"I will change if Lester lives
Not mess him around just cause I own him.
He was nearly wiped away
But he had good luck and strong bones." (Finn)
A bargain with god or the universe...let my dog live and I will change. It seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to a bad situation. The owner of the dog is sincere and you can feel how much he loves him. When he says that he won't "...mess him around" because he is the dogs owner you, it's a sign that he appreciates his pup. There is a lot of love that comes through in these lines. That he has "...good luck and strong bones" shows that he has great admiration for Lester.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Quote Response Exercise - Carrie by Ted Kooser
Carrie
by Ted Kooser
"There's never an end to dust
and dusting," my aunt would say
as her rag, like a thunderhead,
scudded across the yellow oak
of her little house. There she lived
seventy years with a ball
of compulsion closed in her fist,
and an elbow that creaked and popped
like a branch in a storm. Now dust
is her hands and dust her heart.
There is never an end to it.
I love the symbol of dust being life and death. Life in that there is "...never and end to dust and dusting". Life goes on. Dust is life and you just keep living or dusting it. In death, "...dust is her hands and dust her heart". We are made of dust and to dust we return. It is a never ending cycle. "There is never an end to it."
by Ted Kooser
"There's never an end to dust
and dusting," my aunt would say
as her rag, like a thunderhead,
scudded across the yellow oak
of her little house. There she lived
seventy years with a ball
of compulsion closed in her fist,
and an elbow that creaked and popped
like a branch in a storm. Now dust
is her hands and dust her heart.
There is never an end to it.
I love the symbol of dust being life and death. Life in that there is "...never and end to dust and dusting". Life goes on. Dust is life and you just keep living or dusting it. In death, "...dust is her hands and dust her heart". We are made of dust and to dust we return. It is a never ending cycle. "There is never an end to it."
Monday, July 30, 2012
Poem Paraphrase - ABC by Robert Pinsky
Everyone dies. However, there are very few that die as happy people who radiate joy in their beings. We take our knowledge and love with us. There are some when they die that don't want to see it coming or be conscious of this stage of life. For them, medication dulls the senses, giving them the fastest relief. I would prefer to have this precious moment of death lucid. This new world I will be going to has so many possiblities. The sky is the limit.
ABC
by Robert Pinsky
Any body can die, evidently. Few
Go happily, irradiating joy,
Knowledge, love. many need oblivion, painkillers,
Quickest respite.
Sweet time unafflicted,
Various world:
X = your zenith.
ABC
by Robert Pinsky
Any body can die, evidently. Few
Go happily, irradiating joy,
Knowledge, love. many need oblivion, painkillers,
Quickest respite.
Sweet time unafflicted,
Various world:
X = your zenith.
Quote Response: Resume by Dorothy Parker
This entire poem is fantastic. In it's own satiric and sarcastic way it is so life positive:
Razors pain you;
Rivers are damp;
Acids stain you;
And drugs cause cramp;
Guns aren't lawful;
Nooses give;
Gas smells awful;
You might as well live.
These are fantastic reasons for not killing yourself. Not the usual reasons that you'll hurt the ones you love or it's a sin in the eyes of god, etc. The main reasons are that these ways are more of an inconvenience than horrible ways to die. So, rather than go through the inconvenience of all that, you might as well just stay alive and not put yourself through the hassle.
Razors pain you;
Rivers are damp;
Acids stain you;
And drugs cause cramp;
Guns aren't lawful;
Nooses give;
Gas smells awful;
You might as well live.
These are fantastic reasons for not killing yourself. Not the usual reasons that you'll hurt the ones you love or it's a sin in the eyes of god, etc. The main reasons are that these ways are more of an inconvenience than horrible ways to die. So, rather than go through the inconvenience of all that, you might as well just stay alive and not put yourself through the hassle.
Poem Paraphrase - The Chimney Sweeper by William Blake
I have chosen The Chimney Sweeper by William Blake as my poem to paraphrase. The original poem will follow.
When I was a young boy my mother died. Immediately after, my father sent me off to be a chimney sweep before I even had a chance to mourn her. I work for you, sweeping out your chimneys and I sleep in poverty and soot. There is a a little boy who is a sweep named Tom Dacre. He had the curliest hair, like a woolly lamb. When he had his head shaved it upset him greatly. I tried to comfort him by telling him that the soot can't spoil his white blond hair now. That quieted him down. That same night he had a dream that thousands of sweepers, including dick, Joe, Ned and Jack had all died and were locked up in coffins. An Angel came and with a bright key opened the coffins and set them free from their deaths. They all ran through the green grass, laughing and jumping on their way. They washed themselves in the river and basked in the light of the sun. Once they had washed the dirt and grime of this world off themselves, they were taken up on clouds to heaven. The Angel told Tom that if he were a good boy, someday he would have God for his father and would always be happy and never want for joy. When Tom woke, we gathered our brushes and went off to work. It was a cold morning, but Tom was happy and warm, basking in the light of his dream. What I have learned from this is that if you do what you are supposed to do, then there is no reason to fear life or death.
