books before throwing them on the floor and mounting them to establish my dominance. Then I rub my armpits on them to claim them with my musky scent, after which I of course lift my leg on the corner of my bookcases to mark my territory. My God. When I am king, this will be a crime punishable by amputation of the hands.