818

 When the word “genre” came up in a conversation about books, I thought of 818.

It’s a place in the Dewey Decimal System: “Literature: American Miscellany.”

I love all kinds of books. Any talk about a favorite genre wouldn’t help in my case. I read the ancient Greeks. I love the natural sciences, philosophy and history, which are in other parts of the library. If you’re in section 818, the essayists are nearby. So are the short story writers.

But time and again, I check section 818, just to see what’s there.

I’ve found Thoreau’s Walden and Mark Twain’s Letters from the Earth. Also Steinbeck’s Travels with Charlie, H.L. Mencken’s Minority Report, Paul Auster’s Winter Journal, Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life and Helene Hanff’s 84, Charing Cross, which seems like a novel to me and so seemed misfiled.

Maybe these notes on 818 ought to come with a couple of caveats.

First, “Misc.” is a place where librarians stash books that they don’t know what to do with. And so 818 will tell you a bit about the psychology of your librarians.

Second, 828 is British Miscellany, similar stuff with an English accent, and there are good translations of other languages in 838 (German and Germanic), 848 (French), etc.

In these 8*8 sections, there are diaries, journals, notebooks and a fair number of essays, which should be in 814 (for Americans), 824 (British) and so forth.

But these things I’d call essays — Walden, for example — are puzzling essays. Some poor librarian just didn’t know what else to do with them.

I’m not big on genres. The books I like the most seem not to fit the usual structures and so end up in the section for misfits and curiosities.

In my mind, I’ve done you a favor. I’ve told you about one of my best fishing holes.

If you don’t believe me, go to your library and see what’s there. If you find something good, please drop me a line.

• For another find in 818, see "A bit more on noticing and collecting notes," Sept. 15, 2021.