The Chimney Sweeper
by William Blake
When my mother died I was very young,
And my father sold me while yet my tongue
Could scarcely cry " 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!"
So your chimneys I sweep, and in soot I sleep.
There's little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head,
That curled like a lamb's back, was shaved: so I said
"Hush, Tom! never mind it, for when you head's bare
You know that the soot cannot spoil you white hair."
And so he was quiet, and that very night,
As Tom was a-sleeping, he had such a sight!
That thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned, and Jack,
Were all of them locked up in coffins of black.
And by came an Angel who had a bright key,
And he opened the coffins and set them all free;
Then down a green plain leaping, laughing they run,
And wash in a river, and shine in the sun.
Then naked and white, all their bags left behind,
They rise upon clouds and sport in the wind;
And the Angel told tom, if he'd be a good boy,
He'd have God for his father, and never want joy.
And so tom awoke; and we rose in the dark,
And got with our bags and our brushes to work.
Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm;
So if all do their duty they need not fear harm.
When I was a young boy my mother died. Immediately after, my father sent me off to be a chimney sweep before I even had a chance to mourn her. I work for you, sweeping out your chimneys and I sleep in poverty and soot. There is a a little boy who is a sweep named Tom Dacre. He had the curliest hair, like a woolly lamb. When he had his head shaved it upset him greatly. I tried to comfort him by telling him that the soot can't spoil his white blond hair now. That quieted him down. That same night he had a dream that thousands of sweepers, including dick, Joe, Ned and Jack had all died and were locked up in coffins. An Angel came and with a bright key opened the coffins and set them free from their deaths. They all ran through the green grass, laughing and jumping on their way. They washed themselves in the river and basked in the light of the sun. Once they had washed the dirt and grime of this world off themselves, they were taken up on clouds to heaven. The Angel told Tom that if he were a good boy, someday he would have God for his father and would always be happy and never want for joy. When Tom woke, we gathered our brushes and went off to work. It was a cold morning, but Tom was happy and warm, basking in the light of his dream. What I have learned from this is that if you do what you are supposed to do, then there is no reason to fear life or death.
The Chimney Sweeper
by William Blake
When my mother died I was very young,
And my father sold me while yet my tongue
Could scarcely cry " 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!"
So your chimneys I sweep, and in soot I sleep.
There's little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head,
That curled like a lamb's back, was shaved: so I said
"Hush, Tom! never mind it, for when you head's bare
You know that the soot cannot spoil you white hair."
And so he was quiet, and that very night,
As Tom was a-sleeping, he had such a sight!
That thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned, and Jack,
Were all of them locked up in coffins of black.
And by came an Angel who had a bright key,
And he opened the coffins and set them all free;
Then down a green plain leaping, laughing they run,
And wash in a river, and shine in the sun.
Then naked and white, all their bags left behind,
They rise upon clouds and sport in the wind;
And the Angel told tom, if he'd be a good boy,
He'd have God for his father, and never want joy.
And so tom awoke; and we rose in the dark,
And got with our bags and our brushes to work.
Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm;
So if all do their duty they need not fear harm.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Discovery
One thing about taking a literature course that I have really appreciated is that fact that I have rediscovered my love of short stories. I've been gobbling up all the stories in our text book. Lovely little nuggets of fiction. They may be short but they are completely satisfying. What makes them so delicious?
The fact that they are compact but jam packed full of drama, humor, images, theme...everything rolled up into one tight, well constructed package. They are almost like little soundbites from great writers. I love how they can tell a story so quickly but not leave me hanging with unresolved issues or questions. I may have to come up with them myself, but the information is there for me to piece together my own conclusions. And I can do it in 30 minutes! Talk about a time saver. I can commit to an entire story and it won't take me a couple of weeks to get through it.
