GOT BOOKS?

I often find myself in awe of the ways in which story connects me to people over time and space; that feeling of being seen and known so intimately through words put to a page, and the way those words tend to find me at just the right moment. I saw something recently where a person was being condemned for repeatedly reading one of the classics. “How many times can one person read Great Expectations?!?” they poked. And the prodded responded by saying that the story was different every time they reread it because THEY were different.

Stories matter. How we choose to engage, what we bring, and when we arrive, all play an important part in our experience.

Here, I am including a list of texts that have met me in some vey important places, marking some pivotal points in my life. Some were a deep dive, others were entertainment on a long drive, and others still kept me company on solo trail-runs through the high alpine. This is by no means a complete list of what to read while learning to write. I acknowledge that I bring my very specific middle-class, east-coast, white-girl experience to every story I encounter. But I leave this list here as encouragement to seek out the stories that speak to you. And I invite you to share them when they find you.