"Things are changing," said Fraser. "You look different, the lay of the land looks different. What's going on?"
"Ah," Virgil smiled, "You just heard a story, you are being affected by it. Nothing has changed. I am the same, the lay of the land is the same."
"But it all looks different," protested Fraser.
"That's because the story, like all stories, has altered you slightly. Everything will look a little different."
This is one of my favorite passages from one of my favorite books. It seems simple, yes, but I think it speaks to why I love reading so much.
I've loved reading ever since I first could, sitting on the kitchen counter at the age of 6 reading "The Great Kapok Tree" to my family as they prepared dinner. I've never been anything less than a bookworm - you can ask the friends I went to the pool with in the summer, who splashed around as I read in the sun. You can ask my students, who always heard how much I loved a book before I made them read it.
Call it the inspiration of summer break, or because I am yet again in the midst of great reading - but, I thought it was time to take stock of what I've read, what I'm reading, and why it matters (if to no one else, but me). I used the quote from "Angela's Ashes" with this in mind, knowing that minding what's on my mind about books can not only be a good reflective practice, but help me to find that resplendence that Mr. O'Halloran tells his students about.
Awhile ago I had a reading blog that failed -- I think because I tried to make it too routine and mechanical. For that reason, I am not sure what the format of this blog will be other that what comes to me in the moment I choose to add to it. I am constantly ear-marking passages as I read, so I'm sure some reflection related to those will come. I also envision reflecting on a recently finished book, the process of finding a new one to read, and my inevitable juggling of too-many-books-at-once. Mostly, I hope this will track how my landscape changes throughout the course of reading. It's also crossed my mind to invite some of my avidly reading friends and family to author on the blog. We'll see.
Ultimately, know this: the contents of this blog will largely consist of opinions. I never demand agreement with those, just that they are heard. Like Dumbledore said, "Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open." So hopefully, like me, you'll see this as an opportunity to reflect on the landscape and its changes -- all because of books.
~MJ