I love finding quirky short stories with a bit of humor. One of my favorite first finds was Bernice Bobs Her Hair by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It's the story of Bernice, a dopey kind of girl who comes to visit her beautiful cousin, Marjorie, for the summer. She runs with the popular crowd, but is pretty much tolerated. Her cousin basically tells her she's a bore and gets Bernice to agree to let her guide her. At this point in time, women are still keeping their hair long and putting it up. However, the bobbed hairstyle is coming into vogue, but is consider unmoral and something only fast girls wear. Bernice starts tell everyone that she is considering getting her hair bobbed. This grabs attention and allows her to flirt with all the boys. Eventually, Marjorie's boyfriend becomes infatuated with Bernice and Marjorie is not thrilled. She decides to call Bernice's bluff. So Bernice goes to the barber shop and, in front of all the in-crowd, gets her hair bobbed. The boys, including Marjorie's boyfriend, lose interest. Bernice decides to go home, but before she does she takes her revenge on Marjorie. She goes into her room in the early morning and cuts off her braids. She then flings them on the front porch and runs off down the street to catch her train.
A short synopsis, but I highly recommend it if you haven't read it. You can find the text here: Bernice Bobs Her Hair. You're welcome and enjoy!
The fact that they are compact but jam packed full of drama, humor, images, theme...everything rolled up into one tight, well constructed package. They are almost like little soundbites from great writers. I love how they can tell a story so quickly but not leave me hanging with unresolved issues or questions. I may have to come up with them myself, but the information is there for me to piece together my own conclusions. And I can do it in 30 minutes! Talk about a time saver. I can commit to an entire story and it won't take me a couple of weeks to get through it.
I love finding quirky short stories with a bit of humor. One of my favorite first finds was Bernice Bobs Her Hair by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It's the story of Bernice, a dopey kind of girl who comes to visit her beautiful cousin, Marjorie, for the summer. She runs with the popular crowd, but is pretty much tolerated. Her cousin basically tells her she's a bore and gets Bernice to agree to let her guide her. At this point in time, women are still keeping their hair long and putting it up. However, the bobbed hairstyle is coming into vogue, but is consider unmoral and something only fast girls wear. Bernice starts tell everyone that she is considering getting her hair bobbed. This grabs attention and allows her to flirt with all the boys. Eventually, Marjorie's boyfriend becomes infatuated with Bernice and Marjorie is not thrilled. She decides to call Bernice's bluff. So Bernice goes to the barber shop and, in front of all the in-crowd, gets her hair bobbed. The boys, including Marjorie's boyfriend, lose interest. Bernice decides to go home, but before she does she takes her revenge on Marjorie. She goes into her room in the early morning and cuts off her braids. She then flings them on the front porch and runs off down the street to catch her train.
A short synopsis, but I highly recommend it if you haven't read it. You can find the text here: Bernice Bobs Her Hair. You're welcome and enjoy!
Ernest Hemingway's A CLEAN WELL-LIGHTED PLACE Quote Response Exercise
"He's lonely. I'm not lonely. I have a wife waiting in bed for me."
"He had a wife once too."
"A wife would be no good to him now."
"You can't tell. He might be better with a wife." (Hemingway, p. 149)
This snippet from the conversation between the older and young waiter is interesting to me. I find that the young waiter is quite arrogant and dismissive of the old man in the bar. Is it the cliche of the young thinking they know everything and that anything or anyone old is of no value? To me, it seems that the older waiter is trying to explain to the younger that just because the man is old does not mean that his life is over. He is saying that he is alive and change for the better is possible for him.
"You have youth, confidence, and a job," the older waiter said. "You have everything." (Hemingway, p. 150)
This is a sad statement, in my opinion. To think that having everything is dependent on being young, confident and employed is a depressing thought. However, this is what society is told. If you are older you are devalued. There is no respect for the experience and confidence of age. Youth is what is popular. Youth is sexy. It's wrinkle free. It's a skewed perspective.
"He had a wife once too."
"A wife would be no good to him now."
"You can't tell. He might be better with a wife." (Hemingway, p. 149)
This snippet from the conversation between the older and young waiter is interesting to me. I find that the young waiter is quite arrogant and dismissive of the old man in the bar. Is it the cliche of the young thinking they know everything and that anything or anyone old is of no value? To me, it seems that the older waiter is trying to explain to the younger that just because the man is old does not mean that his life is over. He is saying that he is alive and change for the better is possible for him.
