The pride of discovery

Describing his book collecting habits, author Jonathan Lethem said, "I remember pursuing — in a way, what I still do — writers that seemed to me that only I knew about. So collecting them wasn't a matter of spending a lot of money."

Yes, collecting something that nobody else is can be a cheap hobby. Yet Lethem's phrase "writers that seemed to me that only I knew about" suggests something more than just pinching pennies. It hints at pride, the pride of discovery.

Most of us enjoy discovery, something we can tell our friends about. Whether it's a new restaurant, a new movie (or perhaps even an old movie nobody has talked about in years), a new song or that author that nobody else in our group has read, it can give us a sense of satisfaction, even pride.

Perhaps there is even the pride of being something of a rebel: Everybody else is listening to the latest popular songs or reading the latest bestsellers, but you are listening to this obscure singer or reading this obscure author that others haven't found yet.

I was in college when I "discovered" Edward Lewis Wallant. Wallant died in his mid-thirties after writing just four novels, but I devoured all four of them and thought he was something special. I have not read any of these books since then, and I do not know how they hold up. I do know that the general public never did discover Wallant, which in one way was a disappointment to me. Maybe I was totally wrong about him. Or perhaps I was among the few who recognized his genius. Let's go with that one.