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!