Why I Read: Katherine Bosley, Youth Services Coordinator

By Katherine Bosley

Somewhere in our library’s many incarnations and remodelings a tiny door was built, and all four feet of it have driven the children of Shelburne to distraction ever since. Discovering what lies beyond that wee little threshold is the fervent goal of many a young patron. The clincher is no one on staff will tell, which is because, until it’s opened, everything and anything lies beyond it. Perhaps it’s a broom closet, or perhaps the Queen of Hearts is back there furiously demanding her roses be painted red.

Here at the library, part of our job is to inspire readers, and reading is about possibility. They say curiosity killed the cat, but I think it also breeds avid readers, and truth be told, cats are not my thing so a universe heavy on readers and light on felines is okay by me. I read, because until proven otherwise, every wardrobe is a portal, every boot a portkey, and no break in the hedge or rabbit hole should remain unexplored.

Perhaps you’re a reader too. We might bump into one another six miles in on what was meant to be a two mile walk because neither of us can stand not knowing what’s around the next corner. Some people suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out), but we readers also suffer from FOMI;  (fear of missing information),  which might give us a new appreciation for what is right in front of our noses. We inquisitive folks know that anything  might have an incredible history that we’re ignorant to, that we could easily pass something by without ever knowing the wonder of it. I spent my youth in the muddy New Haven River, ignorant of the fact that the long scrapes on the boulders were put there by glaciers, that my rock strewn playground was constructed during the ice age, that the rolling hills of Vermont were once the soaring heights of the Grenville mountains located SOUTH of the equator, and that I had built me a home where the  buffalo once roamed. My outdoor forays (I’m more of an ambler than a hiker) are enhanced by knowing that the squiggles in rocks were ancient sea creatures, the way artwork is bestowed with meaning once you’ve read the story of the hand that painted it. Reading opens up the world around you to what has been, what could be, and where you fit into the picture.

Also, and feel free to argue with me on this, I like well written controversy. I LIKE REALLY HEATED DEBATES!!!  Revolutionary manifestos, livid criticisms, satirical witticisms; I like to hear both sides of the story. I like an article that changes my mind. All of those shades of gray right there in black and white. I want to know the villain’s side of things. What was their motivation? What if sister Susie gets a letter from Hogwarts but yours never arrives? Jealousy induced rampage, that’s what. And biography! When opportunity comes knocking and the butterflies take up residence in your gut, it helps to think, “What if Jane Goodall had never left for Africa? What if Eleanor Roosevelt never did anything that scared her?”

I read because I consider imagination to be one of the most wonderful gifts we possess. I believe it is tied closely to empathy and allows us to contemplate our place in the bigger picture. If I imagine it, does it exist? We still don’t have a completely firm grasp on the whole “what is consciousness” thing, but the raw material for it is everywhere. All of the matter that makes up your brain will one day make up something else. So, that grass you’re walking on is composed of rodent dreams. Literally as well as figuratively, stories are all around us.

I like that every thought, memory, and experience squirreled away in my brain can be dismantled, reshaped, and reborn to infuse a story with life, with vivid imagery, and with nostalgia. An author friend of mine once told me that a good writer isn’t overly descriptive when a careful word or two will do. If the setting is a church, for instance, she’ll focus on one detail, perhaps following the priest up the aisle as he swings a thurible of incense. The magic of reading is that you will build the church around him.

There’s a radio announcer who’s always saying, “Remember, you only live once, but if you do it right, once is all you need.” I can’t stand that guy. I mean, that’s all well and good if you live in times of peace, have financial stability, and have reached an enlightened place where you’re able to embrace your regrets, but the rest of us are still irked by the infuriating “what ifs” of life. I’d rather he quoted Tolkien and advised his listeners to do the best they can with the time they are given. Reading helps me do just that. Perhaps not every boot is a portkey, but every book most certainly is one. 

We are always looking for new blog writers from the community. Please contact Allison Provost at aprovost@sterncenter.org if you'd like to share why YOU love to read!