"You have youth, confidence, and a job," the older waiter said. "You have everything." (Hemingway, p. 150)
This is a sad statement, in my opinion. To think that having everything is dependent on being young, confident and employed is a depressing thought. However, this is what society is told. If you are older you are devalued. There is no respect for the experience and confidence of age. Youth is what is popular. Youth is sexy. It's wrinkle free. It's a skewed perspective.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Freestyle Post - Don't be a Hypocrite
When the Harry Potter books came out, everyone in my immediate family became fans. We were all captivated by the subject matter and characters. It was so fun to read and discuss as a family. We all devoured the books the minute we got them. The downside was, we'd have to wait FOREVER for the next book to come out. We all were of the opinion that these books were harmless children's literature. I think that's why we were so shocked (and disgusted) by all the furor over how evil and harmful they were to children, especially by members of our extended family.
Certainly, people are are entitled to their own opinions. After reading, watching or listening to something, I can respect that someone may not agree with my assessment and believe the opposite of what I believe. However, when people we knew that came out against the Harry Potter books said that they had not read them, I was flabbergasted. How can you know something is good, bad or evil if you have no direct knowledge of the content of the book? I found their arguments that you didn't have to read the books to know they were full of evil to be specious at best.
Then came the Twilight books. My oldest niece, Charity, was obsessed with them. I was living in England at the time and she would put comments about them up on Facebook, saying how much she loved them and was looking forward to them movies as well. I hadn't heard of them, really, other than what friends who had read them told me. Their reviews were not glowing and from the information I gleaned, I knew they were not my cup of tea. My family are quite good at teasing each other and Charity got a lot of ribbing from all of us about Twilight. Finally, she asked me if I had read them. I had to say no. She then shut me down by saying, "Well, if you haven't read them how can you know if they're good or not?" Ouch. I was put in my place. I promised her that I wouldn't say anything else about them until I had read them.
I found the whole series at a car boot (yard sale) sale for £2.00. True to my word, I read them all in a week. My opinion didn't change, however my attitude did. Though it wasn't my type of fiction, I could see how a teenage girl would like them. I respected her opinion and her courage to call me out as the hypocrite I was being. I really had been acting in a way that I had previously been disgusted by. It was a humbling experience, but I'm glad it happened. It reaffirmed my position that we can all disagree and still maintain respect for one another.
Certainly, people are are entitled to their own opinions. After reading, watching or listening to something, I can respect that someone may not agree with my assessment and believe the opposite of what I believe. However, when people we knew that came out against the Harry Potter books said that they had not read them, I was flabbergasted. How can you know something is good, bad or evil if you have no direct knowledge of the content of the book? I found their arguments that you didn't have to read the books to know they were full of evil to be specious at best.
Then came the Twilight books. My oldest niece, Charity, was obsessed with them. I was living in England at the time and she would put comments about them up on Facebook, saying how much she loved them and was looking forward to them movies as well. I hadn't heard of them, really, other than what friends who had read them told me. Their reviews were not glowing and from the information I gleaned, I knew they were not my cup of tea. My family are quite good at teasing each other and Charity got a lot of ribbing from all of us about Twilight. Finally, she asked me if I had read them. I had to say no. She then shut me down by saying, "Well, if you haven't read them how can you know if they're good or not?" Ouch. I was put in my place. I promised her that I wouldn't say anything else about them until I had read them.
I found the whole series at a car boot (yard sale) sale for £2.00. True to my word, I read them all in a week. My opinion didn't change, however my attitude did. Though it wasn't my type of fiction, I could see how a teenage girl would like them. I respected her opinion and her courage to call me out as the hypocrite I was being. I really had been acting in a way that I had previously been disgusted by. It was a humbling experience, but I'm glad it happened. It reaffirmed my position that we can all disagree and still maintain respect for one another.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Shirley Jackson's THE LOTTERY Quote Response Exercise
"Nancy and Bill, Jr., opened theirs at the same time, and both beamed and laughed, turning around to the crowd and holding their slips of paper above their heads." (Jackson, p. 221, sect. 65)
This line in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery I find particularly disturbing and yet perfectly normal. These kids are naturally glad to be alive, however in playing to the crowd by showing off their blank slips of paper it seems a callous act considering that one of their parents, in the end their mother, will be getting a death sentence. As in the rest of the story, there is an overwhelming sense of the everyday about this situation.
"All right, folks," Mr. Summers said, "lets finish quickly" (Jackson, p. 221, sect. 70)
Again, as in the first quote, there seems to be an everyday ordinariness about this line. A sense of this being just another chore to do, albeit yearly. In another way, there is also the feeling of wanting to hurry because they don't want to have to think about this for another year. To me, it felt eerie and cold.
