Hello Dear Friends,
How could I not write a letter on this day that is so many different days wrapped into one, all having to do with the new moon. It’s Chinese New Year. (Welcome to the Year of the Fire Horse!) It’s Fat Tuesday. There’s even an annular solar eclipse which is not something most of us will be able to see from where we’re at but is still pretty cool.
Living next to the ocean in a place where the tidal fluctuations are extreme has helped me tune in to the moon’s cycles. Now the full and new moons mean the highest and lowest tides. They signal when it’s most beneficial to plant our garden. And of course there’s the direct tie to the cycles of women’s bodies. Did any of you ever read the historical novel, The Red Tent, by Anita Diament? It’s the fictional characterization of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah of the Old Testament. It came out in 1997 and it also influenced the way I think about the moon. It might be time to revisit that one.
That’s the trouble with books. There are many I’d like to read and there are many I’d like to re-read, but time is limited. Sigh…
In library lingo, there is something we call reader’s advisory. When a person walks in the door and wants help choosing a book, our job is to advise them. It’s one of the best parts about working in the library and it’s also one of the hardest, for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes a person doesn’t really know what they want and we have to ask the right questions in order help them figure out what they’re after. Sometimes they don’t offer a lot of information to work with, which is what happened to a coworker of mine this week.
This week a young person, probably around age 20, wanted my coworker to help them choose a book. But in this case, the person stated that they’d never read a book.
I don’t think it’s unusual for a twenty year old to have never read a book. Most everyone is a reader in one way or another, but not everyone is a book reader. And just because a person hasn’t read a book doesn’t mean that they can’t. In the case of this person, the time had come for them, and for whatever reason, they were ready.
Just the idea of helping a young adult choose their first book fills me with anxiety because I wouldn’t want to get it wrong. What if I suggested a book that was so off-putting to them that they never wanted to read another one? What if it was too long or uninteresting to them and they never finished it? What if it offended them in some way or reading it felt like a waste of their time?
Enjoying and finishing that first book seems important because if you’re a book reader you know the potential the book world holds. The hope is that this first time book reader would want to come back for more. But what’s compelling to one person might not be compelling to another, which is where making a recommendation can be tricky.
Which has had me thinking about what book I might have recommended had the patron asked me for help.
It would be helpful to know their interests, what kind of movies they enjoy, what kind of story they’re hoping for, but in this case the patron didn’t offer much. This is the sort of dilemma that keeps librarians awake at night.
I was later to the reading game, too. My brain popped around a lot and sitting still for long enough to read a book wasn’t in my nature as a young person. The kinds of books that first hooked me on reading aren’t necessarily the ones I’d gravitate toward now, but they served their purpose. They got me to settle in for a while and get lost in a story that wasn’t my own, and that getting lost and learning about the experiences of others, whether it was couched in fiction or nonfiction, was the part that kept me coming back to books.
I honestly don’t know what book I would have suggested. You almost can’t go wrong with true stories told well, so I might have steered them toward Shadows on the Koyukuk, a memoir of Sidney Huntington (co-authored by Jim Rearden) growing up along Alaska’s Koyukuk River. I don’t even remember the details of the book, but I remember the impact it had on me when I read it all those years ago.
If this first time book reader had preferred fiction I might have suggested A Psalm for the Wild Built, a novella by Becky Chambers. It’s short and sweet, hopeful and heartfelt, and it’s the only book that two different people have placed in my hand and said, “you should read this.” Their reasons for giving the book to me probably had to do with the fact that the main protagonist is a tea maker, but I think the story holds up even for those who aren’t.
Of course there is much to consider when making book suggestions, and sometimes all you can go on is vibes. I’m willing to bet that my coworker offered excellent suggestions.
Do any specific titles come to your mind for an adult first time book reader?
I don’t have a whole lot of personal news since my last letter, which is not a bad thing after January. The world news is a lot to process and I’m trying to read and stay informed without letting the enormity of it all absorb into my being. Some days I’m more successful with that than others.
It’s hard when horrible truths are exposed, whether that thing we wish weren’t true is in our personal lives or global. But I’m of the belief that knowing is better than not knowing, and that when our systems -whether they be family, health care, food, financial, religious, or governmental, etc.,- are tainted with abuse and corruption, that rot trickles down. We might not be able to name it, but I believe the sensitive among us can feel it. The atmosphere feels heavy with it right now.
I like to imagine what it would feel like to not feel like so many of our systems are tainted. I think that’s why I like to grow a garden, and write letters, and make tea from the wild plants I can forage. It’s why I like to play music with friends and go to potlucks. It’s why I feel comfortable at Quaker meetings and farmer’s markets and around the kitchen tables of close friends.
What do you do to keep yourself feeling connected to what’s good in this world?
Here are a couple of things I’ve enjoyed recently that I’d like to share with you:
*Our friend Robert Walsh hosts two radio shows a week on our local public radio station, KBBI, and has done so for the past several years. His love for music and his dedication to these shows is truly inspiring, and whenever we tune in we’re glad we did. Producing the shows is a volunteer effort on Robert’s part, and a big one at that. The shows are Set Net, which airs at 7:00pm every Saturday night and Drifter’s Escape which airs every Wednesday at 9:00pm. Both can be streamed from anywhere at KBBI.org.
It’s a rare thing to hear a friend’s voice on the radio and know that he’s put his heart and soul into creating a curated listening experience for anyone who happens to tune in. What a gift.
*I recently discovered a podcast called The Sacred Slope. It’s described as being “for the spiritually tender – those searching for healthier expressions of our global Christian faith and deconstructing harmful theology.” The few episodes I’ve listened to have been thought-provoking and entertaining. I would recommend the episode with April Ajoy (season 2, episode 6) for anyone who wants to hear a good conversation between two Christians who are concerned about Christian nationalism.
Thank you for reading my letters. Writing them feels good, and hearing back from you feels even better. Please feel free to share them with anyone you’d like, and if reading them inspires you to write or call or text someone you’ve been meaning to connect with, please take this as your cue to do it. If you’re like me, reaching out to people can sometimes feel overwhelming, maybe because a lot of time has passed or maybe because there are so many people to choose from, but you can start small. Just think of one person you’d like to say hello to, and let them know you’re thinking about them. I’ve discovered that time spent connecting with friends or family is time well spent, and it’s way better for my spirit than doom scrolling.
Anyhow, I’ll see you again when the moon is full. Until then I wish for you to have plenty of good food, good sleep, a few good belly laughs, and time to do something that brings you joy.
With love,
Teresa
Here’s the song “Stuff that Works” by Guy Clark to leave you with. Somehow it feels just right, right now.
If you’d ever like to reach me personally, you can email me at tsundmark@protonmail.com.
Lofty Minded in Alaska 