My World is My Stage

As part of my new commitment to reading, I’ve decided to re-visit (or in some cases, visit for the first time) a lot of the books on my bookshelf. I’ve had a few people come over to the house and comment on my books. I often receive compliments like, “It’s so nice to see some people still care for the REAL book” and similar statements. I always feel like a fraud when they gush over a certain piece of the collection that I, for one reason or the other, have not yet read. I’ve decided to stop that feeling altogether.

The commitment I’ve made: dedicate AT LEAST 30 minutes a day to leisure reading (I define leisure reading to anything that I don’t HAVE to read because of my job) a day. I will work my way through all of the books on my bookshelf (quite a task!) and will try to reflect on them as I go.

What I’ve loved about getting back into Alice Walker’s “In Search of our Mothers’ Gardens” is her deep and articulate understanding of self. In Part One of this collection of essays, she compiles essays she’s composed, that, piece by piece, make her the woman, artist, Black, Womanist that she is today. Reading her work makes me aspire to one day know myself as well as she does. Wouldn’t it be grand to be able to point out every single moment, thought, piece of art, event, person, etc. that made you who you are today?

I also enjoy her dedication:

Is there anything more poetic than that?