There are many books that I have read in my life that have "found" me. I have discovered certain titles and authors at pivotal moments in my personal development and on this eve of the day that we are "scheduled" to pause and reflect on all of the wonderful things that we are blessed with in life, I think that many of us may overlook those books and the authors that have helped us on our personal paths.
I could write about dozens of books and authors and the way that their words have touched my life, as I am certain many of you can as well, but for now I will touch on one. It is Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me Ultima.
As a Hispanic/Mexican girl growing up in the rural Pacific Northwest, I was very much "Americanized" by my parents. In their attempts to ease their children into a better life than the one they had known they diluted some of the culture that they once embraced and celebrated.
Upon discovering Anaya's Bless Me Ultima in college, I was struck by the beauty and the tragedy and the colorful magic that he brought to our culture. Things that I had known about my family and myself, but had barely understood suddenly seemed much more clear and for that sudden clarity and insight brought on by Mr. Anaya's beautiful words I am very, very thankful.
Tomorrow, on Thanksgiving Day, I hope that many of you will remember those books that have touched and transformed you and that you will share them with your loved ones.
Why not stop by the store and share them with us as well? Perhaps you could try to get Michael and some of the other employees to reveal theirs also? We love to share.
A very happy holiday to you all!
~ Christina
[ add comment ] | permalink |
( 3 / 5 )
By 11:59pm tonight, many parents will have happily tucked their little ghouls, beasties, and witches into bed, saying thanks to the deities of their choice that Halloween is finally over. As you already know, I also am a parent and will be hoping that my daughter has worn off her sugar high from copious amounts of Tricks and Treats, remembered to brush her teeth, and is well on her way to dreamland because at 12:00am November 1st, 2008, the 10th annual National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) will begin and I, and more than 100,000 of my fellow “Wrimos” from more than 80 countries will once again toss ourselves into an annual exercise in literary abandon and utter insanity. We will be driving ourselves with determination and obscene amounts of caffeine to pen 50,000 words in a mere 30 days; entering the month as teachers, students, mechanics, dentists, nurses, sanitation engineers, CEOs, and administrative assistants, and by 11:59pm on November 30th, ending it as novelists.
NaNoWriMo is the brainchild of freelance writer Chris Baty. In 1999, Baty and 21 of his compatriots began a journey that in a mere decade has become the largest writing “contest” in the world. In its first year, six of the participants crossed the 50,000 word mark to become “winners”; last year more than 15,000 people did the same.
By partnering with Room to Read, donations to NaNoWriMo from participants and supporters have helped build seventeen libraries in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam in the last four years. They have also funded a Young Writer’s program that spans the globe. In 2006, the founders created a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, The Office of Letters and Light, to continue to fund NaNoWriMo and other programs to inspire writing and promote literacy.
If you would like to sponsor my participation in NaNoWriMo 2008, please contribute here: Sponsor me! Donations can also be made to The Office of Letters and Light at the main website, http://www.nanowrimo.org/. I hope that you will consider supporting this wonderful charity and their fantastic work!
If any of you care to join the ranks of Wrimos, please sign up at http://www.nanowrimo.org/, we will be happy to welcome you into the fray. If it’s not for you, I hope to see you on the sidelines, cheering us on to that fantastic 50,000 word finish!
Happy WRIMO!
~ Christina
[ add comment ] | permalink |
( 3 / 5 )In the last entry, I promised to share the story of how I became your Michael's books blogger. It started with the "letter" below; something I wrote for Michael Elmer and for the store employees. I chose to share it with them because of how special I think the store is. Now I am happy that he has given me the opportunity to share it with you.
I hope that you enjoy it.
____________________________________________________________________
“This is a place of mystery,... a sanctuary. Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens.... In this place, books no longer remembered by anyone, books that are lost in time, live forever, waiting for the day when they will reach a new reader’s hands.” ~ Carlos Ruiz Zafon, In the Shadow of the Wind
I can’t remember the exact date that I first stepped into Michael's Books, but I remember how I felt when I did. It was as if I were finally coming “home”. Surrounded by the smell of old ink and paper, and the quiet that seems to envelope those of us that are true lovers of the written word, I felt that I had stepped into my own personal heaven.
I have always been an avid reader. My mother used to joke that I inhaled every word ever placed in front of me, that I took them in with each breath. In many of our family photos I can be seen curled off in a corner with my nose in a book. Books have always been a haven for me. My “safe” place to fall, to escape, to learn, and to share the adventures of someone else’s life; steadfast and true, the words always there, like old and dear friends sharing their joys and sorrows with me. As I grew older, and married, and began my own life, they remained, packed lovingly and carefully along and always with me.
They became my refuge from an abusive relationship.
I had moved back to Whatcom County after a decade of living like a gypsy with my husband and our daughter. Moving from place to place is the difficult life of a military family and, unfortunately, he and I were unable to weather all of these difficulties together.
