My name is Marie, and books are the loves of my life.
Marie, a happy book lover.If I could establish a theme for this past summer, it would be the endeavor to become a master. For my Pokémon-loving friends, it's like learning to become the very best. I took a Physics class, a class I struggled in previously, and strove to master it. I moved out on my own, and I'm still learning how to manage it. I was recently given the opportunity to be the Assistant Editor for State Press Magazine, and I'm working to be better at this job each day.
This summer was a valuable learning experience for me. I'm coming back to the blog this semester with new life experiences, and new literary ideas. Outside of summer classes and hours at work, I spent time in thrift stores, bookstores, and libraries. I took in books the way that we have to breathe to survive.
Quite literally, I consumed books. My room looked like it came straight out of a booklover's Pinterest paradise. Perhaps not as picturesque as rooms posted on Pinterest, books were stacked up my walls, and in shelves in my closet. In Goodwill, I sat on the cold, waxed concrete floors and stared at used, mishandled, and cherished book spines for hours. I stacked books into shopping carts even if I didn't believe I'd buy them, just in case I changed my mind later.
A tower of books grew in my thrift store shopping cart.This semester, I hope to put these new experiences to work with Literally Speaking. I hope to explore the raw elements of literature and the written word - how books are put together, the trials and triumphs of being a writer, and international works.
Just like previous semesters, I'll talk about authors I find interesting, and literary events around the Phoenix and Tempe areas. I have the same disclaimer that I've had in the past: my love for literature and books is a cheesy, kissing in the rain kind of love.
That doesn't necessarily refer to the genres I love, but it does describe how incredible I think literature is. I overuse the word "magical" when it comes to literature, and I think that the written word has changed the world, and will continue to shape the future.
I hope that this upcoming semester, I can share a bit of that magic with you.
How did literature make its mark on your summer? Let me know at arabusa@asu.edu or on Twitter @marie_eo.
