Category: Books

Hungry for books….

Kathy S. ParishLeave a comment

A few days ago the thought came to me that you might be interested in knowing what I’m currently reading. Most writers are readers. My boss shared a quote from somewhere that “the best writers are the best readers” or something to that effect. I don’t know that I’m the best of either category, but I have had a love of reading all my life, and, most recently, the habit of having several books going concurrently. I was going to make a picture of my current reading projects. I wish I had made it that day.Because someone else in this house has an “appetite” for the written word!

My husband Arlin, daughter Cindy (holding Piper), and me, holding Princess.

The black fluff that I am holding is Princess, the less-than-well-behaved miniature Schnauzer member of the family. Although Arlin kind of dropped the ball today, too. You see, Princess has a deep fondness for the paper that the written word is recorded on. Alas, today Arlin forgot to kennel her before leaving the house. And she, left to her own devices, is easily bored. Looking about, she found my current reads.

My current menu of books. . .

Fortunately The Witch Elm had a book jacket. It was easily removed and chewed on sufficiently that it will no longer fit on the book. Oh, well, sometimes those covers get in the way anyway. A somewhat more “literary” read than I’m used to, I find the plot a bit slow-moving but intriguing enough that I can’t quite give up on it.

I highly recommend The Soul of America.  The historical detail and insight into the struggles for equality for our African American citizens has reminded me that the roots of racism run deep in this country. Jon Meacham recounts our search for our “better angels” thoughtfully. I pray we find them soon. By the way, Princess ate the lower right-hand corner of the front cover, not visible in the photo.

Unfortunately Stein on Writing lost its cover. Copyright 1995, I ordered a used copy from Amazon. Sol Stein was a master editor of some of the most successful writers of the last century, and his craft techniques and strategies are fascinating.

I included the Kindle directory on my phone, because in spare moments waiting for an appointment or waiting for my husband I read. Thrillers, mysteries, the occasional romance, but my favorite are historical novels set during World War II. My dad fought in it and my mom and grandfather worked in an airplane factory during it. I, like Tom Brokaw, view that generation as perhaps the greatest of our time.

So, are you a writer? A reader? Hungry for books? No appetite for them?Hard cover? Paperback? Digital? Hate reading? Just wondering.

Wendell Berry

Kathy S. ParishLeave a comment

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If you haven’t read any of Wendell Berry’s work, you should. Jayber Crow is my second read from this author. I doubt I would have ever been exposed to his writing except for the gifting of a couple of books by a good friend. Both Jayber Crow and Hannah Coulter impressed me in a unique fashion.

Trying to analyze just what Berry’s writing inspires in me is a challenge. The books are not “quick” reads, at least for me. There are too many thought-provoking insights into human thought, emotion, and behavior. I have to read and then digest and then read again. The descriptions of the fictitious Port William “Membership”  invites one into a memorable world where God’s creation is appreciated, frugality is a way of life, and community is  family. I love the images of traditional farming in the era before machines took over. I am intrigued by the author’s ability to describe with great insight into human nature the life journey of both men and women. I am gratified to read of the spiritual questioning that occurs in the lives of his characters. His stories are full of love and dislike (never hate), joy and sorrow, good fortune and tragedy, and details of the everyday lives of his characters that create in the reader’s mind a realization of the impermanence of this life and a desire to cherish each day. They are very much chronicles of living and dying with unforgettable characterizations that hang around in one’s cognizance for days and weeks and, I suspect, a lifetime.

Berry has been characterized as a “writer of brilliant moral imagination”, and I believe that thread of morality is one of the pieces that draws me into the world of Port William.

