What You Can Read Next
/Most of you know I retired from a twenty-nine year teaching career last June. Stepping away from my job (especially during the strange time we’re living through) made me ponder. Now that I’m no longer part of the world of education, what I can offer as the teacher part of my blog title? And then I thought about something that’s been important to me my whole life: books and reading.
Books got me through many difficult times as a child and young adult. And they are offering the same solace now. So let’s talk about books.
When we began sheltering at home because of the pandemic, perhaps you found that your reading rate went up. I know I’ve been reading these days. I decided to stay away Amazon as much as possible and support local independent bookstores and small presses. The books have piled up, but so has my pleasure.
Three such books gracing my nightstand come from my favorite small press, Saddle Road Press and the press’s new imprint, Two Fine Crows Books.
Both Saddle Road Press and Two Fine Crows Books are run by Ruth Thompson and Don Mitchell, talented writers themselves.
Of course, I’m grateful because they published my poetry collection, Always a Blue House.
But today I want to recommend these new books from Saddle Road Press and Two Fine Books to add to your own collection. Order one or all of them from Bookshop.org to support an independent bookstore in your area.
Face: A Memoir by Marcia Meier.
This book asks readers to consider what is a face? It is the question the author had to confront from the age of five after a traumatic accident left her face partially disfigured. As she chronicles her journey to recovery, Meier invites us to consider how important our physical self is to our sense of identity.
Join Marcia and Don for a conversation with other Saddle Road Press writers on February 20, 2021. You can find the Zoom link HERE.
Shibai: Remembering Jane Britton’s Murder by Don Mitchell.
In Japanese culture, shibai means "drama," or "play," but in Hawaiian slang it means "smokescreen," or "bullshit." In this book, part memoir, part true crime story, Mitchell weaves together the brutal 1969 murder of his college friend, and the long-term ripples it has created in his life. Along the way he struggles to understand what is truth and what is shibai.
Heart’s Compass Tarot by Tania Pryputniewicz.
This is the first publication of Two Fine Crows Books. Whether a Tarot expert or beginner, this workbook offers the reader the opportunity to dive into the world of Tarot in a playful, creative way through journaling, writing and art projects. (I have taken many of Tania’s Tarot workshops, and you will find some of my artwork in this book.)
Join Tania for her book launch Sunday, February 14. This will be a panel discussion with some of the artists (including me) featured in her book. You can find the Zoom link HERE.
This beautiful post from Brainpickings helps explain how important reading can be: Mass, Energy, and How Literature Transforms the Dead Weight of Being.
And finally, I was excited to hear that Levar Burton of Star Trek: the Next Generation fame has been named the Inaugural PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion for his contribution to the world of literature. I used to show his Reading Rainbow videos (yes, back in the days of VHS) in my ELL classes. Check out his podcasts: Levar Burton Reads.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. What has reading been like for you during the pandemic?
