Read a thousand books, and you will find a thousand selves. Look closer, for they are all incarnations of you. Some of these other selves, these other inhabitants of your brain, body, emotions, are but subtle variations of the well-worn person who stares at you disinterestedly from the mirror. Then there are the radicals, the rebels, the shockingly embarrassing mavericks. They are you, again and again and again. The shy, the bold, the terrifying. Still you, again and again and again. Initially, at least, they exist under the radar, below the surface; inchoate possibilities all. Some will die unknown and unnoticed. The rest will shoot to the surface, furtively or fanatically, one at a time. Once they are freed, they come and go: revolving, changing, ebbing and blooming. Eventually, the important ones settle in your psyche for eternity; others, having served a purpose, slough off like useless skin, spent. They are born because you have the courage, repeatedly, to do one of the most dangerous acts possible: open a book.
Reading is pretty cool shit, make no mistake. Few things ever approach the epic nature of discovering and savoring a good book. At the top of that exclusive list? Sharing your passion with like-minded people. Does that sound like fun or does that sound like fun? Yes? Good, because this is where I officially introduce the newest feature on A Small Press Life.
[R]evolving Incarnations: A Questionnaire For Passionate Readers is an interview series done in classic Q&A format. Each entry will feature one intrepid writer/blogger/artist/creative mastermind and their unique take on the same 40 reading-themed questions. The results are delightful. Don’t believe me? Come back here in an hour, as the series debuts with Jennifer Koe of Quirk’n It in the hot seat.
A Small Press Life: Books. Art. Writing. Life. Tea. 