Visiting a friend, I noticed the minimalistic furnishing and lack of books. I was confused because I knew her to be well-read and asked where she kept her tomes. She pointed at a wall, on which hung a single framed piece of paper, white except for an ink blot in the middle. All of her books had been transcribed on this one piece of paper, she explained, all of the letters in the same place. She had given away the originals, since this blot contained all of her books, and if you could read it, infinitely many more. There was no point in keeping more copies around. published: Sep 17 2014. epistemic status: subjunctive.

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