One of my favorite aspects of writing is reading. I have often said that I don’t remember not being able to read. Books are, of course, my ongoing education, my best friends, my toughest critics. I’ve written here about my intention to broaden my scope to include more books written by people of color and that’s still high on my list. But I confess that this week has been a frenzy of reading that marginally touches marginalized writers.

Here’s what I’ve read this week: Daniel Martin, a novel by John Fowles (this a repeat for me and more delicious now than when I first read it years ago), Pushcart XL: Best of the Small Presses (marvelous selections that include writers of all shades and persuasions), Alice Mattison’s The Kite and the String:  How to Write with Spontaneity and Control–and Live to Tell the Tale (wise advice writing the long narrative) and George Seferis’s Collected Poems: Revised Edition.

It helped, sort of, that I’ve had a head cold and was not fit company the past few days for other living persons. Even my dog is tired of hearing me blow my nose. But the books don’t care; they don’t judge my wastebasket full of dirty tissues or my meandering appetite that has called repeatedly for chicken soup and non-dairy ice cream. As a writer I’ve uncovered a treasure trove of examples and instructions. As a reader I’ve been entertained, challenged, delighted and at times frustrated that I don’t write like any of these powerful wordsmiths. But I might learn to do just that if I keep reading.

Remember to Read for Equality.