One last note: Jayber began his life thinking he had been called to be a preacher. However, he finds himself questioning the spiritual truths that he is supposed to be teaching. A wise professor advises him:

…You have been given questions to which you cannot be given the answer. You will have to live them out–perhaps a little at a time (From Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry, page 54, Counterpoint Publishers, 2000)

Isn’t that what our lives are about? Our hearts seek answers to spiritual questions, and it does, indeed, often take a lifetime to answer them. I think about the moral dilemmas we face in this generation–issues of sexuality and gender and substance use and caring for the less fortunate and how to provide healthcare and domestic violence and gun control. The list goes on and on. And, like Jayber’s professor notes a bit later in the text, I suspect it may take more than a lifetime to find answers. That is life’s essence, isn’t it? Searching for God. Searching for love. Searching for answers. Searching for the truth.

For the child in each of us…………

Kathy S. ParishLeave a comment

As an introduction to this piece I must announce that I am the established queen of children’s book readers and choosers. And, yes, I’m humble about it, too! No, just truthful. When family and friends gather at our house, I am often seen off to one side, with one or more willing children and a stack of children’s books. I read with passion–different voices for each character and relishing the flow of the words off the tongue. My favorite gift to give to adults with children or grandchildren is a select children’s book. It struck me that you, reader, might be interested in some of my favorites–only a few premier choices–maybe more to follow later.

Choice #1:

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Miss Suzy is a classic with forty year anniversary editions released a few years ago. It is the penultimate good conquers evil story with a happy ending. Suzy, a gentle gray squirrel, is displaced from her home by a band of mean-spirited red squirrels. However, she finds refuge in a nearby attic, where she finds a lovely dollhouse residence and offers the benefits of home to a troop of toy soldiers, who then save the day. Children love this story, perhaps because Miss Suzy reminds them of being mothered and cared for and because all is well at the end when,

“The wind blew gently and rocked the tree like a cradle. It was very peaceful, and Miss Suzy was very happy once more.” (Young, Miriam, Miss Suzy, Parents’ Magazine Press, 1964.)

Choice #2:

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Cindy Ellen, A Wild Western Cinderella is a delightful Cinderella story by Susan Lowell. Adults will enjoy the references to the Cinderella we grew up with and the magic of how Lowell’s words flow off the tongue when the book is read aloud. There are great sound effects to portray. Again, good wins out, and there is a magical, happy-ever-after ending, as befits a classic fairy tale. Lowell has adapted several classic childrens’ stories to a wild west setting. I love them all, but this is my favorite, perhaps because Cindy Ellen’s fairy godmother voices such GOOD advice for all us girls!

……said her fairy godmother. “Magic is plumb worthless without gumption. What you need first, gal is some gravel in your gizzard. Grit! Guts! Stop that tomfool blubbering, and let’s get busy. Time’s a-wastin’.” (Lowell, Susan, Cindy Ellen, A Wild Western Cinderella, Joanna Cotler Books, 2000.)

Choice #3:

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This book joined my library in the mid-70’s as my children were receiving books in one of those “book clubs” for children. It is a humorous read with plenty of opportunity for vocalization of accent and dialect, if you are not offended by the word “derned” (as in, “derned if you do, derned if you don’t”). I’m having trouble pinpointing the exact reason it came to my mind other than the fact that it’s just FUN! It begins:

“One day old Man Whickutt set off down the mountain with his donkey and his boy, going to the mill. Donkey, he carried a sack of corn; boy, he carried a stick; and Old Man Whickutt, he carried the boss words to keep them both going straight.” (Calhoun, Mary, Old Man Whickutt’s Donkey, Parents’ Magazine Press, 1975.)

This whole post stems from my passion for reading to children. That passion stems from the love of words, the love of a good story, the love of children. What better gift to give a child than a book? Reading that book to as many children as possible, instilling the same love of words and story to the children, inspiring them to look for the underlying moral of the story, awakening their imaginations to other times and places–what sweet memories this creates. This list barely touches my treasure trove of books, each with its own set of memories–the child or children who loved it and our time spent together with a good book. I pray you will find your own favorites (or try these) and begin making your own memories. A good children’s book is a treasure.