If you read my July newsletter, you know that my life was a bit of a dumpster fire for a month there. And while some things are still trucking along through muck and grime, a few loose ends got tied up: some large work questions were resolved, we sold our house (!!!), and new routines were implemented that should help everyone in our family thrive.
But while I was still swimming through difficult waters, I found myself returning to a book series I loved in high school. I picked it up on a whim; it wasnāt something I had planned to read or even something I was excited about. I simply saw it on my parentsā bookshelf, an old thing Iād left behind when Iād moved, not even a cherished favorite. But I grabbed it and started reading.
And read. And read. And read.
The seriesāwell, literature, it aināt. Itās not immoral, but itās also notā¦straight edge. Itās kind of spicy, kind of silly, kind of superfluous. And it was exactly what I needed.
Oftentimes I think we look down upon reading thatās āescapistā. (CS Lewis had very strong thoughts on this). Thereās a lot of talk on the best books leading us to truth and goodness, and I suppose thatās trueāthe great books of literature help us escape to reality and point us towards higher ideals.
But is it really so bad to occasionally want to escape? Is it really so awful and disgraceful that after a day of cleaning my house for showings and dealing with three rowdy maniacs and fretting about finances and trying to meet deadlines that I just wanted to go to a Victorian England boarding school where the popular girl has secret magical powers? Canāt I read Les Miserables and A Great and Terrible Beauty?
There was something so wondrously relaxing about reading about gaslit streets and foggy, mysterious caves; something so comforting about a time when petticoats and pinafores were worn and secrets lurked around every corner. It was just a delight in a time when I sorely needed a delight. I found myself looking forward to the evening just to curl up in bed with the series; that old nostalgic feeling of burrowing your toes into a quilt and reading by lamp light as the stars twinkle out your window. Just an unfettered joy, reminiscent of popsicles and fireflies and flashes of childhood happiness. This series did absolutely nothing for my intellect or my soul. But it did something for my spirit.
Sometimes I think we forget that reading can be a simple pleasure. It doesnāt always need to be something that makes us smarter or more virtuous or help us understand the fallen world around us. All of those things are wonderful, and great books will in fact do those things. But reading can also just be a fun escape, pure and lowly. It can be magic and boarding school and monsters under the bed.
The book did more than comfort me. It made me want to write, and reminded me that the right story at the right time can be such a gift for someone. I hopeāoh, how I hopeāthat some of my books have been that way for you and your kids, or will be in the future.
What have you read lately that delighted you?
Are you a teacher or librarian? If so, heads up: Iām booking school visits for the upcoming fall semester, and my limited calendar is filling up!
To learn more about what my school visits look like, mosey on over here.
I love, love, love doing school visitsāand kids love them, too. Thereās no better way to inspire the students of your school to read and write than to let them ask an author a million questions and learn about the professional writing process. I offer a couple of different workshops and talks that can be tailored for various purposes and age groups, and I refine my talks every year to make sure Iām consistently improving.
Thereās something about letting kids see someone that loves writing that simplyā¦impacts them. As kids, we so often associate writing with red marks on paper, or homework assignments, or something our frazzled teacher told us we have to do. But when we have the chance to interact with someone who has a joy for writing and has truly made it their lifeās work, it can open our imaginations to new possibilities and make the sometimes-mundane school assignments set in front of us a lot more engaging.
The opportunity to hear the true experience of the journey of an author from writing childhood stories to published books was a terrific learning opportunity for my students. Her passion for writing was evident and her presentation truly engaging. I would highly recommend Claire Swinarski as a speaker in any school for students of all ages!
ā Kristine Placek, school principal
And lastly, a book Iāve loved lately forā¦
Kids: This Is the Boat That Ben Built by Jen Lynn Bailey is a sweet book with lots of repetition, which my kids love. Bonus points for my crew that it has āBenā in the title (my sonās name!)
Middle graders: GaspāI didnāt read any middle grade this month! Between moving and the upcoming international trip my familyās taking, I just didnāt get the chance to pick one up. How about a throwback? My son is at sailing camp this week and itās making me crave a reread of The Wanderer by Sharon Creech, one of my all time favorites. Itās about a girl who sails across the ocean with her cousins and uncles, facing her fears about water and choosing courage in many facets of her life. Itās a classic.
Adults: Iām obsessed with all things Julia Child and a bit of a francophile when it comes to food and food history. So I loved Provence 1970 by Luke Barr, about one month where MFK Fisher, James Beard, and Julia Child were all in Provence together. Itās a very niche book that youāre either going to find fascinating or dull as rocks, depending on your reading taste. If you like page-long descriptions of things like pastry and arguments about the democratization of fine dining, itās the book for you (and me).
Thanks for reading along!
-Claire-