This line in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery I find particularly disturbing and yet perfectly normal. These kids are naturally glad to be alive, however in playing to the crowd by showing off their blank slips of paper it seems a callous act considering that one of their parents, in the end their mother, will be getting a death sentence. As in the rest of the story, there is an overwhelming sense of the everyday about this situation.
"All right, folks," Mr. Summers said, "lets finish quickly" (Jackson, p. 221, sect. 70)
Again, as in the first quote, there seems to be an everyday ordinariness about this line. A sense of this being just another chore to do, albeit yearly. In another way, there is also the feeling of wanting to hurry because they don't want to have to think about this for another year. To me, it felt eerie and cold.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Freestyle Post - Time
One thing I consistently hear from people or read online is that no one has the time to read anymore. I know that as a society, we are work driven. Between work, school and taking care of family, time is limited. I find the argument a specious one. Of course, time is tight but everyone seems to have time to be online, playing video games, watching movies, etc. Could a half hour less of any of these activities be dedicated to reading? Would this help to get people reading something?
There seems to be a proliferation of things that are taking our interest away from the written word. At one point in time if you wanted to be informed, know what’s going on in the world or just be entertained, you had to read it. Now, all the work is done for you. Talking heads come at you on news channels. Movie adaptations of books give people the excuse not to read because they saw the film. It’s fast and convenient. We’re in a hurry.
I’m not saying that I haven’t succumbed to what was fast and easy. I love my computer…watching movies…television. They don’t have to consume how I get my entertainment or information. One of the solutions that I’ve found in my life is to take time that I would have wasted playing a game online or instead of watching Pride and Prejudice, I use that time to read. Because reading is important to me, prioritizing in this way has freed up time that I thought I didn’t have because I was “too busy”. I’m now able to set aside a half hour (sometimes and hour) and read a book.
The days in my life where I could sit down and just read for hours at a time are gone…family and school have taken that time. By allocating time to read just for pleasure, it has really helped me to decompress from my day to day routines and to feel like I’m feeding my brain.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Faulkner Quote Response Exercise
“A few of the ladies had the temerity to call, but were not received, and the only sign of life about the place was the negro man—a young man then—going in and out with the market basket.” Faulkner, p. 30
Throughout the story, we read of the coming and going of Emily’s servant. It seems to be the constant in the story. He seems to be a stabilizing life force. An example of life going on day to day. For all intents and purposes, Emily isn’t really alive. Being an unmarried woman she is looked upon as a non-person. The only thing gives her any status or life is the fact that she is from the upper classes. She has no rhyme, nor reason to her days. What is interesting to me is that the servant seems to be the only person living in the house. Emily occupies it, but by being shut away doesn’t seem to really live. By doing the daily tasks, the servant brings needed life and movement to the house.
“The Negro met the first of the ladies at the front door and let them in, with their hushed, sibilant voices and their quick, curious glances, and then he disappeared. He walked right through the house and out the back and was not seen again.” Faulkner, p. 34.
I find it particularly interesting that once Emily dies he does his last act of service, letting the ladies in and then, like a spirit or soul, leaves the house never to be seen again. The symbolism of the servant as the soul leaving the body, or the house, is particularly moving. He was the animating force of the house, not the owner who simply existed.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Introduction
Whenever I am asked to introduce myself, either in writing or in person, I always seem to want to start out like Steve Martin did in the movie The Jerk. His character, Navin Johnson, says, "I was born a poor..." In these circumstances I suppose going back as far as birth is a bit extreme, therefore, I will begin by telling you my name: Elizabeth Udall Thompson. Almost everyone calls me Liz. I'm comfortable with that. This year I turned 43. I have been married to my husband, Martyn, for 7.5 years. We have a 2.5 year old son, Henry, who is a ball of energy and keeps us young. We recently moved back to the United States after living in England for the past 7 years. My husband is
British, which is what took me to the United Kingdom. I am returning to university to obtain a degree in Business Administration.
There hasn't been a time in my life where I don't remember being surrounded by books. Books on shelves, tables, the floor, sofa, chairs. Everywhere books of all kinds! All the members of my family are and were avid readers. The urban legend is that I was taught to read by the time I was 4 because my two older sisters didn't want me going to school without knowing how to read. By the time I was in first grade I was reading at a junior high level.
As a child, I was either being read to or reading a book myself. Mom would read books to me such as The Little House, Make Way for Ducklings, Mike Mulligan's Steam Shovel and Percy, Polly and Pete. The Child's Garden of Verses was also a favorite. Not only were these great one on one times with my mother, but I discovered how much I loved good storytelling. In the fourth grade, I received the whole series of Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was captivated by these tales of pioneering. The vivid images of prairies, sod houses, harsh winters, fun and family ran through my mind. I then went on to such books as The Black Stallion, Misty of Chincoteague and Little Women. The books of Judy Blume were also in the reading queue.
