Medieval monks complained about their jobs in the margins of ancient manuscripts

Medieval monks were the bored data entry workers of their day, spending hours copying manuscripts in uncomfortable chairs and cold rooms. To keep themselves entertained, they often made little doodles or silly comments in the margins of manuscripts they were copying. In the new issue of Lapham’s Quarterly, author Colin Dickey explains these expostulations: With their bitchy complaints-“I am very c

[satoschi]

写字生、余白に愚痴。