week 54: bookish

marie: i've been bookish since youth. i was the nerd who came back to class in grade school with a sheet for teacher saying i took part in the summer reading club. i won spelling bees. in 10th grade, i sat with burning cheeks while coach scott, the accelerated english teacher/wrestling coach, would read some of my stories to the whole class. i would hang out in our rec room with a book most summer vacation days, under the blanket with a flashlight after bedtime. i was going through books a week. my mother went through a phase of trying to force me to go outside and talk to other kids, worried about my "anti-social" tendencies. which later just proved to be a shy personality, a big imagination and a little self doubt. since i never get rid of my books- they are like children- this a small and random section of the shelf representing middle school through present day. 

naomi: the shy ones always turn out to be the best ones. i got a copy of oryx & crake for my birthday and i'm reading it right now while it's still light outside in the evening. 

i associate marie with so many things already (polaroids, cherry blossoms, milwaukee and a million others), but it's when i read murakami that i think of her the most. i know she enjoys him as i do and i keep meaning to lend her my copy of 'after the quake'. next time i see you 'rie, it's yours.