Sacrilege or Sanctification?

"The marked book is usually the thought-through book." -- Mortimer J. Adler

One evening years ago, while I was working on my capstone thesis for my graduate degree in creative writing, my husband, who hates to read, came home to find me sitting at our outdoor patio table, papers and books strewn across its surface. In one hand, I held a book. In the other, a pen. As he mounted the deck steps, I lifted my right hand, and placed pen to printed page.

“Are you writing in that book?” My husband the bibliophobe was aghast. “You can’t write in books!”

And he’s not alone in his shock and horror. There’s great controversy, it seems, in the literary world over whether writing in our books is sacrilege or sanctification.

My husband (who, it really should be noted, almost never reads) falls in the former category; I (who, it should be noted, read far more frequently) fall in the latter.

I write in all my books. I don’t read without a pen in my hand. As far as I’m concerned, a book hasn’t been Read until it’s been written in.

Writing that appears on the pages of a book means someone has intimately engaged with its messages and ideas.

Writing that appears on the pages of a book means the book has lived a purposeful life—someone has taken away with them its gift.

Writing that appears on the pages of a book means the book has been loved.

A well-loved book, dog-eared pages, marked-up margins, is like the toy that has become Real in one of my favorite books, Margery Williams Bianco’s The Velveteen Rabbit:

“Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.”

I would say of a beloved book:

“Generally, by the time you are Read, most of your pages have been dog-eared, and some of them are dropping out as you get loose in the binding and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Read you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

Bianco’s Skin Horse tells the Velveteen Rabbit of a toy’s becoming Real, “When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

I say of a beloved book, “When a reader loves you for a long, long time, not just to look at, but REALLY loves you, then you become Read.”

And this love manifests in a binding broken to more comfortably snuggle up with the book in bed; pages dog-eared into bread crumbs leading back to meaningful passages; notes scrawled in margins, a conversation with the book.

Still not convinced of the absolute necessity of writing in your books? I invite you to read Mortimer J. Adler’s essay, “How to Mark a Book,” a piece I wish I had written myself and with which I could not agree more.

What I’m Working On

My Debut Novel: An Expected End

Sometimes, things don’t work out the way we planned, and that’s exactly what happened with my event on January 20. I tore myself away from Archie and The Littles, did my makeup, skipped lunch (which, if you know me, you know is a very big deal), put on jewelry, and drove myself 30 minutes one-way to the bookstore—only to find out upon arrival that the only copy of my book there…was the one I brought with me to potentially read from.

Apparently, the consignment form, which the bookseller and I discovered was accidentally never sent to me, explained that I would need to supply the books.

The silver lining? One of my best friends surprised me and showed up for the signing (which didn’t, obviously, happen), so I got to see her before getting in my car to drive back home to The Littles and Archie hours sooner than planned.

Here’s to hoping the rest of my 2024 events go better! So far, I’m looking forward to two March events: a book club dinner and a signing at Book People.

In addition, I recently finished recording an episode for the 5 Minutes of Peace podcast, and I look forward to sharing that when it drops on March 28.

My Next Novel: Goodbye For Now

I was making very good progress for the first couple weeks of the year, but my motivation has waned, largely because I’m intimidated by the enormity of this project. I haven’t given up, but I have stalled. The block is temporary, I’m sure, and I’ll get my battery jumpstarted eventually. For now, I’m giving myself a little grace, reading a book, writing in my journal, and carrying the printed-out manuscript of Goodbye For Now around with me everywhere I go so I’ll be prepared when the muse strikes.

Outdoor Writing

Recently, I began interviewing people about Wandering Waters Paddle Quest for my next deadline, which is March 1. Tomorrow, I have a pretty novel interview with a Paddle Quest participant; we’re going to hike in the woods together with The Littles as I conduct the interview. I’m pretty excited about the dynamic interview format. Next weekend, I’ll conduct a more traditional phone interview with Jessica Bowser, host of Virginia Outdoor Adventures, for the same article.

What I’m Reading

Currently, I’m savoring Katherine May’s Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age, a Christmas gift from a fellow teacher. Reading this book is like having a cup of hot chocolate or tea with a longtime friend, pondering the nature of existence and human experience. I’m enjoying the contemplative mood I find whenever I turn to its pages.

Volunteering

The next Board of Directors meeting for Virginia Outdoor Writers Association is scheduled for mid-February. As I’ll be traveling to a distant state park to stay in a cabin and hike with a friend and The Littles the weekend of the meeting, I’ll be unable to attend, but I look forward to reading through the minutes and learning what’s in the works for the future of our organization. I myself have already sent my fellow Board of Directors members a whole lists of ideas and strategies to discuss that I believe could reinvigorate and rebrand our organization.

Links to My Latest

On January 20, my first podcast interview of the year about An Expected End dropped. You can find the episode, titled “Embracing the Unseen Horizon: Navigating Life’s Uncharted Territories with An Expected End,” of Peter Michael Dedes’s podcast, Transcendent Minds, on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

“Preserving the Heads of State: Abandoned presidential statues have a bright future in Williamsburg” appears in the “Explore More” column of the January/February 2024 issue of Cooperative Living Magazine.

Beer Dogs Virginia includes a full-page photo of Soda with accompanying bio, a full-page photo of Nacho with accompanying bio, and an essay I wrote about Jack, Sadie, and The Littles, entitled “Hello From Across the Rainbow Bridge.”

The Littles—and Archie!

The Littles patiently wait for a treat during a hike over the weekend.

One of Archie’s favorite activities is sitting on someone’s (in this photo, my) knee and savoring a neck/head massage.

The Littles and Archie soak up a little sun and fresh air on an unseasonably warm January day last week.

What I Saw Outside

Sunrise as I arrived to work on a recent morning

Literary Calendar

MARCH

• March 14, 2024 | 6:00pm-8:00pm | The Bookshelf, Irvington Book Club Discussion and Dinner

  Join me for a literary dinner discussing my debut novel, An Expected End, with the members of The Bookshelf, Irvington’s Book Club! If you’re interested in participating in this in-person event, be sure to RSVP and register in advance.

• March 23, 2024 | 7:00pm-9:00pm | Book People

  Join me for a reading from and signing of my debut novel, An Expected End. A 10- to 15-minute reading from the book will be followed by an audience Q&A session prior to the signing. Bring a friend and support a local bookstore!