AFAReads discussion
June 2020: Books and Islands...
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1. The "lakes as libraries" idea was really interesting to me, because the lakes seem to be homes for the islands, which themselves tell stories. But I liked that they were distinguished as libraries--which implies a sharing of ownership--rather than shops. Another place I might consider a library in that way are our own homes; we ourselves are unique individual stories, and we live there, I guess, so maybe that counts? :)
2. We talked about this in both sessions quite a bit, but the idea that Erdrich connects to the place in a deep way because of her understanding and learning of the language (as well as her own heritage) felt very meaningful. We reflected a bit on our own language learnings, whether they were via our own heritage or not, and how that may change the way we experience a place.
3. This Oberholtzer fellow sounded pretty intrepid! What I was really struck by was how extremely his long canoe trip affected him--so much so that he never was able to really encapsulate the experience in words. It made me think about the trips I've taken (far less adventurous than his, certainly!) that have been so hard to put to words after the fact. Some journeys just aren't easy to express, I guess!
4. I have to admit that my e-reader has been my preferred book gadget for traveling for the past 10 years (I still have one of those really old Kindles with a built-in keyboard). Especially when I was on much longer-term travels, it was nice to be able to have a number of different options to read depending on my mood, since in normal life I also am reading 5 books at a time. But I'm a huge fan of stopping into local bookstores and university bookstores whenever I'm traveling!
I thoroughly enjoyed connecting with other readers on the discussion, even though I had not read the book yet. Now I have, and I’m so grateful for the experience. 1. I love the concept that everything can be a library. As a photographer, I feel that way about every photo I take—a picture is indeed worth a thousand words. I do feel like I’m reading the world with my camera.
2. I will always be in the thrall of the power of language. Long before I studied Italian, I closed my eyes and listened to my college art history teacher read an entire essay in Italian, knowing only how beautiful it sounded and how enthusiastic my professor was to share it. But this book actually made me think of the Navajos living in the remote West. On a year-long road trip across the country, I spent a few days roaming the reservations and national parks in Navajo country. A most intriguing piece of history jumped in our path just because we were hungry. We stopped at a Burger King, the only place for sustenance for quite a ways. What we discovered along with our cheeseburgers was a charming museum—in a fast-food joint—telling the story through artifacts behind glass of the codetalkers, Navajos recruited to use their language to confound our enemies during World War II. I had no idea! Their Navajo code has been called “unbreakable.”
In the online discussion, we talked about the practice of buying books as souvenirs. Much later, I found a children’s book telling the story of the Navajo code talkers. I cherish it still.
3. The concept of not being able to write about your journey for a spell—maybe even forever—resonates with me. That same cross-country road trip I mentioned above is like that for me. It happened in 2003, but for years and years I could not distill everything. Then four years ago, I was finally ready to write it all up. It’s a long memoir at the moment, and there is still more to tell ... from this experience, I know that trip stories have their own boundaries, and they spring forth when they are ready.
4. One of my favorite things to do is read a book about a place while I am in that place. But it’s nearly impossible to do, since I am so busy experiencing everything I can and trying to post about it before the thoughts get away from me ... now I try to read books about a place just before I go, and even more just after I return.
My travel reading now happens mostly on planes and trains, and I try to stick to light stuff I can abandon easily for the sake of adventure. E-readers have made all of this so much easier, but I do remember my very first adult vacation, a camping trip with my dad nearby on Whidbey Island. I stayed up late into the night, sitting by the campfire with an old-fashioned lantern, bundled in an army blanket savoring every single word of a borrowed paperback of “Skinny Legs and All.” Rain came and spit at the fire, but I was so cozy with my book, I didn’t care. It’s still one of my favorite memories.
1. Erdrich writes that we can think of “lakes as libraries.” What does she mean by this? What other places would you consider “libraries”?
2. In what ways does Ojibwemowin (the Ojibwe language) help the author feel more connected to her experiences?
3. What does Erdrich admire about Ernest Oberholtzer?
4. Books are a protagonist in this title, and Erdrich says she always packs certain ones when she travels. What books do you bring with you on the road, and why?