A Few Thoughts On Reading
I read a lot. In my mind (and Ray Bradbury and Stephen King's minds) it’s important if you’re a writer that you’re also a reader.
I also re-read books that I enjoyed when I was younger.
A short time ago I re-read Johnny Tremain and I’m currently re-reading A Wrinkle In Time.
I’m seriously thinking about getting a copy of the Newbury Award winners list again and re-read a bunch of the books I loved on that list.
And of course I'm also re-reading an old collection of stories by Ring Lardner. This copy has been with me for over 30 years.
My fifth grade teacher, Joe Rubin, encouraged, no actually he demanded that we read a lot. He was kind of an asshole but I credit him with awakening a love of reading.
It was in fifth grade that my friend Wendy (Blumberg) Dominguez and I started a book group that met on Saturdays. It was me and 4 or 5 girls from class. I’m not sure how many times we actually met but I remember meeting a few times and talking about books.
I was quite the nerd back then…
Yes, my parents were readers and I’m sure that helped.
One of the great things I discovered in college was the short story. I’m sure I read some in high school but they don’t stand out to me today.
It was sometime in my early twenties that I became fanatical about the short stories and humor of the 1930’s and 40’s.
I dove head first into collections by SJ Perelman, James Thurber, Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker, Kay Boyle, and Ring Lardner (among others).
I followed that with books by Thorne Smith (not short stories but what the hell?) and then jumped ahead to writers like Ursula Le Guin, Ray Bradbury, Raymond Carver, Andrew Vachss, John Sayles, Joe Lansdale and so many more.
Now I read lots of independent authors, Michael Essington, Jon Kounce, John Dover, Jessie Kwak, Heath Dollar, Jeb Sherrill, Mark A Nobles, the list goes on and on. I make it a point to buy their books directly from them when possible.
Who would have thought so many years later I’d not only still be reading and re-reading those writers, but I’d be writing short fiction myself.
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Originally posted on May 31, 2022