His temper would flare and he would lash out at me, and I would hide within leatherbound covers and pages, hoping to escape his anger. When even this could no longer lift my spirits, I realized that it was time to go, to pluck up my courage, as so many of my beloved literary heroes and heroines had and rewrite my “happily never after”. So, my ex-husband and I and split up and I arrived back in Whatcom County in 2006 with a quarter tank of gas and $8 in my pocket. I had come back to my hometown, to my roots, bringing my greatest treasures with me: my beloved daughter and my favorite books.
The first few months were difficult, as I fought to establish a place for us here. With the help of my family and my old friends, I managed to create a new life, a better life for my daughter and I. I worked a few odd jobs, some that were night positions that made being a mother very difficult, so when I received the opportunity to interview for a position at a local state agency, I leapt at it.
While in the interview, the panel asked me if there was anything that they should know about me, anything personal that I would like to share. I considered what to say carefully, after all, this was a wonderful opportunity, and I didn’t want to lose this chance with a random slip of the tongue. I decided that honesty was the best course, so I shared my love of reading, my adoration of books, and that I had recently read Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale , and simply found it unfathomable that it had never occurred to me to read it before. This declaration was met with bright smiles, and confirmation that those who were listening to me shared this love of words, and that I was among kindred spirits. A brief discourse on the novel followed and all agreed it was a fantastic story.
Directly after the interview, I was given a tour of the office and shown the section of books that other office workers brought in to share and realized that this was the perfect place for me. I was offered the position later that same day.
I had not spent a great deal of time in Downtown Bellingham prior to taking this position, and when my supervisor recommended that I wander and explore, I decided it was sound advice. When I told her that I was taking said advice, she smiled at me and said, “Go to The Black Drop and take a left. There is a bookstore there that I think you will like.” And so I did.
Magical and mysterious, to wander among the shelves and stacks, surrounded by the dreams and the thoughts and the ideas of so many authors, past and present; I too dream of one day seeing my words in print, knowing that they are reaching out and touching the lives of others. Michael’s has become my “church” of sorts; the place that I come when I need solace and inspiration to hold onto this dream, to live it and breathe it.
On a recent weekend, I finally brought my daughter here, to Michael’s. Saw the amazement and the light on her face as she stood in the Children’s Room and was comforted by the thought that, like her mother, she would find great friends between the pages. I went to the room that I love best, Literature, and wandered, as I do, not searching for anything specific, but letting myself “find” any tome that seemed to be “looking” for me. It’s my typical shopping style, one that leaves me ample time to browse, and drink in that fantastic scent of ink and paper that is like no other. It refreshes my soul.
Upon reaching the counter to make our purchases, I was asked if I had seen the maps for Michael’s, outlining the layout of the shop. I smiled and said, “Yes, thank you, I have. I pasted one into my journal.” And the delighted astonishment on the face of the man who was looking at me spoke volumes.
Yes, the map has found a place in my personal notebook, where I write the deepest desires of my soul, and this shop, this wonderful and magical bookstore, has found a place in my heart.
_________________________________________________________
I gave this letter to Michael Elmer, as a gesture of gratitude for the pleasure and peace that the bookstore has brought to my life, and he is now giving me the opportunity to share the heart and soul of the store with all of you.
Happy Reading!
~Christina
[ add comment ] | permalink |
( 3 / 5 )Hello fellow book enthusiasts! Thank you for joining us for the first entry in the Michael's Books blog!
My name is Christina, and I will be your hostess! Welcome!
Here we will share the wonder and the magic that can be found within Michael's Books: the life within the stacks and shelves, the magical scent of ink and old paper, as well as the fantastic and knowledgable staff members here who are ready, willing, and very much able to help you find exactly what you're looking for... even if you, yourself are not quite sure what that might be.
As for who I am, and how it is that I came to be writing here... that's actually a rather funny story... and I'll share that with all of you in our next entry.
In the meantime, stop by the store and say hello! Ask someone to look for an obscure and difficult to locate title, ask someone to help you find something new to move and inspire you. Everyone loves a grand treasure hunt, and everyone at Michael's will be more than happy to help!
Happy Reading!
~ Christina
[ 1 comment ] ( 9 views ) | permalink |
( 2.7 / 6 )Hello.
Welcome to the Michael's Books Blog
My Staff and Selected Patrons will be blogging about book related subjects.
We are always happy to enrich your book experence either online or in person.
Ask questions of us.
Add comments.
Call us 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday 360-733-6272.
Email us anytime books@michaelsbooks.com
Our website is
www.michaelsbooks.com
Visit us at 109 Grand Avenue in Beautiful Downtown Bellingham.
80 miles North of Seattle Washington
60 Miles South of Vancouver BC.
[ add comment ] | permalink |
( 2.7 / 6 )
Calendar
