LessWrong (30+ Karma) “The Distaff Texts” by Tomás B.
Mar 20, 2026
A bibliognost recounts his leisure readings, affection for a retired courtesan, and the social gossip that swirls around their household. He skewers numerology-based text fingerprinting, debates translation signatures, and mocks methods that exclude female authors. Domestic strains, a looming marriage, and a secret handmade wedding gift complicate literary amusements.
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Entertainment Texts As A Separate Scholarly Category
- The narrator values entertaining texts as a distinct library section separate from histories and 'malignant lies'.
- He reads these distaff texts in stolen leisure, framing their study as a bibliognost's private pleasure that reveals cultural taste and bias.
A Slave Scholar Obsessed With Phoebe
- The narrator describes his position as a slave to a wealthy master with access to two libraries and the company of Phoebe, a retired courtesan turned companion.
- He frames his literary tastes and lovestruck digressions as products of captivity and affection for Phoebe, illustrating personal bias in scholarship.
Coherence Over Historical Accuracy In Bibliognosis
- The narrator proposes building a concordance showing intellectual cooperation between sexes before a cultural 'fall', valuing internal coherence even if absurd.
- This reveals bibliognost priorities: coherence and speculative reconstruction can trump empirical restraint.
