East Bridgewater Public Library
My next scheduled reading is next Monday, August 6th at the East Bridgewater Public Library. This might be the most significant reading I do for MSoSD, because it's at my hometown library. Not surprisingly, I was a big reader as a kid. Even before I could read I loved exploring the low shelves of the children's section, pulling out illustrated animal books. One of my first words was book, which I pronounced "bookuh." My mother and I would descend the incredibly steep steps down into the basement section of the children's area and we'd pick 6 books to read together. The children's librarian was wonderful. I wonder if she still works there?
Once I began reading my own books I enjoyed the transition from the low shelves to the tall bookcases where you had your Little Men and Little Women, Narnia books, and Nancy Drew collection. When I got older I ascended the library into the main level fiction section. In my mind I can still see the shelves. I know where Richard Adams' Watership Down is on the back shelf of the A section. I know where I planned my books would go one day: not under Gayle, under King. I was going to wed some man named King, write horror stories, and preempt Stephen alphabetically. Ah the dreams of my youth!
I generally went upstairs when I needed to do school projects because that's where the biographies and history books were located. Staring over the banister down to the second floor always made me dizzy. I liked leafing through the art books upstairs in high school, seeing works of art from all over time and the world. Did I mentuion it smelled different at the library: a little musty, like old books. I loved that smell.
Being a voracious reader is what made me want to write, and I couldn't have read all I wanted without access to a library. I certainly could never afford to buy all the books I wanted to read. Besides this, the library offered a calm, cool place to explore the world without leaving my small town.
I'm excited to go back on Monday and give a reading there. Somehow, I know, it will make this whole author thing seem legitimate and exciting all over again.