So many books, so little time.
I think about time a lot. Just this week as I sat with my big brother on the shores of Lake Huron, picnicking and talking about our lives and his camping activities with his wife and kids he said, “It’s a good way to spend time.” And that is what we do. We spend time — an interesting resource, so to speak.
In the movie About Time, Bill Nighy plays the role of a man who uses time travel to read books over and over, and to read more books than any one lifetime could hold. Though I might make different choices if I had that same ability, I will admit that, as a book-lover, that sounds pretty good to me.
I am a slow reader, with no intention of becoming a fast reader. My love of books is rooted in my love of language and beauty, which means I read at a gentle pace. I like the sound of words and the rhythm of a good sentence and the images that emerge from a skillful character sketch. This means, sadly, that I can’t read everything others recommend to me. I read the “greats”, mostly, because, well, they’re GREAT. My friends do try to keep me in this century though, gifting me with wonderful works by current writers. I’m in their debt. Left to my own devices I don’t think I would venture much beyond the seventeenth century or the country of England. (Although, since my brother married a Russian gal, I have also tried to absorb a good deal of her homeland’s literature; it’s proven to be as potent as their vodka.)
But the point of sharing this with you is to let you know that my reading infuses my writing. I footnote profusely, and the editing process usually involves cutting out roughly half of everything I wanted to quote. As a college student, I loved research and reference, and it was part of the game: I was encouraged to quote others ad nauseam with no permissions granted or expected. Alas, I have discovered that in the world of publishing I must be more “reserved”. So know this: if I’ve quoted it, it matters. It’s made the cut. I’ve paid for it, quite literally in some cases, and I’ve included it as an essential ingredient.
One reason for my extensive bibliography is that I want to acknowledge the people and the works that have helped shape my own thinking. And I would like for you, my readers, to get to know the people I love, who’ve taught me and entertained me and humbled me. The ones I turn to on rainy days, the ones with whom I vacation (so to speak) or with whom I end my evenings or spend my time while awaiting my turn somewhere. If you don’t already, I want you to know Dillard and Tolkien and Hardy and Kierkegaard. (And about a hundred more.) I am indebted to so many writers–too many for the books I’ve time to write.
But, in the end, my voice is my own. There are things for me to say that haven’t been said in the way that only I can say them.
So I write.
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