Unpacking my bookshelves, putting books in piles every which way. I will organize on the other end, once I’m moved into the new place. This particular pile caught my eye. Sometimes in the chaos of life you see something – random, unconnected, unplanned – and remember who you are. I could show this to strangers and say, “Here. This is me. Any questions? Because it’s perfectly obvious to ME.”
I would like to point out that at the bottom of the heap is the Library of America’s collection of Alexander Hamilton’s writing – which I have owned since the moment it was published (a month after September 11th) thankyouverymuch, and have read cover to cover twice. I’m a patriot. Always have been. I was raised from a very young age to learn about the history of my country, and those earliest days of the Republic. I was raised to understand the continuum, to examine the mistakes made, the sins committed. When I was really young, I thought “John and Abigail” were relatives of ours, their names – only their first names – were thrown around so casually. Maybe growing up in Rhode Island – a place “where Washington slept,” a place with a very active Native American tribe who visited our schools on the regular, a place that was a stop on the Underground Railroad, a place that benefited hugely from the slave trade through its ports in Newport, a colony started by rebels who were too fanatical even for the nutbags in Massachusetts, a place that was a bustling hub of the Industrial Revolution – gave me a good perspective, young, on the complexity of the issues. This, to me, is the meaning of the word patriot. I claim it proudly. Always have, even when people gave me shit for it. It fills me with strength and courage now. I have been cultivating it from the beginning. I was raised to it and it is my inheritance.
Dear Sheila O’Malley,
I love your site and especially this picture — your eclectic reading habits! I have read quite a few of the books I learned about on your site and look forward to more. I don’t have a book pile pic to share but here are the titles in a pile near my office desk — 2 from you! “I will Bear Witness” (Victor Klemperer) (which I’ve been telling everyone about), “Altruism” (Mattieu Ricard), “The Talented Miss Highsmith” (Joan Schenkar), “Eichmann in Jerusalem” (Hannah Arendt), “Truman Capote” (George Plimpton), “City of Quartz”(Mike Davis) (LA), “Buddhist Poetry & Colonialism” (Stephen C. Berkwitz) (Sri Lanka). (Plus reading “Fates & Furies” by Lauren Groff which I learned about from the NY Times article on Pres. Obama’s reading habits — after finishing “Girls” which I got from you.)
So thank you for this fabulous site replete with your fabulous insights! (And I’ve learned so much about acting too!)
Sejdar – thank you so much for your great comment! One of my favorite things is to hear what other people are reading.
I Will Bear Witness – wow!
Altruism – I have not read it – it sounds fascinating
Miss Highsmith – seriously one of the best – and most bonkers – biographies I’ve ever read!
Eichmann – brilliant.
Can you believe I haven’t read the Plimpton Capote? I need to get on that.
The others I haven’t read.
What did you think of Girls? I’m conflicted about it – but there were many many parts I found totally riveting.
I so appreciate you reading and your kind words.
I was conflicted about “Girls” as well…sometimes “beautiful metaphors” get in the way of story I think and that was one of the problems I had with it. I’m fascinated by cult behavior as you are and one of the books I find really good on this is “The True Believer” by Eric Hoffer (can’t remember if you’ve mentioned it or not). But the ending of “Girls” was powerful.
Here is the link to the Times article on Pres. Obama & reading (in case you didn’t see):
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/16/books/transcript-president-obama-on-what-books-mean-to-him.html?_r=0
Mum read “Those who Love” by Irving Stone when she was pregnant with me and seeing the name Abigail written down decided she liked the look of it. Which is how I came to be named after America’s second First Lady. Ask mum anything about John and Abigail Adams and she will be able to tell you, has loads of books, mostly sent for from the US as they are not a well covered topic in the UK. We would love to visit America, see their old stamping grounds, maybe one day we will.
As for me, I’m being highbrow and reading “Valley of the Dolls”!
In my defence I am recovering from brain surgery which produced a mild stroke so
trash is all I can cope with.
Good luck with your move, and I hope that Hope (and you) remain stoic through it all.
Blessings to you and Hope on your move! I’ve moved so many times in my life (I’ve maybe lived in 43 or 47 apartments/houses in so many cities and countries, I can’t really remember) that I am getting hives just thinking about your move. For some reason I can’t read right now. I go through periods like this. I just re-streamed PRIME SUSPECT (the original) and watched season 3 of THE FALL, and can’t concentrate, but when I get back to reading, which should be soon, I’ll send you a list!
A forthcoming new book for your Russia 1917 shelf (and mine too when it is published!):
Caught in the Revolution: Petrograd, Russia, 1917 – A World on the Edge (February 7, 2017) by Dr. Helen Rappaport