In the eighth grade I found The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I devoured it in 2 days. I don't think I really understood a lot of it until later in life, but I was fascinated by the characters and language. From that point on, I read just about anything and everything I could get my hands on.
Lately my reading tends to be in the area of non-fiction, particularly history. I am enthralled by the lives of those in the past and get lost in the time periods. Particularly 18th century England and France.
I asked my sister, Caroline, what she was reading and why it interested her in particular. Caroline is also into Fantasy, because she feels that the story telling and moral concepts that are presented are done in a way that can't be done in regular fiction. It also is a way to escape the everyday. We have this in common. Escaping into a book is one of my favorite ways to relax and de-stress.
On the other hand my husband, Martyn, likes to read by recommendation. He is always asking people what they are reading or what they suggest. It's a great way for him to get to know new authors and literary styles. Before we left England in the fall, he was heavily reading Russian writers. In particular, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. He had just finished up One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich right before we left. I like getting recommendations from friends as well. It's introduced me to writers that I never would have considered reading before. It's definitely a great way to expand your knowledge base.
History is what interests my father, Jack, at the moment. He loves reading about what has happened in the past and how it affects our times now and how it may also affect the future. He finds the lives of historical subjects fascinating and likes to delve into their thought processes. I guess I come by my love of history honestly. These are the exact things that draw me into historical publications as well.
This has really only been a brief introduction. I suppose I could go on for pages and pages about what I love to read and why, memories and books that are special to me. What I can say is that I am grateful for the literary foundation that my family has helped me to build, as well as instilling in me a love of the written word. I look forward to more discussion as the term progresses!
British, which is what took me to the United Kingdom. I am returning to university to obtain a degree in Business Administration.
There hasn't been a time in my life where I don't remember being surrounded by books. Books on shelves, tables, the floor, sofa, chairs. Everywhere books of all kinds! All the members of my family are and were avid readers. The urban legend is that I was taught to read by the time I was 4 because my two older sisters didn't want me going to school without knowing how to read. By the time I was in first grade I was reading at a junior high level.
As a child, I was either being read to or reading a book myself. Mom would read books to me such as The Little House, Make Way for Ducklings, Mike Mulligan's Steam Shovel and Percy, Polly and Pete. The Child's Garden of Verses was also a favorite. Not only were these great one on one times with my mother, but I discovered how much I loved good storytelling. In the fourth grade, I received the whole series of Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was captivated by these tales of pioneering. The vivid images of prairies, sod houses, harsh winters, fun and family ran through my mind. I then went on to such books as The Black Stallion, Misty of Chincoteague and Little Women. The books of Judy Blume were also in the reading queue.
In the eighth grade I found The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I devoured it in 2 days. I don't think I really understood a lot of it until later in life, but I was fascinated by the characters and language. From that point on, I read just about anything and everything I could get my hands on.
Lately my reading tends to be in the area of non-fiction, particularly history. I am enthralled by the lives of those in the past and get lost in the time periods. Particularly 18th century England and France.
I asked my sister, Caroline, what she was reading and why it interested her in particular. Caroline is also into Fantasy, because she feels that the story telling and moral concepts that are presented are done in a way that can't be done in regular fiction. It also is a way to escape the everyday. We have this in common. Escaping into a book is one of my favorite ways to relax and de-stress.
On the other hand my husband, Martyn, likes to read by recommendation. He is always asking people what they are reading or what they suggest. It's a great way for him to get to know new authors and literary styles. Before we left England in the fall, he was heavily reading Russian writers. In particular, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. He had just finished up One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich right before we left. I like getting recommendations from friends as well. It's introduced me to writers that I never would have considered reading before. It's definitely a great way to expand your knowledge base.
History is what interests my father, Jack, at the moment. He loves reading about what has happened in the past and how it affects our times now and how it may also affect the future. He finds the lives of historical subjects fascinating and likes to delve into their thought processes. I guess I come by my love of history honestly. These are the exact things that draw me into historical publications as well.
This has really only been a brief introduction. I suppose I could go on for pages and pages about what I love to read and why, memories and books that are special to me. What I can say is that I am grateful for the literary foundation that my family has helped me to build, as well as instilling in me a love of the written word. I look forward to more discussion as the term progresses!
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