Books inhabit every room of my house: stacked on tables, crammed into shelves, steadying the wobbly legs of a table. I have to have them near me, I never travel without them, and although they might remain unread during a vacation, one never knows when a book is needed. I admit Infinite Jest by DFW intimidates me, but I have it handy if I need to hurl it at an intruder's head. As I write this, Flannery O'Conner's Mystery and Manners is within arm's reach, Tara Branch's Radical Acceptance is on a footrest, and face down on the table where I teach my writing workshops is Annie Dillard's The Writing Life. That's the reason I keep my books. I reference them to illustrate craft techniques with my students, but also when I have a question about my project. When I was considering a multiple point-of-view story at the early stages of my novel, I pulled The English Patient, There There, and An American Marriage from my bookshelves and found my way. My books are my literary lineage.

My former grad school advisor, Doug Glover, used to quote one of his former professors by saying,

 "Literature is an encyclopedia of technique." Pithy instructions for a writer.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. What books have been important to you? What are you reading now? And, if you need a book recommendation for any reason, I’m happy to help.