I read Albert Camus' "The Plague" around the time I was twenty. It made a huge impression on me, and still ranks as one of my favorite books. But that's not why I chose this book. The "The Plague's" existentialist themes would come to inform my worldview (and later, my atheism) I did not know that at the time. Rather, my reading of this book stands as a totem marking a particular place and time in my life. I'm not trying to be arrogant when I say I was a smart kid. I was, but I abused and neglected this gift. So it was a bit of a shock when I found myself flunked out of college and on the verge of marriage and fatherhood, twin financial responsibilities that would shut the door on a return to higher learning. It was then that I read "The Plague". The profound emotional reaction I had to this book made me see two things: how badly I had frittered away my intellectual opportunities, and that henceforth I would have to seek out and create those opportunities myself. I may have lost my chance at a meaningful career, but I would strive to lead a meaningful life. Thus, the bleakest novel I've ever read became for me an enduring call-to-arms as well as a symbol of hope.
"Upon finding out my affinity for Charles Bukowski, I’ve had many people ask: “What could you possibly have in common with a dirty old man?” Turns out, quite a bit. That’s the beauty of poetry. Bukowski’s “Betting on the Muse” helps rule my day-to-day by serving as a continuous reminder that life is only as bleak as you make it. Though his texts are littered with debaser activity and crestfallen tales, his underlying theme to keep going, even through hell, is a virtue I carry with me, always."
"I have always been a huge book nerd. When I was a little girl and all the other kids were playing outside, I was always the odd child out, content to remain indoors with my nose stuck in a book. As an adult, I still read whenever I get the chance and this autobiography by Patti Smith really struck a chord with me. I am a writer, a creative (like Patti!), and they don't call us starving artists for nothing. In the book, she describes a real golden era of living in New York City when you didn't need money to make your dreams come true---all you really needed was your drive, talent, a bit of luck, and, most importantly, a soulmate to share the rollercoaster ride with. Despite all the bullshit and noise that has taken our society today so far from those ideals, I still very much believe in them and live my life accordingly. Patti had it right all along. She knew what was important."
