Have you evr talked to someone about a book you just read, and wondered if they had read a different novel? Sometimes when I’m in a book group, or having a discussion with students, I find myself wondering if we’ve all read the same book. The parts we remember are different, and that’s as it should be. While we are reading the same story, we are also reading our own stories that we helped to create. That’s why when we reread a book, sometimes years later, we notice diferent things. Our experiences have changed. We’re at different places in our lives, and different things matter. I was a big fan of Little Woman when I was growing up. I read it more times than I want to admit. I found that at different ages, I related differently to the characters–I always loved Jo, but sometimes I was Amy, and sometimes even Meg. Books are dynamic, they change with us as we grow. In our reading, we always are writing part of the story.

“This is what writers do: they tell the story and invite the reader to help create the meaning, a meaning which will be different for every reader because every reader brings to the writer’s story a unique life story of his or her own.”

Katharine Paterson

You can order Relentless Light with no shipping $$ until March 7th. Books will be shipped April 6th, but why wait until then and pay for delivery? www.finishinglinepress.com 

Bone Structure

The shape of bones beneath the skin,

white winged clavicle, curve

of metatarsal arch, an alabaster span,

the fine intrigue of hands,

twenty-seven bones, splayed

as the sycamore in winter

against a soft edged sky,

visible as the swell a finger traces

across the apple of a cheek, then lingers

down along the line of jaw,

the frame of bones both intricate and strong

as thoughts beneath the flesh of words.

                                               Southern Review  2006                                                   

What comes to mind when you think of Goblin Fruit? There’s a newish ,(April 2006), e-zine that features poems, stories and art of the fantastic. http://www.goblinfruit.net/ If you’re a fan of fantasy, magical realism and wonder, check it out. Two of my poems, Cheshire and Selkie will be appearing there in future issues.

This website has a new look and is still in process. Hopefully it will be more dynamic soon thanks to my Grand Webmaster– that’s an official title like Grand PoohBah and comes with little pay, but lots of gratitude, and free food. 

 So while we’re under construction, let’s chat about what’s on our nightstands or on the floor by our beds.  I know you all are librocubicularrii! I am reading The History of Love again, and appreciating it even more the second time through. The first time I tend to gulp books down, and the second, if they make it to a second read, is the time for appreciating all the craft. And The History of Love is elegant. I love the characters. I love the way the author slips from one voice to another, and from one time period to another, and then brings them all together in the end.  The newest Tony Hillerman beckons-love a good mystery, and that’s only the top of the stack.

So, friends, what’s on your nightstand this week?

Lindsey Reiswig, children’s dept. manager, and yours truly talk before the reading.

Go to Aunites website to find out.  I bet you are.   www.auntiesbooks.com 

Thursday Feb 8th, I’ll be in cold, but always charming Spokane, WA at Aunties’ Bookstore. Auntie’s is one of those wonderful bookstores with a staff who know and love books. It’s full of everything a book lover dreams of in a bookstore, right inside an old brick building in downtown Spokane. There’s even a cafe and game store, Uncle’s, on the premises.

Auntie’s Notes is one of my favorite book review papers. It’s one of the places I go when I’m looking for a new good read. The reveiws are intelligent, cover a diversity of books, and there’s always a listing of bookstore events that range from music to signings and discussions. They get in some big name folks, and a few obscure ones like me:) 

 So go visit your Auntie. We’ll talk about fantasy, where writer’s get ideas and the link between poetry and prose, and anything else you want. See you there Feb 8th at 7 pm.

BTW, how many of you have seen Pan’s Labyrinth? Love to know what you think…