“I fear a future in which Autocorrect achieves consciousness, becomes our texting overlord and destabilizes civilization.” —Neil deGrasse Tyson
–Photo by FooTToo.
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I’m sure you’ll be shocked to hear this…
But I’m planning to participate in #Readathon2016.
National Readathon Day is an annual event dedicated to the joy of reading and giving. On May 21, readers everywhere will be hanging out at their local library, school, bookstore and/or on social media to read and raise funds in support of literacy.
This year, the Readathon will benefit the American Library Association’s Every Child Ready to Read initiative, a program that supports the early literacy development of children from birth to age five in libraries across the U.S.
If you’d like to join in the fun, sign up here. Then, on May 21, grab a book and start reading. When you’re ready for a break — perhaps to refresh your cup of tea or to find a more comfortable reading position — share what you’re reading on social media using the hashtag #Readathon2016.
I will be live-tweeting my reading extravaganza on Twitter. I may even do a live reading and Q&A on Facebook, if enough people are interested.
You can also help libraries across the nation support early childhood literacy by making a donation on Firstgiving.com. Contributing is quick, easy and secure.
–Photo by Miguel Ugalde
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Bucket List item crossed off amid a torrent of pain
The migraine that wouldn’t end finally ended after more than three days of torture.
This particular monster was accompanied by a high fever, chills, body aches, exhaustion and a rash, so you know that was fun. M was a saint through the whole ordeal and I was once again reminded how very fortunate I am to have such a compassionate partner.
We did make it to the “After Dark” event at the Harvard Book Store last weekend, and it was everything I hoped it would be. Once the lights went out, ghost stories were shared and then we wandered through the darkened store by flashlight, searching for intriguing tomes. The migraine kicked in about halfway through the event so the ride home was pure misery, but once I emerged from the seventh level of hell, I had a bag full of books to read:
Have you read any of these books? If so, let me know what you thought.
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Trapped in a bookstore late at night? Sounds like a dream come true
As some of you know, it has long been a goal of mine to shop in a bookstore after hours. The very idea of having all those shelves of books to myself, late at night (my preferred time of day), is just so enchanting.
April 30 is Independent Bookstore Day and I intend to celebrate by crossing this item off my bucket list.
In an effort to highlight the wonderful contributions independent bookstores provide to communities, more than 400 shops across the U.S. will hold sales, giveaways, contests, author signings and other special events. One such festivity will take place at the Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass., and I’ve already purchased our tickets.
At 11 p.m. on Saturday night, M and I will attend “After Hours at the Bookstore,” an event that involves the staff locking us inside the store for two hours. During that time, we’ll be offered refreshments, entertained by readings from Samantha Hunt and Kelly Link and given free rein of the shop for some late-night browsing. We’ll also receive a Harvard Book Store flashlight and a 20% discount on all purchases. I only wish I could pick up Joe Hill’s latest novel, “The Fireman,” but alas, it doesn’t come out until the middle of May.
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“The Widow’s Lament in Springtime” by William Carlos Williams
Sorrow is my own yard
where the new grass
flames as it has flamed
often before but not
with the cold fire
that closes round me this year.
Thirtyfive years
I lived with my husband.
The plumtree is white today
with masses of flowers.
Masses of flowers
load the cherry branches
and color some bushes
yellow and some red
but the grief in my heart
is stronger than they
for though they were my joy
formerly, today I notice them
and turn away forgetting.
Today my son told me
that in the meadows,
at the edge of the heavy woods
in the distance, he saw
trees of white flowers.
I feel that I would like
to go there
and fall into those flowers
and sink into the marsh near them.–Photo by Roger Whiteway
