More books from my early years that I've brought home from work to remind me of where I come from. All but Audre Lorde’s are from my child- and teenage-hood. The Black Unicorn was from my twenties.
How much did books I loved and remember influence me, and how much did I like these books because the stories were about me--what I was already like?
The Bee-Man of Orn (by Frank R. Stockton, illus in 1964 by Maurice Sendak) says that we are who we are, no matter our circumstances. According to that, I liked the books because they reflected who I was (am).
Maybe.
Obviously books do influence us, but maybe mostly in the places we already have receptors for; where we have the hooky bits for their loopy bits to attach to, like burrs and Velcro.
I wrote a book report on Cannery Row in eight grade (we got to choose our book). I loved it then, and all my life I've steered by the model I found in the book--basically: THRIFT LIFE. But I think I was already oriented that direction.
I've never re-read Cannery Row, but picking it up now, I'm reminded of something that meant nothing to me then--the fish that were being canned were sardines!
We focus on the things that matter to us, so that's a partial answer to my question. I wasn’t interested in sardines.
At any rate, these books all touched on things the young me was concerned with--including human cruelty, and What Should We Do?
In ninth grade, I gave an oral report in History class on the bombing of Dresden, inspired by Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. I've never re-read that book either. I will try it now.
Many Moons (James Thurber, illus. Louis Slobodkin, 1943) confirms what I and most children know (surely?):
that that WE SHOULD BE ASKED about things that concern us.
Remember the story?
The Princess Lenore wants the moon. The king's expert advisers all say that is impossible. Only the Jester knows that the adults should ask the princess how she sees it.
When he does, it becomes possible.
This is a pillar of my [political] beliefs as an adult too:
ASK PEOPLE what they want.
I do it all the time at work. Half the time, my coworkers in furniture don't price the items they put on the sales floor, and half the time they're not around to consult either.
BOOK's are next to furniture, so customers are always asking me for prices. Unless it's a big thing like a couch, I ask the customer,
You tell me: what's a fair price?
Almost always they name something reasonable. If it’s too high, I knock it down.
And if it’s too low, so what?
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