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Is it possible to be a good writer without being a good reader? A very emphatic NO. According to a report of the Independent Book Publishing Association, over five million American adults belong to reading groups. What, do you believe, is the basis for this country's love for literature and books? Americans are well educated and (mostly) literate, which results in a higher interest in lit and books. Also, we’re a prosperous nation and can afford the cost and the time. Have you ever belonged to a reading group? YES, with a group of college professors. Most of the books were pretty high brow. What advice do you have for reading group members when it comes to selecting books for discussion? Go for a variety. Rotate between fiction and nonfiction. Consult reading group guides and booksense picks. What books are you reading now or do you plan to read? I’m reading a wonderful collection of essays, Woman at the Washington Zoo, by Marjory Williams. If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only bring one book with you to read, what would it be and why? This is the hardest question I’ve ever been asked! The last time I was asked this, I answered A Moveable Feast by Hemingway, and your question gave me a chance to rethink this. I still love that book and have read it over and over, but this time I’m going to take the question quite literally, and choose Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. (Hope I’m spelling that right!) It’s so beautifully, simply lyrical that I could read it endlessly and never tire of it. If you could have dinner with three writers (dead or alive) who would they be and why? Auden to discuss poetry; Jane Austin for fiction; and Tennessee Williams for dramatic flair. Have you ever read anything you're too embarrassed to admit (except in this interview)? Hmmm...my ex-husband’s journals, maybe. Favorite book when you were a child? Black Beauty, whom I named my horse after. If you have children, is this the same book you read to them? If not, what is your favorite book for your children? My boys loved Alexander and the No Good, Horrible Day. Favorite heroine in literature and why? Jane Eyre, without a doubt. What a strong, intelligent, witty and admirable woman! Favorite hero in literature and why? Zorba the Greek. Favorite first line from a book? “My wound is geography.” From The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy. ( I’m not a bit partial) Favorite last line from a book? “They walked out of the brightness of a cloudless day, into a land of illusions.” I’m paraphrasing from Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad. Book that changed your life? Diary of a Mad Housewife. Words to live by? Let It Be.
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