If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it.

I loved Rae’s last post because time bullies me lately.  He is, more accurately, beating me up. (Thumping me.) Needless to say Pink Floyd, there is no “ticking away the moments that make up a dull day, fritter[ing] away the hours in an off-hand way.” So I needed the reminder to cheat time.  Last night, I literally went to sleep with a book.  Fell deep into slumber with A Buried Life in hand.  Just a few pages of a good read make the day far better—even momentary escapes invigorate, right?

One of my most literary friends (and one smart muchacho) just sent me a link today to a Time article entitled These Are the 100 Most-Read Female Writers in College Classes.  Reading through the list of girls on fire, I found so many favorites.  Jane Austen, the subject of my Master’s thesis, and Toni Morrison, the author of several poignant reads for me, topped the list among the most widely read female authors.  And while the list is academic, there are plenty of accessible reads from J.K. Rowling, Amy Tan, Joan Didion, and Isabel Allende. You might want to check it out here.

Perusing the top hundred made me want to re-read my favorite Toni Morrison novel. If you haven’t read The Song of Solomon, promise me you will.  Know that it’s literature—intelligent stuff that deals with sobering issues surrounding racism. Morrison reminds me that life is not fair for a black man born in 1931 in Michigan City. That the stamp of slavery feels indelible for her archetypal character Milkman. This isn’t pulp fiction, and it’s not your mother’s book club selection either.  (If you’re an English major, you’ll feel right at home in these lyrical, rhythmic pages—in fact, you’ll savor them.) I think this book is worth reading if only to meet Morrison’s female character Pilate Dead. Pilate’s strength inspires me. She finds liberation without escape. It’s no surprise Pilate can fly without ever leaving the ground.

Posted by Tracy