Gravity-defying stack o'books

Gravity-defying stack o’books

I took a picture of the above stack of books because it appeared to defy gravity.  In reviewing the books and papers, I realized that several of my interests are represented here.  I moved a table from another part of my house into the living room to work on books but it ended up (like most flat surfaces in my house) as a dumping ground for books either that I just bought or unpacked from a trip to the Hambidge Center, or books that I finished reading and didn’t have another flat surface, never mind shelf space for.

The Ya Yas was a fun quick read; the bio of Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor under FDR was a serious read about an important architect of labor protection laws; and there are books on gender, the blue ridge mountains, herbs, folk medicine, black labor, etc. used for research for my novel.  Triangular Road by Paule Marshall, my interest in African American memoir; Flannery O’Connor, I collect; Cross Creek Cookery, I bought to sell, but, oh, that poor dust jacket.  However, my brother, Y’honatan and I stayed up late one night reading recipes to each other and laughing at her humor, intended and not.  Also, a copy of Marcia Zeimer’s book, “From Shame to Pride,” where she talks about her journey from being a Lesbian in the 1950’s who was arrested for being in a gay bar and sentenced to electric shock therapy to taking a gay cruise.  I can’t explain Antarctica, just a book that I bought at a yard sale that I may give to my mother since she’s vacationed there.

Near the bottom of the stack is the AJC announcing the historic win of the first African American US President.  That’s right — 2008.  Guess that’s about when I brought the table into the living room.