Readers Rock

[mrdreamjeans]

I've been chatting with Robert (lowfatmuffin) in depth about a variety of subjects in the past couple of days and enjoy it immensely. One of the questions we've asked of each other is if we are readers. The answer for both of us is an emphatic yes. I've also been thinking about the relationships I've had and both guys were avid readers. I think readers rock!

I read constantly...anything I can get my hands on....fiction, biographies, political works, magazines, papers. You name it, I read it. I like to be informed; I like to know things; I want to write great things and have original thoughts. Reading is my escape and my continuing education. I can't imagine a world (and escaping to its world) without books; I can't imagine not finding the time to read or ever not making reading a priority.

When I was 11-13 years old, I was being teased constantly for being a sissy. Boys who can sing and dance and have fashion sense are often targets:) Reading was my escape and my salvation (not in a religious sense) from being out of sync with my peers. I figured - grind them into the ground with your intelligence, knowledge and ability to be the best. Readers often excel in the classroom and in testing. I think that is indisputable. At the very least, they have highly developed imaginations that can serve them well in diverse venues.

I still live with that desire to excel...still strive on some level to be the best, to prove the bullies were wrong...to feel worthy.... It stays with you....no matter how much your personal story changes.

The Boise Renaissance Man asked me what my favorite books are. I know that I love and have read and reread Anne Rice's "Cry to Heaven" and Alan Hollingshurst's "The Swimming Pool Library Club". I collect everything that Rita Mae Brown writes, as well as Janet Evanovich, Lillian Jackson Braun, Ellen Hart and Armistead Maupin. I really enjoy Robert Parker too. You can see the trend is toward mysteries and suspense. However, I also read dozens of political and theatrical biographies, enjoy historical fiction, Gay & Lesbian works, investment books, so I guess I have fairly catholic tastes.

Tim (BarakSF) loves fantasy and science fiction and a wide range of edgy literature. I know Tim (bluedevilsf) loves comics. (Is graphic novel an interchangeable term for this genre?) Are you a reader or do you prefer visual mediums such as film, DVD or television for entertainment and information?

If you are a reader, do you think it makes you a better writer? I know it makes me a better speller. I'd like to know if this activity is a quality of life issue for you. I know that, without books, my world would be a much more limited and limiting place.

Comments

Re: Just call it "sequential art"

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Tim! I'll check out the links you provided! Be sure to let me know what happens with the job in the Minneapolis area. I'll be traveling most of this week through next Tuesday, so give me a call if there's an answer. Tim has my